10/8/2023 - Dark Helmet Likes this wine:

Could benefit from some age, and definitely needs time to open up. But Holy Cow!!! This thing is awesome!

4/1/2013 - Dark Helmet Likes this wine:

very good, not great. excellent with food.

3/1/2012 - Dark Helmet Likes this wine:

not great, but very drinkable. paired with wild salmon, worked very nicely, definitely a wine to drink with food.

2/9/2012 - Dark Helmet Likes this wine:

much brighter and more fruit forward than a lot of other Rhone Reds, almost acts like a Cab as it opens up, then settles in after an hour or so to being a more classic Syrah. Nice, but not great value.

11/21/2011 - Dark Helmet wrote:

needed to be paired with food. needs lots of time to breathe. would drink again.

3/23/2010 - Dark Helmet wrote:

Without an deep body of knowledge of stickies, this was hard to describe, but apricots and honey were the central themes, and they were wonderful. Sweet without being gooey. very fleshy in the mouth. Served w/ tart tatin, and it was perfect.

3/23/2010 - Dark Helmet wrote:

having a pour from this bottle was like coming home. it just felt right. very inviting and approachable, nothing extraordinary outside of that simple fact. a wonderful departure from wines that make you think too much. no thinking here, just drinking. will buy again.

3/23/2010 - Dark Helmet wrote:

Everyone loved the wine except me, something was off in the nose. Tthe 03 and 05 are much superior in my opinion.

1/25/2010 - Dark Helmet wrote:

easily one of the best wines I've had in the last year. Wonderful balance with pepper, smoke, and just enough acidity. Pronounced structure and a wonderful, long finish. Age has served it well, but its peak is in the next 1-2 years, I think. Would certainly buy and drink more.

1/14/2010 - Dark Helmet wrote:

felt like this wine had actually passed its prime. not nearly as compelling as the first two bottles. Still a fine wine, but hurry up and drink whatever you have left.

2/10/2009 - Dark Helmet wrote:

very enjoyable wine, easily a solid value in its price range. Definitely pair with food, I don't feel it has "enough" to stand alone.

2/4/2009 - Dark Helmet wrote:

I had feared that this bottle was ruined and it was... however, there were still some remnants of what had been some wonderful fruit...

1/23/2009 - Dark Helmet wrote:

Very impressed. I could sit and just smell this wine for hours... wonderfully complex, but never overwhelming. could probably still sit for a few years before peaking, has not begun to mellow (much) yet.

12/30/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

Sadly, this bottle was a goner. not as bad as the last, but still past prime. When I bought three on sale early this year, i should have mowed through them, I've lost some wonderful wine. If you still have this wine, drink it NOW, DO NOT WAIT, it may already be too late!

12/30/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

wonderful wine, I paired it poorly. only thing I found lacking was the nose seemed a smige flat. I paid too much for it, and its not good value at that price, but I suspect, if bought right, it could represent good value.

11/6/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

this was a very enjoyable bottle, and exceeded my expectations. Far from the amazing top-flight wines of this type, it was still a great bottle. I've been cellaring this for over 3 years, and it was worth the wait.

10/21/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

Great Value, will drink more!

10/18/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

Excellent depth on pallet, but not as forward as I'd hoped. Overall great value, would buy/drink more.

10/2/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

oofta... ruined. I have one left. 5mos ago this was great, 9months ago it was amazing. this one was DEAD. One left, and I'm hoping it's survived.

10/6/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

Still great value @ $8... At this point I'd prefer the 05 and 06... but nonetheless, I look forward to quaffing the rest of the case!

10/1/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

Fruit Grenade... this wine needs time... I don't have a decanter, or that may have helped. regardless, very promising, very pure fruit and great depth already. Amazing quality for the money.

9/26/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

Decent Nose, but virtually dead fruit and nothing but cotton-mouth finish.

the last three bottles recommended by this shop have been poor, very very disappointed.

9/22/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

Thin, weak, no body, nose devoid of fruit, no finish... easily the worst bottle I've ever had at such a price. Had the color and transparency of Black Cherry Kool-Aid. blah! never again. I have no clue how you can get a wine this light in color from a grape whose name is "black." do avoid.

