4/21/2024 - gharter Does not like this wine:

Intentionally put in a a controversial wine. One of the best selling Pinot Noir in California (20,000,000 bottles per year). Aromas of strawberry and jammy red fruit, mocha, vanilla, and toasty oak. Flavors of black fruits, thick, rich, dark cherry, strawberry, mocha and toasty oak. Thick and syrupy. Reminded me of cherry cough syrup. Part of a larger tasting.

12/18/2023 - gharter Likes this wine:

PnP, beautiful nose, not shy . Blackberry, currant, herbs, fig, spice, cedar aromas. Layers of flavor with red and black fruits, sandalwood, graphite, forest floor, spice, some oak, but not overpowering. Very smooth tannins in the long finish. showing well now.

4/16/2023 - gharter wrote:

Tight, tight, tight. PnP, and just wouldn't budge. had hints of red fruits, but not really showing much at this point. Not at all consistent with previous years versions. Don't plan to open another bottle for at least a year.

4/18/2023 - gharter Likes this wine:

PnP. Opens with black fruit, anise, cedar, cassis and a hint of herbs on the nose. Black fruits, anise, cassis, a touch herbal and cedar flavors. Good balance. Long finish where the tannins have softened nicely.

9/30/2021 - gharter wrote:

I have yet to be amazed by any Schrader wine from Las Piedras. This may be the best yet. Starts with earth, black cherry, blackberry and plum aromas. Similar flavors. Smooth finish. There are no flaws in this wine. Lots of flavor, but still lacks something compared to other Schrader wines. Still my least favorite of what they make.

12/11/2022 - domco wrote:

Last tried 2 years ago and still feels a little disjointed to me. Hope it comes together. We’ll try and forget the last bottle for a few more years.

12/6/2022 - gharter Likes this wine:

PnP, very young and needs time. Aroams of plum, black cherries and blackberry, tobacco and spice. Medium body, with similar flavors. Long finish with smooth finish. good now, but should be much better in a few years. If you open now, decant at least an hour.

5/20/2022 - gharter wrote:

Purchased along with 3 other bottles direct at release. This cork was soaked. Wine was muted and clearly flawed compared to the other 2 previous bottles. Weird as all the bottles were shipped together and stored in temp and humidity controlled cellar.

1/29/2022 - gharter Likes this wine:

Pnp, started out a little tight. The last bottle was ready to go on opening, this would have benefitted from a short decant. On the nose, cherry, blackberry, plums, herbs, anise and spice. Loaded with flavor with cherry, blackberry, spice, plum, leather, anise. Very soft tannins in the finish. Showing really well, but as with all Geyservilles, has years of life to go, if you can keep your hands off them.

1/16/2022 - lovemycab Likes this wine:

Enjoyed over the course of a few hours. Deep purple in color with medium plus intensity. Both red and black fruits here. Secondary notes of oak and spice. Some earth and leather notes coming through. Even after a few hours, this still felt like it was holding back a bit. Would give it a much ox time or long decant. There is plenty left here and going strong.

11/22/2021 - 55degrees wrote:

Cellared since release
Reasonable nose of red fruit and menthol
Medicinal taste that was trying to be fruit
But came off as camphor and cough drop

11/2/2021 - seijaro Likes this wine:

Another nice surprise: not dead yet and in fact rather nice. Sure, past its prime but still quite flavorful and fun to drink. A mature CA classic vineyard that has held for almost 30 years because it has been perfectly cellared since release.

11/4 Another bottle, even nicer than the last: a solid 94. What a treat!

9/14/2021 - gharter wrote:

Started with funk that I haven't noticed in previous bottles. Some blew off, but still showing some Bret.
Tart cherry, cranberry, strawberry on the nose and palate. Good acidity, smooth slightly tart finish.
But not rated as mildly flawed with bret. Drinkable, but not what it should have been.

8/15/2021 - gharter Likes this wine:

PnP. Great aroma with cherry, blackberry, plums, herbs, anise and spice. Lots of flavor similar to the nose. Soft tannins in the finish. Showing really well, but as with all Geyservilles, has years of life to go.

