Silver Eagle Vineyard Pinot Noir

I had a disappointing experience with the 2017 a few months back (I think it was in a dumb phase, because these are normally delicious), and wanted to see how the 2016 fared. I also wanted to compare my GlasVin aromatic burg glass with my new Grassl Cru burg glass.

Classic RM SE wine here. At five years, it’s still voluptuous and rich enough to play to those who enjoy the bigger style but has plenty of acidity and snap on the palate to cater to those who prefer more restraint. It does have some signature blood orange both aromatically and on the palate, along with spice, dark floral tones/potpourri and rich black cherry. Whereas the 2017 showed more cola and menthol, I don’t get that at all here. Bright and lifted overall profile. Quite delicious and will be easily for another 5+yrs.

As an aside, the Grassl Cru glass has a much more narrow rim and makes the aromatics more concentrated than the GlasVin. They both drank similarly. Maybe Grassl for more lean/true burgundy pinots that may need concentration and GlasVin for new world/bigger style pinots since they don’t need as much help in the aromatic department.

Nice berry / fruit

Raspberry, cherry, citrus, pomegranate, damp earth.

I was hoping to catch this in its youthful and exuberant phase but I was too late...this has closed down. I have to admit I’m somewhat surprised as this vineyard is usually really accessible at all phases in its evolution.

This was decanted about 1.5hrs before pouring the first glass. The aromatics were mostly there...juniper, candied black cherries, candied raspberries, potpourri, kircsh and pomegranate. However, the palate was a bit disjointed...it started off hollow but gained depth throughout the evening. The most unique part was the acidity...hardly any? I re-corked and revisited the next day and the acidity was much more vibrant. Dark red and black fruits on the palate with cedar, holiday fruit cake and spices and a tangy finish. Day one score was NR, but I think this just needs a lot more time. Further improvement is a given at this stage.

Great cool climate Pinot.

Wonderful dark fruits

In honor of the release tomorrow, I wanted to educate myself as best I could with RM pinots. I had a glass of the Kanzler a few months back, but that’s it. I was able to get a few bottles and wanted to see if they were up my alley. So, I’m planning to follow this from pop and pour to the 3-hr decant mark and see how it changes.

At pop and pour, the nose was just a bit muted and I didn’t get much on the palate either, especially on the fruit spectrum. After an hour and 30mins, WOW! The nose burst forth with candied cherries, spices, and an underbrush note. Acidity is still pretty strong as expected. Fantastic weight on the palate. Cherry pie on the front and middle but the finish is a bit savory and herbal. Tannic and young, but great potential.

This wine is always so pure. Bursting Berry nose and vibrant fruit. Perfect with pilgrim food.

This one was absolutely delicious. Seamless with pitch perfect balance. Best CA Pinot I've had in a while.

Delicious! Bursting with fruit and wildness.