10/4/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Many previous notes apply so I won't go on and on again, but this is an excellent VP and still a outstanding qpr. If you don't get to it all, your children will thank you.

11/4/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

First bottle from case. Decanted 2 hours before beef dinner. Deep ruby in color, nose of warm cassis, plum and wet earth. On the palate, cassis, dark berries, black cherries, chocolate, spice and a little wood. Really a pretty big wine for a young Merlot. Well balanced, full bodied, ripe and nicely balanced with tannins still needing to integrate. A little fruit forward at it's young age, but with enough of everything to hope things will only improve from here. The wine seems to actually live up to some of the hype.

11/4/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Bought 6 on a recommendation. Pnp for casual dinner. Deep ruby, with nose and notes of cassis, blueberry, plum, maybe a bit of chocolate and spice. Plenty of fruit, balanced with enough acidity and reasonable abv. Really a pretty nice bottle of wine and a good qpr for what I paid.

11/4/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

No idea where I got this. Pnp for a weekday dinner. Really not too bad, no sense of place, but a nice red table wine.

11/4/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Many previous notes apply.

11/2/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

First bottle in a year. Plum, cassis, black fruit, leather and wet dirt. Still seems a little nondescript to me. An ok wine that still hasn't lived up to the reviews on release, at least to me. Still have quite a bit and hope things improve with time.

11/2/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Pnp for dinner. Black berries and cherries, earth, graphite, and some herbs. Mostly Merlot, easy to drink and a good food wine, IMO this represents a good qpr if you like the style. Really a pretty big wine.

11/2/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Tasting evening and dinner with a good friend.
Note from memory and some comments recorded on my phone later in the evening.
Generously provided by my friend. On the nose I got red berries and spice, maybe a bit of wet earth. On first sip I immediately thought Cranberries, maybe a bit of strawberry, and spice. The high quality fruit came across a little softer than I expected, but I mainly drink Bordeaux so that makes sense. Fruit, spice and acidity were well balanced and the wine flows effortlessly across the palate. The 94 score comes from the fact that my friend mentioned it while we were tasting it, otherwise I probably wouldn't have scored it, but 94 feels right. Many thanks to my friend for affording me this opportunity.

1/3/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

From split, decanted for 4 hours before serving. Lots of previous notes apply. To me, the greatest of the major port houses in the legendary 2011 vintage. Semi immortal, and still a huge qpr.

8/3/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

First bottle in years. Pnp at restaurant. Cherries, red fruits and berries, tomato, leather and resolved tannins. Enough fruit (at least this bottle) to balance the acidity and tannins. A nice showing and enjoyed by all.

7/28/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Decanted for an hour, back into cleaned bottle. First bottle in 2 years and it showed well. Cherries, red and black berries, a little spice, leather and dusty tannins. Medium bodied and well balanced, if I could find more of this with good provenience I'd buy some. Food wine.

9/28/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Decanted 2 hours. Almost opaque, dark fruits and berries, tobacco and tannins. Modern style, fruit forward, big legs and very ripe.
First bottle from case bought on release on strength of reviews, (I know, I know) I knew from previous tasters notes that this wine was devisive because of the style and ripeness, so was hoping for a better experience. Nothing really wrong and I like both the classic and modern styles of Bordeaux, but there is something here.. Maybe too ripe, maybe too extracted, I'll let others with more experience decide. Nothing to do now but wait it out and hope for improvement. 88-89.

4/5/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Pnp, end of the night wine. Nice easy Bordeaux. Really showed pretty well. Usual cassis, plum, tobacco and wet dirt. Fruit forward, modern in style, it did exactly what we wanted it to do. For a petit chateau, pretty solid if you like the style.

7/1/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

From split, served well chilled. Honey, mango, tropical citrus, botrytis spice and a buttery kind of finish. Smooth, sweet but not cloying, rich and velvety on the palate. Served with fruits splashed with sweet cream this was off the charts good. I have plenty of Sauterne, but it's hard to not want to buy more of this. Good stuff.

6/30/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Decanted and back into cleaned bottle. A big, thick, modern style of wine. Plums, cassis, leather, cedar and a bit of tar. Medium bodied with tannins resolving nicely this is in a pretty good place. Good qpr and a good food wine.

3/2/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Decanted for an hour. Very dark still, plums, dark berries and cedar. Same on palate with cola and leather. Big fruit, smooth and medium bodied this is a good table wine. To me, still improving with plenty of time left.

