Chalone, Pinot Noir, Monterey County

A mature beauty. The nose and palate both reflect a heady mix of aged refinement and striking vitality. Aromas and flavors abound of fig, fire spice, espresso, dark plum fruit, amareno cherry, sweet vermouth, vanilla, incense, cedar, mushroomy ummami, sweet herbs, and lavender. Nicely integrated and everything aged Pinot Noir should be. Classic and elegant.

2005 vintage

Fantastic shape, still youthful, integrated, med complexity but structure for days. A bit dark in character with excellent tannins and acidity. Perfect with the steak. CA PN EWG at Otono. Started out a little mute but blossomed with a little time.

2005 vintage

Bookshelf, dry, short. Mistaken for Bordeaux. (10251/52275)

1987 vintage

Nice pinot but lost some umph day 2.

2014 vintage

A disappointment. High VA. Poured away.

2005 vintage

Very, very bad. Very way too old.

1987 vintage

Tasted at j Alexander in Nashville, surprised to see it on the list by the glass, $12, balanced, earthy, good fruit, complex, enjoyed the glass, will try to find at home, drank with beef kebabs.

2014 vintage

Pinot Palooza (Casa Covolo) : The group's #6, my #7. Notes of dark cherry, earth and some cinnamon on the nose, in the mouth, very young tasting. Needs some time to come together. Middle of the road compared to all the others.

2014 vintage

Wine Institute of California Tasting (Hotel Radisson Blu, Amsterdam Airport, NL) : Tasting, brief note. Elegant, soft and supple style, rounded but fresh, flowers, very gentle phenolic grip, lacks a bit of structure, good length.

2014 vintage

Still hanging in there.. Chalone estate always a worthwhile libation.

2005 vintage

This was hidden away. It has held up nicely. Very nice. Still with plenty of structure with nice fruit.

2005 vintage

Served at my 1995 single blind tasting. I was the only sighted person. $35. Cloudy and very light like a Jura. Not a bad wine, actually impressive for the age and the pedigree, but I wouldn't seek it out. Most of the fruit is gone, but there is still backbone and some tannin which shows the early to mid 90s style before things exploded in CA and a 13% pinot became like the bigfoot. Only seen in rare grainy photos …

1995 vintage

Still drinking well

2005 vintage

At first opening, needs air as it's very tart and tight. Dark fruit on the nose. It's also very dark and heavy in the glass. A hulking pinot noir. Spice, fig and blackberry juice with aromas of cedar and some light cola notes with some earth. Juicy black and red berries framed by a nice acid profile and hints of zesty spice and earth. Blackberry, loganberry, raspberry, white pepper and some cigar box. Powerful style that would stand up well …

2005 vintage

Color was bright and clear. Smell was very ripe fruit and wet, burned leaves. Initial taste of blueberry turned to strawberry in mid-palate and then solid blackberry through a lingering finish. The edges of this wine are a bit rounded off at this point but nothing at all unpleasant. At under $3 in a discount bin it was an incredible deal.

2005 vintage

Definitely on the tail end of drinkability, but still enjoyable! This would have been VERY different several years ago... this time, when paired with a tomato and garlic-heavy pasta dish, it had an aftertaste resembling brown sugar?! Pretty bizarre, but a pleasant surprise.

2005 vintage

this held up well and is on the downward slope. Pretty good fruit with little length in finish

2005 vintage

Weak wine this time I tasted it. It was delicious a year or two ago... Nose: light, light, cherry and light vinegar. Taste: weak plum or cherry (hard to tell), light pepper.

2005 vintage

very bad, too old

1987 vintage

Intriguing wine. Bright red color still, with at ouch of bricking. Very pretty bouquet of mushrooms, flowers, and red cherries. In the mouth, surprisingly tart, with sour cherry flavors and nice complexity that was clipped by sharp acidity. Fades on the finish. B+

1981 vintage

Brought this back from the winery. Was excited to open it....but it was.... Unimpressive. Acidic. Tart. Sharp. Taste centered in middle of tongue. Didn't get better as it opened up either.

