The nose is irrevocably pinot noir, with just a tad too much oak on the finish for my taste. The palate is also still very fruity, with notes of cocoa on the finish and again just a tad of pesky oak that sticks out. Great cali pinot but could have used and slightly subtler hand with the oak treatment. Still has plenty of longevity in the cellar though.
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Just a beautiful Cali Pinot Noir, and really drinking well right now, though I don't think there's any rush to drink it. Well balanced, lovely fruit. A wonderful expression of what Pinot Noir can taste like in California. 90-91
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Great stuff. Much lighter than most new world Pinot's I've had. The strawberry on the nose is wonderful and the tannins, acid, and alcohol are all muted yet integrated well. Would drink again.
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Tasted over two days. Ruby red with some bricking around the rim. Clear all the way through.
Day 1- Red fruited nose accented with smoky notes and orange peel. Medium to full bodied. This enters the mid palate with a burst of red fruit. Leans to the sweet rather than tart side of things, but nothing cloying and the acidity keeps it bright. As this moves to the back of the palate a spiced black tea characteristic takes over. Tannic structure is soft, but enough backbone is there. More smokiness and spiciness accentuate the finish. Unusual, but good.
Day 2- the nose is consistent with the first day. The palate sees the fruit much more out in front now. Layers of red berries cascade through the palate. Acidity is as strong as ever as the fruit on the back of the palate is tart, refreshing and bright. Lingering, clean finish. Tannins are pillow soft.
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Unbelievably succulent strawberry-raspberry dominated pinot, with finely structured, medium-bodied, pleasantly grippy-tannic mid-palate and a short to medium finish. Hardly profound, but a wonderful drink. Good for another 5 years, I think. I'll be buying La Bauge again. 90P
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All the ABC Pinots I have yet tried needed at least 5 years in bottle, and this is no exception. Last time I tried (autumn 2010) this wine was closed and scrawny, perhaps bottle variation, but today it is singing. Nice savoury red fruit-soy sauce scent, super balance of gently sweet fruit, lively acidity and good grippy, slightly dry tannins towards the finsh, which then blooms again with soft fruit, a touch of raspberry. Delicious. 90P
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A solid tasty Central Coast Pinot- lots of strawberries and raspsberries. No real cherry notes. Went well with last minute spicy white cheddar mac-n-cheese with chicken- on a cold stormy CA wet night. Very well made and food friendly wine.
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Becoming more "burgundian" by the day. If you like it thin and scrawny, then wait 2 years, if you like a bit of fruit and sweetness, drink up. All a matter of taste. 87P
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Restrained soft fruit nose with a touch of soy sauce. Excellent medium bodied palate with fine nervy acidity (which broadens out to become much sweeter after 90 minutes open in the bottle). Satisfying juicy red fruit finish. Much improved after 12 months in the cellar, has several years to go. Nice to have a new world pinot which doesn't scream "CHERRY". 89P
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Tasted immediately after opening. Very translucent. Subdued aroma of strawberries. Fuller flavor than I expected given the warmup but it is still a bit thin. Not much fruit. Good tart acidity. The French can make a wine of this weight sing with spicy and seductive complexity. Not so here. Reminds me of strawberry Kool-aid. Okay as a summer quaffer but I would not purchase again at this price point.
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Elegant and bright nose of strawberries and raspberry puree with a bit of spices but not much else. Understated on the palate as well with more dried red fruit than jammy, but a touch of framboise sweetness keeps it from going completely away from Californian. Acidity is prevalent, especially toward the toasty, nutty finish. Better on the second day which is strange for a California Pinot. Acidity toned down some and some cedar and nutmeg tones developed on the palate. Nose became earthier and more complex with more spice and floral tones washing over the ripe strawberry and raspberry coulis. This will definitely improve with a couple of years of lying down. Disagree with other reviews that this is thin, or flat. Understandably if you are accustomed to jammy, flabby Sonoma Pinot, then yes, this will taste shrill and thin to you, but it is very much in balance and will complement food much better as well as evolve much better than many Pinots from California of twice the price.
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Au Bon Climat continues to produce quintessential California Pinot Noir. More fruit than Burgundy, but not as sweet as a lot of the CA Pinots from Sonoma.
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1/2 bottle. Cork. Decanted and then poured. Decent PN but by no means exceptional and pretty average from a value perspective. Would probably go another 3-5 years no problem, maybe more.
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Light red. Understated nose that reminded me of a chambolle with its light cherry-vanilla-herbal expression. Seems pretty young and primary right now with nice structure and elegant red fruit, but not much else.
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A rather light Pinot, with subtle fruit with lemon undertones. However, I couldn't get past the tart lemon finish. It likely will improve with age, however I won't be purchasing another bottle to find out.
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Surprising nose, made me think of a blueberry cheese cake, but with undertones of lemon, really wild. The palate is also on the dark fruits (surprisingly!) complimented by a lemony spritz. The acid is relatively balanced with the very fine tannins. The finish is medium long, reminding me of bitter chocolate. I think this is still young and will certainly improve with age.
