8/20/2015 - yeastbeast Likes this wine:

Decanted for about 40 minutes. Dusty and spicy nose
Plummy fruit with mocha notes hiding behind still overly robust tannins. Should be fantastic in 2017 or so.

1/12/2013 - yeastbeast wrote:

Briefly decanted and served with pear steak and gousse d'ail steaks, napa cabbage and fried oyster mushrooms. Served in parallel with Heitz 2002 Cab. At first it was very tight and sour, but opened by the end of the meal to an enjoyable, somewhat acidic sweet cab without much complexity. Considering how keen I was on this wine a few years ago, I wonder what happened--- did the charms fade with time or has my palate steered away from wines of this type? Drink now if you have any left.

1/8/2013 - yeastbeast Likes this wine:

Had it with braised lambs tongues, cardoon casserole and duxelles. Decanted for about 2 hours. Spicy, refined cassis fruit, grippy tannins. A great bargain that's still drinking really well. I hope this wasn't my last bottle.

9/18/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for 2+ hours, served with chicken marsala, arab rice and green beans. Rich purple color. Understated nose. Huge, bold fruit with strong blueberry and blackberry notes. Chewy, mouth-coating tannins, perhaps bit over-oaked but quite satisfying. Notes of tobacco, white pepper and sandy earth. A steal at $10. Would definitely buy again.

9/15/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Gave it a good 2+ hour decant, then had with leftover lamb, couscous and garlicky kale. Garnet color. Ripe, somewhat plasticky nose, a bit cloying. Fruit is overpowered by herbal, unintegrated tannins. Shows promise, will be much better a year hence.

9/14/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for a decent hour before a meal of roasted lamb loin on couscous with garlicky kale, then the next day with roasted pumpkin with wild rice, spelt and bacon. Color: inky, nearly black. Nose: Overripe plum. Fruit: Colossal blackberry and dark cherry but with a South of France-style herbal note of lavender and (according to M) olive oil. Big zingy syrah spice at the tail end. This is the epitome of New World syrah, but this style can be a bit overwhelming. Excellent QPR at under $20. Would buy again.

9/6/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Drank a glass without decant to accompany grilled lamb ribs and random vegetables, then a day later with chicken sausage in a corn, tomato and saffron ragout. Characteristically inky purple color, warm fruity nose. Big, jammy granache fruit, sweet and simple blueberry flavors marred by a tiny hint of plonkiness. No oak to speak of. A perfectly good daily drink for bold-flavored foods.

9/3/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for 30 minutes then had with Little Star pizza. Inky purple color, opulent nose of cassis and Concord grape juice. Big, jammy dark fruit--- blueberry and Concord grape. Big-bodied with a spicy Syrah tail end. For a N.V. cheap wine at BevMo, this is a real treat. Would buy again at $10.

8/30/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for an hour, had with steak burrito and slow-cooked kale and garlic. Deep purple color, olive oil (?) nose. Abundant but indistinct fruit, no oak, a bit of a plonky note on the tail end. A perfectly cromulent wine. BevMo special 2 for $15 is about right.

8/24/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

I've been buying a case of this cab annually since the '03 vintage, so was delighted to recently come across this older vintage marked down to a couple of bucks a bottle. Unsure of the provenance but willing to risk a couple bucks, I took home a bottle and decanted for two hours before a meal of beer-braised pork chops and sauteed brussels sprouts with maitakes and shitakes. Deep garnet, highly oxidized color, tons of sediment, initially a phenol nose that blew off soon enough. Complex nose of musk and earth. Surprisingly bold dark red fruit for an older wine, tannins nicely polished. Notes of pepper, olive wood, abundant oak. I'm really pleased with this is older version of a go-to cab. This vintage has held up much better than the '03, which I also noted recently. Exceptional for its age. Alas, the rest of the case was gone by the time I got back to the store.

8/18/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for an hour, served with mushroom and wheatberry stew with a side of sweet corn and bacon, then on the second day with Penang-style chicken curry, red rice and sauteed collards. Rich purple color. No note on nose due to to congestion. Warm, round fruit, a pleasingly velvetty middle with prominent Syrah spice and herbes de provence. Pretty much spot on for a young Languedoc table wine, good QPR at around $15. Would buy again.

