1/14/2012 - ucbeau wrote:

Tasted this over dinner with a good friend of ours. No decant, a pop 'n pour, not that it mattered. The bouquet is gorgeous, loaded with graphite, cedar, dried black cherry, herbs, and cassis. Despite its age, there is a sense of life and vitality, perhaps an indication of superior quality? It's not often I get to taste Bordeaux that have two decades of experience to them, and perhaps that played into my views on this wine, but it's magnificent. I could taste so many flavors, ranging from cassis, dark dusty notes, dried herbs, tart black cherry, hints of cedar and smoke, and an outstanding mix of black plum and raspberry. The integration was outstanding and the tannic framework, though firm, belied a certain grace. Texture consisted of a single word for me: silk. An amazing wine, one of the best I've tried in the past year or so.

9/13/2012 - ucbeau wrote:

Decanted for about 45 minutes before we drank it. The nose was somewhat muted, however, I suspect this was in part due to the poor stemless-ware. That said, there was some wonderful leather and herbal aromas that mixed with cassis and black cherries. On the palate it had amazing dept and concentration, showing dark fruit, leather, mocha, and earthy components. I loved the balance, with some firm tannin providing nearly pitch-perfect structure to rein in the fruit. All the elements for an outstanding wine are here, and it's drinking beautifully right now.

12/31/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

My Champagne of the year for 2014. Gorgeous power and density, refined structure. It's still young but there's so much going on, carried on a wave of acidity and oak that balances the ripeness perfectly.

12/2/2014 - ucbeau wrote:

Opened a few hours prior to serving. Poured a deep, dark red with some aging at the rim. Beautiful nose of saddle leather, garrigue, subtle oak spice, and fruit leather. Amazing aromas wafted out of the glass. With air, some dark soil and licorice also emerged. On the palate it's rich and mouth-coating while still retaining perfectly integrated tannins. Similar notes to the bouquet come out, with a gorgeous black cherry and mocha thing at center stage. Good minerality and hints of blackberry, fennel, and hoisin also come in to play especially on the finish. A marvelous wine that seems to be in a wonderful place right now.

8/13/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Big and young, needs a while to settle down. Tons of power and extract, tons of acidity. All the pieces are there for a stunning bottle though, in another decade or two.

12/31/2012 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Popped and poured on New Years Eve. The bouquet is complex and delicate, revealing aromas of pear, green apple, white flower, wet limestone, and some subtle brioche notes. Everything is in perfect balance. As you sip, the crisp, uplifting acidity brings a wave of flavors including honeycrisp apple, pear, quince, wet rock, lime zest, and a hint of butter pie crust. There is a lot of acidity in this wine but it works harmoniously to meld all the flavors into a pure, expressive tapestry. One of the best Champagnes I've tasted.

12/6/2015 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Incredibly alive and kicking. There was a lot of acidity and tannins hanging out through the mid-palate, and bright red fruit for the duration. It started to fade a little bit after about an hour. This was popped and poured, no decant. Cork was in incredibly good condition.

11/29/2011 - ucbeau wrote:

Brilliant aromas of ripe fig, candied orange peel, burnt caramel, and exotic spice. I was impressed by the intense sweet raisin and date notes that were balanced out by the candied orange peel acidity. Absolutely sublime, drinking almost perfectly right now but still has a few years before it's peak.

1/17/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Poppped and poured. Beautiful light ruby color. Incredible aromatics of cranberry and strawberry, forest floor, white pepper, and wild raspberry. I couldn't believe how concentrated and deep the bouquet on this wine was, definitely didn't seem like it was from the 70's. On the palate it tasted almost as impressive as it smelled. Lots of rich, ripe strawberry/raspberry, ground pepper, with hints of savory notes and a bit of Oregon funk. Surprisingly there was still plenty of acidity and nicely integrated tannins too. The finish lasted a good 30 seconds, tapering off beautifully. One of the best Oregon pinot noirs I've ever tasted.

