Popped, ran through a Vinturi and drank. Aromas of cherry, strawberry, mushroom, forest floor and cinnamon. Flavors of cherry, strawberry, mushroom, earth and something I will describe as burnt marshmallow, which may sound bad but it's not. Ends with a nice finish of 30-35 seconds with dried cherry and earth notes. Better than the 07 I had a while ago that didn't seem to hold up so well but this is still very much alive and enjoyable.
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A wonderful, mature Sonoma WS pinot. Delicious. Harmonious notes of nutmeg, cherry cola, muted spices, with a long finish driven by the abundant but not overbearing acid. Fruit, acid, all of it in lovely balance, without the sting from Rochioli fruit and excess heat. Yum.
It's ready now. Likely to last a few more years, but pointless to wait.
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Boy, having trouble finding fault with this. Still a bright ruby color, with just a touch of brick around the edge if you're looking. Black cherry and blackberry fruit. A little cinnamon and a little cherry cola, then graduates to that light, toasty oak that you smell when you receive the shipment of new barrels.
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Ripe Black cherry, sandalwood and terroire on the nose and palate. Round and soft finish. Beautifully mature with plenty of structure. Sublime. Kudos to Bob Cabel - we miss you!
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bottom of cork wet and falling apart; complex slightly sweet berry, earth and je ne sais quois, this has aged well and still has adeqate structure. Leaner an less interesting on day two.
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Opened on Saturday evening, finished during the Patriots game Sunday evening. Now that my cellar is all together in Ohio. I'm enjoying some older wines. The Rochioli River Block Vineyard Designated Pinot from Williams Selyem has always been one of my favorites. Simply because the grapes from Rochioli are some of the best Pinot grapes in California. This 2008 certainly did not disappoint. Even though it is an 11 year old Pinot Noir, it was not lacking in any way. The wine was a deep ruby color from the edges through the complete pour. Long legs apparent on the swirl. No real sediment to speak of. On the nose I detect all sorts of berries, most prominently blackberrys with a hint of cinnamon. The first taste seems like red currant with black pepper. mixed in. I would describe the body as medium to full. Relatively big for a Pinot. The texture seems full and round. And the finish lingers for a long time and gets sweater as it lingers. I have 3 more of these in the cellar which I'm looking forward to enjoying over the next couple of years.
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Served with roast chicken and root vegetables. The wine is at its peak and is so very delicious. Containing a little less than the usual Williams Selyem cherry cola flavor, it does have some of that, it also contains dates, cinnamon and some coffee. Perfectly balanced with a lot of complexity. It is a very special bottle of juice that is just a notch under being classically great.
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Pop and pour and served with food (pasta e fagioli, in case you were wondering). Followed for about three hours. Wonderful nose of fruit, some raspberry preserves and baking spices. While a rich wine, it retains an elegance and light mouth feel. Good acidity throughout. Delicious. Sealed 1/2 bottle using a vacu-vin and will revisit.
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This eight year old Pinot is really ready to drink. It's nose of cherries, spice, and a touch of oak is followed through with a delicious balance of fruit, juicy acidity and silky elegance. If you have this, don't hesitate to enjoy it now!
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PnP. Lovely medium red. Rich nose of ripe berries - classic RRV. On the palate this has medium weight with lovely red fruits and a brightness that is quite striking. Long finish with perhaps a touch of acidity poking through. Drinking very well at age 8. The 08 North Coast Pinots seem to have hit their drinking window.
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This wine taste like a concoction. Of fruit juice, acid and spirits. It does not taste like a natural wine. I enjoyed it as I would a well made cocktail. As a Pinot it deserves a 50. Laura, who likes hot climate pinot, disliked this wine and found it out of balance with an amazing unnatural acidified taste to the point it burns. I am amazed at the other reviewers high scores and I am at a loss to correlate our differences.
