12/19/2020 - marka wrote:

I’m glad I opened it. Dark fruit, earthy, as in forest. Fresh came to mind right away. Not in the sense that it is new and has many years left or is going to get better, but fresh as in a breath of fresh air. A bit of austereness, in a good way. I don’t think I notice it change at all during the time it was being consumed. It isn’t a wine that I have anymore of, any vintage, and don’t see offered much, but I need to see if I can find some more of it from better vintages.

6/27/2020 - marka wrote:

My TN won’t do justice to this wine. However, because it is supposed to be “past its window,” I thought I post. This is drinking well. Drink now, but it is really good. Great balance; fruit, smooth, soft. I usually prefer the Ciel du Cheval, but this is really good right now. had with a Flannery ribeye.

11/19/2019 - marka wrote:

Earthiness/mushrooms(?), muted (in a good way) red fruit. Elegant and light in the mouth. Pork chops, grilled apple slices, and brocholi.

11/19/2019 - marka wrote:

This needed time to breath. It was consumed over two days and, was much better on day two. I would have never guessed this to be California, even Sonoma Coast. Blind, I would have guessed this to be Red Burg. Elegant, light on the palate, restrained, but flowery/fruity nose.

11/16/2019 - marka wrote:

These seemed DOA upon opening. After 20 minutes it started to show it was ok. After 60 minutes it got to “I”m glad I opened it and also, glad I didn’t bring it to The Kenwood on Tuesday.” It was good, but that is it. Good acidity, good balance. I was hoping for more.

11/4/2019 - marka wrote:

For lunch. Retirement is tough. Wonderfully soft, elegant wine. I looked at my last note from 2014 and, wow, has this improved. Popped and poured, after 20 minutes this was wonderful. CT tells me I paid $39 for this. Wow. This is worth almost twice that.

11/1/2019 - marka wrote:

This is more of a data point for others. This was really good. Well-balanced, including nice dark red fruit. I have one left and I’m willing to wait one more year. So, late 2020 as opposed to the current end of drinking 2018 on CT.

8/1/2018 - marka wrote:

Fruit is almost gone. Drink.

9/15/2017 - marka wrote:

A really nice wine with restrained fruit, nice balance. RaNae really like it and she normally just tolerates Napa Cabs. For me, it came the night after a bunch of really nice burgs and so the RM seemed a bit big...it wasn't, but just 24 hours after those burgs.... I need to keep ordering RM CS.

9/15/2017 - marka wrote:

Flawed

9/15/2017 - marka wrote:

What a really nice bottle. Earthy, subtle spice, nice fruit. I hate to be like Chablis28 😈and mention the price, but what a deal for 30. This bottle had 3-5 years left. CT window shows it ending at 2019. I'd go a few years beyond that.

8/26/2017 - marka wrote:

Screams soft cherry on the nose, very smooth on the palate. Nicely balanced wine. Drinking very nicely right now. I love Pinot from Savoy vineyard. Love wines from Peay also.

8/26/2017 - marka wrote:

Disappointing bottle. Way too much oak. Disjointed. Not sure what other recent notes show. Hopefully this was an awkward bottle and my next bottle is better. I love mountain fruit, not oak.

4/8/2017 - marka wrote:

Opened to have with some Gruyere cheese. The wine is light, elegant, subtle white fruit. Hopefully more notes later. Really, really nice wine. Getting better with air. Day 2 shows more minerality and some pear. This is a really nice wine. Note to self: leave the last two alone until 2019 and beyond.

3/5/2017 - marka wrote:

Opened, poured a few oz in each stem, left open and let it sit for an hour. Wonderful nose, elegant, floral. Still young. This bottle has at least 5 years. Or, had..... Note to self: wait until 2021-23 to open the last 2.

11/20/2016 - marka wrote:

Based on the acidity, I'd say this has at least 5 years left. Very much enjoyed it.

5/13/2016 - marka wrote:

This has 3-4 years left, at least. Ignore the CT drinking window.

3/20/2016 - marka wrote:

Flawed.

3/10/2016 - marka wrote:

Not ready. Too much acidity and inbalance. This bottle needed much more time to integrate. I agree with much of what aChave wrote from June 2015, but my experience was not as good. Agree on the 10 years part for sure.

2/26/2016 - marka wrote:

Earthy, dried cherries. Wonderfully aromatic nose. After 3.5 hours, some acidity started to show.

2/20/2016 - marka wrote:

Save the last one until 2018.

2/13/2016 - marka wrote:

Don't remember much except that it reminds me why, while I'm trying to get off of lists, the SVD RM keep me buying them.

2/15/2016 - marka wrote:

I thought I had written a brief TN on this, but I don't see it. Nice fruit, still alive, such a delight. I'd drink by 2018?? And I will do so with my last bottle. Hopefully the first one was not a fluke.

2/26/2016 - marka wrote:

Wait until 2020 for the next bottle. Enjoyable, earthy, laid back fruit. Nice nose of earth and dark red fruit.

2/14/2016 - marka wrote:

Nothing special. Not at all worth what I paid. Paid close to 60, drinks like a 40-45. I bought in 2009 and 2010 and haven't heard from them since. Enjoyable? Yes. But not at 60 or whatever I paid.

2/26/2016 - marka wrote:

This should have 2 hours in a decanter. Too tannic last night, much better today.

