5/20/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Very Good+
An interesting take on Pinot from the newly declared SLO Coast AVA by an exciting producer exclusively focused on wines from there, particularly coastal vineyards. I got some cranberry and just-ripe strawberry with maybe some reductive funk, nice acid, and a natural vibe very much in the vein of Gang Of Four Crus Beaujolais.

I really enjoyed this even if it was a departure from expectations with less of a Pinot signature and more of a stylistic impression. I've enjoyed a number of bottles from this producer already and look forward to more.

12.8% abv

Empty bottle weight: 527g

5/17/2024 - tward wrote:

Good++
Much better than the bottle from last year, but still not impressive. I wish I were having others' experiences with this. Kind of austere.

12.5% abv

Importer: Free Run

Empty bottle weight: 553g

5/16/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Very Good+
No notes, consumed over two nights, remember a 'natural edge' with nice grip and this is showing better than it was a few years ago. I'd say now is the time to drink and probably with a brief decant.

13% abv

Importer: Fruit Of The Vines, Inc. (Zev Rovine Selections)

Empty bottle weight: 593g

5/18/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Excellent
Drank well over two nights, but at its best and more complex the second night, so I don't think there's a hurry here for properly cellared bottles. No notes, but this straddles a mineral and more Chablis style with the sunny California riper fruit.

14.1% abv

Empty bottle weight: 730g

5/18/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Very Good+
Ref: Others' and my prior TNs. This racier not-gloppy-fruit-bomb is a great display of what's possible with Zin. That said, I felt this bottle lost a bit of drive and even fruit vs. prior bottles. The CT Community drinking window was showing 2022 - 2030. I'm setting mine to 2018 - 2027, going against the grain of several TNs regarding longevity.

13.4% abv

Empty bottle weight: 471g

5/19/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Excellent
Very nice after a 2+ hour decant. Ripe, sweet tannins frame this cooler-toned California Cab, cedar, turned cool soil, cool herbs e.g. mint, dark cherry, some spice. Clean, medium finish. Too easy to drink! Great with a ribeye, I only wish the steak were better.

14.6% abv

Empty bottle weight: 796g

5/15/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Good
Good Chianti for the table, pizza / pasta wine. It got a little drying. Probably fading. Drink up.

Importer: Free Run

13.5% abv

Empty bottle weight: 362g

5/8/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Very Good++/Excellent-
From 375ml, drank well from PnP and over a couple of hours. Had a week+ prior to entering this TN, no notes, but though this doesn't present notable depth, it's well made and showing nice aged elements already.

5/7/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Excellent
Time? Bottle variation? I don't know. I wrote two years ago "This seemed to have been better younger. Not sure what to make of this. Quite ripe and dense, coming out with vanilla on PnP." Well, this bottle was great on PnP and over a couple hours with and without dinner (pan-fried chicken with pan mustard sauce - shallots, wine, herbs, etc.) And that's about all of a tasting note you'll get out of me, because I just flat out enjoyed it. Sure, the fruit is "sweet", but not in an obvious way, there's some spice, cherry, some darker tones, some earth. Smooth, easy, but not boring.

13.4% abv

Empty bottle weight: 588g

5/5/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Excellent
In a quick scan of recent TNs I see reference to premox / oxidation. This bottle showed no sign of that, so I consider myself fortunate.

Drank well over two nights, maybe showing more of a dip in the middle on the second night.

Limestone and seashell minerality covered in an array of citrus tones and apple and a just a hint of tropical fruits, all of the fruit perfectly ripe yet racy, leading into a medium-long finish. Elegance rather than weight.

Missing the days when this was a $50 USD bottle instead of closer to $120+. Moving on...

Importer: Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines

13.5% abv

Empty bottle weight: 595

5/7/2024 - tward wrote:

Excellent-
Drank very well over several nights, spaced apart, capped, no gas. In late-2019 I'd written "...needs more time to settle in. It can be a touch harsh on the back end on the back of the throat..." Well, it has settled in. I got absolutely no sense of harsh or heat. Beautiful honey and floral nose, medium-weight body with some ripe citrus and apricot and honey with enough acid. The driest wine in the Chidaine lineup, but the nose could fool you into thinking there's some RS.

