2005 Walter Hansel Winery Pinot Noir The North Slope Vineyard

Community Tasting Notes (66) Avg Score: 89.8 points

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  8/28/2020 - Somm David T Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Simply one of the best Northern California Pinot Noirs for the money.
  
  It takes four or five sips to get what this wine is meant to be when switching from the white burgundy.
  
  This is another producer like Williams Selyem is good young but, amazes in 10-15 years.
  
  The nose shows, ruby, candied & floral; blackberries, dark sweet & sour cherries, dry cranberries, poached strawberries, touch of baked rhubarb, mix of blackberries & raspberries, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, clove, vanilla, dark spices, black licorice, mix dark & mid fruit cola, dark rich, black earth, steeped fruit tea, dry twig, tree sap, underbrush, dry crushed rocks, limestone, volcanics with dry, withering & candied: red, dark, blue florals set in a field of violets.
  
  The palate & body are elegant and sexy. Fantastic, glorious mouthfeel. Ripe, ruby, candied & floral; blackberries, dark sweet & sour cherries, dry cranberries, pomegranate, poached strawberries, touch of baked rhubarb, blackberries & raspberries, burnt rhubarb, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, clove, vanilla, dark spices, black licorice, mix dark & mid fruit cola, anise to black licorice, sweet tarriness, dark rich, black earth, steeped fruit tea, dry twig, tree sap, underbrush, savory meats, touch fresh & dry tobacco, suede leather, dry crushed rocks, limestone, sandstone, volcanics with dry, withering & candied: red, dark, blue florals set in a field of violets with hints of lavender. The acidity is like a gentle, cool, stream. The long finish is just flat out amazing. It’s; candied, florals, well knitted & balanced, floral and is endlessly persistent.
  
  Still has 5-8 years of good drinking ahead.

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  1/2/2017 - LotionInTheBasket Likes this wine: 91 Points

  Deep red, garnet, can still see my hand through the glass. Slight orange tint at the corona. Bold nose. Dark red fruits, cola, some funk, whiff of vanilla, florals. The front has all that an a twang to it, slight sourness to the cherry notes. Hits nice. Mid palate's a touch flabby. Long smooth finish though, fruit rides for quite a bit and fades out nicely.
  
  Overall, I was surprised because it starts real heavy and viscous, like seriously you'd swear it has some serious weight hitting your teeth. Then it pulls up on the mid-palate only to regain some concentration and sit nicely on the rear palate. Like a dip in a roller coaster. Its a solid wine; opens up quite a bit; the fruit and the nose are pretty bold.

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  12/3/2016 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 91 Points

  Medium-dark red garnet in color with very slight clearing at the edges. Forward, fragrant & attractive nose of complex, ripe fruits aromas of red cherries, strawberries & plums with overtones of spices notes of cloves & earthy/dusty notes, floral, cola, tea, herbs, minerals & a touch of vanilla in the background. Medium bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, plush, ripe red fruit flavors of sweet cherries, strawberries & red plums with spice notes of cloves, cola, herbs, earthiness, minerals & a bit of vanilla. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present & may be close to or at its peak of development, but it has the fruit & structure to hold maybe for an additional year or so. The aromatics & complex flavors on this wine are delightful; doing quite well for 11 year old California Pinot.

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  4/23/2016 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Tasting pour from a friend's cellar. Rich, dark fruit oriented, absolute killer nose, with bright lively fruit for an eleven year old Pinot. Really good. Wonderful finish. Drinking well now.

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  11/27/2015 - thalver wrote:

  This bottle was a bit candied (unlike that last bottle which was really delicious)

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