3/2/2023 - AlanC Likes this wine:

As the previous taster, so surprised how good this is. Deep, dark, and rich with forest floor and dark cherry highlighted by cola notes. Decanted and let sit for 30 minutes and it just kept getting better. This is drinking really well right now!

11/7/2022 - AlanC Likes this wine:

It just blows my mind that this is as good as it is so far from its suggested drinking window. Is it Stelvin magic? Pronounced red cherry flavors with undertones of cola dominate this simple but tasty profile. Hell, I don’t even think it’s done yet. Just shows what good cellaring and a little luck will do. Thanks Brian!

2/6/2020 - AlanC Likes this wine:

I am just amazed how this bottle continues to evolve and offer just a stunning experience. The Hatton/Kongsgaard effort in 98 is just beyond belief, and I do mean the little heralded 1998 vintage. Not only is this wine not tired, but it still has legs. Deep, dark and delicious, no one would argue that there is baby fat, but instead, serious, powerful dark fruit in a muscular body strutting its stuff! Astoundingly good if you've got some.

12/31/2019 - AlanC wrote:

Still a pleasure

12/28/2019 - AlanC Likes this wine:

Just providing an updated tasting note on this golden oldie. Totally agree on the raisiny essence of this experience, with Amarone coming to mind on more than one sip. Not overly hot as i get the sense that some of the alcohol has integrated. Very pleasant but one-dimensional. Not a revelation, but capable of great pleasure.

12/28/2019 - AlanC Likes this wine:

Hitting on all cylinders. Brief 30 minute decant then opening up to a field of flavors and tones. Just delicious, unctuous, and packed with exotic spice on top of rich red and dark fruit. I was just warming up as the bottle was dwindling. Killer now!

12/25/2019 - AlanC wrote:

Corked, but even corked, interesting things going on.

12/25/2019 - AlanC wrote:

So much balance to this wine right now. Just singing with silky smooth tannins.

1/20/2018 - AlanC wrote:

This is a special bottle of wine. Rich, opulent, cashmere like in texture, it features dark fruit and fig flavors magically integrated with saddle. Just silky and supple with layer upon layer of dimension. Midas touch here, imho.

5/31/2017 - AlanC wrote:

Surprisingly fresh and full bodied. Not tired at all, with legs to go, for sure. Deep, dark juice with silky asphalt notes.

5/22/2016 - AlanC Likes this wine:

From a long ago trip to Niagara on the Lake. Honey and floral notes with a nice sweetness--not cloying.

5/7/2016 - AlanC wrote:

Really a tremendous bottle of wine. Luscious mouthfeel, smooth as silk, with body and finesse. Sweet medley of red and dark fruits, layered on a subtle tanned leather finish. Tannins couldn't be better integrated. An inviting, plush limo of a wine for taking your tongue and palette for the ultimate pleasure cruise. Wow!

6/6/2015 - AlanC wrote:

Done

6/3/2015 - AlanC wrote:

Surprisingly strong and resilient. Real Green Valley fruit, with cola and red cherry flavors. Delicious.

3/1/2015 - AlanC wrote:

Trademark Pax nose, which is always the invitation to the banquet. Blackberry and sweet tar all bundled into a delicious fruit sampler. The blackberry gets some raspberry gets just a hint of cherry. Then some sage and vanilla to round out dessert, a la mode. So tasty and still going strong. Love em if you got em, but be advised my experience on the Pax 2004 corks is that they arenot built for much longer. All my 2004's are crumbling at removal.

2/23/2014 - AlanC wrote:

Served with an Ossobuco, where the age of this stellar Syrah complemented the delicacy of the dish in a surprising and delightful way. I am so used to writing about blackberry jam and razzleberry pie finish when looking at the primary experience of young Pax that the sweetness and suppleness of the plum and blackberry and asphalt finish of an aging Pax just kind of takes you by surprise. Remarkably smooth and fruit forward, but in a measured way, that allows food to express itself against the backdrop of this wonderful rich but not dense finish. Drink 'em if you got 'em--this is in an excellent food friendly moment right now!

12/23/2013 - AlanC wrote:

Hard to overestimate how good this tastes right now. Just pure liqueur of red cherry with hints of earth and saddle and tobacco. Comes together just seamlessly. Not a lot of experience with Tuscans, but this is exceptional.

7/31/2013 - AlanC wrote:

Hudson Vineyard Magic

7/31/2013 - AlanC wrote:

Just delicious. Wisps of Dageneau.

4/27/2013 - AlanC wrote:

Off the charts. Beautifully integrated Cabernet/Malbec blend with dark berry flavors and velvety smoothness. Hardly any heat and such nuance to the blend, with waves of flavor like ripples across your palate. Just an outstanding bottle of wine.

