Bouchard Pere et Fils Premier Cru Beaune de Chateau 2005

Kelly and I can’t review many wines on our own - we just don’t drink that much! So we love to get reviews from readers. We’re not experts - we just like wine - and this blog is all about sharing opinions. You can e-mail a review to me here, or, if you want to do it anonymously, post it in  a nbwines / at / gmail / dot com. If you want to provide the review anonymously, post it in the “Make a Suggestion” thread, and I will re-post it.

Here is a review of a Burdundy from Peter. While this wine is no longer available, ANBL does carry a variety of wines from Bouchard Pere et Fils regularly (the white Beaune de Chateau is currently listed), so we may see it again. Let’s hope so - it’s hard to find a good Burgundy at this price.

— Peter’s Review —

Nose:  Delightful, fresh, powerful springtime nose.  Classic Pinot Noir scents with raspberry and cranberry like notes, some earthy and floral notes.  You can just anticipate the nice acidity. Mouth watering, complex, and enticing.

Palate:  Again fresh, easy drinking (watch out!), very well balanced!  Prominent acidity in line with what you want and expect from a pinot. Light-medium body. Nice raspberry fruit is the predominant flavor.  Just faint tannins on medium long finish.  More earthy and floral notes on back end.  Very drinkable on own, and paired very nice with cedar planked BBQ ginger maple salmon.  I always caveat all this for most wine drinkers, particularly new or very casual, this style may not be fruity or approachable enough to impress.  But for those who like Pinot, this is great stuff.  I didn't mind paying the premium for this one.  Would buy again.  I presume I drank around the right time frame, but would love to hear opinions on cellar time for such wines.

I'd score 91-92pt+.
Price approx $45

Firesteed Pinot Noir 2006

Pinot strikes me as a good shoulder season wine - too bad Tancred says this one is just a little over-priced to be really good value.

--- Tancred's Review---

This is an unmistakable new world pinot noir. Strawberry flavours on the nose and a fruit forward palate that marks this as new world, reminiscent of a cool climate Australian pinot. Quite dry, maybe even a bit tart on the finish. This is not a great wine, not particularly complex, but it is a well-made pinot if you're in the mood for something in this style. At $25 though, not a bargain.

Price: $24.99
Rating: 85
Value: 3/5
Region: Oregon
UPC: 753526100005

Aresti Reserve Pinot Noir 2006

Somehow it's no surprise that Iron Chef is first off the mark with a review to kick off the the new (post-vacation) season. Last night Kelly and I had the Banfi Cum Laude 2004, which we will review on Friday. The hot weather forecast for this week is great white wine weather, so I'll be waiting for more reviews. Remember, post your review in the "Make a Suggestion" thread, or e-mail them to me at nbwines / at / gmail / dot / com.

--- Iron Chef's Review ---

Nose: Herbal, warm oak, some hot flashes and extracted cherries.
Taste: Menthol like Cough syrup and Tooth picks. Way over the top oak with a resiny finish. Red Apple acidity.
Overall- did not enjoy this, tasted a lot like those mint flavoured toothpicks. Seemed to suffer from the same problem that the new Nottage Hill Pinot from Hardys, over oaked to hide inferior fruit. But again what do you expect for under $15 for a Pinot.

Price: $13.99
Value: 1/5
Score: 72
Chile: Curico Valley
Alcohol: 14%
UPC: 677855001218

Oyster Bay Marlborough Pinot Noir 2007

We liked the Oyster Bay Chardonnay, but it seems the Pinot doesn't quite match it. Anyone had the Sauv Blanc?

--- Iron Chef's Review---

Region: New Zealand, Marlborough
Nose: Strawberries and Raspberries- fresh fruit smell. Some herbal notes mixed with vanilla. Whiff of dry stones. Very fragrant.
Taste: More Raspberries or cranberry than strawberries with some pepper. Nice crisp grape-skin tartness. Tastes of pitted fruits. Some oak on the finish but very light. Elegant and supple.
Overall a very solid wine that is more refined and elegant than bombastic and loud. Enjoyed it but thought the price was pushing the boundaries. Also LCBO at 26% cheaper.

