There is a spike of intense blue fruit but this bottle was almost entirely about earth and spice. Very nice, but not as balanced as my notes from previous bottles indicate.
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Dark barely translucent ruby with hints of rust. Nose of billowing hyacinth and violets cut with satisfying berry and earthy astringency. Layers of fresh, gently ripe black cherry and raspberry accompanied by brier and iron ore. Freshening acidity and serious but filed off tannin leading to a long finish of red and black fruit, iron flecks, and fine soil. Lovely wine.
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2008 Vintage. Drank at Peter White concert (from cerise). Neighbors actually liked it better than the Long Shadows Feather 2013 that we also brought to the concert; even though they usually prefer Cab Sauv (they actually liked it more than the 2015 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir from the Christmas and New Year's Eve parties). So smooth. 2008 continues to impress.
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Hard to ascribe any score to this. Short answer seems to be that its not ready (though other bottles have been pleasing -- this one, no). Weird. 2008 has the capacity to age -- we know this. This taster says let them age, from here.
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Not a bad wine per se - but quite ripe red cherry fruit, tea notes and herbal, too sweet on palate. Hot noes, especially toward finish. May have development ahead; hope it will integrate. Pretty new world and not showing the complexity or charm that I seek in PN.
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One of two wines we brought to an all-Orgeon pinot dinner. Opened at the restaurant and allowed to sit for about 90 minutes. A little shy early on, but really opened up in the glass. If I had another bottle of this (I don't, unfortunately), I'd give it a short decant.
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This continues to be quite lovely with much more cellaring potential. Similar to my previous comments, the bright cherry quality dominates the palate. The tannin seemed a bit harsh, but smoothed out with aeration and seemed perfectly balanced. This will continue to age well through at least 2023.
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Tough to put an exact number on this as we drank it out of Bordeaux glasses most of the evening. There was a single Riedel somm (burgundy) and we threw it in that only to see a very different face. Ripe, fleshy, red-apple and raspberry fruited, a bit herbal. The score is naturally based on the showing from the proper glassware.
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Nice bottle in a really nice place. Red and blue fruits, pleasant hints of oak and christmas spice with a nice dry earth undertone. The finish is long. The firm acidity leaves everything nicely balanced.
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Hmm, I'm normally a big fan of this bottling, but this was pretty disappointing - medium to medium deep crimson, hints of rust around the edges - nose is spices, sassafras, more savoury than fruit - palate is OK, but marred by alcohol - tastes quite hot to me, with a burning aftertaste - not really very Pinot, nor elegant, it seems ill-defined - not a great showing!
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Beautiful bouquet, light color, good balance, complex, earthy, smoothed out as we drank it, a classy bottle, did not seem 9 years old, drank with mahi- mahi, last bottle, renewed my faith in DDO wines ageworthiness.
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Popped and poured and consumed over two hours. Typical pinot noir color and transparency. On the nose this was beautiful with loads of fruit, spice and tea - very ripe and fruity yet balanced. Nicely ripe and fruity on the palate yet sill balanced and graceful. There's nothing overt here, just power and intensity, and class. All in all beautiful glass of wine!
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Raspberry. Nice full Pinot nose. Just settling down. Nice open but still has time. Warm spices cloves and oak. Smoke carmelized bacon. Rich fruit and just right tanins to offset. Cherry vanilla sift acids. Very classic Pinot.
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Another fantastic bottle. Did not decant. Notes are from after being open for a couple of hours.
I noticed on this one a bit of tannic roughness on the attack that I found a little surprising.
Otherwise, nicely balanced, medium bodied, mostly red berry fruit but a bit of plum maybe. Rich but not ripe. Long finish where some earth and tea flavors emerge. Maybe a little bit of smoke throughout, but only just a hint. There is also a bit of orange peel on the nose.
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Wow. What a fantastic bottle. Decanted and these notes are from after 90 minutes in the decanter. On opening wasn't nearly as expressive.
The nose is mostly earthy with some smoke and red berry fruit, maybe a little pine? Really great tasting with mostly red berry, a little tobacco, some black pepper. Well balanced with a lengthy finish.