7/23/2011 - ucbeau wrote:

Beautiful ruby-red color, reminds me of a classic clairet. The bouquet is reminiscent of cherry cola and ripe strawberries mixed with the barest hint of baking spice. Great acidity gives the wine a lightness while the ripe fruit and green stemmy flavors create a subtle balance. Definitely not a typical California grenache. Finishes a touch short but that finish is so clean and cleansing that it's not really a negative. Most impressive were the bright red cherry and rhubarb flavors, punctuated by baking spice. Amazing wine.

6/29/2012 - ucbeau wrote:

Chilled for an hour or two then opened. Pours a pale gold, with a beautiful shimmer in the glass. The nose is fascinating, and although my notes make the wine sound bad, it really was a wonderful experience. Aromas of savory smoked fish, peaches, floral tones, and white peppercorns dominated at first. Other tasters said "cesar salad", referencing the dried, salted fish on that classic salad. Someone else said sauerkraut, a testament to the savory aromas. As the wine warmed up, more fruit and perfume came out, further enhancing the balance. Perhaps one of the most interesting white wines I've ever smelled. On the palate it was full of flavor, with rich peach/stone fruit overlaid by clay-like minerality and vibrant acidity. White pepper raced through the periphery of my palate and onwards through the finish, which lasted a solid minute. There's still a lot of life in the bottle but at ten years old, it's showing remarkable complexity and incredible balance. One of the best viognier's I've ever tasted.

1/27/2015 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Incredibly good. Perfect density, wonderful length and concentration, and balanced acidity. I didn't know what to expect but I was frankly blown away at how good this chenin blanc is. There's so much going on but it never feels busy or rushed, it just saunters along your palate doing as it pleases. There's minerality over there, some citrus and stone fruit wandering by right here, acidity weaving amongst everyone, and a tart, crisp finish to wrap the package up. One of the best chenin blancs I've had.

8/27/2016 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Blood, iron, red plum, dusty soil on the nose. Smells incredible. Super smooth on the palate with incredible balance. Red fruit, fruit leather, with great acidity. Seems in a perfect place right now.

4/13/2012 - ucbeau wrote:

Pours a gorgeous, honey-straw color in the glass. The bouquet is exceptionally complex, full of wet rocks, citrus peel, honeysuckle, golden apple, and Bartlett pear. The way each of these aromas integrate so beautifully was amazing. Despite the wine's youth, there's such a pleasing sense of completeness to the bouquet. On the palate, lithe acidity creates a light but intense texture complemented by the stony mineral notes, hints of tangerine and under-ripe peach, pears, and that beautiful floral perfume. Again the completeness left me marveling at how wonderful this Chablis is. There's such a great integration of each flavor, creating a complexity that shows the terroir of a Grand Cru vineyard. One of the best Chablis' I've ever tasted.

12/16/2016 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Drank over the course of about four hours. Quick taste upon opening showed big, bright red fruit, light oak, baking spice, and white pepper notes. With air it gained complexity and weight, and continued to improve. The tannins are still quite young and firm but they serve to hold back the exuberant fruit. There's remarkable depth and complexity here, both on the nose and palate. All who tasted it marveled at the lengthy finish, perhaps 40 seconds or more. Towards the end of the night, it still had opulent, rich fruit whilst finding a lovely sense of balance.

4/25/2016 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Chilled about 1 hour prior to serving. Opened and poured, left to sit in glasses for about 15 minutes. Tasted several times as it warmed up.

On the nose it first presents wet rock and chalky mineral tones, with zesty citrus and grassy notes beyond that. With time and air, lovely tropical and orchard fruit comes out. Green apple and hints of pineapple even. This grew better better with air.

Zesty acidity on the palate helps contrast bright apple, pear, and hints of grapefruit. More rocky minerality comes through as well. Incredibly balanced and at once fresh yet deep and alive.

