My Pinot Noir Journal

This journal is solely of personal nature and does not reflect an objective analysis of the wines.
I merely keep it for personal pleasure and as an online resource for friends and like-minded fellows.

Also, I'm not a trained wine tester - but even those tend to disagree a lot with each other ;-)

These are just the notes of a nice hobby. Don't take them too serious, but do enjoy them if you can...

• WinePros.org
• WorldOfPintNoir
• Wines.com
• About.com
• CellarNotes.com

Sight:

Appearance: a little dull
Body: medium
Color: very deep dark red

Personal Comments:

What a great Pinot Noir. The acidity makes it a little heavier to drink, but the experience is delicious and elegant.

Website information:
"The bouquet offers aromas of bright cranberry, juicy plum, along with a touch of spice. The body of this Pinot Noir is concentrated, well balanced, and finishes with a long complex silky texture. Our 2000 Pinot Noir will enhance both casual and elegant meals. As an expression of the terroir of the Santa Maria Valley, it is of course perfect with oak-grilled, Santa Maria Barbeque style Tri-Tip. Also, try it with Planked Salmon, seared Duck Breast with honey-raisin compote or, for vegetarians, a Chanterelle and Winter Vegetable Ragout. Cheers"

Other information:

Bottled: January 28, 2002
Production: 335 cases
% Alcohol: 13.9%
pH: 3.48
T.A.: .83
New Oak: 40%

Awards

Silver Medal – San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Silver Medal – San Francisco International Wine Competition
Bronze Medal – LA County Fair Wine Competition
Bronze Medal – California State Fair Wine Competition
Bronze Medal – Santa Barbara County Fair Wine Competition
90 Points – The Wine News
90 Points - The Beverage Tasting Institute
88 Points – Wine Enthusiast, October, 2002
86 Points – Wine Spectator
“Best of the Best” – Quarterly Review of Wines, Summer 2002
1 Puff, 88 Points – Connoisseur’s Guide, November 2002
89 Points – Pinot Report, August 2002
Highly Recommended – The California Grapevine, February/March 2002
3 Stars (Recommended) – Decanter, January 2002

Smell:

Wooden, spicy and a hint of flowers

Taste:

Mild fruity flavor, but very very pleasant in the mouth. Fine texture.

Slightly tart (acidic).

Clean aftertaste of medium extension.

Rating:

Sight:

Appearance: clear
Body: medium-full
Color: cherry red

Personal Comments:

Pleasant and light to drink. More suited as an addition to a nice meal than Pinot Noir experience by itself.

Website information:
"The wine was fermented in stainless steel, then racked to barrels for malolactic fermentation, a technique that aids in the integration of fruit and oak flavors. The wine was aged for seven months in American (89%) and French oak barrels. The overall barrel profile includes new (20%) and one-year-old barrels. The American barrels were ordered with a heavy toast, adding a smoky complexity to the finished wine.

The Clos du Bois 2001 Sonoma County Pinot Noir has a bright garnet hue. Notes of allspice and toasted hazelnuts accentuate fragrant aromas of dried cherries, caramel and toffee. The smooth mouthfeel boasts forward fruit flavors of cherry and plum that end in a long, creamy vanilla finish "

Other information:

Acid/pH: 0.57/3.58
Bottled: June 2002
Released: September 2002
Residual Sugars: .03% (dry)
Winemaker: Margaret Davenport
Varietal Composition: Pinot Noir 100%
Appellation: Sonoma County
Alcohol: 13.8%
Volume: 750 ml bottle
Product Name: Pinot Noir

Awards

None mentioned

Smell:

oak and plum smell

Taste:

Nice flavor with light texture, a little spicy and fruity.

.

Aftertast diminshes soon but comes back again.

Rating:

Sight:

Appearance: dull
Body: medium-light
Color: dark red

Personal Comments:

Great Pinot Noir for the price. Very light and easy to drink.
Definetly for someone who doesn't want a strong taste. I usually enjoy a stronger flavor, but this wine is ideal for a warm summer night.

Website information:

Other information:

Awards

None mentioned

Smell:

cherry, plum and wood

Taste:

A mixture of citrus and wood at first, but then cherry. Crispy texture. Aftertaste pleasant and light..

Rating:

Sight:

Appearance: dull
Body: full
Color: dark red

Personal Comments:

*Corked*

Website information:

http://www.panthercreekcellars.com/

Other information:

Only 450 cases produced.

