5/16/2024 - roxles Likes this wine:

Fruit forward. Approaching jammy, but not cooked. Lovely, brilliant color. Nose: Forest floor, cedar, blackberry, orange rind. Palate: similar. NO bramble bitterness. Could use a bit more acid, but this is 2014. Long finish. Kirkland Marcona Almonds brought out vanilla. Smoked Gouda flattened out the flavor and texture. Drink up.

5/13/2024 - roxles Likes this wine:

Too old? Dashe gave a drinking window of 2018-2028 upon release. Drinkable & not horrid, but not complex. One note, now.

4/24/2024 - roxles Likes this wine:

EtOH 14.2%. Nice fruit, not too sweet, not port-like. Would buy again. Still lovely in 2024.

3/7/2024 - roxles Likes this wine:

Nice acid & fruit. "Five Thirteen" is one of my favorites of D & G's wines.

2/19/2024 - roxles Likes this wine:

Agree with Jaredoco. Nice fruit and less acidic seeming than most D&G. Light.

1/24/2024 - roxles Likes this wine:

Agree with "tbone". Changed drinking window.
Delicious and full, now. Excellent with med-rare, ground lamb burgers.

1/21/2024 - roxles Likes this wine:

V-Beautiful bluish-red.
N-Nice fruit nose with a little earthiness, but NOT barnyard. Cinnamon, clove, a little ROH-hot at first.
P-Full red palate. Cranberry, baking spice.
S-Rich, smooth, balanced mouth feel, NOT hot, complex.

Drinking beautifully!

1/7/2024 - roxles Does not like this wine:

PNP. Grape-flavored children's cough syrup. Eucalyptus, orange rind.
Better night 2 to a so-so wine.

We often prefer Rock Wall aged, even though an employee previously told us its wines were made to be drunk upon release. Either too long, or never good.

12/31/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Smooth. Absolutely delicious! Wish we had more.
Empty bottle weighed 41.8 ounces. What a waste of carbon cost - glass & shipping cost from Argentina!

11/30/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Good. Not my favorite D&G, but okay.

12/6/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Still drinking well. Color good - no brick Soft tannins & acid and subtle fruit.

11/23/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Dry, fresh fruit - but NOT tropical-like.
Great as an aperitif and with dinner of roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, peas, carrots, cold haricot verts with shallots with slivered red & yellow bell peppers and a vinaigrette.

11/23/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

47 Semillon, 37 Muscadelle, 14 Colombard, 2 Palomino.
Fruit-forward and balanced.

Tasted the 2021 on 12/2 at Carlisle pick-up - which I preferred, less fruity and more minerally.

12/1/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

So much better than the current, cooked and jammy tasting Building 43s!

12/4/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Beautiful bluish-deep red. No brick.
Dark fruit, spices, hot alcohol nose. No vanilla.
Ripe blackberries, cinnamon, clove, allspice palate. A bit hot.
Tannins but not mouth-drying. A little tart.

11/30/2023 - roxles wrote:

Zinfandel-based field blend from Mancini, Papera & Carlisle vineyards (in Russian River Valley) from Reichwage, Ridge, Bedrock & Carlisle wineries.

11/23/2023 - roxles Does not like this wine:

Can a Syrah lose its tannins, almost all of its fruit, and stay acidic? Might be able to use for a marinade.

Later, smelling the wine that had been in the glass for 2 hours, partner smelled ~velvet cake but less sweet; I smelled mild permanent marker.

11/23/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Beautiful deep purplish-red color. No brick edges.
Blueberry, August-blackberry nose.
Dark blue, purple fruit with clove palate.

Drink up!

11/20/2023 - roxles wrote:

Composition Note:
65% Carignan, 35% Mataro (Mourvedre)

11/9/2023 - roxles wrote:

Composition Note:
90% Zinfandel
10% ~40 field blended varieties: Albillo Mayor, Grec Rouge, Petit Bouschet

11/20/2023 - roxles wrote:

Composition Note:
65% Zinfandel, 35% Carignan, + Petite Sirah & Grenache

11/20/2023 - roxles wrote:

Source Note:
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY: Nolan, Bien Nacido, White Hawk vineyards
SONOMA COUNTY: Weill, Hudson, Bedrock vineyards

11/9/2023 - roxles wrote:

Source Note:
White Hawk Vineyard: Cat Cnyn near Los Alamos
Nolan Vineyard: Alisos Cnyn

9/25/2023 - roxles wrote:

Pulled to have with locally-raised beef, "ground beef" burger from the grill.
Beautiful color - no rust.
PALATE: Did NOT like for about 1/2 hour. Metallic, aromatic herb (thyme, marjoram, eucalyptus) overpowered all.
Later, that calmed down and more fruitiness came forward.
A bit hot on the tongue.
Will try again tomorrow evening

9/17/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

APPEARANCE: Very slightly rusty on pouring w/o close exam.
NOSE: Earthy, barnyard nose at the beginning - blew off, then like Stokely's canned sour cherries.
PALATE: canned sour cherries - lovely, soft flavor not fresh sour. Even more so the second night after Vac-u-Vin storage - nice acid makes mouth water, lovely cherries.
Well balanced.

