5/5/2021 - FlyinI wrote:

Had my first bottle 8 years ago. Sadly, my last bottle from my case but this has a lot of life left. PnP. Tannins are far more resolved than where this started, but still has enough grip to cellar longer. Notes of dark berries suggesting youthfulness, some graphite, traces of tobacco. Nice structure; thick legs. Dark, thick plum color but picking up some amber notes on the edge. Great, great QPR at $18.50 (bought via futures).

1/8/2021 - FlyinI wrote:

Yummy. Good for a summer day.

12/10/2020 - FlyinI wrote:

Best on day 3.

9/28/2020 - FlyinI wrote:

Aging well.

8/27/2020 - FlyinI wrote:

Given how cheap this was, it’s holding up quite well. Drinking one of my last bottles that I had forgotten about.

6/21/2020 - FlyinI wrote:

PnP. Thick legs, heavy structure. Inky, dark violet color with pleasant plum notes on the nose. Light tannins and acidity, with the oak still present. Sweet notes of cassis and blue fruit. A yummy, easy drinker that’s not terribly complex.

2/13/2020 - FlyinI wrote:

Nice wine. Smooth, not particularly complex. Don’t see it improving much from here.

1/1/2020 - FlyinI wrote:

Bright cherries, medium bodied, moderate tannins but with youthful grip, flavors linger nicely, aromas that greet the nose with each sip. I think this will be pretty good tomorrow too.

12/31/2019 - FlyinI wrote:

Thick legs, dark purple, no nose to speak of (disappointing!), quite a bit of tannins left so probably should have decanted, fruit has subsided from last bottle, some herbal notes showing through, decent length. There’s definitely some quality here, but I may have opened this a year or two early for my taste.

12/27/2019 - FlyinI wrote:

spectacular vintage, but requires waiting

12/22/2019 - FlyinI wrote:

Made from 72% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc and a splash of Petit Verdot, aged 28 months in 50% new French and American oak. Drank as PnP, but lots of tannins that still need to come together. Gorgeous fruits, length and structure - this will be special but needs a few more years in the bottle and a long decant before opening the next one. Scored based on what i know this will become.

8/27/2019 - FlyinI wrote:

Crisp (wish this was served a tad cooler) with strawberries and hints of kiwi.

2/24/2019 - FlyinI wrote:

Had at Nathan’s with ribs, chicken, skillet potatoes and salad. Wine pairing was perfect.

1/21/2019 - FlyinI wrote:

Clear, darker ruby red than most pinots. Medium to light bodied, weaker legs. Faint strawberries on the nose. Low intensity flavors, medium acidity, sweeter flavors of strawberries, some prunes, slightly tart. Weaker than most pinots of this terrior.

Maybe it will open up with more air. Otherwise, built for Tuesdays.

1/16/2019 - FlyinI wrote:

Chewy, fruit forward, high alcohol, in the mold of a Caymus Cabernet, but substantially cheaper. A bit smoother than last year, lots of dark fruit, oak and some tannins. Drank over three days.

A crowd pleaser for sure.

12/30/2018 - FlyinI wrote:

Interesting Willamette valley Pinot. Certainly consistent with a Pinot of this terroir, flavors of cherry, cranberry, but added notes of mushroom and dill - perhaps what others are referring to as potpourri. Long taste and great complexity.

12/16/2018 - FlyinI wrote:

Let it decant as long as we could. Tannins, oak and red fruits came together into something smooth and delicious. Brilliant showing.

11/16/2018 - FlyinI wrote:

Can easily drink this wine two or three days after opening. Best on day 2. Bought for $11; terrific QPR.

11/11/2018 - FlyinI wrote:

Good on day 1; superb on day 2.

8/31/2018 - FlyinI wrote:

Not a prototypical cab franc - perhaps an example of Napa terrior influence. Could be confused with a merlot. But it was very enjoyable and got better with air.

7/17/2018 - FlyinI wrote:

The refinement starts coming together with a bit of a wait. It’s good. Good structure. Ruby translucence that’s a little bit darker than a typical Pinot. Light, fruity aromas. Medium bodied. Tart cherries, some dustiness to go along with its acidity, long taste. Tastes closer to an OR than a CA Pinot. Still young - I’ll wait a year or so to open my next one. Terrific qpr at <$30.

6/14/2018 - FlyinI wrote:

Prunes and alcohol on the nose upon opening. Good structure. Inky purple. Figs, prunes and some spice on the palette. Not a bad example of an amarone. Still some tannins in here so still has some aging potential. Will be interesting to see if my next bottle evolves into something more.

4/7/2018 - FlyinI wrote:

Powerful. An opaque, dark red Cabernet that is still very, very young. Teams with complex layers that show black currant, cocoa, dark bramble fruits, licorice, cigar box and sweet notes of vanilla. Long length, strong legs - a full-bodied beast that is all coming together beautifully. It's not in its prime window yet - I'll wait 3-4 years before I try my next bottle, but this will also be good for distant celebrations. If you can't wait, it's certain to be better on day 2 than day 1, and day 3 than day 2...

