9/22/2023 - alex.lewis wrote:

This is my ideal Pinot. I could drink this everyday!

9/22/2023 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Right in it's optimal drinking window. On the plusher side of Pinot, very enjoyable.

12/31/2022 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Deep well oiled leather, dark fruits, menthol on the front. Sweet cassis for a long finish. This is drinking outstanding right now. All the tannins are well integrated and provide solid balance for an overall outstanding wine

11/22/2022 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Absolutely amazing. This and Germain-robin are the standard for American brandy.
Honey soaked figs, white peach, verjus, light caramel.
Looooong finish with fresh leather, honey & deep plum.

10/12/2022 - alex.lewis wrote:

Outstanding on opening. Dark chocolate immediately on the palate. It evolved into red raspberries & currants with heavily oiled leather. Outstanding but definitely drinking at its peak.

9/21/2022 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Great qpr. Kirsch, fennel, forest floor and a bit of mushrooniness, then a cherry cola/sasparilla finish. Surprisingly long finish for such an inexpensive wine. Will buy more

8/2/2022 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Very perfumey on the nose. Almost a bit of night blooming jasmine. Bright red berries on the palate and velvety mouth feel. Incredibly impressed with this wine!

6/12/2022 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Chocolate, dusty leather and ripe blackberries. Drinking amazing right now! That said, feels like it's at its peak and won't continue to evolve further

4/1/2022 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Outstanding and nails Howell mtn terroir. Heavy leather, dark fruit, even a bit of intense Dr pepper. Overall a really great bold wine.

12/27/2021 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

This was amazing tonight!! Super meyer lemon focused at first and evolved into savory honeysuckle & elderflower with quince and the meyer lemon moved to the finish. Great minerality & balanced acid.

7/28/2021 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Outstanding. Served about 55-57 degrees and it shines there. Any cooler and it looses its magic. Apricot, pineapple and a combination of fresh cut grass & sea air

2/2/2021 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Solid, if a little one dimensional. Hard to taste the cab franc. And the cab sauv is so smooth it almost tastes merlot-ish. Overall a good wine but not what I expected.

1/1/2021 - alex.lewis wrote:

Drinking perfectly right now. Drank with a variety of triple creme brie and brioche. Blackberry, ollalieberry, blueberry, dusty leather and redwood forest floor. Outstanding

1/9/2021 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Amazing if you like the very dry style. Fresh brioche, lemon rind, peach and pineapple. And touch of farm dust. Really enjoyed this wine

1/9/2021 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Wow! I must be an outlier, or I caught this wine at the right time but I found it outstanding!! Strong blackberry and plum preserves on the nose. Blueberry, leather and cassis on the palate. Strong but integrated tannins. 45-60 sec finish

12/29/2020 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Possibly the best Pinot I've had this year!! Still drinking young. Very complex with blackberry, raspberry, shitake mushroom, redwood forest floor and a bit of ripe plum. Smooth, integrated tannins. 60+ second finish.

2/18/2020 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Straw, savory honey, light leather. Jasmine on the nose. Outstanding & perfect age

10/25/2019 - alex.lewis Does not like this wine:

Tasted very flat. Not turned or overaged, just flat and boring. A stark contrast from young Schweiger wines. Maybe they just weren't meant to age. Really disappointed.

8/14/2017 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

A simple, great drinking wine. Found during a trip to Italy and fell in love with it. Soft tannins give backbone to dusty blackberry and herbed meat with a touch of leather and graphite.

2/22/2017 - alex.lewis wrote:

It was fine but really one-dimensional. Comparing to Twisted Oak, for example, it seemed dull. The wine was fine, but I just expected more.

2/22/2017 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Wow, this wine has really changed in the last 2-3 years since I opened the last one. Decanted for >2 hours and it was perfumey, a little sweet and just amazing!! dried cranberry, wet leather, cassis, blueberry and velvety smooth. I would have never guessed the "overoaked baby" from a few years ago would turn into this gem!

2/21/2017 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Needed 2+ hours decanted to open up. Great finesse, loamy with a lot of earthy flavors. Not a ton of fruit but still enjoyable.

2/2/2017 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Drinking perfectly for a young bordeaux. Silky, but strong backbone. Dark raspberry, dusty blueberries & pencil shavings with a long finish.

12/13/2015 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Really surprised by this wine! Great QPR. Layered flayers with dark fruit evolving into leather and pencil lead. Really opened up over ~90 min.

10/11/2015 - alex.lewis wrote:

Fine, but just fine. Not much to say about it other than clean and a short finish. It's like Japanese whiskey; there's nothing wrong with it, but nothing interesting either.

