David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

When TRB started this label, I thought a primarily Cabernet Winemaker is going to make Pinot Noir? I wondered how his first vintage would be and while it wasn’t bad by any means, it wasn’t what this 2014 Silver Eagle is at this point. TRB has/is honed/honing his craft. This 2014 will likely continue to improve a bit going forward over the next three years for sure & maybe five. This 14 Silver Eagle is definitely hitting its stride. The nose shows the blue & purple fruits I enjoy on the Pinots I prefer to drink.

The nose reveals nicely ripe blackberries, black raspberries, plum, baked cherries & strawberries, blueberries, mulberries, dry cranberry & raspberries hues on the glass edges. Mid berry cola/licorice, soft baking spices-clove, some nutmeg & vanillin, dark, Asian/Indian spice mix, light mix of fresh & dry herbs, dark rich soil w/ dry leaves, limestone, dry top soil with fresh & withering dark, red, blue florals framed in a fresh violet field.

The palate shows good mouthfeel & wire to wire consistency. Juicy, ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, plum, baked cherries & strawberries, blueberry & mulberry tones, pomegranate, cranberry & raspberries hues. Mid berry cola/licorice, soft baking spices-clove, some nutmeg & vanillin, warm caramel, toast, steeped fruit tea, dark, Asian/Indian spice mix with deep palate penetration & heat, light mix of fresh & dry herbs, dark rich soil w/ dry leaves, dry brush, sandalwood, grey volcanics. wet clay, sandstone & limestone powder, dry top soil with fresh & withering dark, red, blue florals framed in a fresh violet field. The acidity is excellent with a long, elegant, well; balanced, tensioned & structured finish that lasts minutes and lands nicely on dark spice as it sets.

I really enjoy this vineyard and some of the Winemakers that make Pinot from it.

Plenty of life left in this one. 8-10 years well stored.

Photos of, Rivers-Marie facility (2), Owner/Winemaker-Thomas Rivers Brown & beautiful prime Pinot clusters ready for harvest. — 3 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

See previous notes from November 2020. Herbaceous is the word together with plum and blackberry - some earthiness with a note of mushroom. In summary - Herbal, Mineral, Bay leaf. Not the complete package like it’s more illustrious Wilyabrup neighbours like Woodlands, Moss Wood, Vasse Felix, Cullen etc but also half the price so good QPR. Tasted again 60 weeks later on 6th September 2022 with similar results A good wine that drinks to its price point. Not quite the standard of its illustrious neighbours. Not as much maritime influence? — 3 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

This is an insiders wine. You have study, focus and taste a lot wine to know how special this wine can drink. Especially, at its QPR.

There are a lot of people that covet SQN, Caycuse, Horsepower and No Girls. For my palate, these wines either burn the palate with ABV or choke off the fruit with way too much bacon fat and or deeply marinaded grilled meats. Yes, you are drinking expensive, flashy producers but, I would humbly disagree they are better wines than this 2011 Le Clos Du Caillou Vielles Vignes Cuvée Unique. Those other wines should aspire to be everything this 2011 shows and delivers.

This Le Clos Du Caillou has the balance the above wines lack and at a fraction of the price point. I would drink this 2011 over any of the other fore mentioned wines. While this Le Clos Du Caillou is a shade hot, it is not nearly as hot as SQN etc.. Hot ABV alcohol that burns the palate & back of the throat will forever be a fatal flaw in a wine.

The nose reveals, ripe; blackberries, dark cherries, blue & purple fruit mix, poached & back strawberries, black raspberries and both plums. Dark, sweet tarriness, dry, crushed rocks, steeped teas, anise stretching to black licorice, hint of dry herbs with bay leaf leading the way, dry brush, black, dry earth, savory, grilled meats, medium, dark spice, understated baking spices; clove, nutmeg, vanilla and a touch of clove, dark & mid red fruit cola, just a whiff of incense with candied, fresh and withering red & dark florals.

