11/2/2023 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

The vinous review nailed it. Loosened up after ~90 minutes and is singing. Mix of primary and secondary. I’m surprised after seeing the reviews here how approachable this is. Dark, fleshy red fruits with a smokiness that somehow isn’t heavy.

4/21/2023 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Declassified burgundy. People seeking an every day drinker in a similar vein at a lower price point should swoon. Pulls off classy and some funk. Red fruit and an earthy/mineral second half. Long for the price point. Lacks some body but at a minimum you won’t be disappointed.

1/5/2023 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

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9/8/2022 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

This is drinking beautifully...less primary than the last bottle I had ~9 months ago, but the red fruit still present early on...makes me think it's still early-ish for this one.

Soft feel and better balance than last time. I enjoy acidity and this has just enough. A crowd pleaser, coming together already. 90 mins of air beforehand.

8/17/2022 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Good qpr. Nice balanced mix of dark fruit, lightly spicy goodness, and acidity. Needs an hour or two to chill out. Dark chocolate emerges on and verges on dominating on day 2 -- in a very good way. Will get more.

6/22/2022 - Goodbread wrote:

Ugh, we think this was corked. will give it a few hours and confirm. I was really looking forward to checking in to see where this is.

5/29/2021 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Took 90 minutes to open up. Diverse nose and a terrific finish with a lightly chalky feel both stood out. Med/- body was a bit disappointing. Better than a year ago.

5/17/2021 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Better on day 2. Lovely, harmonious wine. This improved greatly from Thanksgiving '19. Softer, better integrated. Dried red fruit, and a great flowery mineral finish. Taste lingered for seconds on day 2.

4/27/2021 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Delicious. Quiet Lion's review is spot on for me. I followed suit with an hour of air time.

The wine's quality and class/polish are obvious. It's dark but quite lifted and lively. Good balance, med+ body and acidity.

I definitely get the coffee, as mentioned...but it's the good kind (not the kind Bonnie buys when she goes shopping...). Nice herb and sweet tobacco as well.

Only one remaining. It's doubtful I'll be able to hold off on it. I'll plan to drink it alongside the '13 I have, hopefully in >12 months...but this is just so darn good as is.

4/14/2021 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Really enjoyed this, but seems a bit early. The high quality of the fruit is obvious. Its texture is the big stand out for me.

The grenache is generous and even more lively/fresh than I expected but good typicity, overall.

Seems like there's room for some improvement in next ~2 years. But it's very enjoyable now. If you're into old world-style red fruit (raspberry, sometimes a dark cherry note) with a pleasing, lightly spicy finish, then you'll at least like this now/soon.

4/4/2021 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

The previous notes seem on point, particularly bps2266 to me.

This seems like it's in a very good place.

Potent nose, red fruit. Forest floor and mushroom secondary notes faintly in background. Great balance and just enough complexity to avoid being generic on day 1.

Better feel on day 2, wider and even more plush texture. Way more interesting w/ secondaries and ultra fine tannin coming on. This is the only/last bottle I have, which is regrettable.

3/29/2021 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Better on second day. Not super complex, but high quality. Quite forward with dark fruit that included a blueberry note on day one, but not sweet which I worried about. Long finish with present tannin on day two. Going to wait a year or two.

2/11/2021 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Very good if tight and too young. Dark, deep ruby color and fine powder-like tannin stood out. Will hold what I have remaining for ~2 or more years. Wish I bought more.

1/23/2021 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Still showing nicely. A bit muted on day 1. Nice balance, on the lighter side but fun enough. Good year, better than others I've had.

Prominent dark red fruit still and secondaries are increasing. Seems like it has a year or two more...or it's entering a sleep, maybe? Drinking beautifully now and a great QPR.

1/2/2021 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

This is a "baby Barolo" on day 2. Becomes a different wine. Wild.

I was not terribly impressed with this after drinking over ~6 hours on day 1. The next day it's full of leather backed by subtle but dank and brooding dark red fruit in the background. The wine is almost entirely different -- especially the length of the finish. It's still dry and young though.

