11/28/2020 - HongKongPhooey wrote:

This is a wine that tastes entirely artificial. Light in colour but I couldn't get any varietal pinot aromas, anything that might have existed is completely hidden behind caramel and vanilla. The palate is smooth with little to no tannin and the caramel flavours come through. Then the finish is like a whack of vanilla extract. It's the Yellow Tail of California I'm afraid. I don't know what yield they produce this pinot at but it's a shocker of a wine. There are plenty of positive reviews but this (wine snob though I may sound) is not a serious wine. It's a mass-market 'creation' and for £14 in the UK you can find pinot that is much more true to its origin and variety. This smelt and tasted like a wine that could have some from anywhere.

10/29/2019 - HongKongPhooey wrote:

Sold

12/31/2018 - HongKongPhooey wrote:

Really impressive, light golden colour, rich nose but still fresh and not over-oaked. Balanced and popular around the table even from those not been so partial to Chardonnay. Excellent wine but at £40 a bottle in the UK there is certainly better value from France for comparable quality. A good example is Olivier Leflaive Oncle Vincent Bourgogne at £20! That said, good to see Aussie Chardonnay really can compete favorably and has moved away from excessive use of oak.

9/30/2018 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Each time I drink this red Burgundy, it makes me realize how well it compares to all the others I try in this price bracket. It’s fairly priced for starters and combines the soul of the old world with fruit generosity normally associated with the new world’s pinots. So it is a modern style and Burgundy purists might feel it’s too fruit forward. 2009 was admittedly a hot vintage producing generous wines but this has everything in balance and would highly recommend. If you’re a new world pinot lover trying to get into Burgundy, this is a good starting point.

9/30/2018 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Outstanding Chablis. Fresh, precise but complex. For. A village level this is really good and fair value for money

6/24/2018 - HongKongPhooey wrote:

Nice colour, doesn’t suggest it’s over the hill but on the nose had a faded fruit note and on the palate it’s a bit green which is consistent with other reviews I’ve read on the wine being at a younger age. It’s perfectly drinkable and I have two bottles left in the cellar so I’ll re-review to check on bottle variation. My overall assessment of second Bordeaux wines is that they really are best in their first 10 years.

6/9/2018 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

At 20 years old this is drinking beautifully. I tried the 1997 alongside the 1998 and the ‘98 is bigger and has greater depth. In complete balance now with tannins evident but overwhelming quality of fruit impresses. Finish lasts for minutes. It isn’t as full bodied as I feared and very classy. It is however completely overpriced and the few bottles I have are the result of buying many years ago from Tesco on a deal. Priced well out of my league these days.

5/27/2018 - HongKongPhooey wrote:

I would accept that this wine has a few years in it but I really enjoyed it at 6 years old and think it's drinking very nicely now. Medium ruby colour, medium bodied, lovely Bordeaux like aromas, fragrant but on the sweeter end of the spectrum on palate. Tannins present but pretty smooth. Pleasantly surprised by this wine, well made and classy.

3/28/2018 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Lemon and lime aromas jump from the glass. Fresh but real depth and class to this wine. Young so that immediate acidity on the palate won’t be for everyone but it’s textbook Chablis premier cru. Lots of time ahead of it and will be interesting to see how this mellows with time.

3/10/2018 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Great wine - real balance and I’d argue in its sweet spot now. Very little not to like - all the elements, good fruit, nice acidity and tannins and moderate alcohol all contribute to a very enjoyable wine.

3/31/2018 - HongKongPhooey wrote:

I’d agree with some of the other reviewers here that this wine has very prominent tannins still and needs more time to hopefully resolve itself and become more balanced. There is still lots of fruit so I am hopeful in a few years’ time it will be performing better. Had purchased this case en primeur and had drunk a few bottles in their earlier life which had performed better. Again my bugbear with restaurants that allow corkage but then have really low quality, thick glasses so certainly not doing justice to drinking a 16 year old Grand Cru red Burgundy.

3/17/2018 - HongKongPhooey wrote:

Slightly harder work than I remembered it. Had bought a case en primeur and scored other bottles much more positively. Not faulty and plenty of fruit still - more a balance I felt it was lacking. I’d also highlight rubbish glassware in restaurant I brought the bottle to. Drinking from thick rimmed glasses makes a huge (negative) difference. Hopefully remaining two bottles are more enjoyable.

1/4/2018 - HongKongPhooey wrote:

Same bottle as last tasting note and glass drawn using Coravin. Showed same characteristics initially but time in glass opened it up and blew off the dustiness. More approachable with cheese plate his time. Still not convinced it wasn’t mildly corked!

