10/17/2015 - jnanz wrote:

Corked

9/26/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Outstanding bottle of wine. Alas, this was the last of our house summer white - it will be missed. I think others have covered the flavor spectrum here very well: orchard fruit, with herbal and floral notes supported by a solid mineral and acid profile. A great summer sipper.

9/20/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Partially corked

9/25/2013 - jnanz Likes this wine:

Excellent chardonnay. Aromas of apple, pear and citrus. The wine had a great verve, very lively and long. Flavors of bartlett pear, sweet lemon (lemon curd?), and citrus pith supplemented by excellent minerality (almost limestone?) and light floral tones. The floral tones emerged later, after being open for an hour and warming slightly. I think this will be outstanding with time.

1/18/2013 - jnanz Does not like this wine:

Have had 3 bottles to date. All have had consistent flavor profile. A dark, extracted wine. Nose of dark berry and oak. The palate wasn't much different. Very extracted, purple color with a lot of dark berry fruit. The wine was very much over-oaked to my palate with the nella-wafer oak profile dominating most other (potential) secondary notes. After airing out overnight this was subdued a bit, but it never hit the aromatic complexity or flavor profile noted in critical review. Will likely improve with age and offer more, but this is not my cup of tea. Well made for the money I suppose (a good to very good wine), but more or less one dimensional.

4/24/2013 - jnanz Likes this wine:

An excellent wine. My last of six bottles - and one of my favorite spring / summer sippers. Pretty salmon color, can be a little cloudy (sediment) if one does not stand the bottle or decant gently. Aromas of citrus and strawberry. The taste profile is similar - light strawberry, citrus with an herbal element. Nice acidic frame.

10/11/2015 - jnanz Likes this wine:

Pretty nose filled with red fruit and some spice. Flavors of ripe strawberry, red berries and apple juice were supported by good acidity / structure. The bright fruit and silky texture left the wine feeling medium weight. Secondary spicy aromatic notes were in the background, but this didn't stick around long enough for them to really emerge. This was excellent and really surprised me.

7/11/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Excellent

11/6/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Excellent to outstanding. Nice red fruit, great texture, earthy undertones on a decent acidic backbone. Easy to drink and over-delivers for the price. I bit of heat on the finish subsided with about an hour of air.

11/14/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Excellent example of "introductory" nebbiolo. Cherry, strawberry, porcini, tobacco, hints of tar and floral aromatics. Transparent ruby, medium light body.

12/12/2010 - jnanz wrote:

Excellent wine. Great QPR offering a forward nebbiolo flavor profile.

6/11/2014 - jnanz Likes this wine:

Outstanding wine. My first experience with Gruner of this caliber. A complete wine with a fantastic nose, gorgeous weight and texture. Richer and more full bodied than other Gruner's I've had. The stone and orchard fruit profile is balanced deftly with excellent minerality and acidity. I must seek more of this in the future.

8/15/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Excellent - outstanding. Best Carlisle I've had to date. Plush, rich, spicy black fruit. Nice tannins on a cocoa-y finish.

11/16/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Outstanding. Best Carlisle syrah I've tasted to date. Has plenty of time to go. Ripe black fruit with hints of meat and spice.

7/31/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Very good wine. Decanted 12 hours. Big, rich, extracted with tons of inky fruit, cocoa powder and a creamy finish (a good dose of new oak). Very good and "fun" to drink, yes. But I am not sure this is what I seek in a syrah. More about extraction than any place (or varietal character); muscle opposed to elegance. Sure it is a crowd pleasing wine, but I may stick to the Zins moving forward.

6/29/2015 - jnanz Likes this wine:

Excellent. The oak has integrated, leaving flavors of honeyed pears, with candied citrus tones. The finish is loaded with a rich honey flavor.

7/30/2011 - jnanz wrote:

Corked.

5/15/2011 - jnanz wrote:

Very good. Very nice nose of flowers. Light bodied, good with food, bright fruit.

10/9/2011 - jnanz wrote:

Excellent wine. Great nose of red berries and earth translated well to the palate. Bright red fruit (cherry, cranberry, raspberry), earthy elements and herbs were carried along the palate with good energy (acidity). Perfect for herb-roasted chicken. Great texture and balance.

