5/17/2024 - rmh66 wrote:

Stone fruit, orange, apple, lime, melon, and earth on the nose. Lemon, stone fruit, lime, minerals, a touch of citrus peel, herb, and earth on the palate. Good acidity (could use more), med body, med finish. Tasty. Cleansing, but big enough to hold up to cream sauces. Quite nice.

5/17/2024 - rmh66 wrote:

Nose of cassis, black and red cherries, plum, a little strawberry, violets, herbs, earth, and some smoke. Tart cherries, black cherries, plums, hints of oak, leather, minerals, and herbs. Mouthwatering acidity, integrated tannins, med-long finish. So well-balanced. Delicious. I would never guess the alcohol on this one. Overall, this was a terrific wine. We drank with a dry aged filet and it was quite memorable.

5/11/2024 - rmh66 wrote:

Plum, red cherries, black raspberries, a touch of prune, blackberries, and earth on the nose. Cranberries, red cherries, plums, earth, herbs, and a hint of wood on the palate. Mouthwatering acidity, fine tannins, medium finish. Overall, a very solid barbera that worked great with dinner.

5/10/2024 - rmh66 wrote:

Red and black cherry, dates, plum, earth, smoke, and spice on the nose. Red cherry, tart cherry, plum, spice, menthol, and earth on the palate. Tangy acidity, slightly grainy and chewy tannins, medium finish. Well balanced and quite approachable right now. Enjoyed this quite a bit.

5/10/2024 - rmh66 wrote:

Blackberry, cassis, plum, a little dried cherry, herbs, earth, and incense on the nose. Tart cherries, blackberries, plum, earth, wood, herbs, and spice on the palate. Mouthwatering acidity, lightly grippy tannins, med-long slightly oaky finish. Light-med body. Delicious. This is the way that you hope bottles like this will age. Hard to stop drinking...so I won't.

4/14/2024 - rmh66 wrote:

Red cherry, blackberry, cassis, plum jam, tobacco, herbs, a little new leather, and earth on the nose. Tart cherry, blackberry, red cherry, plum, earth, spice, herbs, and wood on the palate. Nice mouthwatering acidity, grippy tannins, med-long finish. Needs meat or protein to smooth out the edges. Overall, a very nice bottle. The tannin and wood tells me that this should be aged for another 4-5 years, but I don't know if it's going to actually be better then.

3/29/2024 - rmh66 wrote:

Pop and pour, and checked in on day 2 and 3. Stones, followed by pear, melon, peach, and lime on the nose. Lemon, lime, minerals, stone fruit, a touch of hay, a little melon on the light palate. High, tangy acidity, medium finish. Overall, this bottle was nice, but it was lacking a bit on the palate. Perhaps this was a bad time to drink this?

3/15/2024 - rmh66 wrote:

Blackberry, red cherry, garrigue, new leather, earth, and minerals on the nose. Sweet cherry, blackberry, tart cherry, earth, herbs, a touch of ink, and minerals on the palate. Decent acidity (could use more), moderately grippy tannins, medium finish. Shows some heat. Hmm, this is one of the few times where despite noticeable heat, I can't put it down. It's just very delicious. I'm rating this bottle pretty high despite my better judgement.

3/13/2024 - rmh66 wrote:

Notes from day 2. This bottle is showing some brett, which put me in the mindset of a high-end super Tuscan. Plum, black cherry, cassis, graphite, red licorice, barnyard, new leather, earth, ink, and herbs on the nose. Tart cherry, red currant, red cherry, plum, earth, some bitter fruit skin, graphite, and minerals on the palate. Tart, mouthwatering acidity, lightly chewy tannins, med-long finish. Wow, I loved this bottle. Such an interesting blend of old and new world. Nice complexity, maybe not completely harmonious, but manages to be food friendly, interesting, and delicious. This bottle came across a lot younger than expecting too.

3/10/2024 - rmh66 wrote:

Short-ish decant, could have used more air. Aromas of blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, cherries, minerals, flowers, damp earth, and an interesting campfire note pour of the glass at first, though with air they settle down. Not a huge note really, but quite plush. Blackberries, cassis, tart cherries, plums, graphite, minerals, earth, and incense on the palate. Mouthwatering acidity, grippy tannins, long-ish finish. Full bodied. So much earth and minerals and incense on the finish, you want to just keep drinking. Really interesting and delicious. Dang, I guess I'm shopping for another bottle.