9/16/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

Pleasantly surprised. not a great wine by any means, but pleasant and enjoyable. weaker nose and a short finish diluted what was otherwise good fruit. felt almost flat near the end of the bottle... won't likely buy again, but I've spent more on less. for $10-11, this isn't bad value, but any more than that and its outclassed. paired it with a Quiche, and later with a simple cheese plate... both went well.

9/12/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

good, but not great. versatile/flexible white that is a decent value if bought right. The girls enjoyed it, which was the intent when it was chosen. Would buy again if the evening dictated "cheap Italian white"...

9/12/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

Pleasant and enjoyable, but without an exceptionally distinct nose or finish. Passable wine I would drink again, but likely not buy again.

For the same money, the Rodney Strong Knotty Vines Zin is MUCH better IMO.

9/7/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

very enjoyable, reminds me of rustic french country food. Robust, benefited from some air... would buy it again.

8/5/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

Technically an excellent wine, and I enjoyed it immensely, but for some reason it just didn't knock my socks off. Good enough I'll be buying more, however.

8/8/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

Enjoyed this immensely. Very earthy, almost painfully dry. This doesn't compare at all to a typical California Cab, which surprised me., I found to be wonderfully different. Drink with a steak for sure.

8/16/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

Reminded me of really cheap chain-restaurant Pinot Grigio... nothing good here. Avoid.

6/17/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

wonderful, as always... I need to start buying this stuff by the case!

6/2/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

Very disappointed in this... felt thin in the mouth and had a finish I can only describe as "lame". Drank it the night following another, less expensive, Zin and it was a major letdown.

6/1/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

enjoyed this very much... pleasant nose, if not as potent as I like, sufficient body, but little short on finish... reasonable value in a time that good Zin is tough to find.

5/4/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

not QUITE as good as I remembered it, but still a wonderful wine. I have two left, and still look forward to them with great anticipation. I still LOVE this wine. Still has a very pungent (yet in a good way) nose and a long easy finish.

5/7/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

mis-paired this wine and I don't think gave it a fair shot. had it with a spicy pizza that buried it. overall, a bit tight and a disappointingly short finish. for $10, I'd buy more. For the $15 I paid for it, there were and are many better options.

3/12/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

for some reason this one just tasted better than the last... still love this wine.

2 down, 10 to go!

3/10/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

I preferred the 2005, but still a very nice wine for modest money, and very adaptable for food. For a relatively light-weight wine, it stands up to hearty flavors well. one down, 11 to go!

3/10/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

very nice bottle for the price, nothing special buy predictable and just downright "good".

3/1/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

Ordered this at my favorite restaurant, suspected it was corked... drank it anyway, should have sent it back. i need to talk to the other couple we were with to see what they think. if it wasn't corked, i am VERY disappointed, it was all alcohol, and what fruit i did taste was almost sour.

2/18/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

very disappointed, weak finish and not lot of depth or complexity. Maybe my expectations were too high, I don't know.

1/22/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

purchased from local shop that is usually on point. wine came highly recommended, and lived up to its billing. I've never spent $40 on a still white before, but it was well worth it. Wonderfully dry without the "death by oak" that I'm so used to with dry US whites. Rich gold color, muted nose, but the years have been very very kind to this wine. My nose isn't good enough to distinguish all the different aromas and flavors, but I know GOOD when I taste it... and this was GREAT. If you can find it, buy it and enjoy it soon, at nearly 10 years of age, I fear this wine will be past peak soon. The best white wine I have EVER encountered.

2/14/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

A general comment, I've had this wine on at least 3-4 occasions, but was first introduced to it by a sommelier who described it as a "big fuzzy peach." I can't describe it any better than that. We always have a bottle on hand.

1/14/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote:

Light and approachable. Not a highly "technical" wine by any stretch, but wonderful nonetheless. Great for a snack with some cheese! Avoid pairing with bold flavors, personally wish it would have had a stronger nose to it, but our friends all love it BECAUSE it is so approachable. Wonderful "grab a bottle" everyday wine.