2/20/2024 - Not647f wrote:

It's been wet and cold, and we're just kind of settling back in after a week on the road. I made a potato-leek soup (not a creamy one) and roasted vegetables for dinner and wife wanted a red, so I blindly grabbed this and went with it. A very typical Rockpile Zin with the structure and sophistication of the winemakers, Emma and Clay, showing through. Black cherries, blackberries, some nice tannins from the barrel program, but they don't taste oaky at all. I've been elevating the weeknight game because I have a lot of these wines, and not at all sorry.

2/20/2024 - Not647f wrote:

This is fine, not amazing, but for the price it only has to drink like a better CdR Villages or something of the sort. It's probably not too long for the world, and would be more interesting if they tossed in some Mourvedre or something, but it makes a nice presentation. Bought as a mystery wine from Garagiste, neither the best deal ever from them nor the worst. (The price before shipping was $20 or so.) A decade or more ago, I bought the Olivier Hillaire CdP, which is really who made this, since they re-branded this bottling to Baptiste Hillaire. We'll take it slow with the next, or not.

1/22/2024 - Not647f wrote:

I did the classic Bordeaux and burgers with the homemade buns, grilled onions, etc, with the guy who is back from Japan. He may have had this before in his travels, but it seemed novel enough anyway. Cork was fine again, the wine is nicely mature. Very nice bottle as well as a good story.

2/4/2024 - Not647f wrote:

Just six months made a pretty big difference, I guess. This is still burly, with significant tannins, but it's coming out of this shell. Gaining depth, with black-fruited notes, meaty nuances, some nice savory notes. This is still a bruiser, which is, in many ways, consistent with Cornas, known for being the most rustic of the N. Rhone wines. Wife really liked it this time. Had it with beef strips (the ranch we buy from called it "fajita meat") dressed in a vaguely Korean marinade, sauteed sliced brussel sprouts, over rice. Syrah is the only wine with so much tannin that I trust with spiced foods, and this worked amazingly.

1/2/2024 - Not647f wrote:

Not exactly sure of the date, but it was before the younger child left for London, so that's my guess. This was still holding up, but this is an experience that doesn't really compare to most wines. Distinctly savory, a sort-of saline note that I might be imagining because it's grown in sandy, oceanside soils. Distinctly leafy, and what fruit it has is dried and not distinctly fruity. I thought it was terrific, and looking forward to more. The family also enjoyed.

2/2/2024 - Not647f wrote:

At the end of the night, the crowd convinced me to open this interesting wine. Alas, this bottle had gone to vinegar. A shame, because a previous bottle was terrific, and the cork here looked perfect, but it was definitely vinegar.

2/2/2024 - Not647f wrote:

For a pre-dinner sparkler at a very low price for "real" champagne, it was fine, but hardly spectacular. That said, if Garagiste offered at this price and not as a mystery, I wouldn't bite. It's just not that much better than similarly priced non-Champagnes (or even a few Champagnes, see the Jacquesson that I have been drinking). At the end of the evening, we dove back into sparkling with a Franciacorta that was both less expensive and better.

2/2/2024 - Not647f wrote:

Took to Kenny's for shabbat because I didn't know what he'd be making exactly. Very versatile wine. This is brighter, redder than the DCV and Rockpiles Zins, but I knew that going in because I tasted these with the winemaker, who is also the husband of another great Zin maker. Production is micro, so get it while you can. Cherry, red currant, spice. Really good stuff.

2/3/2024 - Not647f wrote:

I made Scampi and this was the thing, I figured. This is a little richer and less steely than my typical choice of Chablis, but the tradeoff is a bit of complexity. Not just citrusy and clean, but also apple-tinged and a bit more luxurious in the mouth. No overt oak here at all, which is one of the usual attractions of Chablis. Pretty sure I have drunk more of these, or sold a few, but also pretty sure there is more to enjoy.

1/31/2024 - Not647f wrote:

Finally cracked one. Solid if unspectacular CC. Not suremit justifies the price. A little sleek for Sangiovese but bright and open. Typical cherry and herbal notes. Will be interesting to follow the other bottles starting a year from now.