3/31/2013 - AlanC Likes this wine:

This bottle is drinking extraordinarily well, right now. Deep, dark and extracted, it shows some of that wonderful Rutherford dust right alongside some beautiful high-toned red fruit and wisps of cocoa powder. I can't imagine it getting much better than this, but it still has room to go. Love 'em if you've got 'em. Served at Easter dinner with leg of lamb, with plenty to support an imperative to eat, drink, and be merry!

3/30/2013 - AlanC Likes this wine:

This is just a great bottle of wine, no matter it's age. I had it right after bottling, just great. Now 5 or so years later, it's just as rich, dense and polished as its youth suggested. Love it.

1/7/2013 - AlanC wrote:

Have to agree with recent notes. This is just singing right now. Beautiful Tokalon mouth feel with dark chocolate and cherry in their full Cab richness. Delicious.

12/23/2012 - AlanC wrote:

Just a spectacular bottle of wine, and I can't imagine it being better. Lovely tangerine and green melon notes against a backdrop of mellowed brioche. Maybe it's lost some of the distinctiveness of flavor characteristics of previous bottles, but in its age, it's just splendid. wow!

3/23/2012 - AlanC wrote:

The oldest Kosta Browne I have drunk. Kind of sumptuous, with deep dark black cherry tones with hints of cola. No heat at all, and this wine has retained its rich color without looking at all diluted. Hints of candied orange or pomegranate give the wine a slightly tangy finish, which just doesn't want to end. This is in its window and not getting better, imho. Still lovely, but I'd drink 'em if I got 'em.

12/2/2011 - AlanC wrote:

Forest floor, earthy nose that reveals flavors of deep dark spiced cherry and a dash of candied orange. Rich, wonderful, and drinking as well as any A.P. Vin wine I have ever tasted. No alcohol, and that funky Rancho thing earlier in its life is now part of its magic. Love 'em if you've got 'em!

6/11/2011 - AlanC wrote:

As good as the last bottle was, this one was better. Having had the past few years to try the best Cabs from 2003, the verdict is in. This is the best Cab from 2003 of any I have tasted. Mark Herold just killed this deep, dark, rich seductiveb sexpot of a wine. Wow! Almost sepia in color, the power of the dark fruits and chocolate harmonize against the muscular profile of the body. Just goes on and on. Love 'em if you've got 'em!

6/11/2011 - AlanC wrote:

Trademark Carlisle. No heat, fabulous texture, delicious fruit.

6/11/2011 - AlanC wrote:

Decant for two hours; the wine opens up beautifully with all the richness and flavor this designation is known for. Delicious.

4/9/2011 - AlanC wrote:

Delicious.

4/9/2011 - AlanC wrote:

Just fantastic! Boysenberry, chocolate, and just yummy dark fruits. Maybe a tad over oaked, but some really splendid fruit.

3/20/2011 - AlanC wrote:

Outstanding

11/13/2010 - AlanC wrote:

Checked the Carlisle website for tasting windows and this one seemed like the right fit. Typical Mike Magic as this wine just opened up and said, i'm ready for business. Boysenberry and blackberry and black licorice just melt together in this ultimately delightful late fall elixir that paired wonderfully with some Windsor pork chops. No heat, just smooth, sensuous Zinfandel, Officer-style. Hedonism rating: OTFC!

8/28/2010 - AlanC wrote:

Delicious but drink up now, and this from a magnum. Beginning to fall apart.

8/28/2010 - AlanC wrote:

The best bottle of 99 Pegau I have ever opened. Just exquisite. Popped and poured with little decanting time. Unlike before, this was a run away winner from the first taste. Garrigue, cherry, spice, and smokey pepper all coming together. Opened for my mother-in-law, who loves CDP. Glad she loved it but quickly shuffled second unopenend bottle away lest she love it too much! Fantastic mouthfeel start to finish, singing, struttin, swinging. This is out of this world right now. Vague recollections this was batch #2 in the mysterious Pegau '99 annals. Love it!

8/24/2010 - AlanC wrote:

Missed the note by YHN earlier, and to my loss. This is lovely as an Alicante, and I remember a Topolos Alicante that I think was varietally more pronounced, but one can't miss the trademark Officer touch of luscious fruit married to velvet mouthfeel. Should have drunk this four years ago, yet still the glimmer of a passing star. R.I.P. to these wonderful vines which are no more, and thanks for the taste, Mike.

6/12/2010 - AlanC wrote:

Stupendous. Dark and delicious, with abundant mouthfeel. Lovely dark fruit.

