5/19/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Another offering for the gala dinner with friends at Hemmingway's Bistro in Oak Park, IL. Deep indigo color. Brighter, lighter and a touch more one dimensional than the '09 Mayacamas. Raspberry, cassis, black tea and a hint of tobacco on the palate. Full bodied with grippy tannins and a medium finish. I am not suggesting this was a lesser wine than the Mayacamas, just a different profile. The Fantesca is more fruit focused, whereas the Mayacamas had an additional earthy component in addition to the fruit.

5/18/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Always a favorite, this was part of my contribution to a festive wine dinner with friends at Hemmingway's French Bistro in Oak Park, IL following a day working emergency management for the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust fund raising event. Almost purple in color. Nose of ripe berry and dry leaves. Quite full bodied, a real "coat the tongue" profile. Sour cherry, leather and a bit of chocolate on the palate. Silky tannins on a long, lingering finish. I initially thought this was too young but upon morning after reflection, I think it just needed more aeration time. 90 minutes might be appropriate.

5/17/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

I am not a big fan of merlot but this is a Cabernet drinkers merlot. Medium dark red color. Floral nose. Raspberry, cherry and a bit of pepper on the palate. Full bodied with a hint of sweetness on the finish. This is a bigger, bolder merlot than most. Also drinking in a sweet spot now. Also a big fan of Stagecoach Vineyard so that likely contributes to impression.

5/15/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Deep indigo color. Tar and jammy fruit on the nose with pepper on the finish. A nicely balanced, full bodied Syrah.

5/11/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Classic Howell Mountain offering. Deep indigo color. Damp leaves and ripe berries on the nose. Black and blue fruit, pepper and clove on the palate. Stringent tannins on a full bodied wine with a long lingering finish.

5/4/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Dark, opaque, indigo in color. Blackberry, plum and bacon fat on the nose. Immediately upon opening was pretty hot but red fruit was apparent. After 30 minutes, opened to reveal raspberry, dark cherry, coffee and earthy notes. Still tannic and structured. Full bodied with a lingering finish. A solid wine at a value price point.

4/28/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Typical Montelena, robust, earthy, complex. Opens with notes of raspberry, sour cherry and plum. Additional earthy notes, chocolate and coffee on the mid palate. A lingering finish and moderate, nicely integrated tannins. The 2005 ( and this is my third bottle) is and always has been a bit subdued compared to other vintages but high quality none the less.

4/26/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Great color. Good clarity. Black and blue fruit on the palate. One of the bigger, powerful, brooding Veeders that I have had. Nicely balanced with ample tannins and a long lingering finish.

4/27/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Very nice. Dark cerise color in the glass. Slightly earthy aroma. Blackberry, cassis, plum, leather and a hint of cedar on the palate. More fruit forward than previous vintages I have tasted but was a wonderful follow on to an '18 Pape Clement at an extensive wine dinner with friends.

4/14/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

I thought this was much better than the BG Dairyman Vineyard I drink a couple of weeks ago. This had plenty of red fruit on the palate. It was balanced by some earthy notes and not overoaked like the Dairyman was. There was some soft acidity but all in all, a pleasure to drink.

3/31/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Lovely, peach color in the glass. A but of a yeasty nose. raspberry, lemon zest and a bit of stony granite of the palate.

3/29/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

While not always my favorite Freemark offering due to the heavy (63%) Merlot component, this bottle was really very good. It likely has something to do with the exceptional vintage but this was singing. Dark cherry, blackberry and leather on the palate. Full bodied and rich. Integrated tannins and a long finish. This will certainly hold for another 5 years and maintain its quality but I don't think it will improve over that time.

3/25/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Indigo in color. Clear, not opaque. Lots of red fruit on the palate. Medium bodied with grippy tannins and a lingering finsh.

3/29/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Inky, purple color. Chocolate, plum, raspberry, and pencil shavings on the palate. Full bodied and nicely balanced with moderate tannins and a medium finish.

3/22/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Nice left bank style Bordeaux blend from Oak Knoll. Subdued but elegant. Red fruit predominates on the palate. Medium bodied with some grippy tannins. This wine will remain high quality for at least another 5 years

3/23/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Dark, opaque indigo in color. Limited nose. plenty of black, blue and bramble fruits on the palate with some pepper and herbs on the finish. Very full bodied with a medium finish.