The body is rich and mid full. Tannins just 50% resolved with round, dark tarry teethiness. The structure, tension, length and balance are harmonious...just before their peak. Ripe; blackberries, dark cherries, blue & purple fruit mix, raspberries that haut the center palate on the long set, poached & back strawberries, black raspberries and both plums. Dark, sweet tarriness, dry, crushed rocks, limestone minerals, steeped teas, anise stretching to black licorice, hint of dry herbs with bay leaf leading the way, dry brush, dry black earth, dry stone wrapped in moist clay, savory, grilled meats, some bacon fat, medium, dark spice, understated baking spices; clove, nutmeg, vanilla and a touch of clove, Mix of caramel & mocha powder, dark & mid red fruit cola, just a whiff of incense with candied, fresh and withering red & dark florals. The acidity is phenomenal. The long, ripe, well balanced & textured, elegant finish is memorable and is persistent for several minutes.

Wine paired perfectly with our marinated Tri-tip.

If you are over paying for the above lesser wines mentioned above, you owe it to yourself to seek out and cellar this wine appropriately.

Photos of; Le Clos Du. Caillou, their barrel room, Owners-Sylvie Vacheron & Bruno Gaspard and one of their vineyards. It’s amazing they can grow anything in that stone soil structure.
— 5 years ago

Roman Ochocki

9.5

Excellent. I guess there's no point in looking for sweets in it. There is licorice, but my palate is not shocked by it. 😂 There is dark fruit, but only in the nose. There is leather, some sweet cigar smoke (nose) and - hmmm... - bay leaf, or a general spicy note.
— 10 months ago

Adriana Fabbro

9.2

At East Bay Nasty Women Pinot Noir tasting. This might have been my favorite of the line up. I immediately, confidently (and very incorrectly) called Burgundy (Cote de Beaune) based on the texture—lithe with silky tannins that are ever so slightly rustic on the finish. Lovely purity of fruit - tart red cherry, rhubarb. Savory/herbal finish reminded me of the Sonoma Coast. At one point, the fruit ripeness would have screamed new world but with warmer and dryer recent vintages in Burgundy, that’s no longer a given.

This producer, like nearly everyone else in the world making Pinot outside of burgundy, cited Burgundy as their influence and has spent a good deal of time there, but in this case it really shows. Of course, there are likely details that make this uniquely Mornington-Penninsula-esque and I can’t pretend that I’ve had nearly enough Australian Pinots (shame on me!) to tell you what those are. This is one of the coolest growing regions in Australia, and these vines are grown in soils with a high % of sand.
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Found this photo via search as I forgot to snap a bottle shot. I *think* the vintage was 2016. — 2 years ago

Blake Walker

9.2

Really great Santa Cruz Pinot. Fresh and aromatic. Tons of red berry flavor, nice acidity. Great price point for the quality. — 4 years ago

David Park

9.4

Smooth after taste. Very light. Good wine for price point — 10 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; consumed over two days and there was little in way of development over the course of those two days. The 2019 Sandlands Carignane “CCC” is packed with character…but there is a catch: it needs considerable more time to really deliver all the goods. The wine pours a deep ruby with a purple hue. Medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. No signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is drop dead gorgeous with notes of fresh, ripe dark fruits, a bouquet of red flowers, cumin, spiced meats, and crushed gravel. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium(+?) tannins and medium(+?) acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium with a somewhat austere, mineral finish. Honestly, I feel like the structure is “dominating the room” at this point and needs more time to settle in. But when it does…and it will…folks who have been patient will be duly rewarded. Hold. If I had more, I wouldn’t touch until after 2027. — a year ago

Dave Parker

9.1

Almost unfair to rate it at this point. Too soon. It will likely be very special in a handful of years. — 3 years ago

Jude

9.0

Grass, grapefruit pith, fresh herbs, unripe stone fruit. Tart and refreshing, excellent price point. — 5 years ago