Price: $26.99
Value: 2.5/5
Score: 89
Alcohol: 13.5%
UPC: 9415549809679

Pierre André Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Clous 2005

Here's one that not-so-much value priced. It's hard to give a value rating to the more expensive wines. I loved the Pierre Sparr Gewurz I had a week ago, but when I think about it, I'm not sure it was really a 4/5 for value. I gave it a 92, but isn't that what you'd want (maybe not what you'd expect) from a $50 wine? And value is relative to the style. If you're someone who likes Aus Shiraz you'll be paying less than someone who likes Burgundy. Speaking of which . . .

--- Iron Chef's Review ---


A good friend brought over this Pinot Noir from the Premier Cru vineyard of Aux Clous in the north of Burgundy where as Robert Parker says, "Savigny's finest, richest, most intense and ageworthy wines are produced". My expertise with Burgundy is scarce, but Premier Cru wines are always welcome especially from a near perfect vintage (WS 95pts for Beaune, 98pts for Nuits).
Nose- White Pepper, Deep + robust strawberry, Resiny wood and a hint of Peaches. Just a bunch of stuff going on.
Taste: Tannic and grippy, crisp apple skin acidity. Stewed Strawberries with rhubarb and a remarkable milk chocolate finish that travelled forever. Very deep and complex taste. Sometimes hollow in the middle of your tongue. Lightly textured- not heavy on the palate.
Overall: Wow- this is really different experience- class + structure+ highly refined. This was young, it hasn't developed the earthy mushroom elements that I had expected- but it will. I am always too nervous to buy Burgs as I don't know enough to make educated purchases and everything seems soo expensive. I will be buying more of this and giving it ten yrs in the cellar. Fantastic- I will remember this for a long time.

Price: $49.99
Score- 95
Value- for Burgs ????- Recession, what recession.
Region: France-Burgundy
Alcohol: 13%
UPC: 3193411640037

Brancott Reserve Pinot Noir 2005

We had this wine with friends about a month ago, and this review has been floating around on a scrap of paper since then. It’s a characteristic Pinot in an earthy and floral Oregon style rather than a strawberry New Zealand style. But New Zealand it is, nonetheless. Peppery on the palate, well balanced and clean on the palate with excellent structure. I was a big fan of the nose and the style, thought a touch more complexity would have bumped up the score. Kelly gave it a 90, but since I’m writing the note, I’ll go with my score which was 89. But I have to add that our friends gave it more like an 88. Very satisfying, and a couple of $ less would have made it a 4/5 for value.

Price: $25.79
Score: 89
Value: 3/5
Region: New Zealand
UPC: 852832104704

Aresti Pinot Noir 2007

Continuing in the vein of value-priced wines, here is a review from Iron Chef.

--- Iron Chef ---

Nose: Restrained, not bombastic - earthy, mushroom s- bright strawberry fruit. Some floral or hay notes.
Taste: Vanilla Ice Cream and Strawberry Rhubarb pie. Some steamy-ness late in the palate. Wonderful food wine. Good acidity.
Overall a very pleasant wine for foodies on a budget - liked it more than the Cono Sur, but less than the Castillo de Molina.

Price: $9.99
Value 5/5
Score: 87.5
Region: Curico Valley, Chile
Alcohol 12.5%
UPC #677855000716

Patriarche Pére & Fils Pinot Noir Reserve 2005

The grape that made Burgundy famous, Pinot Noir has long been one of my favourites. It has a reputation for being difficult to cultivate, but excellent when successfully managed. I've no idea whether that's true, but I do find it less reliable than some other grapes, particularly if price is factored into the equation. So, this wine is a particularly excellent find.

Its nose is lush and perfumed, mostly of violets, spices, fruit, and menthol. It is light and full on the palate, and moderately long. I guessed it was an Oregon Pinot, from which I conclude that it exhibits significant New World character. It is much more perfumed than fruity or earthy.

