11/27/2019 - msny98 wrote:

Double decanted before heading to a tasting with my wine group. Drinking really well now, classic Bordeaux profile. Bit of dark fruit, cassis and graphite.

11/27/2019 - msny98 Likes this wine:

Opened at the restaurant with my wine group. Drank really well, no flaws. Still kicking but way more mature that my last note (9 years will do that). Nice old world balance for a new world wine.

11/27/2019 - msny98 Likes this wine:

Really pleasant and well balanced, very new world cab. Dark fruit and a palate coating mouth feel. Bit of menthol on the back end as well.
After reading some of the notes below I was reluctant to decant it so opened at the restaurant with 6 from my wine group. All seemed to agree it was great and some had it as best of night's 4 bottles.

6/5/2017 - msny98 wrote:

Been following the debate on this and truly couldn't make heads or tails of the first bottle of my lot that I opened a few weeks back. Brought this bottle to a tasting last night (of Italian Wines) and served it blind. I gave it a splash decant for about 1+ hours prior to pouring back into the bottle for the trip to the dinner. (first taste before the decant was really too acidic... def decant this wine). Comments on the wine were jammy, funkyetc. A few liked it as I did despite the lack of structure. but no one even pegged it as a CdP.. closest guess was a Loire Carnigan. I'd say drink up.

8/6/2010 - msny98 wrote:

Opened it hours ahead, shook and shook to get rid of the fizz and it was still all VA and heat afterwards... oh well

6/10/2010 - msny98 wrote:

Popped and splash decanted the day it arrived from WTSO. With an hour or so in the glass it really wasn't bad at all (I have been skeptical of a lot of their offerings...) Dark fruit, cassis, not too astringent or tannic.. smooth mouth feel. Will fles out the note on 2nd half of bottle tonight.

4/6/2010 - msny98 wrote:

very muted fruit with a litle acidity... not really that good

4/2/2010 - msny98 wrote:

Popped and pored, once it warmed a bit and opened with the air it was a beaut. In a really good place right now, very dark, a bit viscous and full if black fruit and bramble. It showed a bit of creosote as well.

3/11/2010 - msny98 wrote:

A little hot an alcoholic on first opening but with an hour of air it mellowed out to a fairly nice midweek drink. Well worth the $12.50 Cinderella price.

1/21/2010 - msny98 wrote:

Popped and poured – whoa boy – tannic and a bit green, poured most into a decanter and swirled what was left in the glass. Came into balance after an hour or two of air. Definitely a big wine but silky on the palate, the dark fruit is noticeable as are the burnt toast and a bit of mint on the finish. This is an old world style wine so the balance and structure was there. This will improve with age. If you open it now, open it a few hours before dinner.

12/6/2009 - msny98 wrote:

From a mag - Big mouth coating wine, tannins were very well resolved and the wine showed concentrated dark fruit, cassis and a bit of creosote.Thos did go well with roasted meat

11/27/2009 - msny98 wrote:

very servicable Cali Rhone for the price

11/26/2009 - msny98 wrote:

The was a lite wine we started Thanksgiving with, Opened up to red berries and then into some darker fruit and apple. Got a lttle funk and grit as it opened. Not sure If I am expressing well in current state but it was good

9/6/2009 - msny98 wrote:

Gave this about an hour of air and then drank it with a nice dinner of big dishes. Nose was glorious, didn't find the blueberries overwhelming at all. I found dark fruits, cassis and cedar. the palate was multilayered and went on for 90 seconds or more. I liked this wine a lot.

6/2/2009 - msny98 wrote:

Popped and poured half off to a 375 for tomorrow. A bit flat on first sip. Some heat on the nose that blew off pretty quickly with some swirling. As it opened there was evident dark fruit, a bit sweet and a hint of roast meats. A very nice drink if not too complicated at first, I will go back to this in about an hour and see how it is opening. After an hour of air... wow.. this is a much more powerful wine that is screaming plums, creosote and begging for a steak. Drinking this without food but I think tomorrow I will have this with something grilled

5/30/2009 - msny98 wrote:

popped and poured - Poured half off to a 375. Straight from the bottle - absolutely lovely. Lush and velvety on the palate. All black fruit and sweet tannin. Not a wine to contemplate, a wine to simply enjoy. On day two this had taken on some complexity but still not an over the top or austere wine but a great QPR considering it is practically free with bought in pairs with the Wight

5/22/2009 - msny98 wrote:

Popped the cork and that wonderful scent of aged Bordeaux hit me. Nose was dominated by cedar and graphite. It was a bit acidic at first taste but settled in with about an hour of air. Dark color, dark fruit, cassis and plum dominated and some red fruit showing up on the back end. The tannins and structure in a very ready to drink state. This took WOTN at my table at a recent cab dinner (All the Bord lovers went with this one while the new worlders who out numbered us split their votes across a few wines)

5/11/2009 - msny98 wrote:

Wine was popped and poured. Definitely a bit rough on the first sip but after a half hour in the glass it settled into a nicer profile. A lot of black fruit here in a pretty rich wine. Needs some callar time to come together

5/5/2009 - msny98 wrote:

Popped and poured. Really well balanced and a great QPR. Magenta color with a very dark fruit palate. Enough tannin and wood to avoid flabbiness

4/9/2009 - msny98 wrote:

Opened and poured, smooth, very together Bordeaux. Very nice for the price and drinking well at its age. Nothing too much going on here, not a special bottle but an excellent table red.

