June 2, 2020 - Stood up for three days to allow yeast sediment to settle into punt. Decanted off of that and some tartrates that had precipitated onto the cork/bottle neck. Color is brilliant gold. Aromas of honeysuckly, almond, lemon oil, and anise. Palate has marcona almond and lemon as the primary characteristics. There is an herbal note lurking in there that is almost spicy. The finish is medium-long. This bottle was in great shape - purchased on release. No hurry to drink but fully mature and running at full speed for my tastes. Drink or hold.
April 5, 2013 - Bill's Monthly Lunch - April 2013 (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind – Guava and ripe tropical fruit nose. Richer and almost oily on the palate with a creamy and coconut finish. I thought this might be a Northern Rhone white but there was more acidity here than I usually find in NR whites. When I read my own note on this it seems like a white wine I might not like (ripe, creamy, coconut) but it’s quite good and the overall package works. A full and deep wine with complexities that’s surprisingly focused and not heavy or overdone. Excellent.
June 10, 2012 - Day One: Rich yellow-gold. Very Bordeaux-like in profile. The predominant notes are sherry, roasted almonds, and toasted coconut with grilled pineapple. A full-bodied white that stands up well to food, but at this point I would say drink up. 91+
Day Two (after vacu-vining & refrigeration): Holds up very well--improved, actually--, and in revisiting this a second, time, it is very like a high-quality white Bordeaux with some age on it. SB comes in a few different iterations (NZ, Loire, light Cali, and so on) but I prefer this to all others. It would be interesting to try this in a flight with say, Haut-Brion Blanc and Pavillon Blanc: I think it would perform well. 94, with a point or so added for the great QPR this represents.
August 16, 2010 - Golden metallic, slight green hugh color. Nutty sherry, tropical fruit, toasted coconut, hazelnut butter nose. First taste, and you might quickly think OX....but after a couple sips, it's totally not! This is all about perfectly aged white wine...that shouldn't age...but did! Blind, you would go to Bordeaux. Only a White Bordeaux can age this well?? Well....another Kalin SHOCKER! This is all about rich and oily, little waxy, tropical/pit fruit.....very complexed with age, of toasted coconut, hazelnut butter, lemon honey, marzipan, grilled pineapple rosemary sprig skewer atop a green tea cake drizzled with lavender honey.....really! Plenty of lemon citrus acidity and minerals to give this wine some youth...and just enough sherriness for added complexity. Great wine, freakish again, from Kalin....probably just released a few short years ago!
October 25, 2009 - Last two bottles - better than ever
December 7, 2008 - Medium golden in color with a nose of waxy pineapple upside down cake, toasted coconut, and vanilla. This is eerily like a bottle of 92 Haut Brion Blanc I had a few months ago. A beautiful texture and full midpalate without carrying any heaviness. More pineapple cake, coconut, marzipan, and flowers on the palate. The oak is wonderfully done, and the finish lasts nearly a minute. This lasted for two days opened and lost nothing. Brilliant stuff that is ridiculously underpriced. 94 pts
July 30, 2006 - I have purchased about two cases of this wine. Consumed 10 bottles over the past year. There has been no bottle variation and each one has been outstanding in my opinion. This is a great value and a great wine.
July 23, 2006 - Bright gold in color. This wine is still amazingly fresh on the pallet. Bright aromas of cut straw and lemons. Its a little bit hot for a Kalin wine which odd, but the finish is long and creamy with great fruit and presence on the palet.
February 27, 2006 - Good bottle, but flavors were almost imperceptible. Very light smooth on palate and very light short finish. Almost like a wisp of air. Having a slight cold does not help. Will give another go at it.
November 24, 2005 - Cork was very wet and soft. Wine tasted like a wet paper bag. Hard to enjoy. Its corked.