Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

This is a young wine that I opened last weekend and enjoyed but, had to seal it up and put back into storage until tonight. It’s a touch faded (10%) but, like all young wine, resilient.

The nose reveals, ripe & candied; blackberries, dark cherries, plum, well extracted pomegranate, the blue fruits he does so well and I love in Pinot, dry cranberries, poached strawberries, raspberries, beautiful layered baking spices, medium intensity dark spices, steeped fruit tea, red fruit cola, hints of dry crushed rocks, limestone, dark, blue, purple flowers with hints of lavender.

The body is full with a fair amount of tannin presence. Nicely knitted structure, tension, length and balance for such a young Pinot. Ripe & candied; blackberries, dark cherries, plum, well extracted pomegranate, the blue fruits he does so well and I love in Pinot, dry cranberries, poached strawberries, touch of cooked rhubarb, raspberries, beautiful layered baking spices, medium intensity dark spice with shades of palate heat, steeped fruit tea, red fruit cola, saline notes, dry herbs, menthol, eucalyptus, hints of dry crushed rocks, volcanic minerals, dry & moist clay, limestone, leathery, wood staves, amazing dark, blue, purple flowers with hints of lavender. The acidity is excellent. The ripe, elegant, balanced, polished finish is delicious and persists nicely for minutes.

Paul makes beautiful expressions of Pinot, Rhône styles & Chardonnay. If you have not had them, well worth your time & investment to seek out.

Photos of; his Sierra Madre Vineyard...netted to keep the birds from eating his fruit, fruit near harvest time, my picture meeting Paul for the first time last week weekend at a “Matter of Taste” in Napa last weekend and their barrel room. — 6 years ago

TheSkip

9.0

Reminds me of other John Duvall wines not named Grange. It’s ok. Nothing I would seek out. Can’t say I’ve been impressed by the Long Shadows collection. — 6 years ago

Michael H

9.3

48% each Cab and Merlot.... balanced, long silky finish, perfect acidity and dark fruits... would seek out — 6 years ago

Michael H

9.2

All the bells and whistles for this price range... will seek out — 7 years ago

Jason Jones

9.3

6 hour decant was needed but opened this up nicely. Probably the best young Cos I've had. I would seek this out over the 2003 and 2005. — 8 years ago

with Josh and Erin

Steve Martinelli

9.2

Just a really delicious and easy drinking wine on a hot June day. Bright acidity, loads of citrus with a hint of wet stone. One of the few Napa SBs I really seek out. — 8 years ago

Joe Lucca

9.4

Love. Tasted this blind and guessed grand cru burgundy, either Morey or Gevrey. Turns out it's from Dundee and made by the assistant winemaker at SQN. Very earthy, with a nice funk that blew off with a little time in glass. This is all old world; earth, mushroom, wet leaves, and some smoke shroud the fruit, all framed by great acidity and a nice frame. Something to seek out if you're a Burghound. — 8 years ago

with ADAM

Bob McDonald

9.5

This was a fascinating Italian White from Piemonte. This is 100% Timorasso a varietal that was rescued from near obscurity by Walter Massa. It’s native and unique to the Colli Tortonesi. In the past many growers were ripping out Timorosso and planting the more prolific and boring Cortese (Gavi). Thank God for Massa once you taste this. Mid Gold in colour. Rich and textural with notes of fruit salad and honey. Apparently aged versions show petrol like aged Riesling. Amazingly zero new oak. On the palate an absolute fruit salad of flavours with a note of guava. Medium Acid. A flat out delicious wine which I will definitely seek out in the future. Could keep this in the short term but irresistible now. Bought at Roscioli in Rome @Ceccherini Cristiano - your old haunt as a sommelier. One of the 1001 Wines. — 6 years ago

Sam Agami

10

Wow, old school perfection! California wine from a forgotten age. Pure Italian-American greatness. Reminds me of the wine my childhood landlord would make from the vines that grew behind our house just upstate from NYC. Dark fruits abundant, soft acidity and tanins, nice touch of oak, without obscuring the graps as so many California wineries are obsessed with doing for some reason these days. Found this at a random liquor store on a road trip, will seek it out now. Even better than the Cribari Chianti or Coppola Rosso, which were my previous favorite in this genre, the wonderfully underappreciated "backyard" wine... — 6 years ago

Danny Martinez

9.1

First New Zealand Pinot Noir for us.. Good minerality and versatile wine. Will seek out again! — 7 years ago

