Quartz Reef Sparkling Wine Review by Billy

Nose: Big apple explodes from the bottle even before pouring a glass. In my glass the green apple is more subtle and nicely blended with warm bread dough notes and a mineral oil foundation. More character here than I was expecting. A pleasant surprise!
Palate: Strong mineral and lime flavors in the mouth. Very dry. Bubbles are extremely small and lazy. They ooze around rather than dance.
Finish: Lemon grass on the long finish.
Overall: The nose is intriguing and the finish delightful. The bubbles and mouth feel are small which means you can pair this with almost anything you would a non-sparkling table Chardonnay. For the price you can find something that dances. I paid $16 for this sparkling wine at the local store. This New Zealand sparkling wine is made in the traditional Champagne way. It is a blend of 76% Pinot Noir and 24% Chardonnay from Bendigo, Central Otago, New Zealand. The Kiwis definitely know their way around wine. It is no surprise that a sparkling wine from there has made its way up here. This is a non-vintage, as many sparkling wines are. This means you will not see a year on the bottle. Rather it is a blend of wine from several years.
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Sean Minor 4 Bears Carneros 2009 Pinot Noir Sponsored wine review by Billy

Nose: juicy raspberry ans strawberry, fresh and lively with italian basil notes.
Palate: lush, ripe juiciness, good light structure in the mouth that stays agile and alive without weighing the wine down.
Finish: earthy notes on the back provide an elegant finish to this young Pinot Noir.
Overall: thanks to the crew at Sean Minor for providing this 2009 Carneros Pinot Noir to the Wine Cask Blog free for review. The wine is very easy drinking, light in body and fruity in character. It is incredibly "juicy" making it both fun and easy to drink.

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Sean Minor Four Bears 2008 Napa Valley Pinot Noir sponsored wine review by Billy

Nose: old decaying grass (typical of most Pinot Noirs) and warm strawberry pulp. Some teasing mulling spice just hints that it might be there
Palate:tight acid core around which is wound a light strawberry charge and some minerally or metalic characteristics.
Finish: Light and easy going.
Overall: This wine was received free of charge by The Wine Cask Blog in exchange for a review. Online this wine retails for about $15. Overall this is a delightfully light and easy-going pinot noir. It is light and full of strawberry which makes it a great choice for afternoons and lighter fare meals. It also has a subtle side that is fun for the wine expert in your life.

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Elk Cove Vineyards 2006 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Wine Reveiw by Billy

Nose:Classic Pinot nose of earthy musk (which is just a nice way of saying "sweaty gym socks") and lush berry undertones.
Palate: juicy strawberry around a firm acid core. The tannins are a bit prickly.
Finish: Red Berries persist as does the lush and juicy texture. Some chalk stone characteristics underlie a medium finish.
Overall: I paid about $25 for this if I remember correctly. This is a bit steep though not unfair. If I saw this for 5 or 10 less I would pick up several bottles to have on hand. If you are looking for a solid pinot made in the US of A you really cannot go wrong with Elk Cove 2006 Pinot Noir. This is a lighter red wine. Not as dense as a Cabernet or Shiraz. It is easy to drink and classy. Look for it at your local store and pick up one bottle at any price. If you see it for under $20 pick up several.

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Sean Minor 4 Bears 2007 Napa Pinot Noir Sponsored Review by Billy

Nose: Big strawberry and tart cherry with cedar notes.
Palate:Strong acids give a bigger than typical body and some bite. Big berry flavors. Fuller than your typically delicate Pinot Noir. Good meal accompanying wine.
Finish:fruity, grapey, accessible.
Overall: Happy Thanksgiving! We were sent this wine for free to review but it goes for about $17 a bottle. Overall not the best example of a classic pinot noir but still a well crafted and medium bodies fruity wine.

Raise a Glass and give thanks!

Jacob's Creek Reserve Pinot Noir 2007 Sponsored Wine Review by Billy

Nose:strawberry-rhubarb pie!
Palate:Very accessible and easy drinking. Good structure and evenly balanced. Not snobbish, friendly and inviting.
Finish: Short with a bit of strawberry jam that comes back.
Overall: This wine was sent to The Wine Cask Blog free of charge for a review. I have seen it online for about $10-12. While 2007 was not the best year for most Australian wines, this Jacob's Creek Reserve Pinot Noir from South Australia makes a strong case for exceptional value wine. If you are looking for an easy drinking Pinot Noir that comes in for under $15 (and possibly under $10 if you find a deal) pick up a couple of bottles and Raise A Glass!

