4/8/2024 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

2nd bottle of a 3 pack directly from the winery. Full decant for 5 hours before going back into the bottle to the restaurant where the stopper was removed and we enjoyed it over 2-3 hours with Mary.

At the pnp into the decanter this was tart and red fruited. Slightly tannic and very, very young.

5-6 hours of air and almost every bit of tart red fruit leaves, the tannins quiet, the wine fills out/puts on weight and the wine really develops that classic VHR nose and palate which gives you just a taste of what this wine will become over the next decade. 96-97 tonight with 2 points of upside at least going forward.......paired very well with an Osso Buco ravioli in a black truffle cream sauce.

4/7/2024 - Badmonkey wrote:

Curious and decided to pop one. Purple fruit - currants, blackberry, and some blueberry. Really smooth mid-palate with a beautiful purity and solid depth/concentration. Nice vibrant flavors of cassis, some spice/licorice, and a mineral/graphite component. Fairly long finish. Decanted for around twenty four hours. Really impressive - no surprise of the 97 rating from WA. According to WA, anticipated maturity 2025 to 2040 which makes sense, however, this bottle was really good after a long decant. 97 for me even at this really youthful stage. 100% cab.

1/30/2024 - Badmonkey wrote:

Came across some bottles at a nice price that I’m thinking about buying but wanted to revisit first. Slow ox for 24 hours and decanted for a couple more but that wasn’t enough - fairly closed/not overly expressive. Revisited on day three and it was better but even better on day four as it opened-up further. A lot of these 2019 Napa cabs are pretty darn stubborn. Nonetheless, I believe a promising future in light of how it showed on day four. I’m going to try and lay this vintage down for at least a couple more years. In my opinion, in the middle of Dunnuck’s 93 to 95 rating on day four. 100% cab.

1/5/2024 - Joshbturner Likes this wine:

Day one. Decanted 3 hrs before dinner. Outstanding wine. Enjoyed it pnp. Certainly evolved over the next few hours. With food (pot roast) I did not find it overly tannic at all. Great pairing. Glad I opened it. Had been hesitant based on other CT notes. There are some wines that are truly not enjoyable for 20 years such as a 2005 Pontet Canet I had a couple years ago…straight up chalky. It becomes hard to differentiate between that experience and one like this Beta. When you see notes saying not to open this wine for 10 years etc etc. I find that to be not the case here. It may very well be an even greater wine in 10 years, but it’s damn good already.

Saved half for tomorrow, poured back into bottle and stored in fridge.

Day two. Pulled out of fridge and let it come to room temp. Seems to have put on some weight. More rich, deep, and spicy. If I had not drank it all, I’m sure it would have still been excellent on day 3. Long life ahead.

I’m hard pressed to say whether I preferred this wine on day 1 or 2. Probably lean day 1. I am sure some would disagree and say this wine will be at peak in 5-10 years, and that may be true as well.

12/17/2023 - michigan dogs Likes this wine:

I had this wine 18 months age, same restaurant, same friends. I rated it 98pts then and 97 tonight. Excellent, big dense dark fruit, well balanced- really great wine for an average vintage. Both of my ratings are well above other posters but I'll stick with an excellent rating- not sure what others are getting.

12/9/2023 - Matt Scott Likes this wine:

Decanted for two hours. The world can be cruel and in many ways illogical. Ironic. Why is it that the finest Rosella’s Syrah to ever be made by Carlisle is the last vintage that will ever be produced? I still recall the first time I had a Syrah from this outstanding vineyard in Santa Lucia Higlands. The ‘06 was killer and the inaugural vintage. However, with the wines from Carlisle becoming more and more refined over time, this is a dead ringer for an otherworldly Côte Rotie in texture and aroma - with the grapefruit that has been a mainstay from here. One for the cellar or a serious decant. The 25% whole cluster add some interesting aspects. Blueberries, blackberries, grapefruit, cream, black lava and black peppercorns. Lavishly long, and the backend has such an enchanting grip. Fine-grained tannins. Impeccable balance. A feminine, yet full body. Stock up and study for anthology. I’ll refrain from crying…for now. Santa Lucia Highlands beckons for more Syrah and not Pinot, in my humble opinion. Sorry, but there’s more than enough of that. I am grateful for many vintages of this particular Syrah that has become a pure classic. Drink 2026 - 2038.

