3/18/2024 - Bigfresser Likes this wine:

Drinking very well tonight. Smooth, rich and elegant. This wine is always a delight! Could of been saved and drunk for the next four/five years.

3/4/2024 - Bigfresser wrote:

drinking now with soft tannins, rich and smooth

2/26/2024 - Bigfresser wrote:

Very rich, balanced and smooth red berries. The perfect opportunity to enjoy!

1/30/2024 - Bigfresser wrote:

Very acidic and citrus

9/4/2023 - Bigfresser wrote:

The bottle was a mag.

9/4/2023 - Bigfresser wrote:

Popped it tonight with friends. Aged to long for our tastes. Medium fruit and no finish. Should of popped five years ago.

7/24/2023 - Bigfresser wrote:

My last bottle. Stunning aroma of ripe berries and vibrant fruit on this night. Perfectly balanced with some aging flavors. Wish I had more

6/28/2023 - Bigfresser wrote:

excellent bottle. Soft tannins and rich smooth flavors

4/30/2023 - Bigfresser Likes this wine:

Open it for the AO team, and heatd nothing but praise, especially for its age. Still drinking great, tastes and smells as you would expect for a bottle of its stature. Still a lot of fruit, body and richness.

3/20/2023 - Bigfresser Likes this wine:

Opened with Ronnie tonight. It had fruit and smoothness at it's age and wish I had more!!!!

8/8/2022 - Bigfresser wrote:

Saw this at Costco and had to try. I agree with others, it's not as enticing, delicious or complex as other such wines as '18 or even the current '19 Alpha Omega cab at a similar price point.

7/4/2022 - Bigfresser wrote:

drinking this on my birthday. It was smooth and rich with lot's of integrated fruit and soft tannins.

4/5/2022 - Bigfresser Likes this wine:

Still a lot of fruit

3/12/2022 - Bigfresser wrote:

Tasted a bit past it's prime. Like stewed fruit. Not my style.

3/10/2022 - Bigfresser wrote:

Unfortunately this bottle tasted a bit past it's prime with oxidized notes.

3/8/2022 - Bigfresser wrote:

Excellent smooth fruit, rich with velvety mouthfeel and very soft tannins. Probably has a couple more years left in it. Though it's drinking spectacularly now!

9/7/2021 - Bigfresser wrote:

drinking very nicely now. Big, rich, fruit defined with acidity and soft tannins.

2/27/2021 - Bigfresser wrote:

Barrel sampled. Super silky, elegant red berry fruit. A collaboration with Andy Ericsson.

4/5/2021 - Bigfresser Likes this wine:

Massive and Spectacular

9/29/2020 - Bigfresser wrote:

Perfect age to drink, Delicious ripe and smooth.

Really opened up after twenty minutes in my glass.

9/22/2020 - Bigfresser wrote:

This wine had turned and drank best three or more years ago.

5/7/2020 - Bigfresser wrote:

smooth red berries and licorice. Coravin'd over a week and one half period. Remaining bottles in cellar are good aging another 3-6 years

3/22/2020 - Bigfresser wrote:

Phenomenal! Ripe, rich, soft tannins.
Coravin'd the bottle over a week. Need to buy more

12/23/2019 - Bigfresser wrote:

Coravin a glass, very smooth and rich. Great creamy mouthfeel. Placed back into cellar to see what happens next time.

11/16/2019 - Bigfresser wrote:

Decanted and remained tight and tart for over an hour. Never returned to taste it after.

11/3/2019 - Bigfresser wrote:

Tasted like a very old aged wine. Fruit and brandy like flavors with rich mouthfeel. Excellent feedback on this classic

5/21/2019 - Bigfresser wrote:

Drinking much smoother now. Nice fruit and soft mouthfeel.

4/28/2019 - Bigfresser wrote:

My last bottle from this vintage, decanted yet not so tight. Ripe fruit, very balanced and soft tannins. Very enjoyable.

4/28/2019 - Bigfresser wrote:

Decanted and opened up in 30 minutes. Still very good. Aging notes on the fruit and velvet.

2/28/2019 - Bigfresser wrote:

Five years of aging in bottle has brought our the balance and acidity. Still drinking well.

9/17/2018 - Bigfresser wrote:

Still good fruit and structure

6/18/2018 - Bigfresser wrote:

ripe, rich and not earthy. Very smooth taste and mouthfeel. Need to buy more

5/17/2018 - Bigfresser wrote:

Delicious wine, drinking fantastic now!

1/12/2018 - Bigfresser wrote:

Wonderful smooth berry flavors and very rich mouthfeel

11/20/2017 - Bigfresser Likes this wine:

Needed twenty minutes to open up. Revealing rich ripe blackberry and a soft pallet.

8/2/2017 - Bigfresser wrote:

Soft and full of fruit at this tiime. No decant. Opened quickly and drank smooth.

5/30/2017 - Bigfresser Likes this wine:

Dark ruby color. Rich velvety mouthfeel. Blackberry cassis concentrated flavors. The best AO has ever made!

5/31/2017 - Bigfresser wrote:

Dark ruby color. Rich velvety mouthfeel. Blackberry cassis concentrated flavors. The best AO has ever made!

4/23/2017 - Bigfresser wrote:

smooth and rich. Chocolate and black fruit. Delicious

3/20/2017 - Bigfresser wrote:

Great wine. Smooth Rich luxurious mouth glad I waited 10 years

11/22/2016 - Bigfresser wrote:

Drank at Capital Grill with the Mertz's. Decanted and really opened up after an hour. Velvet, berries, coffee and coco. Very nice wine.

8/28/2016 - Bigfresser wrote:

Needed more time then we gave to open up.

Has soften dramatically at this time.

2/19/2016 - Bigfresser wrote:

Lots of fruit, velvety mouthfeel, overall a very good wine

11/28/2015 - Bigfresser wrote:

flat

11/28/2015 - Bigfresser wrote:

Best bottle of the vertical, 07,08,09. very soft tannins and fruit.

11/28/2015 - Bigfresser wrote:

Opened over an hour, and still very tight.

11/22/2015 - Bigfresser wrote:

Didn't decant or spend much time breathing. I wasn't terribly impressed with this wine. Expected better.
Though since I'm always at the winery, I'm a little jaded.

11/22/2015 - Bigfresser wrote:

Very surprising development of this wine, since tasting many times from barrel and bottle!!!

Very smooth and supple, red fruit throughout.

5/17/2015 - Bigfresser wrote:

Inside the bottle was coated in tannin, the wine was delicious and could last another five years. Ripe black fruit. This is a charmer for sure.
Great job Jean!

7/11/2014 - Bigfresser wrote:

Jean Hoflinger has to be the Chardonnay wine making king of Napa. Each vintage of his chards are probably the best around!