1/23/2024 - Not647f wrote:

Wife and daughter opened while I was doing an evening event, but saved a good pour for me. What's up with the detractors? This is pretty rich and ripe, complex for its age, and full of dark red and black fruit. Cherries but also plums, beginning secondary notes of chocolate and leather. Tannins and acids are smoother, so we'll see if it holds up but a solid GS at a reserva price.

1/24/2024 - Not647f wrote:

Took a break from big red wines during our chilly and wet weather and had this with some vegan Singapore-influenced food. Much better than expected for this price. I bought a ton of rose wines on sale because they were, gasp, last summer's bottles. Then I didn't drink them all in the summer. But so what? You drink white wine year round, why not rose? This was also a bit more robust than the usual rose, although not quite a cerasuolo. Herbs, mostly rosemary (could be that little bit of extra tannin), light ranier cherry, a little crisp apple.

12/29/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Second bottle on a Friday evening. So it did not get a fair shake but good as far as I could pay attention. A Garagiste mystery wine that delivered well for the price. Can't say it's a game changer but it's in the style of PN I like. more floral and savory, less extracted and oaked up.

12/30/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Really nice wine without a lot of pretension. Solid with our simple pizza, would be fine with a pasta with meaty, savory sauce. This isn't Abbona level but very enjoyable.

12/27/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Cork was in very good condition, as was label. Wine did not taste faded, although all the tannins had smoothed out. Medium body. We had it with a chickpea and squash dish that had turmeric and ginger, not an easy pairing, but it did fine. Dominant fruits were black plums. The nose was actually much more impressive, with forest floor, sloes, blackberries (definitely darker fruited). I doubt this is getting better, but it's quite nice now and glad I have two more. The story behind it is pretty good, too.

10/20/2023 - Not647f wrote:

With friends at a restaurant (Corso in Berkeley). This went very well with the richer dishes we all ordered, which was great. Really special bottle, showed better than the 2010 did a while back. This was a wine I first had at the winery in 2014 when visiting the Langa, and was my favorite of the trip. These keep creeping up in price, so I don't think they are exactly affordable bottles for most anymore, but there's still value here if you want to drink an exceptional bottle. If you drink Barolo, this is just the quintessence of an elegant style of the drink, and I can lay on a bunch of descriptors, but this is really just a way to remind myself to keep looking for these.

11/3/2023 - Not647f wrote:

We had a curry on Friday night that was needed a white wine (if we were having wine--we probably could have skipped it, tbh), so I opened this. It's a bit weightier, and the heft makes it work pretty well with spicy foods or things with stronger flavors that need white wine. These are just a really great example if you like Marsanne, by a maker that puts the effort into these very reasonable bottles.

10/28/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Opened this at our Pinot Noir throwdown. Back at the first version of the same event, in 2013 (yes, this was the 10th Anniversary Redux), the P&H wines, especially this vineyard, were stars. Alas, this iteration of it was too ripe, too heavy, too gloppy and syrupy for my PN palate and that of our group. It showed fairly poorly in the over line-up. Was it just tired? Or did they miss the mark this time? Hard to say. Virtually every other bottle I bought from the winery was excellent, save maybe the Pisonis, which has a lot to do with the farming and expectations around those wines.

11/4/2023 - Not647f wrote:

This is a big, very dark fruited wine. It's fairly tannic, but not as tannic as many PS wines I've enjoyed. I didn't find a lot of complexity, but PS can be a time capsule, that never changes, so the lack of secondary or tertiary development isn't that shocking. It's also still pretty young for some PS, although it lacked the hard edges those wines can have that speak to lack of maturity and future development. This was a very tasty wine, and enjoyed by our party, but I'm glad this was a gift, as it is a pricey bottle and I might have felt a tad disappointed paying more for this than some other fine bottles. That said, seriously made PS seems harder to find at any price these days--the markets can be fickle--so I'm glad we opened it with our big, beefy dinner.

