8/29/2011 - ajaffee wrote:

The fruit had faded, but the wine hadn't evolved to display interesting notes because the alcohol's heat outweighed other aspects of the wine. It wasn't terrible, but was a disappoitment.

3/3/2011 - ajaffee wrote:

The nose is moderate with rich, dark-fruit. The wine has a dark fruit taste that's slightly jammy. In the miid-palate through the finish the fruit becomes less jammy but remains sweet, with a slightly tar-like black licorice note, all of which works well together. The fruit and alcohol are well balanced, but the tanins are a bit sharp, which might smooth out with some more time. I liked it (90), but my wife seemed to like it a little more.

2/14/2011 - ajaffee wrote:

A nose of ripe dark berries with an unusal quality I can't find the words for -- but very good. Upon drinking, it delivers sweet dark berry fruit and rasberry. Good alcohol to brace the finish. But I keep returning to the nose, which is beautiful.

2/10/2011 - ajaffee wrote:

Wanted a flavorful dry white, didn't have my reading glasses on (damn this getting old), saw "VOUVRAY " in large letters, and missed "moelleux" in smaller type. But you likely care less about my dinner than a tasting note, so . . . . This extraordinary sweet wine is one of my favorite wines of any style. It's sweet without being cloying, has a hugh fruit concentration, lively flavors, is elegant, and (now back to me) unfortunately was had with chicken and pasta prima vera. Oh well. I searched hard to find these bottles, and last night my wife informed me that we will have to look some more since we're now down to 1 remaining. Amy leads?

1/1/2011 - ajaffee wrote:

Decanted an hour before a party, re-bottled and started to drink about an hour and a half after we got to the party (about 2.5 hours after originally opening the bottle). It was a big bold cab, but unfortunately I don't have notes. My recollection is that this wine deserved all of a 94. Also a hit with others who had some.

1/1/2011 - ajaffee wrote:

New Year's eve bottle decanted in advance for an hour and brought to a party. Upon opening, it was ripe and luscious. If memory serves me well, I would likely have given it about 93-94. When we drank it about an hour after we arrived at the party (about two hours from original opening), it lost some of that big lush taste. Still a very nice wine scoring about 90. Right now, as a pop and pour, I;d give it a 93. I don't kow if I'd age it very much. Thus, a DRINK-NOW 93.

10/29/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

Watching the Heat and drinking 2000 Rudd Jerico Canyon shows that time will bring greatness. The Rudd may not be great, but it is very good (91-92 points). The nose gives crushed rocks, wax, some black licorice, and a little old fruit paste. Drinking, it opens with forest floor dirt, just a little poo, and a red fruit and alcohol infused plum liquor. The mid palate opens up with some unsweetened prune paste. It finshes with slightly sharp red fruit that lasts maybe 15 seconds. It's elegant and enjoyable. And the Heat are getting better over these first three games. Oh, what some time will bring.

10/16/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

Big, dark, sweet fruit. Lots of structure with fine tanins that provide a great mouth feel. Even with a couple of hours of air, it's still too young. It needs a few more years of bottle age.

9/20/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

The combination of the malolactic fermintation with the overwheming amount of what seems to be new oak is too much. It was hard to taste the juice behind the special effects. I should point out that my wife likes a buttery, oakey style chardonnay, and she likes the Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay. Luckily, this was our last 07 Ber. Priv. Res. Chard.

9/13/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

As a friend , who is the best sommelier in S. FL, said upon tasting the 09 Diatom Huber: O La La! The nose is floral and layered with sweet orange and peach marmalaid. You can enjoy this wine without ever tasting it, but that would be missing the best part. This is more like a Grand Cru Chablis than a California Chardonnay. There are distinct layers of honeyed apricotes and nectorines, with a minerality that is exquisite. This wine tastes like it hasn't seen any new oak, and no malolactic femintation. It is not bettery or oaky. I has clean, crisp, and rich fruit that comes in waves. And the finish -- well it doesn't finish. We were having this at diner, and while talking with my friend we discussed how the wine was still beautifully present in our mouths a few minutes afer drinking. This morning, I'm on line looking for some more.

8/27/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

This is not an afternoon sipper. It has mid-range purple-red color. The nose is a deep fig and earth. The fruit has evolved into plum and fig, immediately followed by licorice. The licorice slides into a complementary alcohol finish. It has sweet tanins that have blended into the fig-plum-licorice. Not necessarily good with steak, but excellent before and after.

