9/2/2018 - yayinski Likes this wine:

Lovely nose of cassis, black currants, pepper, mint, and a whiff of toasty vainillin. Silky and gracious on the palate with enough nerve to highlight its amplitude. Drying finish that makes you go for another sip. Fresh and full of life at 10 years of age.

5/31/2017 - yayinski wrote:

Cigar, sweet vanilla, sour cherries, spice and red citrusy notes. Silky with a lovely toasted oak character. Regal rusticity.

5/31/2017 - yayinski wrote:

Mineral, floral, and earthy nose with tones of leather, herbs, cherry. Soft yet tannic on the palate. Reminiscent of a rustic Burgundy or a Grand Cruller Beaujolais.

3/13/2017 - yayinski wrote:

A fantastic bottle of wine. Elegant nose of currants, cigar box, peppers. Fresh and delicate on the palate. Round, soft tennis. When a vintage is superb in Bordeaux (2009), a second label can rival the very best from anywhere in the world.

3/13/2017 - yayinski wrote:

Bold, spicy but still floral and complex

3/13/2017 - yayinski wrote:

Delicious, tangy, and bold.

1/23/2017 - yayinski wrote:

A superb wine made in the classical Napa style of 30 years ago. Balanced, with a fresh, vibrant nose. Velvety on the palate and a long finish. Herbs, cassis, pepper, bright cherry, pencil lead. Bordeaux styled

1/20/2017 - yayinski wrote:

Nice entry level from a fine Pinot maker. On the elegant, floral side

12/29/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Remarkable balance, finesse, and graceful finish. Fresh, clear fruit and polished tannins. Will last for 15-20 years at top of game

12/22/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Still in its infancy, it reveals a powerful, alluring nose of roasted coffee, meats, sweet soy-pepper, and loads of ripe fruit. Will be much better in 5-10 years.

12/22/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Love the moderate alcohol content (13.9%), which gives the wine a unique sense of place and a mineral/savory/floral quality surrounding the bright fruit.

12/18/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Massive nose of spice, jam, and black-blue fruits. Decadent, yet savory on the palate. Feels right in spite of the high alcohol content. Bravo Mike

12/18/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Great stuff for an entry level Pinot.

11/28/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Complex nose. Bold, big, yet fresh and savory. Perfect cross between the Old and New world of wine

11/21/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Way too hot on the alcohol. Robitusin is a better deal

11/21/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Ultra ripe and sweet. You can smell the port like quality for miles. Sweet toothers will love it. Seems like a Zinfandel

11/21/2016 - yayinski wrote:

At a great place at 13 years old for an entry level of a hot, ultra ripe vintage. Artadi knows their craft.

11/2/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Fantastic value. Varietally correct

11/2/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Truly delicious. Evolved, mature, complex.

10/31/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Massive concentration and extraction. Floral notes, graphite, compote, fresh mint. Will be better in a couple of years (maybe a decade). It can easily become a 95-97 point wine.

10/31/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Herbs, maraschino cherries, some tobacco. Velvety and long on the finish. Solid stuff.

9/27/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Nice, feminine wine. Red berries with some sweet tea and vanilla peel. Delicate. Would buy again. Did not know of it.

9/27/2016 - yayinski wrote:

At its peak now. Notes of mint, lavender, sweet tapenade, maraschino cherries. Smooth on the palate. Lingering finish.

Superb Rioja.

9/27/2016 - yayinski wrote:

A stunning wine. Intoxicating nose of sweet soy sauce, leather, cured meats. Lively and velvety on the palate with a long finish. Drink now.

9/17/2016 - yayinski wrote:

A remarkable homage to classic old world winemaking. Suave, refined, bright-like drinking velvet

9/12/2016 - yayinski wrote:

A superb, balanced wine with notes of pepper, graphite, cedar, chocolate, smoke. Smooth as silk with a long finish.