11/6/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Drank the last of these a while ago, just putting in the note now. This last bottle was starting to fade just a bit, losing a little of the spicy note. But these were such a great find, and at a great price. I'm a fan of dolcetto, and appreciate an Anna Maria Abbona (the best, IMO) and a Chionetti (iconic in its own right), but it's a modest, enjoyable grape that is fine in its simpler forms. Start your meal with one of these and some simple food or cheese, then move onto your nicer barbera or even Barolo.

11/4/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Drank another of these with a beef roast, crispy crunchy potatoes, and a really nice salad. This was a bit overwhelmed because 1) the food and 2) we were also drinking a Petite Sirah. The tannins in that made this seem just a bit too soft. I think it's a great wine, but it was an unfelicitous choice on my part. I'd do this again with a different pairing. Also worth noting that everyone else love the wine and did not have a similar complaint.

10/10/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Pretty sure I just drank the last of these, but I hadn't made notes before. Shame, that. So this was quite good, definitely a value. From Garagiste, so who knows if it will come again? Like something between a CC and CCR, but also its own thing. This was darker than the average Sangio based wine, more purple than garnet, and more tannic than expected. It will have a good, long life. (If you're interested in aging wine that's under $20, this would be a great choice.) the nose is open for business, with violets, a bit of cherry, but it's not as heavily leaning toward red cherry as a lot of Sangio. There may be some oak involved, or else this particular expression just has its own tannin. Definitely tobacco notes, even at this youngish age. Really good bottle, should buy more if offered.

10/8/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Opened the bottle with the lower fill level and signs of seepage. This had thoroughly oxidized although it had not, to my taste, turned to vinegar. Not surprised it was wrecked. But I saved some in tight jars with no head space and will leave in fridge for a bit to think about whether I can cook with. Opened a younger bottle for dinner to avoid disappointment.

9/30/2023 - Not647f wrote:

This was a gift from the folks who adopted a dog we fostered--thanks, guys, I know you will love the dog even more than we loved this wine! Great that this is from when the Heitz family was still the owners/producers, and so glad they bottled zin like this. Just classic, balanced zin, showing nicely at 10 years of age, medium body, dark fruit. Went perfectly with our Korean style grilled ribs (cut like Hawaiian), some rice, and a nice salad. Went down so easily that we started another bottle of zin with the meal. (IF this was really $24 originally, I should have been buying these!)

9/29/2023 - Not647f wrote:

With an interesting chicken dish and good company. I won the K&L auction for these, hoping that two out of three had survived. So far, good, but the auction did not mention that one of the bottles had some signs of seepage, so I am guessing that one is probably toast. This was really, really good. I think MC2 is pretty right, although there was a nice aroma of dried cherry as well. Lovely, smooth tannins, the weightless power of nebbiolo, and did not want for a long decant (in general something to avoid, IMO). Tons of sediment after standing up for the last week, so we left a decent amount in the bottle. Now on to the next!

9/24/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Wife wanted me to grill some hamburgers and fresh veg, and that usually spells Cab or Bordeaux. So, this is 10 years on, a handful of years since the last one I drank, and not reserved for any particular purpose. Drink up! Notes as before, but the loss of a bit of freshness has not translated into something savory and more complex. It's Cab, it's good to very good Cab, but greatness is not really showing itself here. As before, it did blossom a bit, or maybe I just generally had drunk of the milk of human kindness, but we had no problem finishing the bottle. Wife liked it more than I did, so I wouldn't hesitate to buy again at this price, if I was buying much cab these days.

9/18/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Took this to Rosh Hashanah dinner where wife was eating salmon, I was eating chicken, and the host does not consume alcohol. I bought these on close out at K&L. Unlike a lot of orange wine from other makers, this is not dirty and off-tasting, but is more tannic than a white, and more savory as well. Makes it very flexible. The couple behind these wines, Brian and Steffi, are committed to making wines from Italian varieties in the Central Coast, and do a great job. "Ramato" wines are so called because of their copper color, this wine fits that bill. Highly recommended, esp at the K&L discount price. Glad I have another, too.

