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Wine Type Vintage Name Variety Locale Date Posted Score Helpful Comments More...
Red

2008 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

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3/21/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com Likes this wine: 93 points

Just received my 2008 allocation this week and I couldn't open one of these fast enough. And, as always, Kosta Browne delivers. It's too young now, but shows a ton of promise. Tart raspberry and trawberry, smoke (i.e. smoked meats, not tobacco smoke) and dirt on the finish. Incredbily well balanced, with all the components working in harmony and such a strak contrast to some of the other wines I've tasted this week. The acidity is also very bright and this wine has a lot of life. I'm not sure if every vintage of Kosta Browne is better than the last, but they all strike a chord with me when I taste them. Another fantastic wine from the boys over at Kosta Browne (now, hopefully, they won't let the acquisition change the quality of the wine).

Well balanced
bright acidity

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White

2007 Scholium Project The Prince In His Caves Farina

Sonoma Mountain Sauvignon Blanc more

12/25/2009 - rjhilgers@gmail.com wrote: 91 points

The Prince in His Caves blend is, technically, a Sauvignon Blanc...but, this wine is unlike anything I've tasted in the Sauvignon Blanc category. First off, when I poured it into my glass, it was cloudy and the color of an almost ripe apricot. Not white, not yellow, but more of an orange color. Definitely, the most unusual color I've seen in a white wine (without getting into a discussion of MD 20/20 or Boones Farm, which don't really count as wines anyhow) and I was intrigued from the first pour. On the nose, this wine is pure apricot. At first I got peach - as sweet as a peach Jolly Rancher - but, as it warmed up a bit, the flavor became richer and a bit more sophisticated, much more like an apricot. There's also a little pineapple, honey and a touch of roasted marshmallow - even taking on some mild characteristics of a Semillon or even a sweet Riesling. Not nearly that sweet, but certainly has some of the same tropical fruit and raisin qualities. Very interesting and complex on the nose. On first taste, I was taken aback by how much it tasted like the nose...again, pure apricot, part ripe, part dried. There's also some tart lemon and good honey taste, but more of a light honey, not a dark rich honey. It's much drier like a Sauvignon Blanc, as opposed to a Semillon or Riesling, and doesn't have much of a front-end. This one arrives at mid-palate, then explodes into the finish, lasting longer than most whites.

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Red

2008 Double Diamond (Schrader) Cabernet Sauvignon Amber Knolls Vineyard

Red Hills Lake County more

12/7/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com Likes this wine: 93 points

For my palate, this wine is a stunner and one of the more unusual wines I've tried this year. The first thing I noticed was the incredible red chile component. Not red pepper or the chiles passed off in grocery stores as authentic. I'm talking chile ristra hanging from the awning of a rundown adobe hut just outside the city of Roswell...or, better yet, a ristra hanging off the side of a building in the Taos pueblo. Not cooked, but still dry and reaking of the warmth, heat and slight bitterness of a dried red chile. Seriously, that's like home to me. You'd think it's a weird flavor on a red wine, but, man, this one really made me feel homesick. On top of that the black fruits, cumin, star anise and a touch of cinnamon top this off to be one of the late surprise hits of the year for me. Huge mouthfeel, but with restrained tannins and a long, lingering, take me back home kind of finish. Outstanding stuff and well worth trying if you can get your hands on some (the 2008 is already sold out). Very nicely done, Schrader.

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Red

2006 Fall Line Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley

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7/5/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com Likes this wine: 91 points

I don't know why this is, but I've become accustomed to wines in the $20 - 25 price range being inconsistent. The good ones are pretty good, but the bad ones tend to always have at least one of the following problems - too much oak, diluted, over ripe, out of balance or too much heat. This Fall Line actually has none of that. It's not horribly complex, nor is it a wine to be cellared, but it is a very good wine. Big cherry up front, dissolving mid-palate into a rounder, darker fruit and finishing with a smooth, zero-heat, peppery finish. A very elegant wine for the price. Quite impressed with this wine and definitely feel like my blind buy from Garagiste paid off on this one. If you can find it, it's well worth a try.

