Bodega Chacra, Cincuenta y Cinco Pinot Noir, Patagonia

pretty gamey and meaty, with a little barnyard feel.

One of my favorite wine. Great value.

Bright deepish red, raspberry and macerated cherry fruit, some vanilla oak, a bit of tannin. Certainly pinot, but very much fruit dominated and 'new world'. Nice, but lacks acidity and not sure it will develop much complexity. As such it is a very pleasant fruit-dominated pinot, but to my palate fairly simplistic. And not worth a highish price tag.

Outstanding Pinot Noir from Argentina that has a powerful nose and taste of mixed strawberries, a touch of spice and cherries. Unusually concentrated for a Pinot Noir, well balanced and very well made.

Also comes across a little too ripe and confected like the Chacra Treinta y Dos, particularly when poured alongside the Rhys and Jadot Griottes. Wasn't a big fan of either.

Blind Wines (Paprika) : Poured blind. This was a shocker not only because of how it tastes in isolation but how different it tastes from the Treinta y Dos from the same winery. I didn't sense any family resemblance whatsoever between the two and didn't consider for a second that this might even be pinot noir. I kept wavering between modernist Barolo and modernist Tuscan and I think that's where most people were on this. This had more oak and …

Decanted for 2 hours. Lots of ripe sweet strawberries, floral and earthy scents on the nose. On the palate, this is medium bodied, fresh, with excellent acidity and medium-long aftertaste. It paired very well with tuna steak. This is the best Pinot Noir I've had in long time, event though I think it lacks the gentle character of its European cousins as this is totally made in new world style with lots of ripe fruit and concentration. Excellent! Recommended.

Very fine, black currant, strawberry and cherry on the nose, a little hot at first, but opened up quickly. Very smooth, long finish, mellow tannins, cherry with a tiny bit of spice.

Ripe fruit, floral, and evolved, animal and mineral touches. Silky, elegant, persistent. Great wine!

Yes. Again I wonder sometimes if there are Burgundies this good. Deep and clovey, lovely pinot noir.

Opening this bottle was infanticide, I know. Curiosity got the better of me, and I'm glad it did. The Chacra 55 is in line with the best California Pinot Noir, such as those from Aubert and Marcassin. Popped and poured without decanting. On opening, the bouquet conveys a lovely strawberry fragrance with a hint of spice. A tad sharp at the first taste, with slightly drying tannins, but over two hours this wine blossomed. The wine was paired with salmon …