1st of three bottles for 2001. Consumed the 2000 Reserve earlier and it was past its prime but still drinkable. This too is a bit past but still held on. Ripe fruits were the dominant notes but some subtleties remain in the wine. The tanins are subdued. My wife experienced a shorter finish than I did. I experienced the flavors longer on my palate. My rating is based on the current state of the wine. We enjoyed it and will consume the others in the near term. The wine was filtered and decanted for an hour prior to consuming.
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medium red, no hint of orange - stewed over-ripe red fruit nose - off chemical smell initially, but seemed to fade over time -surprisingly bright in the mouth with no indication of oxidation - but no perceptible pinot noir characteristics in either nose or mouth - moderate finish - didn't dislike the wine, but not what I expected from a mature pinot noir - more like a generic CA red wine
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Cloudy med dull red purple; effusive nose of strawberries, stewed sweet rhubarb, orange, and clove. Aromas kept alive on the palate and in reasonable focus by moderate level of freshness preserving acidity. Lots of new world pinot personality here even at 15.3%; a level at which I think is usually the result of overly ripened grapes all too commonly yielding pinots that intersect with zin and grenache in personality.
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My third bottle over the past four months and all three have been consistent. Not even close to being OTH if stored well. Very rich, almost hedonistic. Chocolate-covered cherries. My score reflects how enjoyable this wine is, but I would not describe it as a classic Pinot Noir. It's just a lovely bottle of wine. Hard to imagine how well it is holding up, but the three I have had recently would suggest you can hold for several more years.
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Great. Drinking window on this is way off; it is drinking very well right now. Well balanced, silky, just a touch of heat. 3-4 minute finish. Many red fruit flavors and aromas. A winner. Wish I had another!
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uick pick in rush to Pacific Time after dropping David & Jackie @ MIA. Opened on arrival at restaurant, and required Vinturi aeraion. A little dense and heavy Sasparilla(!) flavor. Ellen liked it a lot. I accidently poured a little 91 Calera Mt Harlan Chardonnay to my Pinot glass, and it serendipitously improved the Martinelli making it more fruitfull and balanced.
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Initially this could have been mistaken for an Old World wine (I know--I was surprised, too). It was very earthy, some barnyard, no overt fruit, but definitely Pinot Noir. After some time it started to knit together into an interesting blend of OW/New World. After a couple hours it showed heat more than fruit and kind of fell off, but it was quite tasty while it lasted. (PE: 91)
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Popped and poured. Ruby red in color. Aromas of dark cherry, a little raspberry and just a hint of chocolate. Nice mouth feel with the cherry fruit coming forward, with just a bit of spice . Balanced. Elegant. Mid length finish. Very nice.
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Very tasty, I thought. Definitely small red fruit - cherry, raspberry. Not harsh/rustic at all. Paired nicely with cheese & chips, which was all I had asked of it.
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I've not been liking the Martinellis of late - the reds just taste too much like cough syrup, both the zins and the pinot noirs, but this was actually surprisingly pleasant!
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The colour of the wine is typical for the Reserve, quite murky implying a rustic example of CA Pinot. The nose isn't very expressive with hints of spice and alcohol (a nervous indicator in a Martinelli).
Bottom of the ninth, two outs and 0 and 2 count........ Wow, it's an RBI double up the gap! The palate saves the day. It's medium bodied, wonderfully balanced with rich dark fruits and spice. It's certainly a warm wine, but not off-puttingly so for me.
If this had any nose interest at all and less rustic facade, it would have been a solid 93 pointer. It's certainly not going to turn on anyone looking for varietal correctness but I really loved it tonight with a nice chicken dinner and on it's own.
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Cloudy maroon color. Lots of baked and toasty fruit, primarily black cherry and raspberry. A bit heavy on the oak for my tastes in pinot, but I loved the velvety mouthfeel. Finishes with a bit of smoky spice. Drink now through 2007.
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Enjoyed this bottle during the Mother's Day Feast. Of course, it was with grilled salmon (recipe from the new Food and Wine), and it was excellent. The smell was pure pinot. It was smooth, seamless, and no hint of heat from the alcohol. I would say it is in its prime drinking window right now.