8/10/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

Opened to let sit about an hour before dinner. Three drinkers, with each enjoying the the wine enough on the pop-and-pour so that it didn't make it to diner. A wonderful sipper. Brambly dark fruit, predominately black cherry and sweet blackberry, with some black licorice mid-palate. Enjoyable enough that I'm going to see if I can get on the winery's mailing list.

8/9/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

97 (Serge's w/ Philipe - hour decant and anouther 1 hour in bottle)

6/21/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

The 2007 KBs have generally been excellent, and the Kanzlers are often at or near the top of KBs. The 2007 KB Kanzler is very good, but suprisingly not a top performer among the 2007 KBs. The nose was spicey and mild red fruit. The taste was spice box, red fruit (closest to pomegranate), and cola (albeit less pronounced cola then often in KBs). Slight alcohol heat on the finish, which helps it with food.

6/13/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

Sideways was a great movie, but it's a shame whay it did for merlot appreciation. The Blackbird Illustration is gorgeous. Sweet dark berry, chocolate and spices with a silky mouthfeel. Mmmmmm. The powdery tanins help to deliver a beautiful finish. It should continue to age well foryears. It went especially well with beef. One bottle left, which we should hold for a few years. And you may alreaqdy know this, but if not -- try some excellent Cali (or Washington) merlot.

5/28/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

Yummy yummy yummy I got love in my tummy. This 05 Lucia Pinot Noir Gary's Vineyard is wonderful. The nose is lush sassifras and spice, with a smooth mouth full of red fruit (pommegranit and cherries), some cola, and the same spiciness as on the nose. It's knitted together beautifully, with no sharp elbows or shoulders. A big winner with all three of us who drank it.

5/7/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

The 07 Buccella has a dark fruit nose. Young, ripe Cabs often have noses that take me back to Napa barrel storage. This is no exception. Decanted about 2 hours so far. Hope it lasts to dinner. It tastes young and intense. It's ripe, with pronounced casis, black cherry, and sweet black licorice. Good acid and tannins promise to carry the flavors that should develop over a long time. The mouth-coating fruit and sweet tannins already are producing a velvety mouth feel. This is, and should become even more of a stunner.

5/2/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

Sweet creme de casis and strawberries. Not syrupy nor cloying. Wonderful port.

5/2/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

Decanted about two hours, and then sat about another hour back in the bottle. Drunk over two hours along side an excellent Bordeaux. The Godolphin was dark purple, had a mild nose, and then delivered a wonderful mouth full of dark blueberries. No harsh tannins or acid heat, but for some reason I can't explain it seems like it may age well. It went great with food (lamb) and as a sipper with cheese. Excellent choice if you like South Australlian, fruit forward Shirazes.

4/18/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

We had it two nights ago, and didn't write down any notes. We agreed that it's dominate notes were prunes and toasted oak. It's still young with fruit and structure to evolve over the next 10 to 15 years. It was a wonderful wine.

4/3/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

A couple of years ago, the folks at Bounty Hunter "pushed" this wine on us. We took one bottle. I should have allowed them to push some more. This bottle was decanted for about two hours, but didn't make it to dinner. The Dr. Crane juice is a great base to start from. This '04 has begun to have the foward fruit recede somewhat into a more mellow casis that melds into soft, powdery tannins, providing a wonderful and long finish. There's still some attractive ripeness, which is merged with secondarty notes of oak and vanilla, which combine into a casis driven and mild plum taste, with a long velvety mouth feel.

3/14/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

It's been almost two years since we opened an 05 Maldonado. It's tending toward a straw color. The dominant notes in the nose and the mouth have changed to pinapple and cumquat. It finishes with a nice, clean (not-hot) brace of acid that allows this to work well with food. It does fall off fairly quickly on the finish. Still lively and fresh, it may have some time left, but I wouldn't wait years.

3/11/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

Big, chewey and jammy. Dark plums, sweet blackberries, and casis. Not for the faint of heart or old world Bordeaux lovers. If you like big fruit-forward cali cabs, you"ll find this bad boy is big and balanced. No alcohol heat or tannic pucker. It can last for quite a while, but is very good now. Enjoy!

2/26/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

Still enjoyable, but just past its prime.

2/22/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

In a prior review, I stated "If you like big California cabs, you'll love this. Ruby red color. Big cabernet characteristics in the nose and mouth. Deep, dark, chewey red fruit, oak, and a big cherry/oak finish. Delicious!" This bottle was exactly consistent with that previous bottle.

