Went with Roy's updated decanting instructions (3 hours) and was very pleased with the results ... lost a bit of it's initial character (which I favored) on day 2, so would recommend fully enjoying on day 1.
This bottle truer to the vintage, at least for me. Not a bad wine but never really blossomed or came through over a few nights. Tannins and acid prevailed over the fruit
Unbelievably impressive for a 2011 Napa cab. Drank alongside a 2000 Pichon Lalande and Roy’s wine stole the show for the evening. 12 years young (this can easily go another 3-5+), I would say this is literally just now entering its prime drinking window. A lovely fruit forward nose and flavor profile now showing some aged development. Floral violets and sweet baking spices on the nose with bing cherry, red licorice, mint/eucalyptus, toffee, hints of mocha, tobacco, and graphite on the palate. The wine possesses a spine of light acidity that just results in a masterpiece of a wine to retain its poise. Roy’s winemaking style is just so dialed in and expresses the best of what I think modern Napa has to offer. This wine retains incredible balance, freshness, and poise - dense, fruity, complex, but not a hint of flabbiness or anything out of place. Wish I had more….bravo, Roy! A wine to be proud of and arguably the best of the vintage..
Popped and poured. The wine has great balance at this time with the tannins running nicely throughout the wine showing a nice integration. Great nose on the wine with nice floral notes. I picked up more dark cherry and a nice leather undertone. For the vintage, the wine punches above its weight. I’d say if you have one in the cellar drink with confidence .
Compared to two and a half years ago, this one has more of a 'ready to go' palate of red and black fruits, roasted dates and red licorice to the finish. Just about as full bodied as it gets especially given the 2011 'damned' vintage which has actually turned out to be a really incredible vintage. Black pepper with resolving tannins and definitely a more rounded tannic finish. Delicious chewy red and black fruit Cabernet Sauvignon, ready to go with no decant! A monster of a vintage holding up its own rating from last time for sure! Went well with filet mignon and mushrooms with toasted potato chips and a homemade caprisi salad.
Went with the recommended 24 hour slow ox in the cellar. Very little sediment to show after almost a decade, but had nice fine drying tannins and blue fruit along with a bit of a minty chocolate note that came around on day 2. Will check in on my remaining bottle in a couple years as this definitely has plenty of life ahead.
Did well from cork pop but the complexity came out after an hour. Primarily a red fruited wine, this has a black cherry, raspberry and a hint of purple fruit. Goes almost to a brambly cola in the middle. Finishes actually rather soft but the stiff oak tannin are here for sure, even after a few hours. Lots of complex character here. Just delicious. This bottle is really ready to drink. Although 2011 was a tough vintage, the best winemakers on the floor still made fantastic wines, and this is certainly one of them!!
Delicious wine! Took a while to open up. At first the nose was very good but restrained but over about 3 hours it developed nicely. The wine showed some red and blue fruit but kept the fruit balanced by some oak, acidity and tannins. Plenty of life left so no rush. This was not a fruit bomb by any stretch of imagination.
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This was the last bottle of the day for the five of us. It followed a Krug, Antica Terra Ceras and a beautiful dry Riesling from Austria (we were so lucky!). Can you say palate fatigue? To me, that leadup makes this wine that much more impressive. It was a last minute drink decision so no time to decant and it was stunning. Bright blue fruit, plush, complex and oh so quaffable. It moved ahead of the Alpha Omega To Kalon which, up to now, had been my favorite 2011 Cab, proving once again that there are good 2011's to be had. This is ready to go now. Another standout from Roy.
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The last of my three bottles, and still drinking great. Drank side by side with the 2011 Schrader LPV, and more people preferred the Piper. Amazing wine for the vintage, and in my top three.
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Decanted 4 hrs and drank over 2. Red fruit and graphite initially, but last glass was best...in the end pine wood and spice notes complimented the red fruit with plum notes emerging.
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My first Roy Piper and wow, off to a great start. On open delicious nose with fruit and perfume. Gave it 3.5 hrs in decanter. Not sure what to expect out of this, but best '11 I've had so far. Some early faint green notes at 2.5-3 hrs as I tried bits over the decant. At 3.5 this darling was open for business, baking spice, red berry fruit, blue fruit along with a perfect complimentary oak note that finished off a medium finish. Mrs. Geaux loved this too. Silky tannins and a bit of acid red fruits let you know this can survive a few years and reward even more patience. 94 for now...2-3+ points potential. Well done Mr. Piper, well done!
