2/5/2023 - raek wrote:

Too much oak at the moment. Dark golden color. May want to wait another 5-7 years.

4/12/2019 - raek Likes this wine:

Bouquet of graphite, pencil lead and blue/black fruits. Tremendous finish. Dusty... Rutherford. Nothing tetirary. Should have a long shelf life. Dark purple. Zero heat. Nice fruit. Don’t think it’s closed at all for me at the moment. Had this same vintage a few years back. Seems to be about the same with no movement. Stored in offsite at 55 degrees.

11/8/2018 - raek wrote:

Barnyard, funk and mushrooms on the bouquet. Nice mouthfeel and extraction. Tannins and some acid to carry it through.

11/8/2018 - raek wrote:

Cigar box, cedar, tannins fully integrated with good acid remaining. Still very dark with slight bricking. Reminds me of a Bordeaux.

3/30/2018 - raek wrote:

Dark ruby almost purple. Extracted. Sweet fruits on bouquet. Cherries and raspberries. Cola. Little hot still. Tart on the finish from the acidity. Can’t believe it’s 14.6% ABV

3/26/2018 - raek wrote:

Slightly jammy upon opening. Hour into it the strawberry smuckers blew off. Violets, red fruits, bit of char. Nice acid and tannins. Medium finish. Nice effort at $20/bottle.

3/24/2018 - raek wrote:

Delivered from Ridge earlier this week. Black pepper and some candies fruits on the nose. As others have stated it’s really acidic right now. Maybe call it a bit green? Sour. Finish is medium. Probably won’t be buying any more. I prefer the 2011 and 2014’s over this one.

3/24/2018 - raek wrote:

Double decanted. Definitely old worldly. Blackberries, blue berries, graphite, crushed stones and plenty of tannins. After about a few hours this started to really have vanilla and chocolate notes. This will age for a long time. No rush to drink now.

1/11/2018 - raek wrote:

Might be at its peak. Forest floor, cedar, some tannins, short finish. Nice bouquet

1/6/2018 - raek wrote:

Next to Carlisle Vineyard I believe. PNP. Initially not much of a bouquet. Some earthiness. Acidity. Sour cherries. Drank it again about five hours later and the bouquet and palette is super fruity. Nice tannins still. This could use some more time. 14.5% ABV.

12/16/2017 - raek wrote:

2005 Realm Farella - earthy, dark purple still. Tons of tannins left. 15.7% ABV but hidden well. A bit woody/okay at this phase.

12/14/2017 - raek Does not like this wine:

No tannins left. Over the hill. Earthy, mushrooms, and soy sauce on the bouquet. Dirt? Over the hill...

12/12/2017 - raek Likes this wine:

TRB nose with loaded bouquet of fruit. Really nice and long finish. Smooth mouth feel. 14.5% ABV. Not too early to visit.

8/4/2017 - raek Likes this wine:

About the same as the last one in October 2016. Pencil shavings, and cedar bouquet. Really nice mouthfeel. Long finish. Totally drinkable right now.

7/21/2017 - raek Does not like this wine:

Really disappointed in this wine. Never had any of these in the past so didn't know whether this was a flawed bottle from a bad vintage or just bad. The wine was very thin and almost water like. There was barely any fruit - and I am not talking old world style. It just tastes like very astringent with no visible fruit whatsoever.

I am not going to rate this to be fair to the producer since it could have just been a flawed bottle.

5/2/2017 - raek Likes this wine:

Nice acidity. Sweet apples, honey and pears. Maybe some wet rocks. Initially poured effervescent bubbles like a fine champagne.

4/30/2017 - raek Likes this wine:

This thing is a beast. Really nice structure. Tannins and acidity in balance. Loads of fruit and thirty second finish.

4/11/2017 - raek wrote:

Petrol, lemon, and pears. Needs a little more acidity.

3/31/2017 - raek Likes this wine:

My bottle wasn't lacking acidity. This was nice and refreshing. Sweet white peach nectarine. Really fine Spatlese.

3/24/2017 - raek Likes this wine:

Surprisingly this is drinking really well for a 2013. Deep purple. Nice body and structure. No visible signs of oak. Seems well integrated already.

3/18/2017 - raek Likes this wine:

Bouquet of blueberry preserves. Not overly jammy. Tart cherries on the finish. Really nice. Wish the ABV was a 14 number but I can barely taste the alcohol at 15.6%.

Better than the Presenti.

2/20/2017 - raek Likes this wine:

Floral perfume. Others say cool climate syrahs are light and airy. This ones no exception. Almost drinks like a Pinot. No game or smoked meats. Mild acids and moderate tannins.

2/20/2017 - raek Likes this wine:

Chocolate and blackberries. Medium finish. About what I expect from Jean Edwards. Drinking really nicely.

1/18/2017 - raek Likes this wine:

Never seen a Chardonnay this dark. Very brown profile with a hint of crimson. Sweet melons, honey dew, thick, viscous, super long finish. Literally feels like drinking honey from a jar. Probably not the first thing I would grab but can appreciate the style. Very well balanced with just a hint of acid.

12/23/2016 - raek Likes this wine:

Really nice Bordeaux blend. Graphite, cigar box, and pencil shavings. Tannins are fully resolved. This thing is ready to drink now.

12/17/2016 - raek Likes this wine:

Agree with norzano. Almost thought this was suppose to be a sparkling rose with the effervescence of the wine initially. Lots of fruit if that's your thing.