Importer: Beaune Imports

13% abv

Empty bottle weight: 747g

5/6/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Very Good++
Drinking very well now. Red fruits and dusty earth and spice. Direct varietal expression. Not getting the overt vanilla described by others, but just a hint. I think time was a friend for this wine for those of us that don't like the more exuberant ripe fruit and barrel notes.

13.0% abv

Empty bottle weight: 620g

5/2/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Excellent
Glad I waited on this second of two bottles, having given it an '87' (Very Good) back in late-2019, writing "I've got another bottle and I'll have to set it aside for a couple years when I'll be able to say whether I regret not having bought more or not." Well, I don't regret not buying more, because the cellar is overflowing, but I am happy I waited. This is in a nice spot now.

Opens savory and with a thread of smoke. Dark fruits underpin, but play a supporting role to the savory character. Some baked earth and roasted meats come in.

Solid buy 4+ years ago at $26 USD.

Importer: Skyliner Fine Wines

12.5% abv

Empty bottle weight: 553g

5/4/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Good+
Solidly good pizza wine, but I think this is past peak with fruit fading a bit without the build to get into tertiary notes.

Importer: Free Run

13.5% abv

Empty bottle weight: 367g

5/3/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Very Good++
Similar to my 2022 TN, but no signs of reduction. I wasn't sure if this was going to be clearly past peak, but maybe that screwcap gets some credit for keeping it fresh. Also, less "gamey earth" than the last bottle, more ripe Pinot fruit-driven. Very enjoyable.

Importer: N/A

N/A abv

Empty bottle weight: N/A

5/3/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Very Good+
No notes, with a group casually. On PnP it seemed to lack fruit in the middle, but this filled in quickly and the bottle drank nicely. While not a stunner, it was down the middle in a good way - middle-range fruit, ripeness, acid, and finish.

Importer: Kobrand Corporation

13% abv

Empty bottle weight: N/A

5/1/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Very Good++
Still drinking well, expressing and impressing. Made to drink young, but it's a Taluau and surprises with ageability. Crunchy red fruits, darker red fruits, crushed dried flowers, stone, some dried herbs and a hint of spice, only a thread of green. Really nice over-delivering bistro wine for the table.

Importer: Premier Wine Company

13% abv

Empty bottle weight: 585g

5/1/2024 - tward wrote:

Good-
Meh, drank most of it over two nights. It is certainly not bad and shows enough substance to be "good", but it was never in balance. Ripe fruit neither cloying nor clean, some acid, but it felt clunky. Poor Garagiste "Mystery" buy - glad I only bought one at $30 USD.

13.6% abv

Empty bottle weight: 687g

4/29/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Very Good++
Similar to my 2021 TN. Lovely wine, low tannins, seems simple at first but there's more going on, floral, red fruits, some tar hinting at its more famous neighbor.

Importer: Rosenthal

14% abv

Empty bottle weight: 511g

4/30/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Very Good++
The best bottle so far. Shows more earth with a gamey funk edge to join the ripe fruit, a kiss of sweeter high notes.

13.7% abv

Empty bottle weight: 681g

4/28/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Excellent-

(Note: I reported to CT admin that three of the eight label images for this wine, including two for this 2019 vintage, were for a different wine, the Giornata Fiano Fatto a Mano. The style of that wine is markedly different. Users reading other TNs for this wine should expect that some of them are actually for a different wine, the Fatto a Mano.)

Beautiful, aromatic Fiano. Honey, honied fruit on the nose, apricot, subtle spice. Inviting. Initial thought was that this would be great with salads or even with cheeses or Moroccan food, but I decided to set aside for another meal pairing, a pasta dish with a non-sauce of garlic and sundried tomato gently sautéed in the olive oil from a jar of Meredith Farms Sheep/Goat cheese with parsley and chopped previously-grilled chicken breast marinated in Mediterranean herbs; chunk of the Meredith Farms creamy-textured cheese topped and mixed into the pasta then toasted pine nuts and fresh basil. Nice pairing!

