10/23/2021 - bajayngo wrote:

Always a treat to drink Beaucastel. Consistently impeccable structure love the higher percentage of mourvedre with the graphite and rusticity. Still all of the fig cake and fig cake fruit you want from CDP.

5/18/2018 - bajayngo wrote:

The Pol Roger NV always delivers and even at around $50 it's one of the best QPR's in champagne IMO. Brioche and oyster shell, fresh herbs, citrus cut and pure luxury on the palate.

4/23/2018 - Jimywags wrote:

Popped and poured. Can't rave about this bottle enough. My second, and it was just as good as the first. Really wooly, funky, broccoli nose. Absolutely loved it. Would have never guessed a Washington Chenin Blanc. A little juicy and cheek puckering with the tart quince and ginger notes. Smoothed out with a touch of ripe pear. Terrific bottle of wine. 92pts.

4/8/2012 - Vinsant wrote:

My first Rayas blanc and almost exactly what I expected. Those heavy white Rhone characteristics with just a lighter approach. Not lighter in terms of watered down or not as intense, just lighter? Creamy lemon custard, almond paste, fresh green herbs, oil, citrus, and huge white flowers. Kicking acidity and chalk reminded me of a Chablis. Matched well with herbed mussels and pomme frites. Really enjoyed.

6/21/2017 - bajayngo wrote:

Bionic Frog vs Stonessance vertical tasting - the most unique note of parsley in a wine I've ever had. The parsley stayed with the wine followed by pepper, green olives, jalapeno's, musk, cherries and that saline mouth feel. My #7 of the tasting

1/31/2018 - Motz wrote:

Yep...it is that good! Layered, complex, and long. It shows best at about 48 to 52 degrees, after several hours of air. Incredible pairing with Stilton.

1/23/2018 - Motz wrote:

Tasted over two days. What a treat! Tremendous petrol, floral, citrus, slate, and honeyed steeliness throughout. Bracing acid and great balance, long, tangy and gritty finish. It showed best on the second day. Pure. 92-93.

12/5/2017 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:

Lovely wine; the nose is classic Cameron with beautiful bright red fruit, hints of game and funk, violet, and some tasty spice notes. Maybe a hint of black tea with more air. The palate is bright and fresh with stellar energy, but has plenty of depth and flavor to balance the acidity. Overall excellent. This is one of the two Oregon pinots I consistently think blind would place me in Burgundy. Really good Burgundy... but yet they still retain enough Oregon character that if you really look for it, its there. Delicious

11/1/2017 - bajayngo wrote:

It's well know Dauvissat is my favorite Chablis producer. This only my 2nd Grand Cru of theirs I had high expectations to say the least and outside of it being obviously young it met my expectations and put me on the search for aged bottling's. It's like a laser beam of focus with citrus, flint, oyster shell and sea foam, fresh peppery herbs, quince and other acidic tropical fruits with amazing acids that don't get in the way. Tremendous wine for sure at the pinnacle of Chablis for me.

11/7/2017 - Jimywags wrote:

Decanted for an hour or so. So much potential with this wine. I've had tremendous success with young Dauvissat in the past (06, 07, 08, 10) but I honestly think this wine was just too young. Terrific building blocks of different shapes and in time they will all fit together perfectly and this could be the La Forest for the ages. 92+++++++++pts.

11/1/2017 - jnewman77 wrote:

This was an enjoyable, crisp, and bright example of riesling. The nose has crushed stone, hints of petrol, lemon and lime, just a hint of pear. Very bright on the palate with crisp, taut acidity that drives the flavors; feels a bit thin initially, but with food and air gains some weight and is very good. A solid value at $24.

10/30/2017 - Motz wrote:

Sadly, on a scale of 10, level 2 or 3 corked. Even then, still enjoyable. Was left to ponder how beautiful an untainted bottle would be.

9/18/2017 - bajayngo wrote:

A little tighter than the last bottle just a month ago but good pairing with braised pork with fennel and brined green olives. Tannic attack with fennel, tar, rose, cherries and good acids.