Not for everyone but Nebbiolo fans will likely enjoy this and agree it's a great QPR.

12/24/2020 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Good balance and finesse after it chills out a bit. Ordered six more while having the first of three. This delivered what I expect from OR/DH PN in terms of silky regal texture, a range of bright dark red fruit that's earthy not sweet, and pleasant spices. Needs a bit of time to calm down so it's not really a PnP.

Its long finish was just excellent and features subtle tannic ending which makes this a great QPR at the price point (note: I paid significantly lower than the wine-searcher price displayed on CT when I posted this).

Mellower but even better integrated on day 2. Major crowd-pleasing potential. I'm going to try to sit on the rest for a while.

12/17/2020 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Drinking well fast, as expected. Balanced if not too remarkable. Dark fruit but not sweet. Small flash of chocolate toward middle. Not a super long finish. Balanced and a decent qpr for $17. Not as good for me as some of the other vintages of this wine, but reliable for the style.

12/1/2020 - Goodbread wrote:

Med ruby appearance, darkish. Pleasant + warm, dark fruit and berry nose.

Started nimble with bold blackberry and plummy goodness. About 2-3 hours after open, the citrus and orange finish grew and grew...eventually, teetering on overwhelming. Interesting, if not my thing.

Alcohol noticeable, esp on open, but seems like varietal typicity, young wine. Med body but + acidity, which I tend to like. Solid fall/winter wine.

11/28/2020 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

This is drinking above its price point, in my opinion.

The darkest reddish purple. Virtually no rim. 90 minutes of air changes this wine.

The LB description is on point. Especially on the nose, with distinct cola leading. Despite its dense dark appearance, this is polished and offers a fun mix of vibrant dark fruit without being overripe (for a CA red blend, mind you).

Dark, mineral, subtle pepper. Even some savory dark chocolate on the back half with discreet tannin. Strong QPR.

Med+ body, med acidity...looking forward to seeing how it holds on day 2.

UPDATE: predictably, this fell apart a bit on day 2. Knocking it down 1. Drink away/now.

UPDATE II: Second bottle was too fruit forward for first hour. I think the trick is to not drink immediately and also not leave it for days 2+. It is good for what it is.

UPDATE III: Had 2nd half of latest bottle on the 3rd day and it was quite good. Mellowed out, some dark brown sugar but not overwhelming. It seems I don't know what to make of this wine other than I like it.

11/25/2020 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Drinking beautifully. Dark fruit nose. Med+ body and med acidity. Wide, plush, and dynamic throughout on taste. Dark fruit and well-integrated secondaries with herby and flowery back half. Forward, but fleshing out to be a real treat. Would buy more if I can find it. A very slight bit of alcohol at the extreme end, which was welcomed on a chilly night. A real crowd pleaser.

9/30/2020 - Goodbread Does not like this wine:

Well, this was a disappointment. I had read about most/much of the syrah in Lodi being pulled up after over-planting 20-30 years ago. But I wanted to try one. I saw this has a 92 rating on WE and the CT scores here were mixed but netted out ok.

This was a fruit bomb + over-oaked + had heat. Just a clunky mess on night one even after being open/out for 2 hours. Over-the-top dark berries are there for sure and hard to miss. But so was this synthetic feeling and tasting element. I had a headache after the glass I pushed through.

Thinking it maybe would improve the next day, but...

Nope. It was undrinkable on day 2. I can't recall the last time I poured wine down the drain from my glass. I'll see if we have an opportunity to cook with what's left in the bottle over the next few days but will hesitate even then if the opportunity arises.

I don't enjoy being negative and especially not because I know someone/many people put a lot into making this wine but I feel compelled to share, given the reviews I referenced.

8/11/2020 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Fun expression of nebbiolo -- super bright red fruits. Cherry and pomegranate primary for me. Despite a very light short note of spice/earth toward the end, this is clean and focused. It has an unmistakably but maybe a bit more agreeable dry finish typical of young nebbiolo, which I l love.

A lively summer red that a pro review says "borrows from Beaujolais"...yes, agree. A good, lighter cru Beaujolais.

