8/17/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

explosive fruits, almost electric in the mouth. schmitges style.

8/13/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

not bad for a texas wine. refreshing and pronounced fruits. had rhone varietal structure and was guessed at a blind tasting.

7/1/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

like a full, rich white burg with bubbles. delicious, but i'll hold my last bottle in hopes of additional complexity to justify the price.

6/27/2013 - jasonbolton wrote:

needs time

6/16/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

plum, earth, and some funkiness. balanced and tasty.

6/12/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

grapefruit, vibrant grass, and pine on the nose and palate. creaminess and a wholly un-sauvignon blanc flavor - to me anyway. it's got a vivid forest taste, loads of minerality, and a rich full mouthfeel. i can't wait to see what it becomes, because it's already singing.

6/10/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

this wine was delicious. still young and primary but manages to pull out a fair bit of complexity. the most striking feature was that despite the lightweight package, the wine felt so dense, rich and flavorful. to continue the contast, the wine balances an intensity of flavor with a creaminess at the end, and a beautiful sweetness with ample acidity. i didn't realize how much acidity was present until i felt a twinge in the throat like i had swallowed a few cups of lemon juice. it pulls out perfectly balanced.

6/7/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

good wine. smooth and yeasty. seems to me like the pinot gave it a sappy fruit quality that was delicious. plenty of acid but never tart.

6/3/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

agree with mark, very muscular and full bodied. very little fruit on first showing, lots of pepper and veggie flavors. begged for food.

6/3/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

pretty delicious

5/28/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

delicious wine to be sure, but lacking a bit of expression. i'm guessing too young, awkward time.

5/23/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

drinkable and appealing. i can't speak to the future but it offers pleasure right now. nice fruit and slightly oaked, simple sipping.

5/23/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

this changed every ten minutes in the glass and continued to evolve for 3 days afterward. intriguing spice and licorice on the nose. on the palate, so so young. iron, earth, sour cherry, pepper, grapefruit and pith. intriguing to be sure but really left me with high hopes for the future,

5/21/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

round, creamy, and elegant with great acidity. a soft green apple on the palate. tangy pine needle on nose. i suspect this will get much better, the flavors are somewhat melded at this point but it's delicious juice. 92+

5/10/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

i think i did this bottle a disservice by drinking so soon. powerful lemon, tart green apple and dough, high acid. better the second day, and still has good bubbles. needs to sit and integrate a while.

5/1/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

Damn tasty juice. Ample acidity. No worries about holding.

4/22/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

casually enjoyed. was delicious.

4/8/2013 - jasonbolton wrote:

nose for days. broad, rich, effusive. mouth watering acidity, sweetness, creaminess, flowers, bread, the smell of water. this is a serious wine. i agree that this wine can go for a lot longer; 27 years old and drinks like it's just bottled. super fresh.

4/8/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

not being a big fan of chards, this surprised me with its depth and drinkability. well balanced and poised.

4/1/2013 - jasonbolton wrote:

lacking a bit in acidity but strong flavors and never really got cloying.

3/18/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

half-bottle- soft, elegant, so much finesse. tannins were well-integrated, good amount of acidity present, everything in perfect proportion. leather, mushroom, ash, a little vanilla, just delicious.

3/18/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

precise, direct, chalky, a bit creamy at the end with juicy acidity.

3/12/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

gorgeous wine. 14% alcohol but not an ounce of heat or imbalance. you can sit and sniff this beauty for days, lemon, savoury, minerality and a hint of that riesling tang. the body is powerful, dry but there's a core of sweetness that keeps the acidity in check. the taste is just...drink it.

3/5/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

nice, light bodied, peppery, stemmy, bit of easy fruit. one thing i can't get past however, is the unmistakable taste of marijuana. someone may have spilled the bongwater into the fermentation tank. also, a bit of heat on the throat.

2/26/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

blind. easily recognizable as a cali chard, nose and palate. every type of creaminess under the sun, vanilla, butter, caramel, bit of toffee. baked apple palate with butter and a bit of lemon/lemonade refreshment. despite the big flavors, not overdone, oak only slightly perceptible at end. flavors drift in and out of reach. hours later, became more refreshing, perhaps a cooked rice smell on the nose, yogurt creaminess in the mouth.