12/19/2010 - jnanz wrote:

Very nice wine. Great weight and texture with flavors of peach pit, pear and melon. The stone notes are also detected on the finish along with a little spice. Excellent.

3/30/2011 - jnanz wrote:

Continues to be an excellent bottle of sauvignon blanc. Gooseberry, citrus, juniper and other herbal flavors are supported by excellent acidity and a touch of oak. Delicious.

8/15/2010 - jnanz wrote:

Green-tinged and slightly turbid. Floral-accented citrus aromas and flavors. Great acidity and a ton of minerality. Delicious and intriguing wine. Benefits greatly from a little "breathing" time.

3/20/2010 - jnanz wrote:

Enjoyed this. Certainly not an enlightened drinking experience, but this was a decent straight-forward pinot. Good fruit, decent tannin and aciditty... it went well with our meal. Better than most CA pinots in this price range (< $20).

9/22/2009 - jnanz wrote:

Consider me another fan of this wine. Melon, ruby red grapefruit (ripe), guava and peach fruit flavors run the palate. The acid provided by the grapefruit component balances well with the almost sweet finish. The texture is velvety, and nicley balanced by acid and mineral notes. Great stuff!

12/24/2009 - jnanz wrote:

See previous note.

8/2/2009 - jnanz wrote:

Last bottle. This is always a fun and tasty wine, a welcoming summer bottle. This vintage consistently delivered bright strawberry fruit with hints of orange zest. There is also a soft minerality to the finish that is very nice, almost limestone in nature. Excellent and a great summer sipper.

10/31/2010 - jnanz wrote:

Liked it. Tannic, herbal and earthy with tart berry fruit. Strong acidic and tannic backbone. A food wine, not to be consumed alone (in my opinion).

11/25/2010 - jnanz wrote:

Thanksgiving 2010: Outstanding Chardonnay. Spicey pear and ripe citrus fruit with notes of spice and a touch of oak. Great acidity and minerality balance the wine nicely.

11/25/2010 - jnanz wrote:

Thanksgiving 2010: Round, ripe and juicy. Peach, vanilla, pear notes are balanced with a touch of underlying minerality. Interesting and delicious, I was impressed at how this wine can leave impressions of acidity and minerality while still feeling lush and round. Great texture, excellent wine.

5/29/2010 - jnanz wrote:

Excellent pinot. Medium bodied. Notes of cherries, wild berries, cherry pit and earth/forest. Certainly has a pleasant savory element. Great texture and acidity, well balanced. Enjoyed it and will let others rest.

2/26/2013 - jnanz Likes this wine:

Excellent pinot. Bright red fruit (cherry, strawberry) with earth and spice elements. I slight note of smokey earth resolved within 30 minutes of opening. Nice earth (forest floor, mushroom) backdrop.

11/25/2010 - jnanz wrote:

Thanksgiving 2010: Nice nose of berries. Flavors were bright and energized on the palate. Berry flavors (raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, cherry) were nicely palanced by notes of spicy cherry pit, herbs, and good acidity. Outstanding pinot.

1/26/2009 - jnanz wrote:

Good wine. Initial nose of barnyard blew off with time to reveal a decent wine with ripe dark fruit and creamy oak flavors. More fruit forward the second day and also more enjoyable. On the fence regarding whether I'd buy again.

3/27/2011 - jnanz wrote:

Outstanding pinot. I really enjoyed this. Very pretty nose. Very delicate and light with great acidity, good spice and pretty fruit. Spiced cranberries and pomegranate. Initially the wine almost seemed thin or hollow, but it put on substantial weight with air, adding depth to the midpalate. Already silky in texture. A great food wine, I really like what Pax has done with this bottling.

4/9/2013 - jnanz Likes this wine:

Absolutely outstanding pinot. Even better than the last tim eI had this. Stunning nose of red fruit, earth and flowers - a tiny bit of earthy funk. Pretty ruby / garnet color with only the smallest bit of bricking. Delicate with great acidity, good spice and pretty fruit. Spiced cranberries, cherries and pomegranate with earhty notes, some flowers, stem and tea undertones. The midpalate has filled out leaving a complete wine. Silky texture without weight. Long finish with spiced fruit and earth notes. The best 2008 CA Pinot Noir I've had to date.

