Thanksgiving wine paired with a riesling. Medium ruby with edges of oranging. Medium body. Toasted roasty oak, green and ripe strawberry, cherry, melon, plum and heat on the nose. Complex mouthfeel, with broasted oak dominating the maturing fruit featuring a plethora of reds. Not too overdone, showing some complexity. Certainly not over the hill, but starting to mature. Better than last bottle. Day two+, gaining some weight and prune elements, showing maturity with greater oxidization. Throwing some sediment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Proof, yet again, that drinking windows are a moving target. While I enjoyed a number of '03 Calipinots after release, I found that many failed to hold even 4 or 5 years after release. As a result the few that I have remaining (mostly Dehlinger, Sea Smoke and Williams-Selyem) have been left to languish in the racks. Now unexpectedly, this bottle has not fallen apart. In fact it is still quite fresh and lively. Color was an encouraging clear, medium cherry red and although the nose wasn't particularly aromatic the fruits are delightfully red and tart: substantial swirls of strawberry, bing cherries and cranberry on the palate. Texture is both puckish and smooth. A nice wine drinking well now and a positive beacon for my remaining '03s.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Paired with a chicken pot pie al deluxe. Dark red to pink on the edges. Initial funky roasted green pepper aromas, with cherry and wet smoked oak - faded with air time. Bright heat on the nose blows off as well. Attack starts slow, with ripe strawberry, and tart cherry. Fruit gains acceleration through the robust finish, combining toasted oak, heat, black cherry and fermented orange. 14.3% Medium length 30 second finish. Day two provides a better tasting experience - the odd aromas have mostly evaporated though there's a little vegetal musk still left - blackberry, oak take center stage on the bouquet. Explosive ripe strawberry, sweet cranberry and cherry command attention, with some heat and slight vegetal secondaries. Upping score 1 point from initial rating. Drinking very well on day 5 under vac-u-vin - the final analysis is this could use more rack time or decant for several hours prior to serving at this point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is cloudy and while it taste is ok, it does detract from enjoying it more. A bit of alcoholic heat on the finish. Decanted for about an hour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rating is average of two nights. When opened first night had nice soft flavor, subtle bouquet, kind of fruity, cherries on top of flavor. Not too hot at all, actually balanced though lacking much structure or depth. Dry and good match for picnic food. But on second night the wine had died. Still drinkable, but cloudy and flat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not what I expected at all, kind of hot and somewhat unbalanced...give it the benefit of doubt and try it again in a few years...this has always been very good in the past....pleasant enough but not up to previous vintages...also a little cloudy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pungent, unidimensional nose of cherry--with perhaps just a hint of something woodsy. Light, tart in the mouth, with little or no structure. The wine bore a very unfortunate resemblance to cherry kool-aid.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
12/16/2018 - LesPaul wrote:
As you would expect, very well past drinkability. Drain pour. No judgement on Failla or Keefer Ranch - just that '03 not expected to last 15 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2012 - Senso-beak wrote: 89 Points
Thanksgiving wine paired with a riesling. Medium ruby with edges of oranging. Medium body. Toasted roasty oak, green and ripe strawberry, cherry, melon, plum and heat on the nose. Complex mouthfeel, with broasted oak dominating the maturing fruit featuring a plethora of reds. Not too overdone, showing some complexity. Certainly not over the hill, but starting to mature. Better than last bottle. Day two+, gaining some weight and prune elements, showing maturity with greater oxidization. Throwing some sediment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/26/2010 - Rangstrom wrote: 90 Points
Proof, yet again, that drinking windows are a moving target. While I enjoyed a number of '03 Calipinots after release, I found that many failed to hold even 4 or 5 years after release. As a result the few that I have remaining (mostly Dehlinger, Sea Smoke and Williams-Selyem) have been left to languish in the racks. Now unexpectedly, this bottle has not fallen apart. In fact it is still quite fresh and lively. Color was an encouraging clear, medium cherry red and although the nose wasn't particularly aromatic the fruits are delightfully red and tart: substantial swirls of strawberry, bing cherries and cranberry on the palate. Texture is both puckish and smooth. A nice wine drinking well now and a positive beacon for my remaining '03s.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/4/2009 - Senso-beak wrote: 87 Points
Paired with a chicken pot pie al deluxe. Dark red to pink on the edges. Initial funky roasted green pepper aromas, with cherry and wet smoked oak - faded with air time. Bright heat on the nose blows off as well. Attack starts slow, with ripe strawberry, and tart cherry. Fruit gains acceleration through the robust finish, combining toasted oak, heat, black cherry and fermented orange. 14.3% Medium length 30 second finish. Day two provides a better tasting experience - the odd aromas have mostly evaporated though there's a little vegetal musk still left - blackberry, oak take center stage on the bouquet. Explosive ripe strawberry, sweet cranberry and cherry command attention, with some heat and slight vegetal secondaries. Upping score 1 point from initial rating. Drinking very well on day 5 under vac-u-vin - the final analysis is this could use more rack time or decant for several hours prior to serving at this point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/30/2008 - Double D wrote: 87 Points
This wine is cloudy and while it taste is ok, it does detract from enjoying it more. A bit of alcoholic heat on the finish. Decanted for about an hour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/16/2007 - Cal Bear wrote: 87 Points
Rating is average of two nights. When opened first night had nice soft flavor, subtle bouquet, kind of fruity, cherries on top of flavor. Not too hot at all, actually balanced though lacking much structure or depth. Dry and good match for picnic food. But on second night the wine had died. Still drinkable, but cloudy and flat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2007 - Double D wrote: 87 Points
Not what I expected at all, kind of hot and somewhat unbalanced...give it the benefit of doubt and try it again in a few years...this has always been very good in the past....pleasant enough but not up to previous vintages...also a little cloudy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/24/2007 - jerhardt wrote: 85 Points
A big modern pinot with blue fruit and a good amount of heat. Not my style, and not even sure this is such a great example of the style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/15/2006 - MichaelJennings wrote: 84 Points
Pungent, unidimensional nose of cherry--with perhaps just a hint of something woodsy. Light, tart in the mouth, with little or no structure. The wine bore a very unfortunate resemblance to cherry kool-aid.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/11/2006 - jobrien wrote: 94 Points
excellent, earthy, complex with strawberries and raspberries on the nose and the tongue. open now; it's terrific.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment