6/10/2011 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Apricot all over the nose. Citrus, honey, a little petrol and apricot on the palate. Finish is a bit tight. A truly special wine though. Flavors rarely found in dry/offdry whites. Plenty of life left, but wonderful now.

12/30/2008 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Great wine that has really improved with time in the bottle. Dark cherry all over the nose, more dark fruit, along with some spice and forest floor on the palate. One of the more Burgundian experiences I've ever had with Pinot. Too bad this was the last bottle.

10/23/2010 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Goodbye to Barbieri. Great nose of red fruit, spice and something I can't quite place. Really nice on the palate, adding some bramble. Popped and poured and ready to go. Drank along side 2006 Novy Barbieri for comparison. While it doesn't have the Novy's finish, the Carlisle is still a touch better. Both are fantastic and the similarities are obvious. Again, plowing these vines under should have been a illegal. Drink or hold.

4/8/2012 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Decanted for 30 minutes. Deep purple, but cloudy, almost like a barrel tasting. Smoke and dark fruits on the nose. Smoke, bacon fat, blood and thyme on the pallet. Wonderful wine.

10/9/2013 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Really nice cassis and dark fruit notes, along with some pepper and tobacco. The 4% cab franc rounds it out nicely. Tannins are mostly integrated, and you can finally pop and pour this wine, but the last glass was better the next day.

5/17/2008 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Starts out a bit acidic and needs a little air. Good amounts of cherry and spice and very smooth by now. This wine has plenty of life in it.

8/14/2009 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Decanted for one hour. While not necessarily dark and brooding, not as light as I would expect from RRV. Red fruits and earth on the nose, adding a touch of spice on the finish. Really nice balance and mouth feel. Paired very well with salmon, for which I usually pull Oregon Pinot. One of the few 2006s that exceeds its predecessor, and one of the very few that I would buy more of. Drink or hold.

9/26/2009 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Dark ruby. Red fruit, cassis, and some cedar. Deep red fruits and some mocha and spice on the palate. Tannins are well-integrated, but this bottle still packed a punch. Much more full-bodied and rich than a bottle a friend brought a few months ago.

10/23/2010 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Goodbye to Barbieri. Dark fruit and bramble on the nose with a touch of spice, great finish. As it opened up, the red fruit and spice start to take their proper place. Tasted along side the 2006 Carlisle Pietro's bottling. The similarities were always there, and as the Novy opened up it gave the Carlisle a run for its money. The Novy's finish is really quite impressive. Why someone plowed these vines under is beyond me, as is why I didn't buy more. Drink with a decant or hold 6-12 months.

10/8/2009 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Garnet in color. Nose of vanilla, plum, cassis, cedar tobacco and some veggie funk. On the palate the wine has a great mouthfeel with similar flavor notes, though the fruit takes more prominence. A good Melchor experience, but not one of the best. For my palate, drink these wines at 4-6 years out. Drink now.

3/22/2012 - T.J.Burn wrote:

1st experience with Match. First night it was really, really tight. Lighter red fruits, with some mild oak notes and green olive. On both nights 2 and 3, it really opened up into a great classic Cabernet. Red fruits and mild vanilla were complemented by cedar, a great vegetal component and some floral notes on the nose.

1/15/2010 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Popped and poored, with some vinturi use. Red fruits and some spice on the nose. Real nice jammy raspberry and a little mocha on the palate. In a pretty good place right now, and should drink well over the next 1-2 years.

6/17/2010 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Deep purple. Nose of meat, soy and flowers, adding dark fruits and pepper on the palate. Great finish. A really nice wine, especially for the price, that took on all comers on this occasion. The floral component on the nose is uniquely distinct in terms of other Novy Syrahs. Drink now or hold for 1-2 years.

9/10/2015 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Research re: recent library offer. Deep garnet color. Nose of raspberry/blackberry and some pencil lead. Pallet features deeper notes: currants, plum, spice, and cedar. Tannins mostly resolved but the acidity provides ample backbone. PNP, should have decanted 30-60 minutes.

Re: the acidity, which others have noted. With this bottling, it blew off within 45 minutes, but the evolution was material. That said, I clearly enjoyed the wine at all points, as I had plowed through three glasses already.

4/6/2008 - T.J.Burn wrote:

A more smooth zin than I assume it was a few years back, but drinking really well. It did not go well with the spicy food, but on its own it really sang - good fruit, no heat.

2/28/2015 - T.J.Burn Likes this wine:

Red fruit, spice and some stems on the nose. Cherries and a bit of game on the palate. Acidity restrains the fruit right now. Last glass on day two showed deeper fruit notes. Hold or drink with a good decant.

12/6/2010 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Popped and poured. Nice nose, if brighter than I remember the 2006 Ketcham Vineyard Pinot. Good red fruit, lots of cherry and some cola. Some spice and a funky note I can't quite peg. It's a touch hot right now. I couldn't resist trying one of these, but if you going to follow suit, give it at 45 minutes in a decanter to let it open up and have the alcohol blow off.

7/2/2008 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Decanted 30 mins to let nose blow off. Deep purple color and nose of dark fruit and a little gamey character. Dark fruit, bacon and some spice on the palate. Great mouth feel and balance.

