12/15/2018 - dartboard Likes this wine:

The body is light/medium. The wine has flabby texture. The wine finishes short. The wine has medium acidity. The legs are fast. There is no sediment in the bottle.

11/23/2009 - dartboard wrote:

As expected, this is drinking very young. After 24 hrs decanting it is opening up with some very bright, luscious fruit but still very tight tannins. Waiting another two years and probably buying a bit more of this. 90-? pts, hard to say.

10/21/2009 - dartboard wrote:

Still young, tannic. Developing slowly as a 2005 bordeaux will. Wish I had more to try in a few years, but this is it.

8/8/2009 - dartboard wrote:

nice, well-aged. probably time to drink it.

7/8/2009 - dartboard wrote:

Very strong sour cherries on the palate but nicely drinkable. Cork looked fine but wine tasted a bit oxidized, older than the vintage might indicate.

6/25/2009 - dartboard wrote:

nice job, had a 375ml bottle and popped and poured. muted vanilla and oak, as others suggest. nice fruit and a very smooth finish.

5/28/2009 - dartboard wrote:

Light, toasted vanilla/oak, nails the $20 California cabernet style perfectly. Enjoyed it.

5/11/2009 - dartboard wrote:

Extremely bright red, juicy fruit flavor and not terribly tannic in my opinion. Drinking pretty well now.

If you are thinking about aging this for several years I urge you to try at least one bottle soon (or try a sample from the tasting room at the vineyard) before laying these down too long. I set my drinking window to 2010-2014.

4/28/2009 - dartboard wrote:

This is still drinking very young, several hours of decanting left it very tight. Shows promise. Will try again in late 2010.

4/17/2009 - dartboard wrote:

see previous notes, still drinking very nicely. 2 hrs decanting.

4/13/2009 - dartboard wrote:

Very unique wine that is definitely not what I would call accessible and at first taste, a bit off-putting. It has a slight zing on your tongue, almost a menthol quality. This could be what some tasters refer to as a tobacco characteristic. However, after the first few sips and a bit more air-time, this wine became interesting and appealing. It's worth trying -- just don't expect a fruit bomb or a straight-up, generic cabernet blend.

3/28/2009 - dartboard wrote:

tasty, refreshing. very light in flavor.

3/4/2009 - dartboard wrote:

simple, clean fruit. nothing spectacular but better than an average wine of this price.

3/2/2009 - dartboard wrote:

Very nice, spicy cote du rhone with a bit of eucalyptus. Great value for this baby CdP.

2/5/2009 - dartboard wrote:

Nice, flowery bouquet. Good firm tannins after 30 minutes decanting. This is still drinking pretty young, 3-4 years of life in it at least. That said, I don't regret opening this up even though it was my only bottle.

2/2/2009 - dartboard wrote:

Over-the-top fruit and no tannins to help balance it out. Not offensive but not nearly as good as the buzz suggested for this wine. Disappointing, too sweet for my tastes.

1/31/2009 - dartboard wrote:

Very luxurious, I was shocked at how balanced this was throughout. Decanted for about an hour and had no problems with over-aggressive tannins. Dark cherries for the nose and cocoa and strawberries on the palate. Paired extremely well with a high-acid red sauce.

Each bottle is different, but consider drinking this soon because I think the age is just starting to show. It may be a bit past its peak for some people, which is why it is being sold at a discount some places.

1/18/2009 - dartboard wrote:

Extremely refined, a credit to the Chablis region. This producer (Jadot), while huge, is doing great work even in the lower-end.

12/26/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Delicious barolo. This wine had a lightly aged characteristic, but was still nicely tannic and attacked the palate sharply. Beautiful, unique fruit that coats your entire mouth.

12/22/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Extremely refined, delicious dark fruit. A hint of vanilla and very balanced tannins. With 30-40 minutes of decanting this wine was an extremely nice find and drank perfectly.

12/21/2008 - dartboard wrote:

See previous notes. In short, quite tannic immediately after opening. Aging nicely though and with 1 1/2 hrs decanting would probably be perfect for me. A day open was a bit too much and developed a slightly over-oxidized taste. Plenty of dark fruit and even some cocoa notes.

12/18/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Interesting cabernet, not your typical california cab. Dark cherries and a sort of odd nose. Drinking nicely.

12/15/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Beautiful approach, silky smooth. A very refined, delicate wine. Good acid and I agree with other notes that say it has a bit of fruit.

12/15/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Solid Chianti, didn't take detailed tasting notes but I do remember the score I mentally gave to it. Mature, drinking well now. Don't wait too long to drink but should be good into 2010.

12/11/2008 - dartboard wrote:

This wine is not worth $7 it cost. It has a slight residual sweetness that coats the palate. Terribly fake fruit. The nose is probably the best part, but still very subpar. Very disappointing.

12/4/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Solid, unique bottle of wine. Very vegetal flavor profile, but some nice fruit balancing it out. Drinking well now and into 2009.