12/2/2023 - Badmonkey wrote:

Revisited a half of bottle on day three along with a fresh bottle. Both were great but the bottle on day three was better integrated, a little fuller fruit, and a longer/deeper finish. Letting it “age 6-12 months to add a little weight, depth, and density” as recommended by the Winery is probably wise; however, it’s still really enjoyable on day one at this stage and hard to resist. Once again, no surprise of the 94 to 96 rating from WA. 95 on day one and 96 on day three. 100% cab.

11/28/2023 - Robmcl920 Likes this wine:

The ‘13 Howell Mountain is an incredible wine. While it’s young and intense today, it was very expressive, so there is no harm in opening a bottle right now. Compared to the ‘19 I had recently, the ‘13 is a tad more rustic but also more powerful.

The nose was intensely perfumed with dark red to black fruit, gravel, smoke, violet, and a touch each of dark chocolate, espresso / sweet spices. On the palate, the wine is medium to full in body, elegant and very well balanced by Napa standards, but not the model of extreme finesse that the 2019 was. I found a concentrated mass of dark red and purplish fruit, smoke, crushed rock / minerality, and sweet spices, with medium to high acidity. It still has plenty of tannin, but it has that velvety mouthfeel I’ve found in Dunn, at least the wines produced more by Mike Dunn over the past decade or so.

I’m excited to see where this wine goes over the decades to come.

11/20/2023 - michigan dogs Likes this wine:

Took to Selden Standard in Detroit, really great meal with dishes to share. Wine was really big for a Pinot, rich fruit.

10/29/2023 - Mark1npt wrote:

My last bottle 😞......Right from the pnp it's classic Pesenti and drinks as expected over 2 hours of air. To me this is THE best and purest example of Cali zin made today. Just the right fruit profile blended with the right spicebox/pepper and acid profile. One big glass left in the bottle under a Repour stopper in the fridge overnight and enjoyed it with the leftover pizza this afternoon. No degradation overnight. This is always my fav vineyard from Turley and just continues to produce year in and year out.

9/9/2023 - Matt Scott Likes this wine:

I drive by and check out Mancini often. It is at a somewhat busy corner in far west Santa Rosa, yet this is a grand cru, old vine Zinfandel dominant vineyard. One with so much history, and beautiful, gnarly vines. To be perfectly transparent, I am very obsessive with the vineyards that Mike works with in the Piner-Olivet area of the Russian River Valley AVA. From what I have experienced, the finest Zinfandels out California are grown in that particular AVA. Carlisle works with the best vineyards within this relatively small area - this also includes Papa’s Block and Two Acres. With that stated, 2021 is (bold statement here) the finest vintage for Carlisle. The 2021 Mancini is astonishing. On day five it is stunning. Almost salacious. This is close to perfection. Jay Maddox, who would eschew this statement, is one of the best winemakers to ever touch a Zinfandel grape. The next round of ‘21s will released in December and I am giddy for them. I tend to engage (or should I state gulp?) in more Carlisle than wines from any other winery every year. The 2021s will eclipse my previous vintage indulgences. I have annihilated six bottle of this so far. It seriously changes every single time and the acidity is perfect. Better than ‘16, ‘18, ‘19 and ‘20 - which were all amazing. Mancini is the acid queen and has become a true icon.

10/29/2023 - Cablover1982 Likes this wine:

Wine + Pizza Night
Wine # 7

Always a Favorite. Purple. Gorgeous aromas, intense on the nose. Oozing dark fruits, baking spices, vanilla bean, roasted coffe, minerals and gritty earth. Good acidity, long flavorful finish.

10/28/2023 - Badmonkey wrote:

Decided to pop a bottle with the plan of drinking it over two days, however, I didn’t get to day two - too good on day one. Dark ruby fruit - currants, blackberry, dark raspberry, and some blueberry. Smooth mid-palate with a nice purity and solid depth/concentration. Nice vibrant/expressive flavors of cassis, baking spices, some cocoa, and a little graphite component. Decent finish but not overly long nor deep. Popped/poured but drank out of a decanter for around three hours. Improved with time and showed its best towards the end of the session as it opened-up further. Once again, another nice vintage of this wine and no surprise of the 94 to 96 rating from WA. 100% cab.

