8/27/2020 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Tasted at the vineyard - one of the most opulent delicious pinot noirs we’ve ever had. Can only get better.

7/28/2020 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Jesus, this is good. I feel like the appellation blends from Aubert have improved dramatically in the last few years, nearing the SVD quality. Tropical fruit and summer peach on the nose with a little funk behind it. Beautiful golden colour. Baked apple cobbler and light mango. Just great.

5/3/2019 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Unreal. Orange blossom amd honeyed peach. Brilliant

4/21/2019 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Tons of tropical fruit. Coconut, cantaloupe. Superb.

4/18/2019 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Fantastic. Strawberries and bubbles. Sparkling zin rocks.

3/24/2019 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Smooth, velvet texture. Not as big as some of the other Bedrock bottlings, but still typical zin flavor.

3/15/2019 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Amazing.

7/28/2018 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Solid, if a bit young. Opened for one hour before. Blue black fruit. Not jammy, well rounded.

5/19/2018 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Still holding up nicely.

5/18/2018 - hanratty21 wrote:

Super. Opened for 2 hours. Really ooened up beautifuily.

4/2/2018 - hanratty21 wrote:

Oak trumps fruit and acid in this bomb. Some might like this style but probably not me. Overpowered food and lacked balance.

1/13/2018 - hanratty21 wrote:

On the tail end but still had some life in it. Quince, pear and wet stone. Solid, but definitely past it's prime.

3/27/2018 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Classic kanzler.

3/24/2018 - hanratty21 wrote:

Rich, black fruit. Smooth tannins. Solid all around

6/2/2013 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Superb body and rich golden color. Caramel apple and warm pear touched off by subtle oak. Long finish with hints of peach cobbler and allspice. Another winner from the folks at Aubert.

6/2/2013 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

An absolutely lovely wine. Had with dinner at Rich Table in SF. Paired with a lovely trio of appetizers and a few pasta dishes. Full bodied and ruby colored. Bright cherry and plum with mild acidity. Some tannins present but not pronounced. Truly a lovely food pairing wine.

7/21/2012 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

A spectacular, muscular Syrah with heavy dark fruit all over the nose. Some anise and other spice as well. Coats the mouth like velvet...big structure, but more delicate on the fruit than I expected. Long finish...as it warmed in the glass, the fruit came forward more. I'm expecting this could have sat even a few more years, but a damn great wine regardless. *Edit* The high alcohol content was barely noticable. So much other structure that the booziness just wasn't there. All good.

7/15/2012 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Deep ruby colour with raspberry and bright cherry notes. Smooth, velvet mouthfeel with a basket of fruit flavor all over. Dark cherry, crisp apple with a maple like consistency. Some mint on the finish. Medium body with a lush finish. Leaves a lovely taste long after it's gone. Possibly a little young, and will age well but is absolutely lovely right now.

This is yet another in a long line of superb Kanzler "homegrown." Kudos to the Kanzler clan, especially Alex in his first vintage as winemaker.

7/8/2012 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

An absolute knockout. Popped and poured but tasted over the next hour or so. Deep rich yellow/amber hue - looks lovely in the glass. Initial smell gives potent star jasmine and other florals along with apricot and other stone fruit. Tastes of white peach and delicate honey along with pineapple and toasted cinnamon. I can't say enough about this. It absolutely kills just about all other CA chardonnays out there.

6/30/2012 - hanratty21 wrote:

Dark cherry color - almost brick-like. Rich dark fruit on the nose. A little heat (popped and poured) which will no doubt blow off. with time. Wow...first taste was surprising and delicious. This has obviously mellowed with age. Lovely fruit...almost no tannin on the back end. Delicious bright cherry with some minty tone. No earthiness, but quite a bit of body. This is super nice. I usually don't go for Zin, but this is a pleasant surprise.