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christmas spice on the nose; mixed currant flavor is subdued, compared with the spice, oak, and vanilla. At this point in time, the oak is winning, such that you don't get the usual lightness of WS wines. Will hold my last bottle, though not sure if that will help for my taste. (Others loved this BTW)
14.2% alcohol. This is absolutely delicious. Bright red cherry color. Nose takes some coaxing in the glass, but it's a lovely, cherry-filled extravaganza supported by earth and baking spice notes. In the mouth, vibrant and pure, with a juiciness to the fruit that is extremely appealing. Bright acidity, good minerality, and ample spice and earth notes. Long finish smooths out beautifully. Will improve with time. A-/A
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PnP. Lovely nose of red and blackberries. A bit less ripe on the palate than these often are with a bit more dryness (in a good way). Long finish. Nice but not great; these may be more enjoyable younger for their exuberant fruit although there is more complexity here.
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Strawberries, blueberries, and baking spice on the nose. Gorgeous mouthfeel, with notes of cola, ripe strawberries, and nutmeg. Long finish. This is in a nice spot right now, but will hold for several years yet. Rochioli is one of my favorite W-S bottlings, and this one does not disappoint.
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Excellent. Its youthful tart, fruity edge is mostly gone, nicely balanced, medium finish. Just one bottle left - I'll wait as long as I can on this one.
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Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of berries, cherries and tar. Flavors of berries, cherries and raspberries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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The fruit was a little muted, so I would recommended drinking now if you like the fruit/acid in a Pinot - if the other bottles are like mine. It's really well balanced right now with a solid finish, making it easy to drink.
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classic williams selyem rrv. very well balanced, nice long finish nice burgundian style pinot. has several more years to evolve but no reason to wait. Its drinking fantastic now
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Classic RRV with a full nose and long balanced finish and a number of subtle Pinot stylings showing through when you look past the raspberry cola core. Delicious but not profound.
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No formal notes. Open about 30-45 minutes in the som Pinot glass. Cranberry, sassafras, spice box, hint of strawberry and damp duff. Good acidity, balance , and medium-long length with a great finish. 92-93
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- Brick color - Dark fruits, nutmeg, wet earth, and leather on the nose, with just a whiff of alcohol. Black cherry, cola, and spice on the palate. Medium length-long finish. Really started to come alive after being open for an hour and a half, adding two or three points to the score. I will hold my other bottle for a couple of years to see how it evolves, but this is certainly drinking beautifully now. One of the more expensive WS bottlings, but well worth it.
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I had my 2nd bottle after a neighborhood barbecue on 8/10/13. It had an elegant, harmonious and fragrant bouquet of raspberry, orange peel, cola, sassafras and spice aromas. The palate was smooth, rich and dry with terrifically balanced acidity and flavors that followed the nose. 91+
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This quite frankly may be the best Pinot I've ever had. Brought it to some friends for pre-dinner drinks so we opened it and went right into the bottle (not optimal), but as soon as it was in the glass the bouquet let you know what you were in for...the first sip produced a silky finish that WS is known for. Thankfully I have two more bottles left in my cellar. !
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Thanks to the previous two reviewers for saying this is ready to drink. This is indeed drinking great right now. Enjoyed at Hinterland with trout and bison tenderloin.
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A beautiful, well-balanced Pinot. Nose of forest floor, dark fruit, and a hint of cedar. Palate of dark fruit and pencil shavings up front; with great minerality, tannins, and acidity on the finish. Reminds me of why I love Williams-Selyem wines.
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Sweet strawberry and tart cherry flavors Dominate. Medium to light body, well balanced, and easy to drink without giving it time to decant. Went great with the turkey day cheese and salami plate. A wonderful Pinot that is drinking great right now. The finish is a little short (not bad just leaves me wanting a little more on the finish), if this had a better finish the score would have been even higher.
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Opened and poured, this wine has developed nicely since its release. This shows a wonderful mix of aromatics that include spice, red cherry, earth, floral, cola and oak notes. The medium bodied palate shows excellent balance and length with a suitable amount of tannins and acidity to give the wine some grip on the finish. This most likely at or around its peak and should continue to drink well over the next 4 to 5 years.
