8/26/2011 - cookiefiend wrote:

Well - evidently I expected way too much of this wine. I did not like it, I did not drink more than a few sips. Oh, it's not corked, that's not the problem. The problem is excessive acid. It's so out of balance, it's undrinkable. Since I have FIVE more, I will leave them alone for at least a year before trying another.

10/5/2015 - grafstrb wrote:

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over approx. 3 hours --
-- 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre, 5% Cinsault --

NOSE: red-fruited --- ripe; gently spicy; hint of garrigue.

BODY: violet-garnet color of medium to medium-deep depth; medium-full bodied

TASTE: still some bitter medium-fine tannins hanging around; ripe/sweet Grenache flavor, with a hint of bitter flowers; strawberry jam; hint of alcohol taste; not funky; no brett; tannins softened over the course of three hours; solid, but not exciting; still pretty primary, but this is obviously starting to relax and loosen up; no tertiary flavors yet; Drink or Hold.

50, 5, 12, 15, 7 = 89

8/9/2015 - fingers Likes this wine:

Pretty well resolved now and drinking in great form. Hints of smoke and spices, dried cherries, sweet and savory elements. One of the better CdP's in my memory. Oh yeah, it isn't CdP. ;)
Really nice wine, Mr Smigelski. Fully IPOB.
5+12+16+8= 91

7/24/2015 - fingers Likes this wine:

Just getting better and better. Followed over 3 nights but it was generous and shining within 2 hours of opening and drank well into the second night. Fell off slightly on day 3. The integration of oak and tannins over time has helped this out considerably . My estimate is this should drink well for a few more years, however it is ready now. Thanks, Smig.

2/23/2015 - mike l. Likes this wine:

stinky nose became more prominent 30 minutes in. think brett, dead animals, etc. very nice. the palate has plenty of fruit, as is normal for these old ridge bottles im learning. the heat and oak are completely integrated and transparent. there's a decent acidic lift, and tons of secondary zaniness. what a treat!

2/7/2015 - Bob in NC Likes this wine:

Drinking really well right now.

2/7/2015 - grayfont Likes this wine:

Man I like this stuff. Bright and pleasing, it stood out on a night when we tasted a wide variety of wines. Not one to ponder for a long time, but definitely a wine to call delicious and enjoy every last drop.

1/27/2015 - Eric wrote:

Pretty awesome, prototypical Napa Cab. Black cherry, cassis, and licorice. A little toasty oak, but this wine easily handled it. Quite delicious although perhaps lacking a bit of structure.

4/20/2014 - grafstrb wrote:

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted a couple glasses non-blind over approx. 1 hour --
-- 81% Grenache, 14% Carignane, 5% Syrah --

Savory; spicy; fruit is a bit more tertiary than primary; seems to be at its peak right now, but I’d be willing to bet that it would ride in the cellar for a couple more years; expressive; hint of brett?; richer/fuller than the ’98 Clos des Papes opened next to it; very good; two of four preferred this to the CdP.

1/11/2015 - tcarter Likes this wine:

Still going strong...

11/16/2014 - sdrum Likes this wine:

This is a very intense wine. Huge earthy tannins mean it will probably keep well for years, but right now it's almost on the bitter side. I tried it again after 24 hours in a decanter and it had smoothed out a little, so my recommendation is either a) cellar it for a few years or b) decant at least a day in advance. I tried it side by side with the CH 545 from Coombsville. That wine was more ready to drink today. Cameron touts both these wines highly on his web site. If you're goign to drink soon, I'd go for the 545 and save this one for a few years from now.

8/18/2014 - grafstrb wrote:

-- cracked and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over a few hours --

NOSE: moderate petrol; tropical fruit aromas are faint; lightly spicy – woodsy; simple.

BODY: full bodied; medium tan-yellow color; no spritz.

TASTE: sweet; papaya; mellow pear note; good mineral note; seems to be out of its infancy now (sweetness doesn’t come across as white sugar); 8.5% alc. not noticeable; acidity is low, but it is a touch tangy; slight petrol note; weak on the rear palate; good – very good, really -- but I’m not sure this will make it another 11 years without being much worse for the wear, so drink remaining bottles now or over the med.-term.

