4/26/2024 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

excellent condition. classic bandol fruit and nose. lots of concentration with relatively lower tannin structure. It has aged but still on the young side although these wines don't tend to develop a lot of complexity from this point on.

4/29/2024 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

stunningly young with a deep red color. tannic and firm with an immediately available nose. not at all roasted. weak points were a lack of complexity in the nose and concentration to balance out but overall an amazing effort for $14.

3/30/2024 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

dark brooding fruit with a deep red rim color. Still primary in nature with excellent concentration and balance. Nose was available upon opening and improved during the evening and held up over two days. Would wait another 3-5 years.

3/21/2024 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

Drinking so well. No meaningful signs of being too old. It was immediately available upon opening and was drinking well 1-2 hours later.

2/24/2024 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

more toward the golden side of color but not oxidized. Drank well but not as complex a nose as I had hoped for. plenty of acid.

12/23/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

still drinking well. No signs of oxidation. Fruit remains present and clean. Wonderful balance with a medium finish and medium concentration. It continues to hold but not certain it's improved since my prior tasting.

12/25/2023 - Montecalvo wrote:

quite dark in color. incredible perfumed nose consistent with Lafon. Drank well over two days. This bottle was at apex.

12/17/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

I really liked it but some many were divided over its funky nose. A wine maker speculated it was acetobacter but couldn't exclude bret. Anyway, great tannic structure and good acid levels. Still with enough fruit to balance it out. Drank well for the evening.

11/17/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

drank with The Usual Suspects. Not decanted. (Mistake) Drank well and improved a lot over the tasting. At its peak but not past it. Still with clean red fruit, no oxidation but its best feature was its integration and balance.

11/23/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

decanted for several hours. perfectly drinking Rioja with clean bright fruit and very good acid tannin balance. Light in the mouth but with a medium length finish. Paired well with my TG Lamb curry

9/11/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

Drinking quite young with excellent color preservation. Still a dark red. Nose is Syrah like but not cooked or underripe. Decent concentration and mouth feel.

9/14/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

fully mature. maybe starting to have the fruit fade a bit.

8/26/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

drinking well but noticed a slight bit of oxidation at the finish. would drink up sooner. round with a rich mouth feel. balanced.

8/21/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

Dark red, primary at first with just fruit notes followed by an hour later more tar, cooked bacon with excellent mouth feel. Continued to drink well 3 days later.

8/8/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

another wonderful bottle.

8/9/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

red to dark red. immediately open nose. fruit forward but developing some secondary notes.

6/22/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

drank in May

6/20/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

Very much a Dom champagne. Not as concentrated or big on the palate but balanced and complex.

6/20/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

still youngish in color and overall development. The fruit is quite dark in character with some sweet oak tannins which are prominent from the beginning. There is secondary development of spices and smoke. No green notes. Lively on the palate and well balanced with a medium long finish. Definitely in its drinking window.

5/24/2023 - Montecalvo wrote:

Still with preserved color. Light red to dark red excellent concentration Clean nose. Definite Syrah fruit good balance. Criticism would be lack of complexity on the nose and in the mouth.

4/14/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

Similar to the 08 and 10. Still young but it has matured enough to be interesting.

4/14/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

quite young but it has evolved somewhat. The 2008-2010 are richer and rounder in the mouth than the 1998-2002.

4/14/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

maybe the wine of the night. complex and rich with a wonderful nose including a mild herbal note which I found pleasant.

4/14/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

Considering the year this is drinking very well. preserved color. lots of time to go but it has evolved probably near peak.

4/14/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

still with a dark color. nose is now more complex but sill with fruit. Clean some herbal note but well balanced.

4/1/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

dark yellow but not golden or brown. Huge complex nose from the outset. Spicy, honeyed, great balance between sugar and acid. A great sauterne.

4/1/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

dark red to purple. Nose was accessible immediately upon uncorking. Cork in great condition. Very clean nose for this wine. No bret at all. No oxidation either. Primarily fruit driven at this point. Great concentration with a big mid-palate and finish. Needs quite a bit more time.