3/7/2024 - rmh66 wrote:

Black cherries, red cherries, plums, earth, herbs, and some wood on the nose. Tart cherries, red cherries, cranberries, and earth on the palate. Juicy acidity, lightly griippy tannins, medium finish. Overall, this was a nice, tasty pinot, that tilts slightly toward sweet fruit. Not very complex, but enjoyable.

3/7/2024 - rmh66 wrote:

Cherries, a little plum, damp earth, graphite, a hint of oregano, and a hint of flowers, maybe lilies on the nose. Cherries, earth, cranberries, and a hint of herbs on the palate. Good, though somewhat moderate acidity, grippy tannins, medium finish. Overall, this was solid and tasty, and worked well with food.

2/9/2024 - rmh66 wrote:

Beautiful nose of red and black cherries, plums, mulberries, red licorice, damp earth, lilies, and minerals. Tertiary notes are just starting to creep in. Red cherries, tart cherries, black cherries, plums, earth, and herbs on the palate. Little bit of distracting alcohol. Tangy acidity. fine, grippy tannins, long-ish finish. Delicious despite the slight heat. Overall, the flavor profile of this bottle was the way that you want classic Cali pinot noir to taste. Alas, I couldn't score it higher because of the alcohol.

2/9/2024 - rmh66 wrote:

Blackberry, black raspberry, red cherry, damp earth, herbs, smoke, and a little new leather on the nose. Cranberry, tart cherry, red cherry, blackberry, earth, graphite, herbs, and some spice on the palate. Tingly acidity, grippy tannins, medium finish. Overall, this was a pretty solid mid-week meal kind of wine (a veggie burger with mushrooms would work well here).

2/9/2024 - rmh66 wrote:

Pineapple juice, stone fruit, apple, orange, bubble gum, earth, a little chalky mineral, and a touch of dried grass on the nose. Stone fruit, lemon, apple, earth, and some light herbs on palate. Mouthwatering acidity, medium body, medium finish. Drier on the palate than the nose implies. Cleansing, refreshing, and delicious. The kind of bottle that you want to have at hand for certain kinds of heavy meals.

2/3/2024 - rmh66 wrote:

PnP and followed for a few hours. Improved over an hour. Focused red cherry, plum, dusty earth, clay, smoke, herbs, a little graphite, and minerals on the nose. Soo earthy. Tart cherries, red cherries, tart plum, herbs, earth, and minerals on the palate. Mouthwatering acidity, fine tannins, long earthy finish. Wow, so delicious. The description doesn't show it, but this bottle has so much flavor and earthiness -- I couldn't put it down. 94-95

1/28/2024 - rmh66 wrote:

Blackberry, cassis, raspberry, red cherry, graphite, earth, herbs, a little ink, and a hint of almost compost-y vegetation on the nose. Tart cherries, cassis, blackberries, minerals, graphite, soil, and herbs on the palate. Bright mouthwatering acidity, firm tannins, med-long finish. Lots of focus and concentration. Delicious. The tannins are firm, but with meat or cheese this is quite approachable. Really, it's the earthiness of this wine that brings me back for another sip.

1/26/2024 - rmh66 wrote:

Black and blue berries, plum jam, red cherries, forest floor, earth, and menthol on the nose. Tart cherries, red cherries, plums, herbs, earth, and spices on the palate. Mouthwatering acidity, grippy tannins, medium finish. Overall, this bottle was enjoyable and a little intriguing. The herbaceous nose leads you in one direction, but the palate goes a different direction. It will work well with dinner, assuming you are serving it with something that can tame the tannins.

1/26/2024 - rmh66 wrote:

Needed almost an hour of air for it to come out of its shell. Red cherries, mulberries, blackberries, herbs, earth, minerals, and some tertiary notes on a surprisingly tame nose. Blackberries, red cherries, tart plums, herbs, licorice, and earth on the palate. Mouthwatering acidity, grippy, slightly powdery tannins, medium finish with a lovely garrigue aftertaste. This bottle was quite solid, though perhaps a bit unexciting. That said, it worked well with dinner.