9/10/2017 - Dale M wrote:

It's not possible that Vincent Dauvissat was going to wiff on the slow pitch that is the 2014 vintage in Chablis, is he? That's a resounding no. I understand this bottle was opened the night before - decanted - then put back in the bottle for tonight. Less citrusy acidity than what I expected but no shortage of structure or verve. A comment was made of it being richer than expected, which I agree with but things really firmed up in the glass. Great purity and tactile palate. Time to go to sleep now and see you in a decade.

8/21/2017 - thedood wrote:

I chose this on spec and asked how it showed. 'Barnyard funky - which if you like that style you'll love'. I asked if that meant 'earthy': yes in a Burgundian way. Sold! For once I could not have placed this as new world - might have guessed Gevrey. Structure will last well - I'd be interested to try again in 10 years. Drank with pork and charred peaches at Jory at the Allison. Classy and, yes, funky.

7/18/2017 - bajayngo wrote:

Unlike in February this bottle was open for business with graphite, lush dark and red fruits, cellar dust, fresh tilled earth, a beam of mineral and an absolutely perfect pairing with smoked prime rib roast.

6/27/2017 - Motz wrote:

Something about the bouquet did not allow me to go "nose blind" to it...no matter how long I smelled it, and I probably did not take the first sip for an hour. So unique, with strong notes of slightly under ripe tropical fruits (especially papaya), melon rind, meadow flowers, white pepper, sap, white teas, flint, flint, and more flint, construction site, something wax-like, pear, quince, etc...in waves. Unctuous, piercing, and wondrously complex. In a word: Profound! Balanced (imperceptible alcohol), pure, and incredibly long. It should be tasted in a blind flight of World Class white wines to show is quality. 94-96.

6/21/2017 - bajayngo wrote:

Bionic Frog vs Stonessance vertical tasting - unfortunately this was slightly corked, had a lot of stuffing which was a bummer. Of course my #11 of the tasting but it doesn't really count

6/21/2017 - bajayngo wrote:

Bionic Frog vs Stonessance vertical tasting - put my nose in the glass and was 100% sure this was the BF but was surprised it was the 2011 since it was a cold year. Basically perfect Cayuse here with musk for days, coffee grounds, burnt caramel, umami, cherries, spices and stone minerals. Perfect saline mouthfeel with a cornucopia of complexities but doesn't tire the palate. My #2 of the tasting.

6/20/2017 - bajayngo wrote:

There is something about aged sparklers. Elderberry, citrus, sea foam, almost a botrytis note, a hint of white pepper, great mousse, more complexities on day two and a great celebratory bottle for fathers day.

6/14/2017 - Personal Opinion Likes this wine:

Tasted over 4 hours. Devloped and ready to drink, though still showing some youthful vigor IMO. Aromas and flavors of black cherry, cherry skins, bakers spice, damp wood, rose petals and wet stone, with hints of cranberry. Deep, tight and beguiling at times, with potential to develop with more time and/or air. Medium body, with good penetration, balanced acid and fine, dusty, mildly palate coating tannins. I assume this will develop and drink well for at least another 5 years or more.

*finished last 1/4 of bottle on night 2 with little variation or lack of vibrancy. Focused notes of pure, black cherry lingered on the finish. Plenty of life left here.

5/3/2017 - Aravind Asok wrote:

Earthier than the previous wines. Nice spice notes, softer acidity; perhaps slightly thin at first. Touch of pepper and very grainy tannin on the finish.

4/16/2017 - Motz wrote:

Lush, generous, terroir-driven Gigondas rose! Unique taste profile. Made for food!

3/5/2015 - Aravind Asok wrote:

Based on other reviews, I poured this into a wide-bottom decanter to sit for a few hours. Normally, we wouldn't drink something like this on a Thursday night, but we were celebrating.

Tasting pour: Very intense nose, with some reduction (burnt rubber) and a beautifully complex mix of strawberries, crushed rocks, olive brine, and gamey meat (this seems to be how the funk expresses itself here). Very intensely flavored on the palate. The burnt rubber seems to persist here (we've seen this before in Cayuse wines, and it usually goes away with time), but behind it an almost ethereally light yet amazingly concentrated mix of ripe strawberries and dark cherries. Rather light on the acid, but I think that works really well here. More when this has had more time to open.