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Leo's Blind Tasting Group - May '16 edition (Tessa, NYC): I didn't enjoy this as much as the '10 or the '12 that were poured alongside. The savoury earthy, dark chocolate, and smoky elements that made the other two wines so compelling are still here, but much more restrained in this vintage, and the ripe, sweet dark fruited flavours stick out a lot more. There's a faint touch of alcohol that creeps out on the finish as this warms up a little nearer room temperature, but even then it's still really delicious with hangar steak.
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Deep dark color with deep fruits. Drank after a 4 hour decant and this has a lot of positive stuff going for it. A hint of sweetness from the oak that really is pleasant with dark and red fruits. Supple tannins and an enjoyable finish. Give this a good decant or a few years rest and it is nice
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First time trying this wine. Never met the guy, but a big fan of the story and now a huge fan of the wine itself. The nose is open from the start, evolving a bit, but never shutting down. Decanted for almost 2 hours, but sipped on a small glass at first. This seemed a bit thin until 2.5 hours or so, really blossoming into something special. Deep fruit, tannic, and probably needing a few years. Up there with other great 2011's such as VHR and Seavey. Glad I purchased these and excited I just ordered the 2012's. 94-95pts.
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Not upset with the purchase but I would think this wine would be priced at half the value. The is no way this is better than Rivers Marie, Myriad, Quivet, or EMH.
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dumped into decanter in the restaurant but didn't stay away all that long...deep ripe flavors of dark cherry and cassis...plenty ripe and no concerns despite the vintage. I drank the bulk of the bottle and thoroughly enjoyed but not sure it ever really got to strut its stuff....for sure I'd give this more the next time I open one. Not especially tannic but just not fully singing. Forced to give it a score, I'd go 92-94, but will be smarter the next time.
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As good of a 2011 as I have had, and it dispels any negative thoughts about the vintage. Big and bold, but with enough restraint to be interesting. A touch sweet out of the gate, but that subsided and the wine became much more layered and nuanced. I wanted to like the wine, and it didn't disappoint.
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Full disclosure: I am a good friend of Roy. I was very anxious to try this new entry into the crowded Napa Cabernet playground. The long road to the banded first release of vintages 2010 and 2011 had many challenges. I won't recount them here as I observed and listened over many years. But the story is every bit as compelling as any that you likely read about in countless local and national publications. I chose the 2011 because I wanted the more reputed 2010 to rest a bit more. Roy warned me that 2011 was a difficult year to craft Cabernet. He's not the only winemaker making mea culpas for the growing season. With that caveat, Holy Crap! This wine is pretty damn good. Decanted. Served with steak. I thought I'd be able to mind's eye the struggle to pull ripe enough fruit out of a tannin cluster. But, no. I also thought, is it that good, or do I psychologically want it to be that good because I like Roy personally so well? Of course, that's truthful, I want him to succeed; yet regular listeners of the program know I don't pull punches. So, this jumps out of the glass like a kangaroo. Napa cab works when you have ripe enough fruit in balance no matter what the alcohol level is. It's ok to extract it, as long as you don't pound it on an anvil into an iron rod. For a young winemaker to be clever enough to do this well in 2011, big kudos. Look, I'm not smart enough to meticulously describe how this elevates above the field with flavor notes or clever words. I can; however, distill my "review" down to two words: get some! $125 from the mailing list. Merry Christmas.
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Not an atypical Napa cab upon opening. Day one had a tight nose of forest floor/mushroom crushed rocks. This is a very dark purple in the glass. Tightly wound up right now but think it has potential which I wouldn't say of many 11 Napas I've tried thus far. Have half the bottle left for tomorrow with some air. Interested to see how it evolves with more air. Day two. 1/2 bottle recorked left in cellar overnight. Much prettier more feminine floral nose peeking out this evening. Some nice red fruits starting to poke out in the mouth with a touch of sweetness I didn't get yesterday. Also some grilled meats with big dusty tannins on the finish. Lots of structure something new every sip. This is a big brooding wine with layers and layers to unwind. You should be proud of this for a first vintage Roy. I'll try my best to hold off a few years for another and definitely think this goes 7-10 easy. Impressive for a 2011. Make sure it has a very healthy decant if trying now.
