Frugal/First Steps Tasting
Loads of pepper!

Frugal/First Steps Tasting: very very light and unexceptional

So much oak, it was undrinkable

Chalky rich fruit with earthy complexity; very nice; not a little merlot. Long finish with very pleasant chalky tannins displaying no bitterness at all. Yumm!

Very simple. A reasonable drinkable wine, though not a pinot.

A subtle claret this is not. Big black fruit, very forward.

Taste pepper, but not much else.

Good, but a lot of tannins and closed. Waaay too young.

Big, bold, tannic; The 2003 Alexander tasted along side is much yummier

Big, one-dimensional, with bitter tannins. Plummy, more like an extracted California cab. Overpriced!

Lots of elbows; not well-integrated.

Crisp and very floral. Very yummy!

Very peppery and simple

Medium mouthfeel, citrus, flowers, some spice and slightly harsh metallic and petrol notes. Very good QPR.

Limited tasting note: good!

At tasting, poured by winemaker. Brief notes read: Perfectly targeted elements with little complexity.

At tasting, poured by wine-maker. Did not seem Rhone in style; modern-style Spanish grenache, perhaps. Very clean and easy-drinking, with little complexity. Quite good, but not much different than many $10 offerings.

Chalky; well-integrated sweetness, very rich, incredibly long finish. Yum.

Nose of tropical fruit salad, melon, and chrysanthemum. An atypical viognier for California, as it has lightness, depth, and subtlety with just a touch of sweetness. Somewhat similar (though a drop less preferable) to The Innocent.

Very smooth and luscious, but unidimensional.