Second Round B.C. Pinot Noir 2011s - #13

Wines from Okanagan Falls, Comox , Kelowna, and a Guest Pinot from Oregon

Big all the way through  flavour sequence, lovely pomegranate inflected fruit – BG
Beets! coffee & caramel, earthy – forest floor with rotting damp leaves, lots of complex aromas – Jacquelin G

Caps Corks Capsules 2011 BC Pinot Noirs

1. Beaumont Pinot Noir 2011 | $25.00 | C- ~ 84

2. Synchromesh Palo Solara Pinot Noir 2011 | $25.00 | D+ ~ 82

3. Sokol Blosser Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2011 (Oregon) | $39.00 | C+ ~ 88

4. Haywire Canyon View Pinot Noir 2011 | $35.00 | C- to C ~ 85

5. Sperling Pinot Noir 2011 | $26.00 | C- to C ~ 85

6. Meyer Family Vineyards Reimer Pinot Noir 2011 | $40.00 | B- ~ 90

#1 Beaumont Pinot Noir  2011 12.5%

Quality Rating: C- ~ 84    Price: $25.00

Beaumont Pinot Noir 2011

Eye
LC: Red/garnet    JG: Clear, light garnet, watery rim    BG: cherry rim light/med depth    AKG: Garnet, glossy    Jacquelin G: Bright and clear, ruby red rim & core-youthful?

Nose
LC: Slightly floral, dusty, maybe hints of cherry    JG: Clean, petrol? musky smell(grass). Where is the fruit? Wet cement     BG: Velvety, cherry, bid candied, flower/violet, nice balance    AKG: Strawberry, brown sugar, spicy, cinnamon    Jacquelin G: Slight chemical or rubber note? Medicinal cherries, forest floor and wet leaves

Palate
LC: Sour, short lived vanilla then nothing, fruit not too evident, cherry? raspberry?    JG: Acidity high, no fruit, wood, there is nothing in this wine, two thumbs down    BG: Bit flabby, touch tannin. Thinking French. Fruit is savoury or lacking sunshine. longish, Volnay like?    AKG: Light, pleasant middle but sour ending    Jacquelin G: Well balanced with crisp (food friendly) acidity, med body, slightly hot on nose and palate, hint of wet earthy flavours. clean and well made but lacking complexity

Notes:
Closure – cork

Beaumont Pinot Noir – Current Vintage & Availability

#2 Synchromesh Palo Solara Pinot Noir 2011 12.6%

Quality Rating: D+ ~ 82    Price: $25.00

Synchromesh Palo Solara Pinot Noir 2011

Eye
LC: Deep colour but clear    JG: Clear with sediment even sticking to the glass, bright purple    BG: Medium/light slight purple rim    AKG: glossy, cherry    Jacquelin G: Bright and clear, deep purple rim and core- very youthful!

Nose
LC: Dusty, smoky, cherry hidden there, porcini mushroom    JG: Clean, right off a hint of rubber, compote or cooked cherry and something sour, like cherry but sour    BG: Wood/cherry, stewed plum   AKG: Smoky, cherry, candy    Jacquelin G: Hot, wet cardboard aromas, hint of black cherries but limited fruit

Palate
LC: Very dry, spicy/peppery, sour but food friendly, quite closed, cherry, medium finish    JG: Overly oaked, acidity high , wet wood stick finish -quite green and tannic, find it unbalanced, unpleasant    BG: Plain, simple, short, sourish    AKG: Tart, woody, tannic, nice mouth feel but too sour    Jacquelin G: Hot on palate as well as nose, slightly acidic but OK with food! medium finish but simple, lacking complexity

Notes:
Closure – Stelvin screwtop

Synchromesh Pinot Noir – Current Vintage & Availability

#3 Sokol Blosser Dundee Hills Pinot Noir (Oregon) 2011 12.5%

Quality Rating: C+ ~ 88    Price: $39.00

Sokol Blosser Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2011

Eye
LC: Garnet, very clear    JG: Clear, bright garnet, clear time   BG: cherry/garnet, bright    AKG: Garnet, shiny    Jacquelin G: Bright clear, light garnet rim

Nose
LC: Forest, hints of floral-quite strong rose, caramel    JG: Clean, a touch of strawberry but mainly cherry, cinnamon, floral note    BG: Pomegranate, strawberry, rhubarb    AKG: Alcohol, peppery, blueberry    Jacquelin G: Huge aromas of cherries, strawberries, toasted coffee, mocha, great balance of fruit and oak, salty savoury caramel!

