Apparently aged 9 mos in 70% s/s tanks and 30% FR oak barrels
N: Muted butter with toast, poss lemons
P: Med, poss LM, body; Rndish entry with ALMOST swtish OAK/frt decently counterbalanced by an acidic astringency that makes itself felt into & through the LONG, slightly tangy, very, VERY slightly bitter finish. For now & by mid-'19 -- before the oak REALLY takes over! 14.1% ABV; My VG- with these provisos. 92 pts Tasting Panel & 88 WE @ $23. [This vendor's $13.99 tops the current wine-searcher class.]
P: Med, poss MF, body; Very RNDISH entry with SWTISH frt (feinherb-like?) reasonably balanced by acidity. The finish is LONG, tangy/swt, with HINTS of typical Gewurz bitterness. Nicely done in what the winery calls an "Edelzwicker" style. 11.9% ABV; My VG+, particularly with respect to the fact that this is an unusual, hard to fine style in this price range. [This vendor's $11.99 is $2 < the lesser of wine-searcher's 2 listed sources.]
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
"...made the same way one would make Pinot Noir[, I.e.] with no carbonic maceration..."
N: Straws, rasps; Good varietal character!
P: LM, poss Med, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish varietal frt counterbalanced by some astringency which morphs into a LONG (poss very, VERY slightly faint) finish with a BIT of tang & a MILD bitterswtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. For now & through '20 (poss longer) with the potential to improve through '18. Comparable to a lighter Cru Beaujolais, though not as focused or honed? 12% ABV; My VG+, poss EXC-. [Though not yet listed on wine-searcher, other mentions I've seen lend me to believe this vendor's $16.99 is very competitive -- as well as being a better alternative to the French version than *I* would have thought CA could produce!]
Grapes from the foothills of the Santa Lucia Mtns, aged 9 mos in barrel, 16% new FR oak; 0.57 g/100ml T.A.
N: Slightly closed; Smoke, earth, atop berries
P: LM, poss Med, body; RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish frt met by a swtish pucker which pretty much maintains through the LONG finish with a bitterswtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. For now & through '19. 13.5% ABV; My VG/VG+. 90 pts & an "Editors' Choice" @ $25 in WE. [This vendor's $13.99 is as good as any listed on wine-searcher.]
FYI, for whatever reason, today I found this SIGNIFICANTLY more mature than 3 wks previously.
Another label of Sans Liege. Grapes from Kopack, Santa Barbara Highlands, & Old Potrero Vyds; 20% Whole Cluster & 80% Destemmed, fermented in open top, 1.5 ton fermentors, then aged 18 mos in FR oak (10% new barriques, 40% neutral barriques, & 50% neutral puncheons), released 8/7/17
N: Closed; some straws? earth underneath?
P: LM body; Nice, almost swt frt met by a somewhat bitterish astringency which only somewhat mitigates by the LONG finish with a bitterswtness to the very, VERY fine tannins, the swtness ULT coming on @ the end. Needs/DESERVES into EARLY Spring '19, then drinking into & probably through '21. 14.4% ABV; My VG+. [This vendor's $15.99 is at least < the winery's $20.]
100% C.S. from their Hames Valley & San Lucas Vyds; Aged 12 mos in 25% new AM & 5% new Hungarian oak; 13.5% ABV, 6.3 g/L T.A., & 3.79 pH.
N: Creamy oak atop berries
P: Med, poss LM, body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt off-set by a swtishly-tinged astringency which pretty much continues into the LONG finish with a distinct swtness to the dusty tannins Needs/DESERVES a yr or so, then drinking through '21. My VG, poss VG+. 88 pts & "Very Good" kenswineguide.com , 88 WE @ $20, & 85+ RJonWine. [This vendor's $11.99 is at LEAST $2 < the next closest competitor on wine-searcher.]
P: MF, poss Med, body; Rndish entry with nice, ALMOST swtish frt met by puckerish tannins which only somewhat mitigates by the LONG finish with a swtnes to the dusty tannins. NEEDS 2 yrs, then drinking for the ff. 2-3. While the tannins are NOT oppressive, they ARE plentiful, & IF this is on the low side with respect to acidity... 15% ABV; My VG, poss VG+. 95 pts WE with "Editors' Choice" @ $50, 92 ea Vinous & Jeb Dunnuck, and 88 WS. [This vendor's $41.99 is $1 < the lower of wine-searcher's 2 entries.]
N: Jammy with a focused, almost sharpness; Some V.A.?