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This had a fragrant, elegant and focused bouquet of raspberry, orange peel, cola, sassafras, anise and spice aromas. The palate was tart, full and dry with sharp acidity and flavors of raspberry, orange, mocha, cola, anise, spice and dusty minerals on the finish…too much bite
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3/10/2024 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped, ran through a Vinturi and drank. Aromas of cherry, strawberry, mushroom, forest floor and cinnamon. Flavors of cherry, strawberry, mushroom, earth and something I will describe as burnt marshmallow, which may sound bad but it's not. Ends with a nice finish of 30-35 seconds with dried cherry and earth notes. Better than the 07 I had a while ago that didn't seem to hold up so well but this is still very much alive and enjoyable.
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6/10/2022 - kzkpt wrote: 94 Points
A wonderful, mature Sonoma WS pinot. Delicious. Harmonious notes of nutmeg, cherry cola, muted spices, with a long finish driven by the abundant but not overbearing acid. Fruit, acid, all of it in lovely balance, without the sting from Rochioli fruit and excess heat. Yum.
It's ready now. Likely to last a few more years, but pointless to wait.
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4/17/2022 - underwds wrote: 95 Points
Boy, having trouble finding fault with this. Still a bright ruby color, with just a touch of brick around the edge if you're looking. Black cherry and blackberry fruit. A little cinnamon and a little cherry cola, then graduates to that light, toasty oak that you smell when you receive the shipment of new barrels.
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10/17/2021 - plitton wrote: 91 Points
Drinking great.
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8/21/2020 - vino_per_tutti Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ripe Black cherry, sandalwood and terroire on the nose and palate. Round and soft finish. Beautifully mature with plenty of structure. Sublime. Kudos to Bob Cabel - we miss you!
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11/15/2019 - wabi47 Likes this wine: 93 Points
bottom of cork wet and falling apart; complex slightly sweet berry, earth and je ne sais quois, this has aged well and still has adeqate structure. Leaner an less interesting on day two.
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11/3/2019 - RAMwines Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened on Saturday evening, finished during the Patriots game Sunday evening. Now that my cellar is all together in Ohio. I'm enjoying some older wines.
The Rochioli River Block Vineyard Designated Pinot from Williams Selyem has always been one of my favorites. Simply because the grapes from Rochioli are some of the best Pinot grapes in California. This 2008 certainly did not disappoint. Even though it is an 11 year old Pinot Noir, it was not lacking in any way.
The wine was a deep ruby color from the edges through the complete pour. Long legs apparent on the swirl. No real sediment to speak of. On the nose I detect all sorts of berries, most prominently blackberrys with a hint of cinnamon. The first taste seems like red currant with black pepper. mixed in. I would describe the body as medium to full. Relatively big for a Pinot. The texture seems full and round. And the finish lingers for a long time and gets sweater as it lingers.
I have 3 more of these in the cellar which I'm looking forward to enjoying over the next couple of years.
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11/22/2018 - PJHaveron Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wine showed very nicely with about two hours of decanting - good mouthfeel, plenty of fruit and earth notes.
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1/20/2018 - brujazz wrote: 93 Points
Served with roast chicken and root vegetables. The wine is at its peak and is so very delicious. Containing a little less than the usual Williams Selyem cherry cola flavor, it does have some of that, it also contains dates, cinnamon and some coffee. Perfectly balanced with a lot of complexity. It is a very special bottle of juice that is just a notch under being classically great.
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10/5/2017 - kgh wrote: 89 Points
A medium body style pinot, with good fruit and pleasant earthy notes.
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8/25/2017 - Didman wrote: 95 Points
A wonderfully delicate feminine style, yet with backbone to stand another few years. A beautifully made wine.
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3/13/2017 - Hebrew Hammer wrote: 95 Points
Cherry and red fruit. Long finish. Fresh and light
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12/29/2016 - t_moderne wrote: 94 Points
Pop and pour and served with food (pasta e fagioli, in case you were wondering). Followed for about three hours.
Wonderful nose of fruit, some raspberry preserves and baking spices.
While a rich wine, it retains an elegance and light mouth feel.
Good acidity throughout. Delicious.
Sealed 1/2 bottle using a vacu-vin and will revisit.