12/1/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Definitely on the decline, this wine is a bit flat on the palate. The fruit is muted and it has a slightly oxidized taste, but it was never meant to age this long probably. I've left it unrated officially but I would rate it 85pts if I were forced.

11/15/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Nice, solid pinot that grew on me as it breathed. At first I was confused about this wine's characteristics, thinking it was excessively hot and alcohol-driven but I no longer believe that this is the case. It is a very young wine at this point with very grippy tannins. Clean, almost crisp fruit flavor with a light body. Tasty and enjoyable, I think it will improve over the next year or so.

11/12/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Deep dark, mildly tannic blend. Very enjoyable and delicious.

11/7/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Pretty good, balanced zin. Not a huge fruit-bomb, nice light hue due to a high (100?) percentage of actual zinfandel in the wine. A fun diversion but not a great value.

11/4/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Fabulously complex nose, delicate mouthfeel, bready flavor. A real treat.

10/24/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Kohler Food and Wine Experience; 10/23/2008-10/26/2008 (Kohler, WI): Maybe a bit yeasty nose. Medium to low tannins, drinking smoothly. A bit hot on the finish.

10/26/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Kohler Food and Wine Experience; 10/23/2008-10/26/2008 (Kohler, WI): Flowers and pomegranate nose, fairly accessible given the expected characteristics of Brunello. Medium tannins and great, balanced acidity. Drinking very well with minimal decanting at this point. Delicious.

10/24/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Kohler Food and Wine Experience; 10/23/2008-10/26/2008 (Kohler, WI): Very tight, closed. Unrated, still needs quite a bit of maturation time.

10/22/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Pretty purple hues. Cedar and a bit of smokiness on the palate. The fruit is being held back still, hard to say if it's still on the move or not. The mourvedre really shines through, but also very evident is the cab sauv. Medium finish. Pretty good value if you can still find it.

10/20/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Flat, alcoholic. No distinctive characteristics. Acceptable for use when cooking but there are many better options even at $5.50.

10/17/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Deep, dark purple in the glass. Nose of blueberry juice and very powerful fruit on the palate. Pretty tannic still, could use 1+ years of aging. Great value.

10/16/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Disappointing, fake fruit flavor. What can you expect though for $9?

10/13/2008 - dartboard wrote:

muted fruit, significant vegetable or maybe tobacco flavors and just enough tannins to make it interesting.

10/5/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Delicious, full, round and spicy zinfandel. A nice surprise. A hint of oak chips on the palate, but not loaded with tannins. This makes it a relatively short-term drinker -- maybe the next 2-3 years. Drinking great now with a silky mouthfeel.

9/30/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Very nice, well-made grenache blend with a beautiful deep purple color. I was particularly impressed with the body of this wine coupled with the depth of flavor, both of which exceeded my expectations. The wine had minimal tannins (don't hang onto it *too* long) and a nicely balanced acidity.

9/19/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Well balanced Petite Sirah, with a lot of big fruit on the palate. Tannins are nicely balanced, this wine is aging nicely. Not as dark "tooth staining" as some wines using this varietal, but delicious.

9/5/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Solid bottle, still showing its youth. Decanted for an hour and had very firm tannins but not overpowering oak to go with it. Nice dark fruit flavors with a hint of cocoa.

After sitting for a day, developed a funky nose and the tannins didn't soften up much. Very unique in this respect.

9/2/2008 - dartboard wrote:

After decanting for an hour the initial nose was a shock with a strong alcohol (vodka) component coupled with cranberry juice -- a seabreeze cocktail I believe. Somewhat skeptical, we sipped and were pleasantly surprised by the crisp, clean fruit and tight acidity. The alcohol was not evident on the palate. It almost had a pinot noir characteristic, but it still is identifiable as a zinfandel. Low to medium-low tannins make this an easy and enjoyable wine to drink right now (2008).

8/21/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Delicious, smooth, elegant wine. Muted, understated fruit and tannins. Decanted for about six hours and that maybe was a bit excessive due the age of this wine. Not a fabulous value given the price but was a treat and don't regret it. Recommend not pairing this wine with spicy or acidic foods.

8/14/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Not a classic Napa Cab in appearance, more like a Pinot.

Very harsh, hot taste. Not much oak. Short finish. Thin fruit mid-palate. Maybe time will be kind to this, maybe not. I don't think it has the tannins to last for more than a year or so.

8/12/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Perfectly fine, but nothing special. The lack of any real character is the main detriment.

8/6/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Bold, jammy fruit on the nose. It's tastes like a low-end Zin but the bit of Petite Syrah does shine through to give it that something different. Not bad for the money, but I would not go out of my way to get this.

8/4/2008 - dartboard wrote:

An average red with short finish and disappointing body. For the $$ there are many better.

7/29/2008 - dartboard wrote:

Loved this wine for it's spectacular balance, creamy mouthfeel and delicious spicy, dark fruit and muted cocoa undertones. This is a field blend, which gives it an extra point just on general principal. Definitely hit its stride on the second day after opening so must decant thoroughly in 2008. Will be enjoying this over the next 5-10 years I think.