4/5/2024 - Jack Cranley Does not like this wine:

Tasted through the lineup of this new labels offerings. I'm not here to slander anyone but I did not find any of their wines enjoyable. I don't know, maybe others might find something to like but for me they all had this strange thread running through each and every bottle - whites and reds alike. It's hard to describe exactly what it was but it tasted like a flaw. It was like a nuttiness but not an enjoyable nuttiness. More of a bitter, rancid nuttiness.

I did notice that all of their corks were absolutely mangled and saturated with wine even though they were less than 3 years old. So I have a sneaking suspicion that the reason it was something I tasted across all of the wines was because it's coming from their corks.

But the winemaking was also lacking. Nice color but the structure was really wonky and disjointed with really harsh bitter tannins and super angular acid.

The label is also playing with Tempranillo in the Willamette Valley. I'm not going to leave reviews for those wines because I don't want to Gish Gallup a bunch of brutal scores for an upstart wine label but suffice it to say, the quality level was not to be found in those wines either. Hopefully these guys regroup and find their way a little bit.

4/5/2024 - Jack Cranley Does not like this wine:

Another casualty of the 2020 Willamette Valley vintage, that quite frankly, should have never even been bottled. Utterly destroyed by smoke taint. Undrinkable.

4/4/2024 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Wow - What a difference a few years makes. Looking back at my note from 2020, it's hard to understand why I only gave it 90 points. There was nothing in my notes that really spoke of any deficiencies in the wine, but for whatever reason I decided to leave the numeric score at 90. Today, that seems almost comically conservative. This wine is singing in a way that I was almost not sure Washington was capable of. It's peeling off in layers like a first growth Bordeaux. It's got fruit, it's got leather, it's got flowers and minerals, and herbs, and wood, and spice.... It's all over the place! The word that we really settle down as sort of the theme of this wine is "Shapeshifter". It seems to evolve and present something different with each progressive visit back to the glass. I never-ending cornucopia of nuance and complexity.

To be fair, this was the fourth bottle in a series of drinking with friends so I might be a little inebriated. But let me tell you this - I've had 30-year-old first growth Bordeaux. I know the glory that they reveal in their multi-layered capacity. This wine reminds me of that. I'm not saying it's as good or better or should be compared or whatever I'm just saying that it reminds me of that type of wine drinking. Which is pretty profound for a new world red blend. I'm impressed.

3/23/2024 - Jack Cranley Does not like this wine:

It pains me to write this review because I really love the Holocene label, and absolutely everything Todd Alexander does. But I think this was a wine that they were trying to do something to salvage the 2020 vintage with, And I'm afraid it did not hit the mark. In fact, this wine really should have never been bottled.

I write this note Not as a means to slander the producer but rather to give fair warning to others like me who have really become a fan but would almost certainly be highly put off by this wine.

What little fruit there is on the nose is oxidized and bruised. There's definitely also an unmistakable air of smoke taint. It's utterly lifeless and tired.

On the palate, It continues with that lifeless feeling. Very flat. And then there's a very intense bitterness. Like apple seed or apricot kernel. But the worst part is the finish where a long, lingering taste of flawed chemicals seems to hang on.

Definitely avoid this wine but please don't judge the producer on it. Check out their other bottlings and be amazed! The fact that this one exists within their lineup is entirely perplexing.

3/23/2024 - Jack Cranley Does not like this wine:

Pretty terrible. Seems to be infected with bad microbiology. In fact, the wine has put on an effervescence almost all the way to the point of being a pet nat, Even though I am absolutely certain that's not what they were going for. So the winemaking here was absolutely flawed which is frankly pretty surprising coming from the house that it came from.

It also smells infected. Notes of yogurt, kombucha, and stinky feet. It also, very quizzically, has a lot of residual sugar. This wine is really wonky and all over the place. I'm stumped.

The whole bottle went down the drain.