We drank this after it had about 5 hours in the decanter. This is not a wine that you should just visit for 15 minutes: you need to spend an evening with this wine, and drinking it is like having a wonderful conversation where you're constantly overcome by the brilliance of the poetic flourishes and deep wisdom of your partner. The reduction on the nose and palate has disappeared. On the nose, there is everything I said above and a mix of smokiness, bacon fat, black tea leaves, liquid rocks, and some coffee/mocha. My wife said it flits back and forth between making you think it is old-world or new-world. This wine has perceptibly low acid, but it works really well as the palate, which is intensely flavorful and deceptively weightless, comes off as dark, brooding, enigmatic, silky and creamy. There is the slightest hint of tannin on the finish, which also has a bit of pepper...and the finish just lingers.

The acid is definitely serious enough to hold up to a steak (we paired it with a 40 day dry-aged rib eye). There is none left to hold for tomorrow, and when it was over, I was overcome by a sadness, like this was a close friend that I wasn't going to see again for a while. This was significantly more complex than the (rather stunning) Chapelle St. Theodoric Guigasse that we had a few days ago and also the Chateau des Tours Vacqueyras, even though the comparison with Grenache based wines might not be fair.

2/18/2017 - bajayngo wrote:

40th bday celebration; 2/17/2017-2/18/2017 (Harrison, ID): One of the biggest suprises of tasting as I thought I would show super young but it was fully ready to go on that night and over 3days later it only got better. Tomato leaf, expansive dark fruits, rose peddles, dust and cedar box, just a pleasure to drink.

1/19/2017 - R.H. Likes this wine:

Good but needs time. Ideally time in the cellar, but if you must drink it now, decant and walk away for a couple hours. Very tightly wound upon first opening. Started to soften after 30 min and was much better after 90min. Inky purple. Dark berries, pepper, flowers, stone.

2/25/2017 - isaacjamesbaker wrote:

Dinner at Mandu w/ the old crew: Very cool wine. Classic Cameron stamp on this one, but it's bright and fresh despite some serious grip from the tannins. Juicy red cherries and red apples mixed with complex tobacco, pepper, herbs, incense smoke.

2/22/2017 - Motz wrote:

Unspeakably seductive bouquet of tropical and temperate blossoms, red fruits, pomegranate, red berry liqueurs, rhubarb, charcuterie, spices, incense, sous-bois, umami, hibiscus tea, rosehips, mineral ores, coal, tar, etc., etc., etc. The wine delivers these and many other ethereal esscenes in perfectly cresting, pristine waves, carrying the taster all the way to the beach, so-to-speak, and thus reminiscent of the best day of body surfing ever. A lamb roast paring took this elixir to a parallel dimension of sensory experiences. Power, sophistication, harmony, and elegance. Masterful poetry, in liquid form. 98-99.

12/18/2016 - manonthemoon wrote:

Had over two nights.
Really showed nice bright strawberries, rainer cherries, and straw notes with minerals on the first night and really high acidity and a lot of tobacco.
The tobacco aspect softened on day two and was very nice on the second day.
Very interesting wine.

12/8/2016 - Jimywags wrote:

Popped and poured. Yowza! This was one spectacular BB from the peeps at PYCM. Can't even imagine how delicious their other 14's are if their base model is this stylin' and profilin'. This wine was electric from the get go with oodles of citrus on the nose with a funkiness in the background. Loaded with verve and energy in the mouth nicely accented by scrumptious apple and pear fruit. At $30, this is my QPR of the year! 91pts.

9/19/2016 - bajayngo wrote:

Beautiful oyster shell, fresh brioche, sweet herbs and lemon zest. Was a touch angular when 1st poured but smoothed out into one of, if not the best champagne I've ever had.

8/5/2016 - bajayngo wrote:

Consistent with prior tastings but showing a bit more accelerated. Smoke, sous bois, fungus, peat moss, mature muddled red berries and fall leaves. Past it's peak but far from over the hill.

9/7/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote:

Smoke, espresso, black cherries and lush textures create one of the top wines of the vintage, with its lushly textured fruit and thyme filled finish. One of the top wines of the vintage was produced from a blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah and the remaining 5% consists of various other, allowable grape varieties.

2/14/2016 - Kirk Grant wrote:

Color: Bright golden yellow

Smell: Scents of red fruit, tangerine rind, and fresh bread

Taste: Quince, green apple, lime and baguette

Overall: A wine that I love...and still find to be a tremendous value given the quality/price. Medium body, medium acidity, med+ fruit, and a medium length finish.