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Medium ruby color. Nose was dumb and imploded for about 30 minutes, then woke up to reveal scents of raspberry, stone, lavender, pine forest, anise. Lively core of chiseled black cherry and raspberry fruit on the palate nicely assisted by fresh acidity and slightly moderated tannin. As the evening progressed, a second wave developed with each sip evoking a steely spine of rock and iron. Persistent finish of stone and red-black fruit, gripping the tongue in waves. Extremely satisfying even at this young stage and very likely to improve.
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Dark ruby. Nose was mute for about thirty minutes then gave off scents of raspberry, violets, cherry pits, anise, sea air. Ripe but crisp red raspberry and mulberry fruit on the palate with undertones of mineral and iron fragments. Copious acidity and still firm tannins leading to a long finish of rolling red fruit, earth, and tensile grip. Larger wine but superbly reigned in.
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Seattle Wine Group - Nov 2015 Tasting - "Pinots of the World" (Amaroso Room - Wine Storage Bellevue): Nose had spiced red fruit with a sweet edge. Palate followed the nose, with raspberry red fruit. Felt hot and drank like a warm vintage Yakima Valley Grenache. Finish was short. Panned by most of the group, except for - interestingly - Heather, her mom, and her dad; all three rated it very high. Bottle A ... Group rating = 8th ... My rating = 8th
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Another fabulous bottle with a very alluring nose of smoke, christmas spice, and red berry fruit. This seemed weighty in the glass for a pinot. More red berry fruit with a bit of earth and hints of black pepper. Nicely balanced with a long finish. But the nose on this - really terrific.
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Wow, this seems quite hot. I enjoyed the ripe berry fruit, and perfumed nose but I can't overlook the alcohol content. The label says 13.9% but it sure seems higher.
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Burgundian style DDO PN, consistent with many other vintages. Classic PN nose. Perfectly balanced with medium-light body, very bright cherry on the palate, silky tannins, and medium long finish. As this ages -- and it will do so elegantly -- the overall cast of flavors will become more subdued. Drink now, or sample over the next 5 years.
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Popped-n-poured and drank over 6 hours. Didn’t rate this since I feel like it is a little closed down now; much like its geographic cousin, the 2008 White Rose, Whole Cluster. It’s currently drinking at about a 89, but my gut feeling is that it will probably rebound into something closer to a 94 point, near “classic” PN in a few years. Black berry fruit and cinnamon baking spices on the nose which is consistent with the area. Rich, fuller-bodied style that is sure to stand up to some additional time in the cellar. Hold at least until 2017.
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Who knew that Willamette Valley was geographically centered between Sonoma Coast and Burgundy??!!
This had red ripe fruits ala Sonoma/RRV Pinot Noir but it opened with an exotic perfumed note I've only run across in a Burgundian Pinot. Medium bodied, satisfying, and bold. I like this wine. Dangerously easy drinking.
This one still need more time or a lot of air to smooth out. Good flavor, somewhat obstructed by a fair amount of structural elements that keep the fruit from shining through. Mostly red fruits, with lots of acidity and modest tannins. Good, but also somewhat disappointing at the same time.
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Spectator Winemaker's Dinner with Véronique Drouhin-Boss at Home House, Portman Square. Limited note taking. À pointe. Warm concentrated mellow pinot fruit, hint of strappy leather, balanced by firm integrated tannins and well judged acidity. Very long. Excellent now and over the next 2-3 years.
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Great bouquet; wow initial taste and then lots of flavor with a long finish; not a fruit bomb but good fruit with lots of terroir;a really good wine;it is expensive but drank it for my birthday; will drink again.
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Very nice red fruit, spice and a touch of earth. Very elegant and complete in the mouth. More rounded than the Shea. Really enjoyed the delicate spice notes.
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This wine did not age well. It was not tainted, the cork was intact and it had been cellared properly since my purchase but the wine had lost all of its fruit and much of the flavor. Tasted nothing like previous bottles. Unfair for me to enter the 85 points into the mix.
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Same notes as before but just didn't feel like waiting to pop open as was grilling salmon and mushrooms and just thought it would work well together... It did! Really nice bottle!
