Tag Archives: pinot noir

Dr. Konstantin Frank winery tasting

15 Saturday Jan 2022

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Our final stop on the Finger Lakes wine adventure was this picturesque hillside winery on the shore s of Keuka Lake.  We planned our arrival for 4 pm which gave us enough time for the drive from PA, which included a pit stop for a COVID test, a three hour drive to make our 1 pm Wiemar winery tasting, some lunch and then the 45 minute hop to the this lake.  We finished just after 5 pm and ended up in the town of Geneva for the night.  Everything worked out as planned!  Salut….

Hilda Chardonnay 2020-

Pale lemon in the glasss.  Crisp citrusy notes. Lemon zest, green apple, clean, waxy, round mouthfeel, medium to full bodied. Medium (+) acidity, linear and focused, not flabby.  Long finish. 91 points and at $35 it gets 4 stars.

Old Vines Pinot Noir 2019-

Pale garnet as expected from this varietal.  Pronounced aromas of stewed strawberry, cherry compote, vanilla bean, straw, baking spice, Orange peel.  Palate is light and breezy with cooked red fruit, spices, super lithe tannins, gentle acidity, light body and medium finish. 89 points and for $25 it is worthy of 3 stars.

Cabernet Franc 2019-

Medium opacity ruby.  Spicy nose of white pepper, violets, black currants, capsicum, perfumed flower blossoms.  A blunt opening that has a tannic grip and medium acidity.  The spice and dark fruit finally show up with some bell pepper greeness. Quite vegetal.  87 points.  Drink soon.  $25, 2 stars.

Saperavi 2019-

Deep purple color.  Smoke, coffee, blueberry pie, blackberry coulis.  Dry palate with smoky coffee goodness.  Medium (-) tannins, medium acidity, mid weight body and a decent length finish.  The tannins are more present on the back end but are still very smooth.  88 points, till 2024.  $30 makes this a 2 star effort.

Amur 2019-

No idea what it’s supposed to taste like.

Deep ruby, port like nose with spice box and clove notes.  A hint of greeness with asparagus and iron.  Unique flavors- very spicy, somewhat green with rhubarb, charred wood and kirsch alongside gentle tannins, juicy acidity, medium body, decent finish.  89 points for this $30 wine makes it 3 stars.

Margrit Dry Riesling 2019-

Pale lemon with aromas and flavors of lemon cordial, honeysuckle, blossom, toast.  Crisp palate with juicy acidity, citrus fruit, florals and 90 points for this $35 wine makes it a 3 star effort.

Millbrook Pinot Noir, New York

14 Sunday Nov 2021

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Pale ruby with watery legs (13%ABV).  The nose offers up nice aromas of red cherry, strawberry, earth, some funk and a medicinal note.  The palate is dry, medium bodied and slightly tart with lithe tannins.  The red fruit I expect from Pinot is dominant here with very little secondary flavors.  It is primal and fruity, if somewhat one-dimensional.  The finish is mid length and juicy.  I like it.  It’s not a Cru Burgundy but it is very serviceable.  At $26 it’s a bit pricy for an 89 point wine.  3 stars, drink till 2026.  Salut….

Domaine Petitot Cote de Nuits-Villages Terres Burgondes 2016, Burgundy, France

08 Monday Nov 2021

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This village level Pinot Noir is 5 years old at this stage with a ruby color that is see-through (pale).  On the nose I get a heady dose of strawberry, red cherry, spice box, red currant and pomegranate.  There is a woodsy, earthy note that I am digging to go along with a hint of oak.  On the palate it is quite tart with red fruit and spice.  The tannins are very lithe and the acidity is quite overpowering.  The fruit is somewhat subdued by it.  The intensity of the flavors are less than ideal and the wine feels a bit out of balance.  It is light bodied at best.  I am pairing it with that traditional French dish of white beans, Duck Confit and white saucisson.  I was hoping for a bit more fruit, less structure and certainly more balance.  This wine gets 87 points from me, at $17 it’s a 2 star effort.  Drink now.  Salut….

Coelho Paciencia Estate Pinot Noir 2014, Willamette Valley, Oregon

27 Wednesday Oct 2021

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I’ve had this one before, but a while ago so I thought with some cellaring it would be even better- no surprise.  It’s staring to turn a touch garnet but is of pale intensity.  The nose is quite pronounced with pomegranate, red cherry, cranberry, barnyard, dried sage and dried red plum.  The palate is delicious.  Smooth with low tannins, medium acidity , medium body and gobs of flavor.  In addition to the red fruits and tertiary notes I also get some rooibos tea.  The finish is medium length and chock full of fruit with some super fine tannins.  92 points, drink till 2027.  It runs $50 these days which makes it a 4 star wine in my books.  Salut….

Domaine Mazilly Pere & Fils Les Vignes Franches 2010, Beaune Premier Cru, France

10 Sunday Oct 2021

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I’ve been sitting on a few bottles of Burgundy for years- tonight’s beef dish calls for a Pinot Noir so here goes.  Pale garnet in color which is to be expected for an 11-year old wine.  The nose is amazing, exactly what I was hoping for.  Pronounced aromas of earth, garrigue, dried red cherry, walnut, prune, stewed strawberry, funky barnyard and white pepper. Tertiary aromas galore from prolonged cellaring.  The palate shows some fresh fruit but the bulk of the pronounced flavors are of stewed or dried red fruit, nuts, earthy components and funk along with gentle acidity and lithe tannins.  The wine is very balanced and light to mid weight.  Low alcohol at 13% ABV makes for a crisp mouthfeel and no heat.  I like the delicacy of this wine and am grateful that it matured in the manner it has.  My patience has been rewarded by this $50 gem that gets 92 points from me.  I believe it will last till 2026 and will go well with roasted poultry, beef Burgundy or even Venison.  5 stars.  Salut….

