4/25/2024 - BRR wrote:

Not decanted, Glassvin Universal stems. I’m going to describe this in a way I almost never do for domestic Bordeaux-style blends: this is a Bordeaux ringer. I would never peg this as a 6-years-past-vintage red from Washington. Ruby red clear color. Nose has spice, slate, herb, and red fruit. Firm drying tannin. I’m not sure what I think other than I’ll wait on the rest for a few years. $19.99 Redacted wine from FP. One very non-Bordeaux thing: a ridiculously large and heavy bottle.

4/21/2024 - BRR wrote:

Shows bricking. The nose was initially pruny and stewed, but that blew off quickly. This is still a ripe interpretation of Pinot Noir for sure, but it hits the delicious notes as well. I’d serve this as a cocktail wine or with heartier fare. Wild boar ragu would be excellent with this. Drink now.

4/14/2024 - BRR wrote:

This is at peak. Not decanted. Excellent fruit still and no noticeable alcohol as a previous taster noted. Excellent representation of WA Cabernet with abundant dark fruit and supporting herb notes. My favorite FP&F red so far.

4/10/2024 - BRR wrote:

This is entering its drinking window. Even out of crummy hotel room glasses and no decant, this was great. Minty red and dark fruits with a fine, long finish. Nowhere near decline. A detailed yet powerful version of a WA State Bdx blend.

4/8/2024 - BRR Likes this wine:

Very good and still relatively unevolved. I think the VM 85 is too low, as to many CTers it would appear.

3/23/2024 - BRR wrote:

This is a very intense wine. I think it toes the line of over extraction just a bit. Dark fruits and very little sign of age. Tasty for sure, but better with food.

3/17/2024 - BRR Likes this wine:

Not decanted, served in Gabriel Glas Gold stems. This was an auction purchase. This was off the charts good. Bright, clear ruby color with surprisingly little bricking. The nose and palate were full of juicy red currant and black cherry flavors with a Woodward-esque coffee note that showed more on the nose. There were also notes of green tobacco in there. This didn't fade a bit in the 3+ hours it was open. Amazing wine.

3/11/2024 - BRR Likes this wine:

This is an outstanding RRV Pinot. Not decanted, Gabriel Glas stems. It needed a little air as it turns out, but this quickly opened up to showcase perfect, classy balance and a delicate mouthfeel. Red fruits and a nice gentle acid core. This is far from old! This is a car only on a freeway on-ramp just about to merge into traffic where is will cruise, easily, for 10+ more years. Excellent.

3/4/2024 - BRR Likes this wine:

I don't quite remember what I paid for this, but I don't think it was much (as a redacted wine from Full Pull), but this is killer. Big fruit and very clearly Boushey Vineyard...darn, only bought two...wish it would've been more.

2/17/2024 - BRR wrote:

Still enjoyable, but time to drink them if you still have them.

2/17/2024 - BRR wrote:

Impressions only. Very good. Great with a tomato and cream pasta with prawns. Good combo of fruit and acid and non-fruit flavors.

2/14/2024 - BRR wrote:

Corked removed for two hours before drinking. Last bottle was in 2018 and it hasn’t evolved much. This is still such a young wine! Complex and elegant with delicious fruit and fine tannins. I think it’s in its early drinking window. What a wine!

2/13/2024 - BRR Likes this wine:

Don't let the the screw cap fool you: this is excellent wine. Bright and fresh still, great fruit and acidity. Paired very well with Dungeness crab cakes.

2/6/2024 - BRR wrote:

Pop and pour. Subdued aromas at first, but a satisfying and very tasty variation of a domestic Côtes du Rhône. Very nice price too.

2/4/2024 - BRR wrote:

Not decanted, in Grassl 1855 stems. Were these wines made from stone, because they aren’t moving at all? Still so youthful. Expansive nose of rhubarb, boysenberry, licorice, and white pepper. Very rich on the palate and, while there are no tannins, the fruit density still indicates a LONG life. Absolutely delicious. I liked it on its own every bit as much as with burgers tonight.

2/3/2024 - BRR wrote:

Poured a glass straight away and it was okay, but a tad pruny, almost like it was grumpy for being opened. But after a half bottle sat open for and hour, it unfurled into a beautiful wine in its prime. Give some air and enjoy.

1/21/2024 - BRR wrote:

Brown colored and over the hill, but still enjoyable! Marmalade, dried apricot, nutmeg.

1/16/2024 - BRR wrote:

Decanted for an hour before tasting. I am well aware that, in general, Cadnece wines benefit from aging, but this might be better with even a few more years in bottle than the 13 years it already has behind it. Peppery ted fruit and florals were delicious and complex. Drink now with a decant or keep aging for another 2-5. Excellent.

