11/14/2007 - zuhkov wrote:

Aroma of berries and a bit of spice with a hint of baker's chocolate. Still quite young I'd say, but starting to come around. The tannins are still fairly noticeable, but the flavors are starting to emerge and smooth out. Flavors persist in the mouth, with the berries dominating. Pleasant oak present throughout. The tannins are mouthcoating and the finish is on the short side of medium. I have almost a half case left and I'll probably wait a few more months before trying it again (without decanting). High hopes for this one.

9/22/2007 - zuhkov wrote:

Very young. Tannins are still slightly rough on the 2nd day. Fairly standard Cotes du Rhone flavor profile. Decent value. Certainly drinkable, but unremarkable.

9/20/2007 - zuhkov wrote:

Good acidity. Delicious red berry flavors, particularly raspberry with hints of spice. Good value, great with food.

7/23/2007 - zuhkov wrote:

After allowing this to open up, it seemed somewhere between an Aussie shiraz and a classic syrah. Enjoyable. Had this with baby back ribs and it was an excellent combo.

7/23/2007 - zuhkov wrote:

Nice color. Let this open up for a few minutes. Berries and pepper in the nose. Those flavors persist in the mouth, with the addition of plum and a little cherry and oak. Smooth tannins. Short finish. A pretty big wine, though it calmed down a little over several hours. Overall a solid and very good effort.

6/9/2007 - zuhkov wrote:

Gorgeous dark ruby color. I let this open up for about half an hour before trying it. Spice and a slight hint of mint, with a backdrop of fruit, on the nose. The spice continues in the mouth, but berry fruit is the predominate flavor with a touch of tobacco. More oak than I would like. The tannins are velvety, but could have been overpowering had I not tried it with food. The finish is medium to long and pleasant. Paired this with Dried porcini crusted steak. Excellent.

5/21/2007 - zuhkov wrote:

Had this with a seared ribeye. Went well with red meat. Still quite young, I will buy another bottle and try it again a little while down the road.

5/20/2007 - zuhkov wrote:

Had this with some spicy food. A good pairing. Quite drinkable.

2/24/2007 - zuhkov wrote:

Fully mature at this point. Had this with a really excellent steak and the combo was simply delightful. I'd love to have more.

2/23/2007 - zuhkov wrote:

Just couldn't wait more than 5 months to try another bottle of this. Great color. The cigar box aroma is not as prominent as with the last bottle, but the tobacco aroma is correspondingly stronger. In the mouth, tobacco is present, but gives way to chocolate and lush fruit. Smooth tannins, nice finish. An excellent value. I wish I had several more bottles in the cellar.

2/23/2007 - zuhkov wrote:

Didn't know quite what to expect of a rose of cab, but was pleasantly surprised. Fruity aroma of strawberry and grapefruit. Strawberry and redfruit in the mouth with a mild, pleasing tartness. Smooth, medium finish. Tried this on a whim with beef carpaccio and really enjoyed it. An intriguingly flexible wine.

2/14/2007 - zuhkov wrote:

Minerality with mild grassiness in the nose. Grapefruit with lime notes and minerality in the mouth. Refreshing and enjoyable. Extremely lively for a California Sauvignon Blanc.

1/15/2007 - zuhkov wrote:

Fruity nose with aromas of litchi foremost. Delicious litchi and grapefruit flavors with hints of white pepper. Medium finish of grapefruit and white pepper. A little oily in texture, but with enough acidity to keep it from becoming flabby. An excellent value and a good example of an Alsatian Gewurz.

1/13/2007 - zuhkov wrote:

Definitely enjoyed this more the second time around. The lush violet aromas are what make this wine uniquely pleasurable.

1/6/2007 - zuhkov wrote:

Definitely need to wait a few minutes after opening this or the bouquet will really hit you in the face. After it settles down though, wonderful. Cigar box and spice on the nose. Black fruit is added in the mouth. Short to medium finish and noticeable, but not unpleasant tannins. This was the first dry portugese red I ever tried when I bought a bottle several years ago and it remains a consistently excellent value and a good introduction to the dry wines of the Douro. I will buy this again.

11/17/2006 - zuhkov wrote:

Good value at the price point. Simple, straightforward sweet cherry and cranberry flavors. High acidity apparent and the finish hints at higher than average alcohol. Became more enjoyable over time, but don't expect complexities to emerge, they just aren't there.

