Domaine Carneros 2010 Pinot Noir, $17.84-$23.99, 85 points, begins unusually deep purple/red with a clear rim.
Not a particularly pleasant aroma of sweaty socks and a hint of cherry fruit.
The medium-plus body carries fair acidity, mild tannin, and an overwhelming caramel flavor. Non-varietal-like meaty and smoky notes (often good in a big Zinfandel) were unpleasant, while fruit flavors were hard to find, though plum notes are present.
The trailing palate finish was just okay for me, but spice and heat (14.2% alcohol) notes were climatic.
This PN just maybe the worst QPR wine in this series of reviewed wines, and my biggest disappointment. It might be noted that using "French" like names rankles some, and it is a bit confusing, but of course anyone who knows California wines knows the Carneros AVA.
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This sounded like a miserable experience. While I wasn't there to taste it & I'm not very familiar with Domaine Carneros wines, I'll venture to say this was a bad bottle. Virtually no fruit on a 2010 Pinot from California? Yeah, something went wrong there. If not, then it deserves a lower score than 85. I mean, was it really only 15 out of 100 points away from being perfect? Re-read your post & then rattle that around for a minute & you'll see my point.
ReplyDeleteClaire, I hear you. The more I score wines, the more frighteningly difficult it becomes, and I suppose I should move to a 30 point system, but that would be awkward, not to mention confusing; I don't remember ever giving a score under 70 points, but that aside, any wine that costs more than $15 and gets a score of 85 points should be, in my opinion, avoided! If you examine all the points I've given for American PN, 85 points, though only ten points less than my highest scoring PN, allows that 85 points to become a huge gap! I think!
DeleteThx for making me think about this, and now I have more things rattling around my head ;-)
Know what? I've had near-unlimited access to Siduri Sonoma PN & Jameson tonight, neither of which would NEVER fall into this thread. So, in light of that, I'll shut up, but you might get a Facebook message next time I'm inclined to battle the 100 pt scale. =P
ReplyDelete"Ever", not "never". See? SHUT UP, CLAIRE.
DeleteHa! Ha! Claire my son loves Jameson too much!
DeleteI've tasted Siduri before, sadly, unlike you, I just don't have any at this time!
The battle has been raging (We should get Spielberg to do a movie with the title "Raging Unicorn") for a long time, but it is what it is, and being a rather novice wine taster, the score is more for me than others, however, it was pretty cool when my son stopped by, and I had three glasses of different PNs and (blind) he scored them exactly as I did! 1-2-3!
Claire, thx so much for visiting,
Dennis