Tag Archives: sonoma coast

Cosentino Winery Reserve Selection Pinot Noir 2011, Sonoma Coast, USA

10 Saturday Mar 2018

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I wrote about this wine back in 2012 (Cosentino Reserve Sonoma), with a note to re-taste in 5 years.  The wine is transparent, light purple, seductive.  The nose is fresh, with strawberry, barnyard and raspberry.  On the palate it is super smooth.  The strawberry coulis is forefront with red berry extract and a caressing tannic structure.  Acidity is perfect and the wine balances itself all the way to the rather long finish.  I would imagine this wine is approaching peak.  It has hints of tertiary flavors while maintaining the freshness of the red fruits.  It has a good backbone and the structure is there to allow for further development.  I would drink till 2026 and pair it with game, poultry and perhaps Filet Mignon.  It is a rather delicate profile, sexy and lithe- not a brooding, big and bold wine.  I am sticking with 92 points and 5 stars.  Salut….

David Noyes Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2013

15 Sunday Jan 2017

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The last time I wrote about this winery was over 4 years ago, on the Russian River Valley 2009 David Noyes Pinot Noir. I loved it then and gave it high marks, so when an opportunity came along to get more from this winery, I jumped.

Very pale, see-through purple that shows off elegance and subtlety.  On the nose mainly strawberry with hints of cherries jubilee.  I also get a very faint touch of cinnamon.  Interesting.  On the initial attack- very subdued and mild. Flavors of cherry, red currants and Rooibos tea.  The wine transitions through the mid palate with cherry pie and a lashing of very fine grained tannins.  The finish runs long and is composed of tannins under some nice tart strawberries where the acidity finally shows up!  I’m going with 90 points, not quite as rich as I had hoped but a fine bottle.  You can find it for around $22 and I am giving it 3 stars.  I paired it with slow cooked pork tenderloins in an asian braise.  It worked really well.  Salut….
david noyes sonoma coast pinot noir

Keller Estates Chardonnay ’07

28 Friday Oct 2011

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Picked up a case of this a while back and never got around to rating it.  One thing I have noticed about every bottle I have opened is the amount of crystallized Tartrates in the bottle.  What the heck are those you ask?  The crystals form when the tartaric acid in wine combines with potassium under cold temperature conditions forming potassium bitartrate. It’s basically Cream of Tartar used in cooking or baking.   It doesn’t look pleasant, nor does it taste very nice, better to decant the wine if you see some in the bottle.

I wondered how this was possible as the wine was not cheap, I suspected some very cold storage or transportation issues.  Either way, it won’t hurt you and is actually proof that the winery has not “cold stabilized”, filtered or messed with the wine too much- this is a good thing.

So, back to the vino itself- pretty good stuff.  Made in a more restrained style, it shows good California fruit, balance and the ever-important acidity.  The use of oak is very gentle here, not chewing on a wood stick, no butter, just straight forward quality of the Chardonnay grapes.  The pro’s gave it 89, I am adding my two cents with a 3 star review.  Would I buy it again?  Perhaps, if on sale.