5/17/2024 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

This began as a pop and pour on yet another beautiful spring day. The wine is a robust deep red, with some slight shades of brown indicative of its age. There is significant sediment cake on the bottle and some moderate sediment toward the end of the bottle; the sediment is fine and soft, but those who care may want to decant. On the nose, I get Bing cherries, chocolate, and an unexpected green herbal note that is hard to pin down (the closest comparison is to a newly opened container of mint-chocolate-chip ice cream). In the mouth, this is smooth and velvety, with dark red fruit aspects. That theme continues on the lingering and chewy finish, which closes with plum sauce. After letting the open bottle sit for a bit, the nose and mouth both noticeably expanded, which provides another reason to consider decanting for an hour or two. Overall, this bottle showed nicely today and contributed to a wonderful experience over the afternoon and evening. 92 points.

5/12/2024 - whitmanlholt wrote:

It was another beautiful day here, so I figured why not do a back-to-back Riesling tasting. I put this bottle in the regular fridge for a couple hours, unscrewed, and enjoyed over a roughly three-hour window. This is an exceptionally pale wine that almost looks like water toward the end of the glass. On the nose, I get flowers, wet rocks, and white peach. In the mouth, this is midweight and pleasantly sweet, showing aspects of apricot and raw honey. The finish is creamy and leaves a sensation that reminds me of eating a ripe fall apple. Overall, this is an open and enjoyable wine that hits all of the notes one would expect from a Donnhoff Kabinett. I enjoyed the bottle in the fresh air on the porch, but I have no doubt this would pair well with a range of different foods, including Thai or Indian dishes and many different salads. 90 points.

5/11/2024 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured on the hottest day of the year so far. This is a pale yellow wine. On the nose, I get lemon peel, lemon juice, slightly unripe yellow pears, touches of petrol, and a handful of wet pebbles. In the mouth, the primary sensation is lemon and lime juice, but cast on a very dry backdrop that still allows for some textural fullness. The finish is crisp and emphasizes a highly acidic note while ending with yet more lemon sensations. Overall, this is a lively wine that shows a ton of energy (at times, it’s almost like touching a hot spark plug). Despite being 13 years old, this came across as a young wine. The bottom line is that it’s terrific right now and should continue to improve for many years. I was very pleased with this choice today. 93 points.

5/5/2024 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured from split. This is a deep red wine. On the expressive nose, I get blueberry, plum, wet stones, tobacco leaf, and spearmint. In the mouth, the wine is fresh and midweight; it shows a nice mix of blue and red fruits. The finish is smooth, with more blue fruit and a faint touch of bell pepper. Overall, this is a very solid and graceful Cab. The wine is fully ready now but will easily last for 10-20 more years. This producer is such a tremendous bargain for the price relative to other options in Napa Cabs (I bought some 375 ml bottles at $22 per, which almost feels like stealing), and the wines are (deliberately) never overdone. This was yet another fine experience from an authentic producer that has never disappointed. 91 points.

5/4/2024 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a medium red wine. On the nose, I get black olives, sea salt, and decaying vegetables. In the mouth, this is a savory wine, with an obvious degree of wildness coupled together with some sour cherry notes. The finish is funky and briny while pulling a robust acid thread through the experience. Overall, this was an interesting and enjoyable wine (it has the general family style of the Bionic wines, but is ratcheted down from some Cayuse or Horsepower expressions). This should be a great wine for food, particularly Mediterranean or similar dishes. As with all these funky WA/OR border wines, this is not something everyone will enjoy or appreciate. 92 points.

4/27/2024 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a medium-red wine—the color and texture feel totally age appropriate for a 21-year-old Bordeaux—with some mild sediment cake throughout the bottle. On the rather serious nose, I get damp soil, stones, pencil shavings, and saddle leather. In the mouth, the wine is midweight and focused, showing light red fruit and leaving a lingering, chewy finish. Overall, this is classic Pauillac down the line; I didn’t notice any heat or other issues from the 2003 vintage. I found this wine open and enjoyable today, but it should easily continue to fly for another 10+ years. 92 points.

