6/3/2023 - WineProf wrote:

Showing its age but still a fine wine. Bottle purchased at the vineyard in 2015. Showing some amber color. Candy aromas and a bit of astringency on the tongue. Medium weight, good long finish. Perhaps not as much minerality as when it was younger, so not as fresh. Particularly good with asparagus and broccolini soup.

11/27/2022 - WineProf Likes this wine:

Very nice with leg of lamb!!!

8/9/2022 - WineProf Likes this wine:

Still very drinkable. A bit musty. Good fruit and acidity. Bold, typical cab suavignon.

8/1/2022 - WineProf wrote:

Clear, bright with light green hue. Aromas of lemon zest, lychee fruit, peach and fresh-cut grass. Slightly off-dry and petillant. Bright acidity, medium weight and long finish. Astringent with grapefruit, lime and flint flavours.

8/1/2022 - WineProf Likes this wine:

64% Syrah, 30% Mourvèdre, 6% Grenache. Clear and bright with light salmon hue. Aromas of cranberry and lime zest. Medium acidity and mouthfeel. Raspberry and grapefruit flavours. Nice long finish.

6/26/2022 - WineProf Likes this wine:

Beautiful merlot-dominant style. Still shows lively fruit and gripping tannins. Cedar, cinnamon, smoke and tobacco notes, nice long finish and full mouthfeel. My last bottle. If you have more, it is worth waiting a few more years.

5/14/2022 - WineProf Likes this wine:

Beautiful wine with grilled beef tenderloin. Nice aromas of red fruit, cedar, clove and cinnamon. Medium weight with soft tannins and persistent finish. Lots of life.

3/13/2022 - WineProf Likes this wine:

Great with a meal of grilled striploin steaks.

2/19/2022 - WineProf Likes this wine:

Still tastes fantastic. Three more bottles left. Had it with leg of lamb.

12/8/2021 - WineProf wrote:

Excellent!

10/10/2021 - WineProf Likes this wine:

Brick red. Cherry nose with aromas of cinnamon and clove. Nicely integrated, medium finish and mouthfeel. Probably at its peak for drinking. Enjoyed with prime rib.

7/25/2021 - WineProf Likes this wine:

I have a personal affinity to this wine, having stayed in the vineyard for a vacation. This vintage is very strong. At this point it is probably a little bit past its prime. The fruit is beginning to wane and the aroma is dominated by clove and cinnamon, with an earthy undertone of forest floor. On the palate it still has good tannic structure but probably lacks a little acid balance. Still, it paired extremely well with bbq stripling and chanterelles.

9/12/2017 - WineProf Likes this wine:

Excellent. Tasted among 10 Spanish wines more than 10 years old. Colour is showing its age but still clear. Aromas of strawberry, cedar, cinnamon and cloves. Soft and well-integrated tannins, cedar on palate and a nice long finish. Tasted over 1 hour after opening but longer would help.

5/29/2015 - WineProf Likes this wine:

Nice reliable and inexpensive Cote du Rhone.

12/14/2013 - WineProf Likes this wine:

Excellent wine. Probably best in one more year. Excellent fruit and structure. Tannins softening nicely. Muted cinnamon and tobacco notes. Nice depth and austerity. Probably the best example of how good carmenere can be with a little PV help!

12/11/2013 - WineProf wrote:

Showing age; brick red/brown color. Aromas of must, barnyard, earth and truffle. Palate is still lively with good acidity, prune fruit, soft but integrated tannins. Could have lasted a couple of more years.

10/20/2012 - WineProf wrote:

Medium color depth and a little bit cloudy. Earthy bing cherry aroma with a bit of smoke. Most surprising depth of flavour. A bit gritty, hot and spicy. Flavours of cinnamon, allspice, hot pepper. Long, hot finish.

9/30/2012 - WineProf wrote:

This wine is ready right now! Excellent with rack of lamb. Tannins are smooth, good acidity, surprisingly light mouthfeel. Excellent fruit character. I had this a year ago and it was unremarkable and quite aggressive. What a difference a year can make in this new world blend!