10/16/2023 - Badmonkey wrote:

Thinking about buying more to lay down in light of the 98 to 100 rating from WA but wanted to get an idea where it’s at first. Slow ox overnight for around ten hours and decanted for another nine hours. Originally I was planning to drink it over three days to see how it developed but I didn’t get there - too good on day one. Dark ruby fruit - currants, blackberry, and dark cherry. Smooth mid-palate with a beautiful purity and solid depth/concentration. Nice vibrant flavors of cassis, baking spices, cocoa, and a graphite component. Fairly long finish. Reminds me of a nice vintage of the Bevan Tench cab. No surprise of the 98-100 rating from WA. 96/97 for me at this really youthful stage. 100% cab.

10/17/2023 - stschutz Likes this wine:

Extraordinary earthy tones on the nose and initial palate. Heart, big mouthfeel, gorgeous blood red color and long legs in the glass. Cork looked like it was born yesterday. I bought this on 8-8-17 and was stored in 60-66 degree natural mid-western Ohio cellar temperature since. Katie compared this to a beautiful girl coming straight out of the shower, wet, natural, if you can handle me then meet me there; you gotta know what you're looking for and want with me.! As compared to the gorgeous 2010 Opus we had alongside it that is more akin to the made up and beautiful model along the runway that is more open to a greater audience. These two wines are completely different wines.

9/26/2023 - der Schmecker Likes this wine:

During one Pick-up Day at Bedrock, I asked Morgan Twain-Peterson when I should open the 2018 Gambrels of the Sky, and he replied that I should wait until 2023. Here I am, it's 2023 and I'm with a glass in front of me.
First off, yes the window for this wine is now and for years forward, and I'm glad I held off uncorking this until now.
I've learned that Morgan Twain-Peterson knows his wine and is genuinely worth listening to.

I'm a curious guy so I looked up on Google Search 'Gambrels of the Sky' which led me to an Emily Dickinson poem about possibility and paradise. Yeah, we both graduated from Columbia University and range far and wide. Amazing inspiration for a wine label. Then the back-label describes his grandmother's discovery and appreciation of wine, back in the way-back era when wine was non-existent in most American homes. Great history.

Wine Tasting Note
Muted to non-existent nose.
Tannins have settled, but are a genuinely welcome presence.
Oh yeah, it's Grenache or primarily Grenache.
Complex.
Tannins provide lift.
Second glass glides easily, smoothly.
Grenache has substance, the varietal is not trifling at all.
All in all, this is a serious wine, a seriously enjoyable imbibe. An experience.
I will buy more when and if Morgan makes more Grenache wine.
Terrific!

9/12/2023 - michigan dogs Likes this wine:

disappointing, nothing special on first day, 2nd day was dramatically better- good depth, balanced, 92+. You would think I would have learned to air wines long enough to get them closer to optimum drinking place.

8/6/2023 - Jay Hack Likes this wine:

First, the storage: Purchased on release at Zachy's in approximately 1976. Two years in an unairconditioned apartment that recent law school graduates live in while earning $16,500 a year. Then eight years in a rack in the basement with a very leaky door to the outside at your first house that you could afford only because your father loaned you the money for the down payment, then 27 years in a passive underground cellar of your second house until your wife insists that you have to build a real cellar in the basement because she is tired of having to move cases around on the floor just to find the wine that you want, then 10 years in a temperature-controlled cellar built by Chris Kravitz.

Fill: Low Shoulder.

Cork: The first cork I have had that did not come out cleanly with a Durand. The top 80% of the cork came out in a crumble and looked like that dark brown crumbled chocolate you sometimes get on a cake. Half the rest made it out of the bottle with careful use of the Durand worm and the rest did a swan dive with a twist into the wine.

Decant: The wine has been lying at a slight angle in the display row in the cellar for a decade without moving, label up. Brought upstairs, put in an angled wine carrier at the same angle, cork removed, decanted through a fine screen to catch the crumbled cork into a "decanter" I got at K-Mart for $4.50, and then poured immediately into the glasses of waiting guests in the back yard.