6/22/2012 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

A solid 90, but be forewarned -- this one MUST be had with food. I prepped a classic Italian peasant leftover meal of thick spaghetti with olive oil, parmesan, chunked soppresata, red chili paste, black pepper, lemon juice and a raw egg mixed in each bowl. The richness, saltiness and heat from the pasta dish beautifully cut into the rich fruit, heavy tannins and high alcohol content that was nearly unbearable right after opening. Once it had some decanting time and got some food mixed in, quite a difference. Black and blue fruit, white pepper, and some caramel at the end. Nice mouthfeel -- not too rich. Tannins are strong but don't linger bitterly on the finish. A really nice effort.

5/24/2012 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Just like previous vintages of this wine, it's a rich mouthful of white. Many won't like this style, but I certainly do. This is a Chard drinkers SB. I know it's blended with Semillon as well, but the rich mouthfeel and the hyper fruit and slight oak tinge gives this such a uniqueness, it's hard not to notice. I love it -- wish I had more.

5/23/2012 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

A rich, bold Sauvignon Blanc with some slight acidity to back up the tropical fruit combo of pineapple, melon and lemon curd. A superb effort.

3/24/2012 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Tasted at KB open house. What a total winner. This was definitely the best wine I tasted of the 3 2010 appelation wines. Bold and rich. Big red fruit with a long finish. I couldn't get enough.

4/2/2012 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Young, but magnificent. Paired with 4 course menu at Quince in SF. Pale orange-y yellow in color, slight cloudiness. Full, bold nose of honeydew and fresh peach. Some green grass and lemon as well. Mouth coating flavors of ripe melon and apricot. not the lingering finish I expected, but again...this one is still young. I can't wait to taste another one in a year or two.

3/25/2012 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Opened for 1.5 hours prior to drinking. Super dark and rich in the glass. Deep dark fruit and depth on the nose. Layers and layers of fruit - expected some heat but it didn't come through. Some slight tropical flavors but mostly deep red cherry and vanilla flavors. Long finish and simply didn't disappoint. I'd not tasted this one for a few years, but it was worth the wait. Paired with sweet pork meatballs and spicy potatoes with onions and peppers.

3/25/2012 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Opened for about 1.5 hours before pouring. RIch plum and dark fruit on the nose. Red bean paste and black cherry flavors. Some spice as well -- super rich mouthfeel. Finish not as long as I would have expected, but the longer the bottle stayed open the better it got. Paired with sweet pork meatballs and spicy potatoes with onion and peppers.

3/16/2012 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Superb if not young effort. This wine has incredible depth and richness. Some green grass and red fruit on the nose. Deep red cherry and smoked jerky flavors. Opened about 1.5 hours prior to consuming - probably needed more time as it continued to open up in the glass. Will keep other bottles for at least 1-2 more years before exploring again.

11/27/2011 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Top notch. Bold fruit on the nose - filled the room. Silky smooth with big red ripe fruit. Some nice acid to balance it out. A really attractive wine that would stand up to just about any food you throw at it. Superb.

11/27/2011 - hanratty21 wrote:

Seemed a little tired. Perhaps it's been sitting a little too long?

11/24/2011 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Opened for 30 minutes prior to tasting. Rich purple color. Some barnyard funk and dark fruit on the nose. Deep black cherry fruit and vanilla bean. Wow...beautiful wine. This one is powerful and pretty at the same time. I wish I had more of it... 93+

11/24/2011 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Opened for 30 minutes. Nice ruby color. Some rose petal and bright cherry on the nose. Nutmeg and pumpkin spice with light red fruit flavors. Nothing spectacular, but still very nice. I'll give it some more time.

11/23/2011 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Bricky, amber color. Plum and nutmeg spice on the nose. Well rounded flavors - earthy, but subtle. Red fruit with some slight sour cherry. Very light mouthfeel. May have seen better days. Good, but not great.

11/18/2011 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Beautiful golden color - almost pinkish. Fresh grass and grapefruit notes, with some slight tropical almost pineapple smell. Lemongrass and rich honeydew melon flavor. This is sweet with just a touch of grapefruit tartness. Nice mouthfeel but not super oak-y rich. This is super crisp with nice acidity, but still with some body and lingering finish to it.

