Aged beautifully, this is such a great expression of Sonoma coast Pinot. Complex. Textural. Umami. So much going on here. Sad this is the last bottle I own of it.
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Nose: roses, red cherry, dark raspberry, toasted oak and clove. Palate: layers of fruit, glycerin and herbs. Red cherries, camphor, rhubarb, rosemary, strawberry and white chocolate. Hint of spice. Finish: Long finish with a lot of detail.
This is an awesome RRV pinot year after year, but the balance and layered nuance is really showing now.
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Excellent wine. Very light and lean. From magnum, pale color. The nose is the best part - lively raspberry, some faint earth, perfume. The body doesn't hold up as much - needs cheese or other food - but has that zingy electricity one loves from the Keefer fruit.
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I don't see it getting any better. The acidity has mellowed and tannins are integrated. Needed about an hour or two after opening to really express the bright berries on the nose and pallet but once open was very nice.
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PnP at home: This is a classic representation of Sonoma Coast PN. Wonderful nose full of cherries and a nice touch of acidity, everything in complete harmony. Wonderful drinking experience! Having just tasted the 2015, this is right now mature but could be held on for a few more years.
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On the nose: blackberry, raspberry, cherry; stone; earth. On the palate, at first, great acidity, bright fruit. Mid palate, mushroom, earth, minerals, stone. Finishes round and supple, long lingering, and lush. This is a beautifully structured wine, with perfect balance of fruit, acidity, and minerals with an elegant finish. CT age limits had been thru this year. This wine has time left. I'm holding my one remaining bottle for at least another year.
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Nose: Elegant Roses (flower shop intensity), cherry, bruised strawberries, herbs and spice notes. Palate: Very polished and slippery mouthfeel with great lift and sappy cherry, fruit leather and more floral notes. Finish: long dark Russian River cherry fruit and good rhubarb, clove and earth notes.
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Bright red fruits on the nose and palate. Excellent acidity and fine tannins, that would support a few years of additional development and improvement. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, with smooth red fruits, rhubarb, and a very nice finish. Nice now; possibly better in a year or two.
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Nose: stewed red fruit, cola syrup, grape jam. Vanilla, toast and some oak. Taste: ripe cherry, strawberry and vanilla. Slight hints of oak. Medium in body and finish, but this is an elegant, feminine wine. I like it.
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A bit tart and light, but not in a bad way. I imagine that this fits well with the style of Pinot that the In Pursuit of Balance crowd is advocating for. Failla is a member of the group after all. 13.9% ABV...if you are into such things. I am not.
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cherry, tart black cherry, soft style, medium body, balanced wine, lots of baking spices, nice oak structure. certainly not a big wine, but very well made with lots of life ahead of it. Drinking nicely now, but should improve for a few more years. Try again in 2017.
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Tried to like this, but the nose was very muted and the wine somewhat unstructured and bland. Maybe I got an off bottle, but was not impressed at all, especially given all the reviews.
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This wine is beautiful - softly floral, great baked bread characteristic and excellent balance. The nose: sweet cherry, floral red apple, young toasted oak, hints of menthol and marshmallow. The taste: tart raspberry, soft cherry/tart cherry, red apple. The texture is burrata w/ obvious hints of malo / lees stirring. Smooth and supple - no hit from alcohol or acid. Great balance. I was hesitant to open this too early but gave it an hour decant and was wonderful. Outstanding wine. Wish I could get more.
This 2012 needs some time in the glass or decanter to show its potential. Bright red fruit on the nose, with a slight bit of funk. On the palate, it's a medium-boded effort with with bright red fruit - solid acidity and ample, but fine tannins. Has the structure and fruit to improve for years. A beautiful wine.
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Medium-boded with nice depth and Burgundian qualities. A little earthy funk, spices and mushroom. These continue to be evolving and improving already, even since having at the winery earlier this year. Drinkable now with an hour decant, and can't wait for a few years from now to enjoy our last few.
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BlackBerry and spice on the nose, warm currant and a hint of cherry cola across the pallet. A medium finish that paired well with poached salmon. A good value for a higher end Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.
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Surprisingly open, great balance with the body style. Some notes of mold and wet dog that are more inviting than they read. Jammy. I very much enjoyed this wine. So clean. Feels like a pure representation. Tasted in the Failla tasting room.
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Seems a bit extracted here. Not in a good place for now, a bit disjointed. Nonetheless, sweet cherries, pomegranate and cranberries with a wide array of spices ( cinnamon, clove, long pepper). Better with food and could have been better with extra air.
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(Tasted at the winery) A big step up from the Sonoma Coast Pinot. Deeper ruby, with more viscous legs and more pronounced nose. Cherries, spices, sweet cranberries with a hint of oak. Refined with a silky texture and a rewarding finish. Would seem to be food friendly.