3/23/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Thick, sort of muddy garnet in color. Heavy oak on the nose. Red fruit and an overabundance of vanilla from too much oak. Fruit forward but fairly one dimensional and lacking in complexity. Full bodied and minimal acidity.

3/23/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Classic old world style Pinot Noir. Dark cherry and oak on the nose. Raspberry and dark cherry on the palate with a hint of earthiness. Medium bodied, medium acidity although the acidity becomes a bot more prominent when open for a couple of hours. Elegant and balanced.

3/1/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Deep indigo color. Full bodied with dark cherry and raspberry notes. Grippy tannins and a lingering finish.

2/3/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Dark garnet color in the glass. Mostly red fruit, dark cherry, black raspberry, white pepper on the palate. Nicely integrated tannins. full bodied. Not as big or as fruit forward as I would have expected based on previous bottles and vintages of this wine.

2/16/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Inky color in the glass. Black and red fruit on the palate with notes of clove, leather and mint on the finish. Big, full bodied with grippy tannins and a lingering finish.

1/28/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Big, rich and tannic. Black cherry, raspberry, a bit of eucalyptus and light oak on the palate. Full bodied with a lingering finish.

1/28/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Nicely balanced, medium bodied Washington Cabernet. Predominantly red fruit with some green pepper and leather. Tannins are nicely integrated and this is in a mature cycle.

1/18/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

I always open Tapestry too early. This is just starting to open and develop some complexity. Plenty of bright red fruit on the palate, Raspberry, dark cherry, cassis, with a hint of oak and leather on the finish. Firm tannins and a medium finish. Glad I have another bottle left.

1/18/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Fruit forward, full bodied and well balanced. Dark cerise color. Blackberry, blueberry, white pepper and tobacco on the palate. Integrated tannins but plenty of backbone still. Medium finish with a hint of pepper.

1/6/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

What once seemed like an interesting marketing ploy has become an decent, approachable wine. I purchased 5 of the Del Dotto Corona series wines for fun, upon release. All are different but reasonably similar blends of bordeaux varietals. This offering contained plenty of raspberry and plum on the palate with secondary notes of fig and white pepper. Tannins are still a bit astringent. With another two years or so this will be soaring

12/31/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Very tasty blend of multiple vineyards. Might have had a better score but drank this in comparison to a 2010 Bosche' which was a significantly better bottle. Typical Freemark Abbey with dark fruits and heavy tannins prominent. Nicely balanced between fruit, earth and savory notes. Could probably use another 3 to 5 years of age.

12/31/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Big, robust, full bodied with flavors of blackberry, sour cherry, tar, eucalyptus. A classic old style California Cab. Nicely integrated tannins somewhat diminished in the two years since my last bottle. Ready to drink and IMHO at peak.

1/1/2024 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

This was a very nice but perplexing wine. I have had several Aubert Pinots from multiple vintages. This was somewhat confounding. Absolutely nothing wrong with this bottle but seemed somewhat muted compared to other bottles. Most have been quite distinctive and made in an old world style. This was heavier, earthier, more fruit forward with an emphasis on darker fruits, blackberry, plum and cassis. Very smooth, more full bodied than other Aubert offerings. A great accompaniment to New Years Day traditional ham and hoppin john dinner.

12/31/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Green apple, pear, toast on the palate. Nice tight mousse. Medium to light acidity. Drinking nicely right now.

12/24/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Robust, full of black and blue fruit, tobacco and coffee. Nicely integrated but still firm tannins.

12/9/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

This has improved with some additional time. Cranberry and dark cherry on the palate with the ever present smokiness on the finish. Medium bodied with light acidity. Great accompaniment to a bouef bourgignon dinner.

12/8/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Very nice medium to full bodied Pinot. Strawberry red color with medium clarity. Lavender on the nose. Light red fruit, some oaky vanilla and some smoke on the palate, round this out and make it a nicely balanced Pinot Noir.

12/2/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

This was not a typical Bosche' and over 50 years I have tasted many vintages going back to 1984. Definitely not spoiled or over the hill. Still ripe, still full of blackberry, dark cherry, leather but some things were missing. No eucalyptus notes, diminished tannins, medium bodied and a bit flat when I expected bold and brooding. Yet there were no signs of premature aging. No orange tint, no caramelization, no funky odor. Possibly just caught this in a resting phase.

