WTN: Rivers-Marie PN

Rivers-Marie 2010 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, "Gioia Vineyard." 14.1% abv. Rich, concentrated, and expansively aromatic black cherry and strawberry fruit over layers of forest (floor and bough), some stemminess, iron, and a long, lightly vanilla-laced finish. My first example of Rivers-Marie. For my taste, and given that the rest of the wine seems expressive and ready to go, it's still a little too easy to isolate the effects of the barrel treatment on the palate, but that's a very small complaint; overall, I'm pleased with the balance and the dynamism of the wine. One more bottle of this to go, which we'll probably drink in the relatively near term (before 10 years from vintage, for sure). I also have a 2011 Silver Eagle and a couple of '14 Summas.

[Jenise]

I really love these wines. Bought several cases of 2012s, more or less accidentally. Had one in Vegas and was crowing about it to someone at a party, after the party was pretty well along mind you, and he said he had two allocations did I want one. "Sure!", I said, with no idea at all what that meant. And forgot about it.

Three days later I get a note from him saying the order had been placed and would arrive in about three days. Oh, and I owed him around $2000.

Took me a few hours to get up the courage to tell my husband.

Wow. Remarkably generous of you to follow through: I can't imagine that that was actually a binding contract, if you didn't know how much you were committing yourself to. Good thing you liked the wine!

What I really want to know is how you managed to find a place to PUT several unexpected cases of anything!

[Jenise]

They lived in the hall for a few months.