4/4/2022 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Some tasty juice! I’ve gone through a few bottles and can’t stop poppin corks! Crunchy red fruit, strawberries and sour cherries, leather, tar, pepper, tea, and intense florals like red roses. Great with food of all sorts. Like the 18 now more then the 19, but would love to try again in 5 years.

4/4/2022 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Enjoyed this with rock fish chowder. A great match, enough acids to compliment the cream based chowder. Added a nice orange/lemon note when enjoyed with the food. Nuts, Meyer lemon, apricot, and some spice in the palate. Great nose of citrus, nuts, baking spices in the nose out of a Grassl Cru glass. Served fairly cold but enjoyed as it warmed up. Yum factor high on this wine.

4/4/2022 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Enjoyed this at a birthday party to end the night. Creamy lemon, toast and yeast, with bright acids. Quickly becoming one of my favorite Champagnes, well balanced and has a huge delish factor.

4/4/2022 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Popped this for our Anniversary lunch at Brasserie 4. Brioche toast and yeast, lemony goodness, apple, with great acids. Killed with oysters and a nice match with moules frites. Wife had potatoe leek soup and brown buttered fish that paired well with the wine as well. Was lucky enough to get a few glasses of the 09 later at a party, delish as well, but think I prefer the 07 at this time.

4/4/2022 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Had the pleasure to taste a large part of the 2021 Franc blend directly from the foudrier and wow! Blueberry, plum, and some red berry lightly sprinkled with black pepper in the initial sip. After a little swirling, some nice green pepper and gravel notes invoking Chinon popped out. Super young but a pleasant mouthfeel, great mid leading to a nice finish. Super excited to try this out of the bottle when released and then try and hold a few bottles to lay down. Would love a winemakers dinner with this winery as I think they are very food friendly wines as well as delish on their own.

4/27/2021 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Delish bubbles! Crunchy cherry, watermelon, peach, and light green herbs. Perfect to wash down grilled cheese sammies and tomato bisque. This is a case buy easy!

4/22/2021 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Tasted amongst amazing Champagne and wheelhouse N Rhone reds and this held its own and was a highlight. Honeyed peach, white flower florals, hint of nut, and orange. Thick but light. Mouth coating but with enough acid to uplift. Bought 2 more bottles a day later. Had the second bottle with a scallop dish and thought I’d like to make this my last meal request! Great with food! Someone else shared a bite of white fish in browned butter and then I couldn’t decide what my last meal request would be. Rocked with pork rillettes, charcuterie, patê. Now I’ve had one Gangloff rouge and two Blancs this last year, huge fan of this producer!

4/22/2021 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

My first Salon and maybe the most complex wine I’ve ever had. Electric bubbles, pear, citrus, vanilla, chalk, and on and on. Every sip highlighted another note on the nose and palate. Massive length. Some toast, white flowers, and a red fruit note. Not in my pricepoint but I’d be tempted for a really special occassion. Tasted with wine geeks that were speechless and novices that couldn’t stop talking about it!

4/21/2021 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

For some reason I’ve never had Cristal until this year. And I’ve had the absolute pleasure of having the 08 three times since. I love Champagne and I really, really love this bottling. Such verve! Lemon, chalk, white flowers, vanilla, and orange/nectarine on the palate. The nose is all flowers, citrus, vanilla. It’s like a lemon cake with bubbles. Electric on the palate. Getting a few more bottles to see where this goes with age. Probably my fav sparkler!

4/21/2021 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

A friend opened this a few weeks ago and it was singing! Had some baked halibut and leek/pea risotto I needed help washing down and though hey that Vio would be a good pairing. Pop and poured into a decanter and threw it in the fridge for 30-45min while I cooked. Stole a sip after the cork came out and all tropical fruit with some vanilla back up singers! Halibut was lightly dressed with some lemon zest. Wine was absolutely perfect with the food including some roasted asparagus. Tried the wine out of a Zalto Universal and BDX. Liked it out of both but slightly preferred the BDX. Wine killer with dinner, the citrus-saline-nut-mineral/chalk sang with the fresh fish and lifted up the risotto. A balanced wine. It’s got some of that big blowsy Guigal Condrieu balanced with the salty citrus of a Gangloff WA state style. There are very wines my thin wallet purchases every year, but the two whites from Kobayashi are a for sure and hopefully whatever else Travis rests in that Mizunara barrel!

3/9/2021 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Tasted alongside a ‘18 Gangloff Condrieu and held its own, which is saying a lot because the Gangloff was phenomenal! Intense florals of nutmeg, citrus, vanilla. Palate full of citrus, pineapple, chalk, and vanilla. Oak seemed in check and maybe dialed a bit back from the previous vintage, which I also really enjoyed. Besides the Gangloff, tons of amazing Champers and other wines opened alongside as well...nice to see a WA white hold it’s own against some of the world’s best.

