9/29/2017 - Jeffsta wrote:

At the winery.
Crimson color. Sendiment present, alas.
Menthol and cedar on the nose, eucalyptus.
First impression: mature, easy, nice.
Palate:mild flavors, well integrated, red fruit with secondary notes, cedar, tobacco.
Finish is more generous than the palate. Very fine tannins, long, grippy, slightly drying. Flavor of plums, cedar, rosehips.
This is very pleasant, would benefit from food. Unlikely to improve, but not impossible: would benefit from greater openness on the approach.

9/29/2017 - Jeffsta wrote:

Ruby-purple color.
Caramelized orange zest, overripe plum on the nose.
First impression: lots of very fine tannins, still resolving.
Finish: fine tannins, still some glycerine. Sweet tar. Cedar. Quite long, grippy.
Palate: some sweet black fruit, not very yielding, yet.
90/100 (2.2+?)

9/29/2017 - Jeffsta wrote:

At the winery.
Deeper ruby-purple than the 2013 No Name
Nose is intense, sweet cherry and Kirsch.
Initially: wow, lovely mouthfeel.
Palate of cedar, strawberry, cherry, other red and black fruits.
Finish: Very, very fine tannins, nicely resolving, lots of them though. Hints of tar, smoke.
This is really very good. For the basic Barolo: impressive.
92+/100 (2.2+)

9/29/2017 - Jeffsta wrote:

At the winery.
Crimson scarlet color.
Maraschino cherry, cedar, Kirsch on the nose.
First impression: bright acidity.
On the palate: moderately rich mouthfeel, still some baby fat. Flavors of dry black cherry, cedar, orange zest.
On the finish, good intensity, decent length and integrity, flavors of dry red fruit, rose hips.
88/100 (2.2-)

9/29/2017 - Jeffsta wrote:

At the winery, from a bottle opened 24 hours ago:

Pale ruby, hint scarlet color.
Nose of cherry and blood orange, orange zest.
Initially reserved, not much on palate.
Finish is long, tannic, flavors of cedar and orange zest, lots of tannins, finely resolving.
Moderately rich mouthfeel, but still opaque, revealing little fruit or secondary flavors til the finish. Probably black raspberry, black cherry, Maraschino. 85/100 (3) but may improve.

At the winery, from a bottle opened now:

Similar color, perhaps more cherry red.
Nose has more red fruit and cedar, less orange.
Palate is more open, dry Maraschino cherry.
Finish is more cedar, less orange.
86+/100 (3+)

9/2/2017 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

Oh. My. God. Possibly the best California Pinot Noir I've ever had. Crimson color, slightly bricking at the rim. Cranberries on the nose. Moderate mouthfeel. On the palate: this is multidimensional. It sings. Flavors of cranberry, plum, currant, cedar, cola, and sous bois. Old world funk with restrained new world fruit. This has great acidity, stunning depth and complexity, great integrity, good length. Fully mature: drink now or in the next couple years.

8/28/2016 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

Damn, this was good, better even than I expected. No details, it was part of a long evening. Wish I had more. In youth I preferred the Collab 2, and I still like that wine; but the Collab 1 is outshining it now.

8/28/2016 - Jeffsta wrote:

Nice, fully mature. Lots of acid left, will hold on, but unlikely to improve. Drink up.

8/20/2016 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

From a bottle purchased on release and stored at 51F. This had mature cedar and tobacco flavors, still the tannins were full bore. Wait 3-4 years before the next one. Nice with a fine ribeye, hopefully this will come further into balance.

8/19/2016 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

From a 51F cellar, this is still rather young. Good, not yet super expressive of mature Pinot, mostly black fruit.

8/18/2016 - Jeffsta wrote:

Still very young, primary. Wait at least 2-3 years before the next.

8/13/2016 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

Lovely. Still primary. Try next bottle in 2021-2026.

8/7/2016 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

Nice wine. Fully mature. Holding on, but unlikely to improve further. Drink within 5 years. More detailed notes lost to last night's dinner party.

8/7/2016 - Jeffsta wrote:

Fully mature. Slight oxidation. Rich mouthfeel. Pear, apple. Not generously sweet, almost at odds with the mouthfeel.

7/10/2016 - Jeffsta wrote:

Still a big wine, nice, but not very varietal.

