4/22/2024 - KPB wrote:

Pale straw with a nose centered on lemony citrus and waxy yellow-current fruit. Tart, midweight, finish is perhaps a bit short. A good effort but surprisingly soft and unfocused for Forge in a strong vintage. Enjoyed the pairing with an udon / tofu / eggplant dish and a salad with an Asian dressing.

1/25/2024 - melzar wrote:

Ditto previous notes. Bordering on a 92. People are cellaring the '18!

1/1/2024 - aajder wrote:

Deep color. The nose is a bit tight, showing aromas of dark fruits, minerals, flowers, underbrush and some spice notes. This is medium bodied on the palate with very good concentration and real class. The fairly long finish features moderate tannins.

11/23/2023 - jzebrack Does not like this wine:

Horrible purchase from the Chicago Wine Company.
Had previously purchased the Forge Railroad Seneca Lake, and that bottle was good. But this Caywood East was not something I would even feel comfortable serving to guests. Further, after purchasing from TCWC, found the same wine, same vintage at less than half the price.

9/19/2023 - melzar wrote:

My advice to Finger Lakes wineries is to make white wine, specifically Riesling. This wine breaks the mold. 2020 was a good vintage in upstate New York, and Hector Wine Company made world class Syrah. This may be the best Finger Lakes red that I have ever had. I even liked the '21 which was made in a mediocre vintage at best. If you like old world, northern Rhone wines, seek this wine out.

5/2/2022 - winepog wrote:

It's beauty lies in its austerity. Makes you seek the fruit - not forcing it on you. Cheers!

2/18/2022 - MJReb wrote:

Drunk over 2 days: dark cherries, black berries, lots of earth and salt, a complicated year chez Gouges with wines quite reduced, this is still on the young side, but pretty good already.

1/10/2022 - Nsc70 wrote:

Nothing wrong. But why pay so much for a Wine with so Little taste or bouquet? Just boring.

12/19/2021 - Vinnut Likes this wine:

Light golden in color. Forward, attractive & fragrant nose of ripe fruit aromas of green apples, lemons/limes & grapefruit with smoky/flinty overtones, some floral notes, chalky, stony, steely & minerals. Medium light bodied with a good concentration of balanced & smooth textured, sharp, ripe citrus flavors of lemons/limes, white grapefruit & tart green apples, chalky, stony & minerals. Lingering crisp finish. Drinks quite well at present & has limited potential for further development with a few more years aging. Very good QPR when found at discount. IMHO, no way does this wine rate a mere "50" unless it was an off bottle.

10/27/2021 - Pinot Peter Likes this wine:

Deep red in colour, no nose, excellent dark fruit flavours, just a touch of a candy floss taste but that goes away as the bottle sits, tannins are evident on the back of the palate along with a satisfying sweetness from the fruit. This as most 2018,s from MSD I have tried is very approachable young and has the capability with age to impress. Will leave the rest of the case for a few years before opening another bottle.
The second day the tannins are dominant giving this wine sense of dryness and masking the fruit component. Will definitely need time!

7/11/2021 - jmoore431 Likes this wine:

Tasted blind: this was like hitting a dark wall; brooding very dark ripe fruit; when a tasting partner (who brought this bottle) complained of “torrefaction”, it was an immediate giveaway for me as to the vintage as I’ve experienced that in several’05s. Oddly, I was not similarly turned off by the ripeness as it had a good deal of classy substance “behind the wall”. Another one murdered in infancy. I’m still waiting on several wines from ‘98 through ‘02 to emerge and show their best. I’m very leery of how (when?) top ‘05s will finally turn out. How top critics can unanimously call it the vintage of their lifetime is a little “out there” to me! Hope to live long enough to find out.

1/3/2021 - bugdoced Does not like this wine:

was so looking forward to this along with some duck in cherry sauce
but a flat disappointment broke my heart
all pepper
no fruit
even the earth overwhelmed
the second day nothing again
hopefully this is shut down and will live to tell a better tale on another day
probably should not rate this but that's the way it goes

2/5/2021 - CubFan4Life wrote:

Nose: pomegranate, wood, granite
Color: ruby / brown leather
Palate: dry leather, red plums

If fruit forward wines are your thing, this isn’t for you.

1/9/2021 - aajder wrote:

Beautiful transparent ruby. The nose is tight; hinting at aromas of fresh berries, minerals, flowers, earth and pepper. This is medium full bodied on the palate with excellent concentration and very good class. Much more flavor on the palate than the nose gives away. The medium plus length finish features slightly rigid tannins and good acid cut. A bit shutdown and in need of some time before its prime drinking window.

