11/19/2022 - overthetop wrote:

Pleasant. Did not quite hold up to a spicy mussels sauce. Better with something mild.

11/19/2022 - overthetop wrote:

Very nice

11/19/2022 - overthetop wrote:

Very pleasant. Obviously young, so needs some air.

10/29/2022 - overthetop wrote:

Had with mussels, quite pleasant.
Nice for a change of pace.

10/15/2022 - overthetop Likes this wine:

Had with Indian kebab (ground beef). Was really nice from open through the whole bottle. Classic CA cabernet.

7/26/2018 - overthetop Likes this wine:

Smooth, just the right balance of fruit and acid. Tannins have smoothed out beautifully in this 3 year old. Belgian wines are hard to come by in the US, but well worth seeking out if you have the opportunity. It is a good introduction to a rather unusual (at least to me) Belgian? grape like Acolon and a wine grown and made entirely in the Wallonia region town of Dinant.

6/1/2018 - overthetop Likes this wine:

Needs a little air to open up but probably no decant needed. Nice nose once opened up.

5/31/2018 - overthetop Likes this wine:

Nice enough but terrible QPR
Some fruit and mild smooth tannins. Not as complex as some other MBs and surprisingly medium-short finish.
As expected, benefited from decanting the first night. Second night was a little better but still not enough to justify buying this even as futures.

5/31/2018 - overthetop Likes this wine:

This is at its peak drinking window. Smooth with some fruit. Fantastic example of a RRV syrah with some bottle age on it.
Good with some beef stir fry and also a not-spicy palak paneer.

5/29/2018 - overthetop Likes this wine:

A little more interesting than the 09 Monte Bello. Some stem flavor when first opened.

5/29/2018 - overthetop Likes this wine:

Underwhelming

5/28/2018 - overthetop Likes this wine:

Very nice. Satarupa thinks it would have been better a year ago.

5/26/2018 - overthetop Likes this wine:

Pleasant wine. Showing some bricking and related flavors on the palate. Very smooth, no discernible tannins. Beautiful stewed red and blue fruits on the palate and nose. If you have this in your cellar, drink up soon!

5/26/2018 - overthetop Likes this wine:

In its prime drinking window. Hardly any tannins, right balance of smooth acidity on the palate with integrated fruit flavors. No secondary characteristics yet - IMHO now is the best time to enjoy this wine!

8/16/2017 - overthetop Likes this wine:

This is one of the best roses I have tasted not just from this area, but for the entire 2015-2016 vintage. We drank it at cool cellar temp and all the lively fruity notes were prominent while the complexities were apparent on the palate as well. Recommended by Eva Maria at WEIN and Co. in Salzburg as her favorite and now it is one of my faves too. Great value at under 15 Euros.

11/28/2016 - overthetop Likes this wine:

Very pleasant, nice fragrance, purchased at Sotto Mare in San Francisco.

5/5/2016 - overthetop Likes this wine:

Meyer lemon, a bit of pineapple on the palate and nose, not very tart, not really grassy - beautifully balanced and refreshing. A great value.

1/8/2016 - overthetop Likes this wine:

Beautiful wine with a lot of life left in it. When we opened on Christmas eve I would have given it 90 points. We pumped it with a vaccuvin and placed in fridge. About 18 hours ago I placed it on a cool kitchen counter and when we drank it today it hit the 94 point mark for me. It is fruity, slightly jammy but balanced by smooth acidity and fine tannins. Body is medium +, classic napa merlot on the palate and nose with just the right amount of creamy vanilla to remind you of its provenance. Medium long finish....a wine to savor!

1/5/2016 - overthetop wrote:

Decent well priced cabernet - shiraz - merlot blend. Benefits from aeration IA vinturi.

1/5/2016 - overthetop Likes this wine:

A nicely aged Bordeaux blend from the Adelaide Hills. It is a rather lean wine for those who like their wines more in the new world style. However, it is plenty complex and nuanced when you consider the great value at $28 (us $).