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11/24/2016 - dream wrote: 87 Points
Ok but on the sweet side of Pinot Noir for me
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6/13/2016 - suburbanfrog wrote: 92 Points
Very enjoyable.
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5/18/2016 - bobadopolis Likes this wine: 92 Points
Phenomenal.
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5/7/2016 - tomlbs Likes this wine: 94 Points
This eight year old Pinot is really ready to drink. It's nose of cherries, spice, and a touch of oak is followed through with a delicious balance of fruit, juicy acidity and silky elegance. If you have this, don't hesitate to enjoy it now!
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3/7/2016 - wabi47 wrote: 91 Points
Maturing cherry and plum, spice and sous bois; oak in the background; smooth with moderate acidity; nice Cali Pinot
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2/8/2016 - rosenst1 wrote: 93 Points
PnP. Lovely medium red. Rich nose of ripe berries - classic RRV. On the palate this has medium weight with lovely red fruits and a brightness that is quite striking. Long finish with perhaps a touch of acidity poking through. Drinking very well at age 8. The 08 North Coast Pinots seem to have hit their drinking window.
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12/26/2015 - Edclr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bright red fruits, good acidity, silky texture.
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11/19/2015 - dlduchon wrote: 84 Points
This wine taste like a concoction. Of fruit juice, acid and spirits. It does not taste like a natural wine. I enjoyed it as I would a well made cocktail. As a Pinot it deserves a 50. Laura, who likes hot climate pinot, disliked this wine and found it out of balance with an amazing unnatural acidified taste to the point it burns. I am amazed at the other reviewers high scores and I am at a loss to correlate our differences.
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7/18/2015 - Moonie Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent. Much better than the 2008 Hirsch we had the night previously.
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4/18/2015 - wabi47 wrote: 90 Points
christmas spice on the nose; mixed currant flavor is subdued, compared with the spice, oak, and vanilla. At this point in time, the oak is winning, such that you don't get the usual lightness of WS wines. Will hold my last bottle, though not sure if that will help for my taste. (Others loved this BTW)
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2/22/2015 - gutt22 Likes this wine:
14.2% alcohol. This is absolutely delicious. Bright red cherry color. Nose takes some coaxing in the glass, but it's a lovely, cherry-filled extravaganza supported by earth and baking spice notes. In the mouth, vibrant and pure, with a juiciness to the fruit that is extremely appealing. Bright acidity, good minerality, and ample spice and earth notes. Long finish smooths out beautifully. Will improve with time. A-/A
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2/13/2015 - Naso wrote: 96 Points
This is an exceptional PN. Perfect medium to light weight and cherry taste profile - long finish - drinking great right now
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1/23/2015 - rosenst1 wrote: 91 Points
PnP. Lovely nose of red and blackberries. A bit less ripe on the palate than these often are with a bit more dryness (in a good way). Long finish. Nice but not great; these may be more enjoyable younger for their exuberant fruit although there is more complexity here.
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12/13/2014 - kkleg Likes this wine: 94 Points
Strawberries, blueberries, and baking spice on the nose. Gorgeous mouthfeel, with notes of cola, ripe strawberries, and nutmeg. Long finish. This is in a nice spot right now, but will hold for several years yet. Rochioli is one of my favorite W-S bottlings, and this one does not disappoint.
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11/28/2014 - KeithSurg wrote: 92 Points
Cherry, strawberry and cinnamon flavors integrate well with an ethereal quality. Elegant.
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8/30/2014 - kcp Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent. Its youthful tart, fruity edge is mostly gone, nicely balanced, medium finish. Just one bottle left - I'll wait as long as I can on this one.
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8/28/2014 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92
Tasted non blind.
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of berries, cherries and tar. Flavors of berries, cherries and raspberries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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8/8/2014 - haldolugr wrote: 90 Points
The fruit was a little muted, so I would recommended drinking now if you like the fruit/acid in a Pinot - if the other bottles are like mine. It's really well balanced right now with a solid finish, making it easy to drink.