4/21/2024 - whitmanlholt wrote:

Popped and poured from 375ml. This is a dark wine with a medium-red core, everything-staining concentration, and some heavy sediment at the end of the bottle. The nose is grapey, with cooked fruit and some burnt wood aspects. In the mouth, this is rich, loaded, and slightly grainy from the sediment. The finish is likewise rich and deep, with chocolate and fig aspects. Overall, this is a big hitter of a wine that should last forever. I don’t drink enough Vintage Port. 90 points.

4/20/2024 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Slow oxed for roughly 4.5 hours. This is a medium red wine with minimal sediment at the end of the bottle. On the nose, I get cherry, scrub, and strawberry notes. In the mouth, this is a plush and enveloping wine, displaying cherry sauce coupled with ripe red berries. The finish continues the theme, with lingering red fruit and a slight sweetness. Overall, I found this to be a modern Brunello, but one that was very nice today and should have some years left in the tank. 91 points.

4/14/2024 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Slow oxed for roughly five hours. This is a medium red wine that shows glimpses of an orange rim and has very minor sediment at the end of the bottle. The nose is classic and expressive BdM, highlighting cherry, sage, and rosehips. In the mouth, this is midweight, balanced, and featuring a nice range of red fruit. The finish is crisp and chewy, inviting one back for another sip. Overall, this was a quality Brunello. It faded a bit over time, so perhaps is at peak now? 92 points.

4/6/2024 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a vibrant ruby wine with a darker core and material sediment cake on the bottle. The nose is shy at first, but opens nicely into brush, cherry sauce, coffee grounds, and orange peel. In the mouth, I get black cherry, smoke, and plum aspects, which fold into a long and dark-fruited finish on which the tannins are completely integrated. Overall, I found this to be a rich, dense, and satisfying wine. It is a nice all-around hitter that shows yet transcends the appellation. Given the density of the wine, the significant retained sediment, and how this opened up favorably over time, I would recommend decanting for a few hours. Very nice indeed. 93 points.

3/23/2024 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a solid red wine. On the nose, I get strawberry reduction, bramble, plum, and espresso. In the mouth, this is juicy and rich, with notable cherry concentrate flavors. The finish continues the theme, with more sweet and loaded red fruits. Overall, this is a nice BBQ wine. It’s a tad overpriced for that experience, but sometimes one has to just let go and enjoy. 90 points.

3/16/2024 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a medium gold wine. The nose is terrific, giving scents of papaya, honeydew melon, spring flowers, wild honey, beeswax, and lemon zest. In the mouth, this is rich, lush, full, and round, leaving a creamy finish with a slight talc aspect. Overall, I found this to be a high-quality and unique white wine, one that is dangerously drinkable. The main downside is the silly overweight bottle. Drink now or hold 5-7 years. 93 points.

3/10/2024 - whitmanlholt wrote:

Popped and poured, then left roughly 40% of the bottle in the fridge for day 2. The cork surprisingly shattered while I was opening the bottle, but the Durand saved the day. This is a solid wine with some moderate+ sediment toward the end of the bottle. On the nose, I get blueberry, tobacco, and rosebush. In the mouth, this was disappointing – it’s lighter, high acid, and a bit dilute, with modest red fruit flavors. The finish is crisp and continues the tart red fruit elements. Overall, I found this to be underwhelming. It’s a wine shaped in the old-school claret model, but nondescript and overpriced for what’s in the glass. I’ve had some very enjoyable 2006s Bordeaux, but this is not one of them. The wine was about the same on day 2 as day 1, so I’m not sure there’s much upside left here. I liked a prior bottle a bit more, so maybe there’s some bottle variation, although I didn’t pick up any flaws here. 89 points.

