Wine Regions & Grapes
Sampling of Wineries
Acorn Andrea Oberto Atlas Peak Benziger Beringer Blandy's Bodega Navarro Correas Burgans Cantina Terlano Chimney Rock Chronicle Domaine Carneros Domaine de la Mordoree Dow's Dr. Loosen Emilio Lustau Fonseca Foxen Gaston Riviere Glen Ellen Hess Collection Innocent Bystander Kendall-Jackson Korbel La Caudrina Luna Vineyards Madeira Wine Company Martin Codax Masi Merryvale Mulderbosch Navarro Vineyards Pahlmeyer Roederer Estate Ruggeri Sawyer Cellars Sbragia Six Sigma Winery St. James Steltzner Vineyards Trinchero Winery Trione V. Sattui Winery William Fevre Wilson Winery
Category Archives: Pinot Noir
Egly-Ouriet Brut Tradition Disgorged 2009
Egly-Ouriet, Champagne, Grand Cru, Brut Tradition nv The nose features biscuits and apples, apples that are fresh and those baked in an apple tart. In the mouth this bubbly is freshly fruity, embracing the taste of apples across the spectrum, … Continue reading
Posted in Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
Tagged Egly-Ouriet
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Roederer Estate Extra Dry
Roederer Estate, Anderson Valley, Estate Bottled, Extra Dry nv The nose displays stone fruits, apples and citrus with a little puff pastry. In the mouth you’ll find the essence of green apples and citrus with a balancing shot of sweetness. … Continue reading
Posted in California, Chardonnay, Mendocino County, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
Tagged Roederer Estate
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Scharffenberger Brut Rose
Scharffenberger, Mendocino County, Brut Rose, Sparkling Wine nv This is a sparkler that features lively fruit, vivid strawberries and raspberry punch, with an accent of floral notes. In the mouth the fruit carries on with a creamy character, a sense … Continue reading
Posted in California, Chardonnay, Mendocino County, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
Tagged Scharffenberger
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Small Vines Russian River Pinot Noir 2008
Small Vines, Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir 2008 This wine is a star. In the nose the fruit has a liqueur-like character, showing off its ripeness. In the mouth there is again that straddling of the Old and New Worlds … Continue reading
Bourgogne Rouge 2007
Domaine G. Roumier, Chambolle-Musigny 2007 Give this some air to allow the fruit to emerge. Then there’s a mix of cherries, moist black earth in the garden and brown spices. In the mouth this is just a baby, with plenty … Continue reading
Posted in Beaune, Burgundy, Chambolle-Musigny, France, Pinot Noir
Tagged de Montille, Roumier
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Toulouse Pinot Noir 2007
Toulouse Vineyards, Anderson Valley, Estate, Pinot Noir 2007 In the nose there is a sense of the forest floor and toasty, smoky oak. In the mouth it shows as an elegant style of Pinot Noir, very supple and approachable. We … Continue reading
Goldeneye Vin Gris 2009
Goldeneye, Anderson Valley, Vin Gris of Pinot Noir 2009 The nose features fresh strawberries. On the palate there is a creamy mouthfeel, a silky texture, with a thickness not often found in rose – very nice. The wine is made … Continue reading
Posted in Anderson Valley, California, Mendocino County, Pinot Noir, Rosé
Tagged Goldeneye
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Foppiano Rose 2009
Foppiano, Russian River Valley, Estate Bottled, Rose 2009 The nose features flowers, candied red fruits and a bit of bubble gum. In the mouth the fruit shows nicely, the acidity is mild and the palate is broad. It is reminiscent … Continue reading
Posted in California, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Rosé, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
Tagged Foppiano
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Willamette Valley Vineyards Tualatin Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007
Willamette Valley Vineyards, Willamette Valley – Oregon, Tualatin Estate Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2007 The nose shows the sweetness of cherry candy dusted with brown spices. In the mouth it is supple yet lined with acidity, making it drinkable now while … Continue reading
Posted in Oregon, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
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New World Pinot Noir
All three of the wines in this flight were bottled under screwcap closures. I made my notes after lecturing a bit so they sat in the glasses for about 40 minutes before I started typing. Innocent Bystander, Victoria, Pinot Noir … Continue reading
Posted in Australia, Pinot Noir, Victoria
Tagged Amisfield, Innocent Bystander, Oyster Bay
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Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir 2009
Innocent Bystander, Victoria, Pinot Noir 2009 There are lively black fruits in the nose, especially after 30 minutes. Add to that brown spices, a hint of thyme, spearmint and bubble gum sweetness. In the mouth this light-bodied Pinot delivers on … Continue reading
Prestige cuvee sparkling
Perrier-Jouet, Champagne, Cuvee Belle Epoque, Fleur de Champagne, Brut 2000 The cork was quite compacted and the bottle opened with hardly a whisper. The color is taking on a light golden hue. Yet in the nose it delivers the fresh … Continue reading
Posted in California, Carneros, Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
Tagged Domaine Carneros, Perrier-Jouet
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Vintage California sparkling
Schramsberg, North Coast, Blanc de Blancs Brut 2006 There are very pretty floral notes in the nose, with fresh pears and apples and a bit of bread dough. In the mouth the fruit continues with some pastry richness and the … Continue reading
Posted in California, Chardonnay, Green Valley, North Coast, Pinot Noir, Sonoma County, Sparkling Dry
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North Coast Pinot Noir
Willowbrook, Russian River Valley, J.C.O. Limited, Estate Grown, Pinot Noir 2007 The nose is a very sweet expression of oak and ripe fruit. In the mouth, this Pinot is silky and warm, showing caramel over freshly baked cherry pie. Winemaker … Continue reading