1/5/2016 - overthetop Likes this wine:

One of my favorite wines on this Tasmanian tasting trip. Beautiful floral and fruity nose - lots of tropical fruit and nuanced complex acidity on the palate. Great with asian food or as an aperitif and also with seafood, particularly sashimi. Goes well with curried chicken pies too - a perfect aussie combo!

1/5/2016 - overthetop Likes this wine:

Strong brioche on the palate along with some green strawberry. Buttered toast on the nose. Lots of zip on the palate and lively refreshing acidity to balance the yeasty notes.

1/5/2016 - overthetop Likes this wine:

Fairly complex on the nose and palate. Lots of black fruit, high acidity. Great food wine.

1/5/2016 - overthetop wrote:

Latest release from winery but already showing interesting secondary characteristics. Not my personal favorite but a very good wine for those who like older burgundies.

9/23/2014 - overthetop wrote:

Drank around Satarupa"s birthday

9/23/2014 - overthetop Likes this wine:

Drank around Satarupa"s birthday

11/25/2010 - overthetop wrote:

Fabulous bottle of Janasse Les Garrigues - it is not any CDR :)
Mild garrigue notes, but also fruity, tannins have smoothed out nicely since last tasted at the winery at purchase. Incredibly well-balanced in spite of the high alcohol. very long finish. Definitely a wine skewed towards Parker scores and the American taste-bud. If you like voluptous Parkeresque CDPs, you'll love this. Drinkable a lot sooner than the Janasse CDP, and a whole lot cheaper as well

11/25/2010 - overthetop wrote:

It has smoothed out significantly since purchase, and it sure needed it.
Short finish, mild (but rough) tannins. Only 2006 Red wine from Coffaro that tasted decent the first night. On the 2nd night, it was tasted tart and flat (stored under vacu-vin) in cool area.

11/25/2010 - overthetop wrote:

Lovely rose, medium bodied, strawberry on the palate and nose.
Drank 2 bottles 2.5 months apart, not as sweet this 2nd time (11/16/10) as early/mid September. Originally purchased as an accompaniment for thai/indian food (lovely match Sept 2010) but drunk this time with goat cheese + crackers app. As it appeared to be less sweet, we served with cheese this time, and found very refreshing on a warm afternoon.

11/7/2010 - overthetop wrote:

Mild tannins, LONG finish. dark red fruit.
Wine is drinking well now, and likely to not get much better - if you have some, drink up!

11/7/2010 - overthetop wrote:

Well balanced dessert wine - sweet, but not cloyingly so, and beautifully balanced by the acidity and the apricot, peach, honey notes.

11/7/2010 - overthetop wrote:

Good value at $18 - smooth, soft red fruit, medium finish, slightly smoky - would be good with grilled meats

11/7/2010 - overthetop wrote:

Incredible QPR - too bad we just drunk our last bottle!
Well integrated oak, some pretty red fruit, medium long finish - great match w/ a variety of foods ranging from fresh goat cheese, grilled fish, and grilled beef.

10/31/2010 - overthetop wrote:

Tart, simple, tannic on the first night but improved after 2-4 days on the counter. Day 3 was good, but day 4 was even better - this wine is too young to drink now. Medium short finish w/ notes of earth, mushrooms and some fruit on the palate.

10/31/2010 - overthetop wrote:

Thin and tart the first night, but considerably improved by day 3 and day 4! Very characteristic RRV pinot, albeit of the riper, bigger style.

10/31/2010 - overthetop wrote:

Great value wine. Super ripe, easy drinking merlot, finish is a bit short, but tannins are well integrated. Very pleasant with slightly spicy food as well as w/ roasted mushrooms.

10/31/2010 - overthetop wrote:

lovely fruit-bomb w/ medium finish. The tannins and oak have integrated nicely and the ine is at its peak, but I'd probably not hold this too much longer.
This a great value for anyone who's fond of this style of a BIG California Merlot.

