11/15/2017 - JFish wrote:

This wine is a beast, tasting more like a barrel sample than a 4 year old syrah. Wow - depth, acidity, tannin. I hope I can remember to let my remaining bottles sleep.

4/30/2016 - JFish wrote:

Smelled and tasted like a barrel sample at 15 years of age. Tar, dark fruits, still a massive wine. The last bottle of Alban in my cellar and I'm not sad to see it go - damn, has my palate changed over the years.

4/30/2016 - JFish wrote:

My last bottle. Flawed - bretty, NY sewer gas. DNPIM. Dumped.

4/30/2016 - JFish wrote:

My last bottle. The most recent bottle was shot so I had low expectations. Popped and poured. Nice nose of mild 5 spice/wet tobacco. Good, but lighter, dark cherry fruit and some dried mushrooms on the palate, with a hint of acidity holding it together. Never faded or changed much through the evening.

4/21/2016 - JFish wrote:

This bottle was either flawed in some fashion or extremely closed down. It showed very little on the nose - a little barnyard was the main smell. It tasted lightly of dark cherries and earth. Not much there at all. Could have been corked but none of the telltale smells were detected.

4/7/2016 - JFish Likes this wine:

Give this an hour or so of air and you will be rewarded. Excellent Carlisle zin - dark purple fruits, ripe but not overly so. Great effort by Mr. Officer.

1/21/2016 - JFish wrote:

First bottle of a case. Popped and poured. The wine in the glass is dark. Dark as night. Very tightly wound - dark cherry, spice, some forest floor and green notes. Just a baby. Left the rest of the bottle for another night. This wine is just a baby - I should have known better.

Day Two (from memory): My wife poured a glass and I took a drink. Still showing the green notes and some bitterness.

Day Three (from memory): I poured a full glass, expecting to smell, taste and dump. I've never had an bottle re-corked on the counter last for 3 days. The wine morphed into a beautiful pinot - red/dark red fruits, minerality/earth/spice. Excellent balance. Will check in periodically in the future but hope I can let these sleep for a long while.

4/25/2015 - JFish Does not like this wine:

Quick TN: Upon opening, horribly reductive. On the palate, the wine was totally out of balance - burnt rubber/tar, alcohol, acidity. A mess of a wine. Not even drinking with prime strip steaks brought out any redeeming qualities. Saved a little for Day 2 and it was softer but no better.

3/5/2015 - JFish wrote:

Quick TN. PnP. Intoxicating nose of spiced fruit that wafts from the glass and hits you from a foot away. Taste of red raspberries and baking spices, with good acidity. The wine seemed to close down after an hour or so. Great QPR here. Will try to let my remaining bottles rest for a while.

1/12/2015 - JFish wrote:

Quick TN from memory: this was much bigger/broader in frame that what I remember from prior bottles. Not overblown, but full of wild dark fruits, a little spice and tannin. Not a genteel bottle of pinot. Hoping future bottles become more tame.

1/8/2015 - JFish Does not like this wine:

This is the first bottle I've opened that has been too bretty to enjoy. The underlying fruit was barely recognizable. This reminded me of my last bottle of Pegau, and not in a good way.

12/16/2014 - JFish wrote:

Quick TN: Popped and poured. Funky in a good way. Initial hit of camphor, dark fruits and green olives. On the palate, medium weight, dark fruit with olive tapenade and a hint of grilled meat. Acidity was pronounced early on but with a hour or so of air this really found some balance. Found this to be interesting and looking forward to seeing how this ages. Excellent with griddled burgers and onions.

12/11/2014 - JFish wrote:

I don't know if this is an off bottle, bad wine or extremely closed down. Little cherry fruit and forest floor on the nose. Some dirty cherry flavor on the palate. Short finish. Will drink it because I am too tire to go back downstairs for another bottle. Maybe air will help.

7/24/2014 - JFish wrote:

Quick TN: Popped and poured. A bit port-ish on the nose. A bit riper and less structured than other 2010 grenaches I've had from this vineyard. Primarily raspberry, good acidity, bigger style and a perfect pairings with grilled burgers. Hit the spot on this night.

