Ten Pinots from Ten Regions Across the Globe: A fantastic tasting experience highlighting so many different styles of this wonderful grape. Two winners for me: Molitor’s Graacher Himmelreich*** WC 2018 (rated 95pts) which had a fantastic 97+ pts bouquet but a bit of a hole mid-palate. And Beaux Freres Beaux Freres Vyd 2019 (rated 95pts) which might not be the style of Pinot I want to drink every day, but was the most complete wine. Positive surprise: my first Italian Pinot ever, the St. Michael Eppan Sanct Valentin 2010 (94pts) which shined bright with its intriguing minerality.
TN: Medium expressive nose displaying silky dark red and blue fruit. Elegant, harmonious and inviting. Seamless on the palate with such a fine sliky structure, quite a bit of weight mid palate and in the finish (for a Pinot Noir). To the fine, ripe darker fruit profile come lazers of minerality, and some brighter herbal aromas to create a good balance. This is so charmingly easy to drink and has such a grace and still a good complexity. Style wise in its own category somewhere between a new world Californian Pinot and a Burgundy. This is a fine Pinot Noir which, with 10/20 years of age should shed some of its baby fat and weight to become even better. But it’s fun to drink it today and easily on a 94/95pts level.
Decanting: Aerated for at least 45 minutes in the glass, this was open and singing.
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Tasted at the Matter of Taste Zurich, “Pinots of the World” Masterclass. Swiss / Wädenswil clone on volcanic soil from a cool and wet vintage. Ripe and defined sour cherry fruit on and earthy base and with perfume and dried flowers which provide for an ethereal aura. Solid, but simpler than I remembered.
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Despite its youth, this showed quite open and complete. Good complexity, beautiful balance of fine, not too ripe fruit and earthy/stemmy notes, a fine, weightless frame. Quite Burgundian in style, this could become a 96-98 pts wine in 10-20 years (although I don’t have any refernce points or knowledge with the ageabilty this winery‘s wines or of Oregon Pinot in general). 94+ pts.
TN: Expressive on the nose and palate, this wine shows a great aromatic balance: Bright, pure, ripe but not too ripe red berries are at center with wet earth, stems, herbs and smoky notes circling around it. Very good precision from start to the medium length finish. The structure is very fine, no weight, just a touch of creaminess, very fine but still noticeable tannins, good, well-integrated acidity. Overall quite complete.
Good, complex, bright red fruit, earthy, smokey, stem notes, weightless, very promising, superb balance 94+
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We had this from the wine list at Bistro Jeanty in Yountville, so it was tasted immediately after opening. The fruit came on very strongly and with some surprising tannins. Our waiter decanted it for us and, after 45 minutes or so, it had softened nicely. While still a bit more restrained than the CA pinots, this terrific Oregon wine seems to be less Burgundian and more new world. I am guessing that climate change has something to do this. Since they lost most of their 2020 pinots, I recommend buying this one as it will certainly improve with more aging.
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Subtle nose - this was not decanted. Great structure and balance. Refined red fruits, grippy tannins, violets, a bit of oak - still very young but excellent.
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Tasted double blind. Being an Oregon Pinot newbie, this was my first experience with this winery and wine. It is too young to be fully enjoyed and is I missed the lightness and Burgundy charm I loved so much about the Antica Terra Botanica 2012 (95 pts) I‘ve had a a few weeks earlier. In addition, this is a touch too much ripe for a Pinot (there was some discussion about this being a Grenache). 92/93 pts.
TN: At first very wild and a touch shrill, this settled down quite nicely with time in the glass. Intense , ripe, sweet strawberries, sweet cherries. Get better by the minute. In the palate, this shows very sweet, round strawberries, cherries, herbs, with air no longer that wild but very pure and beautiful. The tannins are very fine and the acidity medium+ high and well integrated. It misses a slight touch of textural softness and weightlessness and the finish isn‘t as impressive but overall this is a very good wine.
Decanting: This needs a solid hour or two to come together.
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Not decanted, but would recommend 2-4h at this point. Raspberry and fruit, ripe but nonetheless with a cool touch. Sweet spice and light wood, a bit of meaty and floral notes of roses as well as caraway spice. Perfect balance on the palate, fruit-forward and juicy, concentrated with great tension. Having not decanted this, the palate felt pretty wild at first and needed a minute to settle down. I would go for a 2h+ decant at this stage.
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just delivered so thought i would try it big fruity fresh nose bright fruits strawberries and bluberries pretty smooth not as tannic as can be typical of BF very enjoyable bottle Drank the rest the next day it had softened nicely will let the rest of the bottles sit for a few years
12/29/2023 - SMagowan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Ready to drink on opening. Very smooth.
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6/18/2023 - pbdrutman wrote:
Would have again
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3/18/2023 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
Ten Pinots from Ten Regions Across the Globe: A fantastic tasting experience highlighting so many different styles of this wonderful grape. Two winners for me: Molitor’s Graacher Himmelreich*** WC 2018 (rated 95pts) which had a fantastic 97+ pts bouquet but a bit of a hole mid-palate. And Beaux Freres Beaux Freres Vyd 2019 (rated 95pts) which might not be the style of Pinot I want to drink every day, but was the most complete wine. Positive surprise: my first Italian Pinot ever, the St. Michael Eppan Sanct Valentin 2010 (94pts) which shined bright with its intriguing minerality.