12/9/2016 - raek Likes this wine:

Violets and floral on the nose. Nice acid and tannins. Excellent fruit. Definitely worth opening right now.

10/29/2016 - raek Likes this wine:

As others have said... dark ripe fruits it's almost riding on being a tad too sweet but balances out nicely. Dark chocolate, dark chocolate, dark chocolate! A very nice nose resembling a wide spectrum of blue and black fruits.

10/22/2016 - raek Does not like this wine:

Bouquet is not too bad. However, the finish is terrible. Just very very bitter.

Just a very strange blend of varietals.

10/15/2016 - raek Likes this wine:

Wife likes it. Does anything else matter?

10/1/2016 - raek Likes this wine:

My initial taste after the PnP was WOW! No noticeable oak. Dark fruits and finish tastes like chocolate. Menthol on the nose. After sitting in the glass for a few hours, the tannins become quite grippy. Have about 2/3 of the bottle left using my pungo.

Really really nice wine for the price I paid. Wouldn't hesitate to open one right now. Glad I have ten more waiting.

4/1/2016 - raek Likes this wine:

Drinking very nicely for an all in $20 Syrah. Cedar, oak, and sweet tobacco on the nose. Nice finish consisting of berries but can definitely taste the alcohol.

3/27/2016 - raek Likes this wine:

Pryby is dead on with his notes. I'm surprised how refreshing this zin is. The acid adds a very fresh layer to this wine. Jammy bouquet that translates to equally sweet red fruits to the palate. Long finish. Wouldn't hesitate to open this one now.

11/10/2015 - raek Likes this wine:

Agree with Walker. Probably on its last legs and needs to be consumed in the next few years. Age is really showing by its color. It is still very good so don't be afraid to purchase should this be available.

10/20/2015 - raek wrote:

Definitely can taste the age in this. Needs to be consumed soon. Flavor profile of chocolate and aged berries.

4/17/2015 - raek Likes this wine:

I believe if you have some, you need to drink it very soon. It's brown around the rim. Very smooth finish. A little funk on the noise, but otherwise a great wine. Got this on the close out sale from producer.

4/4/2015 - raek Likes this wine:

A lot of sediment buildup on the cork and neck of the bottle. Drank one glass last night. Cherries and other red fruits on the palate. Will update notes with second glass this evening.

3/9/2015 - raek wrote:

Not sure what I am smelling or tasting, but the wine is definitely bad. Barely any fruit notes. Smells a little musty and sour. Its too bad since this was my only bottle.

3/5/2015 - raek wrote:

Nice red and black fruits on the nose and palate. Lots of sediment buildup on the neck of the bottle. I think it has years left to age by the dark red/purple color of the wine. Finish is long and very smooth.

2/23/2015 - raek wrote:

Little vanilla and wood on the nose. Transitions to palate with a touch of smokey vanilla.

2/13/2015 - raek wrote:

Wow, this cab has a nose like a pinot. Never quite smelled a cab like this. Reminds me a bit like a bunch of Oregon Pinots I use to drink. Nose of jam and a touch of mint. Very soft and smooth with a long fruit finish. Is that eucalyptus? Glad I have another four left in my stash. This cab would be easy drinking for non winos.

2/11/2015 - raek wrote:

Good fruit on nose. Brownish color at the rim. It's probably time to drink now.

2/8/2015 - raek wrote:

Like others have said, candied cherries, soft tannins, and a little acidic. It's very light and not what I was expecting. Opened to pair with baby back ribs and the wine will probably get lost in it.

2/1/2015 - raek wrote:

Wine was okay. Barely any acid and alcohol is heavy. The last two i've had was much better 03 Dalla Valle and 03 Spottswoode (best of the three). I don't think this one will improve anymore with age.

1/21/2015 - raek wrote:

Wine was aged well. Hint of vanilla, chocolate and spices. Still very dark purple and red still. I believe it should still drink well for a few more years.

1/13/2015 - raek wrote:

Just as others have said, more time is needed to smooth out tannins and acidity. It kinda hits you in the face right now.

1/11/2015 - raek wrote:

Wow, this is drinking very well. Tannins are integrated fairly well. Dark red in color and a little funk initially on the nose. Lots of fruit left on this one. It should last a little while longer. Maybe a year or two.

1/10/2015 - raek wrote:

Over oaked. That's about all I could smell or taste. Even waiting about a day to drink the rest of the bottle, there was no improvement.

1/9/2015 - raek wrote:

Bottle was in perfect condition. The cork was still intact. Color was brownish indicating its age. Has a little funk to the nose, and tastes like strawberries. The finish is very short. Probably past is prime by several years. Drank over a few hours. Don't let it get too much air and drink pretty quickly. It was awful by almost the third hour.

1/1/2015 - raek wrote:

Opened this on New Years Eve. Very heavy sediment on side and bottom of bottle. Brownish in color indicating its age. Flavor profile consisted of mint, cherries and chocolate. Nicely balanced tannins and acidity. Very silky and long finish. Perhaps the best of 2014 in comparing it to other red Bordeaux blends I've had (09 Dominus and 09 Quintessa). I would venture to guess the Quintessa would be even better if matching the age of this Insignia. We had this with filet mignon, roasted brussel sprouts with aged balsamic, and mashed potatoes. Perfect pairing.