8/24/2023 - nycebo wrote:

Unfortunately the bottle was past its prime and tasted of stewed fruit and raisin. Decanted in hope of a saving grace, but none arrived.

12/8/2022 - nycebo Likes this wine:

Beautiful fruit forward smoothness. Well balanced and a clean, long finish. Probably drinking in its prime.

12/8/2022 - nycebo Likes this wine:

Smooth tannins, lovely and extracted fruit, medium finish, mouth watering. Peak time to drink.

3/11/2022 - nycebo wrote:

Very extracted dark blue fruit with a strong structure and persistent tannins. Needs a lot of time in cellar. Will revisit.

3/3/2022 - nycebo Likes this wine:

A very delightful treat. Nice acidity and mouthwatering, not too tart, lovely flavor of red berries and even fresh linen. Good structure on the sides of the palate and a modest finish. I'll be adding this to my rotation.

11/29/2017 - nycebo Likes this wine:

Just a spectacular bottle. Drank my last one and think it was at the peak of its development. Luxuriously smooth with virtually all the tannins having softened in the intervening years since release. Rich forward fruit of blackberry, a lovely rinse of cassis and graphite over the palate, integrated structured with no flavor overwhelming another, and a mouthwatering and long finish. Drink them now while you've got them.

8/31/2017 - nycebo Likes this wine:

Singing. Rich fruit, beautiful acidity, mouthwatering and a long finish. Tannins softened. It is wonderful.

8/10/2017 - nycebo Does not like this wine:

I think it's great when growers aim for a new feel. However this wine is singular in expression, almost bitter, and in no ways whatsoever fruit forward. It's mostly boring. It's not elegant its not soft, it's just badly average. I have one more bottle but it's relegated to table wine duty.

5/25/2017 - nycebo wrote:

I like this wine a lot and am just coming back to it after some years. Alas, there is the overt nose of raisin and cedar that worries me for continued aging, especially considering how muscular the tannins are even after 13 years. With one bottle left, I'm apprehensive.

4/4/2017 - nycebo Likes this wine:

Ten years in and the Clio has softened nicely. Still bright and bold forward red fruit with hints of cassis and fresh linen. Mouthwatering and good structure but not overburdened by strong tannins. A long fresh finish. Drinking perfectly right now.

3/16/2017 - nycebo Likes this wine:

Beautiful approach, very mild fruit, great minerality and a mouthwatering finish.

3/13/2017 - nycebo wrote:

I so badly want to like this riesling but it's mild citrus, mineral and polished accents are always overwhelmed by more robust tart and effervescent sensations. While it's a fair price, their are much better efforts out there in the range.

11/3/2016 - nycebo Likes this wine:

Drinking exceptionally well. Almost ready for prime time. Rich robust flavors of blackberry, current matched with stone and graphite. Beautiful structure that maybe needs one for year to loosen. Very excited by its presentation.

7/29/2016 - nycebo Likes this wine:

Dry, crisp and refreshing with lovely zest of cucumber, modest citrus and flowers. Very balanced and perfect with my shellfish dinner.

7/17/2016 - nycebo Likes this wine:

Very fresh, flavorful rose that's delightful on a warm day. Notes of citrus, light melon and a mouthwatering finish that opens up to a lovely bouquet as the wine in the glass warms. A terrific value.

8/27/2014 - nycebo Likes this wine:

A superb bottle. Been waiting a while for the right occasion to drink the Pride 03 and last night was it. Luxurious, mouthwatering and rippling with red berries, cassis and some barnyard notes. Beautiful structure with supple tannins and a long finish. Thankfully I have 2 left.

8/15/2014 - nycebo wrote:

Big opulent fruit bursting with luscious red berry fruits. However, the flavor was mostly singular in nature with the notable exception of some minor pepper and pencil lead. Ultimately, the wine suffers from the flaw afflicting many other cabs these days: well augmented alcohol content. It was to the point that it was hard to enjoy any nuance whatsoever from the fruit because the heat on the palate overwhelmed everything else. An expensive bottle ought to drink better.

5/17/2014 - nycebo Likes this wine:

Stupendous effort here. Ruby red, opulent, long and slow legs. Abundant strawberry and cassis on the nose with some stone. Magnificent balance on the palate, mouthwatering and a full, long finish. The 2006 is primed to drink now with supple tannins and robus fruit flavor. Glad that I have more to drink!

11/7/2013 - nycebo wrote:

A little disappointed with this cabernet as my expectations had been high. Big nose filled with dark red fruit and matched by a lively flavor overspilling with strawberry, blueberry and hints of green pepper. Tannins were already softened and the finish was acceptably medium. Problem is that the wine was singular in nature and missing the elegant complexity I was hoping for. Perhaps another bottle tasting in the future with reduced expectations will yield a better occasion.