Awards

None mentioned

Smell:

*like mold*

Taste:

*mold and musty*

It's October 2005 and my bottle of this wine is totally "corked".

Rating:

Sight:

Appearance: clear
Body: light
Color: dark cherry red

Personal Comments:

Overall a very well developed wine with a pleasing taste and texture. Ideal for a nice dinner or for a beginning Pinot Noir drinker.

Drinking this wine on a sunny summer evening will create the ideal atmosphere for the light fruity aftertaste.

Website information:

Seductive, ripe black cherry and blueberry fruit character with complex notes of violet, spice and plum. Silky, smooth texture with soft tannins. Subtle hint of oak to complement the fruit-forward style.

Vintage
The 2004 growing season on California’s Central and North Coasts developed fully ripe Pinot Noir grapes that gives this wine exceptionally bright fruit character. Warm spring temperatures started the season off with a bang, and the vines underwent budbreak and bloom two to three weeks ahead of normal. Total rainfall was higher than normal, though our rains virtually ended by March. Good weather during bloom resulted in even berry set and a moderately-sized crop. Warm--but not too hot--weather continued through summer, as we prepared for an early harvest.

Smell:

plum, spices and oak

Taste:

Pleasent and rich taste. Silky texture. The spices briefly flare up on the tongue and palate, but quickly combine for a light fruity aftertaste.

Rating:

Sight:

Appearance: clear
Body: medium-light
Color: blood red

Personal Comments:

A nice and intersting smell, but unfortunately the spices are too strong for my liking. I usually like strong and acidic tastes, but Blackstone's 2004 Pinot Noir feels like dipping your tongue into a japaleno jar.

Website information:
"The cool climate of our vineyards in Monterey County allow theses grapes to slowly ripen, intensifying the delicate flavors of this varietal. Bright cherry, jammy berry and black tea-infused flavors dominate the palate. Its texture is silky smooth with a very soft and delicate finish."

Smell:

cherry & wood smell

Taste:

Strong spicy flavor has a strong attack and is too dominating and overpowering.

.

Pleasant oak aftertaste.

Rating:

Sight:

Appearance: clear
Body: light
Color: dark cherry red

Personal Comments:

The price was very cheap for a 1.5L bottle, but I'll get bored drinking this one. It makes no lasting impression.

Website information:

Other information:

Imported From Italy.

Awards

None mentioned

Smell:

wood and plum

Taste:

sour at first, then a hint of fruit followed by way too many spices.

Aftertaste burns for a little bit, not much flavor though.

Rating:

Sight:

Appearance: clear and appealing
Body: light
Color: colorful cherry red

Personal Comments:

Acacia has hit a very exciting and pleasing mixture with this 2004 Pinot Noir.

Label information:
"As a leader of the new Carneros, Acacia produces compelling Pinot Noir that is darker, richer and more fragrant than is typical for this distinguished appellation.

We achieve this depth and flavor by growing most of our grapes at our estate vineyard. The shallow, dense soils and cool marine influence of nearby San Pablo Bay create a rich, silky and seductive Pinot Noir.

The wine's lish aromas of blackberry and cassis are supported by a hint of spice and earthiness with particularly long-lasting flavors."

Other information:

Winemaker's Notes from Acacia's website:

BARREL AGING
9 Months
66% French Oak
34% Hungarian Oak
37% New Oak

AGEABILITY
4-6 Years

PRODUCTION STATISTICS
Harvest Dates August 16 - September 9
Wine Acidity 5.5 g/L
Wine pH 3.64
Alcohol 14.4%

ABOUT THE WINE
In making Pinot Noir, we focus on the rich fruit character of the varietal, while keeping the structure of the wine in perfect balance. Destemmed but not crushed, the grapes were fermented to a maximum temperature of 90ºF. As the must reached optimum balance, the wine was put into small oak barrels to finish fermentation, and aged for nine months.

Ruby in color, the 2004 Acacia Carneros Pinot Noir offers deep, ripe aromas of satsuma plum, raspberry, rose petal, smoke and wet earth. It is sweet on the entry with flavors of plum, cherry and blackberry, and finishes long with a rich earthiness. This wine is lovely with richer pasta dishes, roast chicken, red meats and savory cheeses.

ABOUT THE VINEYARDS
The majority of our grapes for this wine come from the 90 acres of Pinot Noir planted on our estate surrounding the winery. It is here that we pursue viticulture at its highest level-in everything from clonal selection to irrigation management. Eight vineyards within a couple of miles from the winery supply the grapes that complete our Carneros Pinot Noir. Long-term relationships with the growers allow us to control the viticultural practices of each of these properties.

