Cran
Big Table Farm
Laughing Pig Pinot Noir Rosé 2019
The 2019 Big Table Farm ‘Laughing Pig’ Rose is another thrilling Rose bottling from this famed Oregon estate. On the nose this has seriously good range from wild mushroom tones and peat moss that are woven together with guava and pomegranate seed aromatics that all sing in unison in the glass. The palate is silky smooth, showing a pillowy texture and wonderful, gratifying length. Shades of cantaloupe and green apple combine with ripe Yakima cherry, and cran-pomegranate flavors. The earthy undertones round out this extraordinary Rose wine that will have a long life ahead of it, picking up tertiary tones as it ages. Having recently tried their 2017 Rose, I can state firsthand that their Rose ages well. Drink 2020-2027- 93 — 5 years ago
Beaux Frères
The Beaux Frères Vineyard Pinot Noir 1996
The 1996 Beaux Freres ‘The Beaux Freres Vineyard Pinot Noir (WWB, 91) is living out the end of its life in style. At this stage the wine was radically transformed with some air, providing really an hour of tertiary enjoyment with its peat moss, wild mushroom risotto and delicate cran-raspberry and lavender flavors. Beautiful, and refined, this is truly one of the best of this challenging vintage in the Willamette Valley that I have sampled. Drink 2019-2022- 91 — 6 years ago
Edmunds St. John
Bone-Jolly El Dorado County Gamay Noir 2014
Ruby color. Cran/straw berries. Light and lip snacking refreshing but not a trifle. Some deep satisfaction in the mouthfeel — 6 years ago
Domaine du Deffends
Rosé d'une Nuit Côteaux Varois
Solid. Fresh, lively. Citrus and cran on nose. — 8 years ago
France Gonzalvez
.G Beaujolais-Villages Gamay
Earth, leaves, fuzzy, cran-cherried. Ocean spray cran-cherry, clay. — 9 years ago
Domaine Paul Misset
Les Barreaux Vosne-Romanée Pinot Noir 2010
Initial funk of light-spoil-fruit, wet under dry leaves, freeze dried raspberry, dried sour cherry, fresh potabello and earth turn slowly to only mushroom funk and pretty powdered raspberry and cranberry, dried rose petal cocoa powder and chicory. Becomes tart, warm raspberry on the nose and palate upon entry. Dark cherry core that has a briny plum sensibility, and the acid has eased into the racy finish that delivers tomato type acid but tart and cola-saffron-cran. #domainepaulmisset #vosneromanée #vosneromanéelesbarreaux #burgundy #bourgogne #bourgognebutnotforgotten #bourgognerouge #redburgundywine #redburg — 5 years ago
Domaine Drouhin
Laurène Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2011
The 2011 Domaine Drouhin ‘Laurene’ is a sensational effort from this cooler vintage in Oregon. This takes on a classic Burgundian nose with forest floor, white truffle oil, red currant puree and suggestions of white pepper. I love the elegance of this wine aromatically. The mouthfeel and texture to this wine screams elegance, as it is surprising that they were able to attain this level of concentration despite the coldness of the vintage. Red cherry puree, damp earth, cran-raspberry and orange zest flavors marvelously combine. Elegant and esteemed, this is a stunning effort by Domaine Drouhin that will cellar marvelously over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 94 — 6 years ago
Cobb
Rice-Spivak Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016
The Rice-Spivak vineyard, owned by Russell Rice, is a six acre vineyard located in the Sonoma Coast AVA. There is an usually large amount of volcanic ash in the vineyard soils. The 2016 ‘Rice-Spivak Vineyard’ Pinot Noir is a stunning wine that takes on very pretty aromatics with ripe plum, red cherry compote, cran-pomegranate and white truffle oil. The aromatic range is wonderful and takes you back to the glass for more enjoyment. The minerality and weight of the wine is truly outstanding, as is the strong salinity and lip-smacking acidity. Cran-pomegranate, blood orange zest, volcanic earth and peat moss flavors all show some insane range. While this is drinking marvelously right now, the wine will have an exceedingly long life in the cellar. Drink 2019-2033- 95 — 6 years ago