3/4/2024 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured, then put the remaining roughly 1/3 of a bottle in the fridge and revisited the following day. This is a cherry red wine with rusty orange notes starting to show through at the rim. The nose is great and very expressive (and clearly better on day 1 than day 2), showing cherries, rosehips, wet soil, and some damp iron or steel aspects. In the mouth, the wine is crisp and focused, largely revolving around the red fruit characteristics. The finish is chewy, medium length, and gave me a bit of natural licorice. Overall, I thought this was very solid and found it to be a far better bottle than the last one I had in 2018. There should be plenty of gas left in the tank, though, so there is upside potential. 92+ points.

2/24/2024 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a lighter red wine that is very clean in the bottle (with zero sediment anywhere to be seen). On the nose, I get raspberry, rhubarb, some spices and greener herbs, and a touch of black tea. In the mouth, this is smooth, with some immediate red fruit and excellent energy throughout. The finish pulls candied red fruit aspects through for at least 35-45 seconds. Overall, I enjoyed this wine a great deal. It is restrained yet fully enjoyable now. This is very different from the Pasxa Syrah I had recently, but both wines are great examples from this exciting project. The 2019 Grenache can be enjoyed now or anytime over the next 8-10 years. 92 points.

2/17/2024 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a dark purple wine. The nose is closed at first, but eventually unfolds to blueberry, blackberry, and leather aspects. In the mouth, this is midweight, with some nice structure and a velvety mouthfeel. The finish is chewy and continues the black fruit theme. Overall, I found this to be a very young and primary wine, but one with a lot of potential for improvement over the next 10+ years. This is a unique and quality project that I hope succeeds. I didn’t get any “Rocks funk” on this experience, which is okay since that trait is readily available elsewhere; I’m pleased to see some producers in the region going for some different elements in their wines. 92 points.

2/17/2024 - whitmanlholt wrote:

Corked! Not the worst tainted bottle I've had, but clearly present. Dumped the bottle down the drain. Bummer.

2/11/2024 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a solid red wine with tongue-staining concentration. The bottle is very clean without a hint of sediment. On the nose, I get olive brine, generalized funk, and some soy sauce. In the mouth, this is mid-weight and juicy, with overarching salt brick aspects. The finish continues the general theme of this wine, highlighted by savory and chewy traits. Overall, I found this to be very typical of the producer and region. I liked the wine, but it is difficult to tell the various bottlings apart absent a side-by-side tasting. They are all good, but they do blur together. 91 points.

2/10/2024 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Slow oxed for roughly four hours. This is a medium red wine with serious tongue-staining concentration and modest sediment cake on the bottle. On the nose, I get blueberry, leather, pepper, and gamey notes. In the mouth, the wine is lively, smooth, and lush, with an unexpected level of acidity coupled with serious depth of flavor. The finish is long and savory, leaving some wild berry elements. Overall, this was a very pleasurable wine, with surprising freshness and refinement. That said, this is probably overpriced and broadly comparable Syrah can be found elsewhere (including in the Rhone) for a better price. Still, sometimes one has to ignore the price and just enjoy the experience; this wine offers a quality experience indeed. 93 points.

2/3/2024 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Slow oxed for roughly an hour and a half. This is a bright, medium red wine. There is a modest amount of sediment at the end of the bottle and some tongue-staining concentration throughout. On the nose, I get cherry, sagebrush, and old leather. The mouth is midweight and open, showing cherry and black tea flavors. On the lingering finish, I get herbal, cherry, and more leather sensations. Overall, this is a classic Brunello that is fully ready now at twenty years of age. I enjoyed this a lot today but imagine that it will hold in its current state for at least another 5-7 years. This was a very nice wine that underlines the quality of the 2004 vintage in Tuscany. Totally separate from the experience in the glass (which is what truly matters), I have always thought that this is one of the most visually striking, distinct, and well-designed wine labels. 92 points.

1/28/2024 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured, then drank over two days. This is a vibrant red wine with some minimal fine sediment at the end of the bottle. On the nose, I get herbs, strawberry, black and green olives, and scrub. In the mouth, this is a ripe and plush wine that displays sweeter red fruits. The finish is long and juicy, with a black tea aspect coming through at the end. Overall, I found this to be a classic and enjoyable example of old-vine Grenache. It is certainly rich but not over the top (which is not always the case with 2009 CdP). Drink now or hold 5-7 more years. 91 points.

