5/18/2024 - happytom wrote:

We had this back in 2018 and rated it 94. Not so much this time. Not really any fruit notes to talk about. Getting leather, wet forest floor. A bit of anise and garrique. Dark chocolate notes. Dense. Very purple! But it was very food family. By itself, not so much. Full disclosure...I'm not an expert in northern Syrahs!

4/20/2024 - happytom Likes this wine:

First opened it was very light. LOTS of light cherry. Over time it gained weight. Getting white peppery notes with dark berries now. No more light cherries. Getting earthy notes now with sage. A hint of rosemary. it keeps evolving. Very mature but still will be good for a few more years. I'm glad I waited all these years to open it.

4/13/2024 - happytom Likes this wine:

Cherry with herbs. Even a bit of mint! Tasting fresh. Initially a bit tart but then mellowed out. And the flavors keep changing on the back end. Flavors keep going. Seems to be more new style than traditional. We opened a bottle four years ago and is much better today. Sadly, our last bottle. Was great with caramelized onions, mushrooms with ramps. Wife related the experience to the Smokey Mountains with rolling hills of flavor. Very poetic!

4/8/2024 - happytom Likes this wine:

black fruit preserves and savory nuances. Tobacco and damp earth. Blackberries, roasted figs. Very dark and brooding. Did not get the classic pencil lead. Great now but will great for another 20 years. I have one bottle left and will open it for the next solar eclipse in 2044. The 2024 solar eclipse was today.

2/10/2024 - happytom Likes this wine:

Wife tasted blind as usual. Guessed old world, must be France. Second sip, must be CdP.!! Initially wound tight but was very rosey. it opened up to reveal layers of cherry compote, raspberries, violets...all wrapped with the Garrigue. Incredibly elegant, pure, with fine velvety tannins

12/25/2023 - happytom wrote:

Raisins and deep rosey. And deep dark berries. This is a wine of great intensity, beauty and elegance. Plum skins. Great structure with firm tannins. Great food wine.

11/23/2023 - happytom Likes this wine:

Lush. Full bodied yet not heavy. Wife tasted blind and guessed Grenache! Definitely garrigue notes. Very rosy. Star anise. After an hour really opening up. Very smooth. Fruit is there but indeterminate...we could not identify what fruits! Blackberry? Huckleberry? Cherry compote? Two hours later wife said some bright fruit of some kind. Orange with orange zest? Overall a great blend of flavors.

10/1/2023 - happytom Likes this wine:

Wife tasted blind and guessed either Cabernet Sauvignon or Tempranillo. Tempranillo because there was something different about it even tho she wanted to say Cab. Very elegant and restrained. Not a fruit bomb from Napa. Getting cherries, raspberries, and huckleberries. Getting chalk dust. Good structure. Was not the best paring with grilled steak but was awesome with grilled mushrooms. I recommend holding or give it long decant.

9/23/2023 - happytom Likes this wine:

Opened and the nose was powerful. Perfumed. Indeed from Margaux. First taste was very dry. It opened up. Lots of strawberry and raspberries. Earthy. A big tangy. Leather and tobacco. Elegant.

9/16/2023 - happytom wrote:

I see the experts rate this wine very highly. But I agree with the cellar tracker reviewers for my rating. Opened and was very dry. We thought it would open up. But after two hours, still waiting on the fruit to arrive. It's there, but barely. Very austere. Getting just a hint of strawberry, dark cherry, and leather. Herbs. I have one more bottle. Maybe in 5-10 years?

9/9/2023 - happytom Likes this wine:

Opened and it was lip smacking. Cassis and lots of blackberry. Initially a bit closed, heavy, but getting red fruits. Lots of fruit now. Cedar and licorice. Still good structure and getting softer. Well made.

9/2/2023 - happytom Likes this wine:

Rich red fruits-plum and currants, black cherries, graphite mixed with tilled soil. A bit of tobacco now. Very soft but with good tannins.

8/8/2022 - happytom Likes this wine:

Nice Zin. Paired well with Ethiopian takeout. Would give it a 90 the first day. Was even better day 2.

4/23/2022 - happytom Likes this wine:

Poured blind and wife guessed Chateanef-du-Pape. Correct!! She is really good at this. Black tea with sweetness of plum, licorice, red berries. Getting garrigue. Mature. So open up, don't wait.