8/11/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for around 2 hours, served with Provençal veal meatball and eggplant stew with a side of collard greens. Second day accompanied chard and sweet pepper ravioli with a side of gai lan. Pleasing lavender nose, mellowed dark fruit, abundant oak, not much tannin. A perfectly adequate daily drinker, but I've grown weary of this simple, crowd-pleasing style of wine. Probably won't buy again.

8/6/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for at least an hour, served with gravlax and rye sandwiches, morbier and a strange smoked sheep cheese, then finished the bottle two days later with chicken soup and chard. Silty dark crimson color, interesting smokey nose. Very tart cherry fruit with a big, oily middle section and not much on the tail end. Sour, almost to the point of unpleasantness, but an overall interesting and unfamiliar flavor profile. Glad I tried this rare varietal but probably wouldn't buy again at $15.

8/3/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Backup wine for the bad Rhône red I decanted with smoked salmon, cauliflower, gai lan and romanesco. Unfortunately it wasn't much better. Simple cherry fruit followed by a minimal middle and jarringly off tail end, a bit like eating an overripe, slightly spoiled plum. Straight into the cooking pot with the rest of this bottle. Avoid at $7.

8/3/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for an hour, had with hot smoked salmon, cauliflower, gai lan and romanesco. Dull, muted fruit, hollow middle, flat metallic tail end, pretty much nothing going for it. I grabbed it from a clearance bin at Rainbow Grocery and failed to notice that it's organic/vegan/biodynamic label, usually synonymous with plonk. Serves me right for $10. Avoid.

7/27/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for an hour, served with seared ahi steaks, sweet potatoes and New Zealand spinach. I'm more than a bit congested, so I have nothing to say about the nose. Fruit is mild (perhaps my congestion is to blame) but the middle is well-rounded with abundant oak, cedar, spice. A great everyday cab.

7/13/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for about an hour, served with summer beans and ham with corn on the side. Dark with lots of sediment. Not much nose, very fruitforward in a cloying Aussie sort of way, like blueberry juice. Very little going on in the middle and end. Probably has seen better days. Would not buy again at $10.

7/10/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for an hour, served with meatballs on a bed of soba with steamed romanesco broccoli. Ink dark red, prominent leather nose. Not much going on fruitwise or in the middle but a firm leather and oak tail end with a curious spicy kick that goes on for some time. An unusual but not altogether satisfactory daily drinker, quite different than our usual fruit-forward style. Decidedly Old World.

7/2/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted briefly then had with a series of antipasti. Deep burgundy color suggesting a bit of oxidation. Characteristic leaden Tuscan nose. Tart, prominent fruit, full body with heavy-handed oak, leather and spice. Strong food wine but a bit cloying on its own. I fear that aging will mute the bracing tannins and make the high acidity stand out unduly, so would probably drink within 1-2 years. I don't remember what I paid, but I'd be happy if it was $10-$15.

6/21/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

This bottle came my way at our neighborhood street party, and I sipped it over the course of the evening alone and accompanied by hangar steak fajitas. Heady oaky nose, well-rounded cherry fruit, mellow tannins. Nothing spectacular but a smooth daily drinker. Dunno the price but I would be happy to pay $8.

6/14/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Second bottle, this time with smoked salmon, squash leaves and runny farinata. Dark color, lots of sediment. Heavy dark fruit and oak flavor, a bit simple but certainly hits the spot. Great QPR.

6/12/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Second bottle, enjoyed over several days with various meals. Big fruit, spice, modest oak. An easy-drinking quaffer. Great QPR.

6/5/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

From a batch of south of France daily drinkers from Bi-Rite. Very light violet color, almost a rose, with a bit of turbidity. Super fruity, effervescent. Flavor of candy and bubble gum. Not generally a fan of this totally unoaked wine cooler style but this actually hit the spot.

6/1/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for two hours then served with oven-braised lamb shank in a fiery paprika tzimmes. Inky purple color, a fair bit of sentiment. Warm, inviting nose, bright dark plum fruit, prominent oak and herbs, very smooth and well-balanced. Decidedly in the New World style but with Old World funk. The best of the recent CH French imports.

5/20/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Briefly decanted and served with a dog's dinner of chicken soup, grilled asparagus and lentil and yam curry, followed by a rich triple creme cheese. Vivid light purple color. Warm and heady nose. Big but not overpowering fruit-- clove, cinnamon, chickory-- with a peppery tail end. Very little oak. More New World-style than most Languedoc wines I've had of late. A bargain at <$20.

