Kai Noir

Domaine Serene

Evenstad Reserve Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2001

Shay A
9.3

Color me shocked. Up there with one of the more surprising bottles of the year (alongside an old Carlisle Cardiac Syrah). Had very little hope, but was completely and pleasantly surprised.

Cork split in two coming out. Trusty Durand saved the day. First small pour was not encouraging…lots of funk. After leaving alone for 30mins, the faded ruby with tinge of black in the glass had aromatics of sous bois, black tea, and dirty red and black berries. On the palate, this was elegant showing more herbal/earthy notes, dark berry fruit in the background, sweet pipe tobacco and a still-tart finish with both acidity and tannin. I have to admit that if someone said this was older burgundy, I could see it in the realm of possibilities. No sappy, rich, cola type notes here. Open and enjoy!
— 16 days ago

Tom, Joshua and 24 others liked this

Hirsch Vineyards

San Andreas Fault Pinot Noir 2012

Has some fight, bite, and spice. Dark persona, firmly structured with a core of sandy salinity, a little weight and tannic tension. Wild sour green strawberries, unripe raspberries, cedar lining.

Reserved, but punchy.
— 17 days ago

Shay, ESF and 12 others liked this
Jay Kline

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😋
Pinotman /// Andreas

Pinotman /// Andreas

Buy this year in year out. A benchmark Pinot for CA.
Ely Cohn

Ely Cohn Premium Badge

@Pinotman /// Andreas agreed. I bought these on site a decade ago. Beautiful place too

Au Bon Climat

Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir 2014

2014 drunk in 2024. I kept a bottle of this $14(!!) wine—2015 price—for 8 years on a hunch that it would hold up, and it did. I don’t know what it costs now, but back then it was head and shoulders the best American supermarket wine. — 8 days ago

Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier

Clos de la Maréchale Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2019

Beautiful vintage that is still primary showing lots of dark cherry, raspberry fruit, spice, earth, orange peel with rose petal & violet — 4 days ago

Tom, Shay and 3 others liked this

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC)

La Tâche Pinot Noir 2013

2013 vintage. Both excellent fill and cork. Decanted with infinitesimal sed. Slightly silvery color. Tasted after 1.5 and 2.5 hours open. Medium body. Nose slightly reticent during both tastes. Black tea and eucalyptus prominent first go round with both those still present but minimized second pass. Sprinkle in some cracked black pepper and white sage for round two and we have a winner. Finish lasted over a minute and the concentration was as expected given the decent street cred. No rush to crush but open waay early/decant this if enjoying in the next handful of years. 10.24.24. — 20 days ago

Ira, Bob and 24 others liked this

Domaine des Lambrays

Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru Pinot Noir 2020

Delectable Wine
9.7

The 2020 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru has real intensity on the nose. It's very well-defined with layers of black cherry and blue fruit, mineral-driven with hints of violet emerging with aeration. But this is backward and holding itself back. The palate has exquisite balance. It's a little granular in texture, lightly spiced bordering on peppery, building beautifully in the mouth to exert an insistent grip on the finish. There is a grandeur about this Grand Cru that keeps you entranced, but it will demand time in bottle. Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, October 2024)
— 14 days ago

Rivers-Marie

Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2022

[Tasted on November 9, 2024 at Home with Jay]

Pomegranate and black raspberry fruit, with black tea notes.
— 4 days ago

Roederer Estate

L'Ermitage Brut Anderson Valley Chardonnay Pinot Noir 2015

Cheers to top quality bubbles from the Anderson Valley of the North Coast of California!

This wine is made with a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.

It’s beautifully balanced with layers of autolytic characteristics like toasted almond, pie crust, brioche, biscuit, marzipan, nougat, thanks to 5 YEARS on the lees…

It has a creamy mouthfeel maintaining freshness with notes of white peach, apple, raspberry, lemon zest, white blossom…

Mousse is fine and persistent.
— 4 days ago

Deked1
with Deked1
Deked1, Ted and 7 others liked this
Severn Goodwin

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Great wine, we've enjoyed a lot of them over the years, 2005 is still the most memorable vintage, just exceptional.
Vanessa

Vanessa

@Severn Goodwin Thank you for sharing! We’ll try to hunt down the ‘05, we imagine it was divine! 😍😍🥂🥂 Cheers to exceptional California bubbles!

Domaine Armand Rousseau

Chambertin Grand Cru Pinot Noir 2012

A glorious nose. Kaleidoscopic fruit with bright cherry, violets, lifted wild strawberry. So much going on and sooo pretty. Very pure and defined on the palate. Still quite contained. I suspect this will be spectacular in a few more heard but truly delicious now. Pure class. — 20 days ago

Chris ThalkenAlec FeinsteinJean-Francois Pelletier
with Chris, Alec and 1 other
Austin, Jan and 22 others liked this

Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé

Cuvée Vieilles Vignes Musigny Grand Cru Pinot Noir 2001

Soulful and enchanting. Beautiful presence on the midpalate. Cool and collected. Dark plum and tangy cherry. Good grip and a pretty long finish. Quite masculine still — 20 days ago

Chris ThalkenAlec FeinsteinJean-Francois Pelletier
with Chris, Alec and 1 other
Austin, Lyle and 16 others liked this