Palate: massive red and blue fruit. Pretty nice texture though.
From the rather offensive nose I would have guessed tons of new American oak, but apparently it's a reasonable amount of French.
After about an hour the nose started to tame as some orange peel came out. Will be re-corking and tackling again tomorrow. Not a disappointment, but too big for my tastes right now.
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From two vineyards along the Sonoma coast (Seascape and Far Coast). French oak; 31% new. 14.9% alc. 2,328 cases.
Color: Medium-dark to dark ruby. Impressive.
Nose: Beautiful, very intense, perfumey, classic nose of Pinot black cherry fruit and spice (light clove). And a kiss of new French oak. Complex. Beautiful nose.
Palate: Full body (to an unusual degree for pinot noir). Powerful, deep flavor intensity. Really penetrating on the finish. Excellent balance. Soft tannins, Silky.
Definitely New World Pinot Noir. A lot of fruit, extract, and alcohol.
If you can find this wine (small production), and you paid $45 for it, you got a fantastic value in California pinot noir!
Solid: 93-94.
JGH Sommelier CMS-III SF Bay Area
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Simple decant, Almost Syrah like in color, and body, too beefy for my preference of Pinot. Med ++ body/nose, med on the finish. Overly ripe fruit almost Coke like. It Became slightly out of balance after a few hours. I can see why the higher scores, it’s a juicy fruit bomb.
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Translucent ruby. Initial nose of cranberry sauce, eventually picking up some raspberry jam. Medium-to-medium-plus body with medium-low acid and low tannins. Very fruit dominate palate with warm ripe fruit and flavors of cherry cordial, dark cherries, and cola at various points. Had some nice minerality mid-palate. Finish had a tad bit of heat at first, but with air that improved before becoming a bit pruny. Delicious, though not necessarily my preferred style. Paired with duck confit, potatoes sarladaises, and haricort verts.
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Loads of bing cherries and raspberries on the nose, beautiful ruby color and richness in the glass. Step up from Hartford’s entry Pinot Noir, well worth it and great value.
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The Third Annual Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir (My House, Houston, TX): Retail $50. Quite the muscular wine on the nose here with firm red fruit, a touch of heat, and minerality. The palate also comes off a tad hot, but there is more than ample fruit and plenty of chutzpah. Excellent. 90 Points. thedrunkencyclist.com
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Gorgeous ruby color, milk chocolate, roses, black cherries, red raspberry sauce, not heavy, still unmistakably pinot, but fuller bodied. really really really good.
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10/15/2022 - dwkinnaird wrote: 89 Points
Not my flavour style. A really elegant wine, nice fruit, high alcohol. Just don’t think that I’m a California Pinot guy.
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12/17/2021 - scorbett wrote:
Nose: chocolate and coconut and dark cherry jam.
Palate: massive red and blue fruit. Pretty nice texture though.
From the rather offensive nose I would have guessed tons of new American oak, but apparently it's a reasonable amount of French.
After about an hour the nose started to tame as some orange peel came out. Will be re-corking and tackling again tomorrow. Not a disappointment, but too big for my tastes right now.
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11/25/2021 - Gruffalius Likes this wine: 93 Points
Good as always.
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11/21/2021 - Jon Harrison wrote: 94 Points
From two vineyards along the Sonoma coast (Seascape and Far Coast). French oak; 31% new. 14.9% alc. 2,328 cases.
Color: Medium-dark to dark ruby. Impressive.
Nose: Beautiful, very intense, perfumey, classic nose of Pinot black cherry fruit and spice (light clove). And a kiss of new French oak. Complex. Beautiful nose.
Palate: Full body (to an unusual degree for pinot noir). Powerful, deep flavor intensity. Really penetrating on the finish. Excellent balance. Soft tannins, Silky.
Definitely New World Pinot Noir. A lot of fruit, extract, and alcohol.
If you can find this wine (small production), and you paid $45 for it, you got a fantastic value in California pinot noir!
Solid: 93-94.
JGH Sommelier CMS-III SF Bay Area
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11/19/2021 - Rudolph Schmidt Likes this wine:
Very big for a Pinot. A touch hot.
Needs airtime. Started to enjoy after a 30m decant.
Sour cherry, Asian spice, cola, cranberry, blueberry, hoisin sauce, sandalwood, leather.
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10/21/2021 - wino121 wrote: 88 Points
Simple decant,
Almost Syrah like in color, and body, too beefy for my preference of Pinot.
Med ++ body/nose, med on the finish. Overly ripe fruit almost Coke like.
It Became slightly out of balance after a few hours.
I can see why the higher scores, it’s a juicy fruit bomb.
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9/4/2021 - Gruffalius Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark and rich with dark berries.
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3/2/2021 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Full, intense, as pinot, with some gumption. Quickie loaded taste.
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2/27/2021 - timothynbond Likes this wine: 90 Points
Translucent ruby. Initial nose of cranberry sauce, eventually picking up some raspberry jam. Medium-to-medium-plus body with medium-low acid and low tannins. Very fruit dominate palate with warm ripe fruit and flavors of cherry cordial, dark cherries, and cola at various points. Had some nice minerality mid-palate. Finish had a tad bit of heat at first, but with air that improved before becoming a bit pruny. Delicious, though not necessarily my preferred style. Paired with duck confit, potatoes sarladaises, and haricort verts.
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12/22/2020 - Bacchus8378 wrote: 92 Points
Loads of bing cherries and raspberries on the nose, beautiful ruby color and richness in the glass. Step up from Hartford’s entry Pinot Noir, well worth it and great value.
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11/24/2020 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine: 90 Points
The Third Annual Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir (My House, Houston, TX): Retail $50. Quite the muscular wine on the nose here with firm red fruit, a touch of heat, and minerality. The palate also comes off a tad hot, but there is more than ample fruit and plenty of chutzpah. Excellent. 90 Points. thedrunkencyclist.com
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11/6/2020 - Penpup Does not like this wine:
Just OK.....lacked boldness.
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9/4/2020 - Lederhosen Likes this wine: 94 Points
Gorgeous ruby color, milk chocolate, roses, black cherries, red raspberry sauce, not heavy, still unmistakably pinot, but fuller bodied. really really really good.
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