4/20/2016 - DSP wrote:

I got the same spritziness other commenters noted, but mine dissipated after some fairly vigorous shaking to reveal some rich, dark mourvedre fruit. Not super-complex, but enjoyable enough on a weeknight.

9/13/2015 - DSP wrote:

Straight up delicious. FLX ftw.

8/3/2015 - DSP wrote:

Really enjoyable bottle. Light bodied and silky with red fruits and cinnamon spice.

6/3/2015 - DSP wrote:

Delightfully pure tart cherry flavors.

5/17/2015 - DSP wrote:

Ok, but nothing to write home about.

5/9/2015 - DSP Likes this wine:

Surprisingly tasty. There's definitely some muscat blended in here.

5/3/2015 - DSP wrote:

Deep, dark flavors of cassis, plum, chocolate. Pretty good with NY strip. Still young.

5/3/2015 - DSP Likes this wine:

Really enjoyed this. Lovely silky texture, floral and spicy dark berry preserves. Quite elegant.

4/26/2015 - DSP wrote:

This is always a favorite. Flavors of smoky pear and white cherry. Nice rounded texture, refreshing acidity. Delicious, and a great match for grilled pork tenderloin.

4/25/2015 - DSP Likes this wine:

Nice pure bright red fruit with some earthiness and tannins in the background. Great match with lamb chops.

4/25/2015 - DSP wrote:

Opened this at a big gathering so didn't get detailed notes, but this was round, rich, and creamy. Really nice soft, almost velvety texture. Not sure there's much point aging this any longer.

4/23/2015 - DSP Likes this wine:

Elegant texture, with flavors of rosewater and lychee. Really enjoyable with Thai curry.

4/19/2015 - DSP wrote:

Still delicious. Great with pulled pork.

4/19/2015 - DSP Likes this wine:

Not one for the ages, I don't think, but really delicious now. Smooth, red/purple zinfandel fruit.

4/14/2015 - DSP Likes this wine:

Update. The hardness/bitterness I noted previously has already relaxed or integrated more, leaving some nice dark cherry fruit and more of the silky texture I remember from prior vintages. Definitely more enjoyable than the previous bottle. Give these 2012s time!

4/10/2015 - DSP wrote:

Nice full, creamy texture, but more lemony in character than I'd prefer.

4/5/2015 - DSP wrote:

Some VA on opening, but it blew off relatively quickly to reveal red plummy zin fruit, with some drying tannins on the finish. Nice aged zin.

4/2/2015 - DSP wrote:

Pretty dark and dense for a 2010. Lots of minerally flavors, and some tannins that smooth out after about an hour open.

3/29/2015 - DSP wrote:

Amazingly pretty Grenache.Light, almost transparent ruby. Sliced strawberries with a dash of Angostura bitters. I think Ed may have put some pinot in here! More elegant than many pinots and I at least would be hard-pressed to tell the difference blind.

3/28/2015 - DSP wrote:

Popped this to brighten up an otherwise somewhat dreary day. Nice match for fried catfish and coleslaw, and it was interesting to see how this has changed since last year. What I remember from last summer is a somewhat "soft" texture with juicy red berry fruit flavors. This year, the wine was definitely leaner with less fruit and more prominent acid - felt and tasted more like a white than a rose. I let this age a year on purpose as an experiment, and it was interesting to see the result, though in the end I preferred this on the fresher side last year.

3/24/2015 - DSP wrote:

Eh. A little tired, lacking the sparkle of other Pfalzers from 2010.

3/16/2015 - DSP Likes this wine:

Pale in the glass. High-toned, somewhat floral aromatics. Sweet but slightly tart strawberry and cherry flavors glide over the palate - very lithe and supple texture. A pleasure to drink.

3/8/2015 - DSP wrote:

Great match with roast duck in an apple almond curry sauce. More spicy than floral. Off-dry.

2/22/2015 - DSP Likes this wine:

Another great value from Beurer. Compared to the Gipskeuper, this is softer and rounder, with flavors more in the apple/quince spectrum than grapefruit. Strong mineral undertones. Really delicious. Buy some if you can :)

2/22/2015 - DSP Likes this wine:

Limey and minerally. Tastes just off dry. Delicious and easy to drink.

2/18/2015 - DSP wrote:

Quite tart and dry. Windy, with some yeasty notes. Cider for bdb lovers.