12/15/2023 - BRR Likes this wine:

This was decanted for about two hours and was only pretty good on day one. This was much better on day two with the tannins receding a bit to allow the fruit to come out, and that's a rarity for my palate. I'd lean more toward holding this for at least a few years before opening.

11/5/2023 - BRR Likes this wine:

Delicious with burgers. Not decanted. Lots of great fruit, but the structure wasn't overbearing. Drink now with pleasure or hold for more complexity.

10/30/2023 - BRR Likes this wine:

Totally agree with WISCGRAD. I think I waited a little too long on this, which really surprises me. Fruit is fading and the tannins are drying. Still enjoyable, but was likely better a year or two ago. Drink up!

10/2/2023 - BRR Likes this wine:

The nose on this is crazy good: aromatic spices, cranberry juice, incense, and cherry. The palate is also great and I think a very cool year like 2011 really is perfect for this style of wine. In its window, but has a long life ahead.

9/29/2023 - BRR Likes this wine:

I think this has several years left before any decline. Both my wife and I almost simultaneously said to each other, "This wine is intense!" It's hard to describe why, but the flavors were...I don't know how else to say it, but intense. The nose initially had a slight poopy edge that blew off, and I think was its age showing. Zippy cherry and marionberry notes with a long finish. No tannins, but a lively mouthfeel for sure. Very good and would have been better with food, but we drank this solo.

9/17/2023 - BRR wrote:

No formal notes. Not decanted. Delicious , poised, balanced and in prime drinking window.

9/17/2023 - BRR wrote:

Showing definite signs of age, as one would expect. From the decidedly yellow color to the aromas of chamomile tea, honeycomb, and creamy lemon, this is mature and the fruit-forward flavors of peach, citrus and cream echo that. Surprisingly , this was likely better a few years ago.

9/10/2023 - BRR Likes this wine:

Not decanted. Cork was 2/3 saturated. I had limited expectations based on its age and my lack of tasting Two Mountains wines with 15 years, as well as Sean Sullivan's mediocre review back in the day, but this was great. What it lacked in complexity, it made up for with surprisingly vibrant cherry fruit and a very strong green tobacco note, which I liked. This didn't fade one bit over the 3+ hours we enjoyed it. This was a great showing and I was impressed. Drink now.

8/27/2023 - BRR wrote:

Much better than 5 years ago. Tannins are definitely still present , and I’m not sure the fruit will outlast them. Dark cherry and blackberry fruit with a subtle mint or eucalyptus note. Slightly drying finish which, to me at least, suggests this is on its downhill slide. Really nice now nonetheless .

8/13/2023 - BRR wrote:

What age? This is as if it was released a year or two ago. Perfect balance, great acidity. Aromas if citrus, brine, and mineral. Granny Smith apple and slight saline lemon on the palate. I have one more and will age it another 2-3. Excellent !

7/31/2023 - BRR Likes this wine:

Killer stuff directly from the winery for $24. What really surprised me was the "true" Cabernet flavors and aromas (many WA Cabs at this price point taste and smell "cheap"), but with great acidity. Really great stuff and, frankly, I should have bought more.

7/24/2023 - BRR Likes this wine:

This a good wine: nice fruit, a tad bit of alcohol showed on the nose, very long finish. The nose was more savory than the palate. As the prior TN author wrote, this is drinking well now. In my opinion, not good QPR based on the $85+ cost, from a WA State wine to boot when there are many awesome options available at the sub-$50 range. Get ride of the really annoying paper strip over the capsule, please!

7/8/2023 - BRR Likes this wine:

Sumptuous fruit and nice enough structure . Drink now. Delicious .

6/25/2023 - BRR Likes this wine:

Drinking well now and not sure there is much reason to age this. Lots of good fruit, but not a ton of structure. If I had more, I'd enjoy them in their relative youth. Good value for $48.

6/23/2023 - BRR Likes this wine:

Ron's note nails it in that the wine's structure is starting to fade a bit. I think this has begun its decline and those with bottles should drink them soon. Lots of dark fruit and a nice subtle leather note underneath, but the fruit is starting to take on a slightly flabby and prune-like edge, and this is most noticeable on the nose. It's enjoyable still, but I think the weaker vintage is starting to show itself.

6/18/2023 - BRR Likes this wine:

This is in its prime drinking window, I think, but I also don't think it'll be in any danger of decline anytime soon. I didn't decant this bottle, and used GlassVin Universal stems. Clear ruby color, and the nose shows off raspberry coulis notes with some olive brine notes in there as well. The palate echoes the same...great complexity and a very fine finish.

6/17/2023 - BRR Likes this wine:

If someone said, “Give me a great baseline introduction to Washington Syrah,” I’d give them this. Delicious black fruits but with that unmistakable olive brine and sneaky acidity (for age 8). Such a good wine and an amazing value.