P: MF body; Rndish entry with port-like, ALMOST swtish frt met by a pucker which makes itself felt through the LONG, spicy, puckerish finish with a swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. Would benefit from cellaring into mid-Winter '19, then drinking for 3-4 yrs more. A stylistic, "like it or leave it" vinous expression. 15.4% ABV; My VG/VG+. 90 pts WS. [This vendor's "closeout" $19.95 is an *unbelievable* $20 < its nearest wine-searcher competitor!]
70% Mourvèdre & 30% Syrah grown in dry loam soils over limestone; Fermented 75% whole cluster & aged in 40% new FR puncheons & barriques; 180 cs made
N: Closed; Seems ripe, with minerals, poss pyrazines? Intensity lurking?
P: LM body; Nice frt fairly quickly met by a puckerish astringency which is the calling card into & through the LONG, structured finish with ULT a reasonable sense of swtness to the fairly notable, bitterswt tannins. NEEDS boatloads of time (through '22, certainly), but IF the frt holds, a potential steal @ this vendor's competitive $34.99. 14.6% ABV; My VG/VG+ for now, with potential for considerably more. 92 pts Vinous.
73% Zin, 9% P.S., 6% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre, 4% Grenache, & 3% Alicante Bouschet from Dusi, Dusi Paper St., & Suaret Vyds; "Fermented in s/s and small open top bins. The fruit was 100% sorted and de-stemmed. The must spent 20 days on the skins with frequent punch downs. Aged in neutral FR barriques for 18 mos." 1,834 cases
N: Slightly closed; RIPE berries, smoke
P: LM body; RNDISH entry with nice, ALMOST swtish frt off-set by some firming structure which transitions into a LONG, balanced, very, VERY slightly bitter finish with notes of swtness to the dusty tannins. NICELY done for now & through '21, I'd imagine, + could well improve through '18. 15.2% ABV; My VG+/EXC-, arguably a bit more *if* QPR is taken into account. [This vendor's $15.99 is at least $4 < anyone else currently listed on wine-searcher!]
2016 Talbott Chardonnay Kali Hart
USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey
TOO cold :(
Apparently aged 9 mos in 70% s/s tanks and 30% FR oak barrels
N: Muted butter with toast, poss lemons
P: Med, poss LM, body; Rndish entry with ALMOST swtish OAK/frt decently counterbalanced by an acidic astringency that makes itself felt into & through the LONG, slightly tangy, very, VERY slightly bitter finish. For now & by mid-'19 -- before the oak REALLY takes over! 14.1% ABV; My VG- with these provisos. 92 pts Tasting Panel & 88 WE @ $23. [This vendor's $13.99 tops the current wine-searcher class.]
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2017 Field Recordings Wine Hock
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
WAY too cold!
50% Gewurztraminer, 35% Pinot Gris, & 15% Riesling
N: Spice, flowers
P: Med, poss MF, body; Very RNDISH entry with SWTISH frt (feinherb-like?) reasonably balanced by acidity. The finish is LONG, tangy/swt, with HINTS of typical Gewurz bitterness. Nicely done in what the winery calls an "Edelzwicker" style. 11.9% ABV; My VG+, particularly with respect to the fact that this is an unusual, hard to fine style in this price range. [This vendor's $11.99 is $2 < the lesser of wine-searcher's 2 listed sources.]
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2016 Hollyhock Lodge Gamay Noir Martian Ranch Vineyard
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
"...made the same way one would make Pinot Noir[, I.e.] with no carbonic maceration..."
N: Straws, rasps; Good varietal character!
P: LM, poss Med, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish varietal frt counterbalanced by some astringency which morphs into a LONG (poss very, VERY slightly faint) finish with a BIT of tang & a MILD bitterswtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. For now & through '20 (poss longer) with the potential to improve through '18. Comparable to a lighter Cru Beaujolais, though not as focused or honed? 12% ABV; My VG+, poss EXC-. [Though not yet listed on wine-searcher, other mentions I've seen lend me to believe this vendor's $16.99 is very competitive -- as well as being a better alternative to the French version than *I* would have thought CA could produce!]
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2015 Carmel Road Pinot Noir
USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey
Grapes from the foothills of the Santa Lucia Mtns, aged 9 mos in barrel, 16% new FR oak; 0.57 g/100ml T.A.
N: Slightly closed; Smoke, earth, atop berries
P: LM, poss Med, body; RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish frt met by a swtish pucker which pretty much maintains through the LONG finish with a bitterswtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. For now & through '19. 13.5% ABV; My VG/VG+. 90 pts & an "Editors' Choice" @ $25 in WE. [This vendor's $13.99 is as good as any listed on wine-searcher.]
FYI, for whatever reason, today I found this SIGNIFICANTLY more mature than 3 wks previously.