1/20/2024 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a medium red wine that is getting lighter toward the rim. The wine is somewhat cloudy in the glass but there is no sediment anywhere in the bottle. On the expressive nose, I get salt, brine, olives, cured meat, and ash. In the mouth, the wine is midweight, displaying nice acid aspects coupled with blue and red fruits. The finish pulls through some sweet red fruit with a savory tang, thereby circling back to the initial elements from the nose. Overall, this was a good wine that tracked my expectations for the producer and style. It’s very drinkable now and probably on the peak plateau. 91 points.

1/15/2024 - whitmanlholt wrote:

Popped and poured, then drank over two days. This is a solid red wine with some minimal fine sediment at the very end of the bottle. The nose shows blackberry, boysenberry, coffee, and some slight pepper. In the mouth, this is mid-weight and highlighted by blue fruit with a chalky feel. The finish brings nice juicy acid coupled with moderate chewy tannins. Overall, I found this to be a quality but largely nondescript wine; there are many similar experiences one can have with Syrah in this price range from all over the world (including Washington). The wine seemed very primary, so perhaps more nuance will emerge with time, although I wouldn’t bet a lot on that outcome. 90 points.

1/13/2024 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a medium red wine with some minor sediment cake on the bottle. The nose is distinct and fragrant, showing brine, sea salt, old food (primarily pumpkin/squash, but with some meat), and caraway seed. The mouth leads with a salty aspect, coupled with olive, cherry, and black licorice. The finish is long, funky, and savory, but a somewhat sweet, perfumed aspect shows up as the wine unfolds. Overall, this is a distinctive wine (the WA/OR border Syrahs are like nothing else globally), but it has mellowed since my last bottle. This should be fully enjoyable now and for the next couple of years. 92 points.

12/31/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured for NYE 2023 --> 2024. No formal notes, but this was classic Bollinger: deep gold in color, with notes of biscuit, bruised apples, and pears, all coupled with a crisp mouthfeel and finish. Very nice. I’m sure a lot of the price of this wine is for the packaging, but there’s still a quality product inside. Cheers to an interesting 2024!

12/25/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a medium red wine with some orange hues throughout, especially when pouring. There is sediment cake on the bottle and some significant sediment toward the end of the bottle (enough that I wish I decanted today). The nose is exceptional, showing ripe cherry, balsam, scrub, rosehips, and mushroom. In the mouth, this displays lovely red fruit and an intense beam of flavor. The finish is of medium length, with lip-smacking acidity and fully integrated tannins. Overall, this wine was very good with Christmas dinner (prime rib as the feature) and in a great spot now – it’s a very enjoyable Brunello. 93 points.

12/23/2023 - whitmanlholt wrote:

Popped and poured. This is a very dark-red trending to purple wine. On the nose, I get blackberry, blueberry, bramble, and some odd reductive-like scents. In the mouth, this is generally full and rich with salty offsetting notes. The finish is medium length and includes some more fruit elements. Overall, I found this to be an unexciting and somewhat muted Saxum. Perhaps there was some very slight TCA or some other issue with this particular bottle, but this was not a good showing and an underperformer tonight. I still have a couple bottles (all direct from the winery), so am hoping for better next time. 89 points.

12/16/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a cherry red wine. On the nose, I get strawberry, cherry, an herbal-balsamic mix, soy sauce, and black tea. In the mouth, this is a structured and chewy wine, offset by some acid and cherry elements. The finish is savory, with light tannin and cherry (again!) aspects. Overall, this is an enjoyable wine with a lot of time left. It is somewhat darker and robust for Etna, but the regional aspects shine through. I agree with prior comments that this is a tad expensive relative to other options from the region, but it’s a nice wine that is probably underpriced from a global perspective. Drink now or hold for ~10 years. 91 points.