5/14/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for about 30 minutes, served with fusilli, kale and prosciutto. Light purple color, floral nose. Fruit-forward, brambly, cinnamony, medium-bodied with little oak and nothing much on the tail end. A straightforward California table wine with some fun character but no cellar potential. Drink now and enjoy.

5/4/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted briefly then had with artichoke and sun-dried tomato frittata and spinach. From the cork, I surmise that this is (or resembles) Abbott's Cumulo Nimbus (http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1146905). Deep purple color, tempting spicy nose, but the fruit is muted, middle is soft and tail end a bit metallic. Molli detected a funky heat on the finish. At first I thought it was pretty bland stuff, but after a couple hours it opened up into a warm and velvety Aussie-style syrah with a pleasingly herbal twist at the end. An food-friendly daily drinker that's a good deal at $13.

5/1/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted briefly to accompany beef moussaka and asparagus. Dark and inky, tons of sediment. Opulent vanilla nose. Indistinct red fruit, huge heavy body with prominent toasty oak. Velvety and smooth despite its bulk. This is a Bordeaux blend on steroids, much more in the New World style than what I expected. A steal at $10. Drink now.

4/19/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Briefly decanted and served with pseudo-Chinese chicken, shiitake and snow pea saute. Vivid purple color, modest nose. Bright cassis fruit with a hint of herbs, light body, pleasing minerality. An excellent daily drinker at under $15.

4/15/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Backup wine for a dinner of roast beef, roasted roots and sauteed pea shoots. Decanted about 3 hours. Syrah-like nose of anise and spice. Very rich, mouth-coating dark fruit with strangely dull, metallic middle bit but plenty of tannin and spice in the tail end. A solid effort drinking nicely right now.

4/15/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for 4+ hours, served with roast beef, root vegetables and sauteed pea shoots. At opening, it smelled sour and tasted like sour nothing, but with time, a few subtle hints of earth and leather emerged. Still, weak sauce long past its prime.

4/10/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

A gift bottle from Malaika via MEB, decanted for about an hour before a dinner of filet mignon, sweet potatoes, king trumpet mushrooms in black truffle butter and Chinese broccoli. Very faded muddy garnet color, tons of sediment. A little whiff of vanilla and fruit on the nose. Faded but still pleasing light fruit--- strawberry, white pepper--- with a very light body and super mellow tannins. This is a rare library wine that has aged gracefully. If you have any, drink up now .

4/8/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Brief decant, served with Iraqi-style yogurt-marinated chicken, rice pilaf and sauteed broccolini. A bit of sediment but otherwise light garnet color. Modest nose. Vivid tart cherry fruit with medium plenty of heat and spice, supple tannins. A good food pairing, drinking very well right now. Unlikely to improve.

3/27/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for about 80 minutes then drank with split pea soup with ham hocks and a frisée, spinach, pecorino and almond salad. Deep purple color, characteristic heavy Syrah nose. Big round dark fruit with spice and tons of oak, totally par for the course for Napa syrah. I don't remember what I paid but I would consider this a steal at $15, decent at $20.

3/26/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for perhaps 40 minutes then had with tortilla de patatas and a sweet, tender Asian leafy green. Light garnet color, mild nose of oak and leather. Subdued tart fruit, mild leathery notes but generally weak and thin. It adequately washed down the food but a disappointment compared with previous vintages. Drink up.

3/23/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for about 90 minutes and accompanied spaghetti and meatballs with broccolini and cauliflower. Super deep inky purple color, hint of herb on the nose. Huge dark red fruit--- plum, cassis and cocoa-- with prominent toasty chocolate notes among the heavy oak. Great mouthfeel, long finish. Shaping up to be a classic that's likely to improve over the next two years.

3/22/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Poured through Soirée to accompany Emma's birthday dinner of roast duck, cranberry sauce, red cabbage and mashed potatoes. At that time, it seemed over-ripe and heavy with glycerol. I finished the bottle several days later to accompany pan-seared salmon, Chinese broccoli and sweet potatoes, to which it made an adequately tart and fruity pairing but didn't have much left on the tail end. Altogether, adequate but overpriced.

