Tag Archives: pinot noir

Nyetimber Classic Cuvee Sparkling NV, Sussex, England

28 Friday Nov 2025

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Pale lemon colored with gold highlights and large bubbles (12% ABV).  The nose has subtle hints of yellow apple, brioche, lemon pith, green almond, lanolin and then some bruised red apple. The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, a nice mousse, and light bodied. Refreshing and zesty with some brioche notes and yellow apple. The lemon notes are very faint, it’s more driven towards the apple flavor. The finish is medium (-) in length. It gets better with air, and I revised my score from 89 to 91 points.  Albeit non-vintage, I have sat on this bottle for over two years and think it has rewarded me nicely.  Bought at the London Duty Free, it runs about $55 now, making it a 4 star wine.  A blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.  Salut….

Nyetimber Classic Cuvee Sparkling

Black Box Pinot Noir NV, California

21 Friday Nov 2025

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Medium ruby colored, with medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  Medium intensity aromas of black cherry, baking spice, strawberry coulis, and some toasted oak.  It’s not overly complex, but typical for the variety.  The palate is slightly off-dry, with medium acidity, a medium (-) body, and low tannins.  Medium (-) intensity flavors of cherry, strawberry, baking spice, and chocolate powder lead to a medium (-) length finish.  There are times I would attribute sweetness to ripe fruit, but I somehow doubt this to be the case here.  I originally wanted to purchase this box, yes box wine, to use in cooking Coq Au Vin but I forgot my drivers license and had to come home empty handed, opting to pour a bottle of Bojo into the recipe instead.  Either way, I decided to try this box, on sale for $18 (that’s 4 bottles of wine inside!).  It’s a very serviceable weekday quaffer if you can deal with the residual sugar.   Alternatively- a very reasonably priced cooking red that will go nicely in any braise you could imagine, or even a gravy reduction.  In fact, that’s next, Sunday roast with a red wine sauce.  83 points is the best I can go, but for the price- 3 stars!  Drink immediately.  Salut….

black box pinot noir

Yamhill Valley Vineyards Estate Reserve Pinot Noir 2017, McMinnville, Oregon

18 Tuesday Nov 2025

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Pale garnet colored, with medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of red cherry, strawberry coulis, straw, red currant, cherry cola, and a hint of plumcot. It’s New World in nature, lacking any funk, but not candied.  The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, a medium (-) body, and medium (-) tannins that are fine grained.  The red fruit dominates the medium (+) intensity flavor profile with some earthy dry vegetal notes and a touch of cola.  The finish is medium in length and refreshingly tart.  This is a very tasty wine, albeit somewhat one dimensional, but it’s going to go well with baked Salmon.  It gets 90 points from me and for the $60 price point- 3 stars.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Yamhill Valley Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir

Boedecker Cellars Distinction Pinot Noir 2019, Willamette Valley, Oregon

12 Wednesday Nov 2025

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Pale ruby colored, fading to pale garnet, with medium viscosity (13.8% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of black cherry, baking spices, ripe pomegranate, orange peel, black raspberry, toasty oak, and Turkish coffee.  The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, a medium (-) body, and medium (-) tannins.  The flavors are medium in intensity and hone in on dark red fruit. The oak influence is not as evident as the nose,  with the focus being on black raspberry and black cherry.  I like it- the zesty tartness of the acidity makes for a lively mouthfeel.  The finish is medium (+) in length and juicy.  92 points from me for this $50 bottle gets it 4 stars.  Drink till 2033.  Salut….

Boedecker Cellars Distinction Pinot Noir

Patz & Hall Little Boot Vineyard Pinot Noir 2017, Russian River Valley, California

18 Friday Jul 2025

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Medium ruby colored with charcoal highlights, and medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of red raspberry, pomegranate, rhubarb, spice box, vanilla bean, coffee, red plum, and bramble berry.  The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, a medium body, and medium tannins that are nicely integrated.  Red fruits dominate the flavors with a hint of oak influence- vanilla, coffee, spice box.  Red raspberry and rhubarb are the dominant players here.  The acidity kicks it up a notch on the back end where the finish is quite long and slightly tart.  I can feel a touch of heat, which is surprising for me.  I like this wine, it’s not exactly my style of Pinot, but it has the right level of extraction and has a lovely mouthfeel with layered fruit being supported by nice structure.  It should cellar nicely and drink well until 2035.  92 points from me for this $65 bottling gets it 4 stars.  I’m pairing it with Pork Tomahawk chops.  Salut….