2/26/2016 - marka wrote:

Good for the price as always. Keep buying. Find more.

2/8/2016 - marka wrote:

Consumed. Good. Remember little.

2/8/2016 - marka wrote:

Good as always. Save last two for 2018 or later.

2/8/2016 - marka wrote:

This took 45 minutes to open in the bottle. At first it seemed a bit stale. Not sure what the abv is, but it is not noticeable. A little pepper, nice fruit, and good balance. White pepper on the nose.

1/23/2016 - marka wrote:

Chewy, big dark fruit, pepper. Really like Cabot.

1/24/2016 - marka wrote:

This went really nice with the chicken Alfredo dish. I would've never guessed 14.9 as I sensed none of that. However, it perhaps matched well with the meal as it is a fairly big chard. I don't like calling it big becuase it didn't seem to be. Deceptively "big?" Nice fruit. Some pear, stone fruit, lemon, lime. Very enjoyable.

1/21/2016 - marka wrote:

Pepper, red fruit, and on the nose some raspberry. Had in Zalto universal...first time using them. Wouldn't have guessed 15.5 for abv. Would have thought 14.9. Save last one until 2019.

1/14/2016 - marka wrote:

I probably shouldnt have opened this so early, but I wanted a RM SV wine. The fruit was great, good acidity that started to show after 60 minutes or so. This was a several days ago so I am not that fresh on the details. Every time I have a RM SVD I am reminded why I buy them. While a great value, the appellation wines don't do for me what the SVs do. Heck, RaNae even really likes the SV wine even thought she is a Francophile.

1/19/2016 - marka wrote:

Thin. Not all that impressive and I wonder if it ever was. I was hoping for more from this wine given the vintage..... I'm not sure it was worth $30.

1/16/2016 - marka wrote:

Save the next one until 2020. This has great acidity, good fruit, and an enjoyable balance. It had some funk at the start that we rather enjoyed. It blew off and was a good wine that I am not all that capable of describing several days after the fact.

1/17/2016 - marka wrote:

A really nice white to have when it is 10 degrees below zero outside here in Minnesota. Some mellow fruit, white fruit perhaps, that was semi-crisp, refreshing, with just the right amount of acidity. Save the last two until 2019 or so.

1/17/2016 - marka wrote:

This was a bit too much abv(15.1) for me for a CDP. Well made wine and did, however, go well with ribs. I need to check and see if all of the Mon Auiels are this big as it really did not trip my trigger and I was looking forward to it.

1/10/2016 - marka wrote:

Crisp, bright, sharp, white? fruit, nice floral nose.

1/10/2016 - marka wrote:

Just a pure delight to drink. This bottle has to be one of my better QPRs recently. Just great. Note to self...give the Mon Couers 5 years all the time??

1/9/2016 - marka wrote:

this was really nice. RaNae said "I can sense Vanessa's (winemaker) work." I think she was the winemaker then (and the whole time). It had the whole package that I'm not eloquent enough to describe. Nice subtle fruit, earthiness, balance, nose with some spice, just a real pleasure to drink. One left.

1/3/2016 - marka wrote:

I'll agree, for the most part, with kakpoo's TN. I wouldn't say "way too much weight", but it wasn't as enjoyable when it got to room temp and had had some air.

1/2/2016 - marka wrote:

A bit too austere right now. Even at 9 years, this bottle needs some time to be at its best. Alas, my last.

1/1/2016 - marka wrote:

This score is based on how it was as opposed to what I think it might become. I have not had a Venge before, bought three, and wanted to try one. I've not opened any 2013s other than some whites and the Patricia Green Berserker Cuvees. This was decanted for an hour before the first sip with NY strips and it was good. RaNae said it was ok and that means good as it has three strikes in her book (Napa, young, Cab Sauv). Wait until 2020 for the next bottle.

1/2/2016 - marka wrote:

Consumed over 3 days. Much more advanced than the other bottle opened in the last week. Tasted more like. Cali chard than the other bottle. Seemed like more oak.

1/2/2016 - marka wrote:

Love Cabot. Only buy it on Berserkers day, but I love the stuff. I'm not sure there is a better Cali Syrah value than Cabot. Not overly fruit forward. In fact, not fruit forward at all. Good stuff. I don't think I'd identify this as Cali. Also has some funk on it.

12/31/2015 - marka wrote:

This can use an hour of decanting. After an hour of being open it started to show smoke, pepper, and dark fruit. My last one and I popped and poured based on some TNs. Again, give it an hour or so.

12/28/2015 - marka wrote:

I think this is not at its prime and I think the CT window closing date of 2017 is quite a bit off. I have two left and I will try to leave them alone until 2020. I guess I was surprised to see the drinking window as 2012-2017 for a Dehlinger Claret. Perhaps starting in 2017:). The Claret is, by far, my favorite Dehlinger and the one I try to continue to buy as I do my best to get away from lists. But it is hard to say no to the Claret.

12/20/2015 - marka wrote:

Solid, not great. Try to wait until 2018-2020 to drink the last bottle.

12/22/2015 - marka wrote:

Typical solid RM Pinot. Great SC fruit. Not too much, not too little, just about right. Wonderful cherry nose and palate. Well balanced, smooth. Drink now as it won't improve.