Color: OMG - other notes say it was light in color. Not this bottle. As I decanted it, I noticed a slight browning in the stream, but in the bottle it was dark Bordeaux colored with no sign of bricking. The color was indistinguishable from the other four red wines we served - all at least 35 years younger.

Palate: Excellent. No sign of significant deterioration or other bad things that happen when Bordeaux gets old and tired. I would never had guessed 50 years old. I would have been surprised at 1982 and more likely would have guessed 1989 or 1990. Extremely smooth. Although the tannin was probably 95% resolved, there was still just a bit. There was red fruit on the nose but it was subdued on the palate. When I consider that my collection, and hence what I like to drink, leans heavily towards SQN, Saxum, and the cabs of Thomas Rivers Brown, subdued is probably a compliment to most of you. I have had some great Bordeaux over the years. 1989 Haut Brion, 1989 and 1990 Montrose, 2000 Latour and 1928 Margaux (at age 41) come to mind, and this was excellent. If it had more fruit or a bit more power, I would probably have scored it about 95. If I factor in the age, the storage, and the fill, this would get a 97.

Original cost - no sure, but definitely less that $10.

8/4/2023 - rocknroller wrote:

Dark red color. PNP, drank a couple glasses over 3 hours. This has a wonderful perfume of red and dark berries, plum, raspberries, mushroom, dried wood, black cherry and violets. The palate is sublime, raspberry, dark cherry, wood, mushroom, earth, tangy with great acids, and a mediu, body with nearly lush tannins and silky texture. Loved it, gotta be at or near the apex! 94+pts.

7/7/2023 - kend707 Likes this wine:

Elegant, voluptuous, romantic, all can be used to describe this terrific Insignia. Opened to celebrate my 75th birthday. Wanted something special and was not disappointed. Blackberry dominates on the palate, but dark cherry is a close second. Tannins impeccably Intergrated. Doubt that time will improve this much, but there are many years of peak enjoyment remaining.

6/29/2023 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Pretty much covered by Crunge below. Opened by our host the DQ, who decanted this bottle for 9 hours. Very floral nose, dark berry fruit, very-very smooth given all the airtime it had. A very enjoyable Syrah for me because it was not overly heavy or gamey. Just the right amount of every component for me! Thanks for opening, DQ!

6/11/2023 - michigan dogs Likes this wine:

Better than my bottle from a year ago. This was excellent, black and blue fruits, smooth, balanced. Really drinking great right now. Some tasters believe you should drink Mike's cabs early, but this could not have been better.

6/11/2023 - SMagowan Likes this wine:

93% Grenache and 7% Mourvèdre. Bought on release from the winery. I don’t know why I drink anything other than Torrin. Year in and year out they produce. Opened and drank over several weeks and each glass exploded with flavors of berries, grilled red bell peppers, turmeric, sea salt, earth, and I don’t know what. Not funky. Not ethereal. It’s Orson Welles in Chimes at Midnight, rather than The Third Man. Mysterious, yes, but boisterous and fun not basically sinister.

5/21/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Young, but delicious now and has plenty of upside. Full-flavored with dark fruits and slate. There's a hint of bitterness in a good way (like dark chocolate), and a touch of oak. Tannins are noticable but not distracting.

PnP at cellar temp but consumed over a couple of hours so it warmed up to room temp. I'd decant this for a couple of hours or just give it more time in the cellar. 93+ now, I see this hitting 95 or even higher with more time.

I've had every vintage of Akasha since the 2010 and even with the changes in vineyards of the sourced grapes since then, this vintage continues the tradition of delicious Akashas.

5/23/2023 - iamandyc Likes this wine:

An excellent bottle. Also served a 2013 Roy Piper alongside a dinner featuring venison with a berry/wine sauce. This Tor was very nice but a very different wine as it was darker fruited, less energy and more of a smooth sipper on its own. Had layers of secondary flavors and a nice coating finish. It needed 3-4 hour decant to round out and integrate everything. Started with the Tor, switched to the Piper and returned to the Tor with dessert. We like the Piper better with the meal and the Tor before and after the main course. Have always been a fan of the work Jeff does with Tor and this lived up to expectations.