Clary Ranch 2006 Pinot Noir Sponsored Wine Review by Billy

Nose:Earth and asparagus, juicy strawberry and cherry notes. Moist tobacco leaf Multilayered and fine.
Palate:Expertly balanced and crafted. Juicy feel, light flavors of strawberry flavors. WONDERFUL!
Finish:Short and complex. A movie finale that doesn't overdo the credits.
Overall:This wine was provided free of charge to us at The Wine Cask Blog for review. It is a lucid but mature brick red approaching brown at the edges. Showing age but drinking very well now. Though showing older, the wine has a youthfully spry taste and nose. Remarkable. This Clary Ranch 2006 Pinot Noir is a delight of a very approachable wine with complexity and crafting to satisfy the expert wine drinker while retaining a very drinkable flavor profile to invite the wine novice. While this wine was provided free to us, it retails online for $30-$40 a bottle.

2005 Les Champans Bourgogne Pinot Noir wine review by Billy

Nose:Earthy strawberry, cherry(?!), layer of tobacco, dirt.
Palate: even balance, soft in mouth, mid palate flavors of socks and warm oaky spice.
Finish: extremely long finish of strawberries and earth

Overall: I paid $26 for this earlier this year. The wonderfully long finish and delightfully earthy nose set this Premier Cru Bourgogne from the vineyard of Les Champans apart. Layers on the nose are complex and engaging. With time it opens even more. In the glass it still shows a very youthful clear plum-purple. Others have called this an "entry level" pinot noir. I call it a wonderfully accessible pinot noir made with enough respect for the land that it allows the earthy flavors to come through. Delightful.
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Tudor Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 2005 wine review by Billy

Nose: strawberry and asparagus
Palate: light body. light but balanced acids and tannins with a touch of acidic bitterness at the back.
Finish:Delicate with strawberries and some acidic bitterness again at the back.

overall: Nice but not the best. I paid for this ($85) at a hipster restaurant in San Fran. Expected better for the reputation.

2006 Siduri Pinot Noir Wilammet Valley Wine Review by Billy

Nose:Strawberry, wilted asparagus
Palate:spritig? odd. mildly tannic.
Finish:blueberry finish.

Overall: OK.

Saintsbury Pinot Noir 2005 wine review by Billy

We paid about $28 for this wine and tasted it blind against a South African Pinotage and an Italian Barbera D'Alba.

NOSE: Mushroomy. A slight "pinot stink" but much more subtle and nuanced than I typically expect.
PALATE: Even Feel, excellent structure and strength without being overpowering.
FINISH: Delightful strawberry decrescendo.

This was the best of our tasting this evening.

2005 Amisfield Pinot Noir wine review by Billy

Nose: classic Pinot stink, wet tobacco, smoky cola, slight hints of cardamom and allspice at the very end of a deep inhale.
Palate: light and fruity raspberry, candied cherry at back. Beautiful mouth feel when it first hits the lips, tongue, and palate.
Finish: deep spice lightly realized, candy, lingering and special.

This wine was a real hit this evening as it was served with a butternut squash soup, green salad and fresh light pasta. At about $30 it is a very high quality wine at an affordable price. A fantastic flavor and expertly made. If you have the chance, please do yourself a favor and pick up a bottle for now and a bottle for later.

Three Thieves Pinot Noir 2004 Wine Review by Billy

Sure it's a jug, but it's a cute jug. And at about $7- 10 for 1 Liter, who can complain.

First, this should be evaluated in its price class and not necessarily against a world class Pinot. But up against something like the 2005 Pinot Evil (click for review below) it is positively a delight.

Nose: thick pinot nose of strawberry and pinot stank.
Palate: a decent attempt at balance though missing the mark in favor of tannins. This still hold up well with foods like pizza with tobasco on it.
Finish: dry, but there is a finish. Hints at early season (not quite ripe) strawberries.

I had a glass of this side by side with the 2005 Pinot Evil from Romania and the Three Thieves 2004 Pinot Noir from California wins hands down. Not only is it better crafted, it even tastes like a pinot noir. Add in the fact that you get more for about the same price and, woo-hoo pardner, you're a-drinkin' wine!

Buy this for a cheap meal accompaniment for you and your old frat buddies. Don't get it to impress the girls.