2/20/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

Decanted for about three hours. Like many Cali Cabs, this has a nice deep purple color that goes to the glass's edge. The nose starts with ripe dark fruits and is then joined by sweet black licorice. It's intense and wonderful. The palate starts with that sweet dark fruit, but also has elegance. That sweet licorice is there again mid-palate. It finishes long and delicious, featuring -again- that dark fruit. The wine had a nice balance. There's enough structure to carry the sweet fruit, and so this may have a long life in front of it. Unfortuanately, this was my only bottle. Three drinkers, three big thumbs up.

2/8/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

2007 has been an excellent year for the Kosta Brownes. The nose on the 2007 Sonoma Coast reveals a ripe and spicy pinot, but without the strong cola notes often found in Kosta Browne. The cola note is there, but it's much less pronounced than usual. The taste is consistent with the nose: ripeness and spice, like a good burgundy made in a ripe new world style. The fruits are ripe reds, primarily rasberry, and there's some bright-cherry/pomegranate notes. It carries a fairly long finish of red fruits and spice.

1/31/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

The Chaleur Estate Blanc has the characteristics that make a good white blend so enjoybale: the savignon blanc and semillion ripeness and clean acidity that makes you salavate. But forget all of those familiar smeels and tastes for the moment because this wine has a wonderful exotic core from your childhood. Remember that spicy grape gum, very dark and yummy. Well, the Chaleur Estate delivers it in the nose. I could stop there and just berry my nose in this one. But it also delivers that spicy grape note in your mouth. Not so strong as to be overpowering and wierd, but enough to be deliciously exotic and fun,fun, fun.

1/15/2010 - ajaffee wrote:

The wine's nose is ripe and full. The clearest aspects are honey-mixed butterscotch and apricot, with hints of alcohol that I hope make it food-friendly. The tasate is ripe and spicey. There is apricot in the core with a rich honey and lovely bright alcohol. The finish is consistent with the nose and taste. This wine is delicious.

12/20/2009 - ajaffee wrote:

The nose delivers a rich, extracted dark fruit liqueur and some graphite minerality. It's extracted, but in balance. The taste begins ripe, and becomes very ripe mid-palate. The big fruit is balanced with enough structure to make it wonderful to drink before dinner (without food), but likely will be extradinary when properly paired with dinner. The finish is long and lush,with a blueberry slightly malted. Yum! A wonderful young wine that - if I have the discipline - should become wondefully mature in about 10 years.

12/7/2009 - ajaffee wrote:

This bottle is off from our last 2004 Stewart. The sugars, alcohol and tanins have knitted together well, leaving an easy-drinking Cab. The fruit has subsided, but (as of this bottle) has not had its secondary flavors develop into an interesting wine. I'm hoping it's in a transitional stage. No listed score, but had I not had it before, I'd have given this bottle an 89.

11/30/2009 - ajaffee wrote:

Thanksgiving wine. No tasting notes.

11/4/2009 - ajaffee wrote:

25 years ago, when this was all new to me, Beringer was an early favorite. Ah-ha moments, educating my pallet, trips to the winery and wonerful afternoons at the less-well-know upstairs library-wines bar. The Private Reserve Cabernet, the Chardonnays, the Nightingale and Bancroft Ranch Merlot. Okay, I recognioze that over the years my tastes changed. I still love the Private Reserve Cabs (scored 91 for the 02, and 95 for the 04), but the Chards have been disappointing -- no, make that terrible. And I don't think it can all be explained away by my changed tastes. I wrote off a Private Reserve Chard a few months ago to perhaps bottle variation, but have now had two. Each was horribly flabby. And now this Stany Ranch Chard. I know it's a low price-point chard. That allows us to accept a fair, if not great, chard. But this was dominated by alcohol heat, and had no discerable fruit. I left it open overnight and will try it again this evening. In the battle of cliches, hope may spring eternal for an old flame, but it may be time to move on down the road.

10/18/2009 - ajaffee wrote:

We decanted this a couple of hours and took it to a restaurant. Had dinner with someone who loves South Australian Shirazs, so I thought this would do the trick. Third time I've had the 2005, and each time it was excellent. This is fruit foward, and really delivers an "attack" of sweet dark fruit. It comes at you with black cherry and plum extracted. The residual sugar and acid levels made it a wonderful match with lamb and steak. One friend (the President of our local Alliance France - and quite biased to old world styles) thought it was too much, but his wife, my wife and I all loved it. South Australian Shirazs may be falling out of some favor in the U.S., but it's not because of the 2005 Amon-Ra.

