I’ve been a buyer of these pinots on and off over the past ten years or so, and have generally found them to be enjoyable.
I’ve not tried any of the 2013’s, but noticed that Parker reviewed these wines (for the first time) - six wines with an average score of 79. There are only a few other notes on this WesMar vintage in CT, but with positive comments and all with scores over 90.
The Salzgeber Vineyard pinot received the lowest numerical score for all 2013 wines reviewed by TWA (many other wines had score withheld).
Scores wouldn’t keep me from buying again, but I am curious of any other experiences with this vintage from WesMar.
Haven’t had the 2013 wines and haven’t ordered the last vintage or two. Usually a fan… Especially love the aromatics and fruity but light palate weight. Somewhat mixed experiment with the benefit of aging them, they hold up but they may show at their best young.
Didn’t know Parker gave them low scores, but on the whole that motivates me to buy them again… A low Parker score for a producer with a good reputation is a good sign of good wines.
The wines are excellent. The 2013s are no exception. They should be cellared for 5 years or more to let them show what they can do. I think Parker does a great job for cab and Bdx, but if you are a pinot lover you really can’t take Parker’s scores seriously. Go by the Cellartracker ratings in this case.
These scores are why I truly consider RP irrelevant. I’m a younger wine consumer and look forward to a day without his presence in the wine world. From what I see with many other younger wine fans I know, his scores already are irrelevant.
These pinots are phenomenal and the scores are plain unfair. Period.
A truly UNDER THE RADAR producer who makes excellent pinot for a fair price. f*ck Parker or whatever clown reviewed it. Denise’s father was Ed Selyem of Williams Selyem fame, so it’s likely she understands how to make decent, ageable pinot. Truly humble and pleasant people who deserve better than to be trashed by a bitter, irrelevant critic.
For those who like CA pinot, Wesmar will make you happy. The profile fits somewhere towards the riper end of the AFWE spectrum, just a bit bigger of say Anthill Farms. Just delicious stuff. I purchased for a few years, and only stopped for the reasons many of us have cut back on mailers: tough decisions needed to be made with just too much wine to buy and not enough money. I recently pulled a 2007 Oehlman, and I know as soon as I open it I’ll wish I had found the budget.
Having the price and score transposed in TWA review would certainly put the rating of the Salzgeber pinot more in line with the scoring of the rest of the portfolio.
I agree the scores seem unfair, especially in the context of recent (and not so recent) conversations around score inflation at TWA and other publications.
In September, my family and I tasted the 2012 and 2013 vintages with Kirk and Denise, and everything they made was excellent in a balanced, understated way. I have been drinking different Wesmar wines since 2005, and all of them are light-bodied with vibrant acidity and a silky mouthfeel, things I covet in a quality pinot noir. In April of 2015, I opened a 2005 Olivet Lane, and it had aged beautifully so no worries about ageability.
After reading the OP, I was a little pissed that RP would rate Wesmar wines so low and decided to open one of my 2013s, not because I was concerned about the quality of the wines, but because low ratings can really hurt smaller wineries that rely on word of mouth and favorable ratings from professionals. While I know the WB community does not rely on RP, especially for pinot noir reviews, others will bypass these great wines, and that is sad.
Tonight, we opened one of my 2013 Oehlman Vineyard bottles, and it was lovely. Although I am not a professional reviewer, I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express, and my humble impressions are below.
Strawberry red color. The lovely, understated nose begins with red cherry and rose petals, but with air, earthy horseradish elements emerge. Cherry and cranberry fruit are on tap initially with earthy notes and spice filling out the palate. This wine is light-bodied with high acidity and a silky mouthfeel. Overall, this light-bodied, red-fruited wine is a study in subtlety, and I believe the acidity will help it to age gracefully for 8-10 more years.
It is sad for WesMar their wines were not more to the liking of RP. While we all have opinions about wine ratings, this will no doubt have some impact on their business.
The 2005 Pinot Noir Olivet Lane is a terrific wine. From my notes, I believe that was the last WesMar vintage of Olivet Lane. I am glad I have one more bottle.
You are correct, 2005 was the last Wesmar Olivet Lane, and I am jealous you still have a bottle left. I have no doubt it will be wonderful. I think Pelligrini stopped selling those grapes to everyone, except Merry Edwards and Williams Seleym, so they could step up their offering. Denise loves Oehlman and recommended that vineyard as the closest substitute for Olivet Lane. It is not the same, but it is pretty darn good.
I am not an ERP subscriber, but I’m wondering what the write-ups were on the wines, regardless of the scores. These are often an indication of the ‘overall’ take-home message they are trying to convey.
Unfortunately, I’ve been there before with my brand - it sucks but life goes on . . .
And as is always said, you can’t taste points, and if you’ve liked these in the past, there’s no reason to believe that they will be markedly different in this vintage unless the winery noted it.
I think the price and score were transposed. Kirk and Denise do not have an $85 Pinot.
Actually, I don’t think they make a $58 Pinot either. I didn’t read the Parker review, but $85 might be a magnum price. Whatever the case, I have enjoyed these wines in the past and will continue to buy them. I have already purchased 2013WesMars and am very happy I have.
