5/10/2024 - RichEB1 wrote:

Unfortunately this felt past it's prime for my tastes. Alcohol dominates while what's left of the sappy red fruit and spice is mostly in the background and faded without any intriguing secondary notes. Could have been an off bottle, but based off of this one, I'd say drink now and hope for the best.

5/5/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Absolutely outstanding chenin! Bright citrus, lanolin, and just a bit of sunshine to remind you that it's from CA. The perfect amount of structure and acidity creates an excellent, medium bodied mouth-feel and bodes well for future development. Great stuff - consider me 'all-in' again for the next release.

4/29/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

This is mountain zin at it's absolute finest. I'm a huge Bedrock and Sky fan, and the two combined is absolute magic. This was one of my wines of the day tasting this as a barrel sample at Bedrock Vineyard a handful of years back and it's even better now. It's best days are absolutely still ahead, but if you have multiples, it's worth checking in now as it's starting to open up and integrate and is outstanding with a bit of air. Fortunate to have more bottles in the cellar that I plan to enjoy over the next 15+ years.

12/22/2023 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

1988 Kalin Cellars Cuvee Rose Reserve, California Sparkling Wine. I purchased this recently from an absolutely pristine cellar where it had been stored, untouched, since release. So after the recent praise on the Blanc from the one and only @wgfkelley , needless to say I was pretty damn excited to open this. As always, my guy Mr. Kelley was spot on. This was absolutely incredible! As in....one of the better sparkling wines I've had in a long time. Beautiful pale salmon color with plenty or bubbles (see the 3rd pic/video) and a great nose filled with yeasty citrus and strawberries. In the mouth this is just amazing. Vinuous, energetic, and very fresh with more strawberries, baked bread, and some slightly bitter minerality on the very long finish. Blind, you would be hard pressed to clock this as a 35 year old sparkling wine from CA. A total stunner and a contender for one of my top wines of the year. Life is good!

4/27/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

It’s always fun to pop an older Louis Martini wine and I was especially excited about this Merlot since it carried the ‘Edge Hill’ designation. The cork was in great shape and when it poured an incredibly beautiful light red color with very little bricking (tried to get a few pics but they don’t do it justice), I know we were in business. On the palate this was truly stunning, and the words ‘etheral’, and ‘pretty’ immediately come to mind. It’s light bodied and just bursting with cherries, herbs, violets, and a hint of sweet leather on the long, acidity filled finish. Honestly, I would be SHOCKED if anyone drinking this blind would call it anything other than aged burgundy/pinot. What an absolute treat and everything that I was hoping for and more. I was able to score one more bottle of this at auction and already have my fingers crossed that it shows as well as this one did!

4/19/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

2017 Bedrock Wine Co, Dolinsek Ranch Heritage, Russian River Valley. The first 2017 that I've opened so of course I had to roll with a Dolinsek (one of the earliest drinking Bedrocks IMHO). This is just absolutely delicious. Brambly raspberry fruit and baking spice explode from the glass. I know 2017 was a 'challenging' vintage....but you'd never know it when drinking this wine. Maybe not the most complex Bedrock ever, but tasty as hell and literally impossible not to like. Well done fellas!

4/18/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Well ill be damned! I thought this would be dead and gone but it was not! I always take stabs at old CA 'Burgundy ' at auction when the price is right, as I've found that they often time over-deliver. I picked up this magnum for super cheap with very low expectations (I mean the label literally calls it 'premium generic wine', ha!), but when the cork came out in excellent shape and the wine poured a light reddish color with some slight browning and a nose full of cherries, spice, and autumn leaves, I got a little more excited. In the mouth, this is actually really good! Not even just interesting....but good! Black cherries, tart cranberry, a tiny bit of smokey leather, and a (believe it or not) slightly tannic finish! More than enough acidity and I'm loving the 11% abv! No idea what this wine is or was intended to be....but I highly doubt the winemaker was thinking 'I hope this drinks well 45 years from now' , ha! Cheers to nice surprises and those fun nights when the wine Gods smile down upon you when you probably don't really deserve it!