ABOUT THE VINTAGE
The 2004 season got off to an early start, with no spring frost. Due to the previous year’s rains, crop load was reduced - a benefit for grape quality. An extended heat spell in August compacted the harvest, producing perfectly ripe grapes. This looks to be an excellent vintage.

Smell:

fruit and wood with a hint of spices, combined to a nice aroma

Taste:

A light citric taste at first, followed by a surge of spice which is quickly followed by a fruity aftertaste.

Rating:

Sight:

Appearance: clear
Body: light
Color: dark plum red

Personal Comments:

It's okay. Beringer has made better tasting Pinot Noirs than
this one..

Website information:

This wine wasn't listed on the Beringer website?
They mentioned other Founders' Estate and as well as
other Pinot Noirs - but not this one?

Other information:

n/a

Awards

None mentioned

Smell:

cherry, strawberry, spices and oak

Taste:

fruity at first, a splash of spices when swallowed and a brief taste of plums afterwards

Aftertaste burns for a little bit, not much flavor though.

Rating:

http://www.beringer.com/

Sight:

Appearance: dark and uninviting
body: ligh
Color: very dark red, almost black

Personal Comments:

The label quotes Martin Ray: "Great wine lights a fire in the soul that time can't put out."

Well, this wine doesn't. There's nothing special about it. The citric taste has put out the fire in my soul for this wine..

Label information:

Awards:

The Wine Spectator : 84 pts

Smell:

fruit and wood, strong smell of citrus is overpowering

Taste:

A strong wooden taste at first, followed by a way-too citric aftertaste. Hidden in-between there is a full-bodied taste of berry lurking. But it's barely noticeable unless one takes a very big sip.
Might seem just a bit past it's age (2006).

Rating:

Sight:

Appearance: nice and clear
Body: light
Color: dark cherry red

Personal Comments:

This could easily become a new favorite. Refreshing taste with cascading flavors. Excellent.

Label information:
"The Silver Label Pinot Noir has a bright ruby color and an alluring perfume of red plumb, sweet spices and French Vanilla. Profuse flavors of black cherry, dark currant, and strawberry fill the palate while notes of sandalwood continue into the soft, elegeant finish."

Other information:

Smell:

A blend of fruit, wood & spices. Refreshing and intriguing.

Taste:

A little citric when it first hits the palate, but immediatly develops its own flavors.
The spices and fruit are deliciously blended and develop a cascading taste sensation.

A taste of cherry with a mild aftertaste that turns into spices as the aftertaste lingers for minutes.

Long flavor and very nice taste.

Rating:

Sight:

Appearance: clear
Body: light
Color: light cherry red

Personal Comments:

Nothing special about this wine. Average price, average taste, overall, a disappointing Pinot Noir.

This is the second Blackstone Pinot Noir I tasted and didn't care for at all. I guarentee there won't be a third entry for a Blackstone.

Website information:

Other information:

Awards

Smell:

citrus and spices

Taste:

Citric and disappointingly light in texture and body
Followed by a brief rise of spices.

Aftertaste is a little spicy at first, and ends sweet. However, there is no highlight
when drinking it. Very average and a disappointing Pinot Noir experience.

Rating:

Blackstone Winery

Sight:

Appearance: clear
Body: very light
Color: cherry red

Personal Comments:

Very cheap wine. Nothing exciting about it, but it might go well with a
bigger dinner. The wine tastes okay, but is not an adventure by itself.

Website information:

Woodbridge Pinot Noir comes from vineyards near Limoux, in France’s Languedoc. This cool region is especially well suited to Pinot Noir vines, giving our Pinot Noir elegant cranberry and black cherry character with complex orange peel, licorice and peppery spice accents. Hints of smoky, “bacony” nuances from French and American oak, weave through the silky layers of vibrant fruit. These flavors match perfectly with smoky, grilled chicken, pork, fresh tuna or salmon; roast chicken with rosemary and garlic; and paella with sausage."

Other information:

Region/Origin: Vins de Pay D'Oc
Residual Sugar: 0.16%
Total Acid: 0.55%
Alcohol: 12.5%
Final pH: 3.54
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir

Awards

Smell:

fruity aroma with plum and vanilla

Taste:

Slightly acidic taste at first, followed by a fruity mid-taste.
Wooden-spicy aftertaste.

Rating: