5/15/2024 - Grinner wrote:

The tiniest hint of smoke does not mar the wine but overall just: VERY good. A big bowl of red cherries with some earth and baking spices. Nice texture and length. I'm told smoke just gets more and more obvious with age, so why wait?!?

5/12/2024 - Grinner wrote:

PNP in a hotel room. Very bright opening notes of cassis, blackberry, black cherry, then stone, cedar, graphite, and tobacco. Tannins are still running the show (but not like a 6yr old 2005!). 2025-2038.

5/11/2024 - Grinner wrote:

PNP in a hotel room with crappy glasses, I mean plastic ware...
Everything we hoped for given the situation! Earthy black fruit, stone, tobacco, and graphite that sings of its terroir. Reasonable QPR at $38 and has years, now-2030.

5/9/2024 - Grinner wrote:

PNP at work and served in TINY red solo cups. Now a medium gold color. Open nose of tropical fruit, stone fruit, honeysuckle. On the palate: the brown sugar starts things off and almost immediately the citrus like acidity hits. Dried pineapple, mango, apricot, orange marmalade and a hint of cinnamon. Everyone loved it. Now-2035

5/5/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Decanted 2 hours. Ex-Chateau a couple weeks ago (after a visit!). This bottle was outstanding! Open nose that pulled us right back to the appellation. Creme de cassis, plum, stone, tobacco, and a floral hit. Great texture and structure. 92+. Now-2034.

5/2/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Okey-dokey, a smokey year wine that is...JUST FINE! Reduced price but not quality. Bright red cherries, raspberries, spices with great lift and length. I'd buy more if we had room.... I'd also drink in the next year or two to make sure any hints of smoke don't become more obvious.

5/1/2024 - Grinner wrote:

A great late release bottle from someone who knows Burg and related wines. Open nose of white citrus, green pear, stone and saline. This just gets better with time and warming! Wait! There's more! Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! Oh, wait it's Wednesday! If you're brave and love a little age on a wine, try in 2026.

4/6/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Decanted for an hour, this bottle was absolutely "correct" unlike our last. Creme de cassis, blackberry, loam, graphite, cigar and toast notes. You get the "place"! That's what I ask. If you only have a couple, wait until late 2025 to try (my next then!).

4/4/2024 - Grinner wrote:

I clearly got one of the good bottles of this recently from Rare Wine Co. Though the cork was soaked, this bottled opened immediately with a decant off sediment. Tried right away, this showed a garnet bowl with lighter meniscus. Notes of dusty red cherries, mulled red plum, leather, loam, green tobacco, cranberry, and violet emerge and persist. Elegant and slightly better after an hour! Saving this is nuts! Pick your special occasion and cross your fingers! 92+

3/24/2024 - Grinner wrote:

This was a great bottle! PNP in a restaurant, the nose was open immediately. Notes of black and red currants, plum, graphite, cigar, spice and florals. Nicely resolved on the palate, with the structure holding up. In 2019, I said, "2020-2029" and I'll stick with that.

3/16/2024 - Grinner wrote:

DAMN WiNOS: Dune 2 (Rye Restaurant, Eugene): Very similar to my last, I cannot tell that this has aged:

2/18/2017 rated 94 points: PHMG WAG Blind Pairs: Quality vs. Price (The Lyon's Downed Tree House): Like falling into a briar patch! Blackberry and raspberry syrups poured over flowers and wet stone (but done so from a great height!). BLAMMO! Better with chocolate than a great Rogue Creamery blue cheese. Didn't survive for day two tasting... (3415 views)

We had this with cute little handmade chocolates at Rye, great pairing. Now-2034.

3/16/2024 - Grinner wrote:

DAMN WiNOS: Dune 2 (Rye Restaurant, Eugene): My WOTN! Opened for 1.5 hours before we got to it AND it kept getting better! Blackberry, black cherry, plum, loam, eucalyptus, cigar and oak notes go on and on. Deep and long, next in 2030!

3/16/2024 - Grinner wrote:

DAMN WiNOS: Dune 2 (Rye Restaurant, Eugene): Opened for an hour, this has added back a couple points since my last one. Great balance and structure! similar notes as before:

11/6/2021 rated 92 points: The Nearly Annual Lyon 10 Year Retro Tasting (Lyon's Den): Medium bodied wine that smoothly presents its black and blue fruit, mocha, tobacco, stone and tar notes. Day 2: 92+! (2372 views)

12/21/2013 rated 94 points: PHMG WAG: The 2010 Bordeaux (Chateau Lyon): My WOTN, this was probably the darkest, most structured wine of the night but also in balance! The deep black and blue fruit have a supporting cast of traditional Bordeaux non-fruit notes: tobacco, stone, cedar, tar,... This could outlive a few of us. (6104 views)

I still think this could make really old bones, so no rush!

