TN: 2014 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

[P_D_e_r_d_e_y_n]

Had my first '14 SC chard the other night, figured this is as good a place to post it as any. It’s stronger on the tropical spectrum than the '13 and is quite a bit lighter in depth and concentration. The vineyard sources are significantly different than the '13 so vintage variation is not the only change. I’m planning to give these a year to see if they’ll fatten up.

[Brian_Tuite]

@P. D e r d e y n

Had my first '14 SC chard the other night, figured this is as good a place to post it as any. It’s stronger on the tropical spectrum than the '13 and is quite a bit lighter in depth and concentration. The vineyard sources are significantly different than the '13 so vintage variation is not the only change. I’m planning to give these a year to see if they’ll fatten up.

TN: 2014 Rivers-Marie Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

[ncostanzo1]

Ok well now I’m feeling the bern to open up one of these! mmmm okay!

[Tim_Dennis]

@B. Buzzini

Loved this as well as the chard!! Are there any better qpr Sonoma wines out there???NO!

I haven’t had this wine. How does it compare to the Sandler SVDs at about the same price point?

[JLee]

@S.Homewood

Wife and I also popped one of these Friday night. This was a mistake and definitely needs more time. I was not really a fan, probably need to hold the others for a couple of years minimum.

+1. I thought the chard was more ready to drink now, if not exactly to my taste.

[larry_schaffer]

I love reading the ups and downs of thsee notes - just goes to show how the same wine can be perceived so differently. And no one is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ here.

I’m just surprised that so many are opening these wines so young - and not at least revisiting and posting your notes on day 2.

Cheers.

[A.G_EVERETT]

I have now popped a couple of the '14 SC pinots and I am enthralled. Best R-M SC pinot yet. Might get better with time, but not sure I see a whole lot of upside in waiting.

Also had the '14 Summa on Easter. A very lovely wine indeed, and somewhat more ageworthy. Just wanted to pop one in the name of science. In general, found a very similar profile to the '14 SC, just a touch more depth. And that with minimal air time. My most recent bottle of the SC was best on the last glass (5 hours after opening).

[Dav1dZ]

@Brian Tuite

@Dave McCloskey

@Brian Tuite

I opened one Thursday and finished Friday. Mushrooms and blood orange on the nose. Rich dark cherry fruit, bright acidity pushing through with a hint of stems and abundant fruit in the slightly tannic finish. Didn’t have the pine needle note I have found on many previous vintages. What a great QPR.

Mushrooms and blood oranges on the nose. Now that’s an interesting combination. I hope by the time I get around to sampling it the stems disappear. When I hear the words “stem, stemy and green” I want to run for the hills.

This wasn’t green at all. The stems note of mine was from some mid-palate astringency that I relate to whole cluster fermentations. I need some complexity in my wines to offset the fruit and that slight stemminess is part of the complexity I am looking for.

Agreed that these wines need stemminess to offset the fruit but that’s because the fruit is too sweet. Pinot grown from the right places don’t need stems to offset sweet fruit because they have rich fruit, not sweet fruit. Put differently, the sweet-cut-with-green profile of these wines isn’t a feature, it’s a bug.

[Brian_Tuite]

@Brian Tuite

@Dave McCloskey

@Brian Tuite

I opened one Thursday and finished Friday. Mushrooms and blood orange on the nose. Rich dark cherry fruit, bright acidity pushing through with a hint of stems and abundant fruit in the slightly tannic finish. Didn’t have the pine needle note I have found on many previous vintages. What a great QPR.

Mushrooms and blood oranges on the nose. Now that’s an interesting combination. I hope by the time I get around to sampling it the stems disappear. When I hear the words “stem, stemy and green” I want to run for the hills.

This wasn’t green at all. The stems note of mine was from some mid-palate astringency that I relate to whole cluster fermentations. I need some complexity in my wines to offset the fruit and that slight stemminess is part of the complexity I am looking for.

@DavidZ

Agreed that these wines need stemminess to offset the fruit but that’s because the fruit is too sweet. [[[[ ]]]] Pinot grown from the right places don’t need stems to offset sweet fruit because they have rich fruit, not sweet fruit. Put differently, the sweet-cut-with-green profile of these wines isn’t a feature, it’s a bug.

I missed the part where I said the fruit was sweet and the wine green. Oh, because I didn’t say that. Yeah, the Sonoma Coast is a horrible place to grow Pinot Noir. Never had one from there worth it’s tariff.

Troll much? Don’t answer that. So I’m supposed to go to the Burg threads and whine about acid or sugar adds? Or that you can’t buy a decent Burg for $30 or under? Or that they don’t use any whole cluster? Seriously.

[Dav1dZ]

@Brian Tuite

Troll much? So I’m supposed to go to the Burg threads and whine about acid or sugar adds? Or that you can’t buy a decent Burg for $30 or under? Or that they don’t use any whole cluster? Seriously.

The OP described the wine as having “sweet but not cloying” fruit. YMMV.

I like plenty of PN from CA (and OR), just not this pin-faux.

PS: Lively debate isn’t trolling.

[Brian_Tuite]

@DavidZ

@Brian Tuite

Troll much? So I’m supposed to go to the Burg threads and whine about acid or sugar adds? Or that you can’t buy a decent Burg for $30 or under? Or that they don’t use any whole cluster? Seriously.

The OP described the wine as having “sweet but not cloying” fruit. YMMV.

I like plenty of PN from CA (and OR), just not this pin-faux.

PS: Lively debate isn’t trolling.

If you had quoted the OP I may have responded differently. Or not. Context is everything in a forum like this.

[Michael_Klein]

My short but sweet (no pun intended) tasting note from a couple weeks back:

3/26/2016 - I LIKE THIS WINE: (Edit) 92 Points
Deep, opaque color in the glass. Darker blackberry and cherry fruit. Subtile tannin. I say, drink away, but this will continue to improve over the next year or 2.

[Andrew_W1]

Agreed this is one of the, if not the, best QPR in my cellar, I wish I had more space to buy more each year but end up focusing on the SVs.