3/5/2015 - ksigerman Likes this wine:

Really great CA cab/blend. Drinking well now (decanted 1.5 hours) but still has lots of life left. Could easily be cellared another 5-10 years.

6/19/2013 - ksigerman Likes this wine:

Great CdP from a vintage I haven't generally been impressed by. Classic bright and dark fruit, juicy, peppery, good structure, should last a while longer in bottle.

6/19/2013 - ksigerman Likes this wine:

Really great classic German Riesling at a great price. Clean, clear, vibrant acidity, and lots and lots of minerality.

6/6/2013 - ksigerman Does not like this wine:

I can't tell if this wine is just too old or is a flawed bottle, but it's borderline drinkable. Half bottle. VERY funky nose out of the bottle. Decanted about an hour, which helped but only marginally. Murky brownish red, lots of sediment. Isn't terrible on the palate, but what's there is really faded - not much to recommend it at this point, and a little bitter on the finish. Was probably a great wine, though, and a full bottle might still have some life left. Glad I didn't spend too much on it...

5/23/2013 - ksigerman Likes this wine:

Writing this long after the fact so I can't go into too many details. One of the best California cabs I've had. Big, intense, but not overly done. Substantial structure with many years of potential aging still ahead.

5/23/2013 - ksigerman wrote:

Writing this long after the fact, so I can't go into too many details. Classic aged port flavors, raisin, caramel. Still holding up quite well, definitely a few years left on its life. Alcohol was a little out of balance, though that improved as it opened up. Was definitely worth it for the money, but I won't seek it out again.

5/14/2013 - ksigerman Likes this wine:

Note from the second day: deep golden color; lots of spice on the nose - nutmeg and cloves especially, along with a little honey and some floral notes. Still holding up pretty well, though I wouldn't save it too much longer. Heavily oaken, but not out of balance. Intensely flavored, unctuous and tasty. Amazing value, and unexpected from CA.

3/18/2013 - ksigerman wrote:

This continues my love affair with Lopez de Heredia. Deep golden color. Holding up incredibly well for a white wine this old. Classic briny, oxidative flavors. Nose comes off with apricot and peach. Surprising acidity on the palate. Lots of nuttiness, especially on the finish, which is a bit shorter than I would have wanted but still substantial. Needed some air, so I recommend decanting for an hour or so before serving.

3/20/2013 - ksigerman Likes this wine:

A great value CA sparkler that brings some of the things I most like about Champagne. Yeasty, biscuity, a touch of sweetness but only enough to round out the flavors. Good fruit and acidity but characterized more by its richness.

3/20/2013 - ksigerman Likes this wine:

Great expression of Burgundian chardonnay. Rich and buttery but not overly so. Good acidity, well-balanced. Paired beautifully with salmon.

3/20/2013 - ksigerman Likes this wine:

Not as good as previous vintages I've had, but still one of the most interesting Sauvignon Blancs I've tasted. Intense flavors - classic grassiness, citrus, and acidity.

1/17/2013 - ksigerman Likes this wine:

Decanted then drank right away. Past its prime but still very nice. I'm writing this a week later so I won't try to recall specific tasting notes, but I remember it being overall a good example of a well-aged red Burgundy. Definitely drink now.

1/17/2013 - ksigerman Does not like this wine:

Did not like this one. Classic port flavors (caramel, raisin) and very sweet, but no acidity or structure of any kind to back it up. Even at this age I would hope for something besides sugar. Flavors came across artificial and cloying.

1/17/2013 - ksigerman Does not like this wine:

One of the less impressive CdPs I've tasted. Classic fruit and floral characteristics on the nose, light in body and flavor, a little spice. Nothing particularly exciting or interesting to report. Have had many Cotes du Rhones that are better at half the price.

1/22/2013 - ksigerman Likes this wine:

Rich, unctuous, good acidity, apples, pears, apricots. Very sweet but well balanced. Delicious.

1/19/2013 - ksigerman Likes this wine:

I thought this was a great wine, especially for the price. I'm writing this note a week after drinking it so I won't try to recall specific tasting notes, but I thought it had good acidity (especially since we were drinking it with food), vibrant fruit, solid structure. Will be purchasing more.

1/13/2013 - ksigerman Likes this wine:

Quite sweet. Apples, pears, apricot on the nose. Apple all the way on the palate. Well balanced, good acidity. Intense flavor, moderate structure. Very enjoyable to drink.

1/13/2013 - ksigerman Does not like this wine:

Very little to this wine. Almost nothing on the nose. Extremely light bodied, no tannins, little acidity, no structure, no finish. The flavors that are there are pleasant - hints of violets and lavender, along with cherries - and there's no hotness or imbalance, but it almost tastes watered down.