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Red

2006 Boudreaux Cellars Merlot

Washington more

11/5/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com Likes this wine: 91 points

Holy tannins, Batman – this thing is HUGE! And a verified tooth stripper. Very, very young. Felt to me like it will become smooth over time (5 – 10 years?) and/or a lot of decanting, but it was very angry at us for having woken it from its youthful slumber. That said, everything’s there – the body, the weight, the suppler dark fruit, leather and smoke notes – and this is a very nice Merlot. It’s not as supple and elegant as say a Blackbird or even a Pedestal, but give it some time and this wine will be fantastic.

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Red

2007 Quivira Zinfandel Wine Creek Ranch

Dry Creek Valley more

2/18/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com wrote: 83 points

Ripe cherry, plum and cedar all play different roles on this one, creating a wine that's too off balance. Add to that a hot finish and I think I'll pass on this one the next time around. Unfortunate, though, because I do think Quivira is putting out some decent wines, just not this one.

NOTE: this bottle sent to me as a sample from the winery.

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White

2009 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc

Marlborough more

4/28/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com Likes this wine: 89 points

When I think of Sauvignon Blanc right now, I think "we'll always have Kim Crawford." I really think this is setting the standard right now for value priced, exceptional SB. Grapefruit, peach and citrus on a huge nose, with more of the same on the palate. Just the right amount of pith for me - and I like pith, especially the bitterness and acidity (I often wonder if I'm describing this right, so, let me know if you think of grapefruit pith as something else that I'm not thinking of). If you like SB, a good cold crisp glass of white wine in the summer and want a quality bottle under $20, this is your wine. Great stuff.

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Red

2005 Dunham Cellars Trutina

Columbia Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more

5/16/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com wrote: 88 points

The Trutina is always a deal at around $20. I first tried this many years ago and loved it, but I was surprised last night by how big the fruit was and how hot it was on the finish. Still, a good wine for a good price and Dunham is definitely worth having on your list of go-to Washington wines.

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Red

2007 Chappellet Mountain Cuvée

Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more

4/28/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com Likes this wine: 89 points

I had this wine about 4 months ago and was really underwhelmed - flat, one dimensional, oakey...if I remember correctly. But, we bought another bottle this week, mostly because it was one of the least expensive reds available to us on our vacation in Hawaii (prices vary in Hawaii, but most of the wine is more expensive than on the mainland). And, this time, I really liked it. Rich, multi-dimensional, dark fruit, with just a touch of oak, but plenty of tannins and life. Really enjoyed this wine - to the point that it's definitely back on my radar. In retrospect, I wonder if the last bottle we bought had someone gone wrong.

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Red

2008 Owen Roe Sinister Hand

Columbia Valley Red Rhone Blend more

5/12/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com wrote: 87 points

I have been a fan of Owen Roe wines for a long time now (see http://www.rjswineblog.com/search?q=owen+roe), but I'm finding that the lower end wines are starting to taste diluted to me. Not sure if there's a specific reason or if my palate is starting to move away from wines like these, but the '08 Sinister Hand just isn't what I expected or wanted it to be. Bummer. I guess I'll stick to the higher end Owen Roe wines.

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White

2009 J Vineyards & Winery Pinot Gris California

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7/29/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com Does not like this wine: 85 points

Sweet, not like a dessert wine, but so far from the crisp European Pinot Gris / Grigio that I like. Not my style, but if you like American Pinot Gris, try it - still average, but might be worthy of that style if you're a fan.

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Red

2007 DeLille Cellars Syrah Doyenne

Yakima Valley more

3/24/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com wrote: 90 points

Not sure I'd go as far as a 95 on this one, as JACK does, but this is a very nice wine. Well balanced, with not yet ripe dark fruit, tobacco and a little spice, from a well trusted WA wine producer in DeLille. I did not know about this label until I tried it as part of a TasteLive event hosted by Hospice du Rhone (disclosure: this wine was sent to me as a sample), but is definitely on my radar now.

