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

2014 CT Barrel Project Cabernet Sauvignon Hommage a' Drycab DuBrul Vineyard

 Yakima Valley more
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2/13/2016 - Hollowine Likes this wine: NR

Nose: Eucalyptus, Cherry, DuBrul (yes, I think there is a trademark DuBrul signature that you can pick up on well made Cabernet’s, this was ringing that bell)

Palate: Again, classic DuBrul…Cassis, mint, red fruits, fine tannins that persisted on the finish but were not overbearing.

General Impressions: This wine will be one to age. Billo really liked how this came out and I have to say I agree with him, while my go-to variety is Syrah for the sheer pleasure of them, there is something about a well made Cabernet to really draw one in and remind oneself of how you fell in love with wine in the first place. I loved that Pinto and Billo are willing to go outside the “contract” to make us the best wine possible…in this case, adding in 10% Merlot to help round out the mid-palate and structure, as well as blending in various Cabernet blocks, including some planted in 1992.

2nd Taste at 24 hours: If you ever tried the 2008 Rasa Creative Impulse, and you liked it…run, don’t walk, to add the 2014 CT WA Cabernet to your cellar. With a day of air, this was flat out firing on all cylinders and the structure and depth was amazing.

12 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2014 CT Barrel Project Syrah SJR Vineyard

 Walla Walla Valley more
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2/13/2016 - Hollowine Likes this wine: NR

Point of reference first…the night before, I had dinner with a friend in Spokane and we opened three Cayuse wines…2008 Armada Syrah, 2009 En Chamberlain Syrah, 2010 No Girls Syrah. So my Rocks/Funk palate was properly calibrated…

I tasted this wine after tasting 4 wines from the standard Rasa lineup. It was pulled earlier that morning and placed in a 375ml taster bottle.

Nose: Wet stone/mineral, dark black fruits, touch of the Rocks Funk.

Palate: Umami, smoke, game, very balanced front and mid-palate, low to no hint of heat, Long finish.

General Impression: The nose was entrancing, but my first sip was…was…?? I said to Billo “That is not what I was expecting” which kinda threw him, as I think he thought I meant the wine didn’t meet my expectations, but quite the opposite…having had three Cayuse the night before, I had this expectation of how the wine would be on my palate and this wine just flat out intrigued me! The first descriptor I could throw out was umami…this dense, richness…almost a wine gravy…that coated the palate with this mix of the flavors called out above. Beautiful wine, it just really drew me in intellectually, as I could definitely see the hand of Rasa and the Rocks Terroir, but it just teased me to define it, which I think I grasped about 24 hours later…

2nd Taste at 24 hours: Billo sent me home with the remaining samples, I poured a taste the next day at the 24 hour mark just to see what some air time would do. The nose remained fairly consistent, but the palate grabbed a healthy dose of Blackberries and Tar now. As I finished off a glass, the last 4-5 sips were screaming a Northern Rhone Cornas to me. I loved it.

10 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
Red

2009 Rasa Vineyards Creative Impulse

 Yakima Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more
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2/5/2014 - Hollowine wrote: 94 points

So young! Knew this was baby killing, but the bottle was handy, was having dinner with my Physicist buddy, and wanted to bring a nice bottle.

Awesome juice Billo and Pinto! Tight as heck for 90 min, started opening up to that lovely DuBrul fruit, was so well balanced. Gave a sample to the Morton's Somm who was quite impressed, waived corkage and came back for more.

Don't open with less than 2 hours air, probably better in 4-8 years or with a half day decant...

6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (11)
Red

2005 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau

 Red Rhone Blend more
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1/14/2017 - Hollowine wrote: NR

Drank from 375, tight as heck. Needed about 4 hours to open up and let the fruit come through. Great balance once it opened up, but not a pop-n-pour right now.

5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2010 Saxum Broken Stones

 Paso Robles Red Rhone Blend more
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9/3/2017 - Hollowine wrote: NR

Huge wine, starting to move into the drinking window. Seemed a bit muted on initial pour, opens up quite a bit with 45 min of air. Drink with decant or continue to hold.

5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2014 CT Barrel Project Cabernet Sauvignon Hommage a' Drycab DuBrul Vineyard

 Yakima Valley more
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5/21/2017 - Hollowine wrote: NR

A really nice bottle of juice. Drank over several weeks with a Coravin, each glass showed similarly of needing about 30 - 60 min of air to open up. Good structure and fruit, classic DuBrul cabernet. Long life ahead on these...

4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2007 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

 Columbia Valley more
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5/6/2022 - Hollowine wrote: NR

Let it rest in the stems for an hour while we drank Champagne with the appetizer course.

Drinking very nicely, still the ever present oak treatment showing up on the palate as a vanilla-sweetness but the tannins have mellowed nicely and the alcohol wasn't overly forward. Definitely in a great drinking window right now, probably will hold there for many years.