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Following the evolution of the wine over 24 hours was a real treat to my wife and I (she loved it as well). While still very youthful, I found it to be accessible now, and I can definitely see how this will improve with age. Upon opening, it shows youthful restraint with oak and hints of cherry, but after 2-3 hours it really begins to open up a bit and flesh out. Great nose, smooth mouthfeel, and layers of flavor that evolve as the wine breathes. Cherry, oak, cassis, and a hint of vanilla. Re-corking and opening the following day, the tannins bite a bit harder and the flavor profile is a bit more meaty and earthy. A super solid wine for an inaugural release. All the best to Roy in the future.
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1/1/2024 - dpolzien Likes this wine: 92 Points
Went with Roy's updated decanting instructions (3 hours) and was very pleased with the results ... lost a bit of it's initial character (which I favored) on day 2, so would recommend fully enjoying on day 1.
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8/23/2023 - Mr T wrote:
This bottle truer to the vintage, at least for me. Not a bad wine but never really blossomed or came through over a few nights. Tannins and acid prevailed over the fruit
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6/30/2023 - J_Smallwood Likes this wine: 97 Points
Unbelievably impressive for a 2011 Napa cab. Drank alongside a 2000 Pichon Lalande and Roy’s wine stole the show for the evening. 12 years young (this can easily go another 3-5+), I would say this is literally just now entering its prime drinking window. A lovely fruit forward nose and flavor profile now showing some aged development. Floral violets and sweet baking spices on the nose with bing cherry, red licorice, mint/eucalyptus, toffee, hints of mocha, tobacco, and graphite on the palate. The wine possesses a spine of light acidity that just results in a masterpiece of a wine to retain its poise. Roy’s winemaking style is just so dialed in and expresses the best of what I think modern Napa has to offer. This wine retains incredible balance, freshness, and poise - dense, fruity, complex, but not a hint of flabbiness or anything out of place. Wish I had more….bravo, Roy! A wine to be proud of and arguably the best of the vintage..
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5/8/2023 - Bobbusch Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped and poured. The wine has great balance at this time with the tannins running nicely throughout the wine showing a nice integration. Great nose on the wine with nice floral notes. I picked up more dark cherry and a nice leather undertone. For the vintage, the wine punches above its weight. I’d say if you have one in the cellar drink with confidence .
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10/23/2022 - mflesh wrote: 95 Points
Compared to two and a half years ago, this one has more of a 'ready to go' palate of red and black fruits, roasted dates and red licorice to the finish. Just about as full bodied as it gets especially given the 2011 'damned' vintage which has actually turned out to be a really incredible vintage. Black pepper with resolving tannins and definitely a more rounded tannic finish. Delicious chewy red and black fruit Cabernet Sauvignon, ready to go with no decant! A monster of a vintage holding up its own rating from last time for sure! Went well with filet mignon and mushrooms with toasted potato chips and a homemade caprisi salad.
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2/6/2022 - Ceebiscuit wrote:
After consumption
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12/14/2020 - dpolzien wrote: 92 Points
Went with the recommended 24 hour slow ox in the cellar. Very little sediment to show after almost a decade, but had nice fine drying tannins and blue fruit along with a bit of a minty chocolate note that came around on day 2. Will check in on my remaining bottle in a couple years as this definitely has plenty of life ahead.
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5/3/2020 - mflesh wrote: 95 Points
Did well from cork pop but the complexity came out after an hour. Primarily a red fruited wine, this has a black cherry, raspberry and a hint of purple fruit. Goes almost to a brambly cola in the middle. Finishes actually rather soft but the stiff oak tannin are here for sure, even after a few hours. Lots of complex character here. Just delicious. This bottle is really ready to drink. Although 2011 was a tough vintage, the best winemakers on the floor still made fantastic wines, and this is certainly one of them!!
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6/6/2019 - Jdwinedrinker Likes this wine:
Drinking very nicely !