3/21/2018 - FlyinI wrote:

This has aged well. The wine has hazy clarity with color that has deepened to a dark, tawny garnet. Good legs. Mellowed tannins with medium acidity. Medium aromas of prunes, earth and smoked meat, which is consistent with its palette.

2/19/2018 - FlyinI wrote:

Let glass sit for over an hour. Ate with steak with mushroom sauce and cheese broccoli - wine improved with food. Hazy, dark purple. Surprisingly faint legs. Medium aromas of berries. Notes of sour cherries, herbal notes and spices. Its youth will benefit from time to let those tannins mellow out.

Update: Had the remainder over the next two days with successive days being better than the previous. This is clearly young and starts off muted. It needs a lot of air, a lot of time, or both to bring out its goodness.

2/18/2018 - FlyinI wrote:

+1 for costing $16.50. Rich, medium to full bodied, terrific structure, tannins were not overpowering but were present, cherries (but not too sweet) and a touch of cigar - fairly well integrated. Some sediment in the glass. It’ll be interesting to follow its evolution. This was superb paired with Indian food.

2/4/2018 - FlyinI wrote:

Big hit amongst our super bowl guests (fairly discerning group for the most part). I did not get to try, unfortunately, but got a few compliments.

2/2/2018 - FlyinI wrote:

Thinner and simpler than the last time from about two years ago. It is still agreeable with its smooth, sweet notes but more discerning palettes will prefer something more complex.

1/30/2018 - FlyinI wrote:

*blech* harsh mix of medicinal and herbal overtones. +5 for cleaning the system

12/31/2017 - FlyinI wrote:

Meh. -1 for QPR.

12/22/2017 - FlyinI wrote:

Inky purple, medium bodied. Day 1: muted, closed. Day 2: Ready to drink. Smoothed out tannins, still has some fruit, mild notes of chocolate, tobacco and leather.

12/16/2017 - FlyinI wrote:

PnP - needed to break this one out for a celebration. Hit the spot, perfectly. Lush, dense, velvety with the fruit, tannins and oak coming together. Still think it would have been better with time but it was so delicious we polished it off.

12/6/2017 - FlyinI wrote:

+1 Lefteroff's description.

11/24/2017 - FlyinI wrote:

Decent structure, dark purple, sweet aromas. Medium bodied with some tartness and minerality. Fruit comes out after breathing for 1+hr. Drinking window is closing on this one.

10/29/2017 - FlyinI wrote:

Opened 4 hrs before drinking. Had with steak and ribs glazed in soy and Worcester. Wine's fruits and tannins were well integrated. Smooth, medium bodied with a short finish - very quaffable, but not complex.

10/13/2017 - FlyinI wrote:

Medium bodied, some hints of oak, not a lot of complexity. Good with friends.

9/24/2017 - FlyinI wrote:

Crowd pleasing jammy-ness, a touch of smoke, pepper and some tannin. Good legs; fruity aromas. Robust enough to drink over 2-3 days. Fantastic QPR, which I'm not factoring into the score but maybe I should.

1/29/2017 - FlyinI wrote:

Consumed on a Sunday evening with friends - pretty good. Had with grilled ribs and oven fried chicken. Not a great QPR though.

10/28/2016 - FlyinI wrote:

Wondering why my wine shop recommended this

6/18/2016 - FlyinI wrote:

Thick legs, inky purple, sweet aromas. Heat from the alcohol is immediately evident, syrupy smooth, dark fruity flavors with a bit of spice in the end. Lengthy finish. A bit sweet for my taste but definitley a crowd pleaser and a great QPR.

6/11/2016 - FlyinI wrote:

Thick, inky, deep purple with sour cherry and cocoa notes. Will benefit with more time but getting close to its window.

5/28/2016 - FlyinI wrote:

Nice aromas, a bit thin but nicely balanced. Dark purple, decent legs. Some minerality, a twinge of graphite, moderate acidity, a twinge of graphite - not too complex but quite enjoyable.

4/29/2016 - FlyinI wrote:

Not a Fruitbomb. Lots of complexity. A bit disjointed with tannins that still need integrating. Somewhat better on day 2.

4/10/2016 - FlyinI Likes this wine:

Think this is moving past it's prime. Time to drink up the last of my stash (probably my best QPR wine ever).

4/10/2016 - FlyinI wrote:

Smooth, fruit forward. Not complex, but enjoyable with company. Went well with bbq ribs.

4/8/2016 - FlyinI wrote:

Expired

3/19/2016 - FlyinI Likes this wine:

Gorgeously smooth cab that's right within its window- oaky fruits, not overly complex. Had at Boca with T.

3/5/2016 - FlyinI wrote:

Had at Autre Monde with T. Better PnP than other reviewers led me to expect - maybe my wine storage is too warm and aging my wines fast. Dark, inky consistency with thick legs. Drank like an old world Syrah - not a fruit bomb - complex, smoky with notes of cherries. High quality juice.

2/15/2016 - FlyinI wrote:

Developing well but still young. Good structure, high alcohol, fruit bomb and tannic on day 1. Better on day 2

1/17/2016 - FlyinI Likes this wine:

Pleasant surprise! Big nose, thick legs, smooth, jammy, some oak, little bit of earth and licorice - great moment to open it up. Ate with terrific pork loin.