2014 Samsara Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills

Community Tasting Notes (9) Avg Score: 88.8 points

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  10/23/2021 - forceberry wrote: 89 Points

  Made with fruit sourced from multiple vineyards in Sta. Rita Hills. About half of the fruit is destemmed and then crushed by foot, the rest vinified in whole bunches. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. Aged in 500-liter French oak demi-muids, a small portion of which were new. 14,1% alcohol.
  
  Moderately translucent raspberry red color with a slightly evolved plummy hue. Clean, fruity and wonderfully pure nose with aromas of ripe cranberries and juicy cherries, some stony mineral tones, a little bit of brambly black raspberry, light wild strawberry tones, a hint of savory wood spice and a touch of meaty Pinosity. The wine feels ripe, silky and quite gentle yet still pleasantly firm on the palate with flavors of ripe cherries and wild strawberries, tart cranberries, some meaty umami, light savory wood tones, a little bit of stony minerality and a hint of brambly black raspberry. The finish is long and juicy with ripe yet dry flavors of wild strawberries and savory meaty tones, some sweeter nuances of wizened cherries, light brambly raspberry nuances, a little bit of meaty umami, a hint of earthy Pinosity and a ferrous touch of blood.
  
  A wonderfully fresh, clean and precise California Pinot that manages to combine some very lovely cool-climate poise and freshness with sunnier fruit notes of classic California ripeness. In our tasting this wine felt a bit more straightforward and perhaps lacking a bit in depth when compared to the other, more impressive California Pinot Noirs we tasted, but at the same time this wine showed such purity and focus that very few wines managed to match. As the wine shows very little tertiary qualities at this phase, I can imagine this wine could age wonderfully for a decade or more, picking some additional complexity on the way. All in all, a lovely and thoroughly enjoyable effort. Perhaps a tad expensive for the quality at 37,50€, but not excessively so.

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  7/6/2019 - Tahlequahdave1972 Likes this wine: 91 Points

  Well balanced and resolved, this Pinot topped all my expectations. Served slightly chilled. Plum and sweet prune aromas led to flavors of blackberry, vanilla, baking spice, cherry and graphite. Medium-bodied, refined and elegant. Medium length finish. Ready to drink and enjoy!

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  12/21/2018 - kosinski wrote:

  Aroma: spicy black cherry and incense. Almond blossoms.
  Palate: spicy and herbal cherry flavors with notes of eucalyptus, almond pit, meat and berries. Moderate acidity and balanced tannin. Good structure.

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  12/16/2017 - srh Likes this wine:

  Winebar [Various Reds & 4 Whites] for 12/15/17 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Hand-harvested from the Melville, Las Hermanas, & Lafond Vyds; Unfiltered & unfined; 850 cs; 14% ABV;
  
  N: Slightly clsd; Straws, poss cherries, with notes of earth
  
  P: Med, poss MF, body; RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish frt met by a puckerish astringency (yet with swtish notes), all of this SLOWLY morphing into quite a LONG, very, VERY finely tannic finish with a tangy swtness, the swtness ULT being on top. BEAUTIFULLY done, this needs/DESERVES until early '19, then drinking through '20 easily. BRAVO, SAMsARA! :) 92 pts Vinous & 90 WA [This vendor's $29.95 puts it in the middle of the wine-searcher listings.]

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  11/7/2017 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 91 Points

  Full bodied and open for business. Ripe red fruit, cola, and vanilla. Some slight funk/earthiness but pretty well buried by the accompanying sweet notes. No real acid to speak of but still some structure.

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