3/16/2024 - Grinner wrote:

DAMN WiNOS: Dune 2 (Rye Restaurant, Eugene): Opened for a hour before pouring, this had a nice mix of fruit and savory notes. Ripe black cherry, black raspberry, fig jam and then the leather, spice and kelp show up. Still has 5 years.

3/12/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Now "this is what I've been waiting for" (Simon Cowell)! Great QPR in an OPN. Tried it at the winery and bought a 6 pack. Splash decant and 30' later it's singing like the talented backup at the opera or at AGT. Obviously young black cherry, spice, cola, earth and a tiny floral note. It's not remarkably deep or complex, but hey this is Tuesday! Great with pomegranate citrus salmon tonight. Now-2027.

3/2/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Winey Weekend With the Woodwards in Woodinville!!; 2/29/2024-3/2/2024 (Where else?): A great start to the official day 2! Zingy lemon, lime zest, peach and unripe pear. Hints of chalk and lees on the finish. I don't often get potato chips (because I'll devour the bag and one of my fingers if it gets in the way), but with the truffled creme fraiche...yowza!

3/2/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Winey Weekend With the Woodwards in Woodinville!!; 2/29/2024-3/2/2024 (Where else?): Decanted about 2+ hours and tried x 2 days with similar notes. The nose jumps out of the glass and is all about black fruits, spices, tar, fig jam, toffee and chocolate. Supple, medium sweet, tannins resolved, yet deep enough to go 20 more years!

3/2/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Winey Weekend With the Woodwards in Woodinville!!; 2/29/2024-3/2/2024 (Where else?): A cellar dive of sorts at the end of night. Quick decant and this just speaks to its origins! An austere Claret from that kinda year. But if you love BDX as much as we do, you'll get it. Creme de cassis, blackberry, graphite, earth/stones, cedar, and spice. Next in 4 years!

3/2/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Winey Weekend With the Woodwards in Woodinville!!; 2/29/2024-3/2/2024 (Where else?): Decanted an hour +, this was a close 2nd for my WOTW. Sure the nose is amazing, but what stands out is the mouthfeel. Can a silkworm make or wear cashmere? Deep black and blue fruit, but your palate is unharmed! Loam, graphite, and dust caress the deep dark fruit finish. Now-2035.

3/2/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Winey Weekend With the Woodwards in Woodinville!!; 2/29/2024-3/2/2024 (Where else?): Adding to the great flight this evening! Decanted about an hour also, this was all about deep, rich black fruit, cacao, hints of herbs, and minerals. Still big but with curves. Now-2033.

3/2/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Winey Weekend With the Woodwards in Woodinville!!; 2/29/2024-3/2/2024 (Where else?): Decanted an hour or so. A classic stern Claret with black currant, espresso, plum, cigar box and stones. Not as deep and complex as you hope for, but a great wine in this bottle. Now-2029.

3/2/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Winey Weekend With the Woodwards in Woodinville!!; 2/29/2024-3/2/2024 (Where else?): My WOTweekend! Decanted an hour +, this bottle had a sorta unknown provenance as a recent gift from a wine geek friend! yeah, you want his ph # now, right? Immediate sexy open nose of black currants, black plum, mocha, graphite, violet, and truffle. All reflected on the palate. Great long finish with grandstands of fruit and resolved tannins cheering you on. Wow! Now-2034.

3/1/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Winey Weekend With the Woodwards in Woodinville!!; 2/29/2024-3/2/2024 (Where else?): Another big bold wine for this day! Deeply black fruited with mocha, tar, stone and florals. Huge New World wine opposite to the 2015 Cote Rotie also opened this night. Wow! Now-2030. But why wait?

3/1/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Winey Weekend With the Woodwards in Woodinville!!; 2/29/2024-3/2/2024 (Where else?): Wow! After a one hour decant there's still a hint of petillance, not unlike a young Beaux Freres PN. Then the dense fruit core punches you in the gizzard! Black plum, ripe blackberry/compote, and minerals/iron. Serious structure. Needs another year or two: 2025-2036.