4/1/2023 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Rats! Generously gifted this bottle by the DQ, but I think I've missed the early drinking window now, with this one! This drank exactly like the '18 Zakin that HMC brought to the tasting a couple of weeks ago. Nice, rich, dark red fruited wine on the coravin pour. Sweet, quality winemaking on display with excellent weight in the glass and mouth, but about 20-30 min in, it all turns to black bitter fruit with sage and green, stemmy herbs. I'm finding this is increasingly typical of big Napa reds, when air hits them too early in their lifespans as they start their transitions in bottle. Have held the bottle for a few days now hoping some micro ox takes place from the coravin. Will open it soon and make an addendum to this note if it changes. Right now it garners the same score as that '18 Zakin. In fact, if I didn't know any better I'd swear these 2 wines were identical bottles, although I know that Bevan makes this one and Melka makes the Zakin. Weird, but I've had this happen quite a few times now, when these big, powerful Napa reds are opened at the wrong time, in the wrong phase. '18 Lerner Project 18 and '16 LaPelle Reserve immediately come to mind......might be time to go back and revisit those 2 wines and see if they've changed any.......latest update comment posted on 4/3 below in comments.

12/12/2022 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Last bottle from the cellar. Pnp'd and enjoyed over an hour tableside. Then.....it becomes heavy in oak and tannins. 3-4 hours in and this again becomes a beauty. It's rich in fruit with multiple layers of depth, creamy, silky and beautiful. Great mouth feel at that point, with a bit of chalk and wonderful cassis. Wish I had more!

11/13/2022 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine:

My 7th bottle from this vintage. These are so good that I cannot keep my hands off of them. I have come to be of the belief that if a wine is drinking great, why take a chance that it "may" improve. Dark, almost black in the glass. Intoxicating nose, all dark fruits. Great extraction and depth with a long finish. Excellent wine.

11/3/2022 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Coravined off a glass last night....enjoyed it over 2-3 hours as it opened up and smoothed out. Gobs of beautiful rich, sweet fruit is what I remember and very balanced overall. 95 pts.

Popped the cork tonight and enjoyed it before, during and after dinner. Pretty standard cab nose of dark red fruit, pencil shavings and a small herbal/leaf component. On the palate...tobacco leaf, rich cassis and a slight menthol component, too. There is tremendous mouth feel here. Smooth rounded tannins and perfectly matched acidity at work. A smooth slightly chalky minerality at work. This is a mouthwatering wine with a huge 45-60 second finish. This wine rocks it without being cloying, overindulgent or over the top. There is nice precision here. One of the best, most well put together Myriads I've had of late. Develops a slight coarse/astringent component with 2 hours of air and it's the only thing holding it back from me giving it a 98, so 97 tonight.

7/30/2022 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

This bottle not quite up to past ones. I dropped a bottle taking it into a hotel about a month ago and it smelled sooooo good! Just the nose was a 95-96! This bottle not quite the same. Less rich, aged dark red fruit. Still, it's very good just a tad flat or basic, but our company raved about it. Hope this is just a simple bottle variation.......

8/28/2022 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

I hate to do this, but sometimes HMC and I go at it so heavy and so long over a night during and after dinner, that I just have to open another bottle! He was asking for a coravin pour of 'something', so...

After dinner, enjoyed by all 4 of us......coravined a small glass for 2 of us, then just gave in and opened the bottle, which we all four finished within an hour of opening. Take note: this was SUPERB......for the first 30-40 minutes, then started to change to a very different albeit, still very good, wine.

Coravin/pnp into our glasses and boom! Big blueberry out the wazoo on the nose and beautiful, sweet, blueberry fruit on the palate. Very balanced as far as fruit, tannins and acidity. None of us could believe this was an '18 and that it could perform so extraordinary, right from the pnp, with absolutely zero preparation, tonight. 96-97 right from the start, however......

30-45 min in and some herbal qualities emerge along with a hint or two of pyrazine (green pepper) and HMC and I are not fans of pyrazine, however it worked with the herbal component, but the blueberry (which we both love) backed off quite a bit so a 93-94 at that moment in time......and then, poof! It was gone........