3/20/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for an hour, served for Tony, Marina and Tom with modestly spicy citrus-braised carnitas, pinto and kidney beans and rice. Deep garnet color, slightly herbal nose. Bright fruit, firm tannins but no especially distinguishing characteristics. A bit flat around the middle, though not as much as the '04 version we drank recently. This wine is incredibly consistent from year to year and is drinking as good as it ever will.

3/17/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for about 90 minutes then served to Snorri and Emi with corned beef, cabbage and potatoes for St. Patrick's day feast. Inky dark garnet color. I'm not picking up a lot of nose. Hugely extracted fruit bomb, quite unexpected for a merlot. Blueberry and cassis backed up by chewy chocolate and mocha tannins. It was a good pairing with the salty beef brisket but by itself the wine is overpowering. Could benefit from a few more years.

3/15/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for about 30 minutes and had with spinach ravioli and chard with lemons. Mild, fruity nose. Bright and tart fruit, light-bodied, a little spice around the tail end but not much tannin. A fine daily drinker for $10.

3/12/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for about 90 minutes then accompanied chicken, oyster mushroom and shiitake in marsala, bulgur and pea shoots. Deep garnet color. Warm, herbal nose. Rich, dark fruit--- dark cherry, plum, cocoa--- with velvety mouth-coating tannins with both mocha and pepper notes. Drinking superbly right now, will try the next bottle in less than a year. One of the best CH cabs to date.

2/27/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for about 30 minutes, then had with shiitake and oyster mushroom frittata and sauteed spinach. Dark burgundy color, gentle oaky nose. Blueberry fruit with a lot of oak, surprising amount of spice and coffee. Satisfying, long-lasting tannins. A fine merlot.

2/21/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted briefly then accompanied brisket stewed in the inferior Lot 49 with steamed carrots and sauteed Chinese broccoli. Muddy garnet color. Mild nose. A huge dark fruit blast of plum, pepper, allspice, coffee. Big, chewy tannins make for a powerful, muscular California rendition of Bordeaux. Superb. The last bottle is going into the "favorites" rack with years left in it.

2/20/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Picked up three bottles after a tasting at the importer's shop, where it was the standout among daily drinkers. Had it first with boudin blanc in cream sauce then the next night with pozole. Vivid purple color, warm chocolaty nose. Very nicely balanced, smooth and velvety without any oak at all. A great value cab franc.

2/20/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Had it over several days with several meals. Deep purple, threw tons of sediment. Overripe, plonky fruit, muddled and imbalanced with bland, chewy tannins. Either this is a bad bottle or the wine is far past its peak. For cooking only at this point.

2/16/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for about 1.5 hours and had with a series of meals over three days. Inky purple color, lots of sediment. Initially, a musty, barnyard nose followed by leather and coffee flavors, robust mouth-puckering tannins--- not altogether pleasing. Improved considerably by the second day after must blew off, revealing a firm, nicely balanced full bodied rustic blend reminiscent of a young Rioja. Still good by third day. If you drink it now, decant for a day. Could easily keep another few years.

2/10/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for >2 hours then accompanied lemon and rosemary roast chicken, roasted roots and peas with spinach and tarragon. Light color, a bit of cinnamon on the nose. Cherry fruit, pleasantly tart and peppery. A fine daily drinker, unlikely to improve.

2/9/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Popped and poured a bit to accompany cheese and salumi in Yosemite, then had the rest five days later (unusually late) with some bucatini in puttanesca sauce. There was a bit of cork taint on the first go around, but it aired out for the second. Super dark color, not a ton of fruit but a lot of earthy funk and spice. Generally this is my kind of wine but this bottle was borderline flawed and I had it attentively after being open for so long that I can't be fair in my assessment. My guess is that this would be a great deal at $15, ok at $20 and overpriced anywhere north.

2/2/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

Decanted for about two hours then accompanied chicken and morel marsala and sauteed spinach. Faded, slightly phenolic nose. Modestly tart fruit, light body with a bit of hibiscus and pepper zing around the tail end. Definitely past its prime, leaving little to like. Drinks like a cheap Bordeaux. Drink up.

1/31/2012 - yeastbeast wrote:

One of several bottles of fienherb riesling from Dee Vine Wines. Had it one night to accompany a citrus-braised goat leg with Thomas and Daryl and again with pan-seared yellowtail, red rice and chard. Light, citrusy nose, extremely crisp and chalky, flavors of lime, pepper and soda. Off-dry, almost like an Alsace riesling. Superb.