3/1/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Winey Weekend With the Woodwards in Woodinville!!; 2/29/2024-3/2/2024 (Where else?): Decanted at least an hour, this bottle had "Old World" written all over it. Sure there were black cherries, blueberries, and a bit of red plum in there. BUT the pepper, earth, iron, and smoke gave it away! Serious structure. Not ready! 2025-2045.

3/1/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Winey Weekend With the Woodwards in Woodinville!!; 2/29/2024-3/2/2024 (Where else?): About an hour decant. At this age (and specially with this vintage) I'd expect some bottle variation and provenance issues to show up. This one was just like a bottle in 2017, just a little more iodine and softer/ rounder edges! I'll stick with "Now-2025"

2/25/2017 rated 94 points. This bottle was decanted 1.5 hours before serving and followed for 3 more. First impression is of earthy notes including iron, stone, and tar, then black cherry, blackberry, garrigue, and pepper. Very nice depth on the palate. Long and structured, now-2025. (8474 views)

3/1/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Winey Weekend With the Woodwards in Woodinville!!; 2/29/2024-3/2/2024 (Where else?): What an amazing start to a tasting at Quilceda Creek!! Thank you JK for being members there! The balance and freshness make this stand out. It's about yellow citrus and green apples, yeast and chalky minerality that goes on and on. At the end of the QC tasting, we were asked if we would like to revisit anything and 4/4 asked for more of this... Now-2035.

3/1/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Winey Weekend With the Woodwards in Woodinville!!; 2/29/2024-3/2/2024 (Where else?): Sure to improve, this was like a barrel taste also, at their release party. Big black fruit, gravel, tar, vanilla and oak spices. Huge in the mouth and tannic. I think I'll start my 3 pack in 2027.

3/1/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Winey Weekend With the Woodwards in Woodinville!!; 2/29/2024-3/2/2024 (Where else?): Another too young to judge wine at the release party! Deep black fruit, tar, stone, and oak. Less espresso than the Clos, but SO solid. NOT meant for easy or early drinking. This will score mid-90's in 2025-2040.

3/1/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Winey Weekend With the Woodwards in Woodinville!!; 2/29/2024-3/2/2024 (Where else?): I honestly think this will improve, so hang on! A taste at the release party was almost like a barrel tasting. Tight black fruit, black coffee, and stone, medium + depth and finish. 2025-2035.

3/1/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Winey Weekend With the Woodwards in Woodinville!!; 2/29/2024-3/2/2024 (Where else?): Not much fall off from the previous regular QC '16 Cab! A bit tighter on the nose and stern on the palate. Deep black fruit with notable glycerin made it mouth-filling. Some stone, graphite, and minerals show up on the finish. Now with decant-2040.

3/1/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Winey Weekend With the Woodwards in Woodinville!!; 2/29/2024-3/2/2024 (Where else?): Decanted the day before at the winery! This. was. glorious! Rich with both black and dark red fruits, earth, loam, cocoa, spice, menthol, a smidge of integrated oak. Silky but deep. Smooth but great structure. Now-2040.

3/1/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Winey Weekend With the Woodwards in Woodinville!!; 2/29/2024-3/2/2024 (Where else?): Tasted at the winery, this was outstanding! Pretty sure it had been open for at least an hour, the serving temp was mid forties. Bright white citrus, melon, and tropical notes with sparky acidity. Yet, somehow it still felt round in the mouth. Thankfully: no grass! ~1000 bottles for the world. now-2030+!

2/29/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Winey Weekend With the Woodwards in Woodinville!!; 2/29/2024-3/2/2024 (Where else?): PNP at Water Grill in Bellevue, WA, and didn't touch it for 30'. Open nose of earth, red fruit, tar, leather, spice and slight funk. On the palate, there's a firm texture, somewhat compact, medium body and length. I would try this again in 3-5 years.

3/7/2024 - Grinner wrote:

PNP and followed for 2 hrs. This is purple in the glass and has an open nose that speaks of Paso! Blackberry, black plum, Asian spice, iron, tar, smoke and a subtle floral note. It's fresh, deep, and long. Now-2036.

3/3/2024 - Grinner wrote:

PNP in a hotel room (happens a lot...). The 8% Viognier is subtle and fun. This is all about dark berries and stone. Spice, iron, and florals emerge. It's not Chave, but it does deserve more time: 2025-2034.

