7/18/2020 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

It was so good with ribs, we opened our other bottle.

Apparently I neglected to inform our 2 guests they were limited to two 4 ounce pours.

12/16/2020 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

Great with ribs


If you like your ribs wet, don't use your good wine glasses. Wife gets angry when the get all smeared with sauce and then you drop and and break one. Happened to a friend.

Seriously....this really is great with smoked baby back ribs. Has alot of flavors going on and stands up to even some of the spicier sauces.

6/1/2019 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

Drink now, dark berries and fruit is fading, but still a soft pleasantness. Leather, cedar, more pronounced, as in other 2019 consumption year reviews (they were spot on).

Saved this wine for my son's graduation. (Its his name). Honestly excited to open, for a couple of reasons. The wine aged gracefully....BUT...its a good thing he graduated in 4 years.

The wine is well made and delightful. So easy to drink. Wish I could afford to drink it routinely. :-)

5/13/2019 - TonyHamlin wrote:

Not memorable. Which means is was good, but not great, and more importantly, it didn't suck.

5/11/2019 - TonyHamlin wrote:

After searching over a year for the 2013, when WS rated it so well and made it difficult to find...and a not-so-short argument with a well meaning Total Wine employee on a ladder that the 2014 wasn't the same as the 2013...and bribing a good, but well-skilled-negotiating friend (he got 3 bottles to bring it back from Florida to Indy)....and aging it for about 4 more years....

It was amazingly good. Deep, dark, strong, soft. Out of the bottle, a little stiff, but decanted, it became silky smooth. I wish I would have bought more. If I could have only found more.

THIS is why we hunt low priced, but well rated and well made wines.

If only later vintages were as well made....

6/25/2018 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

Although past it's peak, this wine is still quite delicious. It paired well with a Papa Murphy's New York Style Pizza.
That's actually true. When you crave pizza and good wine, sometimes you don't care about value of each, right? Or is it just me
Ok, so maybe I'm not quite normal.
The wine is obviously well aged, but still a little hot. Lingering finish, classic grenache flavors, but very well refined. Probably would have been a 90 last year, with some proper food pairing and decanting. This still a very good quality wine IMHO.

1/23/2016 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

I opened this looking for a good pairing with beef burgundy. Julia's version: The paininthebutttomake/lovecooking version.

Wanted something more substantial than a 'peanut of the night', but not too heavy.

Nailed it.

Mellow, not boisterous. No heavy fruit. Earthy. Bit of spice. Tad bit of licorice.
Easy drinking classic GSM, of which I'm a loyal fan.
Great winter wine, but hey, most wines are good in winter, right?

Nice long finish, smooth mouth, balanced.

Will buy more.

6/26/2015 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

Having given up my search for under $15 cabs that are decent, I've moved on to $20 cabs. Yeah, I know, big money here. The reality is I want to keep about 12 wines at or under $15 "upstairs" to pair with just about any food during the week, and then keep the "cellar wines" for special occasions.
My continual search is for a good "upstairs" cab. This is by far the most difficult wine to find that is decent for under $15.

Now that I've over-shared, here's the wine:
$22 at Cork & Cracker. If you buy enough wine, you get at 10% discount, so it's now a $20 Napa Cab.

And it's good. Very good in fact. Very smoooooth and drinkable. Reminds me more of a merlot, as a matter of fact. Decanted for over an hour, and I'm not real sure I needed to. Soft tannins. Dark berries, touch of plum, hint of vanilla from the oak. Nothing harsh here. Simply well balanced and well blended unobtrusive wine.

Certainly not the stiff, bold, Napa Cabs that we all know and love.

Will buy again. This has become my new "upstairs" cab.

Feel free to send me under $15 suggestions for cabs, however. I'm always hunting, and love not spending lots of money.

That's the fun/maddening thing about wine. Soon as you find something perfect, it's pretty much not going to be there in near future.

6/27/2015 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

Red colored. A very light taste of ride berries, softly dry. Light and smooth, touch of earth to remind you of pinot. A good lingering finish.

The wine is pretty much delicious. These guys know what they are doing.

Miles Raymond would have liked this pinot noir.

12/24/2014 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

Very interesting wine. Not normal. But good. Real Good. It's been too long since we drank it, yeah I'm a bit absent minded, to do it correctly. It does stand out, as being not normal. And for being "Hey's this different.Yah it is....Can I have yours? NO You may not" table conversation.

Luna vineyards is worth the stop when you're in Napa. Great starting post for the day's trip. The folks there were very kind, and provided us some excellent advice on some interesting drives and must-see's and don't bother's. Add advice was spot on.

Obviously, this is not a tremendously popular wine/winery. But that's kinda way-cool to me.