4/1/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

light red to dark red. Nose opened immediately. Clean (no bret or oxidation). complex nose of dark fruit, spice, smoke with iron on the palate. Mid-palate was solid but lack some concentration and roundness. Medium length finish. Overall drinking very well and probably near its peak.

2/18/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

Best bottle so far. The fruit was so lovely. In a sweet spot for this wine.

1/2/2023 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

Absolutely one of the best wines and champagnes ever. The nose was off the charts open and complex.

11/23/2022 - Montecalvo wrote:

So young. Hard to believe. Great concentration and balance. Tannins are soft but in line with the fruit. Still more primary.

11/23/2022 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

truly a great bottle. No flaws.

11/24/2022 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

Very clean fruit with no detectable VA. red to dark red in color. No oxidation noted. medium concentration and finish. drank well over several hours. Probable close to peak as there were plenty of secondary notes but fruit was still good.

11/24/2022 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

still dark red and still primary fruit with no secondary development.

11/22/2022 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

light red to red color. This is fully mature. On the nose a mild amount of VA consistent with the region. Good concentration and length. Fruit is still there but secondary note predominate. Maybe a hint of oxidation but extremely mild.

9/26/2022 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

Immediately accessible. The fruit is near perfect. Excellent concentration and depth. Very young without any secondary notes.

9/9/2022 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

light red to red in color. the over arching notes are the residual of a very ripe vintage with some oxidation, no VA, but a style of fruit that is not classic Barolo. This seems to be a characteristic of the vintage and not a flaw in the wine.

8/15/2022 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

Drank with Bernhardt's and Pepper's. Good color preservation with a medium red edge and a darkish center. Nose had a bit of oxidation. The fruit was still clean and present. Mature or nearly so. Concentration was good as was balance. Softer in the mouth.

8/13/2022 - Montecalvo wrote:

drank with Bernhardt's and Pepper's. Good color preservation still medium red at the edge with a darkish center. Nose was slightly influenced by the heat but not oxidized. A bit softer than normal. Good concentration and balance with a medium length finish. Close to mature.

7/27/2022 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

drinking so well. Took about 20 minutes to open. Super clean nose, no brett at all, all fruit with a solid mid-palate and a long finish. Color was dark red. No hint of oxidation or stewed fruits.

6/25/2022 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

9 years old and drinking well.

6/20/2022 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

still so young in color but definitely developing secondary notes. Balanced with decent concentration and a medium length finish. Clean on the nose and immediately drinking well. This is in a sweet spot.

5/30/2022 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

noted some oxidation immediately upon opening. This decreased in intensity but didn't resolve. Otherwise, the color will still preserved and it was a classic northern rhone flavor profile with dark fruit. This wine will not improve from here.

5/28/2022 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

very decent bottle of pinot. lots of cherry fruit in the Burgundian style.

5/6/2022 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

A wonderful wine. Young with expected deep red color. Nose was all cabernet fruit. Good concentration but a bit simple at present. Decent acidity for California. No VA noted.

5/7/2022 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

Color was medium yellow. It wasn't premoxed but it is definitely an old wine. It had softened on the palate. It's nose was muted but clean. (my nose may be off a bit given covid).

4/23/2022 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

perserved color, very dark, but nose and palate already seem a bit oxidized or old. Lots of fruit which is consistent with the vintage but perhaps a bit too much heat for the grapes.

3/16/2022 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

still with dark color and only a hint of oxidative fruit. Overall still with plenty of fruit but definitely at it's prime.

3/11/2022 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

drank with The Usual Suspects. Very bright clean fruit. No signs of oxidation. No roasting of the fruit.

2/23/2022 - Montecalvo Likes this wine:

light red to dark red. tight nose after two hours but then opened up. Beautiful clean fruit. Still quite tannic but balanced. excellent concentration.