The finish is gorgeous, persistent without being weighty or thick. All at the table were stunned by how brilliantly this showed.

11/16/2017 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Opened a few hours prior to serving, tasted over the course of about three hours. Pours a glorious light garnet. The nose is a mix of earthy pepper and baking spice, forest floor, and red berry fruit. It's all integrated in a fantastically complete package. On the palate it's even better, as the acidity is just about perfectly integrated at this stage. The wine is deep and soulful, with so many layers weaving in and out across the palate. Just ridiculously good stuff.

12/7/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Drank from 375ml. Opened a few minutes prior to serving, then re-tasted over the course of 3 hours. Utterly fantastic juice. Dark, dense, concentrated notes of fig, blackberry, blueberry, tar, oak, and dark chocolate all come out of the glass. Rich and mouth-coating, this also belies incredible finesse and complexity for such a young wine. Firm tannins work to reign in the intensely ripe fruit but never seem overwhelming or harsh. The finish has a beautifully gentle taper to it that I could see getting even better with age.

12/31/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Stunningly good riesling. Incredible purity and finesse, with candied citrus, hints of green grass, petrol, and orchard fruit. Wet rock dominated the palate at first before giving way to the sweet fruit and tart acidity. While it's still somewhat young, I think this is nearly at peak.

4/30/2016 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Opened about an before serving. Bright acidity, pears, beeswax, peach blossom, pure minerality. So impressive. Rich yet balanced. Oily but at once clean and pure. Marsanne really expresses itself till the finish, when a singular 1% roussanne shows itself. Still super young, it should be magnificent in a decade or two.

4/23/2012 - ucbeau wrote:

Beautiful aromas of lemon pith, brioche, red apple, and wet gravel-like minerality. Outstanding mousse, very rich. On the palate it's creamy and smooth, yet carries a crisp light weight. Flavors of cake frosting, golden apple, spiced lemon slices, and a yeasty richness are all nicely integrated. The complexity is astounding, with so many flavors emerging from the froth of bubbles that if you blink, you might miss one ortwo. One of the best California sparkling wines you can buy, period.

1/30/2015 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Opened about 1 hour prior to serving. Amazing freshness and vitality. Still-firm tannins, good acidity, and a fine balance between ripeness and age. This stayed in a great place all night, with ample concentration and excellent length on the palate. I think it could even go several more years.

4/4/2013 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Opened with aromas of roasted meat and nuts, garrigue, dried black plum and cherry. As it developed, a beautiful leathery note presented itself, mixing with loamy soil and peppercorn. The finish was lengthy and gentle, but still retained enough acidity to stay clean. As the wine evolved in my glass, it actually became a bit riper in fruit but the ever-present leather and soil notes were great foils.

7/12/2012 - ucbeau wrote:

Decanted approx 30 minutes. Gorgeous aromas of spice, cherry, and dried cranberry. Subtle secondary aromas of leather and dusty earth. Fully integrated tannins provided very nice levels of grip and texture. This bottle was fully "opened" at about an hour in. On the palate, a beautiful mixture of cherry and dusty minerality were most prevalent, creating a lush, smooth mouthfeel. I was impressed with how balanced the flavors were, and how intense they remained, at almost 22 years of age. A memorable bottle.

4/4/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Opened approximately 2 hours before tasting. The nose shows plums, green pepper, angry cherries, and all sorts of baking spice. The mouthfeel is crazy cool, with notes of fruit leather, green pepper, iron-y mineral tones, and wildly expressive jalapeno/spices. Drinking at its peak, I think this is an incredible Loire wine.

10/31/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

fantastic wine. If anything, I opened it too young and should have waited 10 more years. Lots of tart red fruit - sour cherry, strawberry, with hints of red plum and a heady whiff of Burgundian spices. Firm, smoky tannins need several more years to settle down. Great acidity, great minerality. All the elements are there.

