So happy to get the email from Alice that I have a chance to Rat again. I had A LOT of notice for this offering so I was able to try this wine with a lot of different things. To start off this wine was a deep ruby color and the jewel tone really shined through! My initial smell was fruity and with cherry standing out the most. The taste of the Pinot Noir is very smooth with low tannins. I tasted the fruits like cherry and currant, a nice level of sweetness and warmth, and a hint of chocolate as an aftertaste. I would definitely describe this wine as an easy drinker. I had this wine the first night with pizza and it worked well, but I did have some gorgonzola on the pizza. The wine was great at refreshing my palette, but I could tell the gorgonzola was overpowering it a little bit. The next day, I had this wine with some pasta with a light tomato sauce and it worked very well since the pasta didn’t have any overpowering flavors like gorgonzola. I didn’t taste anything new in terms of flavor, but the warmth I mentioned before is a lot more apparent on day 2. I finished this bottle off with some Cheez-its and this may have been my favorite pairing! This is definitely a great wine to take to a friend’s or just to open at the end of a long day to unwind. I think this wine would work well for those people who aren’t used to drinking red wine or are trying to acquire their taste for red wine. This would be a great introduction!
At PNP this wine was a very lighter color with a nose very alcohol forward. Upon first taste it was very oaky and maybe a hint of blackberry or cherry, we weren’t really sure. There was some cat hissing on the first taste due to the oak forwardness of the wine.
After one hour this did not lessen, and we were not able to detect other underlying flavors. The oak really overpowered. This first night we did not have food to try this with as we had previously had a taco and margarita filled lunch.
On the second night, we had it with food (broccoli and cheese soup!). It was definitely better with the food, but the oak was still very prominent.
Overall, this didn’t seem super dry and not too fruity. The oak is not to my liking, so I won’t be in for this particular one.
Thanks as always to Alice and WCC for the sample – for science!
@chipgreen Man when we first heard this who thought we would be able to just watch in HD on a computer (what’s that? – it was a big thing in an air-conditioned room if you ever saw one) or a phone (what, with the little curly cord going to the wall?) or a tablet (like the stone kind with the 10 commandments, allegedly?).
Not sure we are in a better place, music was pretty damn good back then.
@jpwilmsn@karenhynes Looks like I bought a number of bottles of the Three Sticks 2013 and 2014 blends back in 2017, from Last Bottle. Did I first get it on wine.woot? It strikes me that I did. My Cellartracker doesn’t reflect that I ever bought any of it.
Seems Wine Enthusiast always has something to say…
89 points. Broad, ripe aromas of cooked cherries lead to a generous, smooth palate full of dried cherries, cloves and cinnamon. The wine is big in body, rich and easy going. — Jim Gordon 3/1/24
Spectator as well:
86 points. Friendly and easygoing cherry and strawberry fruit is spiked with a hint of savory. Open finish. Drink now. 6,000 cases made. James Molesworth 4/1/24
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2022 Head High Sonoma County Pinot Noir - $20 = 14.28%
@GatorFL let me add to my previous impression (on day one) of the 2020 HH Pinot…DAY 2, 1/2 bottle, cap on, refrigerated. This wine has evolved and is delicious. If the 2022 is anything similar to, I would recommend
I’m interested, but could someone remind me what options we have to avoid heat damage during shipping?
The e11ven’s were shipped last night - high 90’s today in Napa, triple digits in the East Bay as my wine bounces along in the back of a non-climate controlled truck today.
@roncunningham Well, its 2 day shipping now. I just had a case of the LoLo Cab I ratted show up and when I opened the box they were cool to the touch. I also live in one of the hottest parts of the country.
@GatorFL@roncunningham
You might want to look again…the 2-day shipping note has disappeared from the offer pages (a week or so ago). I think 2-day shipping has ended for the year.
This 2022 Sonoma County Pinot Noir delights the senses with a bouquet of bright cherry and raspberry, intertwined with aromatic thyme and subtle clove notes. On the palate, it offers a harmonious blend of soft tannins and lively acidity, resulting in a silky texture and a clean, refreshing finish.
Head High was conceived from our unwavering commitment to making wine, especially pinot noir, that over-delivers. It was born from a wild commitment to true Pinot noir and the glory of Sonoma County as its righteous home. Bill Price and Prema Kerollis applied their drive for quality, excellence, and fun into the spirit of these wines and this entire project. Their shared commitment to our incredible ocean environment and its importance to cool climate, winegrowing, surfing, and living a great life drove some of the most important aspects of Head High’s personality: making great wine, making a difference, having fun, and making friends along the way!