2/11/2024 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

First of all came out of the bottle with a beautiful rich golden color with remarkable clarity. Absolutely gemstone-like.

At first on the nose really complex and compelling layers of both fruit and savory notes. Apricot, Asian pear, plus a certain amount of hay bale, sweetgrass, and a pithy, inside of a grapefruit peel kind of thing.

Drinks remarkably young still. Super bright and fresh and lively. With the age it has on it the acids in the mouthfeel have definitely softened up and gotten a little creamy. But it still lively with acidity and honestly at 13 years old this wine is just a baby.

As it develops, It becomes floral but not in a heady, pretty kind of way. More of an earthy, intense kind of way. Notes of marigold and dandelion blossom. Add to that a certain lemon cand note, And you'll start to understand the many faces and layers of this profound wine.

I'm so glad I have another one of these because I'm not going to touch it until it's at least 20 years old, if not more. This wine has such a long way to go and it's going to get so crazy interesting I can tell already.

What a truly profound and special wine!

2/7/2024 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Black as night in the glass but showing a little hint of brick on the rim. First whiff is massive with loads of black fruit, But also layers of crazy manliness. Wild, unbridled, hefty and almost brash. Notes of iron filings, dried violets, raw meat, bloody, gamey, and feral.
The tannins are still so tight and wound up making this wine shockingly young despite its age. Will be better in 10 years.

1/31/2024 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Lovely! Certainly not a flimsy or watered down expression of Gamay, which, let's face it, can happen. This wine has nice concentration, solid extraction, great structure, and just an all-around wonderful enjoyability factor.
Wildberries, saline minerality, and a kiss of brett on the nose. The medium body is varietally correct, And the acid is bright as you would expect without being harshly tart.

A nice versatile wine for the dinner table to augment and support a wide variety of foods. As far as the age on this goes, it is in a very nice place, thoroughly developed but not showing any signs of tiredness. In fact I would not hesitate to let this ride another 5 years in the cellar.

1/26/2024 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Tasting this again a little over 4 years later. It's remarkable to see how much it has evolved. It's no longer primarily floral. Instead, the roasty stuff has really come forward. Coffee bean, cocoa, mocha, baking spice. There's still fruit and it's in the raspberry cherry spectrum but the mocha and the spice is really the main focus here.

In fact the longer the wine sits in the decanter the more that spice refines and comes forward. It's layered, complex, and profound with an incredible some texture.

1/25/2024 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Certainly a lovely and well-built Pinot Noir. Luscious and full-bodied and full of black and blue fruit as well as some baking spice and toasted wood essence. However, I'm finding that the vintage is not aging gracefully. Pretty much across the board The 2014 vintage in the Willamette Valley is not evolving in a way that I particularly enjoy and even top quality bottlings such as this one are not immune to the negative effects of the extreme heat from that year. The fruit is starting to show a little stewed and oxidized, with a little bit of graphite and raisin starting to come forward. If you have any of this or any 2014 vintage Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley for that matter, go ahead and pop it open, it's time!

1/12/2024 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Lovely in so many ways. Loaded with a full spectrum of fruit, laced with spice and minerals. Utterly luxurious on the palate. Really quite ethereal and elegant for such a powerful wine. As it opens up, it gets into black olive and iron and dried herbs. So much to uncover here, And yet also so easy to love without having to intellectualize it.

1/12/2024 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Omg. Absolutely stunning. My first time laying one of these particular wines down for a few years and boy am I glad I did! Not too many rosés out there worthy of cellar time, but this is absolutely one of them.

Still rich with bright red fruit but putting on incredible complexities of butterscotch and red velvet cake.

Lip smacking but smooth. And absolutely ethereal and intoxicating experience.

1/12/2024 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Big & tannic. Layered and complex! Lovely.

1/10/2024 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

For starters, the color on this is holding up very well. It's starting to show a slight turn towards brick but the color is still very uniform it doesn't fade out towards the edges. It's inky and Garnet and quite turbid.

