2014 Hartford / Hartford Court Pinot Noir Jennifer's

Community Tasting Notes (5) Avg Score: 91.6 points

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View sid_loves_wine's profile
  • Report Issue

  7/1/2021 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine: 93 Points

  (If you don't want to read all this: delicious wine, flagrantly ripe red/black cherry and oak, lacking a touch of complexity and energy but enough of both to feel deliberate and delicious. Not crazily interesting or memorable, but still solid and I enjoyed the unapologetic fun of it. Could age a little longer but really don't think it needs to.)
  
  My 2nd Hartford single vineyard PN. The entry level RRV and Land's Edge cuvee are faves of mine- the 2017 Seascape was one of the best wines I've ever had, easily in my top 5 out of at least 600 bottles. The Seascape was unreal in its combination of explosive dark-fruited richness, wild complexity, and electric energy. So, I was really excited to try this Jennifer's. It was nowhere near as interesting- but still beautiful. Felt almost exactly like the entry level RRV with everything doubled, including the price; so about the same QPR!
  
  Most of the appeal here came from the sheer richness of it- felt very much like entry-level RRV from Selyem, Kistler, super ripe and unapologetic CA Pinot that still shows relative elegance and a touch of complex character beyond the fruit/oak wall. Interestingly, although the fruit was flagrantly ripe here, it was still mostly in the brighter red color spectrum. This was a CHERRY bomb in every possible way. On both nose and palate, fresh and ripe cherries, cherry pie, cherry cordial, black cherry cola, cherry twizzlers, those little cookies with the cherries in the center. Rich vanilla/baking spice oak that still lets the fruit do the work, and a touch of earthy complexity in the far background; distant campfire, maybe some damp river rock minerality. 90% about the fruit and oak, but not overdone or jammy, just rich and concentrated, and the subtle earthy tones were well-integrated. Didn't explode from the glass, but persistent and deep. The palate has some beautiful medium acidity, fairly well-integrated, very ripe strawberry/cherry, but lacking just a bit of lift- not at all flabby, but the '17 Seascape felt just as rich (richer) with far more energy to boot. Tannins were really nice, integrated and silky, but not so faded that it felt hollow (still some nice grip.)
  
  Killer stuff and almost a hard-to-find style nowadays- heady, ripe CA Pinot that feels fully deliberate and well-crafted. Not super complex nor perfectly balanced, but delicious from beginning to end.

  1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View mac-eye's profile
  • Report Issue

  5/3/2021 - mac-eye Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Awesomely good pinot! I'd love to have this very frequently if that were possible. Should be good for at least a few more years, not near the end of its window now.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Mossrose's profile
  • Report Issue

  6/27/2019 - Mossrose wrote: 94 Points

  For many years I enjoyed Hartford Russian River Pinots, but when I tasted through the wines with the owner/winemaker, I was surprised that near the end they pulled out Jennifer's Pinot as a limited production single vineyard Pinot that was an even greater wine. And it was pervasively richer from nose to finish. Opaque purple with a half inch pour. Concentrated fruits of blackberry, blueberry, and cherry. Amply structured by strong acidity and tannin. And at 5 years old, even smooth in the mouth and swallow. Overall, distinctly worth paying more for.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View jkvedar's profile
  • Report Issue

  3/27/2018 - jkvedar Likes this wine: 91 Points

  Multi-layered. Graphite, menthol and dark cherry on the nose. Great balance on palate. Acidity wipes the palate clean on the finish.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Jmac56's profile
  • Report Issue

  2/10/2018 - Jmac56 Likes this wine: 90 Points

  Nice, and well rounded with soft cherry.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.