8/30/2012 - ucbeau wrote:

Gorgeous wine. Absolutely gorgeous. The bouquet is full of anise, leather, mocha, and dusty mineral notes. On the palate it's rich and complex, showing plenty of black fruit, salted meat, and bittersweet chocolate flavors. Integrated tannin lends a supple structure, and a surprising amount of acidity helps keep the balance. I could see this wine improving for another10 years, easily. It needed a solid two hours in the decanter, but is now showing as one of the best domestic cabernet's you can buy for under $100.

12/31/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Decanted for about 3.5 hours prior to serving. Massive, rich, thick Burg. Tons of ripe red and black fruit helped along by a dense core of minerality and just enough oak. This is still young and needs another decade but was so hedonistically decadent that I couldn't help but love it.

10/17/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Opened approximately 1 hour prior to serving. Pours a dark, brickish red. The aromas took a bit of time to unlock but once they did, this wine was marvelous. Ripe red cherry fruit leather, cassis, menthol, and leathery baseball glove all emerge. Excellent depth to the bouquet. On the palate it's got a light, structured mouthfeel yet retains good concentration. The menthol note runs right down the middle of the palate, cleaving fruit leather, plum, and cassis notes. Soft tannins and, surprise, still good acidity work to frame the fruit. The finish is smooth and subtle, more dusty-leather and a hint of peppercorn than fruity. This was drinking beautifully over the course of several hours.

11/24/2016 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Opened approximately a half hour prior to serving, then followed over about 4 hours.

Pours bright garnet with just the faintest bricking and a touch of cloudiness.

On the nose it's a heady mix of bright cherry/strawberry, baking spice, dried rose petal, and hints of forest floor. The fruit dominated at first, then the tertiary components rose up.

There's plenty of acidity and fine-grained tannin present here, and that holds the still-exuberant fruit in balance. This bottle tasted at least a decade younger than 1984, with so much energy and verve. Subtle licorice and bay leaf came into play as the wine evolved.

A dry, clean finish capped off a tremendous bottle of wine. This seems to have been stored perfectly, with barely any ullage. A remarkable peek into California past.

4/19/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

One of the best Burgundies I've tasted in a while. Showed beautiful balance and gorgeous acidity. There was a vein of chalk that ran right through the mid palate that I found very compelling. Lots of citrus countered by rich, creamy apple and brioche notes. A touch of oak was just the perfect amount. Shows great aging potential but is drinking splendidly right now.

4/14/2012 - ucbeau wrote:

Tasted after over an hour sitting in my glass. Hard to detect color because the room was so dark. Noticeable lightening towards the edges of the glass though. A nose of pine needle, leather, dried currant, and crushed peppercorns. Outstanding complexity. On the palate, fully integrated tannin create a silky smooth texture. Lots of dry, dusty earth and more leather, also some deep, rich dark chocolate and cherry flavors. Dried fruit and cedar on the finish, one that tapers off incredibly well. An outstanding wine that is drinking at it's peak right now.

1/24/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Decanted approximately 30 minutes prior to drinking. Nose opens with aromas of chocolate, seared meat, blueberry and blackberry jam, and a touch of heat. Very impressive. On the palate it's rich yet precisely balanced, showing plenty of concentrated ripe black fruit but also finely integrated acidity and a touch of firm tannin. I was quite impressed. The finish is medium in length and tapers off gently. A great steak wine.

8/17/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Opened approximately 1 hour prior to serving. Monolithic is the word that comes to mind. On the nose it's dark and dense smeling, with loads of dark berry, oak, and minerally tones. As it opens, a bit of red fruit comes out as well as some forest floor and spicy cinnamon. Tasting it reflects the bouquet, with huge tannins and tons of acidity holding a tight, concentrated core of fruit in. Needs years before it's ready to go, but it'll be amazing.