12/1/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Hard for me to get the age right with this wine but this one was in a great place. Vibrant, red fruit, earthy tobacco and coffee on the palate. Grippy tannins but a roundness typical of Sonoma wines. Medium to full bodied. Drank side by side with a 2007 and this 2014 really shined.

11/20/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Exceptional, well aged right bank Bordeaux. This was at peak with luscious raspberry, blackberry, leather and graphite flavors on the palate. Medium to full bodied with a lingering finish. Nicely balanced, integrated tannins and tasted more like a left bank offering.

11/21/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Drank side by side with a 1995 Gruaud LaRose and the 1989 was the preferred wine. Nicely balanced, well aged Bordeaux. Full bodied with some residual but nicely integrated tannins. I tasted some blackberry, some dark cherry, light oak, leather and some herbs.

11/21/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Surprisingly preserved! This birth year wine commemorating son Drew's
birthday was certainly past peak but was still fruitful and approachable. A bit cloudy in color but still red with no hint of orange. Black and blue fruits were front and center with limited earthy or savory notes. Still plenty of body but no residual tannins.

11/23/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Drank side by side with a 2009 Gravelly Meadow and both bottles were a bit thin and overly fruit focused at the expense of earthy notes. After a three hour decant, the wines began to open to reveal some earthiness but not what was expected and certainly were of a lighter body than previous vintages enjoyed. The Volcanic Hill was more robust and less austere as would be expected given the soil composition. It featured raspberry, black cherry, some mocha and eventually some tobacco. Medium bodied with a medium finish.

11/23/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Drank side by side with a 2009 Volcanic Hill and both bottles were a bit thin and overly fruit focused at the expense of earthy notes. After a three hour decant, the wines began to open to reveal some earthiness but not what was expected and certainly were of a lighter body than previous vintages enjoyed. The Gravelly Meadow as would be expected given the soil composition revealed raspberry, blackberry, some steely granite and was unusually (IMO) slightly overshadowed by the Volcanic Hill. Medium bodied with a medium finish.

11/12/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Big, robust, fruit filled. Deep garnet color, great fill level, no signs of diminution. Plenty of raspberry, blackberry, graphite and pepper on the palate. Full bodied with grippy but not overwhelming tannins and a lingering oaky finish. In short, just about the sweet spot as far as my tastes go. The drinking window seems to be right on target for this

11/11/2023 - wconnolly wrote:

This surprisingly tasted like a 20 year old bottle. Definitely some carmelization and mustiness that never blew off despite being decanted for two hours before tasting.

11/3/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Decent everyday drinking wine. Raspberry and vanilla on the palate. Medium acidity. Not complex.

11/2/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Lots of bright, red fruit on the palate followed by earthy notes. Really nice second label at a good price.

9/16/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Robust and full bodied. Blackberry, cassis, coffee, creosote and pepper on the palate. Almost too full bodied for our steak Diane dinner. Good but a bit one dimensional. Plenty of tannins will allow this to develop over the next 5 to 8 years.

9/11/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Nicely balanced aged Bordeaux albeit from a lesser vintage. This is finally coming into it own. Decanted this for 90 minutes. No sign of its 19 year age. Still indigo in color. Limited nose but what there is, is reminiscent of forest floor or damp leaves. Raspberry and other red berries on the palate. Minerals, dry leaves and cedar on the back palate. Gone now are the (typical of 2004) green, herbal notes. Still some tannins provide backbone. I would call this medium in body, alo reflective of the off vintage. Never the less, now is the time to drink. I wish I had waited longer before consuming earlier bottles.

9/2/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

A pleasant surprise. This is a merlot for Cabernet drinkers. Smooth and balanced with red fruit up front followed by some earthy, herbal notes but the fruit is dominant in this. Full bodied with well integrated tannins and approachable right now.

8/24/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Very expressive and approachable. Black and blue fruit on the palate with secondary notes of leather and forest floor. There is a depth and a purity of fruit that is evident and that i associate with Diamond Mountain wines. I know 2011 was a cold and undervalued vintage but this was excellent.

8/30/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Opened this for a recipe and found it to be quite approachable. Notes of raspberry, blackberry, cranberry, cassis, coffee and pepper. Full bodied with a lingering finish. Grippy tannins point to three to five additional years of aging but this is quite good now.

8/19/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine:

Big, full bodied and full of black and blue fruit, baking spices and some pepper. Plenty of tannins ensure this will go the distance but it is starting to come into its own now. Big, long, lingering finish.