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11/6/2018 - D.Callahan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious wine! Took a while to open up. At first the nose was very good but restrained but over about 3 hours it developed nicely. The wine showed some red and blue fruit but kept the fruit balanced by some oak, acidity and tannins. Plenty of life left so no rush. This was not a fruit bomb by any stretch of imagination.
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10/25/2018 - Cali Fan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Definitely one of the best of the vintage. Not as great as I recall, but vibrant and fruity nonetheless.
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3/26/2018 - ozziewine Likes this wine: 96 Points
This was the last bottle of the day for the five of us. It followed a Krug, Antica Terra Ceras and a beautiful dry Riesling from Austria (we were so lucky!). Can you say palate fatigue?
To me, that leadup makes this wine that much more impressive. It was a last minute drink decision so no time to decant and it was stunning. Bright blue fruit, plush, complex and oh so quaffable.
It moved ahead of the Alpha Omega To Kalon which, up to now, had been my favorite 2011 Cab, proving once again that there are good 2011's to be had.
This is ready to go now. Another standout from Roy.
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12/25/2017 - Cow Town Likes this wine: 93 Points
The last of my three bottles, and still drinking great. Drank side by side with the 2011 Schrader LPV, and more people preferred the Piper. Amazing wine for the vintage, and in my top three.
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8/11/2017 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 92 Points
Took 2.5 hrs to open up, but what a great ride along the way. Consistent with prior notes. Red berry fruits dominating.
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5/18/2017 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 4 hrs and drank over 2. Red fruit and graphite initially, but last glass was best...in the end pine wood and spice notes complimented the red fruit with plum notes emerging.
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12/26/2016 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 94 Points
My first Roy Piper and wow, off to a great start. On open delicious nose with fruit and perfume. Gave it 3.5 hrs in decanter. Not sure what to expect out of this, but best '11 I've had so far. Some early faint green notes at 2.5-3 hrs as I tried bits over the decant. At 3.5 this darling was open for business, baking spice, red berry fruit, blue fruit along with a perfect complimentary oak note that finished off a medium finish. Mrs. Geaux loved this too. Silky tannins and a bit of acid red fruits let you know this can survive a few years and reward even more patience. 94 for now...2-3+ points potential. Well done Mr. Piper, well done!
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9/18/2016 - Cali Fan Likes this wine: 95 Points
I would never have pegged this as a 2011. Deep, seductive fruit and finish. A real beauty!
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5/16/2016 - salil wrote: 88 Points
Leo's Blind Tasting Group - May '16 edition (Tessa, NYC): I didn't enjoy this as much as the '10 or the '12 that were poured alongside. The savoury earthy, dark chocolate, and smoky elements that made the other two wines so compelling are still here, but much more restrained in this vintage, and the ripe, sweet dark fruited flavours stick out a lot more. There's a faint touch of alcohol that creeps out on the finish as this warms up a little nearer room temperature, but even then it's still really delicious with hangar steak.
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5/10/2016 - brianngibson wrote: 94 Points
This continues to develop beautifully. Cassis, graphite, supple and soft tannins. Even better than the first bottle.
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10/4/2015 - bmessineo Likes this wine: 94 Points
3.5 hour decant. Red fruits and cherries. Nicely done in a tough vintage.
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5/10/2015 - Griffeyfan04 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Deep dark color with deep fruits. Drank after a 4 hour decant and this has a lot of positive stuff going for it. A hint of sweetness from the oak that really is pleasant with dark and red fruits. Supple tannins and an enjoyable finish. Give this a good decant or a few years rest and it is nice
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4/25/2015 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 94 Points
One of the more impressive 2011 cabs I've had. Nice fruit and soft tannins with velvety mouthfeel. I'm so glad I have the 2012's to look forward to.
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4/19/2015 - Mrp2008 wrote: 94 Points
First time trying this wine. Never met the guy, but a big fan of the story and now a huge fan of the wine itself. The nose is open from the start, evolving a bit, but never shutting down. Decanted for almost 2 hours, but sipped on a small glass at first. This seemed a bit thin until 2.5 hours or so, really blossoming into something special. Deep fruit, tannic, and probably needing a few years. Up there with other great 2011's such as VHR and Seavey. Glad I purchased these and excited I just ordered the 2012's. 94-95pts.