Highly recommended summer drinking and a bit of an adventure that will please most and wow some.

8/7/2020 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

90 minutes wasn't quite enough for this to open up but it did as we drank it. Med+ body and dark red and black fruit was fun for a cooler summer night. It had some spice and late notes of charcoal and licorice as well. Started tight but length emerged to medium/decent length about 3 hours after open. It's even better on day 2. Mellow, dark and the end got even better with the late notes mentioned above still there with some sweet molasses-like tinge.

There's not much acidity or tannin here. But I don't think it was made with that intention. Another reason it's not higher for me is what another has mentioned re: presence of 15% alcohol. Happy to have more to try over the next few falls and winters.

6/22/2020 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Bright, taut riesling. Nice notes of apple and other fruits. Agree that its an effervescent nose impresses. Med/med+ body. Pleasing dry finish. Lime and citrus was a bit overpowering for me but can't deny how much we enjoyed the combo of the acidity and dry finish. A lively crowd pleasing dry riesling, great price point.

5/31/2020 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Lively and drinking beautifully to me. Love the mint as another review pointed out. med+ acid knocks its balance off a tad but to me that's just the sangiovese-at-a-high-altitude singing. Really fun tuscan blend from napa. Others from CA I've tried, the sangiovese is overwhelmed by the cab. Not here. Happy to have a few more...

update: Consumed my last bottle of this on Saturday + Sunday. It really fell apart on day 2, which was disappointing. First night was consistent with my note from 5/31/2020, but on day 2 it was hot and alcohol overwhelmed. Had the same nose, but conflicted on the palette.

5/31/2020 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Wonderful nose with citrus, fruit. Lively and elevated with some secondary fruit but what grabs you is its luscious body and a mineral flourish. We were impressed! Great clean, dry but oily finish. Med+ body and acidity.

4/30/2019 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Bright red throughout, light cloud core. Finally tracked down both the 2012 and 2013 Riecine CC. The '12 is superior for me.

Red fruit spine is serious and persistent. Some vanilla and a tobacco note. Med body, med+ acidity that made my mouth water. Long finish with pleasantly middling tannin and a signature lightly bitter end. Clean and good typicity if on the light side, which works for us.

2/1/2020 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

30-45 min decant

Strong, almost smokey sweet nose.

Smoothed out very well but still strong dark berries. Good transition to a mineral yet sweet peak. Tobacco and herbal goodness. Soft, long finish with signature bitter end (which I love). Had a hard time putting the glass down for this one. Wish we had more to keep...

1/12/2019 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

90 minutes weren't enough to open it so we waited 24 hours. Really liked it at that point.

Med body, med/med+ acidity. Plum, stewed cranberry. Med tannin seemingly better integrated on day 2. Very good QPR, not great.

2/3/2019 - Goodbread Does not like this wine:

Solid sangiovese, but a bit thin and lots of acidity makes it clunky.

Juicy feel with some light smoke midway through and a hint of cinnamon made it somewhat interesting. Light, slightly dry finish. Forgettable, overall.

3/23/2019 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

I read beforehand that patience with this bottle is important. Now I understand. Decanted for 2+ hours and it softened enough for me to get into it. Probably too young, still.

Med body and smokey. Black cherry. Tobacco. Wood. Had a great, sweet-ish tobacco flourish at end. Great balance with med+acidity. Totally get this when you're in the mood for a bold sangiovese experience. Wish we had more to see it in a few years...

4/18/2020 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Pretty, dark ruby red with a wide rim. Subtle flowery nose, with violet.

Vibrant open with red fruits including ripe dark cherries. Then a fun, violet flourish and a light herbal flash with green tomato.

Med+ acidity, med/med+ body. Good balance and impressive tannins and long finish. Dry but not offensive. A very pretty wine. We need more to store...

3/5/2019 - Goodbread Does not like this wine:

Candy red color. So bright it almost looks like cranberry cocktail.

Strawberries and light on the nose.

Bright red fruit, primarily strawberries. Some structure with an herby/grassy note but really just red fruit sweet. Not at all syrupy or jammy which saves it. Had a short bright almost earthy kick to go with, yup, you guessed it, unmistakable strawberry.

