Rippon, Central Otago, Lake Wanaka, Pinot Noir 2006 This vintage sports smoky and toasty notes in the nose. The mouth is densely packed with fruit and the ample acidity carries the flavor for a long time.
Notes on the previous vintage: Lots of brown spices and black pepper to taste with an acidic frame.
The wine was [...]

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Sherwood Estate, Marlborough, Pinot Noir 2007 Brambles, earth and green spices mark the nose and the fruit is still in the background, waiting to come out. In the mouth though, the fruit is poignant, framed by lots of acidity. Proprietors Dayne & Jill Sherwood. P&B in Waipara 13% $14.99 at K&L Sherwood Estate Wines

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ZD, Carneros, Pinot Noir 2004 The black red fruits are jammy and sweet in the nose of this wine. This is developing nicely, with complexity coming with time in the bottle yet ample fruit at this youthful stage. This wine is very concentrated and has a polished texture - very nice. The wine was aged [...]

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Buena Vista, Carneros, Pinot Noir 2005 There is warm, sweet, stewed fruit with brown spices in the nose. The mouth is oaky, soft in texture with acidity to frame it yet it’s warm and the fruit is receding. The fruit is sourced from the winery’s Ramal Vineyard. The wine was aged in oak for 8 [...]

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Roche, Carneros, Pinot Noir 2006 In the nose there’s cherry liqueur, earth and a sense of oxidation. The palate is quite gripping. Estate Grown, Produced and Bottled in Sonoma 14.5% $27.95 at the winery Roche Winery

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Toad Hollow, Sonoma County, Eye of the Toad, Pinot Noir, Dry Rose 2007 Fresh, aromatic and fruity in the nose; plush and very fruity in the mouth. V&B in Sonoma 11.5% $7.99 at Bottle Barn Toad Hollow Cellars

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Schramsberg, North Coast, Reserve 2001 The nose is very smoky and toasty, with a sense of freshly buttered pastry. In the mouth, the wine is reminiscent of a fresh pastry made with lemon and custard and topped with lots of lime cordial - a sweet-tart essense that is quite long. This wine is very rich, [...]

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Egly-Ouriet, Champagne, Grand Cru, Rose, Brut nv Concentrated red fruits mark the nose. The mouth repeats this expression of fruit on a layer of minerality. - very young, very dense and very long - yes. The grapes are sourced from Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay, 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. Approximately 30% reserve wines were [...]

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Jacquesson, Champagne, Cuvee No.732, Brut The name of Jacquesson’s nv brut changes with each successive base wine, the current release being No. 732. The nose features floral notes, sweet in nature, like jasmine with a sense of candied fruits - very pretty. The mouth is very dense, with fresh and baked fruit flavors. While there [...]

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Tarlant, Champagne, Brut Zero The nose features minerality, toast and citrus fruits. The mouth is bone dry and austere, like biting into the pith of an orange. The grapes are roughly 1/3 each of the players in Champagne, namely Chardonnay and each of the Pinots.  The base wine is mostly from 2005 with the addition [...]

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Domaine Jean Tardy & Fils, Bourgogne Passetoutgrain, Vieilles Vignes 2006 The nose features lively black fruit, black licorice and a little volatility. The mouth is quite fruity, with a fresh juicy character, vitamin C like sharp acidity and a little bit of green grippiness. The grapes are 50/50 Pinot and Gamay, grown in Vosne. Mis [...]

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Kendall-Jackson, Santa Barbara 63% and Monterey County 37%, Grand Reserve, Pinot Noir 2005 There’s sweet, candied fruit smells and a supple, fruity palate graced by the sweetness of oak. The grapes are all Pinot Noir. The wine was aged in 100% French oak (36% new) for 9-10 months GP&B in Soledad 14.5% $25 at the [...]

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Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards, Santa Lucia Highlands, Pinot Noir 2000 This winery just won sweepstakes red at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition for one of its 2005 single vineyard bottlings from the Sonoma Coast. This regional bottling takes us back in time 8 years from the date of this tasting. The nose has developed dried and [...]

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Domaine Bart, Marsannay, Rose 2007 The nose combines strawberries and minerality. The red fruits carry through in the mouth with a creamy texture and acidity for freshness. This is a nice example of the appellation and a fair price as rose wines keep going up in price and popularity. The wine is all Pinot Noir [...]

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Domaine Robert Arnoux, Vosne-Romanee, Les Hautes Maizieres 2005 This wine combines minerality, earth and sweet oak in a very dense, concentrated package. This wine shows again that tannin can be a player rather than the dominant feature in a concentrated Burgundy. Pascal Lachaux, proprietaire et viticulteur a Vosne-Romanee 13% $79.99 at The Wine Club

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Meo-Camuzet, Bourgogne 2005 At Les Grands Jours in the spring we were treated to a few of the domaine wines which were everything the reputation leads one to expect. With this wine we taste another bottle from the negociant line. Notes on the Morey from ‘04 were posted just last month.
In the nose of this [...]

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Domaine Barmes Buecher, Alsace, Reserve, Pinot Noir 2005 Unfortunately this wine is corked. Produced by Genevieve & Francois Barmes in Wettolsheim 13.5% $23.99 at K&L Domaine Barmes Buecher

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