8/3/2012 - WineProf wrote:

Rich, fruit-forward, young wine with ripe black cherry nose on first whiff. Medium red in color with some particates suggesting un-filtered. Secondary aromas of banana, vanilla extract and burnt wood. On the palate, big ripe cherry flavours suggest greater depth than is actually delivered. The mouthfeel is medium weight but there is a hollow mid-palate and the finish is a bit shorter than expected with prunes on the back end. Lacks complexity.

7/28/2012 - WineProf wrote:

Aromas of flint and mineral with lime and pineapple aromas that developed on warming. Palate shows good acidity and slight petillance. Grapefruit and pineapple flavours with slight residual sugar. Surprising medium weight in the mouth and medium-long finish.

12/9/2011 - WineProf wrote:

Relatively atypical zinfandel. Medium red color. Reserved red cherry on the nose, slight banana aroma. Palate is lightly spiced, only slight residual sugar and soft tannins. Quite well balanced acidity.

12/5/2011 - WineProf wrote:

Cherry and vanilla on the nose. Soft, chalky tannins primarily at front to mid-palate. Fruit does not carry on palate and quite low acidity. Medium short finish. Not bad but won't get much better either.

12/1/2011 - WineProf wrote:

Nice mineral nose and green apple flavours. Petillant on the tongue and slight creaminess. Good acidity and barely off dry.

12/1/2011 - WineProf wrote:

Quite disappointing. Low fruit character, not very interesting.

9/18/2011 - WineProf wrote:

Medium amber color. Ripe pear, lychee, banana and tire rubber on the nose. Creamy mouthfeel, medium weight, relatively low acidity. Most of the fruit flavors are masked by barrel treatment but the baked apple flavor remains. Nice long finish.

9/18/2011 - WineProf wrote:

Aromas of menthol, green fruit and cedar. Palate is quite flat and uninteresting. Some spice with muted fruit flavors which are mostly lost in bitter wood. Mostly unpleasant on the finish.

9/15/2011 - WineProf wrote:

Excellent value! Modern style. Medium-dark garnet in color. Big blackberry fruit nose with green tea, cedar and banana notes. Still retains a little wet earthiness but not pronounced. Barrel treatment more evident on the palate with ashy flavors, pencil shavings and prominent ripe fruit. Seems to have some legs left with good acid and fruit. This could be my go-to Rioja.

9/13/2011 - WineProf wrote:

Not bad but not great either. Not a classic carmenere. Medium dark in color; light to medium weight. Nose shows hints of cloves and white pepper over banana and licorice notes. Quite subdued on the palate. Tannins are light and soft with quite low acid. Flavors of tomato soup predominate with slight residual sweetness, leaving a hole mid-palate. Finishes medium to short. Overall a little flabby.

9/8/2011 - WineProf wrote:

Really enjoyed this one after dinner tonight. Lightly colored, with dry hay and cherry aromas. Light mouthfeel, with soft green bell pepper and pencill shaving on the palate. Modest acidity and a short-medium finish. Understated and surprisingly sophisticated.

9/5/2011 - WineProf wrote:

Smokey, ash and sulfur notes on the nose overlaying a red cherry aroma. Medium- light weight, matchstick and cedar flavours on the palate. Reasonable acid, med length finish and smooth mouthfeel. Fruit is giving way to the wood treatment. Not overly complex. Pleasing flavours and aromas overall but won't stay around much longer.

9/4/2011 - WineProf wrote:

A bit disappointing; I had expected more. Wine remains quite closed. Strongest aroma elements are earthy notes, rubber and some vegetal character. Acid character still strong, tannins reasonably soft but little remains of fruit character. Seems past its prime.

9/4/2011 - WineProf wrote:

Pleasant apricot and peach aromas. Slight almond extract. Slightly petillant with light-medium weight, good mineral and acid balance and nice long finish.