One off ($29.99) from online wine discounter #4 about a year and a half ago. On the nose and palate, medium+ note of red cherries, pomegranates, rhubarb, red currants, plums, ground, sweet and piquant spice, red licorice, cola and sassafras. Medium garnet, medium bodied medium to thick legs. Lively acidity, light tannins, no heat, tasting 100 bp lower than stated 14.5% abv. VG complexity, persistence and intensity. Short note here, as I return to the land of vin ordinaire. I’ve often stated that the overwhelming majority of my CA pinot choices, regardless of whether I pay $25 or $100, land in the 90-92/3 range, and this is bang on in the middle. This bottling, which I’m having for the first time (other than perhaps tasting at the tasting room, many moons back), comes from a producer I cop to kinda liking, monstrous sized production (at least of the non-SVD cuvees) aside. The key for my CA pinot preferences is at least as much about avoiding what I don’t like—mostly, an overtly sweet, confected quality—than what I do, and while this does have mild notes of baking spice, often the culprit, it has a nice savoriness/salinity and even a bit of underlying spiciness which keeps this on a good path. Pretty much good to go off the pour, this is holding well into night #3, indicating both a good drinking window and some more years of longevity at somewhere around this level. Quite nice freshness made this a good match both for seared salmon one night and a broiled pork chop another. While this wine, these days, falls closer to the bottom than the top, both in terms of quality and price, it’s something I can still really enjoy as the proverbial weekday wine, and wish that this was more the kind of thing my non-winey friends brought over (albeit at what I paid, which is at or above the high end of what they’d pay) rather than what usually comes (and ends up in the Cruset or saucepan). I just picked up my first Aubert pinots, but outside of the occasional better Rhys, my search for transcendent CA pinots continues. CT bang on. 91-92
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Hour decant, very cherry and earth on the nose, with a little cola going on as well. The palate is well balanced, with the right amount of acidity to accentuate the fruit.
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Pnp, let it open up in the glass. Cherry, red candy apple on the nose. Sour cherry, red fruits, tart cranberry and some subdued spice notes with a moderate finish with a tinge of wood on the back end. Very nice wine. Maybe a little more cellar time or slight decant.
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Medium, pale ruby in colour with restrained aromas of red cherry, strawberry(?), floral/candy, earth/forest floor. On the palate, bold tart red fruit, red cherry, spice, earth, oak/clove, subtle lingering cola/candy, high acidity & a long finish into black pepper. This is a lovely wine!
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12/19/2023 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
One off ($29.99) from online wine discounter #4 about a year and a half ago. On the nose and palate, medium+ note of red cherries, pomegranates, rhubarb, red currants, plums, ground, sweet and piquant spice, red licorice, cola and sassafras. Medium garnet, medium bodied medium to thick legs. Lively acidity, light tannins, no heat, tasting 100 bp lower than stated 14.5% abv. VG complexity, persistence and intensity. Short note here, as I return to the land of vin ordinaire. I’ve often stated that the overwhelming majority of my CA pinot choices, regardless of whether I pay $25 or $100, land in the 90-92/3 range, and this is bang on in the middle. This bottling, which I’m having for the first time (other than perhaps tasting at the tasting room, many moons back), comes from a producer I cop to kinda liking, monstrous sized production (at least of the non-SVD cuvees) aside. The key for my CA pinot preferences is at least as much about avoiding what I don’t like—mostly, an overtly sweet, confected quality—than what I do, and while this does have mild notes of baking spice, often the culprit, it has a nice savoriness/salinity and even a bit of underlying spiciness which keeps this on a good path. Pretty much good to go off the pour, this is holding well into night #3, indicating both a good drinking window and some more years of longevity at somewhere around this level. Quite nice freshness made this a good match both for seared salmon one night and a broiled pork chop another. While this wine, these days, falls closer to the bottom than the top, both in terms of quality and price, it’s something I can still really enjoy as the proverbial weekday wine, and wish that this was more the kind of thing my non-winey friends brought over (albeit at what I paid, which is at or above the high end of what they’d pay) rather than what usually comes (and ends up in the Cruset or saucepan). I just picked up my first Aubert pinots, but outside of the occasional better Rhys, my search for transcendent CA pinots continues. CT bang on. 91-92
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11/23/2022 - wino121 wrote: 91 Points
Simple PNP, this is certainly a crowd pleaser, no food needed here,
Ripe subtle fruit, fairly straightforward front to finish Pinot.
Drink now…2024-6
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7/14/2022 - quaffnov Likes this wine: 91 Points
Hour decant, very cherry and earth on the nose, with a little cola going on as well. The palate is well balanced, with the right amount of acidity to accentuate the fruit.
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6/30/2021 - snarfglk Likes this wine: 91 Points
very nice over two days
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6/17/2021 - grdnbrrtt wrote:
Salmon:
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5/23/2021 - snarfglk Likes this wine: 90 Points
90+
very nice PN which held up well over 2 days
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5/1/2021 - AngelicWines wrote: 91 Points
I thought it was great, my partner said it was one of her favorites in a while.
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4/18/2021 - NSuri Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very good Pinot Noir - but personally, I prefer the Saralee vineyard a little better
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3/19/2021 - buymoreredsdrinkmorewhites wrote:
Pnp, let it open up in the glass. Cherry, red candy apple on the nose. Sour cherry, red fruits, tart cranberry and some subdued spice notes with a moderate finish with a tinge of wood on the back end. Very nice wine. Maybe a little more cellar time or slight decant.
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3/10/2021 - grdnbrrtt wrote: 92 Points
Sweet & Sour Pot Roast: A BIG wine. Loaded with aromas and berry-cherry flavors that will stand up to holiday dinners. Needs to be featured.
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2/1/2021 - NGL Does not like this wine:
Spicy
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1/1/2021 - snarfglk Likes this wine: 90 Points
90+
nice color, nose and palate, food may have overpowered it. will wait for better food match next time
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12/25/2020 - CDT Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium, pale ruby in colour with restrained aromas of red cherry, strawberry(?), floral/candy, earth/forest floor. On the palate, bold tart red fruit, red cherry, spice, earth, oak/clove, subtle lingering cola/candy, high acidity & a long finish into black pepper. This is a lovely wine!
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