WTN: Worst Pinot Noir EVER

[Jenise]

If you'd asked me two days ago what's the worst pinot noir I've ever had was, I wouldn't have had an answer for you. But thanks to this wine I now do:

2016 Bevan Cellars Pinot Noir Petaluma Gap
It's blasphemy to call this pinot noir. Dense purple-black in the glass, over the top sweet and extracted, fruit closer to black currant syrup and blueberry milkshakes than cherries, serious alcohol burn on the cloying finish (bottle claims 14.6 but it drinks like 15.6). Added water to my glass to make it palatable but couldn't stomach a second pour. Never again, Russell, never again.

[David M. Bueker]

As much as I love Russell (p.s. today is his birthday), I hate his Pinot Noirs. He needs to stick to Bordeaux varieties. He's making some larger scaled Zinfandel with another winery, and I surprised myself by really liking them despite their scale. One was very port-like, but oh so delicious with blue cheese! My tasting group was smitten with the stuff and the pairing.

[Jenise]

Can't say you didn't warn me, David. But this was even beyond what I, forewarned and already experienced in his same OTT style of chardonnay, expected. Yet I love his cabs and sauv blanc. Does. Not. Compute.

I'll pass on the zin, thank you!

[David M. Bueker]

Can't say you didn't warn me, David. But this was even beyond what I, forewarned and already experienced in his same style of chardonnay, expected. Yet I love his cabs and sauv blanc. Does. Not. Compute.

I'll pass on the zin, thank you!

Yeah, there are just certain people who I don't trust anywhere near a Pinot vine. Funny enough, one of those people is David Ramey. I love everything else he does. I hate his Pinots. Part of that is probably the vineyard. I've had his Platt Vineyard Pinot multiple times, and always hated it, but I don't like Platt from anyone else. I just dislike Ramey's more.

Be sure to stay well away from Rodney Strong's pinot noir offerings. Over-oaked, alcoholic fruit bombs, the lot of them. And they're actually proud of that. Someone likes them, I guess, but not me.

-Paul W.

Pity about your wine, Jenise.

What do the critics do with wines like these - do they say they are bad (in which case the winemaker ought to listen) or do they say they are decent and thus encourage them?

[David M. Bueker]

Pity about your wine, Jenise.

What do the critics do with wines like these - do they say they are bad (in which case the winemaker ought to listen) or do they say they are decent and thus encourage them?

“Good for those who like the style” is one critic’s way out.

Yeah.

'Good value for the price' is another.

At least RP would call crap, crap.

[Jenise]

Actually, there's a reasonable chance RP would like this wine--it's the natural fall-out of the big ripe goopy Aussie style he fostered. And they're well made, you might put these at the top of the same heap that The Prisoner and other Orin Swift wines are in, and I might put modern Caymus in there too. Btw, when I was at Everything Wine in Surrey before last Christmas, the wine guy in the trophy department had stacks of The Prisoner--shaking his head, he said in the following two weeks they would outsell everything else in that department combined.

Btw, when I was at Everything Wine in Surrey before last Christmas, the wine guy in the trophy department had stacks of The Prisoner--shaking his head, he said in the following two weeks they would outsell everything else in that department combined.

Ackk! But then again that was in Surrey.....

(FYI for non-residents of the area we are talking about, the closest equivalent that most would know would be Dogpatch.....)

[Jenise]

LOL, Bill. Yet it's changed. The fact that there's an Everything Wine there now is part of that.

Btw, funny thing, since my post to you minutes ago and while investigating a completely different topic, I tripped over this Parker description: ...blockbuster Shiraz offering notes of melted asphalt, smoke, black fruits, pepper, and animal fur. Full-bodied, thick, and heavy...massive wine...93 pts". What I was talking about!

Oh and btw, just got offered some 2001 Rosemount Balmoral for $25 ea. I'm thinking about it. Not fond of them young but I really like older Balmorals.

[David M. Bueker]

I was literally thinking about Rosemount Balmoral an hour ago!

Jenise - you mean RP was going around sniffing (or tasting??) animal fur? That would explain a lot.

If you like the Balmoral, you can sign up now for a reunion vertical tasting (93,94,95,96) at my place as a celebration when this Covid thing is over.

[Jenise]

Well sign me up! In the past year we drank a '93, a '99 and a '95. I have one '95 left and a few '01s on the way, maybe a '99.

Jenise - you mean RP was going around sniffing (or tasting??) animal fur? That would explain a lot.

Yup, Bill... but only around a certain orfice!!
Tom