On the nose, a highly developed and evolved set of black and blue fruits coupled with iron and minerals resulting in a wine that comes across very masculine and assertive.

Blackberry, sage leaf, cast iron, dried flowers, And then a definite gamey / meaty / dried meat/beef jerky kind of thing going on.

The flavor is definitely dominated by savory notes. It is not a fruity wine. Lots of provincial herbs, sage again, walnut, an intense black-hued minerality.

At 12 years old, The structure is really nicely integrated and the wine is right where it should be. The tannins are supple and glide across the palate effortlessly. They're still firm and grippy but sort of rounded and pleasant.

Definitely a wine that will benefit with a proper food pairing. Probably something rich and robust. If you have any of this in your cellar, I would say now is as good a time as any to pull it out although it should still hang on for another 5 or 10 years.

12/18/2023 - Jack Cranley wrote:

Really high toned fruity and menthol nose with sour cherry and eucalyptus notes. Its medium weight is quite restrained and the flavor is sort of one dimensional. The granular tannins at the end also either need time or might not integrate, not totally sure. Honestly the rest of the wine isn't good enough for me to grab some to find out.

12/18/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

This was a dark brooding expression of Grenache with lots of savory umami layers. Earthy and mushroomy plus an iron minerality. The wine is big and structured and muscular but still balanced and varietally correct. The last thing I wrote in my notes about this wine was simply, "Sexy AF"

That pretty much sums it up!

12/18/2023 - Jack Cranley wrote:

A fairly subtle wine with a reserved, delicate character. Very elegant and understated. Floral and light ripe fruit. This wine exudes finesse. It's very well made but not everybody will love its understated character. For me as a Pinot lover, It's absolutely delightful!

12/18/2023 - Jack Cranley wrote:

Bright and shiny, notes of white pepper, orange peel, lemon cordial. Lightweight and gentle with a short but joyful and clean finish.

12/18/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

This wine comes jumping out of the glass with big, super ripe fruit, yet it does stay balanced throughout, so it's a really nice blend of opulence and hedonism with restrained structure and extraction. Notes of cherry, blueberry syrup, wild bramble and mineral. Has a super powerful core with a healthy tannic grip. This wine will have broad appeal as it's juicy and yummy but also technically sound.

12/18/2023 - Jack Cranley wrote:

This wine seems to have suffered from over oxidation during the winemaking process. It comes off sort of cooked and tired. It's also really really stemmy and herbal. Maybe the 15% whole cluster was a mistake? Not exactly sure what's going on but it just comes off a little oxidized green and tired.

It does have big fat flavor that's very cocoa driven. Also big brisk tannins. But this now leads me to feel like it's not varietally correct. I would never guess this as a grenache in a blind tasting.

This wine is not for me. People who love big bold wines might find it pleasurable but if you're looking for a proper grenache this isn't the one for you.

12/18/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Really bombastic, almost slutty. Also really funky! Copious flowers and heady lilies on the nose. It's a little short on the back end but it opened up well and got a little more citrus in character.

12/18/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Super intense and provocative nose. Utterly spellbinding and layered with enormous complexity. Beyond the red and blue fruits comes notes of iron skillet, machine grease, cold steel, rain, and ozone. The flavor is bright red with raspberry and pomegranate. It's incredibly integrated and well-balanced structure. Finishes with a luscious strawberry jam flavor. A truly profound wine.

12/18/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

A very full and complete wine with cobs of cherry pie both on the nose and the palate. Big and rounded and very fruit forward. This fruit is downright bombastic! It's very broad very long with supple integrated tannins. A real show stopper!

12/18/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Very light and restrained with elegant notes of strawberries and cream. However the structure is a bit more brisk with grippy tannins creating a very tacky mouth feel. Nevertheless the wine is cool and refreshing and even has a bit of a minty finish!

