Rivers-Marie
Silver Eagle Vineyard Pinot Noir
Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California, USA
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.
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.
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.
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.
Raspberry, cherry, citrus, pomegranate, damp earth.
Raspberry, cherry, citrus, pomegranate, damp earth.
Oct 24th, 2020I 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.
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.
Great cool climate Pinot.
Sep 17th, 2018
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.
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 wine is always so pure. Bursting Berry nose and vibrant fruit. Perfect with pilgrim food.
1 person found it helpfulNov 28th, 2014
This one was absolutely delicious. Seamless with pitch perfect balance. Best CA Pinot I've had in a while.
This one was absolutely delicious. Seamless with pitch perfect balance. Best CA Pinot I've had in a while.
Feb 25th, 2017