1/18/2024 - rmh66 wrote:

This wine starts a series dedicated to wine producers/makers who have passed in the last few years. Red cherry, Red Vines, menthol, SweetTarts, wood, a little new leather, and a little smoke on the nose. Tart cherry, cherry jam, more of that SweetTart thing, graphite, herbs, earth, and wood on the palate. Juicy acidity, grippy tannins, short-med finish that's not very delicious. It has that inexpensive wine taste that's hard to define. Lack of grape concentration? While one can say that it's drinkable for $4, that would be selling yourself short. Maybe spend a little more and get something a bit more interesting. You're worth it! I would rate this Average.

1/16/2024 - rmh66 wrote:

Technically grapes from Twin Peaks Vineyard in Washington County Utah. Label designates the origin as United States.
Anyway, cassis, blackberry jam, black raspberry, strawberry, earth, honey, and some flowers on the nose. Plum, tart cherry, spice, blackberry, herbs, and earth on the palate. Slight alcohol burn. Decent acidity, medium body, moderate finish. Overall, this was quite tasty and extra fun with a piece of good milk chocolate.

12/26/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

PnP and followed for a day. Better after an hour of air. Violets, blackberries, cassis, plum, red cherries, minerals, brown sugar, graphite, and cedar on the nose. Blackberry, plum, red cherry, minerals, earth, spices, oak, and herbs on the palate. Juicy acidity, firm, but approachable tannins, almost full body, med-long finish. So delicious. At first this seemed like a very high quality but somewhat foursquare Napa cab, but the next day, some of the fruit took a back seat to earth and minerals, making it a more interesting bottle. It's quite tannic at present, but with a piece of meat, it's accessible.

12/17/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

PnP and followed for a few hours. It needed an hour of air to balance out. Part of a theme meal that involved Cornish game hens and this merlot. Also served a marble rye. And yes, pound cake for dessert, because we know you have to serve cake after a meal. :-)

Anyway... blackberry, plum, cassis, lots of graphite, new leather, and earth on the nose. Plums, red cherries, minerals, and earth on the palate. Good acidity, drying tannins, medium slightly bitter finish. Overall, this bottle was missing some fruit and was a little disjointed, but it was pretty solid and played its role well in the dinner.

12/15/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Blackberry jam, red cherry jam, black cherry, graphite, earth, menthol, and herbs on the nose. Plum, blackberry, red cherry, tart cherry, spice, and earth on the palate. Decent acidity, fine lightly grippy tannins, medium finish. This is one of those fruity, tasty, glossy, easy-drinking wines, but it's really well made. The flavor profile might be a sticking point for some people. I enjoyed it with a burger.

12/15/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Lightly smoky pineapple, citrus, apple, minerals, just a hint of butter on the nose. Lemon, apple, a little stone fruit, minerals, and a little tropical fruit, hay, and hint of herbs on the palate. Mouthwatering acidity, med body, med-long finish. Really well-done. The acidity is just right, and there's a nice rounded feel in the mouth.

12/7/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Interesting aromas of fresh orange blossom, orange peel, pith, honey, and a bit of overripe orange (like when an orange is starting to turn). Very perfume-y. Light flavors of overripe orange, orange peel, honey, and a bit of orange oil. Interesting, maybe not my jam. If you encounter it, it may be worth a try. I tried the dry version as well, and I would recommend sticking to the sweet.

11/30/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Delicate, but focused aromas of raspberries, red cherries, cranberries, lilies, plums, herbs, earth, and minerals. Cranberry, tart cherry, red cherry, minerals, and herbs. Tart, mouthwatering acidity, grippy tannins, medium finish. Really nice sense of place. It's light, tart, and interesting, and I couldn't put it down. Requires food.

11/30/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Beautiful, focused red and black cherry, plum, graphite, leafy vegetation, and earth on the nose. Red cherry, plum, tart cherry, herbs, earth, spice, mineral, and graphite notes on the palate. Juicy, mouthwatering acidity, fine, lightly chewy tannins, med-long finish. Man, I really love this wine. It's slightly big, but also has so many foresty notes without getting green or under ripe. Also, I'm not 100% certain that I would identify this as cab, which is really interesting. I was sorry to empty the bottle.

11/28/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Stone fruit, lemon, herbs, honey, a touch of hay, chalk, and what resembles a grassy hillside on the nose. Relatively light flavors that follow the aromas. Good mouthwatering acidity, med-full body, med finish. Very nice. Drank this with some raclette, and it cut through the heaviness well enough. Will seek out again.