10/2/2009 - ajaffee wrote:

Sweet dark extracted fruit, some pencil shavings, and spicy-sweet tanins that continue on a long finish. The depth of the fruit and the strong underlying tanins hold the promise of a wine that will age and continue to imnprove. This is extraordinary cabernet at an excellent price. I'll be ordering their current cabernet release this weekend.

9/14/2009 - ajaffee wrote:

Had it a few days ago, and didn't take notes. From memory, it was beautifully balanced and not extracted. I recall cherries, cola and spices on an extradinary nose and taste. Had it with the president of our Alliance Francaise and the best sommelier in South Florida, both of whom are French and way biased to French wines. Both were wowed, as was I and our wives.

9/7/2009 - ajaffee wrote:

This wine has had a day of air. It has a medium purple color. The nose is dominated by a sweet cigar smoke. The taste starts with dark mixed berry mash, and there's some slight cherry. The wine still holds plenty of tannins. The medium long finish is all about the sweet berries.

9/5/2009 - ajaffee wrote:

Dark purpil color, with a powerful nose of licorice and molasses, with some dark berries. The molasses is unusual, but nice. The taste is sweet dark berries, black cherry, and some cocooa, with the nose dominatinging on entry, especially the licorice. The mouth feel is nice with enough smooth tannins to allow more aging. The wine's finish lingers nicely.

8/27/2009 - ajaffee wrote:

"Not bad" isn't a tasting note, but my initial reaction to this bottle, which was part of a holiday season gift, is that it's not bad. Theres's nice bright cherry on the nose and on the pallet, whith that brighteness coming from a little acidity. There's also some noticable tannins that give you a little pucker; however, it's not unpleasantly acidic or tanic. It's still about a year or two away from coming together seemlessly (assuming that's it fate). We're having it with pasta and homemade meat sauce. It appears that sometimes a good wine and food match needn't be primarily based on a weight match, but can be based on a brightness match. Here, the brightness of the mouth-watering acidity goes well with the acid from the tomattos. And the wine's doing just fine.

8/14/2009 - ajaffee wrote:

Clean plum jam on the nose and in the mouith, with some oakey vanilla. Enough mild tanins and fruit to age manny more years. Some acidity on the finish to likely go well with food, although we haven't waited for dinner to finish cooking because this drinks beautifully by itself. This may be the best Cali cab I've had this year.

8/10/2009 - ajaffee wrote:

My wife had it with some friends we had over. She liked it enought to ask me to find some more. I take that as a strong recommendation.

7/25/2009 - ajaffee wrote:

This wine is delicious. Lush flavors, primarily plum, with blueberry and other dark fruit, which evolve into a soft, lingering jaminess. Fine tanins support the flavors so that, although excellent now, this wine promises to age well. The alcohol is there, and went well with food, but was not hot. This is a wonderful wine in beautiful balance.

7/25/2009 - ajaffee wrote:

Has improved with cellaring.

7/17/2009 - ajaffee wrote:

Floral nose. Rich taste of honey, peach, and some pleasantly tart kumquat, which becomes a bracing finish of acidity that goes well with food. Lasting finish.

7/14/2009 - ajaffee wrote:

Not as good as last bottle (several moinths ago). May be past its prime.

6/19/2009 - ajaffee wrote:

The time it's had to develop a beautiful straw color has taken it past its peak. What's left indicates that this was likely very good about a year ago. Still drinkable. No score.

6/7/2009 - ajaffee wrote:

Light in color, but not light in strawberry sorbet flavor. Decanted an hour. This bottle may not make it until dinner is cooked.

2/7/2009 - ajaffee wrote:

06 was a challange for RRV pinots. I can't wait to try the 07, for which the early reports are that it's an excellent vintage, which KB nailed.

1/9/2009 - ajaffee wrote:

This syrah has a nice purple color, with a nose of blueberries, balckberries, and wet cotton laundry. It has a nice mouthfeel with sweet fruit and a long finish. It's a little high on alcohol without food - although it's enjoyable without food - but with food this wine is at its best. If I had any more of this 03 Dry Creek, I'd probably let it lay for another year or two; but rest assured it's enjoyable right now.

12/27/2008 - ajaffee wrote:

The first thing you notice is the light red color, and then the mild nose. After a few hours of decanting, you also get to experience moderate bright red cherry and complementary spice flavors which seem light for a Napa cabernet. I didn't pick up other secondary flavors, and no changes through the finish. I might be missing the nuances of this wine, which for some will likely be a very enjoyable sophisticated cab, and I'll defer to them to give this wine the proper tasting notes it deserves. It's certainly well made, and in balance for what I experienced. But for me, I prefer big and chewy in a Napa cab.