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Ruby red with some brown, lightening to the edge. Nose of smoke, tar, heat from alcohol, and (!!) barbecue sauce, according to Beautiful Companion. This is a big boy, with a palate of dark fruit, dried cherry, smoke, and alcohol. It's quite good, if you can handle the 15.3% alcohol. Silky, elegant texture, and a beautifully cohesive finish.
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Initially this was a big, burly wine that seemed a bit disjointed, even for a Martinelli Pinot. However, with food, in particular the Stilton mashed potatoes, this wine seemed fully integrated, with awesome, sweet cherry fruits, slick tannins, a waterfall of flavor, rich, sweet glycerin, and something so good we finished the whole bottle. I think as a standalone it would be well-served by at least 1 year if not 2.
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Seattle Tasting Group does 'BBQ Reds' (Issaquah, WA, USA): Jason snuck a monster-sized Pinot into the tasting. The color here was much lighter, and the wine was somewhat cloudy and murky. The nose shows tar and bramble. The palate was peppery and spicy. The finish is tannic with more spice and a bit of a choppy/prickly feel. I would never guess this is a Pinot!
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This wine is a bit different from last time when I found it huge. The palate is similar with briar, mint, and some Pinot funk. The palate, however, seems a bit closed. It is not showing the power that it did a few months ago. I find mint, leather, balsamic and strawberries. Despite the high alcohol (15.3%) I find it to be in reasonable balance.
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Presented to the Vintage Wines, Ltd. tasting group in double-blind fashion. Bottle personally purchased the same day at the San Diego Wine Company. Bright disc. Medium ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense ripe black cherry, plum, smoke and coffee aromas. Medium-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, medium sweet tannins, liberal oak and slightly hot alcohol. The flavors mirror the nose. Medium, creamy finish with a whiff of heat.
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This wine puts me in quite a quandary. I opened a pinot because I wanted something to go with Tracy's poissons (sp?). Unfortunately, this is not the wine. It is huge (the 15+% alcohol is only the beginning.) The nose, however, is pinot like with horse leather, briar, and a touch of mint. Huge is not big enough to describe the palate. Enormous. It is as lush and full of glycerin as nearly any wine I have had this year. The most noticeable aspect is its vibrant acidity. I also get mint, black fruit, wet earth, smoke and lots of heat. I am not a traditionalist, but this wine gives me issues. It is huge and tasty. The only flaw to me is the heat. I give this 90 points under protest. I should have pulled a Oregon pinot to go with the chickens.
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Deep, slightly cloudy crimson/plum in color. This wine seems to be a slightly restrained version of the '99, the last bottling of this I have had. It has a medium nose of cranberries, cherries, cinnamon, along with some darker, cooked plum notes. On the palate this is rich and spicy. The alcohol level is well masked by the masses of fruit and spice. Not a lot of acid here, but the wine still seems relatively balanced. If the edges round out in 6 months to a year, this will be quite a good Sonoma Pinot.
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3/6/2020 - willygee1 Likes this wine: 90 Points
1st of three bottles for 2001. Consumed the 2000 Reserve earlier and it was past its prime but still drinkable. This too is a bit past but still held on. Ripe fruits were the dominant notes but some subtleties remain in the wine. The tanins are subdued. My wife experienced a shorter finish than I did. I experienced the flavors longer on my palate. My rating is based on the current state of the wine. We enjoyed it and will consume the others in the near term. The wine was filtered and decanted for an hour prior to consuming.
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8/13/2017 - Winedad53 wrote: 79 Points
Muddy murky and over the hill. Did not even finish the bottle.
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8/5/2017 - Verb wrote: 87 Points
medium red, no hint of orange - stewed over-ripe red fruit nose - off chemical smell initially, but seemed to fade over time -surprisingly bright in the mouth with no indication of oxidation - but no perceptible pinot noir characteristics in either nose or mouth - moderate finish - didn't dislike the wine, but not what I expected from a mature pinot noir - more like a generic CA red wine
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12/1/2013 - veniceslug1 wrote: 91 Points
beautifully balanced with age. Red fruits, cola balanced with wood and forest flavors.