1/30/2022 - happytom Likes this wine:

Did a coravan for one glass each and was initially very dry. Tasting blind wife immediately guessed old world. Opened up fairly quickly. Second night opened up the bottle. Very elegant. Getting plum, blackberry, and blueberry. A bit of chalkiness/gravel/rocks. Long finish. A definite richness and opulence. Smooth tannins. Can hold for many years but it is great now. Fabulous.

1/22/2022 - happytom Likes this wine:

Opened and wife tasting blind, cookie crumbly cinnamon. Very closed initially. But it opened up. Now getting roses, raspberry, strawberry. a bit of limestone which probably explains the crumbly sensation. A hint of leather. garrigue..Full bodied. A really good wine. Will only get better, but can drink now. Paired with Ethiopian food and was perfect.

1/8/2022 - happytom Likes this wine:

Opened and poured and initially a bit jammy with lots of oak. It settled down and integrated. Raspberries, cherry, blackberries, plums. Was better with food. Dark and brooding.

12/31/2021 - happytom Likes this wine:

Opened and the nose was like walking into a wine cellar...the dampness, the coolness. Rose pedals, very earthy, cedar, definitely lots of leather, getting a light cherry. Lurking raspberries. Very powerful in a gentle way. Had it with Indian food, including goat. Drink now or hold.

12/25/2021 - happytom Likes this wine:

Drank over several months with a Coravin. Finished it last night. No tasting notes to add others haven't already posted but this was an incredible experience. Perhaps we could feel that joy that WW2 had just ended when the grapes were planted! Usually paired it with pecan pie.

12/24/2021 - happytom Likes this wine:

This is a powerful wine. Opened and poured...red/brown bricking. Taste was closed and restrained but knew it would open. Three hours later...classic notes...tar, scorched balsamic vinegar, strawberry, cedar. This wine can last for years.

11/6/2021 - happytom Likes this wine:

Purple! Initially a grapey blast with silky texture, green bell pepper, peppercorns, pomegranate, celery root, cranberry, tangy blackberry, smoky leather tobacco and a hint of cedar. Herbaceous. After 1 hour of decanting plum and red cherries are coming out. Paired with Ethiopian food, take out. Perfect. Drink or hold. Will last for a long time in the cellar. Very nice and unique.

10/10/2021 - happytom Likes this wine:

92 Points
Opened and poured, wife tasted blind and guessed Bordeaux! Soft and round with a tanginess and not jammy at all. The fruit is there with a wild blackberry and plum mix. Growing up picking and eating wild blackberries reminds me of the tanginess. Limestone notes. Paired with homemade tomato sauce with grilled olives. And onions, celery, fresh tomatoes, bell peppers,eggplant, garlic, herbs, and balsamic reduction...no sugar. Put on with chapatis.

9/19/2021 - happytom Likes this wine:

First opened and overpowering oak! But it settled down. Two hours later soft and round, black and red raspberries, and orange zest. A bit jammy. With grilled vegetables and a grilled rib eye and paired well. Good value. someone wrote its a great mid week wine, but it's Sunday!

9/6/2021 - happytom Likes this wine:

Getting better. Rosy. Raspberries. Limestone. Great with grilled vegatables and a hamburger. Grilled: red bell peppers, onions, olives, zuchinini, corn and served with fresh tomatoes. Really good wine.

7/31/2021 - happytom Likes this wine:

similar tasting notes prior. So elegant. It screams France. That barnyard funk in a good way. Fresh fruits.

7/24/2021 - happytom Likes this wine:

Had it last summer and it was bubble gum and we did not like it. What a year can make. Much better now. Initially fresh Rainer cherries. An hour later the earthiness came out. Mushrooms. What I learned is, let it age. It will get better. The bubble gum is still there but less so. So it depends on your bubble gum ratio.

7/18/2021 - happytom Likes this wine:

An update from my review from 2018. Still fresh and tart. But less tart now. Ready to drink when opened. Was afraid it would fall apart quickly. But after 2 hours its holding up nicely and didn't change much. So it should should be good for at at least a 2 years. Great value.

6/19/2021 - happytom Likes this wine:

Almost opened 10 years ago or so. Tore the wrapping around the cork but then put it back in the cellar. Was wondering if it was still good. Glad I waited. Fist was tangy and sharp. Knew it would open up. It did. Now soft and resolved tannins. Fresh cherries (after all these years) rose pedals, raspberries. A sweetness. A hint of chalk.