2/8/2015 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

This was an experiment in aging decent inexpensive bottles 2 or 3 years.
Paid a whopping 12 bucks for it 3 years ago.
And yeah...it was very good when we opened it. The difference between the aged vs the the current is striking in smoothness. Tannins were subdued and dark berry flavors more structured.

Try this yourself. Its a cheap but fun challenge.

I know "shocker alert: wine ages".

But for improving a $12 wine it was cool.

11/20/2014 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

One Word to describe this wine: Awesome, amazing, classic, bold, balanced, deep, long lasting flavor, aromatic.

and one final comment:

"This is why I love Napa Cabs".

12/20/2014 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

Surprisingly good. Not sweet, well balanced. Good wine to start and evening.

Excellent for display & conversation, after all who doesn't like discussing Brad & Angelina? Sure beats talking about a Kardiashian.

Or for the knowledgeable, discuss it's connection to Beaucastel....

10/12/2014 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

Was looking for an inexpensive CDP, found this instead.
I'm a huge fan....I love this wine!!!!
Dark but not too much. A bit earthy. Bold and robust. Dark berries, a bit of tannins, long finish.
Not for the timid.
Wonderful example of the southern Rhone reds, for which I have a affinity. Famous wine maker.... at a fair price.
Will be buying more.
Decanted a couple of hours.

7/12/2014 - TonyHamlin Does not like this wine:

Uhmmmm....yeah...well....this one tasted kinda funny. In a general sorta way. Yeah it was a cab sav. But, well, uhmm...it just tasted funny.

Still looking for a good $20 or less cab. This "find" wasn't it.

I might try another bottle...the wine dude at my local shop was high about it. He's usually right on my tasting preferences.

7/12/2014 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

Very good zin. Our bottle was a bit older, but that just seemed to make it smoother. I could probably add a couple more "o's" to smooth. Good fruit, Not jammy. Bit o pepper here and there.

Bought this in 2008 while roaming Napa. Why in the heck didn't I buy more!?! Napa wine prices are kinda rising....

7/12/2014 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

Just another lower priced Napa Cab....absofrickenlutely delicious!!!!!

Not a big/bold as the higher priced Napa cabs, but then again, I didn't pay that much for it. Compared other recent cabs I've enjoyed, it had a touch more fruit/berry up front, but nothing that took away from the overall flavor. Wasn't heavy on the tongue, good tannins and structure. So very drinkable after a short decanting.

7/12/2014 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

Loved it. For the price, really loved it!

Nice bold Italian red and a great price. A dude at the wine shop I frequent bought two cases, after having a bottle at a dinner. I jumped on that bandwagon.
Pricey still for me. But am still a huge fan.

Tastes like good Barolo. Go figure.

7/12/2014 - TonyHamlin wrote:

Kinda fruity/jammy. Not big or bold.

Wife liked it. Reminded me of inexpensive jammy zinfandels.

Interesting blend. Not a bad wine, just not my thang.

Cool bottle art. This is a good 'extra' bottle of wine to bring out at a wine party, later in the evening when you're looking for something with less bite.

2/8/2014 - TonyHamlin wrote:

If I could have only wine the rest of my life....it could very well be this one.
Great with or without food.
Tannins are there, but are repressed to the point that the wine is freaking smooth...and still oh so rich.....
Balanced to perfection ( albeit the gentle reader must recognize that the gentle writer is on a budget and not exactly a first growth aficionado), this wine hits all my happy points.
Pouring it in the decanter makes one salivate.
Ripe plum and dark berry, finish that holds for a couple of minutes.
Cannot go wrong here folks.
Not a complex wine but wine does not need to be complex to taste good, does it? Not an orchestra, rather, think smooth jazz.

I like blends: the artistry of the wine maker allows him the flexibility of maximizing the harvest for the year, presenting us with a beautifully flavored wine that he, or she, through whatever process, takes a sip and says "yeah, that's it".

10/10/2013 - TonyHamlin wrote:

Perhaps my expectations were set to high by the salesman....
I love buttery-creamy-offdry-bit of vanilla-bit of citrus- well balanced chard.
But I probably should talk about this wine.
It was Not That.
Over paid for what I thought I communicated clearly to the salesman what I wanted. We had a failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach. So I got some " myeah-- it's not bad" chardonnay .

12/23/2013 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

Slightly tannic soft fruit Cali pinot noir. absolutely delicious with salmon.