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11/6/2012 - Tgood wrote: 91 Points
Cloudy med dull red purple; effusive nose of strawberries, stewed sweet rhubarb, orange, and clove. Aromas kept alive on the palate and in reasonable focus by moderate level of freshness preserving acidity. Lots of new world pinot personality here even at 15.3%; a level at which I think is usually the result of overly ripened grapes all too commonly yielding pinots that intersect with zin and grenache in personality.
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7/15/2012 - JimN wrote: 92 Points
My third bottle over the past four months and all three have been consistent. Not even close to being OTH if stored well. Very rich, almost hedonistic. Chocolate-covered cherries. My score reflects how enjoyable this wine is, but I would not describe it as a classic Pinot Noir. It's just a lovely bottle of wine. Hard to imagine how well it is holding up, but the three I have had recently would suggest you can hold for several more years.
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7/9/2012 - GOL wrote: 95 Points
Great. Drinking window on this is way off; it is drinking very well right now. Well balanced, silky, just a touch of heat. 3-4 minute finish. Many red fruit flavors and aromas. A winner. Wish I had another!
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4/20/2011 - AtoZ wrote: flawed
I don't think it's OTH. Just bad. Weird nose. rubber? Yuck.
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5/16/2010 - FLI Likes this wine: 88 Points
Bowl of berries. Not an old world pinot by any means. A bit hot, but that's the price of 15.3 alcohol and a high fruit palate.
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4/1/2010 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points
uick pick in rush to Pacific Time after dropping David & Jackie @ MIA. Opened on arrival at restaurant, and required Vinturi aeraion. A little dense and heavy Sasparilla(!) flavor. Ellen liked it a lot. I accidently poured a little 91 Calera Mt Harlan Chardonnay to my Pinot glass, and it serendipitously improved the Martinelli making it more fruitfull and balanced.
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1/31/2010 - MarkC wrote: 91 Points
Initially this could have been mistaken for an Old World wine (I know--I was surprised, too). It was very earthy, some barnyard, no overt fruit, but definitely Pinot Noir. After some time it started to knit together into an interesting blend of OW/New World. After a couple hours it showed heat more than fruit and kind of fell off, but it was quite tasty while it lasted. (PE: 91)
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8/8/2009 - FLI wrote: 87 Points
Great berry quality. A touch hot on the palate.
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7/14/2008 - KSC02 wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Ruby red in color. Aromas of dark cherry, a little raspberry and just a hint of chocolate. Nice mouth feel with the cherry fruit coming forward, with just a bit of spice . Balanced. Elegant. Mid length finish. Very nice.
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1/30/2008 - ken-yyz wrote: 90 Points
Again, performing wonderfully. Wonderful scent of red fruits and spice. Wonderful body, lingering finish.
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1/26/2008 - YQUEM90 wrote:
Very tasty, I thought. Definitely small red fruit - cherry, raspberry. Not harsh/rustic at all. Paired nicely with cheese & chips, which was all I had asked of it.
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4/10/2007 - EricBe wrote: 92 Points
I've not been liking the Martinellis of late - the reds just taste too much like cough syrup, both the zins and the pinot noirs, but this was actually surprisingly pleasant!
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11/22/2006 - EricBe wrote: 88 Points
Not bad - lots of fruit, cherry, but if this is typical of california pinots then I am even more a fan of Oregon pinots. Too cough-syrup, no subtlety.
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5/28/2006 - shaferguy91 wrote: 91 Points
Not decanted.
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4/20/2006 - AZ Wine Lover wrote: 93 Points
Excelletn
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3/17/2006 - LikeABC wrote: 89 Points
the fruit is starting to fade a bit, but still very good and I will drink my last twoby the end of the year
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12/20/2005 - ken-yyz wrote: 90 Points
The colour of the wine is typical for the Reserve, quite murky implying a rustic example of CA Pinot. The nose isn't very expressive with hints of spice and alcohol (a nervous indicator in a Martinelli).
Bottom of the ninth, two outs and 0 and 2 count........ Wow, it's an RBI double up the gap! The palate saves the day. It's medium bodied, wonderfully balanced with rich dark fruits and spice. It's certainly a warm wine, but not off-puttingly so for me.
If this had any nose interest at all and less rustic facade, it would have been a solid 93 pointer. It's certainly not going to turn on anyone looking for varietal correctness but I really loved it tonight with a nice chicken dinner and on it's own.