11/7/2013 - nycebo Likes this wine:

Surprisingly delightful bottle of 05 Joshua. Ripe, opulent red and dark berry flavors that were mouthwatering on the palate coupled with flavors of mild tobacco and pepper. Time has been good to the wine as the tannins and softened appreciably and made wine very approachable. Warm, lingering finish.

11/2/2013 - nycebo wrote:

Mildly cooked/corked. Fortunately have a few other bottles to try again.

10/11/2013 - nycebo Does not like this wine:

I've had past vintages of the Bridge before and was summarily pleased but the 2010 was very underwhelming. It's 100% Viognier and a quite high 14.8% alcohol. On the nose, very strong syrupy flavors of vanilla, honeysuckle and butterscotch diminish any nuance of fruit that remains. A tasting reveals that the syrupy continues to dominate the structural theme with very high butterscotch flavors. Moreover, the high alcohol makes it hard to appreciate the wine at anything except quite chilled temps. Have always loved what Krupp is doing with their vineyard, but to my palate, they missed the boat here.

7/13/2013 - nycebo wrote:

Dark, rich, concentrated fruit of strawberry and blueberry. Hints of vanilla and some stone. However, the flavor was a little too singular in nature and lacked much complexity. Very warm in the mouth and belly with a noteworthy finish likely owing to the alcohol. Indeed, this wine may have potential, but the tannins were just way to muscular to enjoy the wine at this time. Side of my cheeks were just puckering all the while the wine was in my mouth.

6/14/2013 - nycebo wrote:

I've long loved Sagrantinos, but the Di Filippo is still overly muscular with the tannins. Strong flavors of leather, cedar and dark cherry but it still washes down a bit thin because the tongue just feels too constricted.

5/18/2013 - nycebo Likes this wine:

More than surprisingly good. Luscious cassis and dark red berries, hints of green pepper and vanilla balanced by a mouthwatering experience and tannins smoothed to perfection. Just lovely.

5/15/2013 - nycebo Likes this wine:

The 2004 Bea Sagrantino is really starting to come along. Nicely layered with saddle leather, cherry, and strawberry. Moreover, the tannins are really starting to settle down, though they still have a bit to go. Only disappointment was that this bottle was muddied with a lot of sediment. Looking forward to the next bottle in the next several months.

2/26/2013 - nycebo Likes this wine:

Drank the Krupp Cab M5 at a dinner party last night. Massive, brooding, inky bottle of wine, this, with generous notes of blueberry, licorice and graphite. However, and it's a 'big' however, the tannins were malevolent. This bottle needs some noteworthy time in the cellar to calm things down in order to determine if there's a refined and complex beauty hiding underneath.

11/6/2012 - nycebo wrote:

Straight off, the wine greets with a very inky color and texture accompanied by slow, colored legs. As imagined, I was greeted by wafting aromas of blueberry and cassis, and perhaps a bit of stone. It drank nicely, but again with heavy overtones of blueberry, blackberry, and even some vanilla with a very full body. Tannins were now subdued and the Kobalt ends with a long finish, but less as a result of flavor and more from octane due to the alcohol. It's a fine wine, but it's a linear wine with better, more elegant efforts from its peers in this price range.

11/5/2012 - nycebo Likes this wine:

Cedar, roast, and cherry burst from the mouth coupled with a very lively and long finish. A delightful wine but needs more time in the cellar to flatten out the muscular tannins.

11/2/2012 - nycebo Likes this wine:

One of the better pinot noirs to come out of California. Much more nuanced and not overridden with juice. Looking forward to a much more in depth tasting next bottle.

10/25/2012 - nycebo Likes this wine:

The wine was dark, rich Garnet with slow legs, smelling of dark berries, flint and mild eucalyptus. Mouthwatering on the tongue and appreciably less fruity than I expected with a lush, fleshy texture. Balanced notes of blueberry, cassis, vanilla, and pencil lead drove a full flavor with a still quite structured tannins (1 hour decant) and a long finish. I think this wine will be a gem with more cellar time.

8/15/2012 - nycebo Likes this wine:

Smooth and silky right from the start with aromas of deep sofa leather and a concentrated but balanced approach of red berries, vanilla and cassis on the palate. Lushly mouth-watering, divinely tender tannins and a long finish made this bottle a marvel on the night.

8/2/2012 - nycebo wrote:

Deep, rich, and mouthwatering, the Revana 2005 Cabernet burst with extracted flavors of blackberry, graphite and vanilla. The body seemed nicely structured and the tannins were softened nicely after years of cellaring. Alas, the wine still showed way too much fruit/juice on the front of the palette and didn't exhibit much multi-dimension of flavor. It ends with a nice finish. I guess I just find it a little singular in expression. Anyway, it's a solid California Cabernet that should be enjoyed supposing that one can find it at the right price (i.e.- lower than retail).