4/2/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Pnp at the end of evening. This was not a great showing for this wine. Came across as a bit astringent and tight with tannins showing easily. Nothing really wrong, just seems a bit disjointed yet. A decent decant may have helped and will try to remember that next time. Not rated.

9/28/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Decanted for 2 hours before serving with bread and cheese plate. Big warm red wine that has improved over the past 5 years. Smooth and full bodied, 100% merlot that spends little time in wood. Plums, cassis, leather, and wet earth with tannins still resolving. Easy to enjoy now. A friend commented on the huge legs this wine shows. Nice.

6/24/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

From split, Pnp. First time with this wine. Deep yellow color and served with fruit with dessert, exceeded my expectations. A bit of petrol on the nose initially that blew off quickly, lemon, pineapple, honey and white flowers. Smooth and silky with plenty of fruit still, medium to light bodied and ready now and for years to come.

10/16/2022 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

2 bottles over last 2 weeks. Continues to be consistent with the usual citrus and steely acidity it always shows.

8/26/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Looking back at my cellar and tasting notes I see that I have enjoyed 19 individual bottles of this, posted 12 notes and still have 39 bottles (both 375's and 750's) in my cellar. Hopefully that says a lot of what I think of this wine. Rather than write another similar note here I will tell you that to me, my note of 6/11/2022 sums up my experience here. Exceptional qpr and a superior wine regardless of comparison.

9/26/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

10 bottles at various times over the past number of months. Not worth posting individual notes as not much changes with this dependable Oregon sparkler. All notes still apply and we will continue to enjoy this in most vintages.

9/26/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Decanted for 2 hours, back into clean bottle. Not showing quite as well as previous bottles. Cassis, leather, plums, pepper, and wood as well as a green vegetal note that creeps in. Still, a good qpr on release and a solid food wine.
Note, I've gotten into the habit of decanting all of these petit chateau (time permitting) that years ago I would have just pnp'd and it has definitely increased our enjoyment. Worth the trouble.

5/25/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Decanted for 2 hours, back into cleaned bottle. Nice easy Bordeaux if maybe a bit nondescript. Plums, dark fruits, wood spice, tobacco and some wet earth. Medium bodied, with resolving tannins and decent balance. Good, steady easy to drink, cellar defender.

7/4/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Slow ox, drank next to the Grahams 20. Sweet dark fruits, spice, wood, nuts, chocolate and plums. Interesting to drink the 10 and 20 next to each other. Seem to me there is a bigger stylistic jump here than between the 20 to 30, 30 to 40. A nice with that went well with a variety of desserts.

7/4/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Hours long slow ox to let a bit of the spirit burn off. Caramel, figs, dry red and dark fruits, coffee, nuts and Christmas spices. Smooth and rich, balanced and silky on the palate. To me, the 20 year tawnies are the sweet spot for tawnies. The 10's are much more fruity and the 30 - 40's are drier and show more tertiary flavors. Easy to drink, consistent time after time. IMO Grahams does one of the best jobs with tawnies of the major port houses. Good stuff.

7/4/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

From chateau reconditioned bottle. Fully mature Bordeaux with notes of cassis, tobacco, leather and earth. Tannins resolved, medium to light bodied with enough fruit to be enjoyable. Went well with grilled ribeyes.

7/4/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Third bottle in the last 4 years and like the others, this bottle showed well. Decanted for 4 hours prior to serving. Figs, cherries, red fruits and berries, Christmas spice and chocolate. Big, smooth and plenty of fruits still, tannins and acidity in balance, to me, this seems to be in a sweet spot. Certainly no hurry, probably a decade or more left, but if you have a few, this is worth opening now.

6/12/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Slow ox for half an hour. A little faded on the rim. Smells and tastes like dark fruit and berries, leather, earthy leaves, and tobacco with some spice. Fully resolved and fading over the course of dinner. Still a nice wine and enjoyed by all.

9/26/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Easy and simple red, nothing to complain about here. Actually not a bad Qpr.

9/26/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Pnp after a dinner wine was finished. Looking back at the previous tasting note, (mine) it nicely describes our experience last night even though the previous time I decanted for hours. Nice easy to drink wine that was fine by itself.

9/26/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Pnp at restaurant. Red berries and dark fruits, young, maybe a little too early. Nothing wrong here.

6/23/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Have been drinking a lot of the '16 and '17 vintages in the past year and this bottle was excellent. Maybe because it was served so cold, and the '16 is a bit fuller than the '17, whatever. Consistent with citrus, apple, yeast and crisp acidity.

