6/22/2023 - afu wrote:

Very disappointing, basically nothing there. I don’t think it was spoiled, however little to no fruit and color was off. I did give it about two hours to come around in our glasses before we gave up. My experience with Valdicava has not been very positive. And I thought I loved Brunello?

As this bottle was opened with a Coravin, we will revisit this weekend to see if there’s any difference.

12/19/2022 - afu wrote:

This is an incredibly plush, rich, well-balanced, luxurious Cabernet, with a perfect mouth feel. Is it deep, dark color, rich dark fruit, cassis, some graphite. Rich and plush keep coming to mind, sip after sip. Perfectly balanced in every way. This bottle had so much crystals/tartrates that it poured very slowly. So very glad we have a few left.

7/19/2022 - afu wrote:

This bottle was Cabernet perfection. Right from the start it was rich, ripe, smooth, balanced with a long sweet finish. Darker fruits, blackberry some blueberry, a hint of graphite and just enough earthiness.

7/17/2022 - afu wrote:

Very interesting wine, big black dark fruit, not hot at all. Wine evolved significantly over a three hour dinner. And not sure for the better.

Upon opening very impressive, deliciously forward with dark fruit but not in an overpowering way. Actually restrained and sophisticated And not hot at all especially considering the 16.3% alcohol. The fruit was very enjoyable, a bit sweet but again not overpowering in any way. As the evening went on, the wine quieted down into an enjoyable but not especially memorable wine, did not have any telltale marks of a Shiraz by the time we were done.

I don’t understand the scores in initially got that said it was a nice one. This came as part of a three pack, two more to go. I think if you have any, probably time to drink up.

10/17/2021 - afu wrote:

Great vineyard pedigree, quality was obvious. Deep, dark fruit, rich, long finish. Wine kept opening until there was none. This was not a fruit bomb at all.

2/14/2021 - afu wrote:

Could not resist, bottle arrived three days ago and curiosity got the best of me. This is a huge wine, but not hot! It was such a pleasant surprise! The wine was well balanced with plenty of dark fruit, possibly some licorice and a long long finish. Tannins were firm but not at all harsh. This has lots of upside, will the score improve probably not - will it be smoother much more enjoyable, probably yes!

1/16/2021 - afu wrote:

Flirting with perfection as far as I’m concerned. This clearly was a Walla Walla wine, a tiny bit of that salt dark fruit and some smoke. The big question at a blind tasting would be – is it Syrah or is it something else? Just enough cab like qualities to know it’s something else. This one is smooth, polish and a long finish. Keep in mind when reading this, that I am no longer a big fan of big heavy Cabernet. Wish I had more than the 2 I have left.

3/8/2020 - afu wrote:

Dark smooth, totally integrated with a long finish. Fruit was just a tiny bit muted, lightly earthy notes. And viscous in a good way as to be rich and inviting. No Walla Walla funk at all glD we drank now, at or just past prime window.

1/3/2020 - afu wrote:

This is one of my all-time favorites, this wine, this vintage.

Plenty of fruit and energy. Far far from tired. Grenache at its best with plenty of rich red fruit, a beautiful nose of flowers and spice and a long sweet rich finish. This is exactly what you would expect from Paso Grenache at its best.

10/19/2019 - afu wrote:

Easy 97 on my much more stringent scale.

This is what Cayuse is all about. Funk, brink, some smoke, meat, blue fruit, spices, sweet tannins and a long finish that just keeps going. Perfect drinking window, this wine is ready to enjoy now.

10/11/2019 - afu wrote:

Disappointing in that after reading reviews and tasting when younger I was expecting so much more. Dark with a finish that lasted. Fruit was muted, almost like it was wearing a muzzle or perhaps this bottle was tired. And there was a taste that permeates slightly bitter, stems? This had many qualities of a well aged Napa cab which it’s not. And the nose was deceiving, it was so promising.

Going to try another bottle and give it several hours to open to what I generally expect. I have enjoyed many bottles from this winery sZo I think my expectations are realistic. However, not very optimistic but really want to be wrong.

6/2/2019 - afu wrote:

I’ll start by stating our tastes have changed so this isn’t for me/us anymore. It’s a well constructed big, smooth very dark and unmistakablely Washington Syrah. With a long finish. Do highly recommend some significant time in a decanter, it helped a lot.

The fruit is dark, with slate, licorice, Somme cassis and eucalyptus. It handled the higher alcohol perfectly, not hot at all. I’m much more a fan of the brighter blue fruit Walla Walla style.

For some this is a great wine, I understand the accolades. Just not in my wheelhouse at this time.

5/10/2019 - afu wrote:

It’s been 3 full years since our last bottle and this wine has come a long way. It was a pleasure to enjoy. However it needs time, minimum of an hour, after 2 hours it started to shine. And soon there was none.

Initially I was concerned that this would be one closed, dark fruit, oaked tannic disappointment. However quickly there were hints of dark cherry, spice and leather with a slightly tannic oak finish. At just over an hour the wine became much more polished, smooth and enjoyable. Just what you would expect of a modern Brunello.

At about the 2 hour mark I wished this was a magnum. Real smooth, polished, cherry dark fruit and more. With a memorable finish and hints of where this wine can go with a few more years or more to settle down. I have found these wines are built to age, 10 to 15 years is almost nothing.