Palate
LC: Sweet cherry, pomegranate, med/long finish. a bit hot, not complex    JG: Oak driven, acidity high , tannins medium plus, thin, uninspiring    BG: Tobacco, tomato, supple, lingering/very long, bit of caramel    AKG: Nice acidity, bit tannic on finish, seems balanced between fruit, wood    Jacquelin G: Well balanced if slightly crisp again! Slightly bitter and end of palate -radicchio bitter!. Lots of oak present, now Ok with fruit medium plus finish

#4 Haywire Canyon View Pinot Noir 2011 13.4%

Quality Rating: C- to C ~ 85    Value Rating: D to D+
Price: $35.00

Haywire Canyonview Pinot Noir 2011

Eye
JG: Clear, light garnet, clear rim    BG: Cherry rim    AKG: Brick, rich looking    Jacquelin G: Bright , clear, garnet rim and core

Nose
LC: “tortiere” – meat, spicy    JG: Clean, chalk, green asparagus, strawberry?   Sourness    BG: Aroma is big, California? wood, stewed fruit    AKG: Rich, menthol, meat    Jacquelin G: Savoury spices, meaty

Palate
LC: Ground beef, nutmeg, coffee, hints of cinnamon, bitter finish, fuller mouth feel then others , bitter tannins    JG: Oak and spicy, alcohol med plus, acidity medium, tannins medium minus. The alcohol is killing most of the flavours, the wine died mid-palate, no fruit. Is this a pinot?    BG: Nutmeg, exotic, rotting leaves, candied, reminds me of petit verdot in exoticness. cooked, bitter ending    AKG: Not like a pinot, dense, bitter, dark cherries    Jacquelin G: Great mouthful, well balanced savoury, meaty, spicy pepper. hint of bitterness, hot on palate. Medium plus finish with some complexity. Lingers pleasantly.

Notes:
Closure – Stelvin screwtop

Haywire Pinot Noir – Current Vintage & Availability

#5 Sperling Pinot Noir 2011 13%

Quality Rating: C- to C ~85    Price: $26.00

Sperling Pinot Noir 2011

Eye
JG: Clear, a bit of sediment, bright purple, clear rim    BG: Cherry rim med/light    AKG: Garnet, some sediment, rich looking    Jacquelin G: Bright , clear, sediment solids, purple leaning to ruby

Nose
LC: Chemical, dried rose petal, wood    JG: Clean, compote cherry    BG: Wax, alcohol, not very projected, cherry, plum    AKG: Hot stewed fruit    Jacquelin G: Musty? hint hot. Slightly closed with barest hint of strawberry

Palate
LC: Thin in mouth, hint of cranberry? bit of cardboard, acidic    JG: Fruit cherry and strawberry, simple, uninspiring but well made. Has nothing to it.    BG: Acidic finish, lovely deeper radiant fruit. Big all the way through the flavour sequence, lovely pomegranate inflected fruit    AKG: Nice mouth feel, spicy, full bodied, savoury, sour ending    Jacquelin G: Sweet fruity palate with generous acidity and balanced tannins. Hardly a textbook pinot noir but what else is it?

Notes:
Closure – cork

Sperling Pinot Noir – Current Vintage & Availability

#6 Meyer Family Vineyards Pinot Noir – Reimer Vineyard 2011 13.5%

Quality Rating: B- ~ 90   Price: $40.00

Meyer Reimer Vineyard Pinot Noir 2011

Eye
LC: bright deep red, clear    JG: Clear, light garnet almost purple, clear watery rim    BG: Cherry rim, med/light    AKG: garnet & some sediment    Jacquelin G: Clear, bright

Nose
LC: Beefy, salty/iodine, waxy, dark fruit-plum    JG: Clean, cherry, floral -white flowers, coffee or caramel    BG: Plum, cherry, tobacco, wood    AKG: Mediterranean dry bushes, raspberry    Jacquelin G: Beets! coffee & caramel, earthy – forest floor with rotting damp leaves, lots of complex aromas

Palate
LC: Full mouth feel, slightly hot/acid but not overly. dark fruit-plum. quite long finish, oak but not overpowering    JG: On the oaky side to my palate, tannins medium plus, acidity medium, alcohol medium. Palate doesn’t follow the nose. Wine is very simple, lacks complexity, forgettable    BG: Plum, tobacco, wood, low acid, bigger flavour than previous wines, long.     AKG: Nice mouth feel, tannic ending, blackberries    Jacquelin G: Great mouthful – medium body, sweet fruit, oaky or grainy tannins, medium plus lingering finish. Very pleasant

Notes:
Closure – cork

Meyer Family Vineyards Pinot Noir – Current Vintage & Availability

Tasting held March 18th, 2014