New vintage! Pale yellow, excellent clarity. Citrus, thyme and black pepper notes in nose. High acid, good body, lots of skin tannins given blanc de noir style of 100% Cabernet Franc. Flavor descriptors of lime peel, lime, thyme and black pepper apply. Mineral finish — 3 months ago
Seems like a great classic representation of a Chianti. Cherry, Dusty, various baking spices. Interesting enough when it first opened there is definitely a caramel or a burnt sugar going on there, but it faded within the first 5 to 10 minutes. After that it settled down to Fruit forward without any bad tannins or anything else, but still not flabby. Delicious and went very well with our pasta.  — 3 months ago
Etude – Heirloom Pinot Noir 2012
Grace Benoist Ranch, Carneros AVA – California, USA 🇺🇸
Overview
Estate-grown from the celebrated Grace Benoist Ranch, this Heirloom Pinot underscores Etude’s mastery of Carneros terroir. Over a decade since harvest, it has aged with remarkable poise, offering proof that Carneros Pinot can rival the greats for longevity. This one delivers the wow-factor in spades.
Aromas & Flavors
Dried cherry, black raspberry, and plum layered with rose petal, tea leaf, and subtle leather. Mature accents of forest floor and truffle bring savory depth to the fruit core.
Mouthfeel
Silky and seamless, with tannins fully resolved into finesse. Bright acidity carries the wine gracefully, while the finish lingers in layers of spice, earth, and fruit. Quite literally, the wine dances in the mouth.
Food Pairing
A natural match with duck confit, wild mushroom risotto, or aged Comté cheese. The wine’s silky texture and earthy notes intertwine beautifully with savory, umami-rich dishes.
The Verdict
A captivating Pinot Noir that reaffirms Etude’s finesse and Grace Benoist Ranch’s pedigree. This 2012 shows the sweet spot for Etude Heirloom around the 10–12 year mark, where fruit, earth, and structure harmonize in peak expression. Among Carneros’ top benchmarks for age-worthy Pinot. Cheers! — 23 days ago
07.1125
Quite quite nice. — 3 months ago
2021 vintage. Last tasted 01.29.25 (9.6). Double decanted and tasted after one hour. Sumptuous medium body. Feminine-styled nose. Delicate flavors with über-fine tannins. Obvious presence without needless fanfare. Regal with a quiet, enduring elegance and pedigree. 05.21.25. — 4 months ago
Waynesville, NC august 2025, found at wegmans — 2 months ago
I honestly don’t know how I came into possession of this 375ml Grand Cru from Cramant. It works for a weekday 1/2 bottle.
100% Chardonnay.
It drinks easy but not eventful. Lemon, lime zest, white peach, tropical melons, tangerine, caramel notes, foamy cream, crisp limestone crumbles, white spice, sea spray-fossils, nice chalkiness, yeasty bread dough, yellow lilies, jasmine, white, spring flowers, zesty acidy and a ripe, rich, balanced finish that lasts 45 seconds and lands on crisp minerality. — 3 months ago
Excellent clarity, moderate pigment extraction, ruby red with purple tinge. Raspberry and white pepper aromas, raspberry, white pepper and black tea flavors, as promised on back label. Lots of loose seedy tannins on finish with a kids’ grape fruit juice aftertaste. Needs time to open. After an hour, tart, moderate astringency. After three hours, the raspberry and white pepper flavors were fully resolved, but the skin tannins were still largely expressive with all their astringency. Decant even longer! — 4 months ago
Jim Stehli
Cherries and herb. Medium light feel. It’s very nice. Do again. — 11 days ago