5/24/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Opened for 90 minutes (no decant). Warm spice notes with rich dark cherry notes and good depth. Although I typically prefer brighter RRV style pinots, I really enjoyed this wine. 90-91.

5/18/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decanted for an hour. Intense with good depth and nice black fruit on palate and finish. 90-91.

5/16/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decanted for an hour. Really great fruit, with sour and black cherry that had impressive depth. Rich notes on the finish. Still drinking very well.

5/10/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decanted for an hour. Dark cherry and oak on the nose and palate. Body was a little thin. Finish was ok. Overall, decent but not a good QPR.

4/30/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

As with previous bottle, a little air time made a big difference.

4/28/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decanted for two hours. Really nice complexity and depth with mix of fruit and spices. Continued to improve over the next hour. Great lingering finish.

4/22/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Nice crisp style. Apricot and some citrus fruit. 89-90.

4/14/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decanted for an hour. Very dark notes and color. Some earth and oak integrated with good weight and depth. Smooth lingering finish.

4/9/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decanted for an hour. The air helped open up this wine with deeper dark fruit notes, along with earth, funk, and substantial weight/body on the mid-palate and some oak filling in on the finish.

4/7/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Big wine with very good weight and lengthy finish. Style similar to a chardonnay but more mineral-focused with subtle fruit. Good depth. Really enjoyed this white, a perfect match with our broiled crabcakes. 90-91.

4/1/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

An hour decant. This blend highlights an elegant-styled syrah with smooth subtle dark fruit, earth, and a nice tongue-coating lasting finish. Wanted a little more complexity, but still very pleasant.

3/30/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Opened for 45 minutes (no decant). Light-bodied with subtle floral and fruit notes. Still nice, although it seems to have lost a little depth and finish.

3/24/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Opened for an hour (no decant). Consistent with previous note, still tasting very well, slightly less fruit. 90-91.

3/22/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decanted for an hour. Very pleasant surprise. Floral notes on nose and palate. Light bodied but with good depth and complexity. Possibly my favorite pinot from this label (to include pewter labels). 90-91.

3/18/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decanted for 45 minutes. Very dark and intense on both color and palate, with blackberry, tart plum and a touch of vanilla cherry and oak. Great acid to go with our red sauce and pasta dinner.

3/15/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decanted for an hour. Cherry notes with nice depth and finish.

3/12/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decanted for an hour. More depth than previous bottles. Great QPR ($16) 89-90

3/10/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Opened for an hour (no decant). Not bad, but it felt like most notes were muted like it didn't fully open. Only drank half the bottle - will revisit in a couple days and see if it has evolved.

3/8/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Opened for 90 minutes (no decant). Nice floral notes on nose and palate. Bright acid and fruit. Very nice texture and depth. Great QPR ($25). 90-91.

3/7/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Nicely balanced chardonnay with fruit, crisp acid and just a touch of buttery oak. Medium body and good finish. Versatile for a broad range of food pairings. Pretty good QPR ($24)

3/5/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Short decant. Smooth tannins with decent cherry fruit. Overall, good balance and finish. Nothing memorable, but a pretty decent wine.

3/2/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Opened for several hours (no decant). Very interesting - funk, smoke, leather on nose and also on palate with smoky meat and earth notes. Depth continued to evolve with more time during the evening.

3/2/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Opened for several hours (no decant). Really nice cab with great depth and complexity.

2/27/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decanted for an hour. Tasting great with blackberry and other dark fruit. Good foundation built with nice acid and tannins and depth. Everything remains in place on the lengthy finish. 91-92.

2/25/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Opened for an hour (no decant). Deep dark cherry and wood notes. Intense richness, especially for a pinot. Nice finish. Not quite worthy of the $75 price, but still a nice pinot. 90-91, rounding down due to QPR.

2/19/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decanted for 2 hours. Good mix of dark fruit, spices, and pepper. Depth continued to evolve - next time I'll give it more air.

2/17/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Thirty minute decant. Medium acidity. Fruit is subtle, with lingering oak notes. Decent finish. Overall, a decent pinot that is a versatile choice for a wide range of food options.

2/10/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Opened for 45 minutes (no decant). Mix of strawberry and dark cherry with nice bright acid. Decent depth, but not quite as much as some of the single-vineyard pinots that typically source this AVA pinot. 89-90.

2/8/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Needs time to open. Inky with chewy texture. With air, some good dark fruit and acid eventually emerged. Will wait at least a year before opening next bottle.

2/3/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Opened for two hours (no decant). Initially remained a little closed, but over the third hour it opened nicely to develop a nice depth and finish. Some blue fruit and quite a bit of blackberry. Only drank half a bottle and am anxious to see how it continues to develop with time.

2/1/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decanted for an hour. Really nice blackberry notes with good depth and lingering mix of spices on the finish. 90-91.

1/26/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Similar to previous note. With a quick decant, it is tasting very well. 90-91.

1/25/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Nothing memorable but still well-balanced with citrus notes

1/23/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decanted for 30 minutes. Bold style, interesting blend. Only issue was not enough depth. Still a great QPR ($21). 89-90

1/21/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decangted for an hour. Deep nose and cherry fruit with bright acid and good depth. A touch of toasted oak on the long finish. Very nice pinot.

1/17/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Opened (no decant) for an hour. Even bettler than last bottle.

1/4/2024 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Opened for 30 miinutes. Decent fruit, depth, and finish. Very good balanced acid. Excellent QPR ($22, via online sale)

12/31/2023 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Opened for 90 minutes (no decant). Nice rich fruit (cherry) notes. Good depth. Long finish. Great partner with our steak.

12/30/2023 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Opened for 90 minutes (no decant). Intense dark cherry fruit. Medium body. Decent finish. Not quite as much depth and complexity as other Girard mountain cabs, which may be an indication that it has reached the backside of the optimal drinking window. Still a very good cab. 90-91.

12/26/2023 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Quick decant. Dark fruit with lingering oak notes. Great depth and finish. 90-91

12/22/2023 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decanted for 45 minutes. Continued to improve over the next hour during dinner, but never seemed to fully open up. Dark cola and cherry notes. Medium body and finish.

12/17/2023 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Another solid consistent bottle of Preston. Decanted for almost an hour. Smooth but with enough tannins and acid to match our prime rib. Good cherry notes.

12/16/2023 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decanted for 45 minutes. Really nice, interesting blend. Smooth lengthy dark earth notes with good depth and finish.

12/12/2023 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decanted for 45 minutes. Deep cherry, good acid, tannins, and balance. Decent depth. Pretty good QPR ($33)

12/7/2023 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decanted for 45 minutes. Nice dark notes, nicely paired with burgers. Wished it had a little more body, but still good.

12/2/2023 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decanted for an hour. Dark rich fruit and color. Medium-heavy body (for a pinot) and good finish. Wanted a little more depth, but still a nice pinot noir.

11/29/2023 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Body a little thin, but good acidity which proved to be a good pairing with our lasagna.

11/27/2023 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

30 minute decant. Light-bodied and colored with nice bright fruit and acid. Crisp finish. Drinking well now with a quick decant.

11/25/2023 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decanted for almost two hours. Dark color and dark fruit on palate. Earth and smoke. Good weight on body and decent finish. Definitely needed the decant.

11/21/2023 - westcoastwannabe wrote:

Decanted for 30 minutes. Clearly a well-made zinfandel with good balance, but no specific memorable aspects that would compare to Mauritson's better single-vineyard designated zins from the Rockpile AVA. I'll likely focus on Rockpile Ridge zins for future purchases.