9/17/2023 - Not647f wrote:

I'll try to be more helpful (for my own sake) than a one word review employing an ambiguous but trendy term, although I appreciate the concision and, to be honest, it tells me as much as reviews using "linear," or "delineated," or another half dozen things I see in the pro reviews.
I bought 2 of these and a bunch of Loire CF to audition for Thanksgiving dinner. I find a lot of Cali CF overextracted and too ripe, like it was trying to be CS, but the first really revelatory CF I had was from Monterey County, so it can be done. This falls somewhere in between a bigger and riper style and the Loire style of lithe, silky wines, but the fruit and spice notes are very much CF. Wife thought it was too light for Thanksgiving--she wants Zin with our gamey heritage bird, and I thought the other way. So either it is perfect as a compromise, or we go with the Loire CF and a Zin. This is, as wine, delicious, with notes of ripe cherry, cranberry, leafy bits, and very nice, silky texture. The price is okay at what I paid, but more than the Loire CF.

9/12/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Consumed over a couple days. Importer Oliver McCrum has said he has not imported primitivo from Puglia because too many examples are "stewed." (He does have one on his radar, and if it shows up near you, buy it. I've tasted it ahead of his importation.) This wine, bought from Garagiste, is a good example of that. Too hot, out of balance, all fruit, no structure. To be fair, Zin/Primitivo isn't usually built for the long haul, but 6 years is not a long time for a red wine, and I've had 100% Zins that lasted twice that. Great presentation--hefty and distinctive bottle, tasteful but distinctive label, but this is, even at $16, a pretty disappointing wine from Rimmerman.

9/8/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Risotto with chicken and artichoke hearts. This was very savory, but also floral, perfect with the dish. On opening, first thing noticed is just the room filling beauty of nebbiolo. This was silky, tannins are very smooth. Acidity that cleanses the palate but doesn't punish. Notes of apple blossom, roses, sandalwood on the nose. Those and dark cherries, beginnings of secondary spice on the palate. This isn't the most complex or longest, but it's beautiful. Probably has some time ahead of it, but there's no reason not to enjoy now while the Rabaja bottling rests a bit longer.

9/3/2023 - Not647f wrote:

One of two BdM consumed with neighbors with dinner of a 5Marys roast, roasted potatoes, roasted okra and tomato. I think this was everyone's preference over the Argiano, but only slightly. Both were rounder than the last bottles, with a riper, almost younger feeling. A little tomato leaf taste prior to eating, so that was the wine. Strangely seemed less evolved than the last bottle.

9/3/2023 - Not647f wrote:

One of two bottles of BdM consumed with a roast from 5Mary's, grilled potatoes, grilled okra (yes, everything done over charcoal). Both bottles were a bit modern (read: ripe, plush, a little oaky) for my Brunello dollar, but everyone thoroughly enjoyed them (and an introductory rose of Lagrein). This is also a riper vintage, so that contributes. Very interesting that my impression really differed from the last bottle.

8/12/2023 - Not647f wrote:

We made shish kebabs on the grill with 5Marys' beef and lots of veg, and it just felt like a good time to open one of these. I'm treating the 2012s as earlier drinkers, not necessarily long haul wines. That said, this was textbook BdM, and better than past Argianos (and my first from this vintage). Haven't always loved their house style, but I should have gone much deeper on this vintage. Already getting lighter and a little bricking at the rim. Aromas of violets, dust, leather, dried cherries, brown leaves. On the palate, taut acid, sour cherry, very dry and a bit austere in a good, old school way. I don't know about a 30 year wine, but it has plenty still going for it and could go another ten, pretty easy. Best of the 2012 vintage so far, I think.

7/12/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Not 100% sure of the date, but I remember the wine. Had it with grilled hamburgers. This is a shiner or something like it, purchased from WTSO on the sole virtue that is was made by Robin Akhurst. No idea where the fruit really came from, but the price for Napa Cab was reasonable and Robin is a stellar winemaker. This is obviously a one-off, there are no other vintages. Alcohol is a modest for these times sub 14 percent. Not a heavy wine. It's got good typicity. I'd guess by the low acid that it is mostly valley floor fruit, and it's not going to be a long ager. Tannins are also pretty soft. Good weeknight cab, also good for gatherings where you might start with something a bit bigger.