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5/16/2014 - bobwire Likes this wine: 93 Points
classic williams selyem rrv. very well balanced, nice long finish
nice burgundian style pinot. has several more years to evolve but no reason to wait. Its drinking fantastic now
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3/31/2014 - silton Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic RRV with a full nose and long balanced finish and a number of subtle Pinot stylings showing through when you look past the raspberry cola core. Delicious but not profound.
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3/15/2014 - Lakejoy10808@hotmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
No notes. A wonderful glass of wine. Well balanced floral on the nose with cola flavors.
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11/30/2013 - Grape Stuff wrote: 92 Points
No formal notes. Open about 30-45 minutes in the som Pinot glass. Cranberry, sassafras, spice box, hint of strawberry and damp duff. Good acidity, balance , and medium-long length with a great finish. 92-93
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8/25/2013 - kkleg wrote: 94 Points
- Brick color - Dark fruits, nutmeg, wet earth, and leather on the nose, with just a whiff of alcohol. Black cherry, cola, and spice on the palate. Medium length-long finish. Really started to come alive after being open for an hour and a half, adding two or three points to the score. I will hold my other bottle for a couple of years to see how it evolves, but this is certainly drinking beautifully now. One of the more expensive WS bottlings, but well worth it.
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8/10/2013 - garambler wrote: 92 Points
I had my 2nd bottle after a neighborhood barbecue on 8/10/13. It had an elegant, harmonious and fragrant bouquet of raspberry, orange peel, cola, sassafras and spice aromas. The palate was smooth, rich and dry with terrifically balanced acidity and flavors that followed the nose. 91+
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4/19/2013 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice, well balanced Pinot. Red fruit (cherry and raspberry) offset by sweet spice and a slightly drying finish. Good cut and definition.
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2/17/2013 - gmglass Likes this wine: 94 Points
This quite frankly may be the best Pinot I've ever had. Brought it to some friends for pre-dinner drinks so we opened it and went right into the bottle (not optimal), but as soon as it was in the glass the bouquet let you know what you were in for...the first sip produced a silky finish that WS is known for. Thankfully I have two more bottles left in my cellar.
!
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2/14/2013 - smokeandmirrors wrote: 92 Points
Thanks to the previous two reviewers for saying this is ready to drink. This is indeed drinking great right now. Enjoyed at Hinterland with trout and bison tenderloin.
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2/11/2013 - Scharin wrote: 94 Points
A beautiful, well-balanced Pinot. Nose of forest floor, dark fruit, and a hint of cedar. Palate of dark fruit and pencil shavings up front; with great minerality, tannins, and acidity on the finish. Reminds me of why I love Williams-Selyem wines.
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11/22/2012 - haldolugr wrote: 92 Points
Sweet strawberry and tart cherry flavors Dominate. Medium to light body, well balanced, and easy to drink without giving it time to decant. Went great with the turkey day cheese and salami plate. A wonderful Pinot that is drinking great right now. The finish is a little short (not bad just leaves me wanting a little more on the finish), if this had a better finish the score would have been even higher.
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8/12/2012 - sehill Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened and poured, this wine has developed nicely since its release. This shows a wonderful mix of aromatics that include spice, red cherry, earth, floral, cola and oak notes. The medium bodied palate shows excellent balance and length with a suitable amount of tannins and acidity to give the wine some grip on the finish. This most likely at or around its peak and should continue to drink well over the next 4 to 5 years.
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4/15/2012 - garambler wrote: 91 Points
This had a fragrant, elegant and focused bouquet of raspberry, orange peel, cola, sassafras, anise and spice aromas. The palate was tart, full and dry with sharp acidity and flavors of raspberry, orange, mocha, cola, anise, spice and dusty minerals on the finish…too much bite
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5/27/2011 - shadow wrote: 94 Points
fruity, spicy, what's not to like, great finish, and will get even better if you can wait
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10/31/2010 - wabi47 wrote: 90 Points
berry, forest floor, cola nose; berry, earth, cola, oak and tannins; good stuffing but young
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10/30/2010 - PVJC wrote:
Tasted at pickup weekend, our favorite relative to the Weir & Coastlands. The Weir had a fantastic nose but didn't come through as much on the palate.
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