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Tasted blind and recognized the Burgundian qualities right away, along with the sassafras, candied apple and guava chiffon cake. The draw to this is not concentration, it's the angelic and feathery qualities that then lead to a salient focus. A Pinot for the cellar. Drink 2015 - 2022.
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This is even more of red fruit and open, showing, sassafras, guava chiffon cake, candied apple, root beer, Pau d'Arco tea and cherry cola. There's this attractive, feminine, confident focus that is beguiling. A light colour that speaks well to the nose, with its rose tint. In just two months this has evolved into a well-formed and a little lighter version than what I had at the tasting. Drink 2015 - 2022.
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Open and almost exotic, with root beer, sassafras, sultana, tree sap and raspberry ganache. The front palate is so enamoring and all levels are in check. I just love the roundness of fruit and length with the right type of laser focus. Very delectable. Drink 2025 - 2022.
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1/12/2024 - Opus 1 wrote:
Beautiful Wine. Aged perfectly (2023)
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7/6/2023 - Bjweiss Likes this wine: 93 Points
Aged beautifully, this is such a great expression of Sonoma coast Pinot. Complex. Textural. Umami. So much going on here. Sad this is the last bottle I own of it.
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7/17/2021 - RockinCabs wrote: 94 Points
Nose: roses, red cherry, dark raspberry, toasted oak and clove. Palate: layers of fruit, glycerin and herbs. Red cherries, camphor, rhubarb, rosemary, strawberry and white chocolate. Hint of spice. Finish: Long finish with a lot of detail.
This is an awesome RRV pinot year after year, but the balance and layered nuance is really showing now.
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4/15/2018 - LesPaul Likes this wine: 90 Points
Excellent wine. Very light and lean. From magnum, pale color. The nose is the best part - lively raspberry, some faint earth, perfume. The body doesn't hold up as much - needs cheese or other food - but has that zingy electricity one loves from the Keefer fruit.
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11/9/2017 - michigan dogs Likes this wine: 90 Points
nice classic pinot, enjoyed at Mabel Grey. Strawberry notes.
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10/15/2017 - Dalton_Noble Likes this wine: 93 Points
Way better after a day.
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9/17/2017 - jdesimone4 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very solid fruitiness but with some earth as well. Drinking nicely
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6/17/2017 - wlcoleman Likes this wine: 93 Points
I don't see it getting any better. The acidity has mellowed and tannins are integrated. Needed about an hour or two after opening to really express the bright berries on the nose and pallet but once open was very nice.
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4/21/2017 - ravikalaga Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP at home: This is a classic representation of Sonoma Coast PN. Wonderful nose full of cherries and a nice touch of acidity, everything in complete harmony. Wonderful drinking experience! Having just tasted the 2015, this is right now mature but could be held on for a few more years.
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2/27/2017 - e-r.portzline wrote: 95 Points
On the nose: blackberry, raspberry, cherry; stone; earth. On the palate, at first, great acidity, bright fruit. Mid palate, mushroom, earth, minerals, stone. Finishes round and supple, long lingering, and lush. This is a beautifully structured wine, with perfect balance of fruit, acidity, and minerals with an elegant finish. CT age limits had been thru this year. This wine has time left. I'm holding my one remaining bottle for at least another year.
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2/20/2017 - RockinCabs wrote: 92 Points
Nose: Elegant Roses (flower shop intensity), cherry, bruised strawberries, herbs and spice notes. Palate: Very polished and slippery mouthfeel with great lift and sappy cherry, fruit leather and more floral notes. Finish: long dark Russian River cherry fruit and good rhubarb, clove and earth notes.
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5/6/2016 - MMiazga Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious. Haven't tried in 2 years, nice evolution. Mushroom, cola, plum, raspberries. Plenty of acidity left to at least 3-5 more years.
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3/20/2016 - SMZ wrote: 89 Points
Starting to dislike the Burgundian Failla style....seems a little too thin and feminine
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2/24/2016 - ewsds Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bright red fruits on the nose and palate. Excellent acidity and fine tannins, that would support a few years of additional development and improvement. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, with smooth red fruits, rhubarb, and a very nice finish. Nice now; possibly better in a year or two.
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10/11/2015 - Legend38 wrote: 91 Points
Nose: stewed red fruit, cola syrup, grape jam. Vanilla, toast and some oak. Taste: ripe cherry, strawberry and vanilla. Slight hints of oak. Medium in body and finish, but this is an elegant, feminine wine. I like it.
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9/22/2015 - BCharlieG Likes this wine: 93 Points
A truly beautiful wine. soft cooked cherry, cola, dr pepper, baked raspberry, soft smooth round oak.
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8/20/2015 - Tom Warden Likes this wine: 91 Points
A bit tart and light, but not in a bad way. I imagine that this fits well with the style of Pinot that the In Pursuit of Balance crowd is advocating for. Failla is a member of the group after all. 13.9% ABV...if you are into such things. I am not.