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Red

2005 Château Plince

Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend more

12/24/2009 - rjhilgers@gmail.com wrote: 92 points

This really is a beautiful wine. Definite blackberry, licorice, tea and oak, with a little touch of earth and leather. It's a complex wine that's incredibly well balanced, with just the right acidity and tannins to make it feel vibrant and alive through the strong finish. Amazingly velvety and textured for a 2005 - particularly since it was just released in early March. No doubt this will get better with age, but certainly a great wine now - I can only imagine what it would taste like if decanted for an hour or so before drinking.

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Red

2007 DeLille Cellars Doyenne Aix

Red Mountain Cabernet-Shiraz Blend, Red Blend more

4/4/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 points

Great flavor profile on this wine with lots of black fruit, earth and spice notes. This is a big wine, but not in an aggressive sense - it still has enough elegance to win most people over (at least everyone at our table). Doyenne may be one of my new go-to Washington wines. 61% Syrah, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Mourvedre.

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White

2009 Weinkellerei Römerhof Riesling

Mosel Saar Ruwer more

11/11/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com wrote: 88 points

Pretty subtle nose on this wine, but still has very nice aromas of mango, orange and lemon. The nose does start to get a little bigger as the wine warms, but still pretty subdued. The palate, however, is anything but. Rich, buttery start on the front palate, with a sweet jolly rancher opening (maybe watermelon or grape), apple, pear and lemon mid palate and a massive oily, buttery finish. There is plenty of acid on this wine, but it's 2 - 3 layers in, as the richness wears off a bit and your mouth starts to pucker just at the end. For those of you who know, sweet Riesling is not my thing and this one is too sweet for me, but, if you like that, definitely worth a try.

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Red

2006 Cameron Hughes Zinfandel Lot 86 Lodi

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4/19/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com wrote: 82 points

Another Costco find with the Cameron Hughes Lot 86 Lodi Zinfandel 2006. Picked this one up for $10 at my local store in San Francisco.

What Cameron Hughes says about the wine: Dark, brick red wine with super spicy, huge nose of plums, blackberry, and black pepper. On the palate this wine is a basket of plummy red fruits, a little pomegranate, vanilla oak notes, pepper, and chocolate covered raisins. As this powerfully structured zinfandel opens up it gains additional complexity with tobacco and sweet cigar smoke notes. Despite two years in barrel, this zin is just a baby and will continue to improve in the bottle for many years to come.

Day 1 - On the nose, I'm getting a ton of plum, good ripe plum, with some cracked pepper and a little heat from the alcohol. Definitely a respectable nose for a $10 wine and a promising hint at the taste. But, once this hit my mouth, I had two words for this wine - fruit bomb! I cannot seem to get the plum to move out of the way and let some other elements come through. And, this isn't a delicate plum, this is a dark brooding plum that fell off the tree weeks ago and is trying it's damnedest to break down and get back into the earth. There is some bright berry - maybe cherry or raspberry - but it really is having a hard time holding it's own. Pretty good mid-palate, with a long finish, but the emo-plum sticks with me much longer than I would like. I don't see this one getting any better with age or with decanting, either, as the tannins are relatively mild and it feels like the fruit will just continue to get darker and heavier.

In its defense, the first couple tastes I had were with a juicy hamburger and it fared pretty well. The salt and grease of the burger elevated the other fruit and subdued the plum nicely. So, maybe this is a wine that needs some good grease with it.

Day 2 - not much to add, except that somehow the plum got even darker and more brooding, like it spent the night out with some old friends listening to Joy Division, smoking unfiltered cigarettes and reciting poetry at a half-empty spoken word open mike night. Definitely not the way I want to spend my night...

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Red

2005 Domaine du Coulet (Matthieu Barret) Cornas Les Terrasses du Serre

Syrah more

9/7/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 points

Kind of surprised by this one, which is fitting since it came in my mystery case from Garagiste. Still young and very tannic, but on the 2nd night smoothed out quite a bit and even got a "hey, honey, check this out - pretty good..." You'd be shocked by how seldom that happens in our household. On the nose, big, bold dark berry fruit and earth, covered in a thick blanker of sweet and smokey maple bacon. Very nice acidity on the palate, with blackberry and cherry fruit, with, like I said, a mouthful of grippy tannins. Very nice wine.