4/25/2010 - AlanC wrote:

Parker's off on this one. This seems just delicious right now, well after the recommended window with plenty of life left in this bottle. The nose isn't particularly giving, but the initial tone of cedar and red cherry rings again and again for nearly 30 seconds. The tannins have softened, and the sweet mid-palate of this wine offers a complementary luscious red currant profile that asserts itself boldly on the tongue. With a veal, leek, and caper stew, just fantastic.

3/10/2010 - AlanC wrote:

A sleeping giant just beginning to awake. I had this wine two years ago and just plain missed it. Didn't allow adequate time to breath, didn't decant, and hoped for the best. Stupid is as stupid does, as the wine was closed, ungiving, and grumpy, like a giant hibernating bear that is awakened from its winter's nap by an awkward interloper. Me. I didn't like it and remember being disappointed with the 2004 compared to the 2003, which was by almost everyone's account, including mine, an extraordinary bottle. Well, a little time asleep and a more gentle wake up and this wine begins, just begins, to hint how long it might go. The nose is distant, elusive at first, suggesting the dark, berry notes that await. The color is otherworldly cabernet, so dark and thick you would think it mixed in a pie as opposed to a wine bottle. The first flavor is glorious black cherry and chocolate and smooth as silk. It lingers on the tongue with determined persistence. Some bottles just need a steak to complete the experience, and if you're warming up the grill, this Buccella is really coming into its own. If you have multiple bottles, a great and beginning window on the evolution of this delicious wine.

11/23/2009 - AlanC wrote:

Right in the wheelhouse! Nose not especially remarkable, but taste is like walking through a darkened doorway into a lighted ballroom. Unbelieveable richness in dark fruits--black cherry and blackberry-with a touch of cedar that just wraps the whole package as the wine slips off your tongue. Tannins are softening and sweet, and the whole experience is so pleasing. The window is now open for business.

11/22/2009 - AlanC wrote:

Deep, dark and oh so rich. Like Frost would say, miles to go before this one sleeps.

8/7/2009 - AlanC wrote:

Undrinkable.

7/25/2009 - AlanC wrote:

Off the charts. Wonderful tropical fruit and freshness; especially lovely peach and nectarine notes. Can't believe how delicate this is. Don't miss it!

5/2/2009 - AlanC wrote:

Drink now; nicely integrated, and not getting better.

4/29/2009 - AlanC wrote:

In celebration of Mike's outstanding reviews of his 2007's in WS Insider today, it was definitely a night to dive into the cellar. From the depths emerges a 2003 Fava Ranch, a wine whose nose announces the piquancy of the Zinfandel while the mouthfeel welcomes the softness of a nicely aged Syrah. Love it! In the mouth, it's the integration of the two grapes, with that added blast of petit sirah, that has me wondering how that magician Mike O. does it. Just beautifully full with the best of all these varietals blended into a dark cherry, plum, old vine field blend. It's dark, delicious, and delectable!

3/29/2009 - AlanC wrote:

63% Grenache, 25% Mourvedre, 12% Syrah

The nose on this wine takes me straight to the fresh flowers stand at the Farmers Market. The mouthfeel is healthy and full with darker fruits than past vintages; lush stone fruits such as plum and cherry are intermingled with grahon and charcoal.

3/29/2009 - AlanC wrote:

2004 – From the Les Pierres block A-south, this wine was part of a barrel experiment using new French oak barrels from the Troncais forest. Winemaker Terry Adams was studying how length of time in new oak impacted the integration of the barrel into the wine. It spent 20 months in barrel, sur lie. It has the crisp mineral and citrus notes of Les Pierres with additional nutty and toasty elements for greater richness and complexity.

3/29/2009 - AlanC wrote:

2003 – This wine is sensual and exotic, rich and creamy tasting, well-balanced and fully ripe. The structure is firm and mineral. Flavors of freshly ground almonds, ripe apple, pear and peach slices drizzled with freshly squeezed lemon juice are layered together in a rich mélange. A faint calling of coconut and flan complete the experience.

3/29/2009 - AlanC wrote:

2002 – In the glass, aromas of toasty baked apple and cream rise to be joined with subtle mineral notes and hints of sour apple candies, completing the impression of a full, rich bountiful nose. The mouthfeel is unctuous, and incredibly focused and refined notes of mineral and lime emerge as the finish fades to an echo of creamy custard.

3/29/2009 - AlanC wrote:

2001 – The perfectly composed nose of pear and honey are lifted by a touch of clove, all classic expressions of the Cutrer Vineyard. The aroma remains youthful, yet restrained, kept that way by the use of the Stelvin closure. In the glass it will open up, becoming ever more beautiful, rich, powerful and seductive.