Zorah
Karasi Areni Noir
Fun! Rustic fruit profile has a touch of the old and the new, touch of cran and herbs, polished texture but higher acidity for its weight, it's pretty fun it has had Pinot aspects some zin aspects to it. — 9 years ago
Domaine Dupeuble
Beaujolais Gamay 2015
Savory, cran, raspberry, pomegranate, thyme, red licorice- easy drinking. — 9 years ago
Prophets Rock
Rocky Point Pinot Noir 2019
Take a typical good-quality PN and amplify everything from color, nose, mouthfeel, structure, and length - and you get to this wine from Rocky Point, a steep hill above a lake in central Otago. Color is deep violet; nose is high-octane black fruits (mulberry) and ripe cran- and strawberries, and minerality and a sweet herbaciousness; taste is full bodied with round tannins, dense fruit, medium-high aclohol, rubber and spice. And all well balanced. Would love to try in 3-5y. — 5 years ago
Dogfish Head Brewery
Sixty-One IPA
Snow White frosting over vodka-cran colored beer with cirrus drifts. Cartoon stubble lacing. Raspberry, blackberry, grape-y with blood orange, dried orange, red grapefruit, hibiscus and citrus crowd. Lovely entry, reminiscent of bandol rose, with a suggestion of pink lemonade, bay, orange pith, lemongrass, and cardamom. Dry and satisfying in all respects. Carrots and cran-mint come to mind. Festive and bright!! #dogfishhead #dogfishheadbrewing #dogfishheadsixtyone #beer #bier #biere #birra #ale #ipa #syrahipa #continuallyhopped #hops — 6 years ago
Brittan Vineyards
Gestalt Block Pinot Noir 2016
The 2016 Brittan Vineyards ‘Gestalt Block’ is a scintillating new release by this storied Oregon winery. Sourced from their vineyard in the McMinnville AVA, as the ‘Gestalt Block’ is set on their western facing hillside that is set on broken basalt. Deeply colored once in the glass, the ‘Gestalt Block’ starts off with deep wet stone influence that connects with the shades of cran-pomegranate and guava with peat moss aromas that all collide in the glass. The mouth-watering acidity of the wine is truly gorgeous, as is the great sense of stony terroir. Silky and soft on the mouth, this delivers gobs of racy acidity and a light dusting of salinity that runs through the dark fruits and earthy undertones on the palate. Truly novel and esteemed in the land of Oregon Pinot Noir, the ‘Gestalt Block’ will have a decade or more in the cellar. Drink 2019-2032- 94 — 6 years ago
St Innocent Winery
Zenith Vineyard Pinot Noir 2011
2011 St. Innocent ‘Zenith Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The Zenith Vineyard is St. Innocent’s estate vineyard, located eleven miles northwest of Salem, Oregon. This 2011 Pinot Noir shows wonderful forest floor and wet stone character on the nose with blood orange rind, cran-cherry and cigar ash also coming in aromatically. The aromatic range is seriously good right now. The palate is silky smooth right now as the mouthfeel entices. The richness reminds me more of a 2012 bottling as there is a seamless quality to the wine that grips you. Red and dark fruits weave together, with also citrus and earthy tones quite primary. Downright delicious, this is a stunning bottling by eminent winemaker, Mark Vlossak. Drink 2018-2028- 93 — 6 years ago
Drew Family Cellars
Morning Dew Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014
Bright cran-cherry nose, with an underlying touch of wood smoke and wet earth. Orange peel and spices too. Light to medium bodied coupled with a juicy mid. Finish is long and the light berry fruit continues to repeat. Acid is present but very cohesive with the other components. This is the real shit. Can't wait to try more. Still young and primary outside of the super expensive nose. Better to hold, but I couldn't wait, and it was great in its infancy. — 9 years ago
Conner Massey
Cran Raspberry lacroix on the nose. Super light. A tad welches grape juice. Lovely. — 4 years ago