10/20/2022 - Rote Kappelle Likes this wine:

Opened after the rather splendid guzzler made in the same stable by MF Laurent (the 2020 La Rubiconde) and although this is mostly/all Syrah where the Rubiconde is apparently all Grenache, there is more in common between them than is different, despite the different grape.

The colour is deep, purple and red and tells you straight off to expect a lively, bold wine.

The nose is a wonderful spice bag of clove, anise, pepper, perhaps a little less roast meat than in La Rubiconde, plum fruit, some iodine/iron characters - in essence damned great drinking. I am already grabbing my sabre, donning my pelisse, cursing my valet for an indolent swine, and feeling glad that the cockchafer on my shako is in good form. Surely this wine imbues the drinker with the spirit of the Comte de Lasalle, a superb Hussar general, who once led a charge wielding his pipe, instead of a sword to show his contempt for danger.

Lasalle also showed the sort of dash that this wine inspires when he led a small party of friends and fellow Hussars behind Austrian lines so that he could 'liaise' with an Austrian lady and her household. Having completed their duties, they then had to fight their way through a party of aggrieved Austrian husbands. With a bottle of this Gramenon, one could easily woo the haughty Austrian frau and then trample the effete Austrian males.

Don't overthink this wine, because it is Hussar stuff and like them it aims for a short life, but a merry one. It is so pleasurable now, what is to be gained by cellaring? As de Lasalle said 'Any Hussar still alive at 30 is a blackguard'. Read what you want into his death in battle at age 34. Allez mon freres!

Even the miserable Prussians would find themselves grudgingly accepting, for a moment, that predestination is basically as stupid as any Catholic doctrine and that life's real meaning is to be found in the spirit unleashed by this wine.

A side note - this wine develops its best flavours and textures on the second day open. I did not decant, because what Hussar would decant, other than into his gullet?

10/30/2016 - Peter Kleban Likes this wine:

** (close to ***)

C: Dark red with a hint of brown
N: A nutty aroma
P: Some how bright and dark at the same time, with a very long finish. Medium body; solid and robust but very pleasant. Notes of dark fruits.
1/19/18:
Decanted about 90 min this time.
C: Dark, cloudy red
N: Mourvèdre!
P: Hardy Wallace, the mourvèdre magician, strikes again. Opens interesting, nice bright flavor with impeccable balance and very good length. After 40 min or so (and at the end of the meal, maybe that played a role) it's just singing! Hard to put the glass down. Just a terrific wine. Will it get even better with time? Dunno, but it shows no signs of decline at all.
On the next night, it had grown into a steady, deep and mature flavor that was very enticing without being tired or overly heavy. A hint of things to come? Probably.

12/6/2017 - Ben Christiansen wrote:

The Evangehlho vineyard. Got big bramvble rye fruit but with some action on the mid palate, needs some time to shake it out.

4/19/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote:

Hdr Closing Tasting: Nice showing. Meaty nose with black cherries. Very deep. 80/20 Mourvedre/Grenache. Some tannins. Drinking well though.

2/9/2017 - River Rat wrote:

Had a strange buildup in the bottom of the bottle. Looked like chicken skin bobbing around. Decanted it off but wine was stripped of aromas and flavor. Not sure what that stuff was but I didn't want any of it in my system. Draino!

2/25/2016 - bestdamncab Likes this wine:

2016 ZAP Trade Tasting, this is their top of the line zinfandel for $48 Retail and worth it, nose of briar, bramble, pepper, dark fruit, and allspice, more of the same on the palate, tasty with very rich and mouth filling fruit, good complexity, this winery consistently produces great Zinfandel and it showed today, big body, touch of heat on the mid palate, long, long, flavorful finish.

1/28/2016 - spicy1 wrote:

Looking back at the cellar tracker ratings over the last 20 years this has been a very consistent performer--generally around 89. I have had it numerous times over the years and thought it a decent high volume wine. Don't know how many cases they produce each year but it must be tough to blend it so it doesn't vary too much-even within a vintage. This bottle had an overpowering oak/vanilla taste with sour cherry--don't remember that from past bottles. The best I can say is it is a decent "supermarket" wine.

1/22/2015 - rmh66 wrote:

Opens up over 30-60 minutes. Beautiful nose of blueberries, brambly blackberries, smoke, ripe strawberries, earth, herbs, and a little baby powder. Bright focused acidity, followed by blackberry jam, caramel, red cherries, saline, bramble, earth, and some spice on the palate. Acidity is a bit tart, but with food turns bright and juicy. Dense, full bodied, with a layer of fine tannin behind the fruit. Nice finish. This wine was great. Rich, full, fruity, mouthwatering, and delicious. I practically guzzled it.

1/13/2016 - Ben Christiansen wrote:

130 year old vines on their own roots. They are essentially growing straight out of sand dunes notes Mike.

Very pronounced purply smell on the nose. And delicious mid palate weight, finishes with minerality and fruit. That is darn good wine.

