An extraordinary wine, dry, crisp in acidity and wonderfully silky in the mouth. The flavors are deep and complex, changing with every second as the wine breathes. Raspberries, wild clove and cinnamon spices, cola, dried herbs, things that taste earthy and minerally and woodsy. Insanely complex and dynamic, this Pinot should age for up to eight years.
— S.H.
(7/1/2011)
Lots of toasty oak on this Pinot, but also plenty of rich, unctuous fruit to support it. Shows ample flavors of cloves, cinnamon, ripe wild cherries, and earthy, forest floor notes of balsam and dried pine needles. The texture is lightly delicate and silky, with crisp acidity. Really shows off the Clos Pepe terroir in a delightful way.
— S.H.
(7/1/2011)
So pretty and polished, a captivating wine. Dry and crisp, it has an elegant, silky mouthfeel, with subtle spice, red cherry sour candy, Dr. Pepper cola and sandalwood flavors. A complex and delicious Pinot Noir to drink over the next 5–6 years.
— S.H.
(7/1/2011)
Here’s a dry, briskly crisp young Pinot Noir that offers plenty of pleasure now and should develop in the bottle. It’s a big wine, dark and saturated in cherries, blackberries and red plums, with the prettiest vanilla and toast flavors from oak. Should slowly develop through 2014.
— S.H.
(3/1/2010)
Because the alcohol on this wine is modest, it feels lighter and more transparent in the mouth, displaying a real elegance. The flavors are marked by minerals, raspberry and smoky, sweet, spice oak that’s perfectly integrated with the fruit. The vineyard lies west of the Santa Rita Hills appellation.
— S.H.
(7/1/2011)
Maybe a tad off the pace from the excellent 2008, but still a wonderfully rich, complex wine. Pale in color, it tastes fresh and lively, with raspberry and cherry sour candy flavors accompanied by a burst of zesty acidity. Enjoyable now, and should gain bottle complexities over the next six years.
— S.H.
(10/1/2011)
Quite a good, rich Chardonnay, showing classic cool-climate, long-hangtime flavors of pineapple, citron and white peach, with a coating of sweet oak. Shows once again how perfectly the Bien Nacido Vineyard ripens Chardonnay.
— S.H.
(9/1/2011)
Very rich, very ripe, just enormous. Offers never-ending waves of sour cherry candy, cola, rhubarb pie, cranberry, Asian spice and smoky sandalwood flavors. Complex, but as good as it is, it’s compromised by a hard vein of acidity, which accentuates the tannins. Edgy now, but could develop in the bottle. Try after 2010.
— S.H.
(3/1/2010)