6/18/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Splash decant and served. Really a nice surprise here, especially with no real decant. Cassis and plums, earth and dusty tannins, plenty of fruit still, and little to no sign of the heat of the vintage. Based on this bottle, time left.

6/10/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

First bottle from 8 purchased and cellared since release. Unfortunately this was Pnp even though I was sure it needed a good decant to show what it has to offer. Dark fruits, dark berries, spice, wood and earth. Restrained fruit with tannins still showing. Cool nose and classic Bordeaux in style. Not scored this time.

5/16/2022 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Decanted for a couple of hours before serving. Nice ripe fruit forward Bordeaux. Cassis, dark berries, earth, leather, spice and cedar still. Tannins still showing, plenty of fruit and medium bodied. Time may still help this wine.

9/25/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Decanted for sediment and immediately back into cleaned bottle and served with beef dinner. Obviously a old wine. Nose and notes of cassis, dusty earth, plums and leather. Everything fully resolved and nicely balanced, but you could tell the wine wouldn't last long. Went great with food and was fun for everyone to drink. A nice old wine that I will look forward to drinking again.

5/4/2022 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Decanted for 5 hours before serving with dessert. The light color speaks to the age of this port. Cherries, red berries and warm Christmas spices. Smooth and light bodied, this again shows that the fruit is wearing thin, still, this is a nice fully aged port that won't overpower anything.

9/24/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

First of a half dozen bought on release. Decanted for an hour, threw a lot of sediment. Nice surprise here, one of those petit Chateau that has turned into a good QPR. Cassis, cedar, cherry, spice and a bit of earth. Mostly resolved tannins, medium body and nice balance. Taco night with friends, nice showing.

12/18/2022 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Consistent sparkler showing nose and notes of citrus, white stone fruit, apple and brioche. Clean and crisp.

9/22/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Costco pak wine. Actually, this was a nice little wine for what it was. Good "end of the night" wine. Would probably buy again..

3/18/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Pnp, no decant. A fruit forward, modern style of wine. Sweet dark fruits with tobacco, earth, and dusty tannins. Medium bodied and richly textured. Easy to drink and a nice food wine.

2/28/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Decanted for 2 hours and it could have used more. When you see the St Estephe on the bottle and taste the wine, you have to nod. To me, red fruits and berries, tobacco, earth, and spice with the tannins still needing to resolve. Medium to full bodied and definitely ripe. Plenty of time left to improve I think. Nice wine.

9/22/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Decanted for an hour (lots of sediment), and back into clean bottle. This is a big, rich, ripe, fruit forward style of wine. 100% merlot, black cherries, warm dark fruits and berries are easy to find. Some spice and tannins still resolving a little. I've bought a case or more of this in most good vintages and it continues to improve. Nice showing and a good food wine. +QPR

2/27/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Decanted for a short time and back into bottle for serving. Smells as expected, but on tasting this showed a little hard and astringent compaired to previous bottles. Nothing really wrong, just didn't show as well. Perhaps bottle variation. Not scored

2/3/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Pnp, no decant. Dark ruby rim with no bricking. Nose of cassis, tobacco and cedar. Taste follows with plum, dark berries, leather and earthy tannins. Maybe improved slightly in the glass. Nice easy Bordeaux if maybe a bit simple.

12/27/2022 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

From split, splash decant and left 2 hours to let some of the spirit blow off. Sweet and warm, nuts, coffee, orange and what I call Christmas spices. An excellent showing with a chocolate dessert. Always seems to show well.

1/13/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Decanted for 2 hours and back into bottle. Deep dark ruby with nose of deep, dark and red fruits. Fruit forward, full bodied with leather, tobacco, cassis and cherry liquor easy to find. 100% Merlot, spending little time in wood, this wine always represents a good qpr to me, and this vintage is no exception. Should improve based on prior vintages.

1/10/2023 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

Decanted for 2 hours and back into cleaned bottle with beef dinner. First bottle from case, this looked and smelled like it should. Ruby red with no bricking, nose of warm red fruits and berries. Tastes like it smells with the addition of some leather and garrigue. Medium bodied, fruit forward with tannins showing still, this is easy to drink. Appreciated by group of inexperienced tasters. Nice wine.

12/27/2022 - Rick & Ilsa wrote:

From Chateau reconditioned bottle. Decanted and back into cleaned bottle. A nice aged Bordeaux that is getting along in years. Traditional cassis, dust, leather, tobacco and dark and red fruits. Tannins resolved, might be time to move these to the front of the line.