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13.9% - Clear, med ruby / clean, med+ intensity - cranberry, raspberry compote, pine forest, some torrefaction notes with a very nice bouquet overall / dry, med+ acidity, med body, med well integrated tannin, med+ intensity in a prolounged finish of ripe berries, very elegant and harmonious. Even better than what I remembered from the tasting at the winery. 92+
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Nose starts with oak and then wet forest floor and spice. In the mouth it is red fruit dominant with strawberry and raspberry. The tannins are still somewhat pronounced after popping and pouring but recede after an hour. Really good but I bet even better with another couple of years in bottle.
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Popped and poured, then re-tasted over the course of 3 hours. Nice bouquet of strawberry and red cherry, anise, baking spice, and oak. On the palate it's still a baby, with a short, compact attack to start things off. Good acidity and good tannins really show themselves and haven't fully integrated. The mid-palate is gorgeous, with ripe red fruit, forest floor, and subtle pine notes. The finish is quite compact and quick, but has a very nice light tapering effect. I think this will be better in 5 years or more.
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Initially very tight, needing several hours to blow off the sour-patch-kid-nail-polish-remover. Afterwards with lush cherry and a texture as soft as biting into a ripe plum. A nice dose of Oregon earth. Not bad for a mass-produced Oregon pinot.
Perhaps too young? Nose of cherry, baking spices, cassis, and leather. Dark cherry & other dark fruits, chocolate, and leather on the palate. Subtle smoke/tobacco carries through to the finish. Medium-bodied, lovely mouthfeel. 88 for now, but likely to improve in the next few years.
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Wine is drinking very nicely at this time. Excellent balance, wine tastes light but with intense flavor; bottle just seemed to disappear; love this wine. Spicy, fruit, and acid beautifully combined. Drank with rack of loin lamb chops.
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Opened and poured a glass (and surprise, couldn't leave it alone, but mostly) let it set for an hour before dinner.
This is a stunner, but really should let them rest. My wife and I get fairly different scents on this, and somewhat different tastes. She thought it was floral, and I said it reminded me of Christmas spice. She agreed that maybe there was something reminding her of cinnamon on the nose. Maybe a little smoke too. On opening there was a certain vegetal taste but that wasn't present an hour later. She described the palate as cherry tobacco and I would describe it as red berry fruit but with a lot of rocky minerality. She can agree with the red berry description. Occasionally with hints of both salt and pepper. Slightly tannic. Very long finish. Excellent balance.
Don't want to finish it because I want to keep inhaling from the glass.
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Strawberries and baking spice aromas. Moderately tart black cherry and strawberry jam flavors with a lovely velvety texture. Fairly soft and well integrated tannins. Should be aged but not bad now.
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Very green nose of herbs, almost smells of marijuana. Consistent in the mouth, with cranberry fruit and nice acidity. I prefer a bit riper, but this is a solid wine.
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Distinctly Dundee Hills on the nose, sweet dark red fruit, very dark character, baking spices, and this sweet raspberry and barnyard aroma that I love. Weighty palate, dark fruit flavors, some stems, blackberries, like a mouthful of em, but quite tight on the finish, firm tannin and balanced acidity seem to close the finish off. Odd, because last time I tasted this it was far more open. This is not what it was a few months ago, or this is bottle variation. Served as a pop and pour. 89+
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(Poured blind, but I knew this was in the line-up) Initially whiff I got nice red fruits with lots of toasty oak. A few more huffs and this feels extracted, like deep red fruits, boardering on black, almost like dark plums or black raspberries. Definitely Pinot, and almost certainly Oregon. On the palate, really exuberant red fruits, very deep, lush, but feels extracted. Tastes like black raspberries and plum skins. On the finish, tart red fruits, but they are tending darker and feel thick, heavy and coating. Bitter, puckering tannins (both fruit and wood). Feeling out of balance from the wood all throughout. Definitely not a balanced wine, and not something I'd ever considering sticking in my cellar by the way its drinking now. I'm not saying it won't turn into something better, but I honestly wouldn't expect it to and wouldn't buy it as a result. Really surprising experience, and for me, this was drinking more like an Archery Summit wine than a DDO.