5/20/2014 - JFish wrote:

Quick TN. Popped and poured. Much better than previous bottle which was flawed. Intoxicating nose, dark red fruits with a touch of prunes, a hint of earth and leather. Still has substantial tannins. I will try to remember to decant the next bottle.

5/16/2014 - JFish wrote:

Drinkable but marred by VA.

4/13/2014 - JFish wrote:

Quick TN. Popped and poured. Time has been kind to this wine. It has settled into early adulthood, finally shedding its youthful exuberance. A hint of something I normally associate with brett, but otherwise dark cherries/black raspberry/blueberry, a hint of pine/rosemary/forest/earth and fine tannins that are seemingly nearly resolved. Drinking beautifully and in a sweet spot. My last bottle. Great pairing with grilled Brazilian picahna (top round with fat cap).

3/26/2014 - JFish wrote:

Quick TN: Popped and poured. This bottle seems totally closed down. Not yielding much on the palate. Luden's cherry cough drops with good acidity on the palate, but the flavors are muted. Returned to the glass 1.5 hours later and the wine had opened a bit, showing more more spice with cherry and red raspberry flavors and the acidity keeping it lively. Different from the bottle opened in January and surprising for a 2005 of Joe's.

3/25/2014 - JFish wrote:

Quick TN. Popped and poured. Drank over the course of 3 hours, the wine did not change much with the added air. Texturally, it coated the mouth, but it was not heavy or ponderous. The wine walks a fine line, balancing hazelnut, tropical fruits and acidity. Great pairing with a lemony Fettucine Alfredo(ish) pasta dish.

2/27/2014 - JFish wrote:

Another CDP marred by brett - not undrinkable if you like some brett, but borderline for me. Too bad because there was some really nice fruit lurking beneath.

2/20/2014 - JFish wrote:

Quick TN: Popped and poured. Dark red in the glass. Nose of ripe cherries. On the palate - first impression was "whoaa, very cherry" followed by red raspberries and trailing acidity. Some earthiness detected. Didn't change much over a few hours. It will be interesting to see where this wine goes.

2/2/2014 - JFish wrote:

Quick TN. Popped and poured. Palate mainly of ripe blackberries and a hint of black pepper as well as grilled meat. The nose had a grilled meat component also along with mildly stewed fruit. My first of 3 bottles.

1/31/2014 - JFish Likes this wine:

Quick TN. Popped and poured from my last bottle. From the nose I could tell this would be redemption from the corked Carlisle zin and Clos de Papes CDP from the night before. Out of the glass wafted the smell of black olive tapenade and roasted meat I associate with Cote Rotie. This also resonated on the palate - fresh, dark fruit but with the roasted meat and olive notes. One of the best Cali syrahs I've had recently. Drinking beautifully but I don't see it fading anytime soon.

1/29/2014 - JFish wrote:

Was really looking forward to this. Popped and poured. Initial whiff of spice and then wet cardboard. Damn. Palate was little dark fruit and spice, but very little. Corked.

12/21/2013 - JFish Likes this wine:

Quick general TN: popped and poured, drank without food. Big and bold pinot out of the gate. Gave it 2 hours in the glass. The wine blossomed into one of the best pinots I've had this year. Glad I have a bottle or two left. Beautiful wine.

11/19/2013 - JFish wrote:

Quick TN. Opened to pair with pasta with chicken sausage with poblano peppers, spinach and mushrooms - which really worked well. Popped and poured, the wine showed lots of tropical fruit and acidity. Over the course of 2 hours, the wine became richer, and developed almost a roussanne waxiness. I'm not a good judge of how chardonnay may develop over time, but this was drinking very well, and seemed to have the "stuffing" to go for a while.

11/16/2013 - JFish Likes this wine:

Last minute grab, pop and pour to drink with pizza. From memory, dark berries, smoke and a hint of Italian herb blend (maybe because of the pizza seasoning and toppings). Slight tannic backbone but drinking very well.