50, 5, 11, 16, 7 = 89

8/25/2014 - Fire Bill wrote:

Big wine. Dark purple fruits, a lot of acid and oak, but good oak, and even better fruit. I think that 10 years down the road and this wine will be in a great place...

8/18/2014 - ChrisinCowiche wrote:

This wine is in a very good spot. Nice caramel, almondy notes, with some fruit, peach maybe, and white flowers. Medium weight with smooth finish. Finding I really love Rhone whites with at least a few years age. Sadly this is my last bottle of this one.

5/18/2014 - Leomania Likes this wine:

A mix of tropical fruit and peach/apricot. For that, not sweet, good acidity. Really like this one.

7/31/2014 - GalvezGuy wrote:

Opened, cork immediately mushroomed showing the amount of pressure in the bottle. Allowed to stand open for 3 days to allow carbonation to dissipate. Poured a glass, huge whiff of vinegar, dumped the rest. Will probably use the rest of these as marinade, I don't see much hope for them.

3/3/2014 - Edclr Does not like this wine:

Cant believe I ever bought a wine like this. It's now a couple years later, and it is all alcohol and high extract. Nobody at the table finished their glass.

3/8/2014 - rdsboca Likes this wine:

I loved this wine but only two of us voted it best of flight. Big black fruit with that Alban charm and funky nose. Pure fruit. Travis actually guessed vintage, producer and bottling correctly on this blind. Bravo.

3/29/2014 - air guitar & pinot noir wrote:

I had been saving this one to reach peak drinkability. I was working a bit late and we were hosting visitors from Africa for dinner. I arrived home and saw my wife drinking a glass of wine and spied the bottle- only a little left. I asked here if she had drank the rest but she pointed to our guests who had tall glasses of root beer and she indicated they had mixed the wine and root beer together!!! True story! I had to share.

12/16/2013 - Winestein wrote:

Double decanted in anticipation of this last bottle of 2006, but what a disappointment. The distinctive, inky nose is still there, but the ripe berries have vanished. Astringency is still pronounced, but it has lost its balance. Just passed its best? Maybe. Or possibly cooked in transit as it was in a different batch from the previous tasted.

11/25/2013 - Rob MacKay wrote:

Opened 4 of these so far. All were fizzy. :(

Update: Opened all remaining bottles (8) and dumped them all. Every one was soda pop. If these are taking up any space in your cellar, you'd be best to free up that space for something else.

11/17/2013 - mtwehr wrote:

Dirty, tarry, dark mess of bitterness

11/3/2013 - caeleric Likes this wine:

2 hour decant, consumed over 5 hours. my wife had two observations that were pretty spot on: 1) the wine has a very interesting color. it's not bricking, but its color belies its age. it's more the color of a light- to medium-bodied pinot. 2) the wine really brought out the pepper flavors in our cast-iron cooked NY strips. i wouldn't say there's a strong green pepper aroma or flavor, but i agreed that something about the wine amplified the pepper on the steak. my main comment was that the wine smelled and drank like a 15yo wine, not like a 4yo wine. that's not a bad thing, but it was interesting. everything about the wine leaned toward elegance with a dash of austerity, though nothing was green or underripe or boring about it. i enjoyed it as a departure from my typical penchant for extracted and jammy napa cabs. if scoring, 87-89.

9/1/2013 - Rich S Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Dark purple color. Big nose of blackberry, cassis, charred oak and a bit of smoke. Similar flavors on the palate with a good amount of dark fruit and oak and some spicy dark chocolate notes on the back end. Medium+ acid and tannins with a moderate finish. The best sips of this wine were the last ones so it definitely improved with some air. I would let this wine age a bit more or give it a good decanting if drinking now.

8/3/2013 - mkmast wrote:

Very solid lighter textured wine. Great for a summer red wine. Bottle disappeared quickly.

8/5/2013 - MarkMich wrote:

This was a bad bottle. Fizzy on the tongue so unratable.