2/26/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

blind. super lush, powerful, fruity nose that suggests sweetness. plum, blackberry and oak also. the palate is extra smooth with a dense mouthfeel. fruity and powerful, but well-balanced with oak and acidity on the back, nothing out of whack. nice to sit back with and enjoy the ripe fruit and excellent winemaking.

2/18/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

brought to a blind-tasting, i thought it would be informative. was thought to be cru beaujolais or a bad attempt at pinot noir. earthy, cherry, a little licorice, and a very light body. the acidity is very high, no surprise, being champagne. i genuinely enjoyed it, it tasted like a simple, enjoyable table wine. of course that's not true in america, its price reflecting its rarity. but it was educational to taste the backbone of champagne in its still form.

2/18/2013 - jasonbolton wrote:

while this is good, well structured, and without any faults, it's also not very distinctive. a bit expensive for what it is, a solid, delicious rose champagne.

2/13/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

nice round, california pinot. not overripe, very subdued for the alcohol level. good acid, balanced very well with the oak. strawberries for fruit and spiciness on the tongue. just a touch of heat in the throat after swallowing.

2/11/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

balanced saline and acid palate, dark fruits, beautiful balance. three left, check back every two years. i am excited for this to improve

2/11/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

dough, citrus, stone pebbles, acid that floats above. this was not bad.

2/10/2013 - jasonbolton wrote:

Salty, cherry, hint of smoke/leather. Heat on the throat.

2/8/2013 - jasonbolton wrote:

a bit simple, with a bit tannic ending.

2/8/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

honey, white pepper and enough acidity lingering right below the surface. not bad.

2/4/2013 - jasonbolton wrote:

a bit one dimensional with earthiness and leather.

2/3/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

high acid but well integrated and creamy. minerally but still refreshing.

1/21/2013 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

leather, small cherry, tart and delicious

12/23/2012 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

tasty acidity. big strawberry candy nose/palate. not too bad

12/23/2012 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

this was delicious. wish I had more than a half bottle.

12/23/2012 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

seemed a bit past its prime. was a bit muted and non distinctive.

12/17/2012 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

i've never had a northern rhone wine, and i chose this one specifically to see the style. it was part of a syrah tasting, so i don't have detailed notes, but i did enjoy it. on the nose there was a musty, barnyard-y, salty quality, someone also smelled rubber or plastic, like a band-aid. on the palate it was much less funky, mainly a salty quality, a bit of leather, maybe a subdued cherry flavor. the thing i enjoyed was an amalgam of intriguing earthy flavors with a juice acidity that warranted continued drinking. while i'm sure it could have been better, it was very delicious and i don't regret my choice.

12/13/2012 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

a very good, simple, party wine. i open these around a lot of friends when careful inspection and introspection isn't the order of the day. also great for people who 'don't like' wine. noticeable sweetness, maybe a bit more than off-dry, with a cherry taste at the beginning and ending with a slight tannic edge. tasty and quaffable.

12/13/2012 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

no lengthy notes on this one, i sabered the top off and the bottle basically broke in two. what was left was very good, fine bubbles and a round middle, very smooth. there was a creamy note in the middle i enjoyed, and also a bit of dough or baked bread. i'll be more careful with the next one.

12/11/2012 - jasonbolton wrote:

very interesting note. funkiness on the nose, a bit like dry-erase marker. the taste wasn't as sweet as i expected, and the finish was an enjoyably round acidity.

12/7/2012 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

on first taste - juicy and cranberry flavor and tartness with a slightly thin mouthfeel, but balanced with oak for a delicious effect. cherry. on the finish a bit of smoke and vanilla. overall enjoyable.

12/6/2012 - jasonbolton Likes this wine:

refreshing and easy-drinking. slightly effervescent. off-dry, but with a noticeably crisp acidity. flavors of citrus, maybe grapefruit. i enjoyed it but the depth of flavor wasn't terribly exciting.