Lemon balm, tarragon, grapefruit and honeydew. — 5 days ago
Next up: Burgundy. Definitely some delicious red and blue fruit and cherry in there working in tandem with earthy and oaky flavors of coffee and licorice. — 8 days ago
Dark red and black fruits make way into earth and mushroom flavors. The same earthy mushroomy flavors dominate the nose. This wine has aged gracefully and maintains good tannin structure and acidity. — 10 days ago
HIJACKED Developing deep bass notes of Smokey black fruit punctuated by a charming burst of dried fig in the back of the palate. Potent, voluptuous, and yet very well structured and dry in the finish; tannins are well distributed and evoke a pleasant tingle. With air, curious exotic spices present in the bouquet and once more in the finish - Asian anise, warm roasted peppercorns… and perhaps a kiss of turmeric? Thank you Brandon for sharing. — 4 days ago
Double decanted and it still needed a few hours. Lots of mocha and very dark chocolate. An almost dusty quality is present through a long finish. — 7 days ago
Leading a tasting for some hotel guests. Different styles of Pinot Noir from around the world, starting with our own west coast. This wine features a core of explosive red fruits that define west coast Pinot making. Rich clove and and oak add a savoriness that helps to balance the wine. — 8 days ago
Needs hours for appreciation. Such a tightly wound wine after first decant has grown into a long finished well structured wine. Started off with almost imperceptible fruit. Smoke and wood and very black fruit introduced itself after the first hour. As impossible as it is, the acidity seemed to grow and develop over the hours. It eventually transformed into well developed flavors of blackberry, cassis, and loamy forest floor flavors. Truly an experience. — 4 days ago
Cult wine lovers rejoice! This Swiss Pinot noir has some Smokey and almost sweet characteristics on the nose, while the palate of black cherries and tobacco. The winemaker cold soaks the grapes prior to fermentation for maximum extraction of aroma and flavor.
Between the 3 wines, the transition from red to blue to black fruits, and development of smokey qualities epitomizes the different terroirs and techniques Pinot makers are using across the world. — 8 days ago
Lemon, butter, cashews, and vanilla. A large and powerful body with a generous finish. The “Bastard” Montrachet did it again! — 9 days ago
Brandon Beldengreen-Karas
Beautifully expressive core of dark cherries and vanilla oak. Acidity is still vibrant in this 2011 with an incredible long finish of chocolate covered cherries. — a day ago