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Red

2007 Vietti Barbera d'Asti Tre Vigne

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4/12/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com wrote: 90 points

i can't say enough good things about this wine - i'm increasing my score to a 90

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Red

2007 Vietti Barbera d'Asti Tre Vigne

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3/8/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com wrote: 89 points

I'm with jwobkk on this one in that I'm a big fan of Vietti as a producer - haven't met one of their wines I didn't like. Tart cherry, herbs and pepper, with a very broad mid-palete, great acidity and mid-length finish. Looking forward to getting more of this for the cellar. On a side note, doesn't pair well with Girl Scout Thin Mints cookies...although I'm perfectly fine eating and drinking them separately.

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Red

2005 Vietti Barolo Castiglione

Nebbiolo more

5/5/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com Likes this wine: 94 points

On the nose - cherry, strawverry, straw and anise. Great tannins and acidity and as well balanced as I remember from the last time I tasted this wine. Still young, but a beautiful wine hiding away, just waiting for some special event years down the road.

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Red

2007 Zero One Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon The Wild Sky

Walla Walla Valley more

7/1/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 points

Sometimes there's not much reason to reinvent the wheel, especially when someone else captured everything you were thinking - RobertDwyer is spot on on the description (below). The only difference for me is that I think it drinks more like a 90 than a 93, but, still, a very good wine.

RobertDwyer's note: Typical Cabernet Sauvignon density in the glass visually. It has a quiet confidence about its presence aromatically. Red raspberries and blackberries. Coffee. Some sage in the background. Moderate acidity and just a touch of tannic grip. A wonderfully balanced wine. Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. Drinking well now but would mellow out a bit and integrate with 1 year or more of bottle age.

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Red

2008 Double Diamond (Schrader) Cabernet Sauvignon Bomber X

Napa Valley more

12/7/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com Likes this wine: 91 points

I was excited to get this wine from Schrader, particularly after Wine Spectator gave Schrader so many accolades for their wines this year. This wine is billed as "Amazing Quality, Exceptional Value" on their website and I have to agree with that. This wine is everything I think is right about big California Cabernet - not too over-oaked and not too over-ripe, it drinks very smoothly with smooth tannins and an incredible flavor profile of dark cherries, tobacco, saddle leather and a touch of warm earth. At $40, it's not necessarily a weeknight quaffer, but it certainly drinks easy and solidly competes with wines in its price range.

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Red

2007 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Ten

Sta. Rita Hills more

2/25/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com wrote: 90 points

This is the lowest score I've given a Sea Smoke Pinot. Not too low at a 90, but there's something missing for me about Sea Smoke the last few vintages. I don't know if it's the new(er) winemaker or what, but Sea Smoke used to blow me away...incredible tasting experiences with particularly the Botellas and Tens (not as big a fan of the Southings). So, relatively speaking the 2007 Ten is not my favorite relative to other Sea Smokes. But, against other Pinot Noir, this is still very nice. A bit young and rambunctious still, but a nice blend of dark cherries, lavender and blood orange with a hint of smoke. Incredible acidity on this wine, especially for a California Pinot Noir.

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Red

2005 Rutherford Hill Merlot Napa Valley

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3/6/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com wrote: 85 points

A little too oakey, overbearing fruit and just a bit off balance for me. On the nose, I picked up smoke, oak, pepper, coke (say that 5 times fast), but not much fruit…that came in the mouth with dark, ripe cherries followed by the oak and pepper. Strong tannin structure, with mild acidity and a bit too hot for my taste as it meandered into a fairly long finish (longer than I expected).

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Red

2004 Camille Giroud Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Cailles

Pinot Noir more

7/29/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com Likes this wine: 88 points

Crazy assortment of things going on with this wine - old musty car (think old 1960's leather upholstery), swisher sweet cigar tobacco and fruit leather. Come to think of it, reminds me of a fugitive running hard cross country, feeling in the clear, having evaded the authorities in his 1963 Buick Invicta, smoking cigars and eating homemade fruit leather (little does he know, the roadblock is just over the next hilltop). Grippy tannins and a mid-length finis. Not my favorite, but definitely on my list of interesting wines and one to try again.

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  • Tasting notes: 472 notes on 453 wines

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