The big boy of the set is the idea. Early sun in the morning, very far west, doesn't get the van duzer blow to it. And everything at the top of the hill on thr steepest slope. So no wind so it doesn't bring out the spice. Great depth and dark cherry richness. All the tannin and richness all around the mouth. Maintains the center of the tongue and same sweet beautiful dark cherry core.
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Nose: Black cherry, strawberry, dirt with a faintly maritime note to it, warm herbs (rosemary, sage, bay)
Palate: Red and black cherry, sort of medicinal-adjacent spice note (asian five spice? cola?), strawberry, black raspberry, and then a shocking amount of oak flavor (brown sugar, vanilla) for only 21% new oak.
Takeaway: I dig this, but it's not a great balance point of old and new world. This is distinctly a New World pinot and blind I'd probably guess a more restrained RRV producer. Definitely going to go over well with Rioja fans, maybe not as well with Burgundy nerds. 3.5/5
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From 375ml. I don't think I've ever had a bad wine sourced from Freedom Hill grapes. This wine was very pleasant, albeit seemed to be expressing quite a bit of oak character. I was puzzled by this, because I believe this wine sees a fairly small amount of new French oak. Regardless, I enjoyed this wine, but not sure the value is there for the price.
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5/7/2023 - DougLee wrote:
Piquant, tart red berry. Young and good.
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5/3/2023 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
The big boy of the set is the idea. Early sun in the morning, very far west, doesn't get the van duzer blow to it. And everything at the top of the hill on thr steepest slope. So no wind so it doesn't bring out the spice. Great depth and dark cherry richness. All the tannin and richness all around the mouth. Maintains the center of the tongue and same sweet beautiful dark cherry core.
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6/2/2022 - BCFrench1527 wrote: 90 Points
Nose: Black cherry, strawberry, dirt with a faintly maritime note to it, warm herbs (rosemary, sage, bay)
Palate: Red and black cherry, sort of medicinal-adjacent spice note (asian five spice? cola?), strawberry, black raspberry, and then a shocking amount of oak flavor (brown sugar, vanilla) for only 21% new oak.
Takeaway: I dig this, but it's not a great balance point of old and new world. This is distinctly a New World pinot and blind I'd probably guess a more restrained RRV producer. Definitely going to go over well with Rioja fans, maybe not as well with Burgundy nerds. 3.5/5
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2/8/2022 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Fresh Willamette fruit character to the nose and palate. That's good stuff.
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12/23/2021 - cyc Likes this wine: 91 Points
From 375ml. I don't think I've ever had a bad wine sourced from Freedom Hill grapes. This wine was very pleasant, albeit seemed to be expressing quite a bit of oak character. I was puzzled by this, because I believe this wine sees a fairly small amount of new French oak. Regardless, I enjoyed this wine, but not sure the value is there for the price.
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