Louis Max ‘Haut Vallee’ Pinot Noir 2019, Vin de France

10 Sunday Oct 2021

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I’m cooking Beef Bourguignon which calls for a Pinot Noir, preferably from Burgundy.  As luck would have it I happen to have two bottles of this $10 South of France wine ready to go.  The skeptics will question whether you can get decent Pinot for that price- I’m here to report.  It looks about right: pale, see-through ruby.  Medium density aromas of primal red cherry, pomegranate, stewed strawberry and a spice note.  Not overly complex, but interesting nonetheless.  The palate is very pleasant with red fruits including cherry, light tannins, medium acidity and a decent length finish.  Very little if any oak was used here, freshness and price were probably the prime considerations.  I like it for what it is and considering most of it will end up in the stew- I think it works great!  87 points from me makes this a 3 star wine to be drunk asap.  Salut….

Domaine Queylus Tradition Pinot Noir 2018, Niagara Peninsula, Canada

09 Saturday Oct 2021

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I’m grilling a spatchcocked chicken on the charcoal- it’s either a white wine or a Pinot. This one is pale garnet in color with almost no legs- indicative of the low 12.5% ABV.  Th nose has medium intensity aromas of red cherry, strawberry, straw, perfume, red licorice and wet stone.  It’s quite complex and certainly interesting.  The palate is dry with good acidity and lithe tannins.  The red fruit flavors intermingle with some black cherry and hints of oak.  The wine has a light to medium body and a decently long finish where the very slight tannins make themselves present.  It’s a delicious, lighter style of Pinot that is showing very nice primary fruit flavors in a layered manner with good structure.  If you prefer a more delicate and seductive Pinot, this one is right up our alley.  91 points from me for this $26  charmer (I paid $33 CAD in Quebec) makes it a 5 star effort.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Nysa Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014, Willamette Valley, Oregon

10 Friday Sep 2021

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When pairing Asian food, there are so many variables- spice, complexity and flavor profiles to mention a few. Tonight we are making self-rolled Vietnamese style wraps with choices of ground chicken, thin grilled beef or steamed shrimp to go alongside the myriad of veggies that all get wrapped into a thin rice paper and adorned with sweet or spicy sauces.  I figured a lighter wine would carry the freshness of the meal better than a big, tannic monster so Pinot was the obvious choice.

This Oregonian wine is see-through and a nice shade of ruby, perhaps even starting to turn garnet (it is 7 years old by now).  The nose has fresh aromas of strawberry, red cherry, cinnamon, cedar and raspberry coulis.  On the palate it is spectacular- rich with warm red fruit alongside spicebox, cedar and cinnamon.  Gentle acidity, low tannins and a relatively full body make for a great mouthfeel that will pair as hoped.  It is drinking beautifully right now and will continue to do so until 2026 at the least.  92 points from me and at $75 per bottle, 4 stars.  Salut….

 

Boedecker Cellars Hirschy Vineyard Pinot Noir 2015, Yamhill-Carlton District, Oregon

03 Tuesday Aug 2021

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This Pinot Noir is deep purple and semi opaque in the glass.  On the nose it is quite intense with red and black cherry, raspberry, oak and strawberry bubble gum.  The palate is gorgeous- smooth with lithe tannins, gentle acidity and a ton of fruit flavor.  Layers or cherry, raspberry and mocha notes intertwine, some strawberry is present but the complexity of this wine is awesome.  I love restrained Pinots, wines that are seductive and not overpowering.  This one is definitely a more fruit forward version, New Worldish yet it has such purity of fruit and is not over-the-top extracted.  The finish is long.  The fact that it is only 13.3% ABV makes it a refreshing change from the monsters I have been drinking lately.  Drink till 2026 with lean cuts of beef, maybe a hearty Salmon on the grill or some well seasoned Cornish hens.  92 points from me for this $58 treat.  I love this winery and have enjoyed several of their previous wines.  5 stars.  Salut….

Domaine Drouhin Pin ot Noir 2018, Dundee Hills, Oregon

02 Monday Aug 2021

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Virtual tasting #20 started off on a high gear with the Reserve Pinot Gris, only to have it overshadowed by this stunner.  Once people started sniffing all I could hear were Oooh, Aaah…  On the nose the group noted aromas of licorice, forest floor, pepper, white chocolate, cardamom, black cherry, raspberry and rosewater.  How’s that for complexity?

The palate was absolutely delicious- I was so excited to drink this wine.  Super smooth with silky tannins and gentle acidity- we got flavors of raspberry, black cherry, Rooibos tea but it lost the pepper component.  The depth of this wine was beguiling.  On our tasting sheet I gave it a near perfect 19/20.  Technically speaking, this $35 wine gets 93 points and 5 stars from me.  You could cellar some, but why wait?  Damn that was good.  Might end up on the best-of list.  Salut….