4/5/2009 - msny98 wrote:

Opened at a restaurant and after first taste decided not to decant. Wine was dark purple in the glass and dominated by black fruits. Oak and tannins were noticeable but very well resolved. As dinner wore on notes of cedar and cassis came to dominate. This wine is in a very enjoyable place right now, perfect for a steak dinner.

3/31/2009 - msny98 wrote:

Popped and poured after a long few months at the office. Definitely needed some air on opening as the first taste was all tannins and tar. As it opened it displayed dark fruit, oak, char and plenty of structure. It would probably do well with more time but it is enjoyable now

3/15/2009 - msny98 wrote:

Nice GSM blend. Garnet color, notable strawberries and red fruits. Very little funk, no bubblegum or cotton candy. Very friendly to the Italian food we were eating.

2/24/2009 - msny98 wrote:

Opened at a wine dinner, this was super tight at first but poured a bit into a glass and gave the rest of the bottle a solid shake. Once it opened up it displayed pretty typical Barolo sour cherry and red fruit. Color was showing a bit of bricking. This turned out to be a surprising but good pairing for the salad course which had parmiagiana cheese and pink grapefruits

2/7/2009 - msny98 wrote:

Opened and decanted 2 hours. At first the aroma was dominated by cassis and black fruits, I could smell the decanter from the other room. Two hours later in the glass the fruit was still there along with cedar, classic Pauillac lead pencil and leather and just the slightest hint of roasted meats. Definitely a young wine but so enjoyable a temptress that I’ll have to ship my others offsite to keep my hands off them.

2/4/2009 - msny98 wrote:

Popped and poured. First taste was a bit tight but it opened in the glass. Light body, cherries (a little sour), a hint of smoke and some barnyard. The tannins and acidity were at a good balance. This was a nice simple wine after a long day in the salt mines. Could picture it as well with grilled vegetables and chicken on a spring afternoon but it is too light for red meats at this point.

11/18/2008 - msny98 wrote:

First glass was straight from the bottle with no air. This wine has come ito a lot of balance since my last tasting. It was oak dominated but not overwhelmed, dark fruit, nothing green at all and I didn't note any blueberry sweeteness. Note to be updated after the bottle is finished tonight

On night 2 (was in a 375 overnight with no air space) this was even better in balance. There was oak, tannins, dark fruit and a bit of road tar all working just right.... and none of that signature blueberry pie..

11/5/2008 - msny98 wrote:

Solid sparkler, lemon and yeasty notes present but not overbearing, seemed a but walnut-ish but I was eating some at the time. Very good QPR

8/14/2008 - msny98 wrote:

Lovely little Bordeaux. Well worth the $$ paid. Good structure

6/29/2008 - msny98 wrote:

VA that didn't blow off.

1/10/2008 - msny98 wrote:

This is my second bottle of this, I have no notes but I remember liking the first one. Last night... yuck, stewed prunes with too much heat. Had half a glass and poured it out.

12/8/2007 - msny98 wrote:

Gave this about a 3 hour decant on night1. It was enormously tight, oaky and tannic but did display a lot of structure. Poured it into a 375ml and left it on the counter for a day. On day 2 it was starting to open up, there was good black fruit in a more austere profile. This wine definitely needs a lot of time but I think the points will rise a lot.

9/7/2007 - msny98 wrote:

Brought this to a dinner, popped the cork to check for flaws and was bit by the tannins. Did a splash decant to aerate and back into the bottle 15 minutes later. By the time we got to it another hour later it had completely mellowed and opened up displaying dark fruit, a bit of tar and ample but not overpowering oak. I think it is still young but with air it demonstated a beautiful, old world, mature style.

7/17/2007 - msny98 wrote:

Opened one last night for the first time in a while, the first sip seemed to have too much alcoholoic heat which blew off quickly and it settled into the over the top chocolate that everyone seems to mention. Over an hour or so a serious blueberry flavor took over. On past bottles I've found it interesting on day 2 when the chocolate subsides and dark berries take over. Not a serious dinner wine by any means but not bad for a lazy Monday.

7/3/2007 - msny98 wrote:

I enjoyed this on opening but found it somewhat simplistic perhaps too sweet without balance from the wood... after a few days and much moreso after two weeks on the counter in a recorked bottle this port become wonderfully complex and balanced. I think the game plan is to open and split between two bottles and let them stand for a few days

5/29/2007 - msny98 wrote:

Gave this bottle a two hour decant before pouring it back into the bottle for a taxi ride to my friends roofdeck. On first taste this had the usual Sea Smoke black fruits and violets on the nose. There was good acidity and balance but it definitely didn't seem like a Pinot. After another hour or two of air time some of those cherry cola notes and forest floor started turning up. All in a very pleasant wine... not true to a Pinot style but very true to what we've come to expect of a Sea Smoke Pinot