4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2001 Mount Mary Quintet

 Yarra Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more
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7/22/2014 - Hollowine wrote: NR

While I'm pretty sure anyone with this wine in their cellar wouldn't give a rats arse over what RP wrote about this wine, I still find his review to be one of my all time favorites showing tones of bitterness, overt egoism, and a dose of overdramatic sensationalism. But enough about that...

My first Mount Mary, shared with a winemaker friend with a great palate. Everything I hoped it would be and nothing like the aforementioned review. Would have been a good ringer for a '95 Pauillac, lovely secondary notes on opening that evolved into a bright fruit, lovely wine with notes of cherry, eucalyptus, cigar box, etc.

Love what the Yarra can produce in the right winemakers hands...very good.

4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
Red

2008 Lillian Winery Syrah

 Santa Barbara County more
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2/28/2012 - Hollowine wrote: 94 points

These had been taunting me on my cellar floor since I had received them. I knew it would be baby killing, I knew the best was yet to come, yet I was craving a Lillian the other night and my other vintages weren't at hand. Opened and two hours and the nose hadn't even budged...traces of the Lillian perfume I love, but not just there. Drank with dinner and palate was exceptionally smooth with the cocoa, dark fruits, and hints of spice.

Left 1/2 in a closed decanter overnight. Night two...Hello Nurse! 500Hp of pure adrenaline in a bottle. The nose was singing, the palate had evolved to lush, coating fruits with this curious flash of menthol, long and seductive finish.

Won't touch another for at least 1-2 years. Beautiful wine, Bravo Maggie! (50+5+12+17+10)

3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red

1970 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echezeaux

 Echezeaux Grand Cru Pinot Noir more
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12/14/2012 - Hollowine Likes this wine: NR

Drank at Bern's in Tampa, so this had been sitting there some time in their crazy cold cellar.

I knew the day would come. I didn't want to admit it, and it was financially convenient to avoid it, but I knew one day my Burgundy epiphany would come. I think that may have been last night with this bottle...

Popped and decanted for sediment, high neck fill and beautiful scarlet-orange in color. The first whiff took me straight to that place I've heard about...a mix of roses, iron/blood, cut fields. The palate was alive, but clearly an aged wine, a clean fruit with a decent finish.

I had to step outside for a phone call and returned to my glass 20 min later...

On returning I reached for my glass and took a sip...and just about fell back out of my chair...intense cherry and mineral on the palate, this was 10x the wine it had been before. It kept changing through the 90 min dinner, never really getting better or worse, but just showing it's different facets. Stunning. I don't care much about whether this was the best vintage, vineyard, etc...this was the wine I knew would come someday...yesterday.

3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
Red

2008 Lillian Winery Syrah Blue Label

 Santa Barbara County more
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6/14/2020 - Hollowine wrote: NR

Smoking good right now. Needs about 20-30 min of air in the glass or a decanter to really open up. Didn't feel the heat was that out of line, the fruit and mellow tannins seemed perfectly in line for the age of this wine. Definitely in a good drinking window right now.

3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2007 Lillian Winery Syrah

 Santa Barbara County more
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3/1/2015 - Hollowine wrote: NR

Beautiful. Nice integration of tannins and fruit, full, smooth palate. No detailed tasting notes, but Slow-o for 7 Hours and consumed over 90 min. WOTN

2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2007 Fattoria Galardi Terra di Lavoro

 Roccamonfina IGT Aglianico more
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9/16/2016 - Hollowine wrote: NR

Really nice, I now see what all the buzz is about. Has many years ahead, great acidity and refrained palate, 13.5% alc made this a beautiful wine that I wished I had a plate of pasta and white truffles.

2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2006 Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard

 Edna Valley more
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11/5/2014 - Hollowine wrote: 95 points

Ahhhhh...Reva. Like a Siren's song...

Pop n pour on night one, about 1/3 bottle, so lovely but still a bit tight. 2nd night, this is just singing. The palate is insane, notes of cigar, blackberry, cherry, even hints of eucalyptus and tar. I literally cannot find a hole between the front-mid-back palate, this is so smooth and balanced. Acids and alcohol in check, it just makes me smile. An incredible wine, absolutely delightful.

2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
White - Sweet/Dessert

2001 Château Rieussec

 Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend more
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1/16/2016 - Hollowine wrote: 98 points

From 375...I love this wine. I've told my wine friends that when I die, I want to be embalmed with this wine. Every time I have a bottle it just amazes me, it is so beautiful. The nose!!! As one reviewer put it, if you want to know what Botrytis smells like, open this wine. A beautiful mix of spices and mustiness, hints of honey and orange. A finish that lasts for minutes, orange and caramel and acidity. With Foie, pure heaven. Others have said the d'Yquem is even better, that may be mind altering if true.

2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
Red

2016 Ugo Lequio Barbaresco Riserva Gallina

 Nebbiolo more
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3/16/2024 - Hollowine wrote: NR

Delightful wine that develops complexity in the glass if given time, or would benefit from a decant for a couple hours. Bright fruits, smooth tannins, can easily age. I have three more, will try again in 2028.