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3/27/2015 - jaxpaj wrote: 91 Points
Not upset with the purchase but I would think this wine would be priced at half the value. The is no way this is better than Rivers Marie, Myriad, Quivet, or EMH.
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3/1/2015 - Mr T wrote:
dumped into decanter in the restaurant but didn't stay away all that long...deep ripe flavors of dark cherry and cassis...plenty ripe and no concerns despite the vintage. I drank the bulk of the bottle and thoroughly enjoyed but not sure it ever really got to strut its stuff....for sure I'd give this more the next time I open one. Not especially tannic but just not fully singing. Forced to give it a score, I'd go 92-94, but will be smarter the next time.
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2/14/2015 - Cow Town Likes this wine: 94 Points
As good of a 2011 as I have had, and it dispels any negative thoughts about the vintage. Big and bold, but with enough restraint to be interesting. A touch sweet out of the gate, but that subsided and the wine became much more layered and nuanced. I wanted to like the wine, and it didn't disappoint.
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2/12/2015 - brianngibson wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful wine with sweet cassis, cherry, oak, and a velvety finish.
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12/25/2014 - jeff nowak wrote: 92 Points
Full disclosure: I am a good friend of Roy. I was very anxious to try this new entry into the crowded Napa Cabernet playground. The long road to the banded first release of vintages 2010 and 2011 had many challenges. I won't recount them here as I observed and listened over many years. But the story is every bit as compelling as any that you likely read about in countless local and national publications. I chose the 2011 because I wanted the more reputed 2010 to rest a bit more. Roy warned me that 2011 was a difficult year to craft Cabernet. He's not the only winemaker making mea culpas for the growing season. With that caveat, Holy Crap! This wine is pretty damn good. Decanted. Served with steak. I thought I'd be able to mind's eye the struggle to pull ripe enough fruit out of a tannin cluster. But, no. I also thought, is it that good, or do I psychologically want it to be that good because I like Roy personally so well? Of course, that's truthful, I want him to succeed; yet regular listeners of the program know I don't pull punches. So, this jumps out of the glass like a kangaroo. Napa cab works when you have ripe enough fruit in balance no matter what the alcohol level is. It's ok to extract it, as long as you don't pound it on an anvil into an iron rod. For a young winemaker to be clever enough to do this well in 2011, big kudos. Look, I'm not smart enough to meticulously describe how this elevates above the field with flavor notes or clever words. I can; however, distill my "review" down to two words: get some! $125 from the mailing list. Merry Christmas.
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12/8/2014 - twelch wrote:
Not an atypical Napa cab upon opening. Day one had a tight nose of forest floor/mushroom crushed rocks. This is a very dark purple in the glass. Tightly wound up right now but think it has potential which I wouldn't say of many 11 Napas I've tried thus far. Have half the bottle left for tomorrow with some air. Interested to see how it evolves with more air. Day two. 1/2 bottle recorked left in cellar overnight. Much prettier more feminine floral nose peeking out this evening. Some nice red fruits starting to poke out in the mouth with a touch of sweetness I didn't get yesterday. Also some grilled meats with big dusty tannins on the finish. Lots of structure something new every sip. This is a big brooding wine with layers and layers to unwind. You should be proud of this for a first vintage Roy. I'll try my best to hold off a few years for another and definitely think this goes 7-10 easy. Impressive for a 2011. Make sure it has a very healthy decant if trying now.
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12/6/2014 - J_Smallwood Likes this wine: 96 Points
Following the evolution of the wine over 24 hours was a real treat to my wife and I (she loved it as well). While still very youthful, I found it to be accessible now, and I can definitely see how this will improve with age. Upon opening, it shows youthful restraint with oak and hints of cherry, but after 2-3 hours it really begins to open up a bit and flesh out. Great nose, smooth mouthfeel, and layers of flavor that evolve as the wine breathes. Cherry, oak, cassis, and a hint of vanilla. Re-corking and opening the following day, the tannins bite a bit harder and the flavor profile is a bit more meaty and earthy. A super solid wine for an inaugural release. All the best to Roy in the future.
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