2007 Martinelli Moonshine Ranch Pinot Noir

I'm very sorry to hear of your accident, Bill, but I hope that the opiates provided you with relief and perhaps even a bit of euphoria ;-) I can't say that this wine sounds like one that fits my tastes (see the '04 Cristom note for details) but I'm glad that you liked it.

Get well soon! Mark

Sorry to hear about your accident, but glad you are on mend. Thanks for notes. If anyone is interested, I was passed this offer today:

I decided to try - it seems people vary in their tolerance/sensitivity to the smoke issues, and at less than $11 per bottle delivered ($0.01 shipping, couple dollar NYS tax) it seemed worth a shot. YMMV

Funny how perception works. After reading your review of the Cristom, I thought that the Martinelli seemed very similar....yet you thought it sounded very different!

I know. I had a chuckle about that, too. It was the "plummy," "blueberry" and "low acidity" comments that suggested a more extracted, less food-friendly style of Pinot Noir (well, that and my previous encounters with Martinelli's Pinots) YMMV, of course.

On that note, though, I'll mention that I've gathered the opinion from reading your posts over the years that you're more tolerant or forgiving of modern/New World wines than I am. In no sense do I mean this as criticism (in fact, I mean it as a compliment as I view tolerance as a positive attribute) but it does seem as if you can handle Kistler/SQN/Martinelli wines with greater aplomb than can I.

Cheers! Mark

It's odd that you mention that because recently my wife made a similar comment. I started wondering if my palate had gotten muddy, or if my give a s*it factor had lessened or maybe the wines had changed a bit. Given my preference, I will always opt for old world/old style over new age monsters but I've grown to enjoy a few of the new wines like SQN. I find his wines intriguing not just because they are big but because in spite of being huge they are pleasing to me. There is a purity of fruit and in fact a balance of ripeness, acidity and depth that I've come to enjoy. I much prefer Burgundy to Oregon or California Pinots but I have come to enjoy a number of New World makers Pinots mainly becasue they have moved slightly away from big candied monsters to rich elegant wines of substance and style. I was at a blind tasting this past spring and there were a number of French wines shown from my beloved Dujac, Groffier, Laurent, Esmonin and a few others that escape me now. Mixed in was a bottle of 2005 SQN Over and Out Pinot. 100% of the tasters felt that it was French and it placed second in the flight! These were seasoned winos with a lot of history of Burgundy drinking. I think they liked the wine because it was pleasing. The nose, the palate, the body and mouthfeel were all pleasurable and maybe that's what many of us are looking for these days. Just simple pleasure. Just my take...no opiates involved! :-)