12/26/2017 - HongKongPhooey wrote:

Jury out on this for me as remarkably high acidity. I did pour straight from the bottle though so maybe needed more air. Seems to have all the ingredients - plenty of fruit and tannin but not singing together / out of balance. Impressive nose and certainly a very long finish. I’ve read many very positive reviews on CT so will see how this is performing tomorrow and with plenty of time in the decanter.

12/21/2017 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Understated nose, decanted at Felin Fach Griffin. Smooth and ready to drink but reflects the vintage with fruit not quite supporting the acidity. Not the depth of bigger, fruitier vintages. Very pleasant with rillettes and duck breast.

10/21/2017 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Worried that this wine might be past its best at 16 years old but it performed admirably. Still holding a deep colour, and plenty of fruit on the palate. It’s a big wine so drink it with some food. Not sure I could have distinguished this from Barossa Shiraz.

10/1/2017 - HongKongPhooey wrote:

Tried a glass via Coravin. Very farm yard on the nose. This was better after a 30-60 mins decant but I’d give this a couple of hours as still pretty funky. This won’t appeal to most palates but I can’t say if isolated to this bottle. Need to check my other bottle and loop back to this forum.

8/4/2017 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Medium garnet colour with distinct fading rim. Warm, autumnal notes on the nose, leather, earth, violets, slight graphite notes. On the palate The fruit has faded somewhat so doesn't have a long life ahead of it. Pleasant, dry, erring on the lean side and lacking the balance from fruit. Classy though and went well with Tesco Finest fillet steak. Good to drink this one up! Was worried it might be over the hill.

5/26/2017 - HongKongPhooey Does not like this wine:

I thought this might be mildly corked. Opened with the Coravin to try and looking at Jancis' review, it said drinking window to 2008! I think this is just a very austere wine which is more about the earth and minerality and certainly not fruit. Red Burgundy like colour and body, transparent, ruby red. Not especially enjoyable. Certainly needs food.

4/29/2017 - HongKongPhooey wrote:

Decanted for two hours. Surpassed my expectations as reviews I had read were mixed. In its drinking window and medium to deep ruby colour, lighter nose that did suggest its 2nd wine status. This also followed through on the palate which was medium bodied and length was a bit lacking. I was very happy with this wine at 17 years though and certainly not over the hill but one to drink up.

4/28/2017 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Still looks remarkably youthful for a wine 35 years old. Absolutely singing on the nose. Classic characteristics of leather, graphite and earth with the dark red fruit underpinning it. Definitely on the more savoury side. Oak integrated and tannin resolved, smooth and so elegant. We had this decanted by the restaurant around 2 hours before eating which concerned me a little for an older wine but the sommelier's advice was spot on and this really opened up. A real treat and shows how great Bordeaux can be.

4/27/2017 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

I paid £15 for this excellent entry level Chablis. Whilst you might say that's plenty, it's worth it because this is really balanced and you can taste the quality wine making and standard of fruit. Drinking well now. This is our default house Chablis. 2014 was superb, lives up to the hype, no hard edges. Pity we are down to our last two bottles then will have to start on the single vineyard bottlings which needed more time.

4/15/2017 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Classic nose of complex black fruit, graphite and earth. Tannins have softened beautifully and this is also showing really well on the palate. Very long. Perfect drinking window now - 2025 ish I would imagine but still looks pretty youthful. Impressive.

5/5/2016 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Outstanding lots in there. Deep and serious winner on the night of the Leroux tasting at Le Parole. Dry finish

4/30/2016 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Black colour, looks very young and should probably be opened in at least another 2 years. That said, very polished and enjoyable with cheese plate. Depends how you like your Bordeaux but a lot of people would enjoy this young.

4/30/2016 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Dark and powerful. Savory with a strong line of tannin and a backbone of dark fruits. Drank with lamb rump.

3/27/2016 - HongKongPhooey wrote:

Pale lemon, smokey nose with apple and stone fruits. This wine gets better reviews than I thought it would. For me, it lacked a refreshment factor and was too easy. It needed a bit more acidic grip. Perfectly pleasant for Chardonnay lovers but unremarkable.

3/19/2016 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Fully expected sweetish California cab but this was better than I thought it would be. Paired well with steak. Lively restaurant and kids in company didn't make me over-analyze this. Unquestionable oak and sweet vanilla on the nose and palate but had enough grip on the tannins to pass. Flavor lingers on the palate but this is one dimensional and doesn't have you begging for another glass.

2/13/2016 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Showing real signs of evolution in colour. Nose has taken on secondary characteriatics with dried fruit. Slight alcoholic scent. Enjoyable with lamb rump but this is one to drink up and enjoy sooner than later.

