Pinot Noir

Garnet in color, mostly clear and bright.  Black cherries, some cassis, a bit of black pepper, and a dried floral note.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins. Nice mouthfeel.  On the palate, black cherries and cherries with spice and a slight earthiness.  Moderate acidity.  Nice finish.  This is drinking well and should continue for another seven to ten years.  Nice on its own, this also works well with food.  Chicken paprikash would be a good match.  

Serafin has always been a great source of "value" in Burgundy although "value" in Burgundy is relevant.  Ruby in color, a bit flat though clear.  The nose has cherries, some rhubarb, but it is ripe (nothing green).  Also a bit of spice.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is a bit one dimensional.  Perhaps it is just young.  Nice cherry fruit and some toasted oak.  Moderate finish.  A bit disappointing as there is little value left.  drink over the next seven to ten years.  Better with food.  This would work well with roasted chicken.  

One of the beautiful things about Pinot Noir is its delicate nature. Sure, some Pinot has bold, even aggressive fruit. But Calera’s 2019 offering is as delicate, feminine and subtle as you can probably get. An overwhelming earthy quality is in this wine along with quiet black cherry, blackberry, light huckleberry, light pomegranate and Bing cherry. There are back notes suggesting jasmine and ginger, a delightful acidity and an elegance to this wine which suggests a deft touch in the winemaking process.

For 40 years Calera has been producing terrific wines in a rather unlikely place, in the Gavilan Mountains at the dividing line for San Benito and Monterey counties. This 2021 offers black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, huckleberry, pomegranate, with back notes of strawberry and Bing cherry. There is a rustic quality to this Pinot, hints of sage and earthiness. Aged just 10 months in French oak, a scant 10% of those barrels were new, therefore the fruit expresses itself quite clearly. It has solid acidity and tannic structure, making it an incredible value for the price.

This is a still red wine (Pinot Noir) made in the Champagne region of France.  Garnet in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with cinnamon, cherries, slight black cherry, and a bit of poblano pepper.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this is a slightly watery, slightly bitter note that is unusual in a Pinot but also plenty of cherries and a bit of green pepper.  It is a very good wine, but it is also one of the more interesting Pinots I have had.  There is a nice complexity.  It was served with a bunch of wines, and this would be fascinating to drink on i

Perhaps the top bottling from this storied winery.  Ruby in color, purple at the core, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, pomegranate, and a slight earthiness.  Full bodied.  On the palate, sour cherries, some cranberries, root beer, and the slightest milk chocolate note at the top of the long finish.  Complex and tightly layered, it unwinds quickly in the glass.  This is drinking close to peak it seems but should drink well for another ten years or so.  Nice on its own, this would be better with food.  Roasted Duck would be an obvious choice.  

Tasted from Magnum.  Although this is not vintage Champagne, I am told this is all 2017 vintage grapes.  The Brut Nature indicates this had zero dosage.  It is 100% Pinot Noir and went thru 100% Malolactic fermentation.  A very interesting and very good wine.  Golden in color with a slight copper hue.  Quite a bit of very tiny bubbles.  The nose has seltzer, melon, chalk and slight lemon.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this has a bit of sweetness to it which is likely just from ripe fruit (no easy task in 2017).  There is an herbal note along with melon and plenty of minerality.  This has a

This is made from grapes grown near the Lake Erie shore in northeastern Ohio.  It is cooler climate in style.  Of course, Pinot Noir is difficult to make anywhere, and this one is not only varietally correct, it is good.  Ruby in color with a few daker swirls, clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, rhubarb, slight herbal note, and a bit of spice.  Medium bodied.

Rhys makes some of the best Pinot Noir's in California.  This is bigger in fruit but with a Burgundy styling.  Garnet in color, clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, slight black cherries, spice and just a hint of pine.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Cherries and some black cherries with an underlying char and forest floor.  Great balance.  Long finish.  This is still drinking youthfully.  It should continue to so do for another ten to fifteen years.  Nice on its own, this works well with poultry or  meats, but would be nice with Salmon as well.  

This is made from grapes grown on the west coast and shipped to Ohio.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has rhubarb, cherries and slight spice notes.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, the rhubarb and cherry notes come thru along with a slight milk chocolate note.  Moderate finish.  This is a lighter style of Pinot Noir that works better with food than on its own.  Drink over the next three to five years.