4/29/2012 - ucbeau wrote:

Amazing nose of pine needle, white peppercorn, red cherry candy, and black truffle. I loved how the wine evolved as it sat in my glass. The palate was very similar to the bouquet, with a surprisingly firm tannic grip. I'd suggest this as a very young wine, needing an additional five to seven years in bottle before it's consumed. The potential is enormous though.

2/28/2015 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Opened 02/27, drank 1/3, recorked. Reopened 02/28 and finished off. Stellar wine, just glorious. Needed air to really strut its stuff. Initially it was more fruit and less savory, funky Syrah. With air the umami elements came out, with mineral and dark floral tones. The fruit was marvelous, a balanced attack of black raspberry and blueberry. Subtle oak, a hint here or there, but never overbearing. It'll be hard not to drink the rest of my bottles.

7/18/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Opened about 1 hour prior to serving. Re-tasted over the course of 4 hours.

Shows a bit closed at first, but with those gorgeous Pommard notes of black raspberry, truffle, dusty soil, tart black cherry, and a hint of anise. With air these all integrate beautifully into a rich, complex nose.

On the palate there's plenty of ripe red and black fruit, yet it's bound by beautifully integrated acidity and fine-grain tannins. These help restrain the exuberance of the wine and give it a sense of structure.

Excellent depth of flavor and concentration, excellent balance. This wine continued to improve throughout the night.

My last taste showed beautiful raspberry, anise, and black pepper along with dusty black soil and black cherries on the finish. A fantastic bottle of wine. Will only improve with air.

8/8/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Opened approximately 1 hour prior to serving. Tasted over the course of 4 hours. Initial notes show beautifully delicate strawberry and red cherry, apple skin, pine, and a touch of stems. As the wine opened up, the fruit showed more prominently and a touch of baking spice also showed up. On the palate things evened out with more air. Sappy red fruit in good concentration was bound by excellent acidity and minerality for days. Utterly gorgeous, with a burst of fresh strawberry/cherry notes on the finish. Needs a decade or more.

6/8/2012 - ucbeau wrote:

Young but deliciously fun. The bouquet is very pretty, full of earth, pine sap, raspberry, cedar, and hints of pepper. There is plenty of tannin, providing good grip for the fruit and secondary flavors of mushroom, toasty cedar, garrigue, and pine needle. While not as good as some other Grand Cru Cortons, this is showing nicely at 10.5 years old and will improve with age.

11/24/2016 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Served with a slight chill and opened about 2 hours prior to the cheese and dessert course.

Shows a very Sherry-like nose, perhaps closest to a fino. Hints of brine, dried hay, dried orange peel. Fascinating and evolving, with white pepper and burnt caramel also coming out.

A bit of sweet on the palate but still great acidity. Excellent depth and composure, this shows no signs of slowing down. There were a lot of similar elements across the flavor palette and bouquet. Maybe a touch more savory on the nose whereas the mouthfeel had the sweet thing overlaying most everything else.

Quite a wine, quite an experience.

12/12/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Popped and poured, then followed over the course of 2 hours. A fantastic example of what syrah can do when a restrained hand is used. Pure nose of cherry, pomegranate, red licorice, anise, and spicy underbrush. Excellent integration on the palate, with a savory element playing into the ripe fruit, balancing it out. This never felt heavy or fruit-sweet, there was enough acidity to lift the ripe red flavors beyond that. I loved the finish, with a gentle evaporative effect that had spicy white pepper and oak, but only enough to let you know it was there. One of the most delicious syrahs of the year for me.

1/31/2015 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Superbly fresh and lively, with great citrus and pear notes along with red apple skin, chalky minerality, and hardly any oak. I think this will only get better, but even now it's in a super place.