8/6/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Wine" F". 5/6 with 35 points: 0,3,1,2,0,3
NOSE: caramel, vanilla
PALATE: "zin-like", berry, fruity, ripe cherries, sweet, less texture, chocolate, dark chocolate, bitter, cola
ROH: 15.5%
$: 20.50 allocation list price, May 2019

See CT's "Tasting Stories" about "S3", our tasting club, and ranking system.

8/6/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Wine "E". 1/6 with 23 points: 3,3,0,1,2,0
NOSE: raspberry, spice, black pepper, bourbon-maple syrup, smoky, closed, flat, nose is great
PALATE: fruit, dry (in sweetness - not drying in tannins), dark cherry, black pepper, pepper spice, chili, cinnamon, too menthol
ROH: 15.5%
$: 45 allocation list price, May 2019

See CT's "Tasting Stories" about "S3", our tasting club, and ranking system.

8/6/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Wine "D". 3/6 with 30 points: 1,1,3,2,2,0
NOSE: hard to get, eucalyptus, menthol
PALATE: blackberry, cherry, slight bitterness, favorite texture, warm spices, hollow/ ?end, well-balanced
ROH: 14.0%
$: 45 allocation list price, Oct 2018

See CT's "Tasting Stories" about "S3", our tasting club, and ranking system.

8/6/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Wine "C". 4/6 with 32 points: 1,1,3,1,2,1
NOSE: fruitier, soft, tart, vanilla, burnt caramel, bourbon-maple syrup, dried apricot
PALATE: plum, baking spices, blackberry, brighter - not overripe
ROH: 15.4%
$: 28 allocation list price, May 2019

See CT's "Tasting Stories" about "S3", our tasting club, and ranking system.

8/6/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Wine "B". 6/6 with 40 points: 1,1,0,2,1,4
NOSE: hard to get, soft, earth, strawberry jam
PALATE: smooth, drinkable, thinner, jammy, balanced, dull, not super complex, simple but delicious, strawberry jam
ROH: 14.3%
$: 24 club member price, Nov 2020

See CT's "Tasting Stories" about "S3", our tasting club, and ranking system.

8/6/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Wine "A". 2/6 with 29 points: 3,0,2,1,2,1
NOSE: vanilla, soft, dark cherry, plum, raspberry
PALATE: fruity, hot, very ripe plum, pepper, warm spice (allspice), spicy rose, balanced, ripe cherry, raspberry jam
ROH: 14.7%
$: 20.50 pre-release list price, Apr 2020

See CT's "Tasting Stories" about "S3", our tasting club, and ranking system.

8/10/2023 - roxles wrote:

Disappointed. Too sweet for what I like in an Albariño. -like a cocktail wine, rather than a food wine. Would NOT buy again, but would drink if a glass were poured for me.

8/9/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Dark fruit w/ full body. NOT stemmy or musty. NOT jammy. Well-balanced fruit, acid, tannin.

6/30/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Past its prime, but it is still very good. A little "hot" ROH nose overrode
the fruit. I can't distinguish which fruit. Balanced.

6/21/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Not sweet, but fruity. Lovely with crackers, gouda, parmesan.

6/21/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Full fruit, delicious, balanced acid & tannin.

6/18/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Still balanced, forward dark fruit.

6/1/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Delicious, even at this late date.

6/5/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Absolutely delicious! Good dark fruit, acid & tannin balance.

6/4/2023 - roxles wrote:

Funk. Blew off after vigorously aerating. (Decanting, shaking, sitting for an hour) Better with fatty food - sausages. Lost its fruit. I thought I loved D&Gs, "The Recluse" & Broken Leg Vineyard....

5/4/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Aged better than many Building 43.

5/30/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Not bad, but not complex - one dimensional.

5/7/2023 - roxles wrote:

Nice tannin & acid. Jammy. Better w/ food.

5/4/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Not too port-like or jammy, as more recent (2020?) Bomber Red tend to be. Okay acid & tannin. Good with cooked mushrooms.

4/29/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Still delicious. Full body & flavor. Balanced.

4/29/2023 - roxles Likes this wine:

Delicious. Not funky. Nice fruit & not port-like (given its age), balanced acid & tannin.

4/12/2023 - roxles wrote:

Mouth-drying tannins overshadowed everything else over two nights. Tried with cheese & nuts to try to mellow tannin with fat. Very disappointed.

3/8/2023 - roxles wrote:

It wasn't horrible, but I feel a bit disappointed. Seemed worse the 2nd night. I wouldn't buy it again

Nose: cooked blackberry, thyme, rosemary, eucalyptus?
Palate: cooked, blackberry? (but not ripe & fresh off the vine in August), smooth tannin.

1/21/2023 - roxles wrote:

Spritzy. Got in the way of tasting. Is it supposed to be like this?
Cloudy, but nice garnet color.

8/25/2022 - roxles wrote:

Sour. Needed food - which helped.