8/2/2012 - nycebo wrote:

Deep, rich, and mouthwatering, the Revana 2005 Cabernet burst with extracted flavors of blackberry, graphite and vanilla. The body seemed nicely structured and the tannins were softened nicely after years of cellaring. Alas, the wine still showed way too much fruit/juice on the front of the palette and didn't exhibit much multi-dimension of flavor. It ends with a nice, long finish. In sum, it's a robust California Cabernet that can be enjoyed if one can find it at the right price.

5/15/2012 - nycebo Likes this wine:

Strong, extracted, powerful fruit flavors of blueberry and blackberry matched by aromas of pencil lead, stone, vanilla and cassis. Beautifully mouthwatering and ends with a long, long finish. Alas, the tannins are STILL a bit too tightly wound at this point and this vintage will certainly benefit from more time in the cellar.

4/24/2012 - nycebo Likes this wine:

I've always liked the Bride. On the nose, it packs a bit of heat and big floral honeysuckle notes. Rich and luxurious on the palate with flavors of peach, honeydew, and delicate citrus notes. The acidity is beautifully balanced and the wine is simply mouth-watering concluding with a lingering and desirable finish. For my part, it's one of the more inviting of the California whites out there.

4/15/2012 - nycebo wrote:

A pleasant cabernet at an attractive price point.

4/12/2012 - nycebo wrote:

I can't figure this Krupp Merlot out. Sometimes I drink it and love it. Other times, it leaves me feeling underwhelmed. This 2006 vintage has lovely fruit and good balance, but the undercurrent of the wine seemed to have an age to it that wasn't deserved. Flavors of cocoa, graphite and darker berries. But, the fruit didn't seem ebullient enough, almost as if the wine couldn't make up its mind to be forward and mouthwatering, or tight. I have one bottle left and will anxiously try it soon, but I think there are better efforts out there. I'll stick to Krupp's other varietals.

3/21/2012 - nycebo Does not like this wine:

Much fruitier, much more sugary, and lacking any depth whatsoever, I opened up a bottle of the Conundrum for a pre-dinner glass. It may have ruined my palate. It has no backbone, is simply fermented juice, and the remaining bottles (sadly) I own will be served to unknowing subjects...or people that just don't deserve better. ;-)

6/5/2010 - nycebo wrote:

A casual appreciation: the cab/shiraz blend was drinking beautifully after decanting for an hour. Big fruit, mouth-watering, and a long finish. Would benefit even more by some more time in the cellar but a definite keeper.

5/12/2010 - nycebo wrote:

A rich garnet color with subtle rim variation of golden hues and slow legs. Slightly sweet strawberry raspberry accompanied by some mild rhubarb tartness, vanilla and spice. Succulent and watering on the palate with more red fruit, very soft tannins rip

11/26/2009 - nycebo wrote:

Slow legs, a subtle ruby color with strong aromas of strawberry, ripe cherry and some heat in the chest from the alcohol. On tasting, more red and dark berries in a very fruit forward presentation, followed by some licorice and cassis, a mouthwatering se

7/8/2009 - nycebo wrote:

Dark ruby and earthy color with some golden rim variation, medium legs showing some color. A red berry aroma with modest spiciness, green pepper earthiness, slightly burnt toast, some oak, and followed a fruit depth containing dark cherry. On tasting, n

6/27/2009 - nycebo wrote:

A dark, pale color that almost struck me of rust matched by a golden rim variation. Legs ran quicker than I would have expected. To the nose, the wine was pretty intense and emitted aromas of tree fruit, oak, raspberry, and some leathery smoke. On the

5/18/2009 - nycebo wrote:

Spicy curant, blackberry, rich on taste, very full tannins on finish.

11/20/2011 - nycebo wrote:

A gorgeous, voluptuous red wine dripping in strawberry, flint, and vanilla. Mouthwatering and just beautifully balanced. Nice long finish. One bottle left so I'll be eager to see how it drinks in another couple years by comparison.

7/10/2009 - nycebo wrote:

Medium, semi-transparent ruby color with some white rim variation that showed some sheeting and medium legs. Modest heat on the nose with a touch of leather, red cherry and strawberry. On the palate, I noted some black cherry and tobacco with a lingerin

5/27/2011 - nycebo wrote:

Just a bit too oaky and lacking in aromatics to join the list of my favorite California chards. Wanted to love it because of their cabs but there are many better choices out there.

11/8/2009 - nycebo wrote:

A superior cabernet that really excelled on decanting for 30-45 minutes. Striking aromas of red and dark berries with some warmth. The color was an impressively rich, ruby with long legs. On the palate, I noted wonderful flavors of blueberry, black tea

4/16/2009 - nycebo wrote:

Smooth, hint of blackberry, hint of spice on palate, a light violet shade, modest tannins, less than desired structure on finish. A reasonable effort but there are better cabernets out there for the price.