3/9/2021 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Great nose of apricot, vanilla, spice, and nuts. Almond, creamed honey, light oak, and more of that apricot on the palate. Loved the mouthfeel! Nice acids that transitioned the mid to the lengthy finish. Wish I had bought more. Next bottle is getting some salmon thrown at it. Really, really impressed with the mouthfeel, bouquet, and texture of the whites coming from Kobayashi!

7/10/2020 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Verve and texture! Viognier with verve and flavor? Enveloping nose of peach, vanilla, and light flowers. Consumed quickly out of a Zalto Bordeaux glass. No apparent alcohol on the nose or palate. Matched well with pesto salmon served with squid ink pasta lightly drowned in Alfredo. A great mouthfeel, not oily like most Condrieus I’ve had. Acid kept this wine balanced. Still struck by the balance and texture of this wine. Amazing and pleasant finish that includes the peach with an additional pineapple note. This winery is now on my must try everything they make list. Someone finally doing something a little different with Washington juice! In a great way!!!

7/21/2019 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Definitely the best WA white wine I’ve had. Up there with my favs from the US as well. Gave it an hour in the decanter. Rich dark color. Smells of the tropics! Tropical fruit, pear, peach, chalk, and nuts. Has that hazelnut smell and taste I only get from N Rhône whites and aged Beaucastel. It has a rich texture but doesn’t feel too oily on the palate. An absolutely perfect pairing with Salmon off the Traeger with butter, shallots, and the lemon thyme Spiceologist. Have one bottle left I’m excited to sip but no hurry. Contacted the winery to purchase more but sold out :(. A really solid tasting experience.

7/16/2016 - Vinsant wrote:

Tart citrus, minerals, nuts, chalk, and cheese. Nicely balanced.

7/16/2016 - Vinsant wrote:

Slight Cameron funk surrounding cherry and strawberry, tobacco, wet earth, and dried herbs.

7/16/2016 - Vinsant wrote:

Great value! Orange vanilla, crisp yet rounded edges.

7/16/2016 - Vinsant wrote:

Crisp, citrus, shells, and minerals. Went well with a cream sauce. A little life left but nicely balanced now so I'd sip up!

7/16/2016 - Vinsant wrote:

Hazelnuts sprinkled with lemon juice drizzled with honey. Still has life but in a good spot.

2/14/2016 - Vinsant wrote:

Think I've only had a few NGs and you can tell there's a Cayuse footprint there but with a slightly sweeter overall taste. Maybe a bit simpler. A perfect gateway to the Cayuse funk of an En Chamberlin we had beside it.

2/14/2016 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Blinded this with 2 other Cayuse-themed wines and it was actually easy to pick out. It's definitely the most savory of all Christophe's wines. Hard to pick out one single note that sticks out. The cherry, earth, pepper, florals, plums, and veggies and blended masterfully. Really interested to try an Armada at 20 years to see what these turn into.

2/14/2016 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Damn, this was singing on all levels. Extremely well balanced and maybe my favorite Carlisle to date. Juicy with some soil notes. Not much into buying more than 3 bottles of wine anymore, but I'd easily do a 6er next time.

2/14/2016 - Vinsant wrote:

Juicy and sweet red fruit dashed lightly with pepper. Went through our few bottles quickly. A steal at $20. Actually went well a garlic/tomato heavy pizza.

1/24/2016 - Vinsant wrote:

Scored this for $20, which was well spent. Pleasant olive, plum, pepper, tar, light smoke, and game. Sipped well on its own, balanced. Sang with food.

1/22/2016 - Vinsant wrote:

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

12/21/2015 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Tasty on pop and pour. Cherries, leather, cedar, moist earth, currants, and mild funk. Nicely structured with a long pleasant finish. No hurry to drink up, plenty of life ahead.

12/20/2015 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Maybe my favorite Carlisle to date. Balanced with a long finish. Full palate of raspberries, plums, vanilla, and spice. Perfect match for pulled pork tacos. Nicely buzzed when the bottle was empty but didn't notice the heat on the nose or palate.

11/23/2015 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Sat in the decanter for about an hour and served blind to some friends. Lots of N Rhone guesses due to the acidity and the lavender candy notes. Not a ton of experience with Rayas but this was a little darker in profile. Still had some of the normal uplifting red fruit aromas, ash, and herbs but all a little darker...like Rayas decided to do a atmospheric black metal album in 03. Heavier on the mouthfeel but it still glided effortlessly down, and quickly. Some fall leaves notes, sand, minerals, and maybe some raspberries along with the strawberries. An absolute pleasure to sip.

11/15/2015 - Vinsant wrote:

Thin, tart, and lifeless. Some red fruit and gravel in there but was honestly hard to finish.

11/15/2015 - Vinsant wrote:

Tons of fresh flower notes as well as olive, herbs, and fresh ground pepper. Pleasant on its own but sings with food.

11/15/2015 - Vinsant wrote:

Fresh dark cherries, tobacco, and pencil lead. Sipping well now but has a few years left. A fun experience

11/15/2015 - Vinsant wrote:

Crisp and tart with light citrus and nut notes. Refreshing and was at home with some truffled goat cheese.

