Very pleasant. Nose and front end give lots of good typical Sonoma / Rita notes.finish drops off rather quickly. Has some acidity Not bad but not use it’s the best value, even in the context of US Pinots.
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Tasty $34 (on sale) California Pinot Noir 2018 Racines Sta. Rita Hills. Sharp mid-ruby; rim variation (12.8 alc.); red fruit, smokey, mineral nose; mid acids; softening tannins; round, ripe, long red fruit finish. w/salmon. 16.5/91.
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Fine $34 Calif. (on sale) 2018 Racines Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills. Light-mid ruby; complex smokey, stemmy, red fruit and cherry nose; mid+ acids; mid tannins; medium depth; long lush red fruit and wood finish, balanced (12.8 alc.). w/veal. 16.5-17 UC Davis scale, 91-92 other scales.
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Somewhat interesting funky cherry fruit nose with good intensity. Med acidity. Low tannin. Palate is simple cherry fruit not much there. Short and uninteresting finish. I paid $37 and would not buy more at that price.
My 9 year old who tastes wine: “kinda simple doesn’t have much taste.”
My wife: grimaces…”what is this?”
We opened a 2018 Pinot from Ken Wright which was much better.
I think this could be ok for like a second bottle of wine with food if you have it but wouldn’t seek it out.
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Crunchy red fruit up front with plasticy or industrial notes, strawberry jolly rancher & vegetal notes lead the leaner mid-palate, finishes shorter than expected on decent acidity. Fun but not as fun as hoped for at the price, want a little more complexity or raciness.
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PnP, consumed over 3 hours. Appearance: Clear, pale ruby. Nose: Clean, medium+ intensity with developing aromas of sour cherry, cranberry, tomato leaf, baking spice, and rose petal. Palate: Dry, medium+ acid, medium tannin, medium body, low alcohol - 12.8% abv, medium+ intensity with a medium+ finish. Overall an excellent wine, well rounded showing favorably in all aspects. Still quite youthful, needs an hour or two of air if opening today - better in 2-3 years and 5+ after that.
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I wish I found all the lovely flavors that @dsamuel got. I noted some of them in a very generalized way, but overall I found the wine to be simpler and less complex than they did. It has a wonderful nose of classic pinot funk, and good fruit overlaying a bit of earthiness. However, it’s a little too rich for my taste, and there’s a concentrated, almost candied sweetness that bothers me. Plus, I only got moderate complexity and finish at best.
Don’t get me wrong — it’s a nice wine, just not an excellent one IMHO. If you can get this on sale somewhere for under $40 it’s worth it, but I wouldn’t pay much more than that.
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Medium garnet with clearing at rim Medium plus aromas of sweet red/ black fruit with underlying green herbs, smoke, mushroom and forest floor notes - quite complex Medium. bodied with palate of red/ black fruit with hints of soy sauce and intense salinity to finish Medium acidity and medium minus tannins and medium alcohol Moderate finish driven by herbal/ umami notes and saline Very nice Pinot especially for an appellation level - remains fruit driven but with definitive secondary aromas and flavors Old World aromas but definitely remains in CA based on relative lack if acidity and fruit ripeness Drinking wonderfully now but can hold for at least 3-5 years in cellar
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Ruby red but robust hints of cherry on the nose maybe a bit the mint and licorice on the back. Very smooth after about an hour only have 1 more but will wait to see how this develops next year. Solid Pinot.
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This pours light ruby in the glass with a watery faintly pink rim. The nose is immediately lifted and complex showing blood orange, rose petal, red cherry, graphite, cardamom, incense, animal fur, and woodsy forest notes. The palate low in tannin with medium plus blood orange tinged acid. Just a lovely wine that is wide open and thoroughly enjoyable today.