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The 2008 Pinot Noirs had seemed to go off cycle the last. 6 months. However a taste of this wine this weekend showed that they were coming back. Berry fruit bouquet with a hint of tobacco. Taste was smooth berry fruit and this wine is developing nicely. Suggest it needs another 2-4 years to start hitting it's prime
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Drank with Gail & Richard alongside a 2006 Laurene and 2002 Chehalem Reserve. Good wine, not showing quite as well as the 2006, but very close. Sleeping right now? Winemaker amazingly consistent in making this wine across such different vintages. Elegant, black fruits, moderate finish. We remember this wine as the wine of the flight at the Passport to Pinot IPNC finale this summer.
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Sour cherry and earthy nose. Light extraction, medium to light body and mouthfeel. A bit of a dropoff mid palate. This is a very subtle and light Pinot... not for those looking for robust aromas and flavors. Personally, I think it's a little over-hyped a over-priced.
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1/21/2023 - DaneM Likes this wine:
No notes, however this was DELICIOUS. In the zone to enjoy now, plenty of time to develop for secondary flavors.
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4/26/2022 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
There is a spike of intense blue fruit but this bottle was almost entirely about earth and spice. Very nice, but not as balanced as my notes from previous bottles indicate.
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3/26/2022 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Dark barely translucent ruby with hints of rust. Nose of billowing hyacinth and violets cut with satisfying berry and earthy astringency. Layers of fresh, gently ripe black cherry and raspberry accompanied by brier and iron ore. Freshening acidity and serious but filed off tannin leading to a long finish of red and black fruit, iron flecks, and fine soil. Lovely wine.
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1/8/2022 - Mr. Magoo Likes this wine: 100 Points
2008 Vintage. Drank at Peter White concert (from cerise). Neighbors actually liked it better than the Long Shadows Feather 2013 that we also brought to the concert; even though they usually prefer Cab Sauv (they actually liked it more than the 2015 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir from the Christmas and New Year's Eve parties). So smooth. 2008 continues to impress.
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6/22/2021 - Oregonnative Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful drinking window needed 30 min decant. Soft tannins great primary red fruit and some dried fruit. Long finish.
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1/24/2021 - curtr Likes this wine: 90 Points
PNP, very good pairing with Shrimp and angel hair pasta garlic oil.
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11/17/2020 - curtr Likes this wine:
A tad lean, yet nice.
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8/30/2020 - Sycamore wrote:
Hard to ascribe any score to this. Short answer seems to be that its not ready (though other bottles have been pleasing -- this one, no). Weird. 2008 has the capacity to age -- we know this. This taster says let them age, from here.
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8/27/2020 - Bakerbd Likes this wine: 90 Points
Sweet black cherry, plum, damp earth, med - acid
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8/1/2020 - azcowino Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Past its prime. The ABV was evident on the nose. Virtually no fruit flavors. Let air over two days and it declined.
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7/28/2020 - JuliannaDHS Likes this wine: 92 Points
Possibly the best showing of many bottles. Elegant, a bit fuller, excellent balance.
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4/7/2020 - davidb@brinshore.com wrote: 91 Points
Smooth, earthy, little tannins . beautiful finish.strong berry taste. Very nice 91
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11/30/2019 - lake.vino wrote: 87 Points
Not a bad wine per se - but quite ripe red cherry fruit, tea notes and herbal, too sweet on palate. Hot noes, especially toward finish. May have development ahead; hope it will integrate. Pretty new world and not showing the complexity or charm that I seek in PN.
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11/18/2019 - curtr Likes this wine: 90 Points
It took an hour in the glass before it opened up. Followed over next hour. I will leave in glass 2 hrs next time.
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7/14/2019 - JuliannaDHS Likes this wine: 91 Points
Another enjoyable bottle. Have seen some bottle variation and this one represented that slot right between Sonoma and Burgundy.
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3/12/2019 - JuliannaDHS wrote: 89 Points
Perhaps not as good as previous bottles. Getting tired??
Subtle dark fruit notes with noticeable brown sugar and some cola.
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1/26/2019 - jcrives Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for about thirty minutes..was great!
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1/8/2019 - RJ&JJ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking so well right now!!!