6/7/2009 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Opaque purple in the glass. Meaty nose with secondary herb notes coming through. Dark fruit steps up on the palate, along with bacon fat and some smoke; the herbal notes also take a more prominent role. It's a little tight if you pop and pour, but some decanting, or in our case a spin through the Vinturi, and its raring to go. Drink or hold for 2-3 years.

9/26/2009 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Popped and served out of a decanter. Deep dark purple. Nose of dark fruit, bacon fat, dark cherry and spice. There's a lot of oak and the tannins could be a bit stronger, but this is a really nice wine. Not sure if it will age exceptionally well, but there's so much to like right now that who cares. Drink or hold.

7/23/2008 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Blackberry, raspberry, some bramble and a real nice mouthfeel. No longer showing any real heat, and a bit lighter than other Zins, especially with this much fruit.

1/9/2009 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Great bordeaux-style blend, drinking well right now but could be held for a few years. Tannins are well integrated with the currant, coffee and vanilla flavors. There was a mild vegetal component that I really liked. I don't have the bottle anymore, but I would not be surprised if Carmenere was used in this vintage.

8/28/2009 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Decanted for 2 hours. Deep dark purple. Nose of dark cherry, earth and a little spice. On the palate there is almost a blueberry note that's unique, and the spice comes through on the finish. There's still some baby fat here, and decanting is a requirement. Great wine with 3-5 years of potential. Hold or decant.

6/20/2013 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Pop n pour, a decant would have helped, as it was a bit high toned right out of the gate. But thereafter a really nice zin with some age. Raspberry and a little raisin on the nose, good fruit and some bramble on the pallet. Outside of Ridge I think Novy's Zins hold up best, and retain the Zin character more than Ridge does.

2/16/2009 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Great nose of dark fruit, earth, and a nice vegetal touch. Raspberry, cedar, earth and great puckering tannins on the palate. This was a gift and I wish I had more. I opened it as I thought it might be getting past its peak, but I think this has at least 3 more years in it.

10/13/2008 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Much better than I remembered the last bottle, same flavor notes but more balanced. No trace of the alcohol I noticed last time, and the acidity was sufficiently prominent. Too bad I don't have any more of this.

11/2/2009 - T.J.Burn wrote:

A nice blend of cherry and strawberry on the nose, adding a little earth and depth on the palate. The acidity was a little better in balance than when I had this 15 months ago, and I think another 6 months to a year will continue to help. This was popped and poured, and I think a little air would have helped.

11/13/2009 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Deep purple color. Initially, the nose was pretty minimal, little red fruit and some floural notes. The palate was similarly tight. After 30 minutes in the bottle, however, the wine really opened up. This nose exploded with smokey red fruit, a little bacon fat and some spice. The palate became both deeper, adding some meaty notes.

I'm looking forward to the second half tonight. If you're going to open this right now, it needs at least a 30 minute decant. I can honestly say I've never experienced such a dramatic change in so short a time.

3/11/2008 - T.J.Burn wrote:

This wine has really come along. Fruit has backed off, tannins and spice are more assertive to balance the wine out. Man, for the price this is about as good as jammy zin gets.

6/6/2009 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Good example of a Chardonnay that is both well-balanced and typical of CA. Light golden hue, not completely clear, but not overly cloudy. Good nose of pear and almound, with a little butter, fruit is more prominent on the palate, and the mouthfeel is really smooth. No one component of this wine stands out, but it does everything well, which is noteworthy in its own right. It might improve with time, but its in such good shape right now it's hard to wait.

8/18/2009 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Last bottle, which is too bad. Light garnet color. Nose of cherry and spice, with hints of darker fruit and even some earthy notes. The palate confirms a depth that I've not picked up in this bottling before, and that you wouldn't expect from the color -- darker fruit, forrest floor and some cherry cola. Initially, there was an abrupt and somewhat bitter finish, but that either blew off or was eliminated by the aged cheddar.

Drink or hold, but not too long. This wine is in a better place that the last time I had it, so it might improve for a year or possibly two. On the other hand, it's pretty damn good right now, so it depends on how risk averse you are.

10/10/2009 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Dark red hue, but not opaque. Does of red fruit and spice, adding some depth on the palate. Some RRV characteristics, namely a bit of cherry cola, are more prominent that I remember with other bottles of this wine. Nice QPR pinot. Drink or hold.

6/10/2010 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Drank from a decanter over a few hours. Deep dark purple. Initial nose of blue fruit, some cocoa. Overtime it opened up and the meaty, smoky notes came out. Dark fruit and cocoa on the palate, along with some green pepper, meat and blood. A little overblown this time, with the fruit components coming through a bit more than I remember from past bottles. Drink now, with a decant.

7/18/2008 - T.J.Burn wrote:

I had a bottle of this back in March and either a few months or different culinary co-stars made all the difference. Really nice Chardonnay, good floral and pear notes, with a little citrus and the right amount of butter for me. While the last bottle was oddly acidic for a Chard, this one was balanced and had a great mouthfeel. Wish I had more.

