Five Branches – Pinot Noir
This is a California wine done right. The taste is smooth and delightful. There is nothing bad about this wine. This might be one of my favorite everyday drinking wines. You can have a glass at the end of the day to take the edge off or to complement your dinner.
This is not an overly expensive wine and not super cheap either.
I would give this wine a 5/5.
King Estate – Pinot Noir, greatest pinot noir in the world!!
Ok, maybe just the best I have ever had. Although it is not an everyday drinking wine from a price standpoint it isn’t that expensive. It is in the $20 – $30 range.
Smooth, unbelievably smooth with every sip. The flavor is not intense or overwhelming in any way. It also isn’t weak. It is simply good. If all wine tasted like this no one would drink anything else.
I like to age my King Estate bottles for a few years, mostly because I feel like I should only drink them on special occasions or give them as gifts. I look forward to the day I can bring a bottle as a dinner party gift. The older a wine is doesn’t always translate into a better wine so remember this. Wine is for drinking.
Have a bottle of King Estate Pinot Noir in your wine cellar or cabinet and find an occasion to drink it at least once every few years. Then replace it.
This wine is definitely a 5/5 wine.
R and R
Not a very good wine.
2/5 stars on the Linda Scale
This wine has a slight bite, but somehow it is completely ok. It is probably just a bit dry. 1 glass is ok, but 2 glasses is a bit much.
Overall I would not recommend this wine. It isn’t something you can fully enjoy. You would not want to serve it to guests since you would need to cut them off after one glass.
Magna Terra
This Pinot Noir is pretty good.
4/5 stars on the Linda Scale.
This is a fairly dark wine. It has a strong smell, with an intense fruit flavor. It is slightly dry, but not bitter.
Overall I liked this wine. I would say it is dinner worthy especially with a piece of red meat.
This Pinor Noir is excellent!
5/5 on the Linda Scale
This is an excellent wine. It was good on day one and good on day two. This wine if very drinkable, smooth, nothing harsh, no bite, and the flavor is pleasant.
I would definitely serve this to guests. This wine is a delight.
D’Autrefois
This Pinot Noir is good I guess. I guessed wrong.
2/5 stars on the Linda Scale.
The following notes are short and tend to be quickly taken after a quick sampling in the evening.
D’Autrefois, I didn’t take any notes on this one, but I think I rather liked it. There are no negatives about this one that I can remember. I kind of wish I had another bottle to try right now. On the other hand it isn’t memorable. I am going to take that as a very good sign. A drinking wine that isn’t too much of anything.
I am downgrading this wine from a non-memorable 4 to a 2. The tart cherry flavor in it does not make this wine a crowd favorite. I took this wine to a party very excited to share it and it did not go over well.
I myself could only manage to drink a single glass. This was a very disappointing wine.
This 2013 Pinot Noir at $8.99 is not very good.
2/3 on the Linda Scale.
Beaulieu Vineyard has nothing good, and nothing bad. Not much flavor. Not much aroma. It was better the second day it was open.
I would not serve this to guests at dinner.
This 2012 Pinot Noir at $11.99 is not very good.
2/5 on the Linda Scale.
The following notes are short and tend to be quickly taken after a quick sampling in the evening.
Acrobat has a slight bite to it. Slight headache the next day. Taste is not worth the headache.
I would not serve this at dinner.
This 2013 Pinot Noir at $6.99 isn’t very good California wine.
2/5 on the Linda Scale.
Cloud Break is too dry. I can only one glass of this wine at a sitting. It isn’t very drinkable.
I would not serve this wine to dinner guests.
This 2012 Pinot Noir at $10.99 is an ok wine.
3/5 on the Linda Scale.
The following notes are short and tend to be quickly taken after a quick sampling in the evening.
Forever Vineyards smells good. It has a tiny bite to it and is a bit dry.
I might serve this at dinner, but probably would try to find something better.