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Promising nose that shows dark cherry, star anise, rose petals together with some cedar and liquorice. On the palate a similar profile with only the slightest splash of mixed berry preserves. Medium+ finish. Indeed a likeable Pinot noir, but at this price point the competition is fierce and as with their Chardonnay, this too comes at a bit too high price..but hey, good wines nonetheless! 90 points ?
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I am not impressed at all, as I expected something more refined, structured and aromatically intense. This one is on the heavy side of things, the acidity is a bit low, the fruit component is rather bland and not expressive enough. Not bad , but not great either.
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Lovely concentrated, well balanced, lush taste of red berries like mature strawberry and raspberries, smoky and some chocolate, fresh tannin structure, noticeable use of whole bunches with some dryness on the out. Savoury long aftertaste with a well integrated acidity.
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4/6/2024 - Stick_esq Does not like this wine:
A bit off
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4/5/2024 - Mbad77 wrote: 90 Points
Very pleasant. Nose and front end give lots of good typical Sonoma / Rita notes.finish drops off rather quickly. Has some acidity
Not bad but not use it’s the best value, even in the context of US Pinots.
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3/28/2024 - sdwineguru Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasty $34 (on sale) California Pinot Noir 2018 Racines Sta. Rita Hills. Sharp mid-ruby; rim variation (12.8 alc.); red fruit, smokey, mineral nose; mid acids; softening tannins; round, ripe, long red fruit finish. w/salmon. 16.5/91.
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2/25/2024 - Moonie Does not like this wine:
Maybe this bottle was off, but it was bitter and lacking in fruit.
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2/4/2024 - OldHick95 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose is mixed fruit jelly and a hint of wood smoke. Lots of cherry and cranberry flavors and a nice tangy finish.
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10/21/2023 - sdwineguru Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fine $34 Calif. (on sale) 2018 Racines Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills. Light-mid ruby; complex smokey, stemmy, red fruit and cherry nose; mid+ acids; mid tannins; medium depth; long lush red fruit and wood finish, balanced (12.8 alc.). w/veal. 16.5-17 UC Davis scale, 91-92 other scales.
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9/28/2023 - magyarsvensk Likes this wine:
Elegant, bucolic and roncesque, mostly on heather and boysenberries. A balanced and unique expression.
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7/27/2023 - rnellans wrote: 92 Points
Lots of red cherry fruit on the nose. Nice structure. Some soft tannins. Should improve with a couple more years in the cellar.
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7/23/2023 - Dpark8 wrote: 88 Points
Red fruit forward
Good oak balance
Interesting but not outstanding
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4/9/2023 - Ryan@Rhone Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Somewhat interesting funky cherry fruit nose with good intensity. Med acidity. Low tannin. Palate is simple cherry fruit not much there. Short and uninteresting finish. I paid $37 and would not buy more at that price.
My 9 year old who tastes wine: “kinda simple doesn’t have much taste.”
My wife: grimaces…”what is this?”
We opened a 2018 Pinot from Ken Wright which was much better.
I think this could be ok for like a second bottle of wine with food if you have it but wouldn’t seek it out.
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3/28/2023 - Big Juicy Red wrote:
Too much candied fruit sweetness upfront, with a touch of bitterness on the finish. Lacking in complexity and finish. I’m still underwhelmed.
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1/28/2023 - oropeza wrote:
Crunchy red fruit up front with plasticy or industrial notes, strawberry jolly rancher & vegetal notes lead the leaner mid-palate, finishes shorter than expected on decent acidity. Fun but not as fun as hoped for at the price, want a little more complexity or raciness.
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1/10/2023 - finlero Does not like this wine:
Some nice elements, including a really lovely lighter weight, unfortunately offset by a pinched harshness that isn't to my taste.
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12/31/2022 - prasm Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnP, consumed over 3 hours. Appearance: Clear, pale ruby. Nose: Clean, medium+ intensity with developing aromas of sour cherry, cranberry, tomato leaf, baking spice, and rose petal. Palate: Dry, medium+ acid, medium tannin, medium body, low alcohol - 12.8% abv, medium+ intensity with a medium+ finish. Overall an excellent wine, well rounded showing favorably in all aspects. Still quite youthful, needs an hour or two of air if opening today - better in 2-3 years and 5+ after that.
