My last bottle of this terrific QbA. Everyone of the 6 bottles were very enjoyable. If anything, the nose was just a little reticent this time around. The palate however, was loaded with minerals, slate, lemon peel and verbena. Just a seamless wine with clear and precise flavors. The acidity is much more integrated, yet structurally this wine could last at least a few more years. Great length on the finish.

So Dave pulls out this wine asking what I think. A '96 Ca. Chardonnay...I admit a very low expectation. Man was I wrong. This wine was really something quite enjoyable. Showing signs of age in the wonderful aromatics of crushed nuts, pear confit and stone fruit. Great mouth texture, this wine just covers the palate with love. Minerals and stones add to the secondary nuances. Clearly in a Burgudian style with plenty of structure which makes me think this will live for a while longer. The wine never pooped out over the course of the night maintaining it's perfumed aromatics and solid structure. Good thing there's more of this.

Here's another wine I didn't know what to expect with another surprising showing. The bottle was in excellent condition, yet when the cork was pulled it was completely saturated up to the edge. There was no sign of leakage and to our relief the wine showed no signs of maderization or heat damage. In fact, this wine showed wonderfull nuances of mushroom, earth, sois bois, dried cherries and plums. It drank beautifully on the palate with a touch of acidity still present and a silky mouthfeel. IMHO, this is a wonderful example of aged CA. Pinot Noir. The wine is quite advanced in comparison to a William Selyem of similar age, and I think it's nearing it's drinking plateau; yet, I found myself engaged with this wine for sometime just enjoying the aromatic profuile that seemed to shift as a Grand Cru Burgundy would. A fantastic wine.

Wanted to check on the progress of this one. The color has not changed much over the years, still a semi-dark crimson. Crushed black pepper is the obvious note on the nose with some dark plummy fruits and a very mild gamey quality comming through. Nice palate feel with the aromatics continuing on the palate. Still possesses a nice acidic backbone with moderate somewhat silky tannins and decent length on the finish. I don't get the lush feel I like in other CR, like Jamet, with this wine. It is a bit restrained at the moment with not enough of the bloody, roasted meat characteristic I really enjoy. Still for the under $30 release price, the wine is easily worth the money. I hope this adds some weight down the road.