Mike notes that they really work on the texture of the wine. And that is darn true at least with this wine.

10/18/2015 - Mike Kopanski wrote:

Before I even asked them to pour me a taste, I knew this was going to be good. Matt Clines's talent and experience, Contra Costa County, phylloxera free sandy soil, old vine, single vineyard Carignan. Let's just say it did not disappoint. I am a big fan of Carignan and have hands on experience working with it in California where I learned to appreciate the lovely rose petal aromas and pure strawberry flavors it can achieve, which this one does. Only medium bodied. The super dark pink to magenta color we expect. The rose petal nose is on point. This one has seen some oak. There is enough structure to the fruit that we pick up some mulberry and blueberry also. The 92 score is justified by the layers of spice, acid and oak behind the fruit on the finish.

10/20/2015 - MateusPetrus Likes this wine:

Wonderfully fruity, very tight nose requires decanting. Overpriced. Delicious.

10/22/2015 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine:

14.4% abv. Bright ruby red with expressive aromatics. Raspberry, cranberry, spice and distinctive old vine bramble highlight a deep and long palate impression. A hint of a tannic edge, this will continue to improve for several years.

My first '14 and this was a very positive introduction. Outstanding value.

9/26/2015 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Wow. Sourced from a pristine cellar, which is clearly evident by the cork which was in perfect condition and came out fairly easily with an Ah-So (which is impressive on it's own for a 46 year old wine).

Color is more towards a rusty red/brown, as to be expected for a wine of this age.

On the nose, more savory notes of leather, spice with a bit of mushroom that blew off after a few minutes.

On the palate, a lovely wine with red fruits, spice, and a distinct cranberry note that I kept picking up. Incredibly fresh for a wine of this age, with some tannins still evident.

A real pleasure to have the opportunity to enjoy this bottle. Just amazing that it's still drinking so well - a true testament to California wine making pioneers. History in a glass!

11/13/2013 - bkoeblitz wrote:

As I walk the Edge Hill Estate, I often think about the people who have come before me as stewards of this land. In 1867, General Erasmus Darwin Keyes purchased 1500 acres of primarily hillside land to the south of Sulphur Springs Road in St. Helena and named the property Edge Hill. Ten acres of Mission vines were included in this land, and Keyes immediately set about planting an additional 25 acres of what he called "foreign" varieties, many of which are planted today at Edge Hill. This land is home to an incredibly rich history, and in honor of our forbearers who established the legacy of Edge Hill, we are privileged to release our 2011 Edge Hill Mixed Blacks and 2009 Edge Hill Abel 1833 Cabernet Sauvignon.

General Keyes had 30,000 vines by the end of his tenure at Edge Hill, which made him the seventh largest grower in Napa. In 1872, Keyes sold the property to the second of three Generals that would own the property, General Richard Heath. Following his time at Edge Hill, Keyes became a popular wine and travel writer and spent the rest of his days traveling the wine regions of Europe.

The vineyards at Edge Hill were replanted in 1999, almost 100 years after the last vintage was produced from the estate. The varietals selected, by famed winemaker Paul Draper, represent a historical blend specific to Edge Hill. They include Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Carignane, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Alicante Bouschet. The 2011 Edge Hill Mixed Blacks is a dark, intense, beautiful illustration of staying true to the vintage and terroir. Impressive now with aromas of blueberry and ripe red cherry, we expect the 2011 vintage to age gracefully for years.

We are also pleased to release the 2009 Edge Hill Abel 1833 Cabernet Sauvignon from our Mt. Veeder vineyard. Named in honor of Abel Mignon, the homesteader of the property in 1833, this wine is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with a modest amount of Petite Verdot. Characteristic of mountain fruit, this wine presents a beautiful balance of power and elegance with bright blackberry and cassis aromas and a highlight of black fruit. Our second release from this vineyard, we are incredibly pleased with the progress of these mountain vineyards in making a truly unique wine.

1/23/2015 - DrewGoin Likes this wine:

Opened and poured without decanting /breathing. Rich, balanced, alcohol not overly aggressive at all. Amazing nose of violets and licorice, with fruit following after twenty minutes. Full-bodied, opulent yet balanced at all times. Brambly blackberries and earthy licorice that lingers on the finish. I was concerned with opening the bottle so soon, but have no regrets in hindsight. This gorgeous wine will last and continue to harmonize the flavor components over the next few years.

5/21/2015 - Bakerbd Likes this wine:

Bing cherry, boysenberry, earth, dusty tannin. Med acid, med - body, refreshing, best with a light chill. Have heard D&R wines compared to cru beaujolais and that seems appropriate here.

5/10/2015 - texaswinelover wrote:

How does mike officer make such an amazing wine for $20+? Varietal correctness, beautiful color, touch of oak, bursting red fruit, wildness and underbrush, so complex yet quaffable. Doesn't get better for the price.