As the first Ocean Positive climate-neutral winery, every decision we make is with purpose and commitment to the earth. From our packaging choices to the Sonoma County fruit we harvest, the environment is behind every move we make.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
2022 Head High Sonoma County Pinot Noir
So happy to get the email from Alice that I have a chance to Rat again. I had A LOT of notice for this offering so I was able to try this wine with a lot of different things. To start off this wine was a deep ruby color and the jewel tone really shined through! My initial smell was fruity and with cherry standing out the most. The taste of the Pinot Noir is very smooth with low tannins. I tasted the fruits like cherry and currant, a nice level of sweetness and warmth, and a hint of chocolate as an aftertaste. I would definitely describe this wine as an easy drinker. I had this wine the first night with pizza and it worked well, but I did have some gorgonzola on the pizza. The wine was great at refreshing my palette, but I could tell the gorgonzola was overpowering it a little bit. The next day, I had this wine with some pasta with a light tomato sauce and it worked very well since the pasta didn’t have any overpowering flavors like gorgonzola. I didn’t taste anything new in terms of flavor, but the warmth I mentioned before is a lot more apparent on day 2. I finished this bottle off with some Cheez-its and this may have been my favorite pairing! This is definitely a great wine to take to a friend’s or just to open at the end of a long day to unwind. I think this wine would work well for those people who aren’t used to drinking red wine or are trying to acquire their taste for red wine. This would be a great introduction!
1:
At PNP this wine was a very lighter color with a nose very alcohol forward. Upon first taste it was very oaky and maybe a hint of blackberry or cherry, we weren’t really sure. There was some cat hissing on the first taste due to the oak forwardness of the wine.
After one hour this did not lessen, and we were not able to detect other underlying flavors. The oak really overpowered. This first night we did not have food to try this with as we had previously had a taco and margarita filled lunch.
On the second night, we had it with food (broccoli and cheese soup!). It was definitely better with the food, but the oak was still very prominent.
Overall, this didn’t seem super dry and not too fruity. The oak is not to my liking, so I won’t be in for this particular one.
Thanks as always to Alice and WCC for the sample – for science!
@chipgreen Man when we first heard this who thought we would be able to just watch in HD on a computer (what’s that? – it was a big thing in an air-conditioned room if you ever saw one) or a phone (what, with the little curly cord going to the wall?) or a tablet (like the stone kind with the 10 commandments, allegedly?).
Not sure we are in a better place, music was pretty damn good back then.
Some interest in this offer so did a deeper dive into specs. 10 months neutral French oak on this wine.
FYI these guys are also behind Three Sticks who makes amazing wine. https://threestickswines.com/team/
@jpwilmsn
Ah…I thought that name was familiar!
@jpwilmsn @karenhynes Looks like I bought a number of bottles of the Three Sticks 2013 and 2014 blends back in 2017, from Last Bottle. Did I first get it on wine.woot? It strikes me that I did. My Cellartracker doesn’t reflect that I ever bought any of it.
@InFrom @jpwilmsn
I don’t recall ever seeing the on wine.woot, though anything is possible!
@jpwilmsn @karenhynes I did a search on Woot and came up empty. I must have gotten sucked into trying it first on LBW.
@InFrom @jpwilmsn @karenhynes bought the 2014 Head High on LB
Seems Wine Enthusiast always has something to say…
89 points. Broad, ripe aromas of cooked cherries lead to a generous, smooth palate full of dried cherries, cloves and cinnamon. The wine is big in body, rich and easy going. — Jim Gordon 3/1/24
Spectator as well:
86 points. Friendly and easygoing cherry and strawberry fruit is spiked with a hint of savory. Open finish. Drink now. 6,000 cases made. James Molesworth 4/1/24
and that’s about it…
fwiw
2022 Head High Sonoma County Pinot Noir
6 bottles for $69.99 $11.67/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $119.99 $10/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2022 Head High Sonoma County Pinot Noir - $20 = 14.28%
I love my pinots but this one just seems…meh
@GatorFL me too but I have the 2020 and it was meh
@GatorFL let me add to my previous impression (on day one) of the 2020 HH Pinot…DAY 2, 1/2 bottle, cap on, refrigerated. This wine has evolved and is delicious. If the 2022 is anything similar to, I would recommend
@ttboy23 Thanks! Sometimes they just need some air.
I’m interested, but could someone remind me what options we have to avoid heat damage during shipping?
The e11ven’s were shipped last night - high 90’s today in Napa, triple digits in the East Bay as my wine bounces along in the back of a non-climate controlled truck today.
I want some of this Pinot, but am fearful.
@roncunningham Well, its 2 day shipping now. I just had a case of the LoLo Cab I ratted show up and when I opened the box they were cool to the touch. I also live in one of the hottest parts of the country.
@GatorFL @roncunningham
You might want to look again…the 2-day shipping note has disappeared from the offer pages (a week or so ago). I think 2-day shipping has ended for the year.
Maybe @winedavid49 could confirm?
@GatorFL @karenhynes @roncunningham @Winedavid49 confirmed.
2022 Head High Pinot Noir, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale on winery website, $312/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Oct 21 - Tuesday, Oct 22