1/23/2016 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Used this wine at party where people are not wine enthusiasts and it went over very well. When we tasted it to make sure it was still good, it had aromas of honey and a slight petrol. On the mouth it had stone fruit, minerals, very slight sweetness and medium bodied finish. The bottle has been properly cellared and has held up well.

1/9/2016 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Surprisingly, this wine was still good when it should have been past it's life. We were lucky that we had cellared the bottle correctly. The Blend of Petit Verdot and Syrah is a very good combination. Since the bottle is on its last legs, the nose aromas were not distinctive, muted would be the word. Still had good structure with subtle tannins and full bodied mouth. Would like to try a younger version of the wine.

9/6/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Dark Purple
Nose: Classic Bordeaux nose with earth aromas, herbs, leather, with hints of tobacco
Palate: Classic Bordeaux tastes of Dark berries, dark cherry, cassis and fruits
Finish: Very well structured with minimal tannins, acidity and long lasting
Decanting: Popped and Poured
Thoughts: After popping and pouring, it did need a little time to wake up in the glass. It was delicious and still very good aging well. We will continue to look for more of this wine to add to our cellar.

7/30/2015 - RKBergman wrote:

Color: Between cherry and ruby
Nose: Red fruits, minerals, spice, earth, and hint of Oak
Palate: Medium+ bodied with very nice tannins and balanced acidity
Finish: Smooth and graceful lasting finish
Thoughts: It was paired with a variety of foods and every one liked it. Domain Serene makes great wines and we will keep them in our cellar. This was the last one I our collection, we are bummed, really liked it.

7/29/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Going from memory on the tasting notes, so not as detailed as the rest. What we remember is it had aromas with hints of nutmeg, spiced crème brulee. The palate, this wine was well balanced, rich and great balance of acidity with great length and persistence.

7/27/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

See previous tasting notes

7/28/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

The Gott Cabernet Sauvignon 815 is very a very good QPR that we keep on our cellar for an every day drinker.

7/27/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Dark Ruby
Nose: Dark berries, cherries, cassis, spice, and oak
Palate: Luscious flavors cherries, currants and blackberries
Finish: Excellent balance of fruits and supple tannins with a long lasting finish
Decanting: Opened and poured through an aerator.
Thoughts: The first taste right after opening was disjointed, but we gave it air time and pouring through an aerator brought the wine to life. We use for a family celebration and everyone enjoyed the wine, especially when it was paired with steak. We only have one more remaining in the cellar and looking for the right occasion to consume it.

7/25/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: The color of the sparkling wine was a pale, golden straw color.
Nose: The nose had a very good balance of citrus and hints of honey producing a very clean smell.
Palate: Flavor is very clean with citrus, lemon, green apple with touches of grapefruit with some minerals.
Finish: The finish very light, crisp and refreshing.
Thoughts: We keep using this wine frequently with guests. We like how it wake's up the palate for the rest of the meal and pairs so well with a variety of Hors d’oeuvre. Even non wine drinkers and serious red wine drinkers seem to enjoy it.

7/24/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Deep ruby or garnet
Nose: The aromas are very good with hints of red fruit, licorice and eucalyptus.
Palate: Red fruits with round tannins with excellent balance.
Finish: Very smooth, medium bodied+ and elegant finish after some air time
Decanting: Popped and poured, let open up in the glass. Thoughts: These were the last two bottles from an estate bottled case and it is a very a good drinker for the price

7/25/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Deep ruby or garnet
Nose: The aromas are very good with hints of red fruit, licorice and eucalyptus.
Palate: Red fruits with round tannins with excellent balance.
Finish: Very smooth, medium bodied+ and elegant finish after some air time
Decanting: Popped and poured, let open up in the glass. Thoughts: These were the last bottle from an estate bottled case and it is a very a good drinker for the price

6/28/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Brick
Nose: Subdued with hints vegetal, leather, herbs and tobacco
Palate: Medium through the front and middle but yet well balanced
Finish: Subtle Tannins with a short finish
Thoughts: Paired with steak and held up well. The wine appeared to be near end of life, then after a hour or so it really loosened up. It is very good, but had us fooled into thinking nearly done. We definitely need check out the newer vintages.

4/24/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Going from memory on the tasting notes. We had high expectations for the Orin Swift wine and were a bit let down. Pretty high alcohol content masked many of flavors that we like about Zin. Unless we hear that it has gotten better, there are better valued Zin's out there.