11/16/2006 - zuhkov wrote:

Took a few minutes to settle down. Good bottle of wine at the price

10/14/2006 - zuhkov wrote:

Not bad, but no real unique features. Some tartness and citrus flavors. The expected Sauvignon Blanc zip, however, was missing. Probably the flabbiest NZ SB I've had. It was a gift, so I can't complain, but I would not buy it.

10/9/2006 - zuhkov wrote:

This is the first de Trafford white I've tried (I've loved all the reds I've tried, definitely worth the search). Quite dry, especially for a chenin blanc. Aromas of minerals and stone fruit. The stone fruit aromas give way to zestier citrus fruit in the mouth, but the minerality persists to the finish.

10/5/2006 - zuhkov wrote:

Toast and vanilla, the oak pretty much dominates. Not unpleasant, certainly, but clearly past its prime. Definitely not worth the price at this point.

9/20/2006 - zuhkov wrote:

Lovely garnet color. Nice legs. Bouquet of red fruits. Firm tannin structure that is a little rough in the finish. Delicious red fruit flavors with touches of cocoa in the finish. Excellent with food. Would try again at this price.

9/14/2006 - zuhkov wrote:

Not what I expected at all. Not that I was dissappointed, mind you, as I always enjoy something a little different, but this gewurztraminer was almost deceptive, almost playing with me. Classic lychee aromas, but no accompanying floral aromas. Textbook lychee flavors, but very dry with surprising minerality. Hints of tropical fruits, but no kiss of sweetness. As the other reviewer mentioned, there is a touch of bitterness in the finish, though it fades as the wine loses its chill. I doubt I'll buy it again, but it complemented the spicy seafood dish I made wonderfully.

9/2/2006 - zuhkov wrote:

Outstanding value. Beautiful deep color. Cigar box bouquet. Lovely jammy flavors. Mouth-coating velvety tannins that could probably benefit with a bit more cellaring. I'll wait until next year to open another bottle.

9/1/2006 - zuhkov wrote:

Always wanted to try a pure Petit Verdot. Really rough when I first opened the bottle. Took a couple hours to really come together. Drank most of the bottle the first night and then finished it the next night. It had smoothed out completely and still held together nicely that second night. Really interesting floral aromas with touches of spice in the nose. In the mouth, those spice notes were framed by a firm, persistent structure of fairly velvety tannins. An intriguing experience.

8/29/2006 - zuhkov wrote:

Berry nose, with a vague hint of pepper and spice. Smooth for a wine at 15.5% alcohol, not terribly hot. Dominated by raspberry, but the hint of pepper and spice carries over into the mouth. The finish is a little too sweet for my taste. Pleasant, but not really complex. Nevertheless, good at the price.

8/24/2006 - zuhkov wrote:

Rich nose of cigar box and spice with hints of characteristic pepper. Based on earlier notes, this wine has settled down a bit. Balanced, with smooth tannins. Delightful flavor of smoky meat and ripe red fruits. Medium to long finish. Fantastic.

8/24/2006 - zuhkov wrote:

Beautiful, bright straw yellow in color. Pleasant, but ordinary bouquet. Smooth and soft in the mouth. Very clean fruit flavors, particularly apple and pear, with a slight zing. Ended up drinking this with Chinese takeout, but I think this would have been an excellext apertif or good with a variety of other food. A flexible wine and a good value.

8/22/2006 - zuhkov wrote:

Nose is fairly muted, like the smell of a fruit basket from a distance. In the mouth, grapefruit and melon flavors predominate with hints of buttered toast. Thoroughly enjoyable.

8/5/2006 - zuhkov wrote:

Needed quite a while to open up, so I'll wait a couple years before opening my other bottles. Tannins are noticeable, but do not distract from the delightful taste of sour black cherries. Very good now, but should be better in a few years.

7/21/2006 - zuhkov wrote:

Smooth enough that I didn't mind drinking it alone, but this could have been helped by some food. Extremely pleasant, but no real complexity.

6/30/2006 - zuhkov wrote:

Opened this about 15 minutes before putting the spaghetti noodles into the pot. Extremely quaffable with spaghetti bolognese.

7/6/2006 - zuhkov wrote:

Needed a few minutes before the fruit emerged, but once it did, the wine continued to improve over the course of the evening. Great with food.

6/30/2006 - zuhkov wrote:

Opened this for a couple red wine lovers who had never had a semillon and they were blown away. I don't know that I'll buy it again, but it's definitely a solid choice at the price and a good example of the varietal.

6/23/2006 - zuhkov wrote:

Not spoiled, but past its prime. The nose was initially quite off-putting, but it faded in the glass. The unpleasant finish, however, did not. Eventually poured most of it down the sink.