8/8/2021 - anthozep Likes this wine:

Stunningly fresh. Deep to medium ruby with basically zero bricking. Cork was in fantastic shape and fill was slightly above base neck. High toned fruit on the nose with currants, crushed rock, earth, licorice, and leather. Blind I would have pinned this for at least a decade younger from the nose. On the palate, there is still tannin, but it is well integrated along with the acidity. Dark fruits, blackberry, violets, and a long finish, fantastically integrated, again, just stunning.

7/19/2021 - dkentaustin Likes this wine:

Flint, ash, deep raspberry flavors with blackberry, light earth and licorice. Lovely texture, perfect weight & balance and incredible structure. Can easily understand why this is considered a first growth of CA. Really drinking spot on after almost 25 years - extremely impressed.

p.s. pot roast

6/21/2021 - gharter Likes this wine:

Amazing wine. Benefitted from a 2 hour decant, but shined after that. Blackberry, blueberry, cassis, floral, pencil shavings on the nose. Loaded with smooth, silky, balanced fruit. Blackberry, cassis, spice, floral and pencil shavings. Long silky smooth finish. Incredible now with a decant, but should hold for years.

12/2/2020 - gharter Likes this wine:

Time has been very good to the wine. Still very young. Decanted 2 hours and it helped. A little tight when it was opened. Very aromatic with blackberry, plum, tar, tobacco, anise and mocha and chocolate. Layers of rich flavors showing more complexity. Blackberry, cassis, anise, mocha, tobacco, plum and chocolate flavors. Very well balanced. Long silky smooth finish. Not really showing much tertiary character, but really good.

6/3/2021 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine:

From a magnum purchased upon release and cellared under pristine conditions, this deep ruby wine was decanted off of its sediment and allowed six hours in decanter prior to funneling back into the cleansed bottle. It was then served at a dinner party, where it was sampled over a three-hour period. Since last being tasted approximately five years ago, it remains intensely aromatic, flaunting a bouquet of cassis, dark plums, fig, cedar, crushed rocks, licorice and bittersweet chocolate. Full-bodied, freshly acidic, judiciously oaked and with silky-textured tannins, it delivers flavors in line with the aromas and incorporates its 14.4% alcohol seamlessly. Dense on the mid-palate, layered and lengthy on the back end, this is fleshing out beautifully. Although it is drinking well now, those holding well-cellared magnums need not hurry. Drink now-2032.

4/7/2021 - gharter Likes this wine:

Just really starting to enter its drinking window. Still primary. Purchased at release, this was unusual as it threw NO sediment. No browning. NIce aromas of blackberry, plum, spice, anise, leather, pencil shavings, a hint of herbs and forest floor. Showing a lot of flavor mirroring the nose. Not showing any secondary character yet. I prefer them at 15+ years and this easily has 15-20 years ahead of it. Really good now, but the best is to come.

10/18/2020 - gharter Likes this wine:

Needs at least a 1 hour decant. Cedar, tobacco, cherry, spice, dusty tannins. The tannins are present in the finish. More of a food wine than a sipping wine. A blend , Tempranillo dominant.

5/26/2020 - gharter Likes this wine:

Showed better than the last bottle. Great aromatics on opening. Pear, green apple and minerals. the oak is well integrated. Medium body and finish. Great balance.

5/16/2020 - gharter Likes this wine:

One of the best Chardonnays I've had in a while. Amazing aromas as soon as it was opened. Floral, minerality, lemon , citrus, and mint. Loaded with flavors. Lemon, citrus, mint, floral, minerality, a touch of oak. Medium bodied with a long smooth finish with minerals and some oak showing up.

4/27/2020 - gharter Likes this wine:

Tasted blind with 2014 Ridge lytton Springs. This was the clear winner. Faster out of the gate. Black fruit, black cherry, pepper and tobacco. Smooth finish. Years ahead of it.

2/8/2020 - Vinnut Likes this wine:

Deep, dark ruby red in color with ever-so-slight bricking & clearing at the edges. Full, forward & wonderfully expansive nose of ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & plums with multi-layered overtones of earthy/dusty notes, aged tobacco, mint, graphite, anise, leather, mushrooms, spices/herbs, minerals & a hint of cedar in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, well developed, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with spices, herbs, minerals, cocoa & cedar notes. Long lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present but it is most likely at its pinnacle of development at 42 years of age & while I did not detect it heading towards decline, I doubt any further development would occur. I doubt many modern Napa Cabernets can match this wine's power, elegance & age ability. [Cork was fully intact; fill was in the lower portion of the neck.]