11/19/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Black cherries, plums, red cherries, flowers, loam, herbs, raspberries, Red Vines, and earth on the nose. Red cherries, tart cherries, plums, blackberries, herbs, earth, and spice on the palate. Some spicy warmth. Touch of bitterness. Nice acidity, integrated tannins, long-ish perfumed finish. Medium body. Overall, I really like how perfumed this wine was. It's big, but not that big (but make no mistake this is a Napa wine).

11/16/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

PnP and followed for a few days. Mature, but still quite alive aromas of cassis, plum, blackberry, dried cherry, herbs, new leather, earth, old wood, and a little graphite. Tart cherry, tart plum, blackberry, earth, herbs, hay, clay, and hints of aged wood on the palate. Tart, mouthwatering acidity, lightly grippy tannins, medium finish. This was really nice and is showing its age quite well. I probably wouldn't hold other bottles much longer though.

11/14/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

PnP and followed for two days. Black cherry, plum, red cherry, a little raspberry, smoke, a little forest floor, and herbs on the nose, though it took a little coaxing to get some of these aromas. Tart cherry, plum, black and red cherry, spice, earth, and a little graphite on the palate. A bit of spicy heat. Really nice mouthwatering acidity, lightly grippy tannins, medium finish. Overall, this was a solid but big pinot, and it didn't scream Oregon to me. Also the alcohol seemed a bit too noticeable. That said, it was well-made. Maybe it will pick up a little more complexity in a few years.

11/12/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

PnP and followed for a few days. Boysenberry, blueberry, brambly blackberry, minerals, earth, red cherries, and a bit of smoke on the nose. Plum, blackberry, cranberry, earth, minerals, herbs, and spices on the palate. Nice mouthwatering acidity, grippy tannins, med-long finish. This was a nice, fruity, perfumed zin with enough acidity to keep it lively. It'll probably be better in a year or so, but it's quite good right now.

11/12/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Beautiful blackberry, boysenberry, black raspberry, red raspberry, smoke, earth, olive brine, and herbs on the nose. Boysenberry, blackberry, tart cherry, brine, blood, some bitterness, incense, and earth on the palate. Mouthwatering acidity, slightly firm tannins, long finish. Big meaty wine with lots of fruit, a nice brininess, and some bitter elements. Not very funky. Somehow though it all it manages to be kind of pretty.

11/7/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Blackberries, plum jam, smoke, red cherries, earth, incense, herbs, and black pepper on the nose. Blackberry, plum, tart cherry, spices, and earth on the palate. Good acidity, grippy tannins, medium finish. Right now this bottle is coming off a bit restrained and the tannins are clipping the finish a bit, but there's a lot of nice things here. It has a nice Rhone-ish quality that's very appealing.

11/5/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Honey, stone fruit, grapefruit, petrol, lemon, lime, minerals on the nose. Lemon, apple, stone fruit, minerals, a little spice, herbs, and honey on the palate. Mouthwatering acidity (though I wish there was more), med-full body, medium finish. This comes across sweet, light, and honey-like, and it's delicious, albeit not very complex. Still, it's way too easy to guzzle.

10/31/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Gorgeous nose of plums, cassis, red cherries, tobacco, earth, minerals, leafy greens, new leather, a hint of violets and menthol. Tart cherries, plums, blackberries, red cherries, spice, earth, and herbs on the palate. Bright and tangy acidity, grippy tannins, med-long finish. Really amazing that this is over 30 years old. It has so many primary elements still. Wow, what a lovely wine with food.

10/24/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Focused black raspberry, red cherry, raspberry, blackcurrant, smoke, menthol, earth, and herbs on the nose. Red cherries, boysenberries, earth, plums, spices, herbs, and a little citrus rind on the palate. Shows a bit of spicy heat and a little bitterness on the finish. Concentrated, focused, and very interesting. I haven't decided if I like this wine that much at this point, though it's quite a fun experience.

10/20/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Crazy label. This wine was pretty advanced. Took one hour for it to come back to life (somewhat). Stewed plums, dried and fresh red cherries, herbs, spice box, mint, earth, nutty sherry, and a hint of oak on the nose. Red cherries, tart cherries, tart plums, earth, spices, a touch of wood, graphite, and herbs on the palate. Strange how fresh the palate was compared to the nose. Good acidity, grippy tannins, medium finish. Overall, this was a nice wine, probably on its last days. It actually worked better than expected with mild green pozole.