12/18/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

A very herbal driven nose with rosemary, oregano, lavender, and bergamot. Quite high and acid and tangy flavor. The tannins are grippy and need some time. Flavors of orange peel and cherry Kool-Aid powder. Overall surprisingly elegant and a very intriguing wine worth watching for a few years.

12/18/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Meaty and mineral, almost sanguine. Surprisingly transparent with pretty dried roses and pink peppercorn notes along with an undercurrent of tobacco. Medium weight with a light clean finish.

12/13/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

First hit right out of the bottle had some funk, but that blew off pretty quick. Also right out of the gate is a host of dried fruit, dried withered flowers, and a pretty big hit of pencil shavings with graphite.

Presents as a very Burgundian and old world style wine. I do have to say that today, at nearly 8 years old, this wine is starting to slide down the back end of its arc. I don't think it will be long before it starts to show an unwelcome amount of oxidation but it's not quite there yet. So if you have any of this in the collection, go ahead and jump.

Savory, herbal-based flavor notes on the mid palate leads to a somewhat abbreviated finish with a fairly astringent tannic structure. Probably needs a little food to go with it.

Cliffs Notes: drink em if you've got em.

12/10/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

A lovely wine that, If I'm being brutally honest, outperforms the visual impact of its rather dreary label.
Of course I've learned never to judge a book by its cover, but I do definitely factor in the cover when commenting on the overall experience of the book or the wine or what have you. Something about the font on this, the very uninspired design, and the silly little coat of arms that clearly means nothing to anybody other than the person who conceived it - Let's just say, I wasn't bracing myself for an amazing wine experience.

But I have to admit that I was somewhat off base here. The wine is actually very nicely built. Clean, crisp, dry, lovely fresh fruit, Good minerality, bright acidity but not overly so. Really balanced and drinkable, refreshing and inspired! You get some green pear notes, a little pomelo or sweet ruby grapefruit, As well as a twist of lemon rind.

Add to that The fact that their wines are 100% estate, and you have a little gem here hiding in plain sight. I also equally enjoyed their Pressé Blanc and their Pinot Gris.

12/9/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

An absolutely top tier Chardonnay experience. And I say that with no asterisks. It's not great for an American Chardonnay. It's not great for an Oregon Chardonnay. It's not great for a new world Chardonnay. It is just a damn fine chardonnay through and through in a world-class lens.
Lovers of Chambolle-Musigny will likely find a lot of joy here.

Pair fruit, quince, apricot, honeycomb, orange blossom, streak of vanilla, a little chiffon cake, some white peach, along with a core of flinty, whetstone minerality, and a Jasmine high note plus a little squeeze of lime on top.

Utterly complex and pleasure inducing. At 11 years old, this wine is only beginning the prime of its life. I am so glad I have three more bottles of this because I'm probably going to stagger those three across the next 15 to 20 years, because that's how packed in tight everything is here.

If you were wise enough to pick some of this up some years ago and you've been hanging on to it still to this day, congratulations. You win! There is no hurry on this bottle whatsoever. I would say if I was going to guess perfect year to drink this in, I would call it 2030.

12/9/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Another masterpiece from one of the most reliable Willamette Valley bottlings. Absolutely stunning and nearly perfect in every way. The Old Eight Cut Is one of those wines that feels like a gift to humanity because It's still only $35 a bottle and easily hits in the same weight class As many other $50 to $100 bottles of Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley.

As a brand new release, it's already drinking soft and supple but still has a firm healthy structure that will carry it through many years if you choose to lay it down. But you can open it today and enjoy with zero regret. I would just say maybe make sure to decant it for a half hour or so.

Lots of brambly black fruit and sweet blue fruit mixed up with hints of earthy undertones, and a little barrel spice to sweeten the pot. Silky, granular but round tannins and a perfectly integrated acid structure. The finish just lasts forever with waves of mocha, berry syrup, violets, sandalwood, hazelnut, and chalk dust.

Delicious, hedonistic, compelling, complex, thought-provoking, joyous, delightful, I could go on and on. Suffice it to say, you should track some of this down and get some for yourself.