4/14/2024 - RichEB1 wrote:

Surprisingly, not as deep nor as exciting as the 2000 consumed a month ago. This still had plenty of fruit but felt a little empty on the mid-palate. Tasty and fun to open, but drink up!

4/14/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

The Rhone comparisons are spot on. This is tasty, albeit it a bit atypical from other Bedrock Heritage wines. Savory and herbal components along with red fruits. Blind, one would have a hard time clocking it as a Zinfandel blend. As long as you know what you're getting into when you pop one, it's a fun ride! Two left that I'll probably keep for a bit to see what happens.

4/13/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

2007 Sine Qua Non, Labels Syrah. Smokey blueberries with olive, spice, and a bit of pepper.  Plenty of fruit left, but the acidity is front/center here creating a medium bodied wine and a tremendous mouthefeel.  I honestly think that almost anyone would have a hard time not appreciating this wine.  It’s not huge, it’s not AFWE….it’s just great.  Smack dab in the zone and EXACTLY what I was looking for tonight. Life is good!

4/7/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Solid but not overly exciting. Dark fruits but fairly nondescript. For my tastes, it probably could use some more time. The 2013 recently was in a much better spot. Hold and see how it shakes out.

4/6/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

This was a solid wine and drinking very well, probably at peak. 2003 has never been my favorite Napa vintage and this bottle does not change that sentiment. That said, I'm a huge Vineyard 29 fan and they worked magic given the year. Deep/dark red in color with black fruits and smoke on the nose. In the mouth this is tasty, but for my tastes, it feels like there's a significant amount of cab-franc in the blend that overwhelms the wine with an herbal note that somewhat clashes with the dark fruits. It's still a really nice wine and I'm not mad that I had the chance to drink it....but it wasn't overly memorable. Call me crazy....but I think their zins are the best wines that they make!

4/5/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

1995 Kalin Cellars Pinot Noir, Cuvee DD, Sonoma County. Ohhhhh man. This was REALLY freaking good! Again I was fortunate to snag quite a few Kalin wines from the original owner who had them stored perfectly since release, and the amazing provenance is on full display. Beautiful ruby red color with some orange around the rim. On the nose it starts off a little funky but that blows off really quickly and is replaced with cinnamon and baking spice. In the mouth is where this really shines. Juicy, freshly picked strawberries on the entry, with tart cranberries on the mid-palate, and just waves of acidity. There is a ton going on here but it's almost refreshing to drink because of the acidity. The only slight knock is that falls a little short on the finish but we're really splitting hairs here. An outstanding wine and a true pleasure to drink.

4/4/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Huh! This 750 was SIGNIFICANTLY better than the magnum I had a couple years ago. That's probably because this was bought on release and stored perfectly the entire time and the magnum was an auction buy. Provenance matters boys and girls! Raspberry and brambly red fruits along with baking spice and pepper on the finish. Zero heat and drinking very young for a 20-year old zin. Definitely drink now and enjoy if you're holding as this aint getting any better....but well stored bottles are delicious!

3/31/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Just an outstanding domestic Chenin. Leo Steen is arguably making some of the best chenin blanc in all of California, which is saying something (Sandlands, Haarmeyer, etc are all in the running). Bright citrus fruit, lanolin, wool, and loads of acidity all playing together to create an excellent mouthfeel and just a really, really enjoyable wine. Drinking very well right now but no rush at all, and possibly some upside over the next few years.

3/30/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

This was a really solid, tasty, and structured cab. Dusty cassis and blue fruits in a medium + bodied frame. Very well made and leaning almost old-school in style while still retaining just the right amount of fruit. This was in a good spot with just a bit of air but I'll probably hold me remaining bottle for at least a few years. No harm opening one now but certainly no rush either.

3/29/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Absolutely love these older Kalin wines. Bottle was in excellent condition and drank very well. Plenty of fruit left but definitely no point in holding any longer. Drink up if you have any!