7/26/2023 - Not647f wrote:

We were eating "lamb burgers" and some Mediterranean-ish sides; wife likes Zin with her lamb, I am more of a S. Rhone/N. Rhone mind depending on preparation, but it's important to be accommodating and I wasn't sorry at all. Do I think it's the perfect pairing now? Doesn't matter. It was great to drink a wine that is just plain delicious and satisfying with good food, always. This is just textbook Zin, not much tannin from the grapes, judicious use of oak, rich dark fruit without being a bomb, a little of the leafiness for freshness. Clay and Emma keep hitting these out of the park (a sports metaphor that really misses both of their NCAA histories) and the Jack's bottlings make the loss of Cemetery Zin less difficult. My last from this vintage, but I've been continuing to buy and have a nice stockpile of later vintages ready to drink.

7/8/2023 - Not647f wrote:

We had this big picanha, a very beefy cut of meat, that we wanted to grill, so we invited the neighbors over and opened this. Last bottle of the lot I bought a few years back, and it has really improved. Rich but not plodding, deeply fruited but not tiring. The oak is smoothed off, leaving just a light robe of vanilla aroma and light spice. As it lingers in the mouth, the leather and savory notes come out. This will probably continue to improve with age, but it's great now. Perhaps safer to catch on the way up than the way down. Keep eyes open for more in the marketplace.

7/2/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Brought one of these to my folks' house for dinner. With a chicken curry that wasn't really a chicken curry but chicken thighs with a curry topping or something. Anyway, I thought this was fine, my father and my wife thought it was kind of astringent. Was perhaps not the right wine for the crowd or had warmed up a bit. Or maybe just a slightly off bottle. There are quite a few left, so we'll jump back in soon.

6/15/2023 - Not647f wrote:

I'm guessing a bit at the date. (I seem to do that a lot.) We had the Tutor and his awesome partner the Trainer over to celebrate Tutor getting his PhD. Lots of special things to celebrate, so we started with this. I've had this cuvee before, and it's reliably wonderful for the price. Hits your major champagne notes, toasty, crisp, smooth, lightly citrusy. Lately, I've been scoring some very nice deals on Champagne, but if you want a take-no-chances Champagne with a nice presentation, this is an excellent choice at a reasonable price.

7/6/2023 - Not647f wrote:

The family straggled home and no more than two people had dinner at the same time, but it seemed right to open a bottle that everyone could have a little of with their meal. It was mafalda with kale, some roasted cauliflower. The weather was inner Bay Area summer, cool and overcast, so red was in order. This was purchased at WHSF's anniversary sale, so it was really inexpensive. And it hit the spot. A little bigger and riper than the sangio alone, a little cleaner and brighter than CS on its own. Nothing really stood out, just a fruitbowl of plums, dark and lighter cherries, a little leafiness. No oak flavors, and pretty mild tannins. If there was more available, I'd also put some aside, as it probably can stand a little more age. I sold two bottles to my friend who drinks mostly cab, and I think he'll like it.

6/14/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Lamb chops on the grill. Kept it simple. This got great reviews, was offered at a fantastic price. I bit, even though I was unfamiliar with the maker and the label seems like something you'd throw on declassed juice. Since then, the winery continues to get good scores, in the mid 90s. And Cornas is my jam and the last affordable wine in the N. Rhone hillsides. I waited patiently. Aromas pretty typical of the region and variety, but a little masked. There's oak here. Wife says it is pretty simple. Tannins aren't harsh, but the wine is still tightly wound and I am not getting a lot of anything except black fruit. Later, a little meaty note. I'll leave the rest on their sides a while longer, but there's not a lot coming out that seems like it's going to improve with age. Reserving judgement for now.

6/22/2023 - Not647f wrote:

This was pretty meh for picpoul, probably reflecting its mass production (relatively) and low price. Nothing wrong with it, but it was not the "lipstinger" the name suggests, lacking the acids and general lemony notes and steely character I've noticed in the grape in other bottlings. Rarely is picpoul expensive, but this might have been too cheap, like some Muscadet, where the value goes away below a certain point, probably because it is not made with any intention but volume sales. A very inexpensive experiment, so no big loss, but not a repurchase even if available again.