12/9/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

I picked up a grip of this wine some years ago and I've been enjoying a bottle here and there every once in a while. I've always enjoyed this wine and I always look forward to opening one up. It has offered a number of really cool aromatic experiences with each passing bottle. Lots of strawberries, raspberries, and dried roses, wrapped up in a very elegant structure and a deftly balanced package.

Opening one up last night, I started to see some of the first signs of the end of its life sadly. It's starting to show some fennel which, for now, is lovely - but I believe that's going to keep turning further towards the vegetal spectrum. There's also this iodine thing starting to develop that reminds me of kombu seaweed. And the fruit is starting to get a little tired. So, if you have any of this, go ahead and drink up!

12/9/2023 - Jack Cranley wrote:

Showing pretty advanced at this point, definitely on a downward trajectory. Not much fruit to speak of. Mostly loaded with lots of non-fruit essence such as caramel, balsamic, and cocoa nibs. The flavor and the finish is really roasty with a sort of scorched earth essence. The structure, mouthfeel and balance are all reasonable but nothing about this wine really grabbed me. So when I'm looking at the $75 price tag, I'm just really not feeling it. If you happen to have any of this in your cellar, it's go time.

12/9/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

This was a nice little drinkable number. Overall a very elegant, floral type of wine. Although I have to say I'm pretty shocked at how advanced this wine is for its relative young age. I mean I realize that 6 years old is not a young Pinot noir but I've had enough to know that this seems a little advanced for that number. I would guess more like a 10 or 12-year-old wine.
Nevertheless it was still very pretty and had a nice silky mouth feel and a little bit of fresh raspberry fruit and so forth. I think the price tag (>$50) is a little excessive for what it really is but oh well. I don't want to sound too negative because in the end I'd really did just enjoy the wine.

12/9/2023 - Jack Cranley Does not like this wine:

Oof. This was a big miss for me. Everything about this wine was all disjointed and sticking out in all different awkward directions. The fruit is already stewed, cooked, and oxidized. Then there's this really wonky vegetal tobacco leaf overlay on it which, don't get me wrong I love me nice note of tobacco leaf or even tomato leaf in my wines, but this is just way too strong and Actually reaches so far into that vegetal realm that it becomes kind of like a dill pickle. Really briney.

Meanwhile, the mouth feel was really harsh and the tannins were pretty brutal. The kind of tannin that never resolves. This is all wrapped up with a bracing acidity on the finish that is so shockingly intense that it would give me a shiver every time I swallowed. I couldn't make it through a single glass.

12/7/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Superb. An absolutely peak Chardonnay experience. And I say that without condition.
Intensely aromatic. Rich fruits, sweet flower nectar, and wet stone minerality.
Broad, generous flavor. Long finish. Perfect acid. Transcendental.

12/5/2023 - Jack Cranley wrote:

A truly profound wine with immense layers and thought provoking intricacies. It has this dark brooding quality without being overly extracted. And then it has this high toned floral peppery thing going on that is just absolutely beautiful.
It's almost hard to identify a fruit in this wine because there's so many savory and floral and herbal things going on but at its foundation I would say it's kind of a black currant or marionberry.
Then you've got stacks and layers of puzzling and esoteric aromas. Hard to put a finger on. But ultimately the overarching theme of this wine is beauty and finesse. There's flowers and perfume and the reminiscent smells of a baking pie and all other manner of pleasant, memory-inducing delights.

The structure is balanced the tannins are supple the acid is bright but not overbearing so all the structural components of the wine are right where they need to be.

In the end it's really just about what a special and unique wine this is and how much you feel like, when you're drinking it, you are having a peak experience with wine and it just kind of doesn't get much better than this.