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11/22/2018 - JKorngold Cellar wrote:
A bit bland and perhaps past date
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11/5/2018 - JuliannaDHS Likes this wine: 91 Points
Another polished and elegant bottle of this wine. Paired with salmon and a cowboys loss.
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10/20/2018 - JCGuthrie wrote: 93 Points
One of two wines we brought to an all-Orgeon pinot dinner. Opened at the restaurant and allowed to sit for about 90 minutes. A little shy early on, but really opened up in the glass. If I had another bottle of this (I don't, unfortunately), I'd give it a short decant.
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9/30/2018 - jmcafee Likes this wine:
This continues to be quite lovely with much more cellaring potential. Similar to my previous comments, the bright cherry quality dominates the palate. The tannin seemed a bit harsh, but smoothed out with aeration and seemed perfectly balanced. This will continue to age well through at least 2023.
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4/26/2018 - englishman's claret wrote: 91 Points
Tough to put an exact number on this as we drank it out of Bordeaux glasses most of the evening. There was a single Riedel somm (burgundy) and we threw it in that only to see a very different face. Ripe, fleshy, red-apple and raspberry fruited, a bit herbal. The score is naturally based on the showing from the proper glassware.
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3/11/2018 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Nice bottle in a really nice place. Red and blue fruits, pleasant hints of oak and christmas spice with a nice dry earth undertone. The finish is long. The firm acidity leaves everything nicely balanced.
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2/10/2018 - ajfret01 Likes this wine:
Fantastic
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2/8/2018 - winot wrote: 88 Points
Hmm, I'm normally a big fan of this bottling, but this was pretty disappointing - medium to medium deep crimson, hints of rust around the edges - nose is spices, sassafras, more savoury than fruit - palate is OK, but marred by alcohol - tastes quite hot to me, with a burning aftertaste - not really very Pinot, nor elegant, it seems ill-defined - not a great showing!
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1/21/2018 - JuliannaDHS wrote: 91 Points
I enjoyed this much more than my previous bottle. Willamette Pinots fall perfectly in between austere Burgundy and fruit forward Sonoma Pinots.
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8/5/2017 - mwneil Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful bouquet, light color, good balance, complex, earthy, smoothed out as we drank it, a classy bottle, did not seem 9 years old, drank with mahi- mahi, last bottle, renewed my faith in DDO wines ageworthiness.
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6/10/2017 - tomandlu wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured and consumed over two hours. Typical pinot noir color and transparency. On the nose this was beautiful with loads of fruit, spice and tea - very ripe and fruity yet balanced. Nicely ripe and fruity on the palate yet sill balanced and graceful. There's nothing overt here, just power and intensity, and class. All in all beautiful glass of wine!
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3/6/2017 - Sycamore wrote:
Good, but still in need of a few more years of cellaring.
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12/19/2016 - pugblanc wrote: 92 Points
Raspberry. Nice full Pinot nose. Just settling down. Nice open but still has time. Warm spices cloves and oak. Smoke carmelized bacon. Rich fruit and just right tanins to offset. Cherry vanilla sift acids. Very classic Pinot.
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12/18/2016 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Another fantastic bottle. Did not decant. Notes are from after being open for a couple of hours.
I noticed on this one a bit of tannic roughness on the attack that I found a little surprising.
Otherwise, nicely balanced, medium bodied, mostly red berry fruit but a bit of plum maybe. Rich but not ripe. Long finish where some earth and tea flavors emerge. Maybe a little bit of smoke throughout, but only just a hint. There is also a bit of orange peel on the nose.
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12/11/2016 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Wow. What a fantastic bottle. Decanted and these notes are from after 90 minutes in the decanter. On opening wasn't nearly as expressive.
The nose is mostly earthy with some smoke and red berry fruit, maybe a little pine? Really great tasting with mostly red berry, a little tobacco, some black pepper. Well balanced with a lengthy finish.
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7/18/2016 - Alvinho Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent balance. Greta label ready to open.
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7/5/2016 - vivt Likes this wine: 93 Points
red fruit, oak popped out. elegant complex, strawberry, raspberry, delightful. delicious. long finish. it was my favorite wine for the dinner.
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5/29/2016 - sommwines wrote: 93 Points
Spice, touch of vanilla, nutmeg on the nose. Wine looked young - mature. Strawberry. Solid finish.
