Reviews

Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Southing

From Magnum. Medium-to-light bodied flavors of black cherry, allspice, cedar, vanilla, and earth/soil. A faint herbal tinge on the back end. The delivery on this wine was fairly linear and somewhat…

Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir East Ridge

High register, high toned red fruit core, with verve-filled pomegranate, red cherry, and some citrus rind. A lot of energy and forward drive on the initial attack, with a lithe, lean, and linear…

Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Noirs Côte de Val Vilaine

Pure, clean, balanced, and superbly focused without being too linear or biting in any way. Beautiful yellow citrus and white stone fruit, subtle pear, and elegant minerality. Laser-like precision,…

Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Silver Eagle Vineyard

Like with most RM Pinots I've experienced, PnP was tight and high-toned (no surprise). More red fruit driven with notes of cranberry, citrus rind, and pomegranate. After over an hour in the decanter,…

Alexana Pinot Noir West Blocks

Both the East and West Blocks of this wine tasted almost identical to me. Notes of black cherry, wet mulch, earth, tobacco leaf, and some green/black peppercorn. Fairly reserved for my taste, with a…

Alexana Pinot Noir East Blocks - Volcanic Soils Revana Vineyard

Both the East and West Blocks of this wine tasted almost identical to me. Notes of black cherry, wet mulch, earth, tobacco leaf, and some green/black peppercorn. Fairly reserved for my taste, with a…

Aubert Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard

Nose of dried cranberry, musk, and fresh turned mulch. On the palate, a linear and thin attack of black cherry, stewed plum, green peppercorn, oregano, and wet tanbark. I detected and recognized what…

Walt Pinot Noir Clos Pepe

Similar to my previous note. Somewhat overbearing and at the same time a bit lackluster. An ok Pinot, but a little heavy-handed on the attack but yet thinning out on the back end. Not much…

Argot Pinot Noir Estate

Same as all of my previous notes. The sappy, deeply pitched red raspberry and spice notes really drive this wine into the next level for me.

Roadhouse Winery Pinot Noir Gold Label Middle Reach

From magnum. Light, bright, and kicking out some medium-to-light bing cherry, cranberry, and pomegranate flavors. Relatively thin mid-palate, with a light finish. The flavors come off pure and clean,…

Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Hirsch Vineyard

Seemingly in a good drinking window currently, with mature earth, cedar, and dark mulch notes to complement the black cherry and black raspberry looming underneath. A touch heavy on the cedar/soil…

Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

Same as previous notes. Nice sappy red raspberry, accompanied by red and black cherry notes. Not too much spice or cola flavors in this KB. Solid acid and grip throughout consumption (2+ hours).…

Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

This was the best showing of this wine that I've had so far. Nice sappy red and purple core fruit, raspberry, wild cherry, and some spice. Not much of the signature KB cola note, but a nice sassafras…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Mortal Coil Phendler

Consistent with all of my other notes. I didn't bother with a decant this time. I thought it was drinking fine with just some air in the glass (consumed over the course of three hours total). I liked…

Addax Pinot Noir

Similar to a Bevan Rita's Pinot, the Addax was deeply rich, spicy, and threw off a decent amount of heat. Lacked some complexity, falling a little short on the finish as well. Dark black cherry,…

Bevan Cellars Pinot Noir Summit 1376'

Beautiful notes of black cherry, black raspberry, Chinese five-spice, earth/loam, and a fascinating evergreen note on the back end that provided a phenomenal lift, carrying the finish on for 45+…

Argot Pinot Noir Estate

Previous notes apply. This instantly reminded me of a flashy version of a Wren Hop Daughters of Earth, or an even more deeply pitched and concentrated version of a 2012 KB Gap's Crown I had recently.…

Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Gap's Crown Vineyard

Similar to my notes 5 months ago, except that I bumped it up a point this time around. Viscous, sappy, and saturated red raspberry, red and black cherry, pomegranate cocktail, and subtle earthy spice…

Goldeneye Pinot Noir Anderson Valley

Thin and linear. Subtle, earth-tinged black cherry and cedar notes. Finish faded fast. Performed like a thoughtless, everyday, mass produced, always-for-sale-at-BevMo type of Pinot.

Patiné Cellars Pinot Noir Soberanes

A more sappy and spice driven SLH, with muddled sweet raspberry, black cherry, rich strawberry cream, cinnamon, and faint hints of earthy garrigue. Some saccharine and glycerin on the back end that…

Del Dotto Pinot Noir Cinghiale Vineyard

A decent Pinot that exhibited some nice dark red cranberry, raspberry, bramble, cedar, and sassafras notes. Not terribly interesting, but had a notable frame and acidic structure that was a welcome…

Del Dotto Pinot Noir Cinghiale Vineyard

This seemed a ways away from coming into any sort of optimum consumption window at this point. Once in bottle with a year of sleep, this may come into better form. The 2014 (served later in the…

Del Dotto Pinot Noir Rosé

Much like the Sauvignon Blanc, the Rose (which was also offered upon entry to the winery) would have been at least a decent sipper. But again, it was served at near-room temperature. No bueno when…

Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos de La Bussière

Core red raspberry and strawberry cream notes, with light black cherry and fleeting, faint hints of mulch and spice. Feminine on the attack, but a mid-palate that was still fairly solid.

Robert Mondavi Winery Pinot Noir Reserve

Some simple and thin flavors of black cherry and faint earth and spice. Mid-palate was hollow, with the "attack" (of what there even was) fleetingly whipping over the palate and rushing straight into…