13.0% abv

Empty bottle weight: 590g

4/27/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Very Good+
Seconding VINNUT's TN, this has a great combination of SB grass and tart fruits, but with a rounder texture and ripe orchard fruits coming in. Enjoyed casually and only got a half glass or so of this, but liked it quite a bit.

Nice QPR at $13 USD close-out.

Screwcap

13.5% abv

Empty bottle weight: 455g

4/27/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Very nice
Too high-toned sweet on PnP for me, but with a decant this really shows nicely. Great wine with grilled sirloin cap and flank steak. Perfectly ripe Zin.

I've got another of these and want to lay it down, target ~2027

15.2% abv and it handles it easily

Empty bottle weight: 700g

4/26/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Excellent with potential upside
First of four of these and drank beautifully out of the gates, did not decant, had over a few hours. Seamless and leaning modern, warming getting towards boozy but who's complaining, as there's no heat or volatility. It shouts its varietal from the big beginning in the nose, but with air I became surprised it's 100% Grenache as some dark chocolate / coco nibs came in to join kirsch, raspberry puree, N. African spices come in, some plum. A caressing wine.

Even though I'll bet this can go out another 10 years, I think the smart money is on earlier enjoyment.

Importer: Adventures In Wine

15% abv, but I've seen claims of up to 16.5%!

Empty bottle weight: 607g

4/23/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Very Good++/Excellent-
Another winner from the Fatto a Mano series, which is such a nice part of the Giornata lineup. Stephy recommended with with a mild Thai green curry and so that was part of what we paired it with and she was so right - perfect match.

Note: As with (nearly) all of the wines in this series, if you wish to reduce sediment clouding, consider storing upright for a few days before serving.

13.0% abv

Empty bottle weight: 481g

4/21/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Excellent
Even better than the Sept. 2022 bottle, the nose and vibrant transparent color make it a ringer for Langhe Nebbiolo (or Alta Piemonte?) Very pretty wine with great typicity. This will probably age quite well. Such a beauty, making the death of all the Italian varietals of Luna Matta vineyard at the hands of the acquiring Daou even that much more distressing.

14.0% abv

Empty bottle weight: 543g

4/20/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Excellent+/Outstanding-
What BRETTAY wrote back in 2020. The depth, purity of ripe fruit, precision and texture here was amazing. Drank well over two nights. I may be underscoring it. Loved it.

Importer: Free Run

15% abv - really hard to believe its that high. Above 14% I can see, but I'd not have guess a full 15%

Empty bottle weight: 566g

4/19/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Excellent
Surprised on the upside here, I wasn't expecting as much. Savory salted meats and black olive while showing brightness on the nose, early on there is still some tanning closing in on the back, slightly dry, but this yielded. Great food wine. Really drank well with kurobuta pork chop with a pesto of sundried tomato, garlic, parsley, and hazelnut.

Importer: Adventures In Wine

13.5% abv

Empty botttle weight: 594g

4/18/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Excellent
That I had this sub-$20 '14 CdR purchased nearly six years ago rattling around in the cellar is a testament to some overzealous buying in the past several years. Kind of sad, as this domain no longer produces this cuvée and ownership changed last year. It came and went with little notice, but wow, what a wine. I wasn't even sure if this would be decent at 10 years. Lucky!

This is pure Syrah with a cool climate cut and a Gang Of Four vibe all the way through. Savory cool tones with crunchy red fruits and then peppery notes and stony feel. Even a bit floral in the nose. It felt upright, like it could have been austere, but is perfectly filled in and has energy and drive. I really liked this wine! But I get a melancholy feeling knowing that I've just met this wine after it's already long gone...

Importer: Planet Wine, Inc.

12.5% abv - That's right, kids, and I believe it.

Empty bottle weight: 608g

4/16/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Very Good++/Excellent-
Drinking well now and probably best to drink up. Went well with a Malaysian-ish dish with moderate heat and spice.

This was nice sub-$20 QPR

13.7% abv

Empty bottle weight: 584g

4/16/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Very Good++
Ditto the previous several TNs. It has some creaminess, yes, but not a round, coating mouthfeel, nicely balanced with acidity, nice ripe orchard fruit. Domestic, yes, leaning Burgundian. My first experience with this producer and I want to try more.

13.5% abv

Empty bottle weight: 474g

4/15/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Excellent
I'd written in Oct. 2021 "I sense lots of upside. Next one 2023 at the earliest." Indeed. It was very nice then and better now. As others have said, like a mini-Mersault. Beautifully ripe citrus fruits on a modestly mineral frame. Long finish.

What a wine for $35 USD.

Importer: Kirkcrest Imports

14.1% abv

Empty bottle weight: 621g

4/13/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Excellent++/Outstanding-
I'll just lazily ditto DEVRAJ's recent TN and say this might have been the best bottle of the half dozen I'd purchased. Drank beautifully over two nights.

Happy I went long on this six years ago at $30. Sad that this is the last bottle and that 1er Cru Chablis prices are up, up, up.

Importer: {none shown, Vins Rare?}

13% abv

Empty bottle weight: 911g

4/14/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Excellent
Wow, this last bottle of four purchased seven years ago was the best even though it's a couple years past the consensus drinking window. Still vibrant and with some tart cherry and a restrained funk and some tertiary decaying leaf and forest floor, subtle spice, maybe some rosemary. It is fairly deep and full bodied, yet far from feeling warm or heavy.

Went great with grilled flour tortillas stuffed with Rancho Gordo pinto beans, grilled butternut squash, corn, and shitake mushrooms. Drank so well on its own too, from PnP forward.

Outstanding QPR for the $17 paid back in 2017. (Sadly, K&L stopped carrying this producer after the 2018 vintage.)

Importer: Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines

12.5% abv

Empty bottle weight: 634

4/12/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Very Good++/Excellent-
Drank nicely over two nights. Reminds me a bit of Tablas Vermentino (a high complement). Nice combination of crispness, minerality, and stone fruits. Screwcap. Probably best to drink sooner rather than later.

12.5% abv

Empty bottle weight: 477g

4/9/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Very Good++
I really liked this zippy medium-light bodied wine. On PnP it showed a bit of a wild nose and even hinted at vinegar, but the wine's acid worked great and that nose was more akin to fine sherry vinegar and didn't indicate spoilage or flaw. Underripe strawberry, tart cherry, crushed herbs. I wanted a wine for pierogies and found a winner!

A couple of nights later the ~1/3 bottle still drank well, maybe even better, then showing some smoke along with raspberry and bramble.

Importer: Oliver McCrum Wines

13.5% abv

Empty bottle weight: 584g

4/13/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Excellent-
With only an hour decant this was probably not showing itself fully. Also, I'm not sure if these go through a closed phase, but that's a possibility. It was showing a bit tight and the profile was upright with savory to slightly sour and even saline along with just-ripe black fruits. I might say it's a bit austere, but still there is sufficient fruit and a drive to it, that is it's not pushing you away.

Went really well with a daube, such a nice pairing with the stew's inclusion of olives and a bit of orange zest.

Next one 2027?

Importer: {none shown}

13.5% abv

Empty bottle weight: 579g

4/11/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Interesting now. At nearly nine years, not what I was expecting on PnP and I wouldn't have called in Tablas or guessed Mourvedre blind. Bright and mid-weight, cherry, some red fruits. I decided to decant and vigorously aerate in the decanter a couple of times. The half hour+ helped reveal touches of depth and with our meal and over a couple hours it reached towards a more typical profile. Only now have I glanced at the most recent Tablas Creek vintage chart that recommends decanting! Still, even a couple hours in we'd get visits from vanilla and sweet tones. Some earth and soil came in towards the end.

This is my first of two and my intent is to lay the other one down another 4-5 years. Even though it's not particularly tannic nor especially deep, Tablas wines even when mid-weight often age really well.

Right now this is a good wine - and it was a really nice choice with a small dinner of lightly seasoned baby back ribs with white beans. Very good, really, but not particularly noteworthy.

13.7% abv

Empty bottle weight: 468g

4/6/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Excellent-
If you lean towards that ripe, smooth New World style, you'll score even higher than I did. This is really nice and beats other domestic non-traditional blends of Bordeaux-Rhone it higher prices. Pleasant to sip on its own, never cloying, just pure vibrant deep fruit with some dusty earth. Great with grilled steaks.