3/21/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

We tasted this Zinfandel made in the "Port" style at the Krug Winery in Napa and really liked it. If you like Ports this is right up there with the best of them. Especially when you pair it with dark chocolate in a desert setting. We didn't take tasting notes so we can't get too detailed. If it helps at all, this is a wine we will continually keep in our cellar.

6/28/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

We didn't take good notes when tasting so going from memory. Before opening we thought this wine was it's end but were pleasantly surprised how good it was. We have heard that some of the newer vintages are better so we will have to check those out.

6/28/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Going from memory on this one since were having too much fun and weren't diligent with the note taking. We drank this wine after drinking a exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon. Everyone commented on how well this is balanced in all segments, eyes, nose, palate and finish. There were plenty of comments on the value of this wine and how good it really was when compared to more expensive wines. We will definitely keep this wine in our cellar and not afraid to pull it out for some serious wine drinkers.

6/28/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Ruby
Nose: Red and dark fruit, caramel, vanilla and dried flowers
Palate: Medium bodied structured balance, richness and supple acidity and soft tannins
Finish: Excellent supple and lingering finish
Decanting: PNP
Thoughts: We would have to agree with RoyBivens assessment, that the 2008 is slightly better than the 2010 because it kept getting better. We are glad we are wine club members and always get a consistent supply. Looking forward to see how the 2012 Evenstad Reserve compares.

3/28/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Brick
Nose: Non descript with hints of oak, fruits and pepper
Palate: Medium bodied with a good balance of fruits and tannins
Finish: Nice long supple finish
Thoughts: We love well done Nebbiolo wines and this is the first we have had from Virginia. It was a very good wine.

6/28/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Deep Purple
Nose: Once it settled down, it classic Napa aromas with notes of huckleberry, cassis, clove and nutmeg.
Palate: Full bodied, rich, well balanced tannins with a bit of heat
Finish: Long lasting with some heat
Decanting: Decanted ~ 1 hour
Thoughts: Going from memory on these tasting notes. The wine was very good after letting decant for ~ 1 hour. First taste is was very hot, which mean high alcohol, but reduced after a while. I would really like to taste this wine with less alcohol. Still a very good wine.

4/25/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Going from memory on the tasting notes. This is a surprising Cabernet from the Duck Pond company. It was very well balanced with the body being more medium. For the price of the wine, it is something we will continue to look for. Desert Wind Winery is on our bucket list to see when we get out that way.

4/11/2015 - RKBergman wrote:

We had this wine to with a steak dinner. From what we remember it is classic STE Cab Sauv Cabernet from Columbia Valley. Dense dark, ripe fragrant aroma's of dark cherries, cocoa and spices. The palate was rich and extremely well balanced flavors and tannins. Glad we have one more bottle to taste and looking forward to it.

1/22/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Dark Purple with Ruby hues
Nose: Dark berries with spice and smoky cedar nose
Palate: Dark berries, spice, pepper, smoke and very nice tannins
Finish: Medium Bodied with some heat with a medium to long finish.
Decanting: Opened, let sit for 15 minutes, then used Venturi to aerate when poured into the glass
Thoughts: The wine was tight when first opened and needed air. Gave the air it needed and it really came to life. This is a very good wine that has many options. If the price it right will not hesitate to add to the cellar.

1/10/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Purple Garnet
Nose: Berry, spice, slight earthiness with a light oak
Palate: It contained fruit flavors, smooth tannis and some spice that are pretty well balanced.
Finish: Medium bodied with very smooth tannins and lingering finish
Decanting: Popped and poured which means it is in prime drinking age.
Thoughts: This is a wine we keep in our cellar for many occasions. Great QPR.

1/10/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Deep Purple
Nose: Dark fruits, cassis and berries with hints of oak
Palate: Well balanced tannins and very smooth
Finish: Medium bodied with medium to long finish
Decanting: Popped and pored
Thoughts: We let this bottle sit in our cellar and it has held up well. A discussion we had with winemaker Bob Bertheau, he said this wine is not intended to be cellared for long periods of time such other wines they make. With that piece of information we will not let the wine sit much longer and start consuming it. It is very good Cabernet Sauvignon that we will keep in our cellar as a every day drinker.

1/10/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Nose: Dark Fuits, cherry and vanilla
Color: Garnet color
Palate: Fruit forward with dark fuits, cherry, and spice flavors
Finish: Medium bodied with very low tannins and very little acidity
Decanting: Popped an poured
Thoughts: This is a wine that we keep in our cellar. We could tell it was getting to the end of it's prime drinking age.

12/29/2014 - RKBergman wrote:

Family was in town and we didn't take good tasting notes before we got on to more bottles of wine. Here is what we remember is the wine was a surprising good well balanced light bodied for a Meritage. It wasn't memorable as other Meritage's we have had. For the price it is a good QPR.