2005 vintage

Was corked

2005 vintage

Black cherry, classic California Pinot Noir. Brought this wine back from California after visiting the winery high atop a hill (read mountain). Medium body and finish. Delicious as a celebratory sipping Pinot Noir. Glad I have one more just like it in the cellar to enjoy in a few more years.

2005 vintage

Brill brought over for my 27th B-day Wine Night. Classic lighter Burgundian styled Pinot. Shows great bright strawberries with cotton candy and some classic shroomy funk on the nose. Palate shows more delicate strawberries, vanilla and a bit of that wet earth floor I love so much. Bravo to Chalone. Time after time a classic California Pinot that shows true Old-World style.

2005 vintage

Balanced, good mouth feel, restrained.

2005 vintage

Based on the scale this is no better than "Good". Simple light and easy to drink but with nothing to make it the least bit special.

2005 vintage

Pinot Tasting with John Winthrop Haeger to celebrate the release of Pacific Pinot Noir (WineBank, Menlo Park, California) : Cherry red color with pale meniscus; tart strawberry and black cherry nose with a touch of caramel; tasty, ripe black cherry with caramel and good acidity; medium finish

2005 vintage

Burgundy and Pinot Lunch at Mischa's with Allen Meadows (Portola Valley, California) : Medium raspberry red color with cloudy sediment; earthy, soy and Brett nose; mature palate of tart cherry, soy, mushroom; medium finish

1981 vintage

OC Breakfast And Pinot Offline (The Murray's) : Bag #10--You know, this wine was pretty good. Having not bothered too much with Chalone's pinots for a few years, I liked what I had here. Vanilla and brown spice nose, with rich fruit, sweet plum, mocha and a forward style. Not gloppy or heavy has it maintains an angle of red fruited acidity that helps carry the wine. Not bad and quite tasty.

2005 vintage

Thin, but pleasant tasting. Pretty nice balance--nothing off putting. But expected a little more for thirty bones.

2005 vintage

Anita: w/Eric and Brian S.; intense nose of small berries, cinamon, but earthy also, and a cola-ness to it; dense, concentrated, not “purple candy” though--enough spice to make it interesting. Needs another 3 years!

2005 vintage

Color is a lighter red. Initial taste is smoke and spice with some heat (in a good way). Some hints of fruit and some spices. Very nice lingering finish.

2005 vintage

Some nice earth and white pepper notes. Decent heat on the finish. Slightly bitter, yet enjoyable on the palate.

2005 vintage

Deep ruby color. Aromas of cranberries, cherry, raspberry, clove and cinnamon. Flavors of cherry and spice with an earthy undertone. This has a good touch of acidity, and is better with food than on its own.

2005 vintage

Just ok. Somewhat thin.

2005 vintage

Golly Gee… Ed Nailed 8 for 8 in a BLIND tasting of Ancient Chalone Pinot Noirs : Groups 3rd Place Bottle #4945, 12.8% alc. Dark rougher red than the others. There appeared to be something off with first smell. On the ride down Ed mentioned that he felt he would be able to pick the 1981 out blind as it had a heavy dose of Brett on the nose. Well this sure was heavy on the Brett. After we have …

1981 vintage

From the decanter old cherry fruit. Brown red in color. Not that light as usually an aged Pinot often appears. Unfiltered and unfortunately shaken as it just arrived. This looked like it must have been a bruiser in its youth. Now the older wiser wine is tame with notes of light and I mean light sour cherry, a nose of old wood patch, & tree moss. The finish is very faintly drying with a nice sour patch finish.

1981 vintage

Tasting 13 Pinot Noirs (Lafayette, Ca.) : Nice, rich fruit on the nose, great mushroom and terroir on the nose, medicinal nose, lovely taste, great finish.

1987 vintage

At home at dinner (pasta with red sauce). This is a very nice wine. Deep, brooding ruby color. Decent legs too. Excellent nose has rich, smoky, varietal fruit. Pleasant surprise. Palate is relatively dense, earthy, with good, sweet, rich fruit flavors. There's a lot to like here, and I suspect it will only get better with age. Nose is just slightly hot and alcoholic. Good stuff. 4-10-15-7: 86/100.

1987 vintage

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Chalone, Pinot Noir, Monterey County

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