8/22/2015 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Wow, this won out in blind tasting over a 2009 Harlan Estate. Afterwards, tasting again not blind, I'd have to agree. It's just really shining right now with deep, rich black fruit. Raspberries, currants, blueberry mixed with a strong dose of leather and just a little graphite & dust. Most enjoyable wine I've had in a long time!

8/6/2015 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Drinking really well right now. Perfect balance, great structure. Medium length finish. Lots of leather, earth, dark berries & a little kirsch.

5/30/2015 - alex.lewis wrote:

Decent everyday wine but nothing special. Some red fruit preserves & black currant. Rather primary right now. Going to lay the rest down for a few years.

4/28/2014 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Drinking amazing right now!! Had from my cellar at a brasilian steakhouse. Great structure & balance, multiple layers. Black fruit, leather, chaparral dust and cassis. I wish I had more!

12/9/2013 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Apparently this is nearly all 2002 juice and you can taste the wonderful age. Warm brioche, toasted nuts, roasted apples and a touch of dried pineapple. REALLY good. Reminds me of well aged dom p at a third the price.

12/9/2013 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Great QPR. Very solid pinot and great example of the central coast.

12/9/2013 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

outstanding white for the red wine lover. Great balance, full body. Marilyn Monroe in a bottle.

12/9/2013 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

stored at 55 degrees since release and drinking outstanding right now. The heat has finally aged out and been replaced with finesse and rich fruit flavors. Still a fruit bomb, but in a wonderful way.

12/9/2013 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Deep and rich red and black fruits. Lots of cherry, blueberry and wet earth. Guessing this is near its peak.

12/9/2013 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Slightly off dry with great balance. Soft pear flavor. Great with food. Had with roasted salmon and fresh cracked crab.

10/24/2013 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Good - ripe red berries. Not a lot of dimensions for an aged brunello, maybe in a dumb phase right now?

10/24/2013 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Wow!! Amazing sparkling wine! A bit different than the 2001 but equally amazing. Deep, roasted flavors and layers or different flavors. Rich crème brulee, lemon meringue, baked apples, toasted brioche, roasted cashews and a bit of almond. One of the best sparklers I've ever had!

10/24/2013 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Huge earthy, umami flavors. Roasted mushrooms, forest floor, red and black berries and black cherries. huge wine and will last at least a 5 more years.

10/20/2013 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Wow!! I would have been hard pressed to guess this was Zin in a blind tasting. Still a bunch of life left. Dark berry, light green herbs, redwood forest and aged leather.
All the tannins have smoothed out and this is drinking outstanding right now. Not flabby but very rich. Finish could be a little longer but it's great while it lasts!

10/19/2013 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Outstanding bottle drinking at its prime. I have to wonder if some of the others here had storage issues? Purchased on release and stored in a temp/humidity controlled cellar. TONS of leather and crème de cassis with secondary flavors of olallieberry, cassis, baking chocolate, earth, blueberry and a touch of chaparral brush. Long finish and surprising not much bricking in the glass; dark purple all the way out to the edge. I wish I had more!

10/19/2013 - alex.lewis wrote:

I wished for something a little darker, a little more Barolo-esque... Instead there was lighter strawberry, unripe cherry and hay.

9/15/2013 - alex.lewis wrote:

Solid wine and I LOVE the people behind chock rock but this bottle didn't wow me. Nothing wrong with it, just didn't blow me away. Lots of cherry cola, raspberry jam and a bit of well-worn leather.

9/15/2013 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Great balance, maybe a touch rich. Great with pan roasted chicken and root veggies. Honey, beeswax, spring wildflowers and a bit of hay.

8/24/2013 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Boete proves you can make good cab franc in Carmel Valley. Long finish with classic CF flavors.

8/24/2013 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Not as good as the 2003 but still a valiant effort. Great farm dust, charred meat and a bit of coffee

8/24/2013 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Great QPR - mushrooms, wet earth and red raspberry. Some black cherry and cola as well.

5/29/2013 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

A great wine and the last of the SLD Clarets from RSV before they switched to Carneros. Pencil lead, slate, cassis, leather, dark berries, black cherries.

5/29/2013 - alex.lewis wrote:

Average wine... I remember really liking it at the tasting room but it just fell flat for me at home. All the flavors seemed muted and tooo integrated. No layers of flavor at all.

5/29/2013 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Wow!! This is drinking amazing right now! It went through a "dumb phase" like many pinots but right now it's showing outstanding. Lots of roasted plum, raspberry, earth, redwood forest floor, chanterelle mushrooms. Perfect balance from nose to palate. One of the best pinots I've had in a long time!

5/29/2013 - alex.lewis Likes this wine:

Great QPR and one of my favorite everyday wines