January/February, 2006

vintage:

2003

rating:

89 pts.

Good full red. Raspberry, pomegranate, menthol and spicy oak on the nose. Richer, sweeter and more velvety than the Garnet, with deeper flavors of red fruits, minerals and spices. Sound ripe acidity gives this pinot a very pleasing balance. Finishes sweet and long, with lush, fine tannins.

 

October, 2004

vintage:

2002

rating:

89 pts.

Sweet oak is the constant companion and sometime challenger to well-ripened cherries in both the aromas and flavors of this nicely filled Pinot Noir, but, in the end, the wine happily claims fruit as its guiding light. It shows a few ragged edges following a smooth and supple entry, but its minor roughness and slightly grippy tannins can be blamed on youth, and each seems sure to be resolved by now.

May/June, 2004

vintage:

2002

rating:

87 pts.

Bright red. Cherry, raspberry, gingerbread and caramel on the nose. Initially quite spicy-oaky, but showed sweet, supple flavors of raspberry tart and ginger snaps with aeration. Slightly chunky pinot noir, with good fruit and a bit of finishing toughness.

 

December 23, 2003

vintage:

2001

rating:

88 pts.

(This is a) delicious, fruit-forward offering revealing both elegance and flavor intensity...the 2001 Pinot noir Carneros possesses raspberries and cherries, but more tannin, wood, and earth.

The Independent Magazine (UK) — November 4, 2003

vintage:

2001

rating:

N/A

Saintsbury's top-notch, sumptuousl fruity Pinot Noir has justifiably become a popular classic. The 2001, one of the best so far, is a perfumed, voluptuous red with juicy red berry fruit flavours and poised spiciness.

May/June, 2003

vintage:

2001

rating:

87 pts.

Medium red. Bitter cherry, fresh herbs, chocolate and oak spices on the nose. Fresh and fairly intense flavors of tart red berries, bitter cherry and herbs, perked up by some unabsorbed CO2; nicely restrained sweetness. Finishes with light, slighly dry tannins.

May 1, 2003

vintage:

2001

rating:

89 pts.

Layers of lively varietal fruit, tasty oak, complexing nuances of black walnuts, cocoa and creme brulee provide this wine with an impressive start, and its medium-depth, balanced flavors follow suit in fine style. Ripeness brings a momentary flare of heat in the finish, but things are kept on course by the wine's solid fruit. A fine partner to grilled steaks in the nearer term, it should enjoy a few years of improvement yet.

April 1, 2003

vintage:

2001

rating:

88 pts.

SMART BUY! "Good, solid Pinot." Medium-deep ruby purple color, slight herbal and spicy aromas; spicy, herbal and erry flavors on palate, it's balanced and has good sturcuture. I like the spice and comlexity here–good, solid Pinot.

September 15, 2002

vintage:

2000

rating:

87 pts.

Complex, concentrated black cherry and wild berry flavors are well-focused. More richness and intensity than this bottling typically shows. Drink now through 2006.

August 13, 2002

vintage:

2000

rating:

89 pts.

The successful 2000 Pinot Noir possesses a multidimensional, intense bouquet of jammy sweet cherry fruit intermixed with loamy soil, subtle new oak, apple skin, and spice. Fleshy and medium-bodied, with good underlying but unobtrusive acidity as well as tannin, it is a delicious Pinot for drinking over the next 4-5 years.

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