9/10/2016 - yayinski wrote:

A bombastic wine, massive fruit and kind of an unchecked alcohol level. Newbies will go crazy. Too much makeup

9/10/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Well built, made to last. Patience will be rewarded

9/6/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Big badass. A bit "hot" and sweet. Sweet tooth, white wine drinkers will love it

8/30/2016 - yayinski wrote:

This was superb. A mature wine, full of second and tertiary aromas of earth, sweet soy, meat juices, spice, leather. A delicious, intoxicating alcoholic (in a good way) finish. Drink now.

8/23/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Massive, hedonistic effort. Not for the faint of heart. Powerful nose of meat juices, smoke, vanilla, sweet olive. Big, but not hot or tired. A bit too jammy. Caramel on the finish.

8/23/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Juicy, bold, with loads of black fruit, sweet cassis, currant paste, mint and cocoa shavings. Hedonistic. Silky and smooth on the palate.

8/22/2016 - yayinski Likes this wine:

Big and bright fruit. Dark cherry, herbs, spice, balsamic notes. Layered and long on the palate. Sort of big (for Rioja), but graceful. Rioja for Cab Lovers? could be

7/28/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Beautiful notes of roasted herbs, cherry liquor, earth, and ripe citrus peel. Velvety, smooth, with an elegant, prolonged finish. Drink now and for next 3 years.

7/5/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Remarkable minerality (talc, stones), bone fruit (apricot), lemon curd. Nutty, with hints of vanillin. Mouthful with an structured elegance. Can last another 10 years. Loved this wine.

7/5/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Rose petals, spice, bright cherries, sweet pomegranate. Great acidity. More on the finesse that on the bold side.

7/5/2016 - yayinski wrote:

At a great stage in time. Cedar, blackberry, olive, pepper. Silky, perfumed, and a mouthful of elegance. Drink or hold for 3 years.

7/1/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Drink now.

6/26/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Totally resolved at 23 years of age. Bordeaux like with notes or currants, kalamata olives, mint, earth, tea and a hit of cherries. Lively, fresh and silky on the palate. Only 13% alcohol. Drink now!

6/24/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Big, concentrated nose of sweet balsamic, roasted coffee, black fruit in liquor, and toasty vanilla. Layered and a bit hot on the palate. Will certainly get better with time as the alcohol integrates and the tannins soften.

6/20/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Herbs, red cherries, hints of ripe citrusy fruit. Elegant with fantastic acidity to pair with food.

6/20/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Ripe, toasty and nutty. White fruit in vanilla liquor. Wet stone sensation. Unctuous, almost oily/waxy. Drinks almost like a red wine. Can even stand to a piece of meat.

6/15/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Bordeaux in style. Tannins and elegant structure to last 15+ years. Loads of currants, pepper, black cherries, licorice, bitter chocolate. Dry on the palate and astringent due to its young age.

6/6/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Powerful nose of graphite, pepper, blackberries and currant. Bordeaux in style, with a good balance between fruit, oak and tannins.

6/6/2016 - yayinski wrote:

At a great moment in its evolution. Complex nose of ripe berries, flowers, dark chocolate. Feels fresh in spite of its age. Rounded, silky, superb.

5/27/2016 - yayinski Likes this wine:

Ripe, with delicious chocolate, currant, pencil shaving notes. Round and soft on the palate. A big hedonistic wine that does not feel overbearing or disjointed. For those who like Cali blends at a fraction of the price, this is your wine.

5/22/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Great value. A wine of elegance, clarity of fruit. Burgundian in style with roses, spice, earth. Delicate.

5/2/2016 - yayinski wrote:

French in its approach of white pepper, dried meats, olive tapenade, anise, and fig paste. Restrained-masquerading California. Like it but did not love it.

5/2/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Always a treat. At 12 years of age, still has miles to go. Floral power, with gobbles of minerality, graphite, blue/red fruits. Rich and velvety. Brilliant length. Powerful yet agile and..believe it or not, fresh.

5/1/2016 - yayinski wrote:

Exuberant nose of spices, tropical red fruits, caramel, spice, even some cocoa. Rich and high in alcohol but it manages to remain balanced, gracefully gliding down the palate.