Take my advice, gents...
For a perfect date night dinner at home:
1. go to your favorite fishmonger & get good salmon. Dont get the real strong flavored salmon, go for the medium. Rub with garlic pepper. Marinate for 2 -3 hrs in equal parts brown sugar olive oil and soy sauce.
2. Put on you best come-hither shirt and Chill a little off dry champagne . Not sweet!
3. Serve the chilled champagne, toast to something, then go start your grill. Put this Pinot in a cooler. Needs to be a bit cool...NOT cold. (engage in conversation, make sure to ask about her week.)
4. Use an oiled fish grilling basket to grill your marinated salmon.
5. While the salmon rests grill some asparagus tossed in olive oil a little course salt and cracked black pepper.
6 serve a small spring mix salad tossed in a small amount of evoo, local honey, and a few grains of salt. Finish your bubbly with the salad.
7. Serve cooled wine with the amazing salmon and asparagus.
8. The remaining wine is dessert. Yeah...it's that good. You'll want to finish the bottle.
9. Dont try this with another pinot. Don't overdo the salt.
10. Youre welcome. ( yes you very well may want to thank me).

:-)

10/24/2013 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

Wow.
Any got any more?
If you've been to their winery, this wine will return you.
(remember that scene in the cartoon movie Ratatouille ? Yeah, like that.)

Dark color.
Think dark fruit but not overly.
Very smooth mouthfeel.
Why didn't I buy more???

10/24/2013 - TonyHamlin wrote:

Good go to wine. Seriously dude....can't miss here.
Semi flavorful semi spicy semi fruity.
Very easy to drink.
Doesn't blow you away.
Wives won't complain when you open it up, however.
Ravenswood is as good or better for a few bucks less, but its just not as sexy.
Great Thursday night at home wine, or half priced bottle night wine at your local grub house.

10/5/2013 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

This is good. Fun wine to enjoy with weber grilled steak and sweet taters.
Aroma does not match flavor...soft barely there aroma, taste is nice full flavor of plum (esp from wifes perspective) blackberry and a touch of pepper finish.
Velvet in the mouth.
Nice to drink a well balanced 2004 in 2013....where were we all in 2004?
I was probably drinking bud light then...or white zin...

10/4/2013 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

This wine is weird. But in a good way
Think dark dark fruit. Dark wine. Decanted for a while but still oakey, but a good level.
Lots of flavors going on. Not for timid wine drinkers. And don't make the mistake that we made and drink this after a light wine.
You'll get a "what the blank is this" moment on the first couple of sips.
After half a glass, however, it will be delicious.
excellent option for a wine party, to show unique flavors from around the world.
You gotta try this wine. Trust me, I'm an accountant
.

10/5/2013 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

Nice medium light easy drinking Beaujolais
Excellent snacking wine for "Friday night don't feel like a restaurant stay home for dinner and have some crackers meats and cheeses and olives kinda wine".
Short finish. Good acidity.
Will get this for our next picnic.
Cool the wine a bit and it will really perk you up.

7/13/2013 - TonyHamlin wrote:

A bit more fruit forward than expected for a Napa Cab, but that goes away quickly, leaving you with solid Nap Cab taste. To be technical, I would call this wine kinda delicious. Didn't slap me silly with how good it was, but the aroma during decanting made my mouth water and my belly rumble. We thoroughly enjoyed the bottle with some (humbly speaking) fantastically grilled steaks.
Dark color, full body, good finish.

6/22/2013 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

First of several bottles for the evening with friends, so memory is a tad bit sketchy.
Young, nice solid feel, oaky and dry. Slight fruit and lil pepper.
Solid cab, but not the classic big and bold napa cab.
We all went "mmmmm" after tasting. Decanted one hour approx.
Bought it to drink in 2014 and 2015, specifically for some big ol greasy ribeyes on the grill. Snuck in to it out of curiosity.

5/31/2013 - TonyHamlin wrote:

Oops, wrong wine.

7/4/2013 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

Although past the recommended window, this wine really full of flavor. Not sweet, but a pleasant balance. Soft texture, but still a full body. Long on the palate. Wish we had another one.
I will be buying another Cab Franc Rose. Theoritically I won't be so absent minded about the drinking window.
So much wine...so little time....

6/5/2013 - TonyHamlin wrote:

Good Merlot for the price. Doesn't blow you away and make you fall in love, but well worth the $16.95 I paid for it. Ok, I will say it did make me drool when I poured it in the decanter.

Dark garnet, full flavor, full aroma. Not an extraordinary finish, but still quite good. Again, for the price, it was very good.

Probably a couple years past it's prime?

4/6/2013 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

Aromatic. Solid feel. Good finish. Nice finish.
Carnegie's "Oh No Mario's Slowing Down" did not apply here...the only disappointment was that I had only one bottle and had to share it.

3/29/2013 - TonyHamlin Likes this wine:

Light ruby color, slightly cloudy. Neutral aroma. Soft fruit and earthy flavor. Very long finish. Light velvet texture.
May have been a year or two past prime.
Not a Pinot Noir fan per se, but this was truly excellent wine.
Enjoyed on a sunset beach walk in Florida. (Three Buck Chuck probably would have tasted good that evening. )
Wish I had more.