3/29/2024 - RichEB1 wrote:

Meant to grab the original release but snagged the late disgorged on accident. Oops. Not sure what to think about this one. The first couple days were pretty tight and I was getting quite a bit of the dreaded 'cider' notes, which is the first time I've experienced this with an Ultramarine. The third day was better, but it still tasted less fresh than the other bdb's I've opened......but this is the first late disgorded that I've opened so I don't really have a benchmark. Maybe I just prefer the original release bottles??

3/24/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

I love older Louis Martini wines as they are mostly well made and seem to age forever (I hear stories that they used to pasteurize their reds), so my expectations were fairly high since the bottle was in great shape and the color looked excellent through the glass. I’m happy to report that the wine did not disappoint! The cork was in excellent condition, and the wine poured a beautiful, dark purple color with almost zero bricking. On the nose it was incredible! Like a mixture of running through both strawberry and raspberry fields at the same time right after it had just rained. In the mouth this is delicious. Juicy bing cherries, with fresh herbs, cinnamon, and some tobacco. Very fresh with the acidity front/center. Blind, you’d have a VERY hard time clocking this as a 55 year old wine! Great stuff and exactly what I was hoping for and more!

3/22/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

I really enjoyed this. I think the best way to describe this Grenache blend is that it is a very 'pretty' wine. Lighter in color and on the palate with a subtle elegance to the red fruits and a slight bit of rusticity that adds a great deal of intrigue. While it might not be the deepest or the most exciting Bedrock ever, it's an excellent and very well made wine that was exactly what I was looking for tonight.

3/22/2024 - RichEB1 wrote:

Corked :(

But Chris and Morgan are awesome and said they will replace it :)

3/16/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

2014 Beekeeper Zinfandel, Montecillo Vineyard, Sonoma County. Just an outstanding Zinfandel drinking in its prime. The wine hits your mouth with big, dark, meaty zin fruit and plenty of pepper, but then it's all washed down on the mid-palate with loads of acidity creating a very balanced, medium-bodied wine. Outstanding stuff, and while it's always a treat to open a Beekeeper (especially one with age because these wines demand it).....I do wish I could source them consistently at lower prices.

3/15/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Yet again, my first reaction as soon as I poured the wine was ‘Wow!’! Freshly squeezed grapefruit is literally leaping from the glass. I honestly sat there and smelled it for a couple minutes before taking a sip, as I don’t think that I’ve ever gotten such a clear and precise nose of grapefruit on a wine before. Love it! In the mouth this is really well balanced with plenty of zippy citrus-filled acidity, more grapefruit, and a VERY slight herbal note on the long finish (*which most definitely adds intrigue and a more ‘complete’ feel to the wine). I’m sensing a trend here with these Tekstura whites in that they are delicious and almost refreshing because of the acidity and the overall balance, but they are also incredibly complex and demand your full attention. Right in my wheelhouse!

3/14/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

You always know exactly what you're going to get with a Mending Wall PS. A big, tasty, Inky black/glass-staining mouth full of goodness that somehow manages to never cross the line of being 'over the top'.
Not the most complex wine ever but its delicious, and hits the spot when you're in the mood.

3/10/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Tasty, rustic, raspberry and a bit of pepper. Alcohol distracts some but not much. A really good if not great zin.....which is more/less what I get from Rossi Ranch almost every time, no matter who the producer is.

3/9/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Classic Linne Calodo GSM. Big but balanced. Not quite the depth of top vintages, but tasty and enough going on to keep it interesting.

