One Puff - Three Plumes
Nicely keyed of clean, ripe-cherry fruit in the nose and sweetened with a sympathetic sprinkling of caramelly oak, this well-balanced, medium-full-bodied Pinot follows through on the palate with like-minded flavors...

One Puff - Queste
This head-turning wine's seductive aromas of succulent cherries, dried violets and sweet cream go straight to what is best in top-shelf Pinot Noir...

-JUNE 2010, Connoisseur's Guide to California Wine

 

Gold Medal Winner - Three Plumes

-FEBRUARY 2010, Pinot Noir Summit

 

Gold Medal Winner - Burgonet
Silver Medal Winner - Queste
Silver Medal Winner - Three Plumes

-SEPTEMBER 2009, Sonoma County Harvest Fair


93 Points, "Delicate and elegant..." - Queste
94 Points, "Complex, well structured..." - Three Plumes
93 Points, "Big, earthy style..." - Burgonet

-AUGUST 2009, Pinot Report


Affairs of the Vine Pinot Noir Shootout, 91 pts - Three Plumes

Male: Intense and fine floral nose moving to foresty notes. Black cherry on the palate. Silky with oak notes that surface in the finish. Complex with a long finish. Nice acid to complement food.

Female: Strawberries, cranberries and vanilla lure you in. Juicy red fruit and the silky mouthfeel.

-APRIL 2009, San Rafael, California


Gold Medal Winner - Queste
Silver Medal Winner - Three Plumes
Bronze Medal Winner - Burgonet

-FEBRUARY 2009, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition


Silver Medal Winner - Queste
Silver Medal Winner - Three Plumes
Silver Medal Winner - Burgonet

-SEPTEMBER 2008, Sonoma County Harvest Fair


"Part of pinot noir's allure for many winemakers is that it's the ultimate challenge. If you can make pinot noir, you should be able to make anything. But there is a difference between making pinot noir and making it well. I have been a long-time fan of this grape. With its explosion over the last few years, I've had the opportunity to taste a lot of great wines from new producers such as TR Elliott in Sonoma..."

-AUGUST 2008, Pamela S. Busch, The San Francisco Examiner

Affairs of the Vine Pinot Noir Shootout, 95 pts - Three Plumes

Male: Bright and clean on the nose. Cherry, pomegranate and raspberry aromas. Fresh cherry flavors with notes of mushrooms, cigar box. Balanced with a long, smooth black cherry finish.

Female: Complex nose with earthy notes, brown spice, sandalwood, cherry, and floral notes. Blackberry and cherry fruit. Juicy with firm cleansing acid.

-MARCH 2008, San Francisco


Gold Medal Winner - Queste

-FEBRUARY 2008, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition


Silver Medal Winner - Queste

-OCTOBER 2007, Sonoma County Harvest Fair


TR Elliott 2005 Queste was recommended in the San Francisco Chronicle's Wine Selections/Russian River Valley Pinot Noir under $35 by writer Jon Bonné:

"It's increasingly tough to find reasonably priced California Pinot Noir. It's even tougher to find it in Sonoma's Russian River Valley, where Pinot reigns -- and the best wines have long been the stuff of mailing-list dreams. That might explain why it was a bit tough to find Russian River Pinots with real depth for $35 or less."

-APRIL 2007, The San Francisco Chronicle
Virginia Boone includes TR Elliott on her short short list of "...really small, truly transcendent pinot noir wines we have (in Sonoma County) in abundance, that you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere else in the world."

-FEBRUARY 2007, The Santa Rosa Press Democrat


TR Elliott was featured as the "Discovering New Stars" selection at the February 10, 2007 The Pinot Noir Summit hosted by Affairs of the Vine.

-FEBRUARY 2007, The Officer's Club, Fort Mason, San Francisco
Gold Medal Winner - Queste
Gold Medal Winner - Three Plumes


-OCTOBER 2006, Sonoma County Harvest Fair
"I had never heard of Ted Elliott until he walked into our office last week. I came away from tasting his two Pinots with the feeling that if one were conducting a course of Russian River Pinot Noir, these two wines would be the ideal examples of what this region represents.

Theodore Elliott started his wine career with the harvest in 1978. His extensive stints at Carmenet and Sonoma Cutrer gave Ted a solid background in winemaking and grape growing. Ted's knowledge of Russian River wines (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in particular) is deeply rooted in his love of Burgundy.

Queste and Three Plumes are cuvées made from two exceptional vineyards in the Russian River Valley, Vine Hill and Hallberg (formerly Goldridge) Vineyards. Both vineyards are ideally positioned to take maximum advantage of the Russian River Valleys unique terroir, perfectly suited to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes."

-MAY 2006, George Bato of The Wine Shop [Healdsburg, California]
Pinots Worth a Search:

"[TR Elliott is] A very small producer in Santa Rosa, California. Theodore R Elliott is the owner of Elliott Family Cellars. If you were teaching a wine class and wanted a typical Russian River Pinot Noir, this would be it. A warm nose of cherries, spice and cola. Elegant but powerful ripe red fruits. Finishes bright and clean. Over time the oak seemed to displace the fruit in the finish. Not a powerhouse - just a love fest."

-FEBRUARY 2006, PinotFile


Silver Medal Winner

-OCTOBER 2005, Sonoma County Harvest Fair


"Full-bodied, yet supple. Earthy, with aromas and flavors of cherry, raspberry, white pepper, cinnamon and forest floor."

-SEPTEMBER 2005, The Santa Rosa Press Democrat


"Since our tasting in December 2004, the 2003 TR Elliott Queste Russian River Pinot Noir has matured very nicely. The nose has filled out with a luscious berry scent and has deepened its caramel aroma. It also has a hint of root beer. Upon tasting the wine, the vibrant fruit was dominant but it was intermixed with cedar, smoky oak and a subtle herbal finish. This medium to full-bodied wine would be great with roasted meats, especially any game meat or duck. Heavier fish like sturgeon or swordfish would also match well. As they become available, root vegetables and any kind of wild mushroom would make a perfect pairing with this pinot."

-2005, Barbara Hom
Top Seasonal Pick, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

-SPRING 2005, Savour Wine Country Magazine


"Elegant, with a good structure. Ripe strawberry and raspberry flavors. Note of rose petal. An easy going wine."

-DECEMBER 2004, The Santa Rosa Press Democrat


"The 2002 TR Elliott Pinot has a clear blueberry aroma with a vanilla overtone. There are slight herbal hints of thyme and marjoram and also aromas of fresh green peppers. Most interesting is that the 2002 vintage changes depending on the food paired with it. The 2002 would be a great pair with salad greens, fish, chicken or duck, and also with a foods such as shiitake mushrooms, milder goat cheeses or with many of the small plates common in the new taster menus."

-2004, Barbara Hom