11/18/2011 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Opened 1.5 hrs before tasting. Fresh raspberry and sweet floral notes. Earthy and clean. Red berries and rich fullness. I can't even place all the flavors as it's so well integrated. This is a really nice wine. Medium finish - the supple sweetness lingers for a long while. Well done.
*EDIT*
I forgot I already had a tasting note on this wine...good to see they're pretty similar!

11/15/2011 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Deep purple color. A little heat upfront with some nice raspberry jam on the nose. Well balanced with some acid mixed with delicate fruit. Nice mouthfeel with fresh strawberry on the finish. The taste lingers nicely. Another WS winner from Bob Cabral and crew.
*Edit*
2nd night - All the heat is gone. Nose has sweet red fruit and rose petal. Flavors are balanced and beautiful. Lots of plum and vanilla cream with rich, smooth mouthfeel. A really nice wine.

10/29/2011 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

A strikingly beautiful Chardonnay. Hints of butterscotch, fig and fresh melon. Lush mouthfeel with some lingering acid. Pineapple, honeydew topped with some nice spicy flavor. A truly superb effort but may be a little young. This one may last a very long time.

9/4/2011 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Big rich and ripe. Chewy tannins are well balanced by some lovely dark blueberry and blackberry fruit. This super dark purple wine should continue to pour well over the next few years.

8/13/2011 - hanratty21 wrote:

Light but with good mouthfeel. Summer strawberry and sweet nutmeg. Very food friendly.

7/31/2011 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

A bold wine with flamboyant cherry and plum flavor. Rich, yet supple in a very powerful fruity package. Good finish as well.

7/24/2011 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Light and crisp. Super bright acidity makes this one a solid pairing with food. Good mouthfeel with crisp green apple and kiwi flavors. Some richness on the backend as well.

7/21/2011 - hanratty21 wrote:

Nice fruit, though this may have seen better days. Good body, but soft on both fruit and acid. A little light on depth compared to other MacPhail I've had. I think I tend to like his Sonoma stuff better than the Anderson Valley offerings. Either way - a nice wine, but nothing spectacular.

7/21/2011 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

Lovely color and depth. Fresh red strawberry gives way to a solid but refreshing mouthfeel. Nice finish - a lovely ripe midsummer red.

6/29/2011 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

A superb effort. Beautiful fruit balanced with slight earthiness. Full bodied and rich. Probably the nicest I've ever had from Sojourn.

6/2/2011 - hanratty21 wrote:

Not terribly impressed with the Sea Smoke wines I've tasted. There was a high production quality which you could easily see, but it had very light body and very delicate flavors. Seems hard to compare to other Cali Pinots of equal quality though. The power is simply not there, but that could really be a personal taste thing...

6/2/2011 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

This was the WOTN against some other top flight offerings. Good body and great fruit flavor. Dark purple color and long finish.

6/2/2011 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

A lovely wine. I expected some more body to it, but it seems as if the tannins had mellowed quite a bit.

6/2/2011 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

A little young, but very nice refined wine. Better than the 2008 - will update notes later on.

5/26/2011 - hanratty21 wrote:

Popped and poured. LIghter red color than I'm used to -- also looked filtered with no cloudiness. Nice bright fresh cherry nose with not much more beyond that. Same cherry and red fruit flavor - some slight bitterness on the finish. Super light mouthfeel - nothing very impressive...drinkable...that's about it.
*Edit*
After about 1.5 hours of bottle being open, the bitterness has dissipated. Still a very soft, quick finish, but a little better. Upped rating from 84 to 86

5/9/2011 - hanratty21 Likes this wine:

RIch notes of dark plum pie. Big flavors of carmelized fruit and bacon fat. Still not completely together flavor wise, but still a strong performer. A little sour cherry on the back end with some tartness. I am wondering if the lack of cohesiveness will be helped with a few more years. We'll see...