3/9/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Similar to my last bottle. Big wine but pretty well balanced. Deep Zinfandel fruit with only a little bit of heat. Syrah and Carignane add character. Drink now and over the short-term

3/9/2024 - RichEB1 Does not like this wine:

Oof. This was....not good. Love the artwork/label and a collaboration between the Soloman Hills Vineyard owners and Joey Tensley sounded like a nice story, but the wine is, unfortunately, pretty terrible. I know it's young but this is all heat/alcohol with a bit of cola and dark fruits. Blind, you'd be VERY hard pressed to call this a pinot. Honestly, I would have guessed something from Orin Swift or maybe the Caymus family. Yeah....it was that bad :(

3/3/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

This one was soooo much better than my last one. Seems to be some bottle variation with this wine possibly as the reviews are kinda all over the place. This particular bottle was great! Red fruits, savory, and medium+ bodied with plenty of acidity and a long finish. Liked this a ton and a completely different wine compared to the one I had not long ago

3/3/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Wow! Bright, zippy notes of lemon curd, citrus, and a slight herbal component on the incredibly long finish adds a ton of intrigue (still tasting this 45 seconds later). There is literally loads of acidity here creating a wonderful mouthfeel, providing perfect balance, and making this just an absolute joy to drink. It’s delicious and almost refreshing, but also very complex and contemplative at the same time. This has ‘Berserkers’ written all over it. Color me very, very impressed! I admittedly do not drink Albarino all that often, but this is, without a doubt, the best example that I’ve ever had……and it’s from Oregon! Candidly, I didn’t even realize that they grew Albarino in Oregon……but based off of this wine, they should be growing a lot more of it! Excellent stuff.

3/2/2024 - RichEB1 wrote:

This was ok, but basically all eucalyptus and not much fruit. Bottle was leaking a bit so let's chalk it up to poor storage. One left and fingers crossed it hits the high of the bottle a couple years ago

2/24/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Wow, what a ride!! I guess this would be considered somewhat of a 'Carlisle Unicorn ' at this point with only 25 cases produced 24 years ago, and I absolutely feel fortunate to have consumed it! First off, the color is beautiful (crimson red with essentially zero bricking).....but the amount of fine sediment in this wine is absolutely insane! Fortunately it does not detract from the wine which is a contemplative, yet utterly delicious at the same time. Blind you're calling Zinfandel because of the deep fruit and spice when it first hits your palate....but the acidity is very high and it has a juicy and slightly herbal component on the finish which would leave you scratching your head. I love wines like this - unique, tasty as hell, and keep you guessing. Life is good!

2/24/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Hartford zins are so consistently good. And they age very, very well. Medium bodied with the perfect amount of acidity and delicious, pure red raspberry and a hint of baking spice. Probably just past peak but still drinking incredibly well and should hold for the next few years.....but I'd drink now and enjoy if I had another bottle!

2/23/2024 - RichEB1 wrote:

Horribly corked. Such a bummer :(

2/22/2024 - RichEB1 wrote:

This one wasn't as fresh as my bottle a few months back. One left that I'll drink soon and hope for an experience closer to the previous one.

2/19/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

This was excellent! Deep, dark, black fruit but very well balanced and enough acidity to keep it from veering over the top. Tannins, while definitely still present, are fairly integrated to the point where it's creating a nice almost 'dusty' mouthfeel with the fruit (in a good way). Plenty of life ahead but I like how it's drinking now with a great mix between fruit and structure.

2/17/2024 - RichEB1 wrote:

I love Papera Ranch (one of my favorite zin Vineyards) and I also really enjoy WS Zinfandels....but I (sadly) do not drink them as often as they are pricey compared to the other wineries that offer similar quality (Carlisle, Bedrock, etc). That said, it's always a treat to open one of these, and while I enjoyed the wine, the challenges of the 2011 vintage are front/center here. It's amazing on the nose with red fruits and baking spice literally leaping from the glass.....but it's slightly weak hollow on the palate. Cranberry, raspberry, and bramble in the mouth but it doesn't have the depth of other vintages and leaves you wanting more. Still a nice enough wine and I'm not mad that I opened it....but I've enjoyed other vintages more.

2/17/2024 - RichEB1 wrote:

This.....was pretty disappointing. The 2011 Puccini is one of the better Bedrock's I've had so maybe my expectations were too high, but this was just average at best. Some raspberry fruit but mid-palate was a bit hollow and the wine was just flat overall. One bottle left that I'll hold for a bit to see what happens.