3/27/2010 - jnanz wrote:

Cracked this while I was sorting through spring deliveries. Outstanding wine. Nice dark cherry fruit, already silky tannins and bright acidity. Floral and herbal notes lend some secondary flavors. Nice body to it... not as heavy as previous vintages. Really a nice wine.

12/4/2010 - jnanz wrote:

Big, dark and rich. Dark, ripe raspberry and cherry fruit with spicy oak and cherry cola flavors. Typical silky KB texture, but needs a bit of time for the oak to integrate. The oak element is really not in balance (for my palate) yet.

3/27/2013 - jnanz Likes this wine:

Very good right now. This bottle seemed less evolved than I would have expected. It opened up nicely over a couple of hours, but initially it was a little muted. Will hold remaining bottle a few more years.

5/2/2011 - jnanz wrote:

Outstanding chardonnay. Juicy pear fruit supported by notes of apple, peach pit and lemon zest (providing nice acidity). Excellent balance. The finish lends a puff pastry element. I am reminded of Anjou pear tarts - delicious stuff!

5/31/2010 - jnanz wrote:

Cloudy orange in color. Properly ripened citrus, herbs and spice notes are detected on the palate. Good verve and acidic backbone. One of the more interseting wines I've had in some time.

2/13/2011 - jnanz wrote:

Outstanding bottle of Pinot. Decanted for 1 hour. Had alongside the 2007. A very feminine and pretty wine compared to the 2007. Excellent fruit on the palate: cherry, raspberry and cranberry / craisin with notes of flowers, pie crust and earth. Great acidity (citrusy?), excellent balance, silky tannins. I really enjoyed this.

3/19/2011 - jnanz wrote:

Cracked while we were sorting through the cellar. Powerful, full-bodied wine with ripe cassis, plum and blackberry fruit. Chocolatey / mocha oak rounds out the finish. Outstanding.

1/5/2010 - jnanz wrote:

I really enjoyed this. Had at a restaurant from list at $35 (so I assume $15-$20 retail?). Great bright fruit (cherry and raspberry, on the tart side) with good acidity and a silky texture initially, the wine evolved spicy notes of star anise, game and earth with time. Loved it with the grilled quail over wild mushroom risotto. I will seek this out, as this type of QPR in Burgundy can be rare.

11/25/2009 - jnanz wrote:

Interesting nose. Different. Had almost a tire / rubber smell. Decent dark fruit behind it with a spicy finish.

4/19/2009 - jnanz wrote:

Pretty decent malbec. Good, rich dark berry and plum flavors backed by chocolatey oak. Held up well after a few days as well. I'd buy again.

10/29/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Good. Very disjointed. Ripe red fruit and acid profile was not integrated with the oak component. Hints of lead and cedar present as well with the oak. Heat on the finish. This was nothing like my previous bottle 18 months ago. I can't tell whether it needs time or has had too much.

2/13/2011 - jnanz wrote:

Outstanding bottle of Pinot. Decanted for 2 hours. Had alongside the 2008. The aromas of cherry and blackberry jumped from the decanter. A masculine wine with velvety tannin and big flavors. Reflected the vintage (2007). Big fruit on the palate: dark cherry and blackberry with herbs, anise and cola notes. Nice balance. Needs time but really enjoyed this.

1/23/2009 - jnanz wrote:

The wine was dark and tannic with strong earth and herbal notes. Black fruit evolved along with spice cake flavors. Very good. The second day the wine was showing nice plum fruit and earth notes. Tannins did turn a touch bitter the second day.

12/19/2009 - jnanz wrote:

Bought a case of these for everyday drinkers. I think they are a great QPR. Fun to drink with plum, plum skin, blackberry and raspberry fruit. These flavors are backed by nice spice notes, hoisin notes, and earthy game notes. Apologies if this seems too general, but I am speaking of my experience with the entire case. Some some bottles showed more elements than others due to decant time, food pairing, temp, etc. Bottom line, I think this is a great QPR and will try to get more if I can match my previous price.

1/25/2009 - jnanz wrote:

Very good, with rich and ripe black fruit flavors. A very strong finish of oak is what spoiled this for me. The oak did have some spicy, cedary notes but I found it a bit too much for the wine.