12/25/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Opaque Violet
Nose: Cherry, blackberry, molasses, oak with hints of cedar
Palate: Cherries, chocolate, vanilla, and spice
Finish: Light to medium bodied with chalky tannins and nice balance of acidity leading to a longer than expected cherry finish
Thoughts: This wine surprised us with the complexity, spice and overall balance and taste. We had it with a pork loin and matched up perfectly. For the price it is a great value. I could see this wine going extremely well with a variety of foods or to drink by itself enjoying life. Will look for more of this wine to put in the cellar.

12/29/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Dark Ruby
Nose: It displayed aromas red cherries, cassis, tobacco, leather, earth, with hints of vanilla
Palate: It had an unctuous balance of dark fruit and a little spice
Finish: Medium to full bodied with a very nice balance of tannins with a lingering finish
Decanting: It was decanted for ~3.5 hours before drinking
Thoughts: This is an excellent Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Our thoughts are this wine is nearing the end of prime drinking time. It is a wine we will keep in our cellar and use for many occasions.

12/29/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Dark Ruby
Nose: It displayed aromas red cherries, cassis, tobacco, leather, earth, with hints of vanilla
Palate: It had an unctuous balance of dark fruit and a little spice
Finish: Medium to full bodied with a very nice balance of tannins with a lingering finish
Decanting: Let open up in the Glass
Thoughts: This is an excellent Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. It still has some time left for aging but not sure how much longer. It is a wine we will keep in our cellar and use for many occasions.

12/30/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Deep Purple
Nose: Dark fruits, cassis and berries with hints of oak
Palate: Well balanced tannins and very smooth
Finish: Medium bodied with medium to long finish
Decanting: Popped and pored
Thoughts: We let this bottle sit in our cellar and it has held up well. A discussion we had with winemaker Bob Bertheau, he said this wine is not intended to be cellared for long periods of time such other wines they make. With that piece of information we will not let the wine sit much longer and start consuming it. It is very good Cabernet Sauvignon that we will keep in our cellar as a every day drinker.

1/7/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Light Strawberry Color
Nose: Aromas of strawberry, raspberry and other red fruits
Palate: Predominate flavors of raspberry, strawberry with hints of eucalyptus.
Finish: Bubbly, medium bodied with a great balance of sweetness, acidity and fruit with very nice finish
Thoughts: This is a dessert wine that we consistently use with chocolate and berry deserts. Surprisingly it does well by itself to when sitting out on the deck enjoying life. This is a Wine we will always keep in our cellar and will use for many occasions.

1/7/2015 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Deep ruby or garnet
Nose: The aromas are very good with hints of dark red fruit, earthy and oak.
Palate: Dark red fruits with very smooth tannins with excellent balance.
Finish: Very, very smooth, medium bodied and elegant finish
Decanting: Popped and poured and was great right out of the bottle
Thoughts: The nose gave a different impression than how it tasted. We were pleasantly surprised on the taste and will continue to add this wine to our cellar. I was just as good as the bottle we tasted in July 2013. If properly stored, the wine still has time left before it gets too old.

9/20/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

I received this wine in the club shipment, I thinking this would be a good one for my mother, who likes Rose's. When we opened this bottle, everyone who tasted this was extremely surprised at how good it really was. All of the "Red" only drinkers were drinking this wine too! Going from memory, the nose had an interesting combination of citrus, strawberries and fruits. the mouth it had a great balance of acidity, richness and intriguing zesty finish. Definitely see it as one of those wines that you can drink on the deck during the summer, yet bring it in the house to have a Mediterranean cuisine.

Surprisingly, it is very interesting. We will definitely get more of this and keep it in the cellar.

11/15/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Dark Purple
Nose: Dark plums, vanilla, spice, and subtle notes of smoke
Palate: Dark berries, cherries, spice and hints of dark chocolate creating a broad full mouth for the palate
Finish: Full bodied and long lasting
Decanting: Aerated in Vinturi to glass
Thoughts: This in prime drinking age range and didn't require much time to open up. We will definitely look for more of this wine to keep in our cellar.

11/27/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Purple
Nose: Dark fruits, blackberry, lavender, roasted nuts, brown sugar and spices
Palate: Delicious balance of dark fruits berries, youthful and structural tannins, extremely well balanced acidity.
Finish: Medium to full bodied with lingering flavors and silky smooth
Decanting: Popped and poured in glasses
Thoughts: This is a another great wine from Domain Serene. It is very flexible and did not over power the Thanksgiving meal we used it with. We are glad to be club members to be able to get our hands on this wine. Looking forward to more releases.