5/12/2013 - Number51 wrote:

Drink ASAP.

4/30/2013 - Eric wrote:

Faintly herbal notes on the nose, perhaps sporting a touch of slightly raw oak. A red fruited palate, seamless and pure, licorice and vanilla, moving to spicy cinnamon red hots. Wonderfully dusty tannins that gently coat the palate without clamping down too hard. For me the oak is quite prominent at this stage, but there is a lot of lovely raw material here. I still have half a bottle to revisit after a day of air.

4/27/2013 - bretrooks wrote:

Not decanted, consumed over ~1 hour. After an off bottle, this one was in fine form and performed well alongside a mixed grill dinner at a friend's house. Very similar to my 2/28/2013 note, with an additional spicy smokiness brought out by the sausages and chicken we had. I'm going to miss this when the last bottle is gone.

4/6/2013 - Tim Heaton wrote:

Slow-O 2 hours, served double-blind. No sign of age on the medium ruby core. Inviting aromas of garrigue, roasted meat, a toss of pepper. As or more inviting on the palate - nothing noble, but very complete. I was in the right region, but did not guess '06 or this modestly priced bottle. Much more enjoyable (for my palate) than the point-chasing 07 rendition. recommended

2/21/2013 - Fugu Me Does not like this wine:

Sadly over the hill. I think this may have been good 2 years ago, but the fruit was gone, acidity was gone, and I found it to be insipid and, well, blah.

1/31/2013 - WildeMeeuw Does not like this wine:

Kleur: Diep, opaak donkerrood Aroma / bouquet: Donker fruit, vanille, sigarenkistjeshout, laurier, een onaangename hoeveelheid Velpon (ethyacetaat). Deze geur verdwijnt niet ondanks vele uren beluchten. Smaak / Afdronk: Krachtige extractiewijn, wat mij betreft: 'anabolenwijn'. Krachtig, boordevol rijpe tannines, dik-sappig. Enorme lengte. Algemeen / potentieel: Wijn voor lijmsnuivers. Ik betwijfel of deze Velpon-lucht ooit gaat verdwijnen. Zo ja, dan heroverweeg ik mijn beoordeling. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 5 + Smaak / Afdronk: 12 + Algemeen / potentieel: 5 = 77/100

Color: Deep, dark opaque Aroma / Bouquet: Dark fruit, vanilla, cigar box wood, laurel, an unpleasant amount of Velpon (ethyl acetate). This fragrance does not disappear despite many hours of aeration. Taste / Finish: Powerful extraction of wine, for me: 'anabolic wine. Powerful, full of ripe tannins, thick juice. Enormous length. General / potential: Wine for glue sniffers. I doubt this Velpon air ever goes away. If so, I will write a more positive review. 50 + Colour: 5 + Aroma / Bouquet: 5 + Taste / Finish: 12 + General / potential: 5 = 77/100

1/28/2013 - bobpsi wrote:

Still hanging in there.

1/23/2013 - BrunelloBob wrote:

Bit of heat and a heavy, almost a vinegar effect, on the PnP had me concerned, but that passed in about 15 minutes. Good, smooth black/shiraz fruit and a fair amount of spice/pepper on the palate. Some nice tannin and a bit of acidity still here, but I'd drink it now. Good juice, 90 points easy.

1/13/2013 - Ak74 wrote:

Not worth $100

1/15/2013 - Champagneinhand wrote:

Great taste, very light on the palate, violet in color, large clear ring on the rim. Dark fruit, blackberry/boysenberry on the palate. Maybe a touch of vanilla and tannins are almost completely integrated. Nice pleasant finish with a decent amount of acid. I have to address the nose. At first it had some funk to it. Then a little ethanol followed by purple berries and the vanilla. Pretty good bottle of wine. Wonderful wine at this stage.

1/15/2013 - GalvezGuy Likes this wine:

Decanted four hours. Nose is a little shy and closed off but there are some nice black fruits along with anise, some vanilla, and spice. On the palate, rich, full, and silky with blackberry, blueberry, currants, vanilla, spicy oak. Finishes very long with nice acidity and substanital tannic grip. Hold 5+ years.