4/20/2012 - ucbeau wrote:

The cork was soaked nearly all the way through, and a bit of mold had started growing on top of it. I wasn't sure what to expect. Aromas of aged leather, roasted nuts, herbs, dirt, and wild strawberry. On the palate it's so smooth and rich, like velvet dusted with spices. There's such a depth and complexity, all sorts of flavors roiling about across your tongue. Dry, dusty earth mixes with red berries and dried cherry, touches of salted meat and peppercorn come into play as well. The finish evaporates with this gorgeous effect, like a cloud lifting away from my tongue. Impressive.

7/1/2012 - ucbeau wrote:

Popped and poured into Oregon Pinot Noir glasses (Riedel). Aromas of damn forest-floor, spice, crushed black cherries, and hints of anise all manifested almost immediately. The bouquet is intoxicating. There's still so much going on and it's all oriented towards secondary aromas, with hardly any fruit at all. On the palate this has deep, dark flavors of woodsmoke, black cherry, moss, black pepper, and warm baking spice. The concentration is outstanding, especially impressive considering the age of the wine. Perhaps my favorite part of this Archery Summit was the finish, which had a beautiful tapering off effect, lasting a full minute. There's still some life left in this wine but it's nearly peaking or right at peak now. A wonderful experience.

5/23/2012 - ucbeau wrote:

Popped and poured. Bright, tart strawberry on the nose, followed by a touch of spice, and forest floor aromas. There's a beguiling intensity to the nose, it draws you in for sniff after sniff. With each swirl, more subtle aromas unveil themselves. At one point I felt there was a really fascinating mix of dried orange peel, wild strawberry, and allspice sitting in my glass. The first sip is a rush of ripe but balanced fruit, integrated tannin, a touch of wood, and more forest-floor/mushroom. I was extremely impressed with the depth and complexity despite the lack of a proper decant. While this is a 2009, it's got structure, due in part to the vibrant acidity. That acidity comes back on the mid-palate to balance out the fruit and touch of stem, then everything segues into a long, complex finish. One of the best 2009 pinot noirs I've had.

7/22/2012 - ucbeau wrote:

Big and powerful. Black currant, plum skin, black olives, earth, and fennel make up the bouquet. It's a glorious showing, reminding me of just how good domestic cabernet sauvignon can be. On the palate, a massive, structured wine. Flavors of black coffee, currant, plum, dried sage, and more of the earth and fennel flavors creep out. Lots of potential in this one, maybe 20 years. The finish is refined, and a it's savory, meaty quality gets the palate ready for another sip.

2/5/2015 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Opened and decanted approximately 1 hour prior to serving. Gorgeous nose of raspberry, red cherry, garrigue, white pepper, with just a touch of baking spice. Great acidity and texture work to balance the ripeness. It's got great breadth and depth on the palate, surprising given it's not considered a culty or otherwise huge-scoring CdP. All in all it's an extremely well made, expressive wine that I really enjoyed. Super pure grenache notes.

4/22/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

This might be the best QPR zinfandel on the planet. Opens with gorgeous notes of raspberry, white pepper, cherry preserve, and woodspice. Impeccable balanced with a vibrant streak of acidity right through the mid palate. This is a wine that showcases just how savory and balanced the variety can be. Smooth, ripe fruit on the palate, yet with gentle drying tannins. The finish is dusty, showing dried loam buttressed by acidity that highlights ripe red fruit.

6/26/2016 - ucbeau wrote:

Incredible. So much potential. Minerally and pure, bright citrus, structure.

8/29/2014 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Opened for approximately 1 hour prior to tasting. Poured a dark opaque red. Initially the nose was somewhat one dimensional, showing barrel notes and just a hint of red fruit. Given plenty of air, it turned into something gorgeous. Big notes of cherry and strawberry mixed with spices, iodine, and hints of leather. Bittersweet chocolate and dusty soil were at the periphery throughout the tasting. Smooth tannins and plenty of acidity helped the exuberant ripeness stay in line. There was a burst of cherry pie and minerality on the finish that I loved. Absolutely a knockout bottle of Burgundy.