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5/23/2016 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Medium ruby color. Nose was dumb and imploded for about 30 minutes, then woke up to reveal scents of raspberry, stone, lavender, pine forest, anise. Lively core of chiseled black cherry and raspberry fruit on the palate nicely assisted by fresh acidity and slightly moderated tannin. As the evening progressed, a second wave developed with each sip evoking a steely spine of rock and iron. Persistent finish of stone and red-black fruit, gripping the tongue in waves. Extremely satisfying even at this young stage and very likely to improve.
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2/18/2016 - dundeehills wrote: 93 Points
Drinking beautifully!
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1/17/2016 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Dark ruby. Nose was mute for about thirty minutes then gave off scents of raspberry, violets, cherry pits, anise, sea air. Ripe but crisp red raspberry and mulberry fruit on the palate with undertones of mineral and iron fragments. Copious acidity and still firm tannins leading to a long finish of rolling red fruit, earth, and tensile grip. Larger wine but superbly reigned in.
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12/5/2015 - RyanJames Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great vintage, producer, and hits home on everything you want from a well-balanced OR pinot.
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11/10/2015 - f22nickell wrote: 87 Points
Seattle Wine Group - Nov 2015 Tasting - "Pinots of the World" (Amaroso Room - Wine Storage Bellevue): Nose had spiced red fruit with a sweet edge. Palate followed the nose, with raspberry red fruit. Felt hot and drank like a warm vintage Yakima Valley Grenache. Finish was short. Panned by most of the group, except for - interestingly - Heather, her mom, and her dad; all three rated it very high.
Bottle A ... Group rating = 8th ... My rating = 8th
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10/31/2015 - jeffalpi Likes this wine: 90 Points
very balanced pinot with hints of fruit and smoke.
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9/9/2015 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Decant future bottles for sediment.
Another fabulous bottle with a very alluring nose of smoke, christmas spice, and red berry fruit. This seemed weighty in the glass for a pinot. More red berry fruit with a bit of earth and hints of black pepper. Nicely balanced with a long finish. But the nose on this - really terrific.
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8/9/2015 - jmcafee Likes this wine:
As per my previous note: Beautiful!
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8/4/2015 - JuliannaDHS wrote: 88 Points
Wow, this seems quite hot. I enjoyed the ripe berry fruit, and perfumed nose but I can't overlook the alcohol content. The label says 13.9% but it sure seems higher.
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7/19/2015 - jmcafee Likes this wine:
Burgundian style DDO PN, consistent with many other vintages. Classic PN nose. Perfectly balanced with medium-light body, very bright cherry on the palate, silky tannins, and medium long finish. As this ages -- and it will do so elegantly -- the overall cast of flavors will become more subdued. Drink now, or sample over the next 5 years.
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4/15/2015 - jdinkin1 wrote: 94 Points
Delicious. Could go couple more years but drinking great now
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3/19/2015 - Slics Likes this wine:
Lovely nose of dark cherry, plum and sweet oak, medium bodied and well balanced. Quite enjoyable. Very Cote de Nuits.
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2/16/2015 - pinothoarder wrote:
Popped-n-poured and drank over 6 hours. Didn’t rate this since I feel like it is a little closed down now; much like its geographic cousin, the 2008 White Rose, Whole Cluster. It’s currently drinking at about a 89, but my gut feeling is that it will probably rebound into something closer to a 94 point, near “classic” PN in a few years. Black berry fruit and cinnamon baking spices on the nose which is consistent with the area. Rich, fuller-bodied style that is sure to stand up to some additional time in the cellar. Hold at least until 2017.
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12/16/2014 - Racer117 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Who knew that Willamette Valley was geographically centered between Sonoma Coast and Burgundy??!!
This had red ripe fruits ala Sonoma/RRV Pinot Noir but it opened with an exotic perfumed note I've only run across in a Burgundian Pinot. Medium bodied, satisfying, and bold. I like this wine. Dangerously easy drinking.