12/9/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a solid red wine with some moderate sediment at the end of the bottle (which I stood up for a couple of weeks); decanting could help to remove the sediment. On the nose, I get strawberry, cherry, wet rocks, and licorice root. In the mouth, this highlights juicy red fruit with several layers of flavor and texture. The finish hits a higher-acid note with a cherry-sauce echo. Overall, I found this to be a delightful and fresh wine that should enhance most food. This was a great showing and a better bottle today. Based on this particular bottle, the wine should easily have another 5-10 years in the tank. 92 points.

11/25/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a deep red wine with tongue-staining concentration. On the nose, I get blackberry, huckleberry, some subtle pepper, and a touch of smoked meat. In the mouth, this is a full and rich wine, with dark fruit counterbalanced by some nice offsetting acid. The finish is chewy and robust, highlighting blackberry pie and coffee elements. Overall, this is a big, heady, and hedonistic wine – it feels quite young and should have many years left. This is a plainly Paso-style wine. 92+ points.

11/23/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a pale red tilting to orange wine with a meaningful amount of sediment at the end of the bottle (enough that I should have decanted). The nose is highly expressive and fragrant, displaying rosehips, crushed leaves, beef bouillon cubes, and black cherry. In the mouth, the wine is crisp and focused, highlighting assorted red fruits and the overall structure of the wine. The finish is moderately long and juicy, with fully absorbed tannins and an echo of the earlier autumnal aspects. Overall, I found this to be a beautiful, pure wine – it is showing great right now and was an excellent choice for Thanksgiving. 94 points.

11/18/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a birth-year wine that is medium red with some chalky sediment toward the end of the bottle. On the nose, I first get some mustiness, which is followed by rich fruit, forest floor, and tobacco. In the mouth, this is a tad tired, but still shows some nice fruit flavors folding into a medium-lengthy finish with aspects of autumn leaves. Overall, this was a quality Napa cab that is in surprisingly good shape 44 years on. 92 points.

11/11/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a medium red wine with (for Pinot) some surprising tongue-staining intensity. On the nose, I get baking spice, yard mulch, and cranberry. In the mouth, the wine shows ripe strawberry and hard red candies. The finish is very long with a sweet-cherry echo and a lip-smacking end. Overall, this is a pure, vibrant wine, one that is an obvious product of significant effort. This is a quality Pinot, albeit one that is clearly Californian in character. 93 points.

10/29/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured; siphoned roughly 50% of the bottle off into a 375ml for the following day. This is a deep red wine with some modest sediment at the end of the bottle. I would recommend decanting, both because of the sediment and because I thought this improved with air. On the fragrant nose, I get blackberry, fruitcake, coffee grounds, and a distinctive spicy and herbal note (almost a tad green, which I found odd for the vintage). In the mouth, this is rich and layered, displaying dark fruits combined with a soft, enjoyable texture. The finish is smooth and chewy, with a raw-chocolate-like top note. Overall, this was a pleasurable wine, one that is somewhat reminiscent of a quality Margaux from a warmer vintage. It opened nicely on day two, so one could hold for several more years or give it a few hours in a decanter before enjoying. At $95, the quality of the wine exceeds the pricing relative to most Napa reds from non-conglomerate producers. 92 points.

10/21/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a ruby red wine with some minimal sediment at the end of the bottle (not much sediment for a 20-year-old wine). On the nose, I get blueberry, pencil lead, tobacco, damp woods, and a surprising floral note. In the mouth, this is a well structured wine with a focus on sweet red fruits. The finish is smooth, with more red fruit, and fully integrated tannins. Overall, this is a refined and graceful wine. I didn’t experience any 2003 vintage issues and found this to be very enjoyable at the moment. Drink now or hold for another 5-10 years. 93 points.