2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
White - Sparkling

1995 Duval-Leroy Champagne Femme de Champagne

 Champagne Blend more
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5/13/2018 - Hollowine wrote: NR

Just another insanely great showing for this wine. In a great place, drink up or send them to me!

2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2007 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape

 Red Rhone Blend more
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2/7/2021 - Hollowine wrote: 92 points

In a lovely spot right now. Highly encourage opening one if you have them. Past few TN do it justice.

2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2007 Reynvaan Family Vineyards Syrah The Contender In the Rocks

 Walla Walla Valley more
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6/17/2015 - Hollowine wrote: NR

Was a bit worried when I Coravin'd off a small glass, thought that might be corked. I think on retrospect it is just in a very closed nose on initial open and between that and The Rocks Funk, it can fool you, especially if just a sample from the Coravin. Subsequent glasses with 1-2 hours air were all very nice and the last half bottle slow O'd for 3 hours tonight is just rocking.

Funk, black cherries, iodine on the nose. Palate full and rich with iron/blood, iodine, red and black fruits, olive brine, slight hint of smoked meat. Tasting notes for Reynvaan and Cayuse make you wonder wtf you are drinking, but these wines just work and are tough to put down if you like them.

Outstanding (91-93)

2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2006 Fontodi Syrah Case Via Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT

 more
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12/11/2014 - Hollowine wrote: 93 points

What a great wine! This was a Secret Santa gift from someone who knew I enjoyed Syrah and liked Old World...but had very few Italian wines. Off the hook good and an eye opening exposure to Tuscan Syrah...I paired this with fresh pasta w/Oregon white truffles and poached eggs...it killed with the pairing! An old world nose and mouth feel, with the strength of Syrah in the background, I loved this wine and wish I had more.

2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (4)
Red

2013 Sleight of Hand Syrah Psychedelic Stoney Vine Vineyard

 Walla Walla Valley more
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7/19/2020 - Hollowine wrote: NR

Needs an hour of aggressive aeration if doing a pop and pour. I drank about 1/2 the bottle on night one, and it has everything you would expect from The Rocks and Trey, just felt I had to let it sit in the glass for at least 30 min to ease the "bottle tension."

That said, I left the bottle in the cellar with the cork out for a tasting I had setup with neighbors on Day 2, so nearly 24 hours slow O for 1/2 bottle. This was perfect and highly recommend a 24hr Slow O if you are thinking of drinking one. Much of the reductive Funk calmed down on the nose and palate, and this evolved into a lovely wine to use to introduce two newbies to what The Rocks is about.

On the nose: Dark fruits, barnyard, blood, wet stone. Palate: boysenberry, tar, iron, salinity. Round and full mouth-feel and no gaps in the finish.

2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2012 Betz Family Le Parrain

 Columbia Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more
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7/16/2020 - Hollowine wrote: NR

Enjoyed over 3 occasions this week with Coravin.

I commented to some friends tonight that it was both good and bad I didn't check CT before I pulled this bottle from the cellar and started drinking with the Coravin. Good in that I consumed a rather "special" bottle that had I looked at the price might not have attacked mid-week. Bad in that I agree with the drinking window...like a lot of Bob's wines this special release of "The Godfather" is definitely young and if you are going to consume one I'd recommend at least an hour decant, if not closer to 2-3 hours.

Lots of Red Mountain character in this wine, once you give it enough air it will fill your palate with no noticeable gaps. Definitely worth aging further, I'm going to go long on my remaining bottles. Delicious juice.

2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2012 Saxum James Berry Vineyard

 Paso Robles Red Rhone Blend more
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6/12/2016 - Hollowine wrote: NR

An amazingly good bottle, wish I'd given it some air before dinner. The will be spectacular in 2-4 years, the depth of the Grenache and the overall balance of the elements are testaments to Justin and the 2012 vintage. Very, very good, one of the popular bottles at dinner.

2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
Red

2009 Betz Family Syrah Chapitre 3

 Columbia Valley more
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7/8/2017 - Hollowine wrote: NR

Great wine, but it needs air, pretty disjointed on pop n pour. At 1-2 hrs, glass pours are really enjoyable, kept 1/3 bottle overnight with exposure and it was smooth and lovely on day 2. Has bones to go many years, but very enjoyable now if you let it open up.

2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
Red

2004 K Vintners Roma En Chamberlin Vineyard

 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet-Shiraz Blend, Red Blend more
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6/9/2012 - Hollowine wrote: NR

Believe it or not, this really needed about 3 hours to open up, was a bit disjointed at first. I'm currently finishing the second 1/2 of the bottle on night two and it is a rather pleasant quaff. A hint of En Chamberlain on the nose with some dark fruits and a touch of olive, palate is nicely balanced with dark cherry, cocoa, and well resolved tannins. Drink by itself or would probably pair well with a light pasta dish or pork.

2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
  • Tasting notes: 275 notes on 245 wines

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