Left Coast Estate Pinot Noir Cali's Cuvee

Light fruit nose with a touch of menthol. Bright cherry carries through to the mid- palate, with a medium short finish. My initial reaction was quite favorable, then changed to the wine seeming one dimensional, and finally to an opinion in between.

A favorite pinot under $18 . Toward the end of the aging but still fresh and intense fruit flavors.

Opened with surprising sweet dark fruit and cola on the nose (left me thinking - is this a RRV Pinot?) but quickly faded to a blackberry bramble of a nose. Palate slightly sweet, more dark fruit, baking spices, good acid and slowly emerging tannins. A lot here.

Not the most saturating of noses, but it's a touch hedonistic. The fruit is dominated by blackberry, with undertones of boysenberry and strawberry. There's a theme of spiced mulberry as well that's really nice and works well with the black pepper. It's of medium weight. While it's smooth on entry and exit, the tannins break out a bit and give it some nice gritty texture while it's in the mouth. The acid is a touch sharp, though it doesn't ruin …