12/5/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Surprisingly developed for its relative youth. Definitely has some really nice bright ripe red fruit but is also showing a little bit of secondary characteristics. But most impressively is just how developed the structure is. It's so silky and broad and long and just perfect on the palate.
Aromas of cured cherry, dried flowers, gravel dust, licorice root, plum, and cola nut.
With a little time some baking spice starts to come out. This wine really bounces around through different modes. It starts out fresh and high toned and then it starts getting deep and brooding and then it starts to get real earthy and esoteric and then it comes back around to some dark spice and it's just kind of all over the place which is wonderful.

Really digging the soft supple mouth feel with nice powdery tannins. Followed by a great finish that keeps the mouth watering with bright acidity but also brings some depth and richness to the back end as well in the form of smoked meats and sandalwood.

Wonderful wine that is absolutely ready to drink but will also hold a nice plateau for the next six or seven years, easy.

11/28/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

So first of all right off the bat as soon as I open this and started pouring it I was absolutely smitten with the color. It came out with this almost electric blood red intensity. And even though it's transparent like a good burgundian Pinot should be it also just has this crazy intensity to the color. Super visually attractive.

The first whiff on the nose brings a boatload of funk. Black truffle, hot rubber / inner tube, a little barnyard. There's definitely some really vibrant fruit to go along with that too though. Raspberries primarily. But also a little cherry and pomegranate.

Medium bodied, medium intensity - definitely tart and zingy. Opens up into a pretty rose petal floral aroma. Definitely a sweet, lovely, burgundian, quintessentially Oregonian Pinot!

11/24/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

A really great sparkler. Really layered complex aromas that start off with red apple, and evolve through notes of vanilla custard, ocean spray, and aged cheese. Thin, elegant bubbles, flawless balance, sophisticated and deluxe.

11/24/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Big funk on this monster! Truffle first and foremost, with some plum, exotic spice, and blackened meat aromas, along with some creosote, and - believe it or not - some passionfruit and guava lurking in there. The flavor intensity could be better but, it's nicely balanced with good, supple tannins. Overall, worthy for the price and definitely worth a look for those who like automatic complexity.

11/24/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

A lovely Pinot at a great price point. The nose shows a darker side of Pinot without giving up the typicity of the grape. Black cherry, a nd blackberry pie aromas. Medium body. Good acid. Light and clean on the mid-palate, leading to a nice lifted finish that shows great purity.

11/24/2023 - Jack Cranley wrote:

Tasting another bottle from the personal collection about 3 years after my previous note.

I'm pretty disappointed with how this wine has developed. With its burgundian build, high acid, and good tannin structure, I was expecting this wine to be absolutely singing by now. Instead, it has fallen off a bit. I just don't think there was enough fruit in it to begin with so now that it's getting to an age where the fruit starts to fall back, it has lost its identity as a Pinot Noir.

Don't get me wrong, it's not terrible. Like I said I'm just a little disappointed. The acid is angular, and it's really starting to show a lot of graphite and oxidization. And I know it has been stored properly. It's been in my possession the whole time, in a temperature controlled wine storage facility.

So, let this be a call to action if you happen to have any of this in your collection. It's time to go! Bust this out while it still has some redeeming qualities. At least you'll find some nice barrel spice, plum pudding notes, and a little vanilla bean.

11/20/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

This is a top tier and very special Oregon Pinot Noir. Top effort from a top producer who has been consistently putting out peak experiences from the region for close to 40 years.

The 2021 Abbey Ridge Pinot Noir might just be the best wine I've ever tasted from them. It has this incredible ethereal balance and the perfect blend of red fruit, earth tones, foresty mushroomy goodness, framed with spice and nuance.

As is the case with all Cameron Pinot Noir, absolutely worth holding for many years in the cellar, But among the 2021 pinos the Abbey Ridge showed the most friendly and accessible in its youth. So there's just really no wrong answer here on how and when to drink this. Treat yourself to a case and watch it evolve over the years!