Ellen Clifford

8.9

It’s good. It’s bright. All the ripe grapefruit and lemon and hints of white flower one might wish for. But not something I’d seek out. So I’d call it solid and probably perfect for a person who just wants something bright and perfect but not exceptionally nuanced or interesting. But fucking tasty all the same. — 7 years ago

Erik Longabardi

9.4

A truly remarkable wine from a truly remarkable producer. Seek this out. — 8 years ago

Scott M Davis

9.5

Yes it's light, yes it's Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. And yes I absolutely LOVE this wine for those reasons. I have come to like certain Rose's because they are versatile for food matching and sipping but this Pinot is absolutely great at both. Want to impress a group in summertime with an outstanding, stand alone sipping wine...you found it here. It is fantastic for matching with lighter food faire like barbecued veggies or squash , or for those who are not into matching Chardonnay with chicken or fish like salmon.
My confession: I rarely drank Rose because it was too darn light and often too sweet, so my only next step was Beaujolais, which often way too one dimensional, so that left me with a huge gap to move into traditional Burgundy or full bodied Pinot Noir that were way too overpowering for many meals. This is Exactly why Willamette Valley Pinot has such a superb spot in the spectrum of red wine body/texture. And Big Table Farm is hands down the best wine for value of an Oregon Pinot. Plus the owners are so down to earth real, pleasant, and love talking wine, food, farming, nutrition, etc. I don't mean to make this an ad for Big Table Farm, but they make many great Pinots and other varietals. For the money this particular Pinot is hard to beat and you truly owe it to yourself to seek it out if you are looking for a lighter style Pinot that is increasing quickly in popularity. This is one of my most valued favorites because I am not able or willing to spend $65 or more for a bottle that can disappear in less than an hour with a few friends. — 9 years ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.0

14.1%. Soft. Some dark berry but mostly cherry 🍒. Teanotes. Really well made. Too agreeable for me but well worth to seek out. — 6 years ago

ESF

9.2

What a beauty! Discovered this little winery in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mtns and they make really outstanding wines... drank thru entire lineup & was struck by consistent balance, purity & density of fruit. This is a blend with beautiful structure, tons of fruit, smoke / spice / some Earth, lingering finish. Seek them out if you can! — 6 years ago

Clive McNish

9.4

A rare journey into the damned 2011 vintage and what a great surprise. This is excellent, very Bordeaux like, with a wonderful nose of cherries, violet, cedar, mushroom and menthol. The palate is very smooth without the spicy tannins of the neighbouring sunnier vintages. There is some delicate fruit, blueberry and plums with a creamy but relatively short finish. I really like this and will seek out some more and also challenge the ‘11 curse particularly from higher elevation producers. — 6 years ago

Justin Farrar

9.1

This is great, would seek out again. Peachy — 6 years ago

Kirk F

9.0

Nice stony minerality here. Had only had their Pinots until now but I would seek this out again. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.8

I can’t pour enough praise on Dan and his talents. I don’t give many wines near perfect scores, but this merits one. The nose is a beautifully balanced mix of floral fruits, earth and spice. Blackberries, huckleberries, boysenberries, black plum, black raspberries, plum, black raspberries, poached strawberries, dark moist soils, loamy dry soil/clay, raspberry cola, smoked meats, medium dark spice, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, lilacs, violets and lavender. The balance is incredible...one of the most balanced wines I’ve had. The structure, tension and length are so close to perfect. It’s in the OMG realm. The tannins are nicely resolved but still have teeth. It’s gorgeously lush and rich. Blackberries, huckleberries, boysenberries, black plum, black raspberries, plum, black raspberries, poached strawberries, hues of blue fruits haunt the palate, dark moist soils, loamy dry soil/clay, raspberry cola, black licorice, touch herbaceous, smoked meats, medium dark spice, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, black & white pepper, dry crushed rocks, stones, lilacs, violets and lavender. The finish is heaven all the way around. To borrow Bordeaux terminology, this is First Growth Shiraz. If you don’t seek out Dan’s wines on the secondary market, you are missing something special. Not at all meant to be enjoyed young. This wine is in a very good spot and has another 10 years of life going forward. — 8 years ago

Michael D

9.1

Oh Canada...Oh my!!!!! Beautiful thick and rich...Merlot...Cab Sauv. .Cab Franc blend.velvety...smooth on the Palate...rich and dark...a light oakiness...lively but not overpowering tannins...will try to seek out for future gatherings — 9 years ago