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12/3/2014 - ewsds wrote: 89 Points
This one still need more time or a lot of air to smooth out. Good flavor, somewhat obstructed by a fair amount of structural elements that keep the fruit from shining through. Mostly red fruits, with lots of acidity and modest tannins. Good, but also somewhat disappointing at the same time.
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11/26/2014 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 91 Points
Spectator Winemaker's Dinner with Véronique Drouhin-Boss at Home House, Portman Square. Limited note taking.
À pointe. Warm concentrated mellow pinot fruit, hint of strappy leather, balanced by firm integrated tannins and well judged acidity. Very long.
Excellent now and over the next 2-3 years.
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11/25/2014 - mwneil Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great bouquet; wow initial taste and then lots of flavor with a long finish; not a fruit bomb but good fruit with lots of terroir;a really good wine;it is expensive but drank it for my birthday; will drink again.
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9/15/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 92 Points
Very nice red fruit, spice and a touch of earth. Very elegant and complete in the mouth. More rounded than the Shea. Really enjoyed the delicate spice notes.
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9/13/2014 - Bottledrainer wrote:
This wine did not age well. It was not tainted, the cork was intact and it had been cellared properly since my purchase but the wine had lost all of its fruit and much of the flavor. Tasted nothing like previous bottles. Unfair for me to enter the 85 points into the mix.
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6/14/2014 - Jbird73 Likes this wine:
Same notes as before but just didn't feel like waiting to pop open as was grilling salmon and mushrooms and just thought it would work well together... It did! Really nice bottle!
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5/25/2014 - SiR wrote: 92 Points
13.9% - Clear, med ruby / clean, med+ intensity - cranberry, raspberry compote, pine forest, some torrefaction notes with a very nice bouquet overall / dry, med+ acidity, med body, med well integrated tannin, med+ intensity in a prolounged finish of ripe berries, very elegant and harmonious. Even better than what I remembered from the tasting at the winery. 92+
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5/23/2014 - Jbird73 wrote: 91 Points
Nose starts with oak and then wet forest floor and spice. In the mouth it is red fruit dominant with strawberry and raspberry. The tannins are still somewhat pronounced after popping and pouring but recede after an hour. Really good but I bet even better with another couple of years in bottle.
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5/14/2014 - xuaeinw wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for an hour. Ready to drink now, but will continue to evolve. Try again in a year.
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4/13/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine:
Popped and poured, then re-tasted over the course of 3 hours. Nice bouquet of strawberry and red cherry, anise, baking spice, and oak. On the palate it's still a baby, with a short, compact attack to start things off. Good acidity and good tannins really show themselves and haven't fully integrated. The mid-palate is gorgeous, with ripe red fruit, forest floor, and subtle pine notes. The finish is quite compact and quick, but has a very nice light tapering effect. I think this will be better in 5 years or more.
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2/11/2014 - flaco22 wrote: 92 Points
Needs a little time to open. Absolutely the best Pinot that I have had. Would to buy again.
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1/18/2014 - BadOyster Likes this wine: 92 Points
Initially very tight, needing several hours to blow off the sour-patch-kid-nail-polish-remover. Afterwards with lush cherry and a texture as soft as biting into a ripe plum. A nice dose of Oregon earth. Not bad for a mass-produced Oregon pinot.
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1/5/2014 - 6degreeshealth Likes this wine: 93 Points
One of my favorites for sure. This wine never ceases to amaze me. Complex fruit with all the right earth.
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10/9/2013 - behm0027 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Perhaps too young? Nose of cherry, baking spices, cassis, and leather. Dark cherry & other dark fruits, chocolate, and leather on the palate. Subtle smoke/tobacco carries through to the finish. Medium-bodied, lovely mouthfeel. 88 for now, but likely to improve in the next few years.
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8/10/2013 - mwneil Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wine is drinking very nicely at this time. Excellent balance, wine tastes light but with intense flavor; bottle just seemed to disappear; love this wine. Spicy, fruit, and acid beautifully combined. Drank with rack of loin lamb chops.
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7/26/2013 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Opened and poured a glass (and surprise, couldn't leave it alone, but mostly) let it set for an hour before dinner.
