Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of barnyard, birch, black pepper, black berries and black cherries. Flavors of black raspberries, black cherries and tart plums. Medium to tart acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink over the short term.
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Still relatively youthful looking. Very attractive on the nose combining aromas of smoke, tobacco, mustard seed, and relatively dark, blackberry plummy fruit with some spicy wood induced undertones. Tactile, rich, yet lively in the mouth. This is decidedly simpler than the other two wines tonight, but as long and intense, with a decidedly more fruit driven personality showing a little black currant and lots of blackberry and jammy strawberry flavors. It’s very well balanced, and certainly lovable, just not that interesting. It is delicious though! 90-91
2 hours in: A bit more complexity has emerged on the nose, touches of leather, sour plum, wood spice, toast, and vanilla, offer an added level of complexity. Smooth, rich, but with plenty of juicy acidity, more red fruited and perhaps with the alcohol just noticeable as this has warmed from cellar to room temp. It’s lovely, I don’t see how it gets any better however, and it remains more about fruit, and winemaking than an expression of terroir. Quite good though. 89-90pts
Day 2: I would say much improved, decidedly more subtle than yesterday with hints of gunpowder, dried beef, dried flowers, mocha and wood spice lending notable complexity to the dark earthy fruit. Really lovely structural integration on the palate at this point, and the fruit, while still the tar, has reserved enough to allow those mineral, savory tones from the nose to emerge on the palate. The receding fruit though has left the structural element exposed a bit on the modest finish. The wood spice, and wood tannins in particular now are slightly intrusive on the finale. Still, this is less hedonistic than yesterday, if a tad more interesting, with notes of hoisin, dried plums, tobacco, and cedar lending detail on the backend. I’m torn here, it’s very good wine and probably worthy of a point or two more than I’m awarding it, but the tannins are going to win out here, so drink this up over the next 3, maybe 5 years and it should be fully rewarding. 89pts
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of thistle, spice box, sandalwood, black cherries and black berries. Flavors of berries, raspberries, cherries and strawberries. Medium to bright acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold. I'd lean towards drink.
Madison offline
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We drank this last night with two dishes at L'Ardois in San Francisco; a well-seasoned flatiron steak, and coq du vin--nice menage a trois. The fruit's still alive and kicking, with a vibrant balance and mouth-feel: The exuberant prince rides proudly through his countryside. For a 12 year old New World pinot, this was masculine elegance and power more than crushed velvet living on memories. Think it's got a good 2 or more years, and hope I've still got another bottle!
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This was absolutely delicious, and drinking at peak, if not even a few years from it. There was still a tannic presence on the inside of my cheeks. On the slightly dark side of Pinot Noir, this had cascades of cherry, plum, wet earth and notes of cinnamon. I wish I had more.
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4/20/2022 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of barnyard, birch, black pepper, black berries and black cherries. Flavors of black raspberries, black cherries and tart plums. Medium to tart acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink over the short term.
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3/12/2021 - Gregory Dal Piaz wrote: 90 Points
Still relatively youthful looking. Very attractive on the nose combining aromas of smoke, tobacco, mustard seed, and relatively dark, blackberry plummy fruit with some spicy wood induced undertones. Tactile, rich, yet lively in the mouth. This is decidedly simpler than the other two wines tonight, but as long and intense, with a decidedly more fruit driven personality showing a little black currant and lots of blackberry and jammy strawberry flavors. It’s very well balanced, and certainly lovable, just not that interesting. It is delicious though! 90-91
2 hours in: A bit more complexity has emerged on the nose, touches of leather, sour plum, wood spice, toast, and vanilla, offer an added level of complexity. Smooth, rich, but with plenty of juicy acidity, more red fruited and perhaps with the alcohol just noticeable as this has warmed from cellar to room temp. It’s lovely, I don’t see how it gets any better however, and it remains more about fruit, and winemaking than an expression of terroir. Quite good though. 89-90pts
Day 2: I would say much improved, decidedly more subtle than yesterday with hints of gunpowder, dried beef, dried flowers, mocha and wood spice lending notable complexity to the dark earthy fruit. Really lovely structural integration on the palate at this point, and the fruit, while still the tar, has reserved enough to allow those mineral, savory tones from the nose to emerge on the palate. The receding fruit though has left the structural element exposed a bit on the modest finish. The wood spice, and wood tannins in particular now are slightly intrusive on the finale. Still, this is less hedonistic than yesterday, if a tad more interesting, with notes of hoisin, dried plums, tobacco, and cedar lending detail on the backend. I’m torn here, it’s very good wine and probably worthy of a point or two more than I’m awarding it, but the tannins are going to win out here, so drink this up over the next 3, maybe 5 years and it should be fully rewarding. 89pts
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1/19/2020 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93
Tasted non blind. Followed over about 2-3 hours.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of thistle, spice box, sandalwood, black cherries and black berries. Flavors of berries, raspberries, cherries and strawberries. Medium to bright acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold. I'd lean towards drink.
Madison offline
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4/26/2017 - garysroses@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
We drank this last night with two dishes at L'Ardois in San Francisco; a well-seasoned flatiron steak, and coq du vin--nice menage a trois. The fruit's still alive and kicking, with a vibrant balance and mouth-feel: The exuberant prince rides proudly through his countryside. For a 12 year old New World pinot, this was masculine elegance and power more than crushed velvet living on memories. Think it's got a good 2 or more years, and hope I've still got another bottle!
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7/25/2016 - BRR Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was absolutely delicious, and drinking at peak, if not even a few years from it. There was still a tannic presence on the inside of my cheeks. On the slightly dark side of Pinot Noir, this had cascades of cherry, plum, wet earth and notes of cinnamon. I wish I had more.
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