14.2% abv

Empty bottle weight: 788g

4/5/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Solid rustic, deep wine. I probably have held on to this too long, which doesn't help with its already ripe to overripe fruit profile. Still, it was a really nice pairing with cassoulet. If you've got this wine, really consider that as a pairing. Or go with wood-grilled seasoned meats or even loaded grill burgers.

Importer: Vinifera Imports

14% abv

Empty bottle weight: 469g

4/5/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Drinking well over two nights, but has likely lost a bit on complexity since the previous bottle consumed four years ago. I'd lean towards drinking up if you've got these. Nice wine.

12.5% abv

Empty bottle weight: 596g

4/2/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Very Good-
I liked this wine, thinking it was a solid Rosso friendly at the table. Nice cherry, this is smooth and easy drinking without much in the way of earth or herb and such. It was the wine I was happy to have with the (ad hoc recipe pasta with a cream sauce made with leftover diced ham, diced tomato and puree, and Boursin garlic and herb cheese).

Importer: Connoisseur Wines USA

14.5% abv

Empty bottle weight: 655g

4/1/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Very Good++
Loved this from PnP, this is a Zin-fruit-core, low tannin, so drinkable rendition. Some faint spice dancing around the edges, dusty earth.

I was looking for a red wine to go with a dish of rice, beans, and sweet potatoes that takes a sauce with tarragon (or cilantro, we had two versions of the sauce) made with some sour cream and yogurt. Hmmm... I stumbled around the virtual CT cellar and remembered I had some heritage vineyard Zins that might do the trick and this one did the trick!

No gimmicks, such purity.

13.5% abv

Empty bottle weight: 461g

4/1/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Very Good
Really liked this, but no notes, had with company. A smoky flinty edge with edgy stone fruit, mineral. Tilts towards classic Chablis, but it's definitely something different.

Importer: Free Run

13.5% abv

Empty bottle weight: 497g

3/27/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Excellent (90-91)
Drank with company, no notes, several days ago, but I loved this. Rustic, some funk, dark, nearly brooding, but still with energy. Not as advanced as I feared, but drink up.

Importer: Beaune Imports

13.5% abv

Empty bottle weight: 532g

3/27/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Still drinking well, but held too long to capture the magic of this wine. If you've got these and they've been stored in a cold cellar, they'll still drink well, but drink up!

Importer: Thomas Wine Imports

13.5% abv

Empty bottle weight: 558g

3/26/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Very Good / Excellent
Consumed a week ago over two nights, no notes, but great aromatic wine. Shows Muscat family heritage with orange and floral notes.

Importer: Envoyer Imports

12.5% abv

Empty bottle weight: 720g

3/30/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Excellent
Drinking well now, first from Coravin and then uncorking several nights later. Plummy spice, tannins still with some grit, slight anise, fennel dust in the middle, nice dark fruits, showing hints of aged character, a bit of leather. Faintly sour in a very good way.

Nice QPR from K&L sub-$30 about six years ago.

14.5% abv

Empty bottle weight: 483g

3/30/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Excellent
Lesser vintage excellence here, drinking well right now. Little funk here and nearly mid-weight. Other's TNs tell the story well. This is really nice with food, too, in part due to the lean towards elegance vs. heft. but there's not doubt from the time you pull the cork that you've got a Grenache-driven CdP in hand.

Nice with a plate that include cast iron Zabuton and hanger steak!

Lovey stuff and nice QPR at an all-in delivered sub-$40 USD price about six years ago.

Importer: Vineyard Road Inc. for LLE LLC

14% abv - I'd believe spot on 14%

Empty bottle weight: 657g

3/30/2024 - tward Likes this wine:

Excellent-
Wow, this is singing to me again. The varietals are all expressive in their proportion with Viognier's floral nose the wine is really aromatic and then there's a texture and minerality (OK, I'd expect the Roussanne to have been higher than its 8% share), nearly creamy balanced with nice acid cut and a nice finish.

13.0% abv

Empty bottle weight: 468g