Pinot Noir in Burgundy
Domaine de Montille, Bourgogne 2007 There’s pretty raspberry fruit laced with brown spices in the nose. The mouth is quite concentrated, full of acidity with a whisper of tannin in the background. As with the 2005, lay this down for … Continue reading
Posted in Burgundy, Chambolle-Musigny, Clos de Vougeot, Cote de Beaune, Cote de Nuits, Pinot Noir, Volnay
Tagged de Montille
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Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2007
Willamette Valley Vineyards, Willamette Valley – Oregon, Pinot Noir 2007 The smell of cherries and their expression in a freshly baked pie fill the glass. In the mouth the red fruits continue with an accent of oak and the texture … Continue reading
Chandon Blanc de Noirs
Chandon, California, Blanc de Noirs nv This bubbly features cherries, both fresh and cooked, a little sweetness and a touch of bitterness. The grapes behind this wine are the classic black grapes from Champagne, viz., Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
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Wines of the Alto Adige
This region holds a particular place in my heart. Linda and I visited some of the top producers of the region this summer and hiked the magnificent mountains. This Tyrolean region is beyond picturesque and vies with Stellenbosch as the … Continue reading
Posted in Alto Adige, Italy, Lagrein, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir
Tagged Alois Lageder, Cantina Bolzano, Cantina Terlano, Cantina Tramin, Manicor, Produttori Colterenzio
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Chandon Brut
Domaine Chandon, California, Brut, Classic nv Unfortunately this wine was corked. The aromatics are dampened and the mouth is astringent. A sense of the dosage is the only element coming through. I was concerned when I removed the foil from … Continue reading
Posted in California, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
Tagged Domaine Chandon
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Korbel Natural 2007
Korbel, Russian River Valley Champagne, Natural’ Méthode Champenoise 2007 In the nose you’ll find green apples and strawberries while in the mouth it is acidic, with a sense of apples that have been baked with brown sugar. 65% Pinot Noir, … Continue reading
Posted in California, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, Sparkling Dry
Tagged Korbel
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Trione new releases
Trione, Russian River Valley, River Road Ranch, Pinot Noir 2008 In the nose you’ll find sweet red fruit with pastry notes, think cherry pie, warm and aromatic. In the mouth you’ll find a supple expression of that cherry pie, absolutely … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, Syrah
Tagged Trione
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Sonoma County Pinot Noirs 2007
Balletto, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, Estate Bottled, Pinot Noir 2007 Sweet, ripe fruit fills the glass, a blend of cherries and raspberries. In the mouth there is also a touch of caramel, light body, smooth texture and long acidity … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
Tagged Balletto, Vision Cellars
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S. Coquillette Les Cles
S. Coquillette, Champagne, Grand Cru, Brut, Les Cles nv Give this some air to blow off the stinkiness then the complexity of baked apples emerges. In the mouth there is a soft profile, with lemony acidity and nice length. The … Continue reading
Pierre Morlet Champagne Grande Reserve
Pierre Morlet, Champagne, Premier Cru, Grande Reserve, Brut nv There’s a lovely biscuit character in the nose, graced with flowers. In the mouth there is lots of green apple and plenty of acidity in the elegant sparkler. The grapes behind … Continue reading
Posted in Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
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Chronicle Pinot Noirs 2006
Chronicle, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir 2006 The nose sports sweet cherry and raspberries, with vanilla and cinnamon. The mouth shows these fruits again in a sleek format, a texture that is silky and ripe – delicious. Think about this Pinot … Continue reading
Posted in Anderson Valley, California, Mendocino County, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
Tagged Chronicle
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Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 1998
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, Champagne, La Grande Dame, Brut 1998 The nose features an evolving medley of dried fruits and nuttiness. In the mouth it is quite acidic, tasting of oranges and brown spices. The unfortunate thing about this particular bottle … Continue reading
Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs up to date
Gloria Ferrer, Carneros, Methode Champenoise, Blanc de Noirs nv This is a newer bottling than that reviewed back in the fall of ’07, with a change of appellation from Sonoma County to Carneros. There’s a stinkiness that stuck with this … Continue reading
Posted in California, Carneros, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry, Sparkling Lightly Sweet
Tagged Gloria Ferrer
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Allimant-Laugner Rose
Allimant-Laugner, Cremant d’Alsace, Rose nv There’s a light sense of fresh biscuits in the nose and tangy cherry fruit in the mouth with a lingering creaminess. This makes for a nice, clean, inexpensive alternative to Champagne when you would like … Continue reading
Posted in Alsace, Cremant d'Alsace, France, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
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Fort Ross Rose 2008
Fort Ross, Sonoma Coast, Fort Ross Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Rose 2008 There are cherries and raspberries in the nose and the mouth is bone dry with a little warmth. P&B in Napa 14.2% purchased for $9.69 at Bottle Barn Fort … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Rosé, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
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