7/10/2016 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

Still very young. Try again in 3-5 years. Very fruit forward. Lots of stuffing.

7/10/2016 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

Much better than I expected. High acid, full throttle sweetness. Years from maturity. Wish I had a few more to see what complexity might emerge.

7/10/2016 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

Lovely. Crowd pleaser, both for sophisticated palates and others.

7/10/2016 - Jeffsta wrote:

Finally coming around at age 20. Classic old school left-bank Bordeaux - leather, cedar.

4/1/2016 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

Sweet Russian River fruit. Plums, currant. Tannins perfectly resolved. Good acid still, very much in balance with the wine. Slight hints of black tea on the finish. Quite nice, though perhaps unlikely to improve. Drink up.

3/12/2016 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

Moderate mouthfeel, barnyard. Earthy, hint of menthol. High acid.

3/12/2016 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

Lovely, fully mature, from a 51F cellar. Will last another 5 years. A nice reflection of the period from '92 to '94 when Quilceda Creek transitioned to a more fruit-forward style, but before things became so very much more international ca. 2000.

1/1/2016 - Jeffsta wrote:

Drank at Tavolata with Alexander & Tanja, not noted carefully.

Nice wine; fully mature. Drink up.

1/1/2016 - Jeffsta wrote:

Drank at Bjorn's New Years party, didn't note carefully.

Fully mature, secondary, plenty of acid, classic Nebbiolo. Unlikely to improve, drink up.

11/29/2015 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

Very young, fresh, primary. Black fruit: plums and blackberry. Hints of sage, menthol, eucalyptus - but just the barest outlines, one wouldn't call this herbaceous. Rich mouthfeel. Tons (tons!) of acid: this will go another 5 years at least; who only knows how much more than that.

11/8/2015 - Jeffsta wrote:

From magnum. Deep, rich, black fruit. Still quite primary. Promising. Not yet delivering complexity. Try next in 2025.

11/6/2015 - Jeffsta wrote:

Lush, rich black fruit that hides a good backbone of acidity. Some hints of green herbal flavors add varietal correctness and complexity. But something's missing from this - elegance, balance - that keeps it from greatness. I wonder if it may be in a dumb phase; I'd be happy to have more of this to try in 2, 4, 6 years. Rating reflects what's in the glass today.

11/1/2015 - Jeffsta Does not like this wine:

Very simple wine. Inoffensive. Just a beverage.

Not to the same standard of other Loosen wines. That's appropriate for the price: but don't expect more than you're paying for.

11/1/2015 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

Initially, Apple and rhubarb; over an hour in the glass, lemon zest and blood orange emerge. Sous boos dominates: fascinating, mushroom. High acid, some smoke.

10/30/2015 - Jeffsta Does not like this wine:

Nose of lemon zest, simple. Grapefruit and spicy grapefruit zest dominate from the palate through to the finish. The anchovies in a caesar salad bring out some light mineral and saline characteristics. Acid in balance with the light wine. Doesn't have the verve, intensity, complexity of a really good wine; many wines offer more pleasure than I found here.

10/8/2015 - Jeffsta Does not like this wine:

Rich, young. Slightly reductive. Lots of menthol/eucaplytus/green herbs that dominate the pure black raspberry base. Plenty of acid, tons of tannins, moderately fine, just barely beginning to resolve. Long, herbal finish, cedar emerges. Not really loving it; not what I hoped for; the menthol overwhelms the fruit.

9/16/2015 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

Ruby color, slightly pale, hints of brick.

Bouquet is slightly sweet, spicy, strawberry.

Flavor of plums, current, strawberry. Hints of forest, floor crimini mushroom. Varietally correct. Tastes like Oregon.

Mouthfeel is moderately light. Very noticeable acid, though well integrated into the whole.

Finish of average length, very slightly drying.

Not a great wine by any means, but as an inexpensive Pinot, one could do a lot worse.

I don't think this will improve too much, but I'm sure that from a cold cellar it'll hold til at least 2017.

9/11/2015 - Jeffsta wrote:

St. Emilion with Vindredi (Home): Over the top sweetness, very rich, just beginning to evolve. Lots of Cab Franc violet on the bouquet - the best part of the wine.

9/11/2015 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

St. Emilion with Vindredi (Home): Its usual charming self: quite sweet, high acid, some oxidation. What do you want in a Sauternes that isn't here? Not the most complex dessert wine, but some three-chord rock songs are still awesome.