8/7/2022 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Decanted last night by HMC, given more decant time today and brought to dinner by HMC for tonight's surf and turf. The amount of air time really made this one stand out as softer, gentler and the most resolved of the three wines tonight. 96-97 where it stands right now. Beautiful floral nose, great dark red/black fruit. Everything very well integrated when given this much air time. Might there be a point more in there somewhere? I don't know. Thanks for bringing, Jimbo!

8/10/2022 - michigan dogs Likes this wine:

Excellent, very smooth and balanced. I would not have guessed Syrah
Drinking very well now and I would not expect it to get any better with further ageing.

8/1/2022 - michigan dogs Likes this wine:

Similar note to a bottle I drank in January of 2021. Good wine, but nothing special, no WOW factor, overpriced to me.

6/9/2022 - newsguy1 Likes this wine:

DELETING my note here, as I mistakenly posted on this thread about the 2019 Bedrock Carlisle Zin. Sorry! I've moved that post to the correct thread here: https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3805804&searchId=BCDA2E4C%23selected%253DW3805804_1_K7166b2c89d8d526eabf1f62609499872

6/28/2022 - michigan dogs Likes this wine:

WOW, drank with Brad and Andy. I had 1 glass the previous day and we finished it on day 2. This was excellent, best Syrah I've had this year. JD rated it 97 and I totally agree- balanced, dark fruit with the pepper, meat, olive, that you get with Syrah. Cost from winery was $46, what a bargain. Brad and Andy agreed with my score. Give it a good decant or wait several years.

6/14/2022 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Stellar, absolutely stellar. Needed to re-assure myself post covid and loss of taste/smell that I was doing better.....I coravined a glass off this bottle 4x over 6 nights. A slight bit of slow ox occurred over the week, but not much. Not enough to cause any negative effects. This is a stellar cab franc blend with just classic notes of franc throughout. Wonderful balance and so many layers of flavors with this blend. Happy to have a few more in the cellar. Many years ahead for it. This blend across many vintages just really floats my boat in its consistent true to the varietals makeup and simple, yet complex notes and composition. It's always a treat to drink one of these.

6/6/2022 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Quickly opened my 3rd and final bottle of this GIII as the earlier bottle tonight was corked and I wanted to make sure the same tragedy did not afflict this bottle, as well. This bottle is even 1-2 pts better and more consistent than my 1st last week. Bottle treatment tonight was the reason for this. Instead of opening and decanting over 3-5 hours of drinking, I pnp'd the first glass, then put the cork back in the bottle. Great dense cassis, hedonistic dark red fruit concentrate and a hint of heat/alc but it is handled by the great fruit. 2nd glass treated the same, cork back in the bottle and now later in the night ditto for the 3rd glass. One more glass remains in the bottle for tomorrow, cork in bottle on the kitchen counter. Consuming this bottle in this way has kept the power and freshness of the fruit present all through the evening, and not allowed for any degrading/blackening of the fruit or iron pan to develop or lessening of the bags of cassis throughout the evening. Really bordering on a 98 when treated in this manner, right now. Beautiful juice......if you want to open these a little early as I have, apparently this is the way to go with some of these big fruit animals, right now. Next year, who knows?

Addendum: last glass in bottle under cork for now about 20+ hours since opening and boy, it's beautiful.......softer all the way around, not in your face, no hint of big alc.....and milk chocolate which was present last night but kind of in the background is there today in spades! Another example of how metering out air to these animals little by little is so different than a full out, decant. I'm def going to try this bottle approach now with a few other Napa '18s in my cellar.

5/13/2022 - Cabernet4me2 Likes this wine:

I've been buying Mikes Napa since the first year, and think this may have been the best bottle to date!! This Napa Cab QPR was off the charts... and though may have caught it on its perfect / best day it was singing!!

This had gobs of blue and black fruit but just seemlessly integrated with a really amazing mouth coating goodness, along with a very decent finish, not quite as long as some of the SVDs but for a $65 bottling at release, was better than most 2&3xs its price of admission.

If you have any.. and you want a real treat, pop one open. This was slow ox'd for about an hour and consumed over 3 hours, and was consistent from start to finish, might even say that fruit profile on the initial sip was stunning, though the wine gained weight and complexity over the 3 hours.