11/12/2013 - JFish Does not like this wine:

Doing some cellar thinning and thought I'd revisit this wine. Still not enjoyable to me. Port-like fruit, oak and some tannin - much like a barrel sample. Not for me anymore. My remaining bottles will be gifted to those that will get some enjoyment from them.

10/1/2013 - JFish wrote:

Late birthday dinner so I popped and poured. On the nose and palate, lots of orange peel and citrusy acidity. Raspberry. Flavor-wise it seemed somewhat simple. But texturally it danced on my tongue. Refrigerated 1/2 bottle for the next night. Didn't get home in time to try it. Night 2 pulled from the fridge not expecting much. Surprise. What balance and complexity. The orange peel was nearly undetectable and replaced by a hint of pine/rosemary. Wow. I don't think I have ever had a pinot show like this after being opened for 2 days. Not sure if this means anything regarding aging but I wish I had another bottle to find out.

9/20/2013 - JFish wrote:

Quick TN: a bizarre experience with my final bottle. Over the course of the evening this wine oscillated between really good (with the typical Rivers Marie pinot highlights) and overly citrusy/acidic and seemingly oxidated. Strange. Not sure if this is in a weird place or heading over the hill.

8/25/2013 - JFish wrote:

Bigger, burlier side of syrah. Lots of fruit (though not jammy), some grilled meat, tannin, and a hint of heat. Drank great with cola marinated grilled flank steak. On day two after re-corking and refrigerating, however, this had gone to the dark and pruney side, very port-like.

8/23/2013 - JFish Likes this wine:

Still drinking very young. Opened with some air. Dark purple, dark fruit when comparing on the grenache spectrum, but not heavy. Still showing tannin that seem to become integrated over the course of 2 hours (unless it was the 2nd pre-dinner martini kicking in :) Good stuff.

8/22/2013 - JFish wrote:

Opened this to replace an off 2002 Paloma Merlot. This is more like what I was expecting. Popped and poured. Dark purple color, dark/blackberry fruit, tannin - intense wine that developed some balance with time in the glass. Seems very young. I'll try to let me remaining bottles sit.

8/22/2013 - JFish wrote:

Popped and poured. Uh oh. Something's off. Smells like port. Tastes like port upfront, then singing acidity and no fruit, then a not so lovely alcohol burn. Hope it's an off bottle.

8/15/2013 - JFish wrote:

My only bottle of this, I opened it last night while looking for something different to pair with pork loin stuffed/rolled with prosciutto and red pepper. Sorry for the lack of details, but I found darker red/purple fruit, with just a bit of tannin and minerality. No noticeable oak. This bottle surprised me with how well it was drinking and how good it was. Great job by the Lagier Meredith/Potts team.

4/28/2013 - JFish wrote:

Quick TN. Last bottle. Popped and poured. Is this Shane or Alban Reva? Reductive notes jumped out the glass - fresh tar/burnt rubber. On the palate it is still a young, tannic, dark fruited beast. Even after an hour in the glass it had barley budged. Made a nice foil for giant grilled bone-in rib-eyes. If had more I'd let them sleep.

4/25/2013 - JFish Likes this wine:

Quick TN: Popped and poured last minute to pair with salmon cakes. This was a very clean tasting wine, very balanced - not overly citrusy or minerally but just enough on both fronts and the predominant lemon fruit was perfect with the salmon cakes. I like this quite a bit.

4/23/2013 - JFish Likes this wine:

Quick TN. Popped and poured. Not corked like the bottle opened a few weeks ago, which is a relief. Nose has the RM tell-tale orange rind which I love for its uniqueness. Drinking very well and I don't know if this will improve with more time. Red fruits - rasberryish with some light secondary pinot 5 spice notes. The citrusy acidity is there, but in the background giving it lift. Great pairing with "beer can" chicken with a lemon/garlic salt/ginger rub.