2/16/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Now this.....was really special!   I know that the 1973 is said to be Paul Drapers favorite Geyserville vintage so my expectations were fairly high, and I'm happy to report that the wine did not disappoint.  The cork was saturated to the top but no seepage, and it poured a dark maroon color with some bricking at the edges and a lovely nose of cinnamon,  violets, red fruits and a hint of carmel (in a good way).  On the palate this is fresh and lively with Deep dark black fruits, baking spice, and a little bit of leather which is all lifted by the acidity creating a medium bodied mouthfeel and a long, finish filled with cherries, a hint of dark chocolate and amaretto.  It's still evolving on my palate for a good 30 seconds after each sip, and continues to open up and improve in the glass.  Wow.  A legendary wine that is worthy of its reputation.  I was lucky enough to grab 5 of these at auction recently for what I felt was a great price, and this first bottle had by far the lowest fill out of all of them.  Needless to say, I'm very much looking forward to the rest, because if they somehow manage to show better than this one did, I'll be in for one helluva ride!

2/14/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Similar to my last bottle a few months back. Drinking well and certainly not over the hill. Enjoy now and over the next 3+ years.

2/14/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Juicy and bright! Young but drinking surprisingly well already. Hold for a bit if possible but no harm popping one now if you have multiples.

2/10/2024 - RichEB1 wrote:

More interesting than good. Spice and maybe some dark fruits and coffee. Nice enough considering it was a gift, but I definitely would not go out of my way to find this.

2/2/2024 - RichEB1 wrote:

Solid but unremarkable, and past it's prime. All structure and no fruit. I didn't hate it....but certainly didn't love it. One left that I'll drink soon as i don't see it getting better

2/2/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Such a beautiful and structured wine that is drinking well right now, but should age gracefully for many years to come. #GodGatherOfZinfandel

1/28/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Haven't had a Seghesio Cortina in a long time, and I'm happy to report that they are still very well made and delicious wines. Brambly zin fruit and plenty of structure and acidity. Drinking very well but there's definite upside over the next 3 to 5+ years.

1/28/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Classic Linne Calodo with big deep fruit, but balanced and enough structure to keep it from being over the top. Not the greatest vintage and there's a tiny bit of heat here, but not enough to take away from the enjoyment. In a good spot but probably still some upside to holding in the short-term.

1/28/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Last bottle, and just as great as the last two. Nothing else to really add here - beautiful red brambly zin fruit and nice structure. Drinking in it's prime - open and enjoy if you're holding!

1/28/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

As per other reviews, this was excellent! Super young for sure, but pure Cabernet fruit, plenty of structure, and a long finish make it absolutely delicious after giving it significant air. Plenty of upside, but the pedigree of the fruit is VERY evident here. Glad to have quite a few more to enjoy over many, many years.

1/27/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

1962 Chateau Des Jacques, Moulin-A-Vent, Beaujolais. Oh my God. This was absolutely STUNNING!! The color looked excellent through the glass so I had fairly high expectations, but as soon as I pulled the cork (Durand bottle for sure!), the scents of red berries and sweet Earth leapt from the bottle and I knew that I was in for a wild ride. In the glass, the color is even prettier than through the bottle. I had to take a pic outside to try and capture it (along with a really great AZ sunset). In the mouth, this truly stopped me in my tracks. It explodes with sweet red fruit and hints of cinnamon, then slowly progresses to rose and fall leaves on the mid-palate, and ends with an incredibly long finish filled with minerality and waves of acidity. I truly have no words here - one of the better bottles of wine that I can recall drinking in a long, long time. A stunning and completely etheral experience.

1/21/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Just so good right now. Bright citrus and orange rind, with some slight baking spice on the finish. Oak is fully integrated and the acidity is front/center. Just a medium bodied mouthful of goodness. Another example of why we age these wines....although it could absolutely go longer and possibly improve a bit.