6/15/2023 - BRR wrote:

This is an accessible vintage of this wine. Consumed at a restaurant, the first glass was tight, but a subsequent pour opened up nicely to show off that classic Woodward Canyon silliness and understated elegance . Red and back fruit and spice. Tasty.

6/12/2023 - BRR wrote:

Not decanted. Outstanding from the get-go. I like Franken Berry’s TN and agree: lots of rich fruit without being over-the-top. Tannins are still present, but they provide a good counterbalance to the significant concentration here. Really good, and drinking really well right now.

6/9/2023 - BRR wrote:

This vintage isn’t as strong as last vintages, the apex when they rebottled juice from Ellanelle Winery. Decent fruit, a little muddy in its flavors, somewhat “cheap” tasting. Fine for what it cost.

6/8/2023 - BRR wrote:

I'm going to withhold rating. This had way too little fruit for where it should be now and showed flat. It was either an off bottle or was caused by the pine nuts I ate earlier in the day.

5/27/2023 - BRR wrote:

First time trying this wine and winery. Apparently, it's a new project and the winemaker is Billo Naravane. I didn't like it as much as the two reviewers below. I poured a small taste, then came back to the open bottle after two hours. We had glass, then re-corked and had a final glass the next evening. The wine didn't really change much over that span. This was just too earth-driven for my liking. I craved some fruit "sweetness" that wasn't there. As expected, the Cab Franc and Merlot certainly leant their respective herbal notes, but it needed a bit more fruit to work for my palate. I bought only one of this and will try the "top" wine soon. For the $50 I paid for this, I'm not going to be a re-buyer.

5/25/2023 - BRR Likes this wine:

A delicious SB to be sure. From Full Pull at $17, this was about near the top of what I'd like to pay for a SB and it delivered. Lots of persimmon, lemon, and chive aromas and flavors.

5/25/2023 - BRR wrote:

Not decanted, GlassVin Universal stems. This is such a great wine and a very nice representation of both Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, but also the house style. The nose is a little shy, but there is abundant dark fruit lurking in there. The palate showcases a ton of black currant, blackberry and dark cherry fruit, but also with a counterbalance of something akin to mint / herb. Nice structure, but easily enjoyed now. It's 14.8% and that was a tad noticeable on the nose, but not at all on the palate. Delicious and this really delivers at its price point of $25. This and JB Neufeld Yakima Valley Cab are annual must-buys for everyday drinking.

5/12/2023 - BRR Likes this wine:

Not decanted. Still darkly colored with some bricking. This is still delicious in that mature WA Cab sort of way with plum, dark cherry, and tobacco. Drink up!

5/6/2023 - BRR Likes this wine:

Decanted for one hour, consumed in Gabriel Glas machine-made stems. Going from memory, this was just fantastic and such an outstanding example of a really well-made appellation-level wine. Dark fruit, great structure, but not so wound up that you can't drink it with lots of pleasure now. Excellent.

5/6/2023 - BRR Likes this wine:

Not decanted, used Gabriel Glas machine-made stems. The first glass was served at passive cellar temp (roughly 55 F). The color was quite yellow and what I'd expect from a 12-year-old Cali Chard. Like in Buckeye's TN earlier, this was full of fruit and richness. It is showing its age to be sure, but it's not oxidized or going downhill. Yet. I don't get the acidic support needed to go a lot longer. This has tons of fruit still, but I think I'd drink these within the next 3 years. I'd expect better vintages to age longer than this one ultimately will.

5/7/2023 - BRR wrote:

Really fantastic domestic Riesling. Very faint petrol notes on the nose, then tons of bright stone fruit and some citrus. Some might call this off-dry, but it’s dry and zippy to me. A glass on night 3 was still killer. Great stuff!

5/1/2023 - BRR Likes this wine:

Not decanted. Rich for an Italian Cab blend but delicious nonetheless . Dark fruit and good structure . Drink now.

4/26/2023 - BRR Likes this wine:

Given to me by a client as a gift, I didn't hold this long. After drinking it and reading Jeb's TN from 2018 in which he recommended drinking this over the next 2-3 years, he's probably right if not a bit short. This was excellent, and for whatever she paid, poses a seriously strong QPR. The aromas were plum but a strong kalamata olive note. Juicy and balanced, no tanning, good acid with olives, spiced plum, coffee, and cherry flavors. The mid-palate was a little hollow, so drink now or in the near term. Great stuff.

4/16/2023 - BRR Likes this wine:

Not going to lie, I was worried this was going to be too old. I shouldn't have. This was lovely, bought directly from the winery relatively recently as a library purchase. Hardly any bricking, dark fruits resonated, with a lovely earthy/coffee note underneath. Great Yakima Valley Cab!

4/14/2023 - BRR wrote:

Yeah, not amazing, but I didn’t dump it . Decidedly Chinon-like with all the greenness. WA fruit to a certain degree to balance it out. Decent, won’t like but again.