11/20/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Superb. An incredible achievement of New world Pinot Noir. A dead ringer for Burgundy. With both richness and decadence balanced with restraint and elegance. And just the right amount of cellar funk.
Smooth and ripe yet still structured and firm. Approachable and easy yet still worthy of the long-term cellar. Really quite perfect in almost every way.
Compared to the other Pinots from the same house and vintage, this one had the most darkness and spice.
Easily good for 20 years if you have the patience

11/20/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Tasted through the entire Granville 2021 Pinot Noir lineup. I don't have time to leave reviews for all of them but I thought I would at least summarize the tasting and leave a review for the one wine that took the crown. No surprise it's the Louie,as this is the Winemaker's best wine every year.

Incredible depth, richness, balance and structure on this world-class wine. Notes of black currant, black cherry, mocha, dried herbs, wet minerals, baking spice, and barrel toast - everything in check, everything in flawless harmony.

Built for the long haul, This is a wine whose peak is years away still. My guess would be somewhere around 2030 where it will then hold a 15-year plateau, easily.

One of the gratifying things of having become a fan of the label early is watching Jackson hone his skill set. Every year, he makes the best wines he's ever made, because he just continues to build upon his knowledge base and experience level and applies the many intentional strategies that he picks up along the way.

On top of all that, 2021 was just a phenomenal vintage, so this really is a special wine, And truly the whole lineup was superb so if you're looking at one of the other 2021 single vineyard Pinot Noirs, Just know that you have a superb wine in your hands. There was definitely some experiential differences between each bottling as you would expect, but not in a way which was like this one's better than that one or this one was a better success than the other. More just that this one expresses that terroir differently than this one expresses that terroir etc

The Holstein was super plush and friendly. The Eichler was pretty tannic and stout. The Koosah was bright red and lifted and pretty. And the Old Vine had this incredible complex minerality, along with a more savory bend to it.

Then the Louie came along with all of its big decadent dark rich characteristics That in my opinion just serves the house style the best. I don't always choose the biggest darkest richest Pinit in a lineup just because it's hedonistic. In fact I will often choose a more elegant bottling as a favorite. But in this case, Louie just really expresses what Jackson is trying to say best I think.

Drink 2030-2045

11/10/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Crazy cool wine. For starters, the color is otherworldly. Electric watermelon and raspberry juice. The concept that this comes from the Pinot Gris is almost impossible to reconcile in my brain.

On the nose, pomegranate, acai fruit, and orange peel.

The bright red fruits carry through on the pallet. It does have a little bit of tannic grip but not enough to be distracting. But it is enough to think of it as a food wine. But it can also stand on its own if you're in the mood for such a wine.

Truly an entirely unique unparalleled wine experience that I would recommend to anyone. Sort of a once-in-a-lifetime kind of wine.

11/2/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Really cool and enticing wine with blue and black fruit, exotic spice, incense, pipe tobacco, dried herbs.
Intense, extracted, smokey, lengthy. Structured yet supple. Absolutely fantastic.

11/2/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Tasted upon release at the winery.
Another one that surprised me with its restraint. Of course it's a Rocks Syrah with black fruit, gamey, meaty overtones, and black olive funk... But it's also vibrating high with some citrus and sour cherry tones.
Great balance on the palate - silky tannins, juicy acid, great extraction, long, mellow finish. Super!

11/2/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

Tasted upon release at the winery.
A more shy and reserved nose amount the lineup. Shows some lavender and orange peel notes to go along with the expected Syrah characteristics.
Most notable with this wine though, was a very gentle, friendly, and pleasing texture on the palate. Like a fleece blanket. Really caresses the tongue and leaves a pure satisfaction.
My guess is that this wine needs around 10 years in the cellar to let the aromas develop and become the wine it wants to become. Drink from 2030+

11/2/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine:

A remarkable domestic wine, shows a lot like a Cornas. Ripe, black and fruity, but also spearmint and crushed rock. Restrained in the palate. Hefty structure, but fine grained. Young - will definitely continue to develop, but certainly nothing wrong with opening this now. I foresee a peak about 5 to 7 years from now.