6/30/2023 - Not647f wrote:

First of all, I had and drank more than one bottle of this, and secondly the date of this note is completely wrong, but I remember the wine very well. This is surprisingly tannic, while quite light in color in contrast, and had yellow and light red cherry flavors, a note in the aroma of cherry blossoms and leaves. This goes really well with cured meats, cheeses, and dishes that need a wine to clean up the palate a little bit. The first bottle we tried wasn't impressive, but the second and third were very interesting. Alas, the screaming bargain at the discounter is over and done. This sat in some distributor's warehouse and when it was gone, there was probably little incentive to try the market again. Sadly.

6/23/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Keep neglecting to input these. This was a repurchase after grabbing one at K+L in April, and then we drank one more. This is a dark, pretty extracted Burgundy, with a distinct but not unpleasant use of wood. I'm tempted to either put the remaining one aside or by some more and see if they improve a bit with age. There's plenty of fruit (and earth) so it might benefit from the wood settling down and just working to preserve the wine a bit while it ages. The price for a pretty nice lieu-dit is fair enough that this can be a Friday night with roasted chicken wine.

6/15/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Of the Zisola bottles, this was the best. Wanted BDX varietals with my burger and pulled it out. This is fairly tannic still but it must be smooth and ripe, because my daughter who does not like most reds (exception: merlot) liked it somewhat. Deep, dark, lots of black fruit, those polished tannins, a nose of violets. Little leafy note to keep it fresh. If I find more, I'll probably buy some. It's under $15, so something you can drink whenever and shows no signs that it won't be good for a few more years at least.

6/29/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Truth is that I drank one bottle, thoroughly enjoyed it, but made no note, then bought another. Which I drank last night with beef and broccoli and again thoroughly enjoyed. This is on the richer side of CF, but still very fresh tasting. Boysenberries, black cherry, not a lot of tannin. No real vegetal notes, which some don't like in their CF but I find refreshing in small quantities. Time to buy more and store for the fall/winter holidays.

5/26/2023 - Not647f wrote:

This was a gift, with a personal connection between the giver and the winemaker. This is good, not clear where in the RRV it came from. It's not a cherry coke confection, but it's pretty extracted and rich. Wood, to the extent you notice, is used for spice. Nice job on this, good with simple roasted chicken and the like.

6/26/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Something about the word "juiciness" in the pitch from Garagiste had me thinking this was in a lighter style of aglianico, suited for early drinking perhaps and perhaps a bit less serious than others. Not the case. We probably opened this too soon, certainly too soon for peak, but after sitting in glasses and open bottle for 20-30 minutes, the tannins softened a bit and the combination of deep, dark fruit and savory elements rose above. Wow. I'll put the others aside for a bit because this is definitely built to age. There's something like Petite Sirah here, with the wildness, or mourvedre, with its rasp, but this stands on its own as a great example of aglianico. Somewhere down the road, I need to do a taste-off with this, a couple vintages of Titolo, and some other aglianico that I've stored somewhere.

3/14/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Scores are pretty meaningless when you see notes that describe a wine well and coincide with your enjoyment... and then you see someone giving it 82 points while other, less interesting wines get 7-10 more points. So, let me say, this was delicious, crisp white even at this age. It picked up a little character and weight with time, but kept the fresh citrus quality to go with it. Wish I had bought more.

3/20/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Writing this much later. This was serviceable and then some. I'd guess it was not going to improve a whole lot, but very favorable impression over all. I subsequently saw this at a well known wine store in Santa Monica for quite a bit more. I wouldn't pay that, but the price I paid was ideal for a daily drinker with a bit of class. The rush to Reverva level wines ignores that many Crianzas age nicely once in bottle while holding onto some fruit. I'd put this in that category.

6/14/2023 - Not647f wrote:

Had this with burgers, as we do. Tannic, good, ripe. Could use some laying down. I will save these for when the whole family and some other cab/BDX drinkers are around. For once, I find a BDX that compares favorably for the price with my memories of Napa cabs before they got pricey and overripe. Will certainly get better with time.