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Pinot Noir
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2009 Carneros "Toyon Farm"
A brooding, well-structured, rich, and textural Pinot Noir. The nose is pronounced and spicy, opening with dried cranberry and floral notes, well-spiced with clove, cardamom, and cinnamon, over top aromas of plum and strawberry and cocao. The palate is dominated by an almost visceral layer of mouth-coating tannins and mid-palate flavors of cherry, plum, strawberry, bramble berries, and balanced with a bright, palate-lifting acidity.
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2009 Napa Valley "Mink Vineyard"
Take the intense profundity of the 2007 Mink and combine it with the sheer elegance of the 2008 vintage from this vineyard, and you begin to understand the pleasing balance of the 2009. A powerful and generous nose opens with aromatics of blueberry, rich earth, and cassis interwoven with lilac and lavender, with notes of wild mushroom and cocoa. The palate is all dark fruits, brambly berries and black raspberry, spiced again with cocoa and cardamon. As usual, the acidity is bright and crisp, and the chalky fine tannins linger long and coat the palate with a distinctive minerality. With age, this wine will develop a broad, deep, and rich palate, balanced with bright and youthful fruit notes.
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2009 Oregon "Shea Vineyard"
The nose is announced with a bright, spiced fruit aroma of strawberries and cherries and a pronounced earthiness. Dried mushrooms, cloves, forest floor, and holiday spices provide the introduction to dried fruits and the subtly of fresh cut roses, geraniums, and clover. The fruit on the palate is lush and palate filling, bramble berries and black cherries, black raspberries, all carrying a hint of earthy spice.
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2009 Russian River
The nose on this wine is uncharacteristically spicy, emphasizing a rich spiciness typically saved for the back of the palate for this wine. Cinnamon, clove, and mint lay atop the rich black cherry, cherry cola, plums, cassis, strawberry pie, and tilled earth on the nose. Similar dark and juicy fruit flavors explode on the palate, expanding throughout the mid-palate while also revealing hints of red fruits and underlying layers of pepper, vanilla bean, espresso bean, and cacao. Smoky tannins draw out a finish of light strawberries and plums.
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2009 Sta Rita Hills "Fiddlestix Vineyard"
Intense, fresh fruits lead the palate, settling on the mid-palate with focused, ripe flavors of strawberry, cassis, and currants. The nose is enticing and layered, with fresh fruits laying over top of orange peel, holiday spices, tobacco, and stony earth. Good acidity provides brightness and balance, while structure, always a strong suit for this wine, is emphasized by mouth-filling tannins. The spicy aromatics continue through the long finish. This a wine that will lay down nicely for a decade or longer, filling out the palate with rich, organic, and earthy flavors, while its strong tannins resolve into a silken and even longer palate.
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2008 Carneros Pinot Noir
As usual, this is a brooding Pinot Noir, emphasizing dark flavors and rich textures. However, the nose is more explosive than usual leading with ripe berries kirsch, dried rose petals, strawberries and ripe plums accented by cacao, clove, and cardamom. The palate opens with more spices and mid-palate of plum, strawberry, and cherry. The palate continues to develop richness, filling the mouth nicely with round, ripe fruits. The weight is nicely counter-balanced by a bright acidity, and the finish moves again towards dried fruits, tobacco and dark chocolate, with a lingering and rich minerality. The wine is well-structured and will continue to gain depth and subtly for next next 5-8 years.
Tasting Notes | Download / Print [147.1 kb] | Purchase »
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