TN: Medium expressive nose displaying silky dark red and blue fruit. Elegant, harmonious and inviting. Seamless on the palate with such a fine sliky structure, quite a bit of weight mid palate and in the finish (for a Pinot Noir). To the fine, ripe darker fruit profile come lazers of minerality, and some brighter herbal aromas to create a good balance. This is so charmingly easy to drink and has such a grace and still a good complexity. Style wise in its own category somewhere between a new world Californian Pinot and a Burgundy. This is a fine Pinot Noir which, with 10/20 years of age should shed some of its baby fat and weight to become even better. But it’s fun to drink it today and easily on a 94/95pts level.
Decanting: Aerated for at least 45 minutes in the glass, this was open and singing.
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3/12/2023 - sirpat00 wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at the Matter of Taste Zurich, “Pinots of the World” Masterclass. Swiss / Wädenswil clone on volcanic soil from a cool and wet vintage. Ripe and defined sour cherry fruit on and earthy base and with perfume and dried flowers which provide for an ethereal aura. Solid, but simpler than I remembered.
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3/12/2023 - NoTrollingerPlease wrote: 92 Points
Masterclass with the Wine Advocate team: Great Pinots of the world (The Dolder Grand, Zurich): Glass: Stölzle Universal
Clear, deep ruby garnet color. Muted nose with some warm, stewed fruit.
On the palate juicy, high acidity, high ripe tannin. Lots of warm, ripe, stewed fruit. Extract, vanilla. Big and bold. Very well made with good length. 92+
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11/8/2022 - krhaugh Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still young but a very robust Pinot. Lay down for a while as it will improve with more time.
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10/23/2022 - Cailles wrote: 94 Points
Despite its youth, this showed quite open and complete. Good complexity, beautiful balance of fine, not too ripe fruit and earthy/stemmy notes, a fine, weightless frame. Quite Burgundian in style, this could become a 96-98 pts wine in 10-20 years (although I don’t have any refernce points or knowledge with the ageabilty this winery‘s wines or of Oregon Pinot in general). 94+ pts.
TN: Expressive on the nose and palate, this wine shows a great aromatic balance: Bright, pure, ripe but not too ripe red berries are at center with wet earth, stems, herbs and smoky notes circling around it. Very good precision from start to the medium length finish. The structure is very fine, no weight, just a touch of creaminess, very fine but still noticeable tannins, good, well-integrated acidity. Overall quite complete.
Good, complex, bright red fruit, earthy, smokey, stem notes, weightless, very promising, superb balance 94+
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6/3/2022 - bobt@teacherstax.com Likes this wine: 95 Points
We had this from the wine list at Bistro Jeanty in Yountville, so it was tasted immediately after opening. The fruit came on very strongly and with some surprising tannins. Our waiter decanted it for us and, after 45 minutes or so, it had softened nicely. While still a bit more restrained than the CA pinots, this terrific Oregon wine seems to be less Burgundian and more new world. I am guessing that climate change has something to do this. Since they lost most of their 2020 pinots, I recommend buying this one as it will certainly improve with more aging.
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5/10/2022 - Condrieu82 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Subtle nose - this was not decanted. Great structure and balance. Refined red fruits, grippy tannins, violets, a bit of oak - still very young but excellent.
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2/26/2022 - Cailles wrote: 93 Points
Tasted double blind. Being an Oregon Pinot newbie, this was my first experience with this winery and wine. It is too young to be fully enjoyed and is I missed the lightness and Burgundy charm I loved so much about the Antica Terra Botanica 2012 (95 pts) I‘ve had a a few weeks earlier. In addition, this is a touch too much ripe for a Pinot (there was some discussion about this being a Grenache). 92/93 pts.
TN: At first very wild and a touch shrill, this settled down quite nicely with time in the glass. Intense , ripe, sweet strawberries, sweet cherries. Get better by the minute. In the palate, this shows very sweet, round strawberries, cherries, herbs, with air no longer that wild but very pure and beautiful. The tannins are very fine and the acidity medium+ high and well integrated. It misses a slight touch of textural softness and weightlessness and the finish isn‘t as impressive but overall this is a very good wine.
Decanting: This needs a solid hour or two to come together.
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2/20/2022 - sirpat00 wrote: 96 Points
Not decanted, but would recommend 2-4h at this point. Raspberry and fruit, ripe but nonetheless with a cool touch. Sweet spice and light wood, a bit of meaty and floral notes of roses as well as caraway spice. Perfect balance on the palate, fruit-forward and juicy, concentrated with great tension. Having not decanted this, the palate felt pretty wild at first and needed a minute to settle down. I would go for a 2h+ decant at this stage.
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1/8/2022 - Kysee Likes this wine: 94 Points
cherry, blackberry aroma. Smooth. Mild tannins. Long finish
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6/14/2021 - jww Likes this wine: 90 Points
just delivered so thought i would try it
big fruity fresh nose bright fruits strawberries and bluberries
pretty smooth not as tannic as can be typical of BF
very enjoyable bottle
Drank the rest the next day it had softened nicely will let the rest of the bottles sit for a few years
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