This is a stunner, but really should let them rest. My wife and I get fairly different scents on this, and somewhat different tastes. She thought it was floral, and I said it reminded me of Christmas spice. She agreed that maybe there was something reminding her of cinnamon on the nose. Maybe a little smoke too. On opening there was a certain vegetal taste but that wasn't present an hour later. She described the palate as cherry tobacco and I would describe it as red berry fruit but with a lot of rocky minerality. She can agree with the red berry description. Occasionally with hints of both salt and pepper. Slightly tannic. Very long finish. Excellent balance.
Don't want to finish it because I want to keep inhaling from the glass.
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10/5/2012 - kosinski wrote:
Strawberries and baking spice aromas. Moderately tart black cherry and strawberry jam flavors with a lovely velvety texture. Fairly soft and well integrated tannins. Should be aged but not bad now.
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8/12/2012 - cooberp wrote: 88 Points
Very green nose of herbs, almost smells of marijuana. Consistent in the mouth, with cranberry fruit and nice acidity. I prefer a bit riper, but this is a solid wine.
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7/14/2012 - "H" wrote:
Opens for the 2012summer block party in our neighborhood. Beautiful Oregon evening.
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5/5/2012 - vegasoenophile wrote: 91 Points
Great balance and structure. Lovely combination of spice and fruit.
-Wine Spectator Grand Tour 5/5/12
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4/26/2012 - gripNsip wrote: 89 Points
Distinctly Dundee Hills on the nose, sweet dark red fruit, very dark character, baking spices, and this sweet raspberry and barnyard aroma that I love. Weighty palate, dark fruit flavors, some stems, blackberries, like a mouthful of em, but quite tight on the finish, firm tannin and balanced acidity seem to close the finish off. Odd, because last time I tasted this it was far more open. This is not what it was a few months ago, or this is bottle variation. Served as a pop and pour. 89+
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4/25/2012 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 87 Points
(Poured blind, but I knew this was in the line-up) Initially whiff I got nice red fruits with lots of toasty oak. A few more huffs and this feels extracted, like deep red fruits, boardering on black, almost like dark plums or black raspberries. Definitely Pinot, and almost certainly Oregon. On the palate, really exuberant red fruits, very deep, lush, but feels extracted. Tastes like black raspberries and plum skins. On the finish, tart red fruits, but they are tending darker and feel thick, heavy and coating. Bitter, puckering tannins (both fruit and wood). Feeling out of balance from the wood all throughout. Definitely not a balanced wine, and not something I'd ever considering sticking in my cellar by the way its drinking now. I'm not saying it won't turn into something better, but I honestly wouldn't expect it to and wouldn't buy it as a result. Really surprising experience, and for me, this was drinking more like an Archery Summit wine than a DDO.
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4/8/2012 - seamudbug wrote: 93 Points
Elegant pinot style. Deep red for pinot, with good fruit but well structure and silky finish.
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4/7/2012 - MCota wrote: 92 Points
Silky, well balanced elegant pinot
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3/11/2012 - Oregon Pinot wrote: 93 Points
The 2008 Pinot Noirs had seemed to go off cycle the last. 6 months. However a taste of this wine this weekend showed that they were coming back. Berry fruit bouquet with a hint of tobacco. Taste was smooth berry fruit and this wine is developing nicely. Suggest it needs another 2-4 years to start hitting it's prime
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1/1/2012 - Atwellian wrote: 91 Points
Drank with Gail & Richard alongside a 2006 Laurene and 2002 Chehalem Reserve. Good wine, not showing quite as well as the 2006, but very close. Sleeping right now? Winemaker amazingly consistent in making this wine across such different vintages. Elegant, black fruits, moderate finish. We remember this wine as the wine of the flight at the Passport to Pinot IPNC finale this summer.
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12/3/2011 - Porchino wrote: 92 Points
Silky smooth
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10/7/2011 - kosinski wrote:
Delightful now, but likely to close up soon and need several years of cellaring. Shows great promise. May drink earlier than the 2007, though.
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4/6/2011 - Jack Cranley wrote: 89 Points
Sour cherry and earthy nose. Light extraction, medium to light body and mouthfeel. A bit of a dropoff mid palate. This is a very subtle and light Pinot... not for those looking for robust aromas and flavors. Personally, I think it's a little over-hyped a over-priced.
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