Price: $15.49
Score 86
Value 4.5/5
Region: Pays d'Oc, France
Grape: Pinot Noir
Tasted: Feb 2009
Alcohol: 12.5%
UPC: 3040072153034

Loredona Pinot Noir 2005

Sometimes it seems that all the scores on this blog are pretty high. For the wines that I taste, that's because I don't just plunk down my money at random - sure I like to try different wines, but different and good is a lot better than different and bad. So I usually try to do some kind of research on the wine before I decide to buy, and as a result, most of the wines I buy and blog about are pretty good. But just to prove the good scores mean something, we'll have a couple of ... well, not exactly 'bad' scores, but let's say, not so good scores. I'll start with one from Iron Chef. Stay tuned for my own "not too great" wine pick on Thursday.

Here is Iron Chef's review:

---

I can’t remember a Monterey PN I have had off the top of my head, so it was good to try. The wine was fragrant notes of Raspberry and cranberry cocktail. Unmistakable New World PN. The taste was light and lively with a very appealing Vanilla Core. But beyond that it was very unremarkable and forgettable.

Price: $24.79
Score: 82
Value: 2/5
Region: USA, California
Grape: Pinot Noir
Alcool 13.5%
UPC #0822420323435

Kenwood Russian River Pinot Noir 2006

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, I'm going to post some reviews from the "Make a Suggestion" on a more frequent schedule for a few days. And remember, the point of this blog isn't to have the last word - it's just to get the conversation going with these reviews. I'm posting these reviews from Make a Suggestion as separate posts in order make the wine searchable (the blog search function at the top of the page only searches posts, not comments) and to get a separate discussion going on this particular wine. If anyone has tried this wine, please post a comment and let everyone know what you think.

Here's Iron Chef's review:

I was anxious to buy this PN because of the AVA – Russian River, we do not tend to see many in this neck of the woods. I remember a quote from one of the Wine mags calling Russian River PNs as a Dark Chocolate in comparison to the milk chocolate PNs from Coastal areas of Cali. Anyways I digress. This wine was definitely fuller with a high octane edge. Aromas of Strawberry/ rhubarb pie, some creamy oak notes. Finish was Caramilk bar with cherry coke. But all the while an under current of florals and berries. A very nice example of a fuller style PN with balanced acidity.

I think this is on sale if my memory is correct, I was also able to buy a few 2005s to go along with the 2006s, I will try to contrast them someday.

Retail Price: $19.99
Score: 89
Value: 4/5
Region: California, Russian River
Grape: Pinot Noir
Alcool: 14.5%
UPC #010986002813

Pelee Island Winery Pinot Noir Reserve 2006

Ted brought this wine over and I tasted it blind (a rarity for me). I wasn't a fan. The balance was poor - sweet and soft. It had a very distinct candied flavour that I dislike - it's common in wines at this price range, but a significant negative nonetheless. Some candied wines have enough fruit or brightness to partially compensate - but not this one. Kelly liked it better than I did - she detected strawberries on the nose.

Price: $17.99
Score: 83(N) - 86(T) - 88(K)
Value: 2/5(N) - 4/5(K)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Tasted: Oct 2008
ANBL UPC: 777081720942

Aresti Reserve Pinot Noir 2006

Here's a review from Chris Macdonald, ANBL's "wine guy" that was originally posted in the "Make a Suggestion" thread. It got some good comments and Kelly and I finally tried the wine ourselves last night.

I would say that it doesn't have the classic Pinot character in they way that the Cono Sur Pinot does - but as Chris says, we all have our own idea of how Pinot should taste - and in any event, the bottom line is that this is outstanding value. We'd probably score even higher than Chris did - more like 89. And it is undoubtedly a 5/5 for value. Extremely impressive at this price.

Here's Chris's review:

"The Pinot Noir Reserva is a new offering from Aresti. I have tried the Aresti wine portfolio from top to bottom a few times and have found that overall, Aresti offers good value a >$15 (with exceptions) but struggles at the premium end.

