9/23/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Good lord what this is? That was the first thought that crossed my mind. Anyway... Better after an hour of air. Blueberry compote, boysenberry, red cherry, citrus rind, herbs, and earth on the nose. Blackberries, plums, red cherries, tart cherries, earth, spice, and some herbs on the huge palate. Good acidity, slightly chewy, grippy tannins, long finish. Such a powerful wine. It's delicious, but I imagine that some pinot noir traditionalists would hate this.

9/9/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Needs at least an hour for the perfume to come out. Tasted over two days. Pretty classic aromas of red cherry, plums, tar, earth, herbs, flowers, a hint of new leather, and spices. Tart cherry, red cherry, earth, spice, herbs, some meatiness, and a hint of graphite on the palate. So pretty and elegant, but also there's enough stuffing to keep it interesting. Good acidity, coating, grippy but accessible tannins, medium finish. The balance is terrific. For some reason, this is way too easy to drink. Will buy more.

9/9/2023 - rmh66 wrote:

Blackberry, cassis, plum jam, earth, red cherry, graphite, and some herbs on the nose. So earthy! Cassis, tart cherry, blackberry, plum, cedar, earth, and minerals on the palate. Mouthwatering acidity, grippy tannins, medium-long finish. Delicious. The abundant acidity and earthiness sets this wine apart from a lot of big Napa wines. Also, it's really really tasty. It's super young right now, but it's quite drinkable.

4/2/2021 - rmh66 wrote:

Cherries, plums, herbs, earth, gravel, menthol, and a touch of strawberry on the nose. There's sort of a rustic furriness that comes and goes. Tart cherry, red cherry, earth, tart plum, and some light herbs on the palate. Good acidity, fine tannins (this is dark clairet style), short-medium finish. Medium body, light 12.5% abv palate, a bit austere. Overall, I really enjoyed this wine. There's a lot of character and a strong sense of place. Ha, kind of like Eleanor.

1/3/2020 - rmh66 wrote:

Pop and pour and followed for several hours. Blackberry, smoke, blueberry, graphite, minerally earth, plum, lily, raspberry, and hints of barrel on the nose. Cranberry, tart cherry, blackberry, and earth, on a fairly light palate. Moderate finish, but nice aftertaste. Tannins are fine and integrated, but also plentiful. It's a bit disappointing, but based on this bottle, I would give the next bottle a few more years.

5/15/2014 - rmh66 wrote:

Benefits from an hour of air. Blackberry, smoke, flowers, bloody meat, red and black cherries, earth, and brine on the nose. Blackberries, black cherries, tart cherries, olive brine, earth, vanilla, barnyard, and flowers on the palate. Strong spine of juicy acidity, good structure, medium-long finish. Slight bitterness on the finish, though it fades with some air. Overall, this was a really nice wine. The lively acidity just makes you take another sip (I practically downed the first glass), and there's a saline aspect that's irresistible. The vanilla is integrating into the wine pretty well, but some people might find it a bit much. BTW, this is available at Costco for a really good price. I'm going to buy more.

12/2/2012 - rmh66 wrote:

Had me worried from the first sniff. Lots of California pinot cola, cocoa powder, and fern. Also black cherry, vanilla, boysenberry, and earth. However, the palate is quite lovely: tart cherry, black cherry, spice, earth, and vanilla. There's nice focus, and it's not over the top like the nose suggests. Good acidity and decent finish. There's a bit of sweetness on the finish. Overall, very nice wine at a good price.

10/18/2012 - rmh66 wrote:

Served a bit colder than usual due to the alcohol. Black cherry, raspberry, sage, blueberry, and a little vanilla. Blueberry, black cherry, tart cherry, and caramel on the palate. Good acidity, sweetness on the back-end, moderate finish. Unfortunately, I wasn't getting much of the bourbon barrel in the profile, which would have made this more interesting. Also the alcohol was too much for me. I did like that the acidity is in the forefront however. (I miss R Wines. The labels and wines were so much fun.)