1/7/2020 - gharter Likes this wine:

PnP. Enjoyed over the next 4 hours. Red fruit, spice, cedar and chocolate. Then the tannins hit. Just not sure the fruit will outlive the tannins. I am holding off on the last few bottles hoping the fruit out lives the tannins, but not sure that will happen.

9/21/2019 - gharter Likes this wine:

Decanted 2 hours and not enough, would benefit from longer. Just starting to enter a good drinking window. Enjoyed over 5 hours. Very dark. Big aroma of blackberry, cassis, leather, earth,tobacco, vanilla, spice and a hint of green bell pepper. Similar flavors with the blackberry, spice, leather and earth dominating. Full bodied with a long finish. The tannins are just starting to soften. Most Montelenas will go 30+ years and this is no exception. No hurry to open the rest, but no worry opening one, just decant it.

12/28/2015 - gharter wrote:

Popped and poured. A hot mess. Thick, rich, over extracted with a hot alcoholic burn to it. Very fruit forward with a lot of tannin. Got better with time. I wasn't sure with the 2012, but I think the 2013 clearly shows this is not my style.

8/3/2019 - gharter wrote:

A clearly off bottle, the 7th of a case purchased at release. When it was decanted, there was no sediment (i've never seen a 13 year old Montelena with NO sediment. while it improved with the 2 hour decant, it just never got to the fruit, full body that an older Montelena does. Lacking the complexity that previous bottles showed. Stayed on the acidic side. Not sure what the flaw was as it ws not Bret, didn't seem corked, but just not right. No hurry to open the other 5.

3/9/2019 - gharter Likes this wine:

PnP. Lemon yellow, not showing any of its age. Very aromatic with lemon, lime, pineapple, a hint of oak, green apple and minerals. Similar flavors. The oak is barely noticable. Bright acidity gives a good backbone to the wine, beautifully balanced. Smooth finish.
Blind, would never guess this is 9 years old. Very good now, no worries about any impending decline.

1/17/2019 - gharter Likes this wine:

Needs time to open. Starts out very thin.
Initially, tobacco and cedar overwhelm the fruit. Same on the palate.
Over the next hour, it started to open. Tobacco, cigar box and cedar still dominate, but the black fruits start to show up. A lot of tobacco/cigar box and cedar still dominate the flavor, but the black fruit starts to show through. Will the fruit overtake the oak and tobacco? Not sure.

5/12/2018 - csimm wrote:

Mike Smith Tasting and Wine Dinner PART #2: Better than the 2014 Schrader LPV and 2014 Colesworthy, but it couldn’t catch up to the 2015 Colesworthy (likely by design). However, the conversation amongst the Schraders became somewhat irrelevant, as they were all left in the dust by the two Carter LPVs (2014 and 2015 Verdad). The 2015 Schrader LPV had a thinner mid-palate (though less “watery” than the 2014 Schrader LPV), with a finish that ran a bit too short given what this wine is supposed to be. The overall delivery was good (as in “94-ish points” good), but there was certainly nothing iconic about this wine.

Knock off about $100 a bottle on this wine and maybe there’s a better conversation to be had. But at $225+? Rough…

5/13/2017 - Grinner wrote:

J & K Anniversary Wine Night (Lyon Again): Also better than our last in 2/14, this was double decanted 4hrs before tasting. Open nose of Calistoga fruit including signature eucalyptus, cassis, cigar box, and wet stone. Tannins still hangin' in there. Laube is wrong. In 2014 I said, "wait a year"; if you only had a couple, I'd still wait a year, 2018-2029.

11/1/2014 - oldwines Likes this wine:

I didn't expect much but this was a nice surprise from a corner of my cellar. Medium garnet color, nice floral cab nose with some herbal elements. Pleasant mouthfeel and decent fruit of the red variety with some licorice and a touch of mushroom. Fairly short aftertaste.