9/11/2015 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

St. Emilion with Vindredi (Home): Ruby color, very slightly cloudy, fairly dark; bouquet of currant. Flavors of cherry, plum, currant, mint; very exotic. High acid, ethereal mouthfeel. Tannins are resolving (20 years later!) hints of eucalyptus, long finish. A sentimental favorite, I still rate this 95/100.

9/11/2015 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

St. Emilion with Vindredi (Home): Very deep ruby color, bouquet of sweet strawberry. Flavors of sweet cherry and cedar. Mouthfeel isn't as integrated as the 2000 Monbousquet, tasted same nigh. Some prickly acid on the long finish. Still a very nice wine though, just not as fine as the 2000.

9/11/2015 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

St. Emilion with Vindredi (Home): Deep black ruby color, bouquet of licorice, black cherry. Flavors of cedar, tobacco, black cherry, licorice, strawberry, blackberry. High acid, rich mouthfeel. Very long finish of forest floor and tobacco. Very well integrated with fine tannins.

9/11/2015 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

St. Emilion with Vindredi (Home): Very deep ruby to the rim, bouquet of sweet lavender. Flavors of leather, forest floor, plum, strawberry. Moderately rich mouthfeel, high acid. Very long finish, slightly drying, flavors of licorice.

9/11/2015 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

St. Emilion with Vindredi (Home): Deep ruby color, bouquet of lavender. Flavors of cedar, strawberry. Very high acid. Long finish, forest and meaty notes, with some drying elements from the very fine tannins.

9/11/2015 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

St. Emilion with Vindredi (Home): Deep ruby-crimson. Bouquet of sweet cherries, brown sugar, orange (!). Flavors of cedar, leather, tobacco, ripe strawberries. High acid. Long finish, slightly prickly. Very well integrated. Surprising: slight hints of green pepper. More earthy, drying than the 2000 tasted on the same night.

9/11/2015 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

St. Emilion with Vindredi (Home): Deep ruby to the rim, sweet smell of bing cherries. Flavors of cedar, red fruit, plums, smoke, ripe strawberries. High acid, well integrated. Long tannic finish of tobacco and licorice.

8/22/2015 - Jeffsta wrote:

Still fresh, barely secondary.

Black fruit, blackberry, black raspberry, sweet. Plush mouthfeel. Tons of acid.

At least 3 years left, maybe more, though I don't think it'll improve.

Score may be conservative.

8/8/2015 - Jeffsta wrote:

Buy this one by the case if you need an inexpensive Pinot Noir - there's none better under $25-$30.

First impression is that the wine has all the variety correctness of a Central Otago Pinot, notes of forest floor and cow's blood.

Plush black fruit of a low-end Pinot from a top Russian River producer.

Acid backbone of a good San Luis Obispo/Santa Barbara Pinot.

Has the stuffing to last another couple years at least.

8/2/2015 - Jeffsta wrote:

Tobacco, cedar, strawberry, under-ripe currant. Fine, mouth-coating tannins. Surprisingly evolved at 6yo.

7/13/2015 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

Lovely. Secondary flavors emerging, years of life left from a cold cellar.

6/26/2015 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

Bright acidity. Flavors of Meyer lemon, white peach, possibly hints of pineapple. Acidity will hold this, not sure it'll improve. If I had more, I'd drink up.

6/26/2015 - Jeffsta Likes this wine:

The most memorable Williams Selyem I've ever had (out of 100+), and ane of the very best (of thousands) of California Pinot Noirs I've had. Perhaps only the 1994 Rochioli West Block is its peer.

5/9/2015 - Jeffsta wrote:

This bottle was simple, sweet. I've enjoyed this more in the past.

5/9/2015 - Jeffsta wrote:

At least 5 years from maturity, probably more, at least from my 51F cellar. Lots of fruit, very plush, but tannins still dominate.

3/19/2015 - Jeffsta wrote:

Very nice but not great wine.
Characteristic of the Chateau.
At age 15+, it's young, big. Black cherry and other black fruits. Plenty of tannin, resolving but not super fine. Good acid; will go longer from a cold cellar (mine: 51F). Developing tertiary notes of meat and rich green herbs. Long finish of black licorice, some tartness.