5/8/2021 - happytom Likes this wine:

Opened and poured. Got lots of oak. After a while it subsided. Blackberry, dark cherry, cassis. A bit of chocolate/cocoa. getting some chalkiness. This will get better.

5/2/2021 - happytom Likes this wine:

wow! Opened and poured blind to wife. She smelled and guessed CnP! Great from the start. Rosy, violet, lavender, luxardo cherries, guarique. Cedar wood. Raspberries. Silky chalky velvety smooth tannins. Great now and will get better.

5/1/2021 - happytom Likes this wine:

Opened and it is classic red burgundy. Barnyard funk, Cherries, blackberries, and dry forest floor. Taste was same but with a tartness. After the 1st hour it became more complex. Getting graphite now. Cassis. Becoming more robust and more round. Herbs. Tartness is subsiding. Ready now but will get better.

3/13/2021 - happytom Likes this wine:

Opened and poured. Initial nose was...nothing! So wound tight. But then it opened up. Chalky, rose, mineral, mocha, chocolate, bright fruit. Plum. Anise. lavender. Tangy citrus? A presence of blackberry. Graphite. Had it with lamb with a mustard based sauce. Wonderful. The tanginess went away and became more soft. This wine is very good. Excellent now and will last for years. 93 for now but will only get better.

3/7/2021 - happytom Likes this wine:

Opened and tasted. And boy was it closed. Almost nothing. But you knew it would open up. And it has. Definitely old world. Red berries with earthy forest floor. Rosy. A hint of cherry. Violets. The color was lighter than I expected but was still robust. This wine will only get better over time. Had with eggplant, tomatoes, grilled onions, and ground lamb. And with home made falafel with fresh garbanzo beans. This is a good wine.

2/27/2021 - happytom Likes this wine:

Very heavy for being 75% Merlot! Dark cherries and dark raspberries. Oaky at first but that blew off. Chalky and some minerality. Big mouthfeel. A hint of chocolate. Cedar. Not sure if will improve but will last for many years. Drink now or hold.

2/20/2021 - happytom Likes this wine:

Very enjoyable. Really love that its 100% cab. Blackcurrants and black cherries. A bit of cedar and dark chocolate. Loamy and almost frothy. A bit of leather. Theres a spiciness, perhaps due to no other grapes added such as Merlot or Petit Verdot? Juicy but the cedar notes keeps in balance. A hint of dust but still very lip smacking juicy. Opened and decanted for almost 3 hours now and its getting better. Getting very soft now. Still juicy with cedar notes.

1/23/2021 - happytom Likes this wine:

Opened and pure a taste for my wife who tasted blind. Very light and bursting with cherries. Wife no like. Said she wanted something with more body and thought it a cheap pinot noir. So I recorked and put in fridge. 3 days later spend it back up and WOW! What a transformation. Much darker and gained weight. Dark raspberries and dark cherries. A bit of chalkiness. forest floor and mushrooms. Earthiness. Great mouthfeel. Been opened for 2 hours now and still opening up. Will definitely age. If open now will need a decant.

12/24/2020 - happytom Likes this wine:

Opened and bouquet was jammy but taste was earthy, heavy, astringant, but still with the jam. Very disjointed. But after 2 hours it started to come together. Would have NEVER guessed a CdP. Cedar. Cassis and blackberry confit. Wood. Sorta get the garrigue, but not in the traditional way. Very different CdP. I would not open for another 5 years. Or decant from the morning.

12/5/2020 - happytom Likes this wine:

Opened and very jammy. Wife tasted blind and thought CdP but was confused. Seemed more like a Australian Grenache. Very extracted and intense. Full bodied. Deep and dark. No wonder wife was confused. But after 3 hours it started to blossom. Preserved strawberries. Figs. Soft. Violets. Blackberries. Baked plum. Finally getting the CdP garrigue one would expect. I'm sure this wine will only get better. Hold. Or decant for several hours.