1/22/2010 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Decanted for 1 hour. Brigth ruby color, fairly transparent in the light. Nose is cherry and strawberry. More of the same on the palate, adding cola, a little spice and an odd tart note just before the finish. After decanting its fairly accessible for being this young.

This was my first KB, and surprising in different ways. It wasn't as complex as I expected, but on the other hand had better balance that reputation indicated. All in all, this pony doesn't have a ton of tricks to it, but the one's it does are pretty friggin' good.

1/15/2010 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Popped and poored, with some vinturi use. Tight nose, showing some dark fruit. Palate is similarly tight, but some spice and bramble to go with the dark fruits. All flavor components were predictably more noticeable at the end of the bottle than at the beginning. Overall this wine should be decanted for at least an hour, or more likely held for 6-12 months, and then still decant a bit.

1/21/2010 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Light garnet hue. Nose of cherries. Lots of cherries, and a little spice. Add a little cola on the palate, along with an mineral note that is interesting if a bit out of place. Nice mouthfeel with some sharp tannins that sneak up on you a bit on the finish. Drink or hold; it will improve for 1-2 years.

All in all, a nice wine for the $20. In a given year, you can probably find better at $15-17, but you can always bank on this wine year after year as good QPR.

1/18/2010 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Deep garnet color. Nose is dominated by dark fruit with a hint of oak. Dark cherry, mocha and a touch of cedar on the palate. Nice mouthfeel with pleasant tannins on a finish that is suprisingly long for this type of wine. This wine remains a screaming good deal.

5/6/2008 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Great fruit on the nose and a good combination of cherry, with a little cola and some funk on the palate. This will get better over the next year or so and I might need to pick up some more.

10/23/2010 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Nice red fruit and spice. Jammy but not in a heavy way. Fairly light on its feet. Drink now.

3/24/2008 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Raspberry, black cherry and spice. Pretty good acidity for an Aussie Shiraz, with even a little tannin. Not as big on the dark fruit, chocolate, mocha-ness that others have, so the wine is less syrupy - a fruit bomb to be sure, but a bit lighter.

6/6/2009 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Deep purple hue. Raspberry, spice and some dark fruit on the nose. The tannins have significantly backed off since I last had this over a year ago, which isn't surprising, but at first the fruit hasn't stepped up to a corresponding degree. After a good amount of air, the red fruit comes through. Good balance on the palate and a nice finish

First time I've really agreed with those who describe certain Ridge Zins as taking on a Bdx-ish quality. This wine is on its way to becoming a more refined example of Zin, and might be quite special in 2 years or so. Right now, it's no longer a blockbuster, but needs significant air to bring out its better qualities.

9/8/2008 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Nose was all dried apricots, but the wine improved markedly on the palate. Honey, apricots (balanced this time), along with a hint of petrol. Good acidity to keep the wine from being cloying.

9/8/2009 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Nice floral and citrus notes. As others have noted, its more full-bodied and less acidic than many CA and likely all NZ Sauvignon Blancs.

7/16/2008 - T.J.Burn wrote:

I love these RRV pinots. Color is ruby red and the nose is all about red fruit. On the palate, cherry, raspberry and cola come through, accompanied by a lot of acidity. This popped and poured, then consumed over and hour or so at an outdoor concert. It really should be decanted for a bit, as I've found with some other 2005 RRVs, a little air brought it into balance.

6/6/2009 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Clear pale golden hue. Limestone, pear and lemon on the nose. Really nice mouthfeel; pear, green apple and minerality on the palate. Medium finish. Solid white, but not as impressive as a year ago.

3/11/2008 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Dark purple almost opaque. The nose is closed, but I still get blackberry and cassis. On the palate, good blue fruit, some cassis and, I swear, a good deal of funk. Oh, and huge tannins – a more austere and Rhone styled Syrah. It opened up a bit over the hour it sat out half consumed and a night cap mini-pour rewarded with a little more fruit and more integrated tannins. This wine went better with the food and was unique compared to my recent CA Syrah experiences.

The second night revealed more fruit and some bacon fat, but also showed more oak, not necessarily too much, but a bit out of place. I'd age it a year or two, or else decant a couple hours – its enjoyable pop 'n pour, but you miss out.

9/17/2008 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Similar notes to five months ago, though the I didn't find it as tannic this time. I think this wine has another1-2 years of life in it. This is still not as complex as 2001 at the same point, but a very good QPR.

9/3/2015 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Ruby red color. Red fruit on the nose, with some of the cab franc showing. Palate is more of the same with some spice, dark fruit and a little tobacco and roasted pepper; nice chewy tannins. Great value.

7/19/2008 - T.J.Burn wrote:

Dark purple or almost black in color. Nose has some good red fruits, but is a bit closed off. On the palate after a little air, more fruit comes out, as does some vanilla and chocolate. There's some heat, which at 14.5% ABV, I'm finding a bit surprising. So deep and brooding it almost reminds you of a young Napa Cab. Moderately tannic, but could use a little more acidity. I have to admit, while it went over well and I liked it, I was expecting more. I'd give it time and probably save it for when its colder outside.