10/19/2015 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Drinking extremely well after 60 minutes in the decanter. Aromas of red fruit, ash, meat, and herbs filled the room. Gentle but full of flavor on the palate. Red and blue fruit, light veggies, tobacco, white pepper, flowers, salty meat, bay leaf, and earth. Usually one of my least favorites out of the Cayuse lineup but these 08 Grenaches are rocking! Drink one now if you got a few. No hurry if only one left, lots of life ahead.

10/10/2015 - Vinsant wrote:

Big juicy strawberries framed by vanilla. A little earth poked out in between the red fruit and oak notes as well as pepper and spice. Smoothed out after an hour or so of air.

10/5/2015 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Delightful sip. Tart red fruit, leaves, light spice, and minerals framed by a hint of oak/chocolate. Tasted fresh with no signs of aging. Perfect fare for lemon-thyme Salmon.

9/6/2015 - Vinsant wrote:

Sippin well with a short decant. Lots of red fruit, spice, Oregon beach, cinnamon, and clean earth. Reminds me of the lighter 07s from OR I've had with a bit more oomph. Has lots of life yet but at a nice balance of fruit and earth now.

8/31/2015 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb! Lots of dark cherry, pepper, flowers, coffee, meat/iron, and a floral lift. Didn't budge much over the 1hr in the decanter and the hour it took to consume. Light on funk with a smooth mouthfeel. Lots of energy on the palate.

8/23/2015 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Orange blossom, chalk, vanilla bean, white flowers, sea, and apple. Went well with crab fettuccini. Well balanced with a long finish. Thicker and more orange notes vs the Clos E from what I remember in this vintage. Both amazing whites.

7/27/2015 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Pop and poured. Smooth palate of plums, cherry, smoke, meat, florals, and freshly cracked black pepper. An interested light note of fresh tomato (not stewed) and mango to add a little lift. Nose of pepper, smoked meat, violets, veggies, and tobacco ash. Intense pepper on the finish. Impeccably balanced. Life left but singing right now. Washed down some meatloaf nicely.

7/15/2015 - Vinsant wrote:

One of my favorites wines and this did not disappoint! Chablis-like with a splash of orange juice. Oregon sea shore, citrus, hazelnuts, gravel, and a light cheese note. No hurry to drink up, feels like it has years of life left.

6/27/2015 - Vinsant wrote:

Such a great sip! Unripe raspberries, green herbs, tea, underbrush, white pepper, and cured meat. Symbiotic with lamb chops.

6/27/2015 - Vinsant wrote:

Salty, citrus, oak upon initial pop and pour but once some creamy fennel pasta was thrown at it sang. Chalk, dill, citrus, herbs on a medium finish. Why do I not have more of this in our cellar???

6/27/2015 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Perfect fair for CR Salmon and risotto. Apple cider, quince, gravel, mead, and chalk on the nose and palate with a light layer of wool over the top of all. In a great place but has some life left. Sweet, savory, and salty all at once.

6/13/2015 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Sat in the decanter for about an hour. Notes of florals, peppered meat, stew, cherries, and dried herbs filled the room. Full palate of red fruit, smoked meat, minerals, coffee, underbrush, and earth. Paired nicely with rib-eye. Didn't budge flavor-wise from opening to end of the bottle a couple of hours later. Has lots of life ahead but no harm in popping one now.

6/8/2015 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Red fruit, earth, and light spice. Paired perfectly with Copper River topped with a pink peppercorn thyme rub. Lots of life left and just starting to show secondary earthy characteristics.

5/26/2015 - Vinsant wrote:

Lots of veggie funk, red fruit, smoked meat, saline, and fresh herbs. Opened up a little with about an hour of air but stills lots of funk.

5/25/2015 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Not only one of the finest wines I've had in awhile but one of the most balanced as well. Nose of rose, strawberry incense, pepper, dried herbs, graphite, violets, ash, and olive. Everything on the palate was perfectly balanced, not too much of anything. Cherry and strawberry, bacon, cracked pepper without the bite, candied rhubarb, ash, underbrush, herbs, and olive. Matched well with teriyaki salmon off the Q and shrimp-pea risotto with basil-fennel pesto. As a guess this still has a long life...didn't fade over the 2 hours it took to consume and tasted fresh.

5/19/2015 - Vinsant wrote:

Tartness of a Sauv Blanc with a Riesling back. Decent acidity with a slightly sweet finish. Pleasant on a warm day

5/11/2015 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

These are going to disappear from our cellar quickly this summer. Smooth sippin but enough acids to wash down some lasagna nicely. Peach, orange, light honey, sea, fresh herbs, and steel. Preferred it around cellar temp.

5/11/2015 - Vinsant Likes this wine:

Took about an hour in the decanter to wake up. Cherries, creosote, leather, tobacco, minerals, light smoke and oak, and herbs. Matched well with meat lasagna. My fav vintage of Widomaker so far, lighter touch of Cayuse funk. Drink now or at least over the 5 years.