1/7/2013 - ksigerman Likes this wine:

Fantastic cab that is drinking well right now, probably has another year or so before beginning to go downhill. Decanted and drank a half-bottle over the course of several hours. Nose was tight at first but opened up beautifully into dusty notes of chocolate and dark fruit. Chocolate and espresso on the palate, along with plum and black cherry (fruit is beginning to fade a bit) and remarkably good acidity for a 10-year old wine. Tannins are definitely softened, so structure is a bit weak, but the flavors and acidity remain intense. Still a big, delicious wine - California cab done well, I'd say.

8/20/2012 - ksigerman wrote:

Drank alongside the '01 and '09, and the white '08. Clearly the best of the bunch. Lots of fruit, mildly spicy and floral, good structure but noticeably softer than the bottle I had last January. All the elements are in balance, drinking extremely well right now.

8/20/2012 - ksigerman wrote:

Drank alongside the '01 and '07, and the white '08. Still pretty tight, will definitely benefit from some time. Less fruity than the '07, lots of structure. Classic pepper, floral, and tar notes. Good wine, but didn't blow me away.

8/17/2012 - ksigerman wrote:

Light, floral, very developed for its age. I'd say drink within the next couple of years. Classic Barbaresco flavor profile but very light. Pleasant, enjoyable, good value.

8/10/2012 - ksigerman wrote:

Intensely flavored, a little smokiness, lots of minerality. Some petrol and rubber notes, but well-integrated and not unexpected for this wine. Excellent acidity - still has a long life ahead of it. Paired very well with food. A little pricy but definitely a fabulous wine.

8/6/2012 - ksigerman wrote:

I am writing this long after drinking the bottle so no rating, but the wine was wonderful. Definitely toward the end of its drinkability, but the wine still showed a great deal of structure and acidity for being so old. The fruit was soft and velvety. Lots of finesse. Wish I'd bought a few more bottles of this one. Drink soon though...

7/3/2012 - ksigerman wrote:

Drank alongside the 2002. Decanted for about an hour, could have used more. Very intense, strong tannins, youthful. More bright fruit, less earthiness than the '02. Also better acid. An excellent wine - very happy to have a few more in the cellar.

6/29/2012 - ksigerman wrote:

Popped and poured. On night 1, it showed a lot of bitterness without much fruit. By night 2, the bitterness had mostly dissipated and some of the wine's character began to show through. Restrained earthiness, good tannic structure, and some bright fruit. By night 3 it was finally hitting its stride, with more fruit and an almost oxidative quality, as well as pepper and other spices. In the future, will decant for at least a few hours before drinking.

4/12/2012 - ksigerman wrote:

Since I'm writing this a month late, I won't give a rating. I'll just say that this was awesome, a truly incredible bottle of bubbles.

2/23/2012 - ksigerman wrote:

Definitely past its prime but still in good shape. Very faded flavors of dark fruit and spice. Brick orange in color. Was tasty and interesting.

12/14/2011 - ksigerman wrote:

This is outrageously good! At first you mainly smell the classic citrusy grassiness and taste the same, though with more depth and intensity than you would normally expect. Then the wine begins to open up and you get the incredible minerality and the herbaceous notes - I get an ridiculous amount of dill on the nose. Well-balanced, intensely perfumed and flavored - this is one of the most fascinating white wine's I've tasted.

12/3/2011 - ksigerman wrote:

Not bad. Light bodied, somewhat hollow. Classic Sauternes flavors but lacking a good structure.

12/1/2011 - ksigerman wrote:

One of the most interesting CdPs I've had. Very funky on the nose, with a little fruit. Light bodied, filled with bright fruit on the palate, good acidity, then dissolves into a rich earthiness. Finishes with an almost nutty flavor. Very different, very good.

11/28/2011 - ksigerman wrote:

Continues to be a fantastic wine, a great example of everything I love about CdP.

11/24/2011 - ksigerman wrote:

Decanted about 4 hours. Very clear with little sediment. Classic port flavors of caramel, chocolate, raisins, with quite a bit of brighter fruit still noticeable. The acid and tannin structure suggest that this will continue to improve for at least the next 5 years and will last much longer than that. Kind of wish I had waited - but it was delicious nevertheless!

11/5/2011 - ksigerman wrote:

Somewhat disappointing. I am a big fan of CDP and I drink lots of them. Was really looking forward to this one, but it didn't live up to my expectations. Light color, tight nose. Very tannic with intense flavor of fruit and spice. A little bitterness and a noticeable alcohol taste. It was good but I won't pay for it again. Note: I did not decant this wine like I originally intended and I suspect that decanting might have helped, plus it might also be a bit too young, so I'm not leaving a rating.