3/3/2024 - Grinner wrote:

PNP in a hotel restaurant, then followed back up in the room for another 2 hours. This is SUCH a savory wine! So much easier to pick out the anise, spice, stones, florals, meat/leather, and kelp than to decide which fruits are hiding in there. Yeah, there's cherry, raspberry and plum notes raising their hands for attention. And the texture is great, and the length is, well, long...
The structure is there, mid life, now-2035.

2/17/2024 - Grinner wrote:

What a strange bottle of wine! Decanted off minimal sediment for 30' and followed for another hour. The nose is subtle and not "off". Bright red fruit and some spice on the palate. No signs of age or development. A pleasant Tuesday night grocery store Pinot and whoever had a hand in this should be horrified at $77!! The last 5 notes read about the same...

2/8/2024 - Grinner wrote:

PNP, followed for 2 hours. You either like the C-funk or you don't, but beyond that note, it's amazing for it's density, purity, black and blue fruit, herbs, meat/bacon, cacao, tar, and stone. Long, luscious and loads of time, now-2034.

2/7/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Wow! A brief decant off some sediment and this was ready within minutes. Deep, dark, dense, delicious and DANG! The texture is killer. Black fruit in spades, some earth, tar, herbs and oak go on and on like talking heads before the stupid bowl! Nice backbone: Now-2035.

2/6/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Crazy good QPR! $18 on futures a million years ago. One hour decant and followed for another 2. This was all about its medium density of black currant, black plum, espresso, cigar, and loam notes. Classic, fun and at peak, the tannins are resolved. Now - 2026.

2/2/2024 - Grinner wrote:

What a world (of wine)! Decanted off moderate sediment for 30+' and followed for another hour. I had an off bottle in '12 and good bottle in '19 and now an almost great bottle! An open nose and all kinds of classic right bank notes. Super smooth and a touch velvety on the palate. Deeper than the "not deep or long" bottle of '19. Fully resolved and on plateau. Wow! Now-2027.

2/1/2024 - Grinner wrote:

PNP, and this was great and getting better over an hour +. Black cherry, black plum / berry, and then some savory notes. BUT the real star is its plush texture and smooth long finish! Now-2026.

1/25/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Even worse than one 3 days ago!

1/22/2024 - Grinner wrote:

A classic case of decant, smell, "something's not right", "tastes ok", just SO subtle VA. It blew off a bit and was quite drinkable, just unfair to score.

1/20/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Decanted off moderate sediment for 30' and followed for another hour. I actually liked this more than 6 months ago (decanted and had with food! see below for previous note). It's a fully resolved, medium bodied claret with elegance and mostly savory notes now. Not particularly deep but smooth and delicious. Both of these bottles (including the 7/23 one) scream "drink me!" don't wait too long!

Last time:
7/11/2023 rated 88 points: PNP in hotel room, at least we bought good glasses. THAT said, this bottle is a ho-hum cheap BDX. I meant this for the 5-7 yr window...whoops... Earthy, with mocha, loam and dried fruit. Very pleasant and resolved. $24 on futures, try soon. (374 views)

1/18/2024 - Grinner wrote:

MAYBE not as good as our last bottle:

8/10/2021 rated 92 points: Decant and pour! more earthy than all the other notes combined and typical of my experiences with her wines (rest her soul). Black cherry, plum, loam, spice, and vanilla bow to the nearly funky nose (did Cayuse start making Pinot?). Could be polarizing, but we loved it! (749 views)

Same decant off minimal sediment and then followed for an hour+. This bottle had a very light garnet bowl, clearing at the rim. The "funk" is gone, leaving behind the other notes above. Now very smooth and even elegant. I'd like more depth, but still a great wine. Now-2027.

1/13/2024 - Grinner wrote:

A very fine SB! Great depth of white peach, white citrus, flowers, saline and minerals that linger like a phone que. NOT the grassy type. now-2029

1/8/2024 - Grinner wrote:

Whoa! Decanted and followed for an hour, this needed way more time! Dark, stern, intense black fruit and stone. Tannins vs. saliva? Tannins win. 2025-2035.

12/30/2023 - Grinner wrote:

Lyon Holiday Open House (Where Else?): This was so amazing to have with the dry Chenin / Saumur tried earlier in this tasting. Can't be the same grape and the same valley! Over-ripe peach, Meyer lemon, and apricot jam with spice and minerals that just dance on the palate. Medium sweet and a zing of acid makes it fresh. Now-2030.