10/15/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a deep red wine with tongue-staining concentration. On the nose, I get mint, blueberry, plums, and wet rocks. In the mouth, this is smooth with rich flavors, but some slight remaining tannin. The finish displays some lingering red and blue fruits. Overall, this is very pleasurable and a fine example of a Napa Cab-based wine. It is certainly a success in the vintage. 92 points.

10/7/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a ruby red wine. On the nose, I get some brine, beef jerky, and cracked pepper. In the mouth, this is initially savory but folds into some sweet black fruits. The finish displays salt, funk, and black olive. Overall, this is a nice wine that is more restrained than a lot of Walla Walla Syrahs. 92 points.

9/23/2023 - whitmanlholt wrote:

Popped and poured. This is a solid red wine. On the nose, I get wet earth, tomato bush, an herbal/mint note, some wood influenced chocolate, and just a touch of heat. In the mouth, this is mid-weight with some dark fruit and coffee aspects. The finish is strangely candied, incongruent with the rest of the wine, and, at least for me, off putting. Overall, this seems akin to a dish made with nice ingredients that ended up discombobulated. Today was not a good day for this wine (I probably would give a 90 or 91 if the finish hadn’t been so off; cf. the 2011 Tempest). 87 points.

9/17/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a medium red wine. On the nose, I get cherries, plum, and some faint chocolate. In the mouth, this is midweight and smooth, with some enjoyable red and black fruit notes. The finish continues the sweet, ripe fruit theme, with a touch of tart cherry to finish things off. Overall, this is an open and enjoyable wine. It seems a particular success in the vintage. 91 points.

9/10/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured, then refrigerated the remaining part of the bottle for the following day. At thirteen years on, this is still a very dark red-purple wine with mouth-staining concentration but only minimal sediment at the very end of the bottle. On the nose, I get blackberry, huckleberry, pepper, and dark chocolate notes. In the mouth, this is a full and rich wine, displaying some ripe fruit that folds smoothly into a finish of blackberry syrup and bramble. Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable and open wine, one that would be great for BBQs or a large group dinner party. It is the wine equivalent of a big, friendly dog. This is completely ready and drinkable now, but it should have some more years in the tank before starting to decline. 93 points.

9/3/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a solid red wine with mouth-staining intensity. There is some minor sediment at the end of the bottle. The nose is very expressive, with mint, black currant, oak, and some slight lifted flowers. In the mouth, this is very full, rich, and layered – the overall sensation is smooth but packed with flavor. The finish carries the sensation of a rich fruit pie. Overall, this is a well-rendered California Cab – it’s hard to complain, so just drink and enjoy. 92 point.

8/19/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a light red wine with a pale orange rim. There is very minor sediment throughout the bottle. On the nose, I get very ripe strawberry, cherry, brown sugar, and some slight raisin. In the mouth, this shows ripe red fruit with hint of spice. The moderately long, juicy finish displays cherry sauce and plum sauce. Overall, this is distinct and obviously pure Grenache. It initially feels somewhat tired, but opens nicely with air. I’d suggest drinking up now-2026 with a 30-45 minute decant. 91 points.

7/22/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a deep red wine. There is some distinct staining on the shoulder of the bottle and moderate sediment toward the end. The nose is highly expressive and shows mint, blueberry, pencil, and blackberry. In the mouth, the wine is restrained at first and generally tightly packed, but opens up to medium fruit with integrated acid and tannin. The finish is quite long and serious, although it nevertheless invites the drinker back for more. Overall, this is plainly an old-school mountain Cab. This strikes me as a rather young wine at 18 years old – it might live forever. 92 points.

7/1/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This is a pale gold wine. On the nose, I get flowers, pepper, and a bit of wild honey. In the mouth, this is a crisp, focused, and steely wine. The lingering finish really pulls the sensations through in the mouth. Overall, I thought this was a well-made and enjoyable wine (as an aside, CT categorizes this as an “off-dry” wine, but it struck me as a fully dry wine on which I didn’t get any sugar at all). I don’t drink enough Gruner to score the wine objectively, but I liked it. Is it somewhat expensive? Perhaps. But it’s obviously good and reasonably priced compared to almost all white Burgs and most white Rhones, so don’t fret and enjoy.