12/20/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Purple
Nose: Dark fruits and berries, black currants, licorice with hints of cherries, spice and saffron
Palate: Strawberries, cherries umami with subtle hints of chocolate and minerals
Finish: Medium bodied with plush integrated tannins
Decanting: Popped let sit in the glass for 15 minutes before consuming
Thoughts: This wine was paired with a Buffalo Prime Rib and it matched perfectly. Just the right amount of body and tannins to work perfectly with the Buffalo, which can be challenging. This wine can also be just sipped from the glass by it's self. This one is worth every penny and is one that we will keep an eye out for to put more in our cellar.

12/28/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Combination of ruby and violet
Nose: Boysenberry with hints of grenadine, hibiscus, and vanilla
Palate: Notes of spice, fruits, tangerine, and raspberries
Finish: Medium+ bodied that has plush mouthwatering tannins that persist into a finish that is long and bright
Decanting: Popped and let sit 15 minutes in glass before consuming
Thoughts: This is a very good Pinot from Willamette Valley. I agree with others that this wine is a bit over priced for what you get.

12/28/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Purple Garnet
Nose: Berry, spice, slight earthiness with a light oak
Palate: It contained fruit flavors, smooth tannis and some spice that are pretty well balanced.
Dacanting: Popped and poured which means it is in prime drinking age. Great QPR.

12/25/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Deep Purple
Nose: Dark fruits, cassis and berries with hints of oak
Palate: Well balanced tannins and very smooth
Finish: Medium bodied with medium to long finish
Decanting: Popped and pored
Thoughts: We let this bottle sit in our cellar and it has held up well. A discussion we had with winemaker Bob Bertheau, he said this wine is not intended to be cellared for long periods of time such other wines they make. With that piece of information we will not let the wine sit much longer and start consuming it. It is very good Cabernet Sauvignon that we will keep in our cellar as a every day drinker.

12/28/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Dark Purple
Nose: Classic Napa Cab nose with hints of oak, earth & vanilla
Palate: Silky smooth balanced tannins
Finish: Medium bodied with a medium to long lasting finish
Decanting: Popped and let sit in the glass. Didn't need much more time than that
Thoughts: Very good Rutherford cab for the price. I have had better, but paid much more. Will continue to try more CH wines once we have consumed what we have in the cellar.

12/26/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Deep Red
Nose: Cherries, Dark Fruits and hints of chocolate
Palate: Nice soft velvety tannins and well balanced
Finish: Medium bodied with medium lasting finish
Thoughts: This is a very well done wine that is very flexible and has many uses. This is one that we keep in our cellar.

9/20/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Going from memory. Delicious wine, with good fruit, spice and earth. Will take better notes on the next one.

9/26/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Same Characteristics as previous tasting notes, with the only difference being the time it took for it to open up. We popped and aerated in the glass. That means it is nearing the end of prime drinkability. Will continue to keep this wine in our cellar.

12/20/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Color: Deep maroon color
Nose: Dark berries, cherries with hints of oak and vanilla
Palate: Beautiful balance of cherries and nice smooth tannins
Finish: Smooth long and well balanced
Thoughts: This is a great wine, well balanced, lots of flexibility and is something we will keep in our cellar.

12/25/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Nose: Black berries, cherries and licorice with hints of black currants and tobacco
Color: Ruby to Purple hue
Palate: Cherries, raspberries with hints of wet stone and some smokiness
Finish: Medium body wine with nicely balanced acidity and medium tannins, with high alcohol
Thoughts: This wine has aged well and still has lots of flexibility and will be something we keep on our cellar.

10/3/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

From memory, this was a delicious wine made up of Nebbiolo and Cabernet Sauvignon. Well balanced and long lasting finish. Will definitely try to get more to keep in our cellar.

9/20/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Delicious Ice Wine from Ontario Lakes Region of Canada. It had classic Riesling aromas and not overly sweet. We all liked it! Will try and find more to put in the Cellar.

9/13/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Very good Amarone style wine from the Ontario Lakes region.

10/31/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Going from memory on the tasting notes. We thought it was a very good Cab Franc from the Peller Estates. Too bad we can't get it in the US, will put on the list for the next time we are in the Ontario Lakes region.

8/15/2014 - RKBergman Likes this wine:

Going from memory on this one. It has jammy characteristics, but is not over powering. The tannins were quite good and well balanced. Joel Gott makes very good consistent wines and this is one we will keep in our cellar.