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7/4/2005 - EricBe wrote: 87 Points
Lots of raspberry and cherry, but a bit bitter on the finish for my tastes
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5/13/2005 - otisabdul wrote: 89 Points
Cloudy maroon color. Lots of baked and toasty fruit, primarily black cherry and raspberry. A bit heavy on the oak for my tastes in pinot, but I loved the velvety mouthfeel. Finishes with a bit of smoky spice. Drink now through 2007.
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5/9/2005 - LikeABC wrote: 91 Points
Enjoyed this bottle during the Mother's Day Feast. Of course, it was with grilled salmon (recipe from the new Food and Wine), and it was excellent. The smell was pure pinot. It was smooth, seamless, and no hint of heat from the alcohol. I would say it is in its prime drinking window right now.
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3/11/2005 - twoamps wrote: 90 Points
frankly can’t remember anything other than it was a good big pinot.
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1/26/2005 - basis wrote: 91 Points
Ruby red with some brown, lightening to the edge. Nose of smoke, tar, heat from alcohol, and (!!) barbecue sauce, according to Beautiful Companion. This is a big boy, with a palate of dark fruit, dried cherry, smoke, and alcohol. It's quite good, if you can handle the 15.3% alcohol. Silky, elegant texture, and a beautifully cohesive finish.
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1/9/2005 - MarkC wrote: 91 Points
Initially this was a big, burly wine that seemed a bit disjointed, even for a Martinelli Pinot. However, with food, in particular the Stilton mashed potatoes, this wine seemed fully integrated, with awesome, sweet cherry fruits, slick tannins, a waterfall of flavor, rich, sweet glycerin, and something so good we finished the whole bottle. I think as a standalone it would be well-served by at least 1 year if not 2.
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7/18/2004 - Eric wrote: 86 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does 'BBQ Reds' (Issaquah, WA, USA): Jason snuck a monster-sized Pinot into the tasting. The color here was much lighter, and the wine was somewhat cloudy and murky. The nose shows tar and bramble. The palate was peppery and spicy. The finish is tannic with more spice and a bit of a choppy/prickly feel. I would never guess this is a Pinot!
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4/23/2004 - Jason wrote: 89 Points
This wine is a bit different from last time when I found it huge. The palate is similar with briar, mint, and some Pinot funk. The palate, however, seems a bit closed. It is not showing the power that it did a few months ago. I find mint, leather, balsamic and strawberries. Despite the high alcohol (15.3%) I find it to be in reasonable balance.
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3/12/2004 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 89 Points
Presented to the Vintage Wines, Ltd. tasting group in double-blind fashion. Bottle personally purchased the same day at the San Diego Wine Company. Bright disc. Medium ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense ripe black cherry, plum, smoke and coffee aromas. Medium-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, medium sweet tannins, liberal oak and slightly hot alcohol. The flavors mirror the nose. Medium, creamy finish with a whiff of heat.
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1/25/2004 - Jason wrote: 90 Points
This wine puts me in quite a quandary. I opened a pinot because I wanted something to go with Tracy's poissons (sp?). Unfortunately, this is not the wine. It is huge (the 15+% alcohol is only the beginning.) The nose, however, is pinot like with horse leather, briar, and a touch of mint. Huge is not big enough to describe the palate. Enormous. It is as lush and full of glycerin as nearly any wine I have had this year. The most noticeable aspect is its vibrant acidity. I also get mint, black fruit, wet earth, smoke and lots of heat. I am not a traditionalist, but this wine gives me issues. It is huge and tasty. The only flaw to me is the heat. I give this 90 points under protest. I should have pulled a Oregon pinot to go with the chickens.
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12/14/2003 - JP wrote: 89 Points
Deep, slightly cloudy crimson/plum in color. This wine seems to be a slightly restrained version of the '99, the last bottling of this I have had. It has a medium nose of cranberries, cherries, cinnamon, along with some darker, cooked plum notes. On the palate this is rich and spicy. The alcohol level is well masked by the masses of fruit and spice. Not a lot of acid here, but the wine still seems relatively balanced. If the edges round out in 6 months to a year, this will be quite a good Sonoma Pinot.
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