I'm always surprised when I enjoy a Cali Chard, so typically the only ones we get our hands on are in club shipments. That said this was very nice! A nice mix of tropical fruit with pear, apple, and citrus. Less oak than many and nice hints of spice and minerality on the finish. You could save it 5 years if you like tertiaries...

Opening red for a "bounce around the left coast" vertical! There's an immediate palate sweetness due to glycerin. Then the deep black and blue fruit hits. Modest earth and spice notes. Decent structure: now-2026.

This bottle was excellent! Pretty much the same score and note as 6 years ago:

Layers of black fruit, pencil, mocha, and stone with some serious grip.

Ok, it's relaxing its grip at this age! Now-2027

This is the 3rd time we've had this wine in this group and it's nice to see the evolution. The score is the same but it's opening up!
My last note from 2019 was a combo note:

"Classic Napa Cab and JUST starting to near its window.

2/18/2017 rated 94 points: PHMG WAG Blind Pairs: Quality vs. Price (The Lyon's Downed Tree House): This is a dark brooding wine with black fruit, espresso, stone, and oak notes. The tannins are substantial without being coarse. 94+ on day 2. Drink 2018-2030. (2898 views)

I'd adjust the window now to 2020-2030."

Now, in 6/21, there's some warm ripe blackberry and cassis in great balance with the savory notes. Tannins are integrating. Now-2033.

Best QPR of the reds this night. Creme de cassis, black cherry, plum, cigar and eucalyptus linger nicely on a firm structure. Now-2029.

Scored it higher 3 years ago, but I did not enjoy this less. It's more integrated and smooth, youthful exuberance replaced by nicer table manners. Blue and black berry fruit, plum, herbs/spice, and floral notes. Now-2025

Back to bigger wines! Winner of the MSOTN award (Most Structure) this evening. This bottle housed a wine that was deep, dark and long with black currant, blackberry, black plum, tobacco and stone. Now-2030.

WOTN. Emphasis on BALANCE! Hard to do sometimes with big wines... Fresh black fruit with earth, spice, flowers, graphite, and oak just go on and on. Now-2042

As always these wines can be polarizing but the crowd tonight did not mind the moderate C-funk. Blackberry and plum flavors are not quite hidden by the pepper steak, anise, iodine and leather notes. Surprisingly tannic, wait a year, then until 2033.

For some, this was WOTN and certainly it was the QPR/OTN. The nose is so refreshing it just pulls you in; ever been stuck in a wine glass?

Steve Martin: "then the drugs wore off..."

Lemon curd, quince, peach, honeysuckle / florals, and nice minerality Just Dance! Sugar / acid balance is right on. Less of a liquid Sweetart than a Quarts de Chaume and overall amazing. Now - grandchildren.