11/5/2011 - ksigerman wrote:

Not a bad Rose. Classic flavors of red fruit with some yeasty notes, but all very light.

10/22/2011 - ksigerman wrote:

Got this on sale and it is a fantastic deal. Floral, spicy nose; light-bodied but full-flavored on the palate with bright red fruit and earthy undertones layered with subtle spices. Stocked up on this one.

10/4/2011 - ksigerman wrote:

Fairly light-bodied, lots of fruit, a bit of spice, decent structure with light tannins. Improved over the course of the few hours it was open, but overall nothing too impressive here. One flaw that stuck out to me was a clear taste of alcohol on the mid-palate and the finish. Dissipated a little after a while but didn't go away. Have had CDPs and even CDRs that were better than this one for about the same price.

10/2/2011 - ksigerman wrote:

Huge wine. Nose seems closed at first; someone else called it dusty, and I agree. Opens up considerably after a while. Big mouthfeel, super-concentrated flavors, but not just for the sake of size. A great deal of complexity - lots of dark fruit, some earthy notes, some sweet notes. Threw some sediment in the bottle. Overall, I'd say it's a good deal for something with this much well-balanced volume.

10/2/2011 - ksigerman wrote:

Very big, intense CDP. Dark, red fruit, spicy notes, and a big mouthfeel. Main reason it didn't get a higher score was the considerable heat on the back end - otherwise a very good wine. Would pair with roasted meats.

1/25/2011 - ksigerman wrote:

Not a bad Barolo, especially for the price, but very old-world in style. Dry, very earthy, surprisingly little fruit or vibrancy considering its youth. Basic floral notes along with classic Barolo tar. Just OK.

12/29/2010 - ksigerman wrote:

Much too funky with no structure or fruit to balance it, and this is coming from someone who usually likes the funkier, more earthy wines. Poured most of the bottle down the drain. Didn't score in case it was a flawed bottle, but would probably give it a 78 or so.

12/29/2010 - ksigerman wrote:

Deep golden color. Very unusual, but delicious all the same (probably not for everyone, though). Fishy, salty, malty on the nose. Nutty, oxidized flavor on the palate, along with a kind of stewed, caramelized fruit profile as well.

12/5/2010 - ksigerman wrote:

Deep golden color. Apricot came through most clearly on the nose, along with hints of honey. Rich and full-bodied on the palate. Slight petrol/rubber taste initially and a bit off-balanced immediately after opening. Then, after a few minutes, the acidity (definitely still there) and the bitterness harmonized beautifully with the flavors, which were the same apricot and honey notes and tropical fruits. Same unique, oxidized style as most Musar wines. Thoroughly enjoyed and will look for this again.

11/25/2010 - ksigerman wrote:

Deep golden color. Rich honey and almond on the nose, then dry, well-balanced acidity on the palate. Luscious texture.

11/13/2010 - ksigerman wrote:

Excellent CDR with some age on it. Rich but not heavy. Earthy, "barnyard" on the nose. Good red fruit and good acidity on the palate covered with a lot of greener, herb flavors.

11/13/2010 - ksigerman wrote:

Relatively young. I would expect this to soften over the next few years without losing quality, though not necessarily gaining quality either. Lighter bodied than some others, but quite intense, with the caramel/raison flavors balanced by a good deal of more vibrant fruit. Fairly well-balanced.

11/6/2010 - ksigerman wrote:

Wonderful wine, especially for the price. Strong flavors of herbs and licorice at first, softening as the bottle is open into more rich, dark fruit. Very full-bodied, somewhat tart. I'll be getting a few more of this one.

10/3/2010 - ksigerman wrote:

Quite good, especially considering the price ($7.00 on sale). Definitely heading back to stock up on this tasty, well-structured, everyday wine.

9/28/2010 - ksigerman wrote:

Decanted 1.5 hours, drank with pork tenderloin. Fantastic CDR, definitely worth the money. Not hot or unbalanced at all. Lots of spice (especially pepper) and savory flavors coming through with a good amount of ripe, tart cherry as well. Light, well-integrated tannin but still possesses a great deal of structure. Looking forward to seeing how this develops over the next 2-3 years.

9/18/2010 - ksigerman wrote:

Decanted ~4hrs. Not bad stuff. Black cherry color, fairly light in body, but still has a good amount of structure. Lots of tart fruit, and extremely peppery. Definitely tastes young - I'd say will be much better in a couple years. About on par with a good CDR, and priced about the same.