With the Pinot Noir Reserva 2006, Aresti breaks through from reliable to very very good. This wine is made in California style. As I nosed it, I was reminded of some pricy California pinot. I found the aroma slightly more impressive than the taste...at first. It really opened up to deliver the goods. Generous (but pleasant) oak gave way to a solid core of red fruit that was enhanced by a soft but appreciable acidity and enough tannins(soft) to raise this wine above the ordinary.

Pinot Noir is a touchy subject for a lot of wine drinkers. We seem to have our own idea of how PN should taste. Not to mention PN's supposed quality link with "terroir". Please try this wine with an open palate and let me know what you think."

I've just tried this wine again (11 Nov '08) and I found the harsh finish mentioned by Tancred to be quite pronounced. I'm a bit less enthusiastic than I was the first time, so I'm revising my score.

Price: $13.79
Value: 5/5 (Chris) - 4/5(N)
Score: 87 (Chris) - 84(N)
Alcohol: 14%
Region D.O Curico Chile
Tasted: Oct 2008
ANBL UPC: 677855001218

Castillo de Molina Pinot Noir 2005

Here are a couple of reviews from Iron Chef that I've cut out of the "Make a suggestion" thread. Note that the scores and value ratings are Iron Chef's, not mine.

"What we had on Saturday Night:
We started with the Castillo de Molina 2005 Pinot Noir 14%- Very aromatic- Strawberry Rhubarb Pie notes. Very creamy on the palate accented by vanilla bean and crème brulee. Great Acidity for food. Very good value for a Pinot.
Price: $18.79
Value: 5/5
Score: 89
Alcohol: 14%
Tasted: Oct 2008
ANBL UPC: 7804300121693 "

Bay of Fires Tigress Pinot Noir 2005

Bay of Fires is a Tasmanian winery that also produces the delicious Sauvignon Blanc I reviewed a few days ago. Here's Kelly's note: "This wine is what I think of as classic Australian Pinot. It is smooth and flavourful, with well balanced earth and fruit elements. It's really difficult for me to name particular flavours b/c this wine for me is just Pinot; but here goes: wild strawberries in a damp evergreen forest begin in a luscious nose and follow through on the palate. Firm tannins, long. Probably I'm rating it a bit high b/c tasty pinot isn't that easy to come by: Score 91."

I agree that 91 may be a bit high - it doesn't have a lot of complexity. But on the other hand, tasty Pinot is hard to come by. . . Too bad I don't see Bay of Fires represented on the wine list for this year's Wine Expo.

PS - Now Kelly says Tancred was right. This wine doesn't really deserve a 91 - rampant grade inflation is already at work. So, new score = 89

Price: Approx $30
Value: 4/5
Score: 89
Tasted: Sept 2008
ANBL UPC: No longer listed

Cono Sur Pinot Noir 2007

For some reason I find the name of this winery - a play on "connoisseur" - really annoying, but this wine was the surprise hit of the BBQ. Pinot noir is fashionable (particularly since the movie Sideways) but it is notoriously finicky. All too often an inexpensive pinot is thin, insipid and nonedescript. But not this one. This Cono Sur pinot (and it's not even their 'premium' 20 barrels line) has excellent pinot 'typicity' particularly on the nose, which has classic strawberry and cherry fruit with a touch of the earthiness that I enjoy in a pinot. It doesn't have great length or complexity on the finish, but so what. This is a young wine, meant to hit you up front, and it totally delivers on that front. Kathy, who's a big fan of Aus/NZ pinot, loved it - and would have given it a 91. I won't go that high, but maybe that's just because I know the price. But it would be good value at twice the price; for $13 it's fantastic. I've got a few fancy pinots I brought back from a vacation in Oregon, which is famous for its pinot. I'm going to have a tasting and slip this one in as a ringer. I'll be very curious to see how it stacks up. Kathy says: "Buy this one by the case."

Price: $12.79
Score: 89
Value: 5/5
Alcohol: 14%
Tasted: August 2008
ANBL UPC: 7804320753454