Le Due Noir
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. — 23 days ago
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. — 23 days ago
Domaine Serene
Evenstad Reserve Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2001
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! — 19 days ago
Hirsch Vineyards
San Andreas Fault Pinot Noir 2012
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. — 8 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. — 8 days ago
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. — 11 days ago
Domaine des Lambrays
Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru Pinot Noir 2020
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)
— 18 days ago
Andrew Cullimore
Medium deep ruby , garnet . Quite rich and deep fruits , with some dusty herbal elements . On the palate also quiet ripe and rich , sweetly fruited . Dark cherry , with some summer fruits , blackberry . Good balance however , with sweet tannin and balanced acidity . Still showing lots of fruit , but drinking now but can can last well , probably improve over the next 5 years or so . — 9 hours ago