12/24/2012 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

True to the name, this is deep and dark in the glass. Black fruits and a nice hint of vanilla on the nose and palate. Well balanced with a decent finish. Good on PnP, great over the course of a few hours.

1/2/2013 - andtheodor wrote:

Black, oak, coffee, jam nose. Confected black fruit, cotton candy, acrid, bitter oak tannin. Repulsive without food and barely tolerable with it. I wouldn't buy this for any amount of money and after tasting through these closeouts, I can see why the label dissolved.

12/2/2012 - GalvezGuy Likes this wine:

Opened and left in glass one hour. Great nose of black currant, leather, smoke, sour cherry with hints of menthol. On the palate currants, cassis, red cherry, spice, mint. Finishes with nice balance and great grip. This will improve over time.

8/27/2012 - fingers wrote:

Delicious again. Holding it's structure and balance well, this is one of the better buys from the garagiste crew. Just what I'm hoping for in a Loire SB. 90pts, still

4/6/2012 - Leomania wrote:

Consumed over the course of 3 evenings; used Vinturi in all cases. Light in color, looks just like a Carneros Pinot as it is poured. Nose and initial flavor of Band-Aids, which subsides quickly and becomes less noticeable with additional time in the glass. Once that's out of the way, there's cherry, raspberry, tar and leather with a nice flourish riding on the ample acidity. Were it not for the initial flaw this would be a superb food wine, but as it stands I'm just hoping the next bottle doesn't exhibit this characteristic.

12/15/2011 - Bellissimo wrote:

Second Petite in as many nights. PnP. Consumed over 4 hours. Nice spicy, blackberry, nose with a little oak. Dark chewy fruit with substantial tannins. Petite all the way. Really liked the nose on this. Overall, overall enjoybed this more than the one last night.

10/4/2011 - lolo66 wrote:

after reading many reviews, I was worried. So I opened a bottle and tasted immediately and got the unpleasant fizz. I decanted and gave a one minute vigorous swirl and left alone for an hour. re-poured in bottle and served 4 hours later and the co2 was gone. The fruit is simple, but pure and easy to drink and certainly not offensive. I don't know if I was lucky with my technique, but would recommend this and see if anyone else has luck.

2/21/2011 - PSUSteve wrote:

Opened and poured an hour later. Smoke and red fruit on the nose. Light fruit with smoke and classic rhone on the palate. I think I would give it more air next time.

2/26/2011 - wineismylife wrote:

DAWGS February 2011 - Rhone Rangers (bstumps house in McKinney, Texas): WIML89

Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately.

Garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose is a bit subdued giving way to notes of spice, berries and wet stones. Flavors of berries, raspberries and a bit of cherry. Medium acidity, medium tannins, medium body. Drink over the next 4-6 years.

3/6/2011 - annerk Likes this wine:

50+5+14+16+6 Wonderful nose of tangerine and strawberry. Crisp but not overly acidic mouthfeel. Well balanced, worked great with chili lime rubbed grilled chicken.

3/18/2011 - Musedir Likes this wine:

Nice light red color, fresh taste with lively play of fruit and minerals, good nose, clean finish. Had ith a bked yam, spinach salad and spiy grilled chicken. Bravo! A most worthwhile Grenache.

4/10/2011 - Blue Shorts wrote:

This has improved since the last time that I had it. Great northern rhone style... it speaks terrior. A keeper!

11/13/2010 - caeleric wrote:

pop and pour consumed over two days. very light ruby color that suggests a relatively short maceration. everything about this wine screamed cotes du rhone, from the color to the nose to the flavors to the finish. so if that's the style dave was going for, he definitely succeeded. unfortunately, this is not my preferred style. i love what new world winemaking does with grenache, and this is definitely done in a more old world style. a good dose of smoke on the nose and finish makes me wonder about any damage to the fruit from the '08 wildfires. all that said, the wine is nicely balanced and very approachable if you're looking for old world rhone.