94, Wine Enthusiast (October 2007)

From Dan Lee's personal vineyard, one of the coolest and most northerly in the appellation. Concentrated and intense, a dry crisp wine of great depth and balance. The flavors of cherries, cranberries, raspberries, cola, root beer, red currants and spices detonate on the palate; the finish is fabulously long.

90, Connoisseurs' Guide (June 2007 Volume 31 Issue 8)

Deep and direct in its compact, well defined red cherry aromas and flavors, this attractive wine layers in glimmers of brush and mint along with an enriching stratum of creamy oak. It is slightly rounded on the palate with suggestions of velvet in its youthfully energetic feel, and its balance and lengthy aftertaste extend its charm but its late-arriving tightness calls for a bit of cellaring in order to achieve a smoother finish.

 

90, California Grapevine (February-March 2007)

Medium ruby; attractive, floral, spicy, ripe cherry fruit aroma with notes of vanilla and clove; full body; tight, textured, cedary, raspberry and cherry fruit flavors with a layer of vanilla; well balanced and structured; medium-full to full tannin; slightly tart on the finish; lingering aftertaste. Shows distinctive varietal character and deserves several more years of bottle aging.

Four Stars +, Restaurant Wine (Issue #117)

The Double L is fleshy in texture and richly flavored; an exceptional Pinot, with fine balance and a very long finish, tasting of strawberry, red currant, kola nut, clove, baked cherry, and spicy oak.

Highly Recommended, Decanter (May 2007)

Dan Lee's cool-climate winery gets most of its fruit from Monterey County. Winemaker, Gianni Abate, crafts Pinot Noirs of a distinctive, almost Burgundian character. The best come from the Santa Lucia Highlands, an east-sloping western benchland hit every afternoon with cold winds off Monterey Bay.

Outstanding! Detroit News (May 29, 2007)

If Americans ever classified wines as "First Growths," this wine would be on the list. It's a big, beefy Pinot Noir, with intense black cherry, blueberry, leather and spice on the nose. The palate is creamy, tannins are soft, acidity has a gently bite. It's a big wine on the palate, with 14.5 percent alcohol. It could handle anything, like a Cab would.