1/12/2021 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine:

The 2017 Gigondas Le Coteau de mon Reve from Cheron / Grand Montmirail is delicious. Decanted three hours ahead of dinner, the wine (75 Grenache 20 Syrah 5 Mourvedre) is very, very dark, with big aromas of sweet black fruits and vibrant, fresh red fruits – a winning combination. The wine has intriguing hints of exotic spices, flowers, cola and leather. It’s a very big, yet elegant, wine.

As much as I admire and respect this wine, there are two things that hold back my praise, namely the oak (which I understand is only on the Syrah and Mourvedre, not on the Grenache) and especially the alcohol. I will keep a few bottles in the cellar for drinking to 2030, but I find the wine (like most Grenache from the southern Rhone and Spain) to be too alcoholic and too big.

1/27/2020 - mazik wrote:

Aajder has it right see below but I wouldn’t rate it quite so high. Better on the second and third day at cellar temperature.

6/13/2017 - aajder wrote:

Good color. The nose is pure, showing fragrant aromas of dark fruit, spice, cedar, flowers and a hint of pipe tobacco. This is medium bodied on the palate with exceptional concentration for this region and very good finesse. Wonderful balance. The fairly long finish features ripe tannins.

8/12/2016 - aajder wrote:

Lovely color. The nose is pure and classy for this level, showing aromas of ripe red fruits, minerals, flowers and a hint of earth. This is medium bodied on the palate with good concentration and surprising finesse for this appellation. The medium plus length finish features integrated tannins. "Les Bons Batons" is an exceptional vineyard on the wrong side of the road in Chambolle.

10/23/2016 - rocknroller wrote:

Drank a bottle with friends from a recent sbipment, disgorged spring 2016. Citrus, tart apple, citrus pith, a bit chalkesque minerality. Solid, but I think another 6 to 12 months cellar time may improve this. 89+ to 90pts.

10/17/2016 - pkbowen Does not like this wine:

Honeymoon in the Finger Lakes; 10/17/2016-10/20/2016 (FLX, New York, USA): Tasted at the winery. Poured cold. Note that this is the Chateau Frank Brut Rose (currently called "2010 Chateau Frank" on CT at the time of writing). To us, it was stinky, with aromas of cold strawberries and frozen barnyard. Not compelling. Just "good," 83/100, and not a buy at USD$35.

1/6/2015 - aajder wrote:

This is 100% 2008 fruit. Deep color, this was vinified in 2 yr old Mersault barrels. The nose is deep and rich, showing flowers, creamy citrus and a touch of honey. This is medium full bodied on the palate, with excellent concentration and richness. The very long finish shows a deep mineral element with hints of nut and oak. This is modern but delicious.

6/23/2015 - aajder wrote:

Lovely color. The nose is pure and classy, showing aromas of raspberry,flowers, spices, mineral with hints of oak. This is medium full bodied on the palate with excellent concentration and lovely finesse. The long finish shows classy tannins and vibrant acidity. A classic in the making...

10/26/2014 - Shrages wrote:

I feel like Wine Access, normally a reliable source of well-priced wine special deals, took me for a ride on this one. I paid $34 (with case) for this, which sounded from the pro reviews as though it would be a steal for a high-class barbaresco. But though it does have nebbiolo typicity, it does not hold together as a solid wine as a whole. Traditional, but still -- does that mean it has to be tough from entry to finish? Little body, medium to light color, strong new oak, not enough fruit in my opinion to hold out the at least 10 years it will take for the oak/tannin/acid to come into integration. Sorry friends. Didn't enjoy this, and I doubt I will in the future. Anyone want to buy 11 bottles from me?

Retasted 2018. Same rating. 8 years old now. Less unyieldingly tough, yes, but this is not developing into the beauty my nebbiolo-loving friends promised. Still overly dry, now raisiny and even hinting at the dreaded cough-syrup. Still not a fan.

10/8/2014 - aajder wrote:

Beautiful color. The nose is quite fruity, showing strawberry, rhubarb, raspberry, underbrush and minerals with a floral undertone. This is tight and tannic on the palate, with very good concentration and lovely finesse. The long finish shows vibrant acidity and big tannins. Classy and pure.

3/20/2013 - aajder Does not like this wine:

This is the most un pinot like pinot noir I have ever had. Deep color, barely transparent. The nose is very ripe, displaying candied strawberry, oak, spice, and underbrush. This is medium bodied on the palate, with good concentration. The texture is all wrong. This is too extracted and lacks any finesse whatsoever. The acidity is medium and the finish is medium length.
The reason that I gave this such a low score is this tastes nothing like Pinot Noir. Its hard to even call this wine, it was syrupy and lacked elegance. An awful effort, and it makes me question the integrity of a certain publication that rated this highly.