7/12/2016 - bajayngo wrote:

Impressed with this for the tariff. Tight bubbles, lots of citrus, chalk, fruit and good acids. Great value NW sparkler.

7/16/2016 - Vinsant wrote:

Great value! Orange vanilla, crisp yet rounded edges.

6/30/2016 - MRichman wrote:

Wow. What gorgeous wine. A lovely, noble, clear wine with a bit of sweet honey and orange peel, lots of mineral, a bit of wool and wax. Great silky medium weight feel. Wonderfully balanced and complex. Sort of off-off-dry. Not quite demi-sec. Just a pleasure to drink and what a steal. This is a great representation of one of the most under-appreciated, undervalued white wines in the marketplace. This is truly world class. Just a baby, this has a long life ahead of it but certainly no problem enjoying it's youthful stage right now.

5/26/2016 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine:

Updating tasting notes from a while back, remember this being nice, citrus and complex

4/5/2016 - bajayngo wrote:

Quick barrel tasting note - cherry fruit, earth, mineral, tropical notes. No pepper though

4/5/2016 - bajayngo wrote:

Quick Cayuse release tasting note - straight forward cayuse syrah, mineral, funk, cherry fruit, ash, saline mouth feel, young but balanced. Great to check in on this.

3/28/2016 - Motz wrote:

Rhone-like bouquet, at least as earthy, waxy, and oily as fruity. Impression of viscosity, lanolin, (non-petroleum, non-chemical based skincare products) and stalwart minerality. Medium plus acidity, focused, balanced. 92-93. Thanks Bajayngo!

2/29/2016 - Jimywags wrote:

Popped and poured. Damn tasty $17.00 Chablis! Golden yellow out of glass, this wine had interesting aromas of lemon, apple, and even some flinty rocks. The palate was even a touch chalky but dominated more by a subtle richness from the apple and pear flavors framed nicely by an acidic cut. Absolute steal at sub-$20. 90pts.

2/5/2016 - bajayngo wrote:

This is some exciting wine here. Bursting notes of stone fruits, a bit of tropical but more honeycomb, mineral for days, fresh herbs. The minerality in the wine was so expressive and inviting and had a nice viscous/oily texture. Will purchase more for sure.

1/22/2016 - Vinsant wrote:

Ripe tropical fruit, hay, honey, and citrus. Diggin this vintage, nicely balanced with uplifting acids.

1/20/2016 - bajayngo wrote:

Man do I love BdM. Beautiful nose of dry tomatoes, cellar dust, balsamic, smoke, rose and thorns, a nice depth of fruit and very nice back end tannins. One of the few wines I got right double blind.

1/1/2016 - bajayngo wrote:

Drank next to a half btl of the 2011 and was much more approachable with fresher dark fruits, more balanced with the same graphite, chalk and gravel, desert air, herbs, lavender and beautiful structure.

12/22/2015 - Motz wrote:

Bouquet of sour cherry and blackberry compote, tar, pepper, lavender, herbs, smoked fig, charcuterie, and menthol. Among the most balanced Shiraz offerings I have tasted (13.5 abv), also showing a rich and weighty texture, tremendous range and depth, and stalwart structure. Drinking well now, likely to develop additional tertiary notes, and far from peak. Drink through 2025+.

11/28/2015 - enochling Does not like this wine:

earthy nose, watery palate, unpleasant acidity

I doubt the condition of my bottle. will try another bottle later to see if any difference

12/3/2015 - bajayngo wrote:

had in a mini vert with 10, 12 and 14. My favorite of the 3. bright and focused too with honey, spearmint, pears, vanilla and flowers but more generous and round. Nice pairing with crab.

8/26/2015 - bajayngo wrote:

Definitely the best gewürztraminer I've ever had. Very young and if I had another bottle of this I would tuck it away for as long as I could, I mean 10+yrs. So sweet when 1st popped but came together after a few hours. A mesmerizing nose of orange blossoms, fresh ginger, local honey, flower nectar, peaches and nectarines. A very honeyed palate and would be enhanced with some great food like foie gras with the sweetness but acids in the background.