5/10/2022 - Hi.its.Don.4.Wine Likes this wine:

An Iconic Logo

As I entered my teens (God, that was long ago), I don’t think one TV show captured my attention more than The Daniel Boone Show. That untamed part of America, the fight between good and evil, and the big hulking frontiersman who portrayed the iconic character; Fess Parker.

Even as I began to pour at wine tastings, when I would have a wine from his winery, I would ask the question if anyone knew what TV role Fess Parker played. Few did. When I steered them to the iconic symbol he took, it clicked with some; that coonskin cap. Some guessed Davey Crockett, and I gave them points as Fess did play that role as well in a mini-series.

Today I’m focused on one of the single-vineyard Pinot Noirs made by his namesake winery:

Fess Parker Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir 2018

Fess (I feel I’m on a first-name basis as at one time I was only an inch shorter than he) purchased the 714-acre Foxen Canyon Ranch in 1988, planning to run cattle, plant a few acres of vineyard, and perhaps establish a small winery. His dream was to start a family business that he could pass on to future generations. I’d say he succeeded.

Since his passing in 2010, the winery is still run by the family and produces an array of extraordinary wines at every price point. You might wonder why it took so long to review one of his wines; well let me tell you. I honestly don’t know!

What lead me to today’s wine was much simpler to explain; it was on sale at 50% off!

While not a huge fan of Pinot Noir, a pair of 93-Point reviews, the wine being sourced 100% from the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard located in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation, is sustainably farmed, and situated very near the Pacific Coast allowing the fruit to ripen evenly had a lot to do with my decision.

When I learned that the wine is aged for 17 months in 100% French oak, of which 40% was new, it became obvious why my wine notes were so reflective of that information. The wine carried with it a notable weight for a pinot. The fruit of dark cherry, raspberry, along with a slight dryness to the wine, was elegance in a glass. The beauty of the wine follows through to a spice-filled finish.

Quality is likely on the lips of anyone who has partaken of any of the wines Fess Parker Winery produces, and if you haven’t given them a try, now is as good of a time as any; plus, you can play the guessing game with your friends, just have the logo nearby.

Cheers

5/11/2022 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Pnp'd poolside in Mykonos just prior to lunch hour today with My Soundtrack from AP playing under the table......and enjoyed with 3+ hours of sun and chat with our newfound UAE sisters. Learned so much about their culture, talking with them today.....we completely skipped lunch!

Right from the start this is beautiful. Def in its window. Def Burgundian. The fruit is so dark Carol wonders how on Earth it can be a pinot? But the mouth feel is def pinot in weight and it is intense! Black raspberries, cherries and the most wonderful spice starting in the mid palate and carrying through a terrific 30+ second ending in the mouth. Beautiful grace and balance to this wine. Maybe not as resolved as some people would like their Burgundies to be, yet, but it is in my window. Think the strength of Sojourn fruit, with the class of Burgundy and just perfect barrel treatment. This one is bordering on a 96 for me......this may very well be my fav pinot ever, because it marries the strength of Cali fruit with the grace and class of Burgundy. Hard to believe this is all Knights Valley fruit, from the Fort Ross/Seaview area along the coast.......seems impossible!

5/1/2022 - Badmonkey wrote:

Thinking about buying more to lay down but wanted to see where it’s at first. Purple fruit - currants, dark cherry, blackberry, and some plum. Smooth mid-palate with a nice purity but a lighter profile than expected - medium body. Nice rich flavors of dark berries, some baking spices, cocoa, cassis, plum, and a little mineral/graphite component. Fairly long finish. Decanted for four hours and drank over a couple more. Improved a little with time. The Winery recently recommended giving it another nine months “to let it come together” which obviously makes sense in light of its youth but I found it quite approachable at this stage. A nice vintage of this wine and no surprise of the the 96 to 98 rating from Dunnuck which also appears to make sense with some more time especially if it adds some weight. 100% cab.

