Wow! Tasting notes on this wine from the 70's to the 90's...you know I had to get some glasses and crack this mystery.
Nose: There is something about Pinot's from the Central Coast (Santa Maria to Lompoc, Buellton to Santa Barbara) that I just like. This one brings that floral/earthy varietal nuance that I don't smell from Pinots elsewhere.
Palate: The wine is on the lighter side of medium, pushing light but at no time did I think it was watery. Tannins were very well integrated. Flavors of red berries (cranberry?), ever so slightly sour transition into an acceptable finish. Nowhere near the drama or concentration you would see from other producers, but it filled out just a little over the course of the evening which was nice.
Its not the best Pinot from the region or even from the winery (Highliner is usually our favorite). I can see people's qualms with this wine, but to me its not a dog. I like it, but at $20-$25 not exactly the best QPR. I would say this is somewhere near 88+- points. It just doesn't have the flair as other pinots in the price range.
Last Words: If you are a serious QPR wino, you may want to pass on this unless you can get it at a sizable discount.
Light ruby in color and "light" in virtually every other sense, this Pinot Noir shows restrained aromas of red cherries, cinnamon and cola. Acknowledging its fresh acidity and nicely integrated alcohol (listed as 13.8%), it unfortunately otherwise falls flat with respect to structure. The tannins are featherweight and the flavors are equally shallow. Most damning is this wine's lack of a middle palate. Its thinness actually begins at the attack, but worsens in the middle and leads to a watery, terse finish. This Pinot is either the result of overcropping or is a casualty of the vintage. Reading other reviews on this wine (amateur and professional) makes me scratch my head...are we tasting the same wine??? Avoid this one, as bottled water is cheaper and equivalent in density. If you own it, drink it up. It is not offensive or overtly flawed, just simply a wine not even remotely worthy of its price. Drink now-2016.
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9/19/2015 - Soche Likes this wine: 88 Points
Fruit forward Pinot with notes of cherries, strawberries, and vanilla. Lingering acidity but overall nicely balanced. This is a pretty good wine.
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2/10/2015 - camben Likes this wine:
Big and rich and very smooth. Good intro to srh. Has the spice and mild funk with cherry cola
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11/14/2014 - gravedee wrote: 86 Points
Less fruit forward than most Pinots I like. You can find better SB Pinots at this price range.
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8/20/2014 - TriggerFingers Likes this wine: 88 Points
Wow! Tasting notes on this wine from the 70's to the 90's...you know I had to get some glasses and crack this mystery.
Nose: There is something about Pinot's from the Central Coast (Santa Maria to Lompoc, Buellton to Santa Barbara) that I just like. This one brings that floral/earthy varietal nuance that I don't smell from Pinots elsewhere.
Palate: The wine is on the lighter side of medium, pushing light but at no time did I think it was watery. Tannins were very well integrated. Flavors of red berries (cranberry?), ever so slightly sour transition into an acceptable finish. Nowhere near the drama or concentration you would see from other producers, but it filled out just a little over the course of the evening which was nice.
Its not the best Pinot from the region or even from the winery (Highliner is usually our favorite). I can see people's qualms with this wine, but to me its not a dog. I like it, but at $20-$25 not exactly the best QPR. I would say this is somewhere near 88+- points. It just doesn't have the flair as other pinots in the price range.
Last Words: If you are a serious QPR wino, you may want to pass on this unless you can get it at a sizable discount.
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4/18/2014 - La Cave d'Argent Does not like this wine: 79 Points
Light ruby in color and "light" in virtually every other sense, this Pinot Noir shows restrained aromas of red cherries, cinnamon and cola. Acknowledging its fresh acidity and nicely integrated alcohol (listed as 13.8%), it unfortunately otherwise falls flat with respect to structure. The tannins are featherweight and the flavors are equally shallow. Most damning is this wine's lack of a middle palate. Its thinness actually begins at the attack, but worsens in the middle and leads to a watery, terse finish. This Pinot is either the result of overcropping or is a casualty of the vintage. Reading other reviews on this wine (amateur and professional) makes me scratch my head...are we tasting the same wine??? Avoid this one, as bottled water is cheaper and equivalent in density. If you own it, drink it up. It is not offensive or overtly flawed, just simply a wine not even remotely worthy of its price. Drink now-2016.
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