6/25/2023 - whitmanlholt wrote:

Popped and poured, then refrigerated the remaining part of the bottle for the following day. This is a medium red veering toward purple wine with some clear tongue-staining character. There is nevertheless no sediment to be found in the bottle. The nose is broadly funky, with horse, pepper, and smoked game aspects. In the mouth, the wine is soft and forward, highlighting darker fruit with some nice acidic contrast. The finish extends the acid impression, coupling it with a chewy (almost chalky) note. Overall, this seemed to be a more extracted example of Mencia that puts the grape almost in the Syrah or Mondeuse camp. I thought the 2018 La Cova de la Raposa I recently had was a fresher, more complex, and ultimately better wine. 90 points.

6/18/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured, then refrigerated the remaining part of the bottle for the following day. This is a medium red wine with some minor-to-modest sediment at the end of the bottle (I stood this up for several weeks before drinking and had basically no sediment in any glass). The nose is entrancing and displays cherries, plums, dark chocolate, dark cigar, and minty aspects. In the mouth, the wine is fresh and layered – it is initially a bit unyielding in the middle, but that opens up with time. The finish is long and chewy, still showing some tannin and darker fruit. Overall, this is a substantial wine of evident quality. It never felt like a 15-year-old wine and opened and notably improved on the second day. There should be many good years left for this impressive effort. 93 points.

6/11/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. There is some modest sediment and other signs of the wine breaking up toward the end of the bottle. On the nicely expressive nose, I get garrigue, herbs, and some kirsch. In the mouth, this is a mid-weight wine, showing sweet red and black cherries with a tad of aged stewed fruits. The finish brings some nice acid with just a touch of barnyard/horse. Overall, I thought this was a very good wine. It shows classic CdP/Pegau aspects without being overdone. It seems to be showing its age a bit (perhaps more than it should at just 12-years old?), but still is in solid shape. Drink now or hold through 2026. 92 points.

5/20/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This wine is the color of deep red rose petals. On the nose, I get intense black pepper, plum, and black cherry. In the mouth, the wine is midweight with an easy, open character marked by red and blue fruits with some black olive aspects. The finish is soft and a tad fleeting, with light acid and spice elements. Overall, this is a straightforward but very enjoyable wine, one that seems fully ready now but should have some time left. I found this exciting and unique (Mencia often hits me as a distinctive Northern Rhone/BoJo/Nebbiolo hybrid, and that was true here). 92 points.

5/13/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This bottle was disgorged on 11-11-2020 and is a light gold wine with a medium level of bubbles. On the nose, I get apple, pear, and some slight sugar cookie. In the mouth, this is crisp, with more apple aspects and tart Chardonnay flavors (ones that are reminiscent of a nice unoaked Chablis). The finish is refreshing and expands out in the mouth – it is somewhat like a dry cider. Overall, this is a direct and creamy sparkling wine. This version didn’t remind me much of any Champagne; it is definitely its own animal. I think one could hold this for 5-10+ more years without issue (not sure that will make it better, but maybe?). 91 points.

5/7/2023 - whitmanlholt wrote:

Popped and poured, then refrigerated the remaining part of the bottle for the following day. This is a pure garnet wine with some significant sediment caking and stain on the bottle, combined with modest sediment at the end of the bottle. On the nose, I get plum, black cherry, and some wet rocks – the experience isn’t bad; the nose is moderately expressive and opens a bit over time. In the mouth, the wine is a real letdown; it’s midweight yet oddly flavorless. The finish, too, is short and truncated, with a bit of red fruit and fig, but not much going for it. Overall, I found this to be a charmless and disappointing wine. It gets a tad better with air, but still falls well below expectations. It oddly doesn’t show many of the negative aspects of the 2003 vintage, but instead veers almost in the other direction. I have a few bottles of this left, so am hoping for the best, but it’s probably unwarranted hope at this point. Not one of my better purchases. 87 points.