11/21/2020 - happytom Likes this wine:

Opened and bouquet was roses. Fruit was tight but knew it would open up. It did. Blackberry, plum, black cherry. Tobacco, wet cigar box. A mineral backbone. After 1 1/2 hours it closed down. But then reopened. Paired with lamb loins, mushrooms, and spinach. But then...I made a puree of roasted cauliflower, sunchokes, onion, celery. Then added steamed chestnuts! Wow. perfect paring. What we learned is that we could steam chestnuts and have it with this wine. So chestnuts goes with right bank Bordeaux! This wine will only get better But is great now.

8/8/2020 - happytom Likes this wine:

Dark, inky, heavy, rich, dark fruits. Bordering on Amarone which he is known for. Thankfully the acidity makes it approachable now. Silky tannins. dark chocolate. Balsamic reduction. Still wound tight after 3 hours. Good structure but not sure it's worth the price tho. Don't open for 5 years. It should get better.

8/1/2020 - happytom Likes this wine:

Been almost 4 years since the last bottle. Still excellent. Full mouthful. The funk/barnyard is gone and is a bit more jammy. Still the blackberry reduction. Inky yes. Dark raspberries. A hint of leather. Great with grilled olives. Drink or hold. Plum now starting to come out.

7/26/2020 - happytom wrote:

not super interesting but still good and solid. Good value. good winemaking. not flashy but get the craft. Cherry, blackberry, herbiness, A bit of chalkiness. After 2 hours a rosiness coming out. Seems to be getting better. Hold.

7/17/2020 - happytom wrote:

The first bottle we had was definitely bad. This one is good. Not great. Tangy sourness to begin. Chalky. Rasberries with bittersweet chocolate. A bit thin. However, this wine may be great in 5 years.

7/4/2020 - happytom wrote:

Jammy. Wife loved it. I did not. Loamy. Some blackberries. Wife said there's enough structure that it could blossom in a few years. Have another bottle. I won't open for 10 years. If we live that long.

7/2/2020 - happytom Likes this wine:

We usually don't drink white wines, but....we could drink this one all the time! Wife tasted blind and said immediately this is unique. White peaches, pears and nectarines with a citrus zing. buttery. complex. a mineral background that keeps it grounded. honeysuckle. silky and creamy. This wine is great! And happy that I have another bottle. But also sad that I only have one bottle left.

6/21/2020 - happytom Does not like this wine:

Opened and first taste was...bubble gum! Cola. Bright sour cherries. Not in the mood for such a wine candy. So corked it back and opened a Pomerol. Now it's a day later and reopened. Still bubble gum and bright, somewhat sour cherries. Very disappointed. More like a simple bubble gum chewing air headed pinot from California, not Willamette Valley. A bit of raspberries. Very clean and bright. Did I mention bubble gum?? Have another bottle but won't open for years, hoping that there are tertiary flavors that may come out. But not holding my breath. At $50 a poor value. If you have a bottle, open it for the crowd that usually drink wine coolers. They will love it.

6/20/2020 - happytom Likes this wine:

Truly exquisite and elegant. Initial smell was of caramelized lavender? Is that such a thing? Made us both go wow. Taste was was mulberry, blackberry and plum. Graphite. Earthy. Truffles. Tobacco. A creamy freshness. A faint hint of smoke. Drinking well after 30 minutes and now it's 3 hours later and getting better. Fabulous. Drink now or hold. Will be good for many years. Had with home made pizza dough with morels, caramelized onions, asparagus, roasted garlic, and spinach. Doesn't get much better than this!

6/13/2020 - happytom wrote:

First opened and dry as dust. Then green came out. Finally raspberries started showing up. Tart raspberries. Wet earth. Blackberries. A hint of strawberry. A bit of herbs. Unripe plums that taste astringent. Had decanted for 3 hours. Got softer after that time. Don't open until 2024. This should get better.

6/6/2020 - happytom wrote:

not rating. maybe a bad bottle. it does not live up to the CT ratings. Opened and very jammy. Then oak. Oak subsided. Wife tasted blind and when I said Cab, she said no way. It kinda sorta settled down after 2 hours. Sorta food friendly. Still jammy. After 3 hours wife said I kinda sorta get the cab coming out. ?

5/30/2020 - happytom Does not like this wine:

? I read the other reviews and I had to check if I had the right wine and the right year. Sadly it checked out. It's not easy being green, is what I get. Green. Green herbs. Overpowering green. Even after 2 hours. Wife tried it blind and her response was ëwww...taste yeasty. So hopefully a bad bottle Unfortunately I have 3 more bottles. Wait a few years?