9/24/2010 - overthetop wrote:

pleasant, citrusy, mildly grassy on 1st night, more grassy, herbal nose and palate on 3rd night. good match w/ tomatoes and goat cheese w/ lot of evoo and blk pepper. Almost sweet, according to a fellow taster, but to me it is slightly fruity, citrusy, right amout of balanced acidity to be food friendly and wallet friendly!

Pretty good value at the original $18-20 price range, but an amaxzing value at 6.99!

9/24/2010 - overthetop wrote:

beautifully balanced wine. Smooth, very very mild soft tannins the first day, almost no tannins the 2nd night. Perfect match with roast chicken and salmon marinated with mild cilantro/yogurt sauce. Nice nose and palate of berries, perfect acidity level, a tiny modicum of smoke and leather.

8/30/2010 - overthetop wrote:

Beautifully balanced wine w/ deep red-purple color. Tannins have mostly smoothed out, with small amounts remaining. Drinking well now, and could benefit from a quick decant, and still has lots of life left. Restrained black fruits, berries on the palate and nose - nice match with Souvlaki and Ribeye from Evvia in Palo Alto. Looking forward to drinking the remaining bottles in the next year or two, and perhaps pick up a few more if still available from the winery. This is an excellent value at this price point, and comparable in quality to many Napa/Sonoma Cabs costing $60-80.

8/30/2010 - overthetop wrote:

Ripe berries and cherries, jammy. Very smooth, medium-long finish. Beautiful expression of the classic over-the-top California zin - if you like wines in that style, this is the wine for you. This wine is definitely reached its peak drinking window but should last another 6-9 mos without serious problems.
Lovely match with various dishes at Evvia (smelts, prawns in tomato-feta sauce, fried calamari, medium-rare ribeye and medium-rare souvlaki)

8/27/2010 - overthetop wrote:

ahhhh - a sublime bottle of 2001 Zin from Fred Scherrer...Slightly muted fruit, but oh so smooth, medium long finish, fabulous nose - pretty much sums up why I drink wine!
and this is just a tad better today than the last bottle we tasted in July - it is not competing w/ a bigger bolder wine so that probably makes it shine further along with it being a much cooler night, so the wine is not as a better temp.
Quite a decent match with shrimp w/ arugula pesto (almost like a green gazpacho in flavor) and some sauteed zukes.

8/7/2010 - overthetop wrote:

Lovely nose, palate, match with fresh fruit, almost unctuous

7/18/2010 - overthetop wrote:

Refreshing well balanced rose, dry with just the right amout of fruit -- very nice!

7/17/2010 - overthetop wrote:

Still drinking beautifully - hard to believe this is a 2001 zin. Tannins have smoothed out, and there is only a tiny bit of fruit detectable, and still a very nice wine - perfect match with grilled ribeye (sans rub).

8/4/2010 - overthetop wrote:

Lovely summer wine - dry rose that brings back memories of Provence... Salmon in color, notes of strawberry

8/4/2010 - overthetop wrote:

Boring, simple, tart predominantly. Some red fruits but not enough to be interesting. Tannins are smoothing out.

7/2/2010 - overthetop wrote:

A "weighty" rose but still refreshing. Lots of lime and strawberry on the palate and nose. Best domestic rose I've ever drunk!

7/2/2010 - overthetop wrote:

Short finish, almost muddy on the palate, practically no tannins, but lots of acid - so much that tartness is the predominant taste on the palate, reminiscent of preserved tamarind.
This wine appears to be possibly over the hill... ME Pinots are no longer age-worthy from all my recent experiences with her Appelation pinots.

6/27/2010 - overthetop wrote:

It doesn't get much better than this! Amazing nose (classic aged Napa cab) some fruit still remains, smooth silky tannins, medium long finish... Everything that is +ve about Napa cabs is in here, but it is not too over top - just balanced and perfect. No decanting but drank over several hours w/ grilled ribeye