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2015 Groundwork Grenache
USA, California, Central Coast
Another label of Sans Liege. Grapes from Kopack, Santa Barbara Highlands, & Old Potrero Vyds; 20% Whole Cluster & 80% Destemmed, fermented in open top, 1.5 ton fermentors, then aged 18 mos in FR oak (10% new barriques, 40% neutral barriques, & 50% neutral puncheons), released 8/7/17
N: Closed; some straws? earth underneath?
P: LM body; Nice, almost swt frt met by a somewhat bitterish astringency which only somewhat mitigates by the LONG finish with a bitterswtness to the very, VERY fine tannins, the swtness ULT coming on @ the end. Needs/DESERVES into EARLY Spring '19, then drinking into & probably through '21. 14.4% ABV; My VG+. [This vendor's $15.99 is at least < the winery's $20.]
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2015 District 7 Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey
100% C.S. from their Hames Valley & San Lucas Vyds; Aged 12 mos in 25% new AM & 5% new Hungarian oak; 13.5% ABV, 6.3 g/L T.A., & 3.79 pH.
N: Creamy oak atop berries
P: Med, poss LM, body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt off-set by a swtishly-tinged astringency which pretty much continues into the LONG finish with a distinct swtness to the dusty tannins Needs/DESERVES a yr or so, then drinking through '21. My VG, poss VG+. 88 pts & "Very Good" kenswineguide.com , 88 WE @ $20, & 85+ RJonWine. [This vendor's $11.99 is at LEAST $2 < the next closest competitor on wine-searcher.]
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2015 Villa Creek Willow Creek Cuvée
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, & 10% Mourvèdre
N: Closed; Smoke, ripe berries; Intensity lurking?
P: MF, poss Med, body; Rndish entry with nice, ALMOST swtish frt met by puckerish tannins which only somewhat mitigates by the LONG finish with a swtnes to the dusty tannins. NEEDS 2 yrs, then drinking for the ff. 2-3. While the tannins are NOT oppressive, they ARE plentiful, & IF this is on the low side with respect to acidity... 15% ABV; My VG, poss VG+. 95 pts WE with "Editors' Choice" @ $50, 92 ea Vinous & Jeb Dunnuck, and 88 WS. [This vendor's $41.99 is $1 < the lower of wine-searcher's 2 entries.]
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2013 Calcareous Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
91% C.S., 6% Merlot, & 3% C.F.; Aged 29 mos in 20% Orion, 20% Atlier, & 60% Neutral FR oak; 5.9 g/L T.A. & 3.59 pH; 830 Cases
N: Jammy with a focused, almost sharpness; Some V.A.?
P: MF body; Rndish entry with port-like, ALMOST swtish frt met by a pucker which makes itself felt through the LONG, spicy, puckerish finish with a swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. Would benefit from cellaring into mid-Winter '19, then drinking for 3-4 yrs more. A stylistic, "like it or leave it" vinous expression. 15.4% ABV; My VG/VG+. 90 pts WS. [This vendor's "closeout" $19.95 is an *unbelievable* $20 < its nearest wine-searcher competitor!]
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2013 Villa Creek Luna Matta Vineyard
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
70% Mourvèdre & 30% Syrah grown in dry loam soils over limestone; Fermented 75% whole cluster & aged in 40% new FR puncheons & barriques; 180 cs made
N: Closed; Seems ripe, with minerals, poss pyrazines? Intensity lurking?
P: LM body; Nice frt fairly quickly met by a puckerish astringency which is the calling card into & through the LONG, structured finish with ULT a reasonable sense of swtness to the fairly notable, bitterswt tannins. NEEDS boatloads of time (through '22, certainly), but IF the frt holds, a potential steal @ this vendor's competitive $34.99. 14.6% ABV; My VG/VG+ for now, with potential for considerably more. 92 pts Vinous.
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2016 Paydirt Going for Broke
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
73% Zin, 9% P.S., 6% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre, 4% Grenache, & 3% Alicante Bouschet from Dusi, Dusi Paper St., & Suaret Vyds; "Fermented in s/s and small open top bins. The fruit was 100% sorted and de-stemmed. The must spent 20 days on the skins with frequent punch downs. Aged in neutral FR barriques for 18 mos." 1,834 cases
N: Slightly closed; RIPE berries, smoke
P: LM body; RNDISH entry with nice, ALMOST swtish frt off-set by some firming structure which transitions into a LONG, balanced, very, VERY slightly bitter finish with notes of swtness to the dusty tannins. NICELY done for now & through '21, I'd imagine, + could well improve through '18. 15.2% ABV; My VG+/EXC-, arguably a bit more *if* QPR is taken into account. [This vendor's $15.99 is at least $4 < anyone else currently listed on wine-searcher!]
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