2/10/2016 - HongKongPhooey wrote:

Alcoholic, spirity nose on opening. Porty scents, big wine. Cloudy, presumably unfiltered? I did wonder if slightly volatile but it's a confused wine from a hot vintage and I really struggled to love it. The body is good and it doesn't taste as alcoholic as the nose suggests but I'd have to say it's out of balance. I've had a case of this and persisted in the hope that I find a stunning bottle but they all seem to be consistent with these characteristics. Unconvincing.

2/6/2016 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Light golden colour, smokey nose with hints of caramel. Full bodied, long and savoury finish with good acidity.

2/3/2016 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

This wine is currently all about potential. Although you could drink it now, you'd be missing out on the wonderful secondary characteristics that will develop over time. It's displaying great fruit and is already delicious but the tannins are dominant. Only tried half a glass by Coravin but immediately concluded it needs another 5 years.

2/3/2016 - HongKongPhooey wrote:

Opened purely through curiosity with my Coravin for a tasting sample. As expected, very young and I have put this away in the cellar to forget about it for 3-4 years. If it's to be drunk now then it almost certainly needs to be with food and it relies on you having a strong preference for rich, dark fruits and lots of oak. I'm not especially experienced with Shafer's wines but I really hope that over time the oak will become more integrated with the bag loads of primal fruit because it's unbalanced now in my humble opinion and the high alcohol level compounds the issue. My suspicion is that the oak will continue to dominate, in which case it's not my style. I'll give it 89 with a '+' as a sign of optimism that it will eventually become more integrated and balanced.

2/2/2016 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Fruit forward with firm backbone of tannin. Not complex but mid weight and reasonably elegant. Good, house new world Pinot. Some decent length, mild suggestion of burnt rubber on nose but not unpleasant. Overall, enjoyable if unmemorable.

1/30/2016 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Served to me on BA Club World London to Hong Kong. Big wine but balanced and more complex than most. Black fruit, spice and chocolate, long smooth and utterly drinkable. Oak is evident but well integrated. Biodynamic, very well made and excellent value for the price point.

1/30/2016 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Minerality more than fruit on the front palate. Admirable effort though tasted the day following a Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2015 which was very good and unsurprisingly more fruit forward (but restrained for a Kiwi SB). Balland's Sancerre would be well received by most, stylistically correct, refreshing and food orientated. Not especially complex but a good house Sancerre.

5/19/2015 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Rich, thick and overly sweet. Felt it lacked the balancing acidity. Will appeal to some (in small quantities)

5/19/2015 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Very pleasantly surprised with this wine. 13.5% abv. 60% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Tannat. Smooth, elegant character, pepper and spice and an elegant coolness and super fresh.

5/19/2015 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

100% tannat, huge wine but shows great potential. I would be drinking this for a few years.

5/19/2015 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Big wine but balanced. Good value

5/19/2015 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

South West tasting evening. Well received, big wine tannat/cabernet franc blend. Blackish colour with black fruit but had balance. Food wine with plenty of time ahead of it.

5/19/2015 - HongKongPhooey wrote:

Tried alongside the 2005. Preferred this for it's more complex characteristics (although 2005 was very good too). The 2002 had thrown a little more sediment and marginally lighter in colour. Elegant, medium bodied. Classy.

5/19/2015 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

Correct and pure, elegant, Burgundy-esque. Really enjoyed this.

5/19/2015 - HongKongPhooey Does not like this wine:

Polarised the audience on a tasting evening. Brick coloured, some admired the style but I personally found it was fading and was on drinking was displaying only dried fruit characteristics. On the palate was slightly rusty. Not something that appealed to me on the nose or the palate.

5/23/2015 - HongKongPhooey Likes this wine:

This tastes like it is made to be drunk reasonably young although many of the reviews talk about its ability to age as well. The wine looks purple colored. There is no sediment in the bottle. Decanted and enjoyed with a steak, it pairs well enough and I wouldn't personally be drinking this on its own. Medium to full bodied, it doesn't have the weight, power and tannic structure of more illustrious Californian cabs. It lacks some complexity and the emphasis is on fruit with a rich and perfumed nose. At this price (c.£20) it provides VGV (for California) and in a 2011 blind Decanter tasting recently, the Beringer Napa Valley Cab standard bottling beat many a more expensive neighbour. If you served this at dinner, you wouldn't get any complaints (and a fair few compliments) but compared to the likes of Dominus and Shafer Hillside Select, it doesn't have the impact or create the memory. But at 10-20% of the price you probably don't expect it to!