2/17/2015 - DSP wrote:

Very young but drinking well already with a bit of air. Deep, dark, and meaty but with floral nuances.

2/15/2015 - DSP wrote:

This took about 7 hours in the decanter to relax, but once it did, it revealed a velvety texture and plummy flavors. Paired pretty well with braised short ribs on a ridiculously cold winter day.

2/11/2015 - DSP Likes this wine:

Very, very young and primary, but already delicious. Smooth and silky on the palate with flavors of dark cherries with floral nuances. An obvious step up from the basic WV bottling in intensity and complexity. Well done, Jim and Patty!

2/10/2015 - DSP wrote:

I'm not the biggest fan of Rhone whites, but this was a thoroughly enjoyable example. Full-bodied but good acidic balance. Creamy lemon zest flavors. Don't think I've had a Sandler wine that was anything less than delicious.

2/4/2015 - DSP wrote:

Contrary to some previous notes, I found this to be fairly lush and full-bodied. Nice golden apple and ripe lemon flavors with enough acidity not to be cloying. Reminded me a bit of a white Rhone blend.

2/3/2015 - DSP Likes this wine:

Smooth plummy flavors with hints of green tobacco courtesy of the generous proportion of cabernet franc. I'd say this is in an enjoyable place now but will probably continue to develop for years.

1/31/2015 - DSP Likes this wine:

Spiced cherries with a touch of cinnamon. Well-balanced despite the 09 heat.

1/29/2015 - DSP Likes this wine:

Sweet red fruits on the palate with good balance between acid and tannins. Not the last word in complexity, but more than I was expecting, honestly. Pleasantly surprised.

1/28/2015 - DSP Likes this wine:

Dark red/blue fruits. Medium to full-bodied with great acid/tannin balance. Quite approachable at this young age. Good wine, but I'm not sure it's particularly distinctive.

1/27/2015 - DSP Likes this wine:

Darker-fruited than the Geyserville, but just as lithe on the palate. Really curious to see what this vintage turns into with some age.

1/27/2015 - DSP Likes this wine:

Structure of pinot but with the flavors of zinfandel. Silky smooth and floats effortlessly over the palate. Red fruits with hints of licorice and spice. Clearly young and unevolved though - looking forward to trying this a few years down the road.

1/18/2015 - DSP Likes this wine:

Dark red fruits and spices. Very well-balanced and long on the palate. This is the serious, understated side of zinfandel.

1/17/2015 - DSP Likes this wine:

A round and juicy riesling, but with a core of sneaky intensity/density. More stuffing than Mader's basic riesling, but also more depth and elegance. Tastes "golden," if that makes any sense. Good pairing with lapin a la moutarde.

1/15/2015 - DSP Likes this wine:

Paired nicely with turkey breast and butternut squash soup.

1/14/2015 - DSP Likes this wine:

Classic Oregon pinot flavors of tart cherry/cranberry. Well-balanced and tasty.

1/12/2015 - DSP wrote:

Nice enough with a spicy curry, but a bit lacking in depth/spice/structure to offset the sweet and sometimes flabby nature of gewurztraminer. I think Alsace still sets the bar.

1/11/2015 - DSP wrote:

Delicious bright red fruits with a silky texture and underlying herbal elements. Great with food or on it's own.

1/10/2015 - DSP wrote:

Dusty cherries and baked red earth.

1/6/2015 - DSP wrote:

Decent value cab. Menthol, coffee on the nose. Plummy dark red fruits in the mouth.

1/5/2015 - DSP Likes this wine:

Smooth, sweet, dusty cherry/raspberry flavors. Good match for a sudden temperature drop and impending arctic blast.

1/3/2015 - DSP wrote:

How often do you wish for more acidity and structure in a German riesling? I did with this bottle...

12/30/2014 - DSP Likes this wine:

This cider is always a winner. In 2013 it's rounded and smooth with its usual funkiness in the background. Similar to the 2011 vintage rather than 2012, which was more lean and tart.

12/29/2014 - DSP wrote:

Some earthiness/funkiness initially. With some air restrained but bright red fruit flavors presented themselves. Oak notes in the background. Relatively simple and straightforward.

12/26/2014 - DSP wrote:

Positively orange-colored in the glass. Not a ridiculous level of residual sugar (25 g/l) but still a bit sweeter and less spicy than I'd prefer. Smooth, mellow, easy-going on the palate. Drink up.