10/19/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Tremendous nose of red cherry, herbs, forest floor, cranberry, minerals, and earth. There's a little tilt of sweet red fruit at the end. Cranberries, black cherries, red cherries, tart cherries, minerals, spices, herbs, and earth. Good acidity, integrated tannins, med-long minerally finish. So much earth, herbs, and minerals in this wine. Cool and relatively restrained. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

10/19/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Black cherry, cherry jam, forest floor, plum, earth, a little smoke, a little menthol, mineral, and spice on the nose. Red cherries, tart cherries, earth, spices, minerals, lilies, and some herbs on the palate. Lovely wash of juicy acidity, fine tannins, med-long finish. Wow, this wine is good. There's a great balance of weight and acidity and also a strong sense of place. It's also incredibly drinkable. It should age very well, but then I'm afraid of missing out on another experience as pleasurable as this one.

10/15/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Tasted after 10 minutes of air. Maple cinnamon granola, peat, burnt campfire wood, blackberries, chocolate, forest vegetation, coffee, and some subtle medicinal notes on the nose. Very spicy at first, followed by charred wood, cocoa, peat, and more granola (vanilla, fruit, and nuts). Ends sweet with a tinge of bitterness. Delicious, though the spice might be a bit much for some people. This is an unsubtle, bold whiskey, and I like it. Maybe not a great QPR, but I got a bottle for a steal...

10/15/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Light-ish but fun nose of pineapple, apricot, Japanese melon candy, butterscotch, table grapes, hay, sultanas, caramel, and a hint of vegetation. Dried apricot, dried pineapple, caramel, hay, honey, and earth on the palate. Light-ish acidity, med-long but mellow finish. Delicious (of course). I liked this wine young, and I like it now. It's not a powerful or profound Sauternes, so it's less a wine to showcase on its own, than a wine to pair with a dessert.

10/15/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Woke up after an hour of air, even better a day later. Black cherry, red cherry, black raspberry, plum, damp forest, earth, smoke, and a little graphite on the nose. Tart cherry, red cherry, plum, and earth on the palate. Tart, juicy acidity, grippy tannins, med-long finish. Overall, this wine was lovely. Although I didn't drink this with a meal, it really calls for one.

10/14/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

This bottle was pretty advanced. It was stored at someone else's place under unknown conditions though. I opened a 2011 right after that was drinking great.

10/13/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Oak, blueberry, plum, black cherry, strawberry jam, cassis, raspberry chocolates, herbs, smoke, and earth on the nose. Tart cherry, plum, oak, red cherry, blackberry, earth, and herbs on the palate. Nice juicy acidity, grippy, still slightly chewy tannins, med-long oaky finish. Wow, this is one oaky bottle. It's delicious if you can get past the of oak (I can). I would score this higher if the wood wasn't so obvious. Still, this would be great in a steakhouse, and it's drinking surprisingly young.

10/13/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

This wine was close to dead with some butterscotch, apple cider, and green veggie notes, but beyond that, there was apple, lemon/lime, earth, and minerals on the nose. Lemon, starfruit, hay, and earth on the palate. Fun experience. I wish I tried it ten years ago.

10/12/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Apples, ripe and underripe peaches, brioche, lime, pear nectar, hay, and minerals on the nose. Lemon, stone fruit, lime, minerals, and earth on the palate. Mouthwatering acidity, med-full body, medium-long finish. Big. I have to admit that I don't really like this wine as a style. It seemed a bit too heavy to be a refreshing sparkling wine, so I enjoyed it more as it degassed. That said, it was very well made. I need to try their still dry wines to see if they are more up my alley.

10/12/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Evocative aromas of fresh apples, apples on the ground, apple bins, earth, yeast, flowers, spice, and a strangely a hint of pen ink. Relatively straight-forward and light palate of tart-sweet apples, earth, and a little yeast. Off-dry, light-med body, fairly short finish. Overall, this is very pleasant, light, funky cider that's not profound but would work well with a light meal. A fall quiche comes to mind.

10/7/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Tasted over a few days. Blackberry, plum, red cherry, vinyl ball, wet clay, herbs, and red licorice on the nose. Blackberry, plum, cranberry, earth, herbs, and warm spices on the palate. Good acidity, grippy tannins, medium finish. Overall, a pretty nice wine with enough charm to work with a lot of meat-oriented meals. I enjoyed the palate a lot more than the nose.