2018 Chilensis Pinot Noir Reserva Maule Valley
Absolutely horrible. Extremely thin with that really weird spiney aroma/flavor some Chileans can have. If you said this was made out of cactus, I'd believe you.
NV Juvé y Camps Pinot Noir Penedès Brut Rosé
Have never seen pinot in Spain, but the Penedes vineyard that produced this fruit was planted in 1993 so it's been around awhile. This is a very refreshing pink cava and the pinot noir base shows. Fruity yet dry.
2015 Flowers Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
This wine is absolutely in it's moment: everything comes together with a basket of warm red fruits and the complex spices of Russian River fruit. Aromatics to die for. Served it to 75 tasters with 5 other pedigreed pinots from around the world and it won in an unprecedented landslide of 104 where 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th places all came in just over 50. Pretty impressive.
2014 Peregrine Pinot Noir Central Otago
Dark, extracted color. Flavors of black currant, red plum and raspberry, cinnamon, vanilla with some wet leaf and dried cherry. Long finish. Though the alcohol is warming it is well-balanced by the fresh acidity and very good flavour concentration."
2016 Drink Washington State Pinot Noir Lake Chelan
Second bottle in several months. Showed very well at a tasting I hosted and had a lot of fans. Plummy with earth, black tea and flashes of dill from what I'm guessing is American oak.
2013 Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
Had two bottles of this since my note a month or two ago and both were better. Medium red with a golden hue at the edges that suggests some age. Silky cherry and raspberry with some interesting spice tea notes. If you like mature pinots, this should be a showstopper in 4-5 years.
2015 Bergström Pinot Noir Gregory Ranch Yamhill-Carlton
A powerhouse pinot noir, big bodied and dense, almost purple in color and the most opaque of six pinots poured. Black cherry, plum, cola syrup, forest and earth. Quite sweet in the American way but has grand cru body and tannins. This vineyard has as many as 15 different clones. Excellent cellar candidate.
2012 Cristom Pinot Noir Mt. Jefferson Cuvée Willamette Valley
Uh oh. Last night's bottle had plenty of fresh, sweet fruit, and the tannins are there in the right way but there's virtually no acidity. Going to put my four remaining bottles into the Drink Up bin.