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August 2009 - moderate pinot scent, potentially good balance but rough tannins wipe out the sweetness at this stage. Try again in 1 year. Now 86P, potential 88P(?)
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Medium garnet with a ruby highlight. Soft nose that did firm up some, red berry notes...raspberry highlight with cherry nuances...rather firm grip with some assertive textures and a bit of heat on the end. Interesting, but as noted before this needs a little more time.
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1/2 bottle. Cork. Popped and dropped. Bright colour, albeit light. Started out failry muted, but developed well after 1 hour showing sweet fruit and some earthy complexity on the nose. Fruit was well forward (cherry) but there were also some mushroomy flavours that provided increased interest to the palate. Medium finish. Very good but not an exceptional New World PN.
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This one may have been too young. All the parts were there, but not fully integrated yet. Decent body, nice acidity. Red fruits, earth, spice, licorice. Room for improvement over next couple of years.
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6/30/2019 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
Attractive if a bit simple.
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2/18/2017 - pcarmich Likes this wine: 89 Points
The nose is irrevocably pinot noir, with just a tad too much oak on the finish for my taste. The palate is also still very fruity, with notes of cocoa on the finish and again just a tad of pesky oak that sticks out. Great cali pinot but could have used and slightly subtler hand with the oak treatment. Still has plenty of longevity in the cellar though.
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11/8/2014 - NZ_Mag wrote: 91 Points
Very smooth, cranberries, red fruit, good length
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8/25/2014 - hutch wrote: 91 Points
Just a beautiful Cali Pinot Noir, and really drinking well right now, though I don't think there's any rush to drink it. Well balanced, lovely fruit. A wonderful expression of what Pinot Noir can taste like in California. 90-91
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4/25/2012 - nroscoe wrote: 91 Points
Perfect Pinot
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2/28/2012 - Plugger Lockett wrote:
Great stuff. Much lighter than most new world Pinot's I've had. The strawberry on the nose is wonderful and the tannins, acid, and alcohol are all muted yet integrated well. Would drink again.
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12/26/2011 - Old Course 72 wrote: 89 Points
Medium nose of light red fruit, full flavor and color with medium finish. California style of strawberry and raspberry.
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12/1/2011 - mrosse wrote: 90 Points
great clairity, VG nose of red fruits, VG mouthfeel with soft tannins and a hint of acidity, VG+finish. Will be quite good for many years
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9/2/2011 - Anthony Lombardi wrote:
Tasted over two days. Ruby red with some bricking around the rim. Clear all the way through.
Day 1- Red fruited nose accented with smoky notes and orange peel. Medium to full bodied. This enters the mid palate with a burst of red fruit. Leans to the sweet rather than tart side of things, but nothing cloying and the acidity keeps it bright. As this moves to the back of the palate a spiced black tea characteristic takes over. Tannic structure is soft, but enough backbone is there. More smokiness and spiciness accentuate the finish. Unusual, but good.
Day 2- the nose is consistent with the first day. The palate sees the fruit much more out in front now. Layers of red berries cascade through the palate. Acidity is as strong as ever as the fruit on the back of the palate is tart, refreshing and bright. Lingering, clean finish. Tannins are pillow soft.
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8/12/2011 - honest bob wrote: 90 Points
Unbelievably succulent strawberry-raspberry dominated pinot, with finely structured, medium-bodied, pleasantly grippy-tannic mid-palate and a short to medium finish. Hardly profound, but a wonderful drink. Good for another 5 years, I think. I'll be buying La Bauge again. 90P
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4/13/2011 - honest bob wrote: 90 Points
All the ABC Pinots I have yet tried needed at least 5 years in bottle, and this is no exception. Last time I tried (autumn 2010) this wine was closed and scrawny, perhaps bottle variation, but today it is singing. Nice savoury red fruit-soy sauce scent, super balance of gently sweet fruit, lively acidity and good grippy, slightly dry tannins towards the finsh, which then blooms again with soft fruit, a touch of raspberry. Delicious. 90P
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12/29/2010 - Old Course 72 wrote: 88 Points
Must open for a bit.
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12/12/2010 - VinoPKM wrote: 90 Points
A solid tasty Central Coast Pinot- lots of strawberries and raspsberries. No real cherry notes. Went well with last minute spicy white cheddar mac-n-cheese with chicken- on a cold stormy CA wet night. Very well made and food friendly wine.
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11/18/2010 - honest bob wrote: 87 Points
Becoming more "burgundian" by the day. If you like it thin and scrawny, then wait 2 years, if you like a bit of fruit and sweetness, drink up. All a matter of taste. 87P
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8/14/2010 - honest bob wrote: 89 Points
Restrained soft fruit nose with a touch of soy sauce. Excellent medium bodied palate with fine nervy acidity (which broadens out to become much sweeter after 90 minutes open in the bottle). Satisfying juicy red fruit finish. Much improved after 12 months in the cellar, has several years to go. Nice to have a new world pinot which doesn't scream "CHERRY". 89P
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8/1/2010 - exphilip wrote: 89 Points
reliable, balanced, elegant, light pinot noir
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7/28/2010 - tantotinto wrote: 86 Points
Tasted immediately after opening. Very translucent. Subdued aroma of strawberries. Fuller flavor than I expected given the warmup but it is still a bit thin. Not much fruit. Good tart acidity. The French can make a wine of this weight sing with spicy and seductive complexity. Not so here. Reminds me of strawberry Kool-aid. Okay as a summer quaffer but I would not purchase again at this price point.
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4/14/2010 - Sweet_Berry_Wine!! wrote: 88 Points
Elegant and bright nose of strawberries and raspberry puree with a bit of spices but not much else. Understated on the palate as well with more dried red fruit than jammy, but a touch of framboise sweetness keeps it from going completely away from Californian. Acidity is prevalent, especially toward the toasty, nutty finish. Better on the second day which is strange for a California Pinot. Acidity toned down some and some cedar and nutmeg tones developed on the palate. Nose became earthier and more complex with more spice and floral tones washing over the ripe strawberry and raspberry coulis. This will definitely improve with a couple of years of lying down. Disagree with other reviews that this is thin, or flat. Understandably if you are accustomed to jammy, flabby Sonoma Pinot, then yes, this will taste shrill and thin to you, but it is very much in balance and will complement food much better as well as evolve much better than many Pinots from California of twice the price.
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3/25/2010 - richard.stevens wrote: 89 Points
Needed a bit of air first but then strawberries and spice with some well-integrated oak. I'd have mistaken this for a Burgundy
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2/17/2010 - JMeski wrote: 90 Points
Au Bon Climat continues to produce quintessential California Pinot Noir. More fruit than Burgundy, but not as sweet as a lot of the CA Pinots from Sonoma.
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2/14/2010 - Nohedes wrote: 86 Points
1/2 bottle. Cork. Decanted and then poured. Decent PN but by no means exceptional and pretty average from a value perspective. Would probably go another 3-5 years no problem, maybe more.
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2/12/2010 - gorm wrote: 89 Points
Light red. Understated nose that reminded me of a chambolle with its light cherry-vanilla-herbal expression. Seems pretty young and primary right now with nice structure and elegant red fruit, but not much else.
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2/8/2010 - jazzb wrote:
Kryddiga fat, eukalyptus, syrlig fruktpastill, romrussin, eldig, jord
7.5p
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2/7/2010 - richard.stevens wrote: 88 Points
Strawberries and a bit sharp immediately after opening. After an hour the wine was smoother. Strawberry, vanilla
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1/2/2010 - wattacetti wrote: 86 Points
Needs more time in cellar; plenty of wood upon pouring but wine opened up to show cherry notes and a little spiciness.
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10/9/2009 - sesalmon wrote: 85 Points
A rather light Pinot, with subtle fruit with lemon undertones. However, I couldn't get past the tart lemon finish. It likely will improve with age, however I won't be purchasing another bottle to find out.
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9/26/2009 - pcarmich wrote: 89 Points
Surprising nose, made me think of a blueberry cheese cake, but with undertones of lemon, really wild. The palate is also on the dark fruits (surprisingly!) complimented by a lemony spritz. The acid is relatively balanced with the very fine tannins. The finish is medium long, reminding me of bitter chocolate. I think this is still young and will certainly improve with age.
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8/1/2009 - honest bob wrote: 86 Points
August 2009 - moderate pinot scent, potentially good balance but rough tannins wipe out the sweetness at this stage. Try again in 1 year. Now 86P, potential 88P(?)
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6/16/2009 - Tejano wrote:
Medium garnet with a ruby highlight. Soft nose that did firm up some, red berry notes...raspberry highlight with cherry nuances...rather firm grip with some assertive textures and a bit of heat on the end. Interesting, but as noted before this needs a little more time.
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5/9/2009 - Nohedes wrote: 87 Points
1/2 bottle. Cork. Popped and dropped. Bright colour, albeit light. Started out failry muted, but developed well after 1 hour showing sweet fruit and some earthy complexity on the nose. Fruit was well forward (cherry) but there were also some mushroomy flavours that provided increased interest to the palate. Medium finish. Very good but not an exceptional New World PN.
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4/3/2009 - rexmerlot wrote: 89 Points
Agree with other tastings. Still too young. Nice red berries to the nose and palate. Peppar at the finish. Leave this for a couple of years.
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3/29/2009 - Rob MacKay wrote:
Santa Barbara Wine Tasting Weekend; 3/27/2009-3/30/2009 (Solvang, Lompoc, etc): Tasted in a flight at Taste of the Valleys wine bar in Solvang. Almost a candied fruit scent mixed with even a bit of licorice on the nose with a cedar element to the flavors. Not quite ready for prime time. Let rest.
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10/30/2008 - sosgoodjhu wrote: 84 Points
thin and flat, this is out of balance.
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7/10/2008 - incident wrote: 89 Points
This one may have been too young. All the parts were there, but not fully integrated yet. Decent body, nice acidity. Red fruits, earth, spice, licorice. Room for improvement over next couple of years.
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