12/25/2020 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

We open a bottle of GTS every Christmas day (and a few special occasions during the year). For whatever reason, this 2010 bottle was less exciting than other vintages, and I found that it never fully opened up to reveal all its flavor. It's still a rich and remarkably well-made wine, but this bottle didn't quite live up to other GTS we've had over the years.

12/24/2020 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

Delightful dry fruit taste

12/29/2020 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

Rich, very complex flavors -- lots of fruit forward but undertones of tobacco, coffee and other earthy elements. Probably could benefit from even a few more years of cellaring.

12/6/2020 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

I was very pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this vintage. It's slightly sweeter than the typical Cakebread cabs, with undercurrents of dark cherry and chocolate, and nice lingering taste on the palette. Probably will improve with age.

11/11/2020 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

Always a fun pour

11/11/2020 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

Could benefit from a little more cellaring...took about 3 hours to open up but was complex and delicious from the start and improved through the night

10/2/2020 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

Smooth, rich fruit flavors with a nice lingering finish. Very happy!

8/23/2020 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

I had a fear when I opened this that we might be a few years to early, and that's probably so. We decanted for two hours, but the bottle had trouble truly opening up. Still, there were some promising concentrations of licorice and raspberries, among other tastes, and the color is a deep reddish purple that portends better things in another 2-4 years.

8/19/2020 - DRYAUN Does not like this wine:

past its time

8/19/2020 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

Bold!

7/4/2020 - DRYAUN wrote:

This bottle was absolutely wonderful. Rich fruity taste perfectly balanced with earthy tones. Enjoyed it with a steak and after two hours decant.

5/15/2020 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

Thought this was outstanding tonight -- very representative of the best of the brunellos -- mellow and complex at the same time, opening more with each taste. Maybe could have used another 30 minutes decant at the front end (we has it decanting for a good 140 minutes) but really enjoyed it and sad to see it gone.

5/10/2020 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

It opened a little harsh but just a short amount of decanting revealed wonderful and complex flavor. Lots of fruit but hints of chocolate and (dare I say) leather paired nicely with prime rib.

4/13/2020 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

I really like this wine a lot. Has more of a French sancerre feel to it than most Californian sauvignon blancs. Would love to have it next with raw oysters, clams and other shellfish.

4/5/2020 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

It's funny -- few of the adjectives I can summon to describe the taste of this fine wine sound positive -- peppery, earthy, leathery, licorice -- but the combination is delightful. It pairs very well with grilled steak and potatoes. It has matured in the year or two since I last opened one, and I see more development in the cellar over the next 3-5 years.

3/31/2020 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

Bolder and more robust than many pinot noirs but so full of flavor. I suspect it might have developed even more if I had given it another two years or so.

3/27/2020 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

This aged well -- nice, oaky flavor, much more like old world chards than California. That said, now's probably the time.

2/15/2020 - DRYAUN wrote:

very dry

2/9/2020 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

Very enjoyable...may be slightly past prime (or I didn't decant it long enough?) but paired nicely with steak. Slight hints of chocolate and licorice.

2/3/2020 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

Very impressive! Unlike a lot of California chards, this one is not overwhelmed by buttery tastes, but rather brings forward complex fruit flavors that linger nicely on the palette. Should also improve with a year or two in the cellar.

2/2/2020 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

Very nice fruit taste -- more mellow than new worlds, but also longer finish.

1/18/2020 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

Nice, oaky chard that opens up after first pour. Have had several bottles with weak corks however.

1/4/2020 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

I purchased a few 2016s after enjoying a sublime 2017. 2016 does not match that vintage, but this is very nice fruit forward Chard with hints of apple and citrus. I probably should have let it sit open a little longer as it feels like it could have opened up a tad more. But still recommended if a bit overpriced.

12/31/2019 - DRYAUN Does not like this wine:

Well, well past its prime and at the point where it delivers no rewards for opening. Lacked fizz and tasted too sweet. Every once in a while, a hint of what this vintage once was struggled to make itself known, but never fully succeeded. Time to move on.

12/25/2019 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

A very nice cab that didn't quite measure up to the Cakebead Dancing Bear that we had from the same vintage. Smooth and come nice cherry and licorice flavors to it.

12/25/2019 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

A big, robust mountain cab that perfectly complemented our filets. The common wisdom seems to be to drink this one now, but I could see it continuing to mature and improve for another 3-5 years.

12/22/2019 - DRYAUN wrote:

Maybe my tastes run more toward bolder Napa and Tuscan reds, but I found the Bering Station a little disappointing. Left open for two hours, but first impressions were somewhat neutral, followed by a mix of strawberry and licorice (but not strawberry licorice!) that didn't linger. Rather, it almost had a syrupy taste. Gave me the impression that it was already past prime drinking, which seems early, even for the region.

11/28/2019 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

A very nice example of a California sauvignon blanc -- neither as fruity as new world bottles or as metallic as classic sancerres. I think it also may improve with another year of cellaring. Nice showing from this newer Diamond Mountain vineyard, overseen by Thomas Rivers Brown.

11/28/2019 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

I'm not a huge fan of either roses or bruts, but this bottle bridges the best of those worlds to create something better than its parts. This has a nice, crisp fruit flavor that is a little more restrained than most in its style.

11/28/2019 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

Started off with a distinct vanilla taste that evolved as the bottle opened up for more earthy fruit flavors. Paired over Thanksgiving dinner and well received as it complimented the turkey and stuffing

11/15/2019 - DRYAUN wrote:

I've been drinking GTS since the 2008 vintage, and this was the smoothest, most enjoyable bottle yet. Decanted for 90 minutes. Rich, deep fruity flavors that linger on the palate.

11/2/2019 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

Paired with a New York prime strip steak, this bottle opened nicely and grew more flavorful about two hours after opening (no decanting). Rich fruit flavors followed by a tangy aftertaste. This is the first we've had of this particular vintage, and while some are saying drink it now I could see it having a few excellent years in it still.

11/1/2019 - DRYAUN Likes this wine:

We first had this vintage at the vineyard in 2016 and enjoyed it with lunch. Opened a bottle last night with and paired it with cod. Found it very enjoyable, with a nice new-world taste that accentuates the fruit. I think it may have a few more years in it, but delightful now.