4/11/2022 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Over a year since my last bottle. A bit of funk and slightly stewed fruit on the nose at the pnp so into a decanter it goes. 60-90 minutes in and the beautiful floral nose appears. Bright red Franc fruit present on the palate, balanced acidity and tannins. Drinks exceptionally well over 4 hours with sweet cherry fruit on the nose, before the acidity rises out of balance a bit and the tannins take on a little more grit/astringency. This bottle a bit of a rollercoaster for both the nose and the palate....93 to 95 hours 1-4, then back down to 92-93 by hour 6. It spent the most time in the 94 range, so that's the score. Carol agrees.

12/5/2021 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine:

My third bottling from the 2019 TR lineup and so far these guys are three for three.

The Maturin from James Berry Vineyard is what you'd expect after seeing the reviews. It pushes the boundary in almost every which way without becoming a HOT mess. Alcohol clocks in at 15.9 but manages to walk the line after being pulled over for driving on the shoulder. Of the three so far I think this one might benefit from consumption in a singular setting.

1/21/2022 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

2 hour decant and enjoyed over 2-3 more with HMC and Mich Dogs! Initially a tad over the top with cassis, it mellowed slightly through the evening. Tons of milk chocolate up front early on. Great B Cellars energy/ acidity throughout. More bright red fruited as HMC noted. My last bottle of this wonderful '16 with many years ahead of it. Bordered on 97 for me personally, by the end of the night. As always, I wish I had more!

12/24/2021 - jeffmudd Likes this wine:

My last ‘10 of my all time favorite wine. Is there a better Syrah produced in America?

12/28/2021 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Opened to enjoy with an Arby's Beef & Cheddar around 1pm. It was quite nice right from the pnp so I kept pouring small glasses over the next 3-4 hours to re-assess. Nose is slight and of oak and dark red fruit with a slight herbal component. Nice notes of bright, but not tart, red cherry, and a great barrel spice component throughout, maybe even some cinnamon, which is most often a mulberry component. The weight in the mouth is at best, medium, but what I expected for this level of Rioja, with the caveat, that I'm not a Rioja expert!

A few hours in, the fruit deepens further, some leather appears. There are times when this wine seems more complex and yet others when it seems pretty thin and somewhat simple, too. It's never bad, but its simpler times keep the score from going higher. There is a nice long, spicy ending that is quite enjoyable, however.

By the end of hour 5, a touch of black licorice shows up on the nose and the astringency on the palate strengthens. The finish shortens and is not quite as spicy but adds a little smokey spice sense instead. It appears that hours 1-4 are the best with this one right now. I obtained my bottles for the low price of $33 which makes this screaming good qpr.

12/4/2021 - tomoem Likes this wine:

CB Holiday party 2021

The 2018 was opened and poured without much decant. It drinks perfectly. The wine is all iron, graphite and juicy blackberry that tastes like it was pressed yesterday. Middle palette is creamy with leather and cherry fruit and then cassis and vanilla. The finish is a vanilla cream coated lingering juice. leather, hints of cherry, hints of cedar. Can't get over the mouth feel as being so velvety.

12/5/2021 - Matt Scott Likes this wine:

Admittedly, the Rossi Ranch Grenache is not typically in the top tier for Carlisle - at least according to my palate. 2018 was the first vintage that caused me to actually pause and ponder. 2019, however, is absolutely epic. This is honestly the finest Grenache that I have ever experienced from Sonoma County. I would love to have this next to Vieux Telegraphe “La Crau” and Clos des Papes. There’s cherries, white pepper, bay leaf, leather, wet earth and granite. The tannins are of pure silk, as this coats every millimeter of your palate. Very long and the body is medium, yet very broad and deep. On the palate I also get a floral aspect during the finish. Classic and quite enjoyable today, another year would not hurt and then study for another 8 - 10. Even better on day two. Sadly, there are only 225 cases produced. 89% Grenache and 11% Mourvèdre, which were cofermented. Drink 2023 - 2032.

9/6/2021 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine:

Aromas of blackberries, dried herbs, forest floor and hints of white pepper. As with all these 19's, the freshness is really striking. Nothing heavy just super lively blue and red fruit that gives way to earthy notions as it transitions to the mid palate. Soft and supple tannins, great concentration and serious flavor, this is very forward and fun but also has a bit of a serious side. It is hard not to smile while drinking it, as it invades every crevasse your mouth with gorgeous fruit. Just a terrific wine and for $70, it is hard to beat.