January 5, 2024 - Drinking very nicely
January 5, 2024 - Needed a little aeration but drank nicely
December 8, 2023 - Decanted and there was a bit of sediment. Still very good with plenty of life left in it.
October 6, 2023 - Way past. Gone baby, gone
December 22, 2021 - Well balanced and beautiful finish to this wine. Decanted for 2 hrs.
June 2, 2021 - Blackberry, plum and hints of cedar on the nose. Medium bodied with nearly complete tannic integration and a medium mouthfeel. Jammy dark fruit flavors forward and mid-palate; not overwhelming, which allows for some spice to come through. Memories of previous vintages were bolder and more complex on the palate. I'm not saying this 2013 was disappointing, but the hype of being from an epic harvest is not reflected with this bottle. Weak and somewhat short finish, although problem free. Perhaps a point or two short of outstanding.
March 13, 2021 - Excellent with steaks. We ordered the cab and got the merlot - a nice surprise! Very good, if you can find some.
December 25, 2020 - 88% Merlot, 7% Cab Sav., 5% Cab Franc, 100% French Oak, 25% new, 75% second vintage. Double decant for light sediment 2hrs. A classic Merlot with Cab overtones. Rich, full, balanced. Long finish. Will hold.
August 31, 2020 - Quality wine and very tasty in a "classy glu glu"/ bdx varietal meets zinfandel kinda way but...
There's seriously zero tannin*
If you're in the mood for fruity/oak and that "Napa cab" taste, this delivers without going overboard. It also has enough acid to perk up otherwise soft/round merlot and young oak.
For the price, I'd sooner head for zin or Washington merlot, but hey... I'm enjoying it!
"Classy" but infinitely easy-going wine+ wide availability make it a very safe choice for gifting or a date/dinner with non-geeks. I'll keep this one in mind for such occasions instead of lining my cellar with it.
*I deliberately paired with spicy/vinegary food. Zero clash. Crazy.
April 21, 2020 - Very good.