Second Horizontal Tasting of 2010s #14
Reviewing Pinots From Okanagan Falls, Abbotsford, Naramata Bench, Summerland, Penticton and a “Guest Pinot” from Oregon
Some bright acidity along with integrated tannins-well-balanced – Jacquelin G
Dark cherry, some wood notes, will develop, fruit should persevere – BG
| Name of Wine | Price | Quality | Value |
| #1 Black Cloud Fleuvage Pinot Noir 2010 | $20.00 | D to D+ ~ 81 | D+ to C- ~ 83 |
| #2 Mt. Lehman Pinot Noir 2010 | $16.00 | C to C+ ~ 87 | C to C+ ~ 87 |
| #3 Dirty Laundry Pinot Noir 2010 | $22.00 | D+ to C- ~ 83 | D to D+ ~ 81 |
| #4 Hillside Pinot Noir 2010 | $25.00 | B- ~ 90 | B ~ 92 |
| #5 J. Daan Willamette Valley Pinot Noir2010 (Oregon) | $35.00 | B to B+ ~ 93 | B- to B ~ 91 |
| #6 Stag's Hollow Renaissance Pinot Noir 2010 | $35.00 | C+ ~ 88 | C- to C ~ 85 |
#1 Black Cloud Fleuvage Pinot Noir 2010 12.9%
Quality Rating: D to D+ ~ 81 Value Rating: D+ to C-
Price: $20.00
Eye
LC: Garnet, dense colours BG: Clear, light cherry AKG: cherry EU: Brown, garnet Jacquelin G: Garnet core and rim [light]
Nose
LC: VA? hints of dried floral JG: BG: cherry, barrel, beetroot, candied cherry, bit flowery AKG: Smokey strawberry EU: Moss, compost, dried cherry Jacquelin G: Wild strawberries, wet leaves, earthy; hint of musty nests!
Palate
LC: Astringent, light body, long finish, but little fruit, quite hot, cranberry, tannic BG: Tannic, dried out, , little fruit, acidic bit of alcohol burn AKG: some edge,, strawberry, simple watery EU: Pomegranate, raisin, lots of dry tannins and acids, moss compost Jacquelin G: Seriously tannic and acidic fruit is buried under the grippy tannins the tannins are screaming out for rare meat, finishes dominated by tannins but the fruit is still present how much longer?
Notes:
Closure – cork
Black Cloud Pinot Noir – Current Vintage & Availability
#2 Mt. Lehman Pinot Noir 2010 11%
Quality Rating: C to C+ ~ 87 Value Rating: C to C+
Price: $16.00
Eye
LC: Garnet, light BG: Clear, light strawberry AKG: pink, glossy EU: bright, cherry red Jacquelin G: bright light Garnet core and rim
Nose
LC: Dusty, waxy white pepper, hints of strawberry celery/dill BG: Strawberry, bit beetroot, bit forest floor , not especially pinot characteristics AKG: Cherry Jell-O, wet wooden warehouse/fishy EU: Pomegranate, prune, red plum Jacquelin G: pepper, spice, leather
Palate
LC: Acidic, hints of vanilla, not much fruit showing, long finish AKG: Ripe strawberries, simple but pleasant, nice mouth feel, enjoyable, nice aftertaste EU: some cherry, cranberry, bright acid, unbalanced, long cranberry finish some tannin Jacquelin G: High acidity, low tannins, hint of cranberry, light to medium body, sour cherries. Acid dominates finish
Notes:
Closure – Stelvin screwtop
Mt. Lehman Pinot Noir – Current Vintage & Availability
#3 Dirty Laundry Pinot Noir 2010 13%
Quality Rating: D+ to C- ~ 83 Value Rating: D to D+
Price: $25.00
Eye
LC: Dense garnet colour BG: Cherry rim AKG: cherry, relatively rich looking EU: Dark Garnet Jacquelin G: Bright, crystal-clear, Garnet core and rim
Nose
LC: Hint of strawberry, pepper BG: Barrel effects, sour cherry AKG: Nail polish remover, prunes, nutmeg EU: chemical, dried fruit Jacquelin G: Touch of heat on the nose, hint of warm baking spices [Oak]
Palate
LC: Acidic, green, tannic BG: Not a lot of pinot noir grace, astringent tannins AKG: Bark, very tannic, oaky aftertaste EU: dry tannin + ? acid, no love here Jacquelin G: sweet fruit, medium soft tannins, or well integrated with refreshing acidity! Meeting finish with some limited complexity. Well-made clean wine but lacking any serious complexity!