4/5/2013 - JFish wrote:

Corked. Bummer

4/8/2013 - JFish wrote:

Quick TN. Popped and poured. Love that zinberry nose that leaps from the glass. Dark in color. Vince makes some of the most balanced wines, and this bottle is no exception. A mild, briary zin spice, darker fruits with good acidity and length. Paired well with a spicy sausage, mushroom and spinach pizza.

4/5/2013 - JFish wrote:

Corked. Bummer.

4/4/2013 - JFish wrote:

Quick TN: Bizarre showing for this wine. Popped and poured. Initially, the nose was interesting for a pinot and it tasted of dark cherries and spices. But was very acidic. Over the course of an hour, the nose showed signs of wet cardboard and the finish became very short. The next sniff and taste were totally different. Over 3 glasses the wine varied, back and forth like this, but the fruit became more muted by the end. Which leads me to think this was flawed (likely minor TCA). My wife wasn't drinking it, so I could not get confirmation (despite my low tolerance for TCA, her ability to detect it is far better).

4/3/2013 - JFish wrote:

Quick TN: Popped and poured. This wine seems to have put on some weight from my memory of the last bottle. Darker red/purple. Baking spice and earth on the nose. The palate also is showing more earthiness than before, almost like a bit of a bass note, adding depth to the wine. Drinking very well. My last bottle but I wish I had a few more to see where this goes.

3/19/2013 - JFish wrote:

Quick TN: My last bottle of Kosta Browne. Popped and poured. Big dark fruit and alcohol jumped out of the glass. On the palate, it was fairly dense for a pinot and the only pinot typicity I could detect was cola - otherwise it was more syrah-like with a bit of heat on the back end. Not my cup of tea anymore, but drinking well enough if you go for that sort of thing. Decent pairing with beef tacos.

3/13/2013 - JFish wrote:

Quick TN: Popped and poured. Great nose. This bottle was far less lean than the first bottle I opened a month or so ago. A nice kick of cherries in the mid palate, buttressed by earthiness and minerality. Closer to Copain's rendition than the previous bottle. Not overly complex and certainly not a fruit bomb, but extemely quaffable and enjoyable. Nice pairing with roasted chicken & veggie pesto pizza.

2/26/2013 - JFish wrote:

Quick TN: From memory, this wine was giving just a little red raspberry/cherry and mushroom on the nose. Initially, the nose resononated on the palate, but with a hefty dose of acidity. Over a few hours it began to unwind, showing more of the fruit and earth, with medium weight. My last bottle will either rest a while longer or I'll give it a decant before drinking. Good pairing with a simple oven roasted chicken.

2/10/2013 - JFish wrote:

Identical to the bottle opened last month. Some heat damage suspected. Drinkable but nothing more.

2/5/2013 - JFish wrote:

Quick TN. My last bottle. Popped and poured. Intoxicating nose of pure dark red/purple fruit with a hint of forest floor and baking spice, led to high hopes. But on the palate, a quick hit of dark cherry followed by searing acidity and heat. After the first glass I literally had to take a zantac due to the heartburn. Consumed with grilled turkey burgers, which helped moderate the acidity, but the heat on the back end remained. Over the course of 2 hours it didn't change at all. BUT, a friend stopped over and I poured a glass for him. He took a sip and was amazed by the dark cherry fruit, baking spices - proclaimed it a fantastic pinot. So, though not for me, this wine certainly has an audience. One bottle of the '06 SC left. Maybe I'll give it to my friend (or at least drink it with him).

1/25/2013 - JFish Likes this wine:

Quick TN. Popped and poured. Drained in record time by me and my wife with wild mushroom pizza. Ripe strawberry, forest floor and birthday cake ( yep) on the nose. Strawberry, baking spice and earth on the palate buttressed by killer acidity. Drinking exceptionally tonight.

1/23/2013 - JFish wrote:

Quick TN. Popped and poured. Dark fruits still seem very primary. Just a hint of grilled meat, maybe a little earth. Some tannin. But still showing a lot of oak. Okay wine but many others at this price point I'd rather have. I still don't get it. Good with griddled burgers.