It was good, not great for me. Not on par with really any of the cru Beaujolais I've had recently. I'd have to be in the mood for something like this to come back.

3/2/2019 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Dense dark purple with a bluish tint. Almost looks like a warm-climate syrah.

Light granite on nose.

Concentrated and dense dark plum fruit. Not much sweetness but some nice licorice and ripeness as it opened up after decanting for a bit. On dry side but not very tannic. Med/med+ body. Noticeable alcohol.

This is someone's baby...just not mine. But still good.

4/24/2020 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Deep red core, almost uniform.

Really changed after 30-45 minutes of being opened. Would recommend a sip or two at open and then waiting. Dark, fresh red fruits but I got this great woody mineral flourish immediately following the fruit. Almost on top of it.

Long, noisy finish. Great stuff. Med-ish body, med+ / high acidity. A chewy tannin end that just hit so well.

This is a gorgeous wine. Loved it. Wish I had more but going to try to sit on what I have left for a while.

3/15/2020 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Deep ruby core but a light almost browning/red edge.

Flowery, violet, baking powder. Very sharp on the nose.

Nice minerals, violet, ripe-to-tart cherry combo. Med/med- body. Med+ acidity. Fun flash of cranberry toward end.

Not overly light or sweet but leaned that way more than other Morgon and really most cru Beaujolais we've had recently. Really enjoyed this.

3/1/2019 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Lovely, young cru Beaujolais. Nice red and dark fruit mix. A bit fruit forward for me these days but enough depth and funk that I loved it despite being a bit clunky. Med body, med+ acidity. Fun!

4/5/2020 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Light spice and intriguing nose on open.

Dense, dark fruit and a flourish of mineral goodness. Lovely tannin finish and a good structure. Left me wanting more. Great integration between raspberry and red fruits and bright med+/high acidity. Seemed to get darker and darker from start to finish on each sip. Memorable.

I would definitely serve this and recommend it.

6/7/2019 - Goodbread wrote:

Solid, lightweight gamay. "Just barely enough" is the theme for me. Barely enough red fruit, enough vibrancy. Clean but too fruity.

Mild funky, med- body, and med acidity for a gamay. Definitely simple and had a tinge of something that I couldn't quite place that makes this a one-time experience for me. Was part of the first course of our dinner.

7/12/2019 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Infinitely drinkable. Was expecting it to be too sweet or light but not the case. Nothing like nouveau but also not complex.

Primary cherries make it a crowd pleasure. Not in the tier for me as better cru Beaujolais.

Good if you or your company like red fruit forward and high acidity reds. Fun to drink.

7/26/2019 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

Not as brilliant for me as the JMB 2015 or 2016 cote du py but lovely wine, still.

Same/similar lush purple color and narrow semi-transparent rim as the more recent vintage. Dark.

Stewy and brooding nose but somehow still light.

Med- body, and med+ acidity. Bright but stewy cranberry sauce and cherries dominate when opened. Violet and tangy wonderfulness. Lacked much of a tannic feel until 30-45 mins in decanter. Then it became more complex and showed a mild but enjoyable finish.

Recommended experience for fans of cru Beaujolais. Strong QPR but we didn't pay the price listed on wine-searcher.

4/23/2020 - Goodbread Likes this wine:

2-3 hour decant

Dark core with a wide ruby edge, pretty typical for tempranillo.

Bright after it took some time to open up. Berries and some toasty oak/vanilla

Med body. Flavorful and complex enough but it never really peaks, which isn't a bad thing. Its red fruit in the form of dark cherry and berries are present but subtle. The story is the woody/oaky vanilla and secondaries, which are also on the subtle side.

It's a bit clunky toward end but individual components are enjoyable (med- tannins, med- acidity). I didn't get the burn mentioned by others.

This wine won't offend people and if you like tempranillo, you'll at least tolerate this. Decent QPR but can do better at this price point and on the light side for a reserva. Good for home drinking but wouldn't serve it or share it with friends.