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6/30/2015 - BayAreaWildcat Likes this wine: 93 Points
cherry, tart black cherry, soft style, medium body, balanced wine, lots of baking spices, nice oak structure. certainly not a big wine, but very well made with lots of life ahead of it. Drinking nicely now, but should improve for a few more years. Try again in 2017.
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6/25/2015 - gmat5497 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Quickly becoming my choice of Pinots. Very solid.
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6/16/2015 - alex4wine wrote: 88 Points
Tried to like this, but the nose was very muted and the wine somewhat unstructured and bland. Maybe I got an off bottle, but was not impressed at all, especially given all the reviews.
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6/16/2015 - kylerogers wrote: 90 Points
Nose: black cherry, baking spices
Palate: Cherry, light cigar box, a little pepper flavor (without the kick)
A good Pinot, but not worth the price. Tastes more like it should be in the $30 range.
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1/2/2015 - BCharlieG Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine is beautiful - softly floral, great baked bread characteristic and excellent balance. The nose: sweet cherry, floral red apple, young toasted oak, hints of menthol and marshmallow. The taste: tart raspberry, soft cherry/tart cherry, red apple. The texture is burrata w/ obvious hints of malo / lees stirring. Smooth and supple - no hit from alcohol or acid. Great balance. I was hesitant to open this too early but gave it an hour decant and was wonderful. Outstanding wine. Wish I could get more.
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12/18/2014 - ewsds wrote: 92 Points
This 2012 needs some time in the glass or decanter to show its potential. Bright red fruit on the nose, with a slight bit of funk. On the palate, it's a medium-boded effort with with bright red fruit - solid acidity and ample, but fine tannins. Has the structure and fruit to improve for years. A beautiful wine.
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7/16/2014 - MMiazga Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium-boded with nice depth and Burgundian qualities. A little earthy funk, spices and mushroom. These continue to be evolving and improving already, even since having at the winery earlier this year. Drinkable now with an hour decant, and can't wait for a few years from now to enjoy our last few.
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7/1/2014 - jpferna wrote: 90 Points
BlackBerry and spice on the nose, warm currant and a hint of cherry cola across the pallet. A medium finish that paired well with poached salmon. A good value for a higher end Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.
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6/1/2014 - Wallacmb Likes this wine: 93 Points
Surprisingly open, great balance with the body style. Some notes of mold and wet dog that are more inviting than they read. Jammy. I very much enjoyed this wine. So clean. Feels like a pure representation. Tasted in the Failla tasting room.
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5/25/2014 - matt182 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Seems a bit extracted here. Not in a good place for now, a bit disjointed. Nonetheless, sweet cherries, pomegranate and cranberries with a wide array of spices ( cinnamon, clove, long pepper). Better with food and could have been better with extra air.
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5/2/2014 - jonahfactor Likes this wine: 92 Points
(Tasted at the winery) A big step up from the Sonoma Coast Pinot. Deeper ruby, with more viscous legs and more pronounced nose. Cherries, spices, sweet cranberries with a hint of oak. Refined with a silky texture and a rewarding finish. Would seem to be food friendly.
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3/31/2014 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
Vintage Portfolio Tasting (Drake Hotel Chicago): Killer accessibility. Plush styling. Very ripe and creamy.
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3/29/2014 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted blind and recognized the Burgundian qualities right away, along with the sassafras, candied apple and guava chiffon cake. The draw to this is not concentration, it's the angelic and feathery qualities that then lead to a salient focus. A Pinot for the cellar. Drink 2015 - 2022.
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3/16/2014 - yofog wrote: 92 Points
Color on the pale side of things, good depth of fruit, lots of floral tones as well. This is really pretty and snappy.
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2/14/2014 - RockinCabs wrote:
Visiting Napa (Feb 13th - 17th); 2/13/2014-2/17/2014 (Napa, CA): Top wine of the day, especially for the money.
Florals, Red Cherries, Damp Earth, Mushroom and rubarb are all held together in a great mouthfeel. Balance is awesome on this.
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2/3/2014 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is even more of red fruit and open, showing, sassafras, guava chiffon cake, candied apple, root beer, Pau d'Arco tea and cherry cola. There's this attractive, feminine, confident focus that is beguiling. A light colour that speaks well to the nose, with its rose tint. In just two months this has evolved into a well-formed and a little lighter version than what I had at the tasting. Drink 2015 - 2022.
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11/14/2013 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 94 Points
Open and almost exotic, with root beer, sassafras, sultana, tree sap and raspberry ganache. The front palate is so enamoring and all levels are in check. I just love the roundness of fruit and length with the right type of laser focus. Very delectable. Drink 2025 - 2022.
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