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12/1/2022 - Big Juicy Red Likes this wine:
I wish I found all the lovely flavors that @dsamuel got. I noted some of them in a very generalized way, but overall I found the wine to be simpler and less complex than they did. It has a wonderful nose of classic pinot funk, and good fruit overlaying a bit of earthiness. However, it’s a little too rich for my taste, and there’s a concentrated, almost candied sweetness that bothers me. Plus, I only got moderate complexity and finish at best.
Don’t get me wrong — it’s a nice wine, just not an excellent one IMHO. If you can get this on sale somewhere for under $40 it’s worth it, but I wouldn’t pay much more than that.
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11/16/2022 - dsamuel Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium garnet with clearing at rim
Medium plus aromas of sweet red/ black fruit with underlying green herbs, smoke, mushroom and forest floor notes - quite complex
Medium. bodied with palate of red/ black fruit with hints of soy sauce and intense salinity to finish
Medium acidity and medium minus tannins and medium alcohol
Moderate finish driven by herbal/ umami notes and saline
Very nice Pinot especially for an appellation level - remains fruit driven but with definitive secondary aromas and flavors
Old World aromas but definitely remains in CA based on relative lack if acidity and fruit ripeness
Drinking wonderfully now but can hold for at least 3-5 years in cellar
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10/22/2022 - Rjwhit wrote: 89 Points
Smokey with some cherry and plum. Medium body. Not especially complex.
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10/2/2022 - jps3@columbia.edu Likes this wine:
Beautiful Sta Rita Hills Pinot with great fruit, balanced tannins and wonderful length. A little pricey but worth it.
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9/24/2022 - akspres Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent pinot. Slightly bitter aftertaste.
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6/5/2022 - ddhanraj Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ruby red but robust hints of cherry on the nose maybe a bit the mint and licorice on the back. Very smooth after about an hour only have 1 more but will wait to see how this develops next year. Solid Pinot.
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3/8/2022 - Wine Canuck wrote: 93 Points
This pours light ruby in the glass with a watery faintly pink rim. The nose is immediately lifted and complex showing blood orange, rose petal, red cherry, graphite, cardamom, incense, animal fur, and woodsy forest notes. The palate low in tannin with medium plus blood orange tinged acid. Just a lovely wine that is wide open and thoroughly enjoyable today.
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1/9/2022 - evold89 wrote: 90 Points
Promising nose that shows dark cherry, star anise, rose petals together with some cedar and liquorice. On the palate a similar profile with only the slightest splash of mixed berry preserves. Medium+ finish. Indeed a likeable Pinot noir, but at this price point the competition is fierce and as with their Chardonnay, this too comes at a bit too high price..but hey, good wines nonetheless! 90 points ?
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1/6/2022 - IvanLi wrote: 90 Points
I am not impressed at all, as I expected something more refined, structured and aromatically intense. This one is on the heavy side of things, the acidity is a bit low, the fruit component is rather bland and not expressive enough. Not bad , but not great either.
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6/23/2021 - Frijole wrote:
burgundy, medium clarity, ruby hue
Nose: blackberry, black cherry, rhubarb, dirt, licorice, tea, tobacco, vanilla, minerals, earth, dust, oak
Pal: blackberry, black cherry, rhubarb, dirt, licorice, menthe, tea, tobacco, vanilla, minerals, earth, dust, oak
Feel: medium, full, touch acidity
Finish: medium
T8
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5/16/2021 - JBroll Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lovely concentrated, well balanced, lush taste of red berries like mature strawberry and raspberries, smoky and some chocolate, fresh tannin structure, noticeable use of whole bunches with some dryness on the out. Savoury long aftertaste with a well integrated acidity.
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