Notes:
Closure – cork
Dirty Laundry Pinot Noir – Current Vintage & Availability
#4 Hillside Pinot Noir 2010 12.9%
Quality Rating: B- ~ 90 Value Rating: B
Price: $22.00
Eye
LC: Bright garnet, bricky BG: Garnet/cherry rim AKG: Garnet, glossy EU: purple brownish edge Jacquelin G: bright, clear, Garnet rim and core
Nose
LC: Cherry, strawberry, pomegranate, mace BG: Strawberry, vanilla, ripe cherry AKG: wet fruit/field mulch EU: strawberry, cherry, floral (raspberry), vanilla Jacquelin G: sour cherries, hint of Oaky character; vanilla
Palate
LC: Acid controlled, sweet fruit-raspberry, strawberry. long finish almost appley! Tannins, grape a little bitter, young BG: Cherry, some wood effects, good balance some length in the finish AKG: a bit sour, nice tannins, interesting ending, quite longish EU: Strawberry, cherry, white pepper strawberry on finish, balanced acid and tannin, very pleasant Jacquelin G: more cherries, some bright acidity along with integrated tannins-well-balanced and drinking well now.! Finish is medium With fruit and tannins lingering pleasantly
Notes:
Closure – cork
Hillside Pinot Noir – Current Vintage & Availability
#5 J. Daan Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2010 13.5%
Quality Rating: B to B+ ~ 93 Value Rating: B- to B
Price: $35.00
Eye
LC: Bright garnet, bricky BG: Cherry/garnet rim AKG: Garnet going to brick EU: dark cherry red Jacquelin G: bright and clear
Nose
LC: Strawberry, white pepper hints of rose petal, complex. caramel, barnyard on initial pour BG: sweet cherry, pomegranate some earthiness AKG: felt marker, red licorice, baked earth EU: barnyard, light cherry, wood? citrus peel Jacquelin G: cherries and strawberries, warm spices huge and fruity! Summation point! Hint of leather, lots happening here plus
Palate
LC: Acid but controlled dusty caramel, paraffin wax . light body, med long finish , a little bitterness (pepper and fruit seems muted. BG: Great balance of acidity and tannins, nice focused fruit but also some weight AKG: Red licorice, nice acidity, ripe blackberry AKG: well-balanced, toasted nuts EU: Cherry, buttered popcorn/roast nuts/vanilla. toasted oak on finish & red fruits as well, disjoint. balanced acid and tannin Jacquelin G: Lots of warm spices, sweet fruit, oaky nuances of vanilla toast; ripe tannins! All well integrated, drinking very well now. Medium and lingering finish, with some complexity. Could hold for another 2 to 5 years
#6 Stag’s Hollow Renaissance Pinot Noir 14.2%
Quality Rating: C+ ~ 88 Value Rating: C- to C
Price: $35.00
Eye
LC: Dense ruby garnet BG: Cherry/garnet rim AKG: Cherry, rich EU: Jacquelin G: Bright, clear
Nose
LC: Anise, caramel, pomegranate, Asian spice, 5 spice? BG: Plummy, dark cherry, lurking wood notes AKG: sweet plum pudding, rich, pepper EU: Candle wax/paraffin, light smoke, heavy toast on the oak, roast beets, dark cherry. Jacquelin G: Distinctly hot, pleasant aroma of cherries, strawberries, hint of nutmeg, clove, vanilla
Palate
LC: Sweet fruit, cherry, blueberry, pepper, caramel wood tannins controlled. good balance. ? potential BG: Medium structure, Still rather formative, dark cherry, some wood notes, will develop, fruit should persevere. Still needs time AKG: Medium heavy, long finish, nutty, sweet fruit, nice tannins EU: High alcohol, porty, cherry, cranberry, very ripe, balanced for higher ripeness, pinot noir for merlot drinkers Jacquelin G: Well-balanced [not hot on palate] tannins still big, but ripe and well integrated; in pleasant balance with the tannins-drinking well now.
Notes:
Closure – cork
Stag’s Hollow Pinot Noir – Current Vintage & Availability
Tasting held April 8th 2014
2 comments
Stephen Small
August 23, 2014 at 6:26 pm
Just wondering – in view of your rating grades a “C” wine is “Most non-vintage cheap table wines, jug wine, bag in a box or country-wide appellations ” – can you suggest a couple of consistent C quality C value wines as an international benchmark.
Would a basic Louis Jadot Bourgogne, Kim Crawford or Meiomi Pinot be appropriate.
I think letter grades are useful, but in reviewing your panel’s scoring it would be helpful to have an actual wine or two suggested to your readers as reference bottles.
Steve Small – North Vancouver
admin
September 8, 2014 at 10:16 pm
Hi Steve:
Thanks so much for your interest. Sorry for the delay in responding but just getting back after a Summer hiatus, doing some touring etc. but now “back in the chair”. Great question and good suggestions. For a “C” wine, I was thinking of it maybe inflected just a bit lower, say “Santa Rita 120” series or Linedmann’s Bin 65 Chardonnay level New World. For Old World actually the Louis Jadot bourgogne sounds right or say Torres Sangre de Toro. Your other suggestions actually also match up pretty well too with my own idea of it. You make a good point. I will add some examples to that section of the site to give a sense of a starting point for the letter scale. Thanks.