Patz & Hall Little Boot Vineyard pinot noir

Cambria Estate Winery Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022, Santa Maria Valley, California

09 Monday Jun 2025

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We drank this stunning Pinot bargain at our 40th virtual wine tasting.  I noted a pale ruby color with medium (-) viscosity (13.2% ABV).  The nose had medium (+) intensity aromas of strawberry, blackberry, black cherry, cherry cola, sweet licorice, red currants, tomato stalk and an evergreen hint. (these are combined descriptors from the group btw).  The palate was dry with a light body, medium (-) acidity, and low tannins- a very enjoyable mouthfeel.  Strawberry, mature black cherry, cola, smoky charcoal and sweet licorice flavors were noted.  The wine had a medium (+) finish and was enjoyed by all.  I scored it 18 points out of 20 on our tasting sheet and assigned it 91 points on a technical merit.  At $20 I am most definitely ordering a case of this to throw back at every opportunity.  A stunning 5 star effort to drink until 2030. Salut….

Cambria Estate Winery Julia's Vineyard Pinot Noir

Stephane Brocard Clos-Vougeot Grand Cru 2000, Cote de Nuits, France

11 Sunday May 2025

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Medium garnet colored, edging to clear with high viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of Luxardo cherries, spice box, tobacco, red plum, mushroom, forest floor, desiccated cranberries, and lavender.  It’s more youthful in sight and smell than I was expecting from a 25 year old wine.  The palate is dry with high acidity, a medium (-) body, and medium tannins that are fine grained and mostly integrated.  Medium intensity flavors of mulled cherry, dried cranberry, red plum reduction, spice box, that earthy forest floor coupled with an umami mushroom note.  The tannins start to grip on the mid palate showing off this wine’s structure, which somewhat overshadows the intensity of the fruit and tertiary notes.  The finish is medium (+) in length, adding a point to this well aged wine that is still developing and will hopefully gain more intensity whilst the tannins fully soften away.  I paid $100 for it a few months ago.   It gets 93 points from me and therefore 4 stars.  Drink this Pinot Noir till 2030?  I’m pairing it with Filet for Mother’s Day dinner.  Salut….

Stephane Brocard Clos Vougeot grand cru

Brothers Miller Thankfulness Red 2022, Central Coast, California

05 Saturday Apr 2025

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Medium ruby colored, with medium viscosity (14.1% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black cherry, black raspberry, acai berry, a touch of game, and red licorice.  The palate is dry (perhaps a touch of RS? ), with medium acidity, a medium body, and medium tannins that are crunchy.  Medium intensity flavors of black cherry, acai berry, charred oak, baking spice, black raspberry, and a medicinal hint.  The finish has quite a bit of tannic grip but the fruit flavors go on mid length.  My initial reaction to the nose was not overly favorable, but after a few sips I find myself enjoying it quite a lot.  It has an interesting bitterness to it yet the fruit is quite ripe.  Somewhat one-dimensional it lacks much complexity yet it delivers on what it has.  I like it, 89 points worth.  It came as part of a mixed case from a club and runs $15. This blend of Pinot Noir, Barbera, Grenache, and Valdigué gets 4 stars from me.  I would drink it till 2028 and pair it with corned beef, filet or even a roast chicken.  Salut….

Brothers Miller Central Coast Thankfulness Red

Escarpment Kupe Pinot Noir 2021, Martinborough, New Zealand

16 Sunday Mar 2025

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Medium ruby colored, slightly hazy (Unfined/unfiltered?), with a medium viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of ripe cranberry, red cherry compote, vanilla bean, baking spice, rhubarb pie, and lingonberry preserves.  It’s quite dense and ripe.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a medium body and medium tannins.  The red fruit flavors are quite pronounced, the vanilla and accompanying oak influence is very subtle and well integrated.  The tannins melt away beautifully and give this wine a lovely mouthfeel.  The finish has a touch of charred oak alongside some ever so slight tart and bitter notes.  It’s a really nice rendition of Kiwi Pinot- extracted a bit more than Burgundy, not as jammy as a Cali and showing off its own unique terror.   Nicely done- 93 points worth for this $100 offering which makes it a 4 star effort in my books.  I’m pairing it with roast duck breast, sugar snap peas and some boiled potatoes.  Drink till 2036.  Salut….

Escarpment Kupe Pinot Noir

Albert Bichot Bourgogne Pinot Noir Origines 2022, Burgundy, France

10 Monday Feb 2025

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Pale ruby colored fading to a platinum rim, with medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose of this Pinot Noir has medium intensity aromas of forest floor, cranberry, white strawberry, pomegranate, vanilla, baking spices, and a green stalk note.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a light body, and low tannins that make for a very gentle and caressing mouthfeel.  The flavors are of medium (-) intensity and echo the nose particularly with the red fruit notes.  It’s not as earthy on the palate and the green notes are very feint.  The finish is a slightly tart affair that is medium in length and refreshing.  It’s a crisp red that is pleasing without being overly complex, a good weekday drop.  For $23 it’s a pretty decent bottle that gets 89 points from me and 3 stars.  Drink till 2027 with lighter meats, salmon or poultry.  Salut….

Albert Bichot Bourgogne Pinot Noir Origines