August West, Sierra Mar Vineyard Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands

14.5% abv. Recent auction purchase. Enjoyed this with traditional Thanksgiving fare. Ripe and a little jammy with a touch of a roasted note and more than a little oak. Good, but not my favorite style. Comparing this (and a couple of others) to more recent Ed Kurtzman pinots, has he dialed things back in recent years? I much prefer the more recent Sandler Pinot bottlings to this and the few Sandlers I've had from that era.

Pretty yet subdued nose of freshly macerated red berries & boysenberries; a touch of petroleum jelly that adds interest. Palate shows great balance and verve with a softness to a glide. Dark raspberries, near ripe currant and those boysenberries again. I would say this is truly in a great place right now as it shows just the right amount of everything one could want from Santa Lucia Highlands. Notes of sweet fruits remain for the long run. August West's Sierra …

Soft black cherry and blackberry fruit. A little bit of gravel at different points across the palate. A little oak on the finish. Overall, though, not much complexity. Good not great, and not much acidity to complement food.

Red cherry and plum. Subtle spice, big acidity, decent finish.

we seem to enjoy most AW pinots. This was a bit sweet but has great fruity aromas. very nice!

Chris and Laura liked this more than Ann and me. This bottle showed pretty big and ripe with a little heat on the finish. Ripe black cherry and spice. Not memorable.

Time has been kind. Nose is still ahead of the palate, but both have improved. This did not seem to show the alcohol noticeable in previous bottle. Tannins still gripping, but there is cherry and spice in the fore now. Try again in another year.

Red cherry and blackberry. Good acidity and decent finish.

Powerful nose of candied fruit, soft and chewy on the palate with medium finish.

Deep color. Notes of blackberry, blueberry and incense and boysenberry. Shows a bit of alcohol on the attack, with blackberry liqueur, boysenberry and dark fruit. Short through the midpalate and finish. Lovely fruit, but the short midpalate and finish prevent a higher score for now. 88-89 pts.

First bottle of this new vineyard for AW. Nose clearly ahead of palate at this stage. Black and blue fruits with a clipped finish. Balance is not present yet as alcohol rears it's head. I think this needs some time, and hope it will come around.

Had at PinotDays LA - very dark color. Very fruity nose, almost too much. Too hot, disjointed, gloppy. A pass for me.

Pinot Days 2011 (Navy Pier - Chicago, IL) : Awesome big nose. Grip and tannin. Nice blacker berries. Acidic finish. Nice fleshyness. Light gray peppercorns.