3/3/2019 - afu wrote:

This is an elegant, polished wine that was very enjoyable. One big caution, it needs a lot of time to open. We gave it 6 hours which was barely enough. 3 hours in a decanter, back in bottle then another hour at the restaurant. Without time, don’t drink now, you’ll be very underwhelmed.

This was not a fruit forward wine in any way. Subtle notes of dark berry, some tar, some spice. Enjoyable nose, not profound and a very pleasingly long finish. I keep coming back to polished and elegant.

2/27/2019 - afu wrote:

I thoroughly enjoyed this wine, though opinions were mixed. No question this is a big boy wine, 17.5% alcohol and very viscous. Yet it is really not a fruit bomber rather well-balanced dark fruit heavy Australian Shiraz exactly what you would expect from that period. The finish goes on and on. it should because the high alcohol took its toll on me, could feel it by the second smaller pour.

As for the wine itself, upon opening strong nose of raisin and taste of raisin both of which dissipated quickly. Plenty of subdued medium dark fruit - blackberry, some chocolate and the strong notes of eucalyptus, licorice, tar and mint which scream Shiraz to me along with a hint of chocolate.

Still have a few more of 04 and an 05 left which I will enjoy selectively. And priced right might pick up a few more. My taste has evolved so this will be more of an occasional throwback as opposed to a staple.

Plenty of life left, so no hurry to drink up.

12/28/2018 - afu wrote:

Really enjoyed this one, enough so I’m looking for more. 2 descriptors come to mind, pure and elegant. Bright red fruit - strawberry and raspberry with a hint of that Cayuse funk - rock and smoked meats. Not overpowering on the funk, just the right amount to know who made it though with a restrained touch. No oak at all. The finish was long and very enjoyable. Well done!

8/25/2018 - afu wrote:

This bottle way exceeded my expectations after reading so much about older CDP's like this being well past their prime. This was not. This was an elegant wine, velvet mouth feel with plenty of energy and fruit - but not a fruit bomb by any stretch. Plus a nice long finish. A 30 minute decant helped and it kept getting better until there was no more. As for the wine itself, it was lighter in color. There were notes of cherry, dark raspberry and licorice with a wonderful and delicate nose. Initially I was concerned what would be left, what a very pleasant surprise.

8/8/2018 - afu wrote:

Is it wine - yet? This is the last thing we expected when we dived in. I was expecting fruit forward, flavor bomb with some heat from the higher alcohol. After basically a pop and pour with an hour or so to open was reserved, clearly a pinot and very light. I plan to revisit the wine further this evening and again tomorrow and hope that some personality comes forward. My original thought after the first taste and nose smell was Meomi, but not even close.

5/5/2018 - afu wrote:

I will start by saying I’m a big fan of Sanguis. Small production, meticulously crafted. And all things considered very fairly priced.

These wines benefit from time to breathe. Started off very nice and 90 minutes later exceptional. There’s plenty of dark fruit some tart, some earthiness and perhaps a hint of chocolate and one incredibly long sweet smooth finish. I wish the bottle were bigger.

Well the fruit was big, in no way is this a fruit bomber. Alcohol at 14.4 or so is big, but absolutely not hot in anyway. It would be hard for me to imagine a more enjoyable, food friendly Pinot.

I’ve tightened up my scoring considerably and feel very comfortable awarding a 93.

4/23/2018 - afu wrote:

Tasted this at the winery 4/2018, was surprised how well it drank and youthful it still is. Part of a 3 year vertical, wine of the group.

Cork crumbled on opening, my fault. I wasn’t respectful of its age. A tinge of brown, but still dark, youthful and hate to use the term, full of energy. Needs a half hour or more to fully open. And 4 hours later started to run out of energy.

Blackberry, cassis, cherry, rich dark and a sweet, long smooth finish. Glad I bought them all.

4/22/2018 - afu wrote:

Enjoyed with another CTer last night. Big-time visit from the wine angels. Why I gave this a 96, don't know what could have been better. This wine is in perfect harmony. Great nose within 30 mins, long pure finish, light on its feet and oh so polished. Bordeaux like in every way other than the nose which to me was even better. To be really fair this wine deserves 30 mins to an hour really find its groove. From there perfection. Reinforces buying the best.

As for the wine itself, lighter smaller berries, some flowers and just a hint of mineralogy. Polished, complex and youthfully exuberent. Motivation enough to buy some new vintages for long-term cellaring.

3/30/2018 - afu wrote:

Easy 96 under my tougher standards. Wine angels visit tonight. One of the very best bottles I’ve enjoyed in a long long time. This wine is it an absolutely perfect drinking window. Upon opening the nose was pure Walla Walla, though needs overwhelming funk, so inviting.

No tannins, perfectly integrated and oh so smooth! Long pure finish. Minerality and earthiness you would expect. Though just the right amount to go with dark fruit, licorice and plum. This is Cayuse at its best.

3/13/2018 - afu wrote:

A truly outstanding example of what a great winemaker with a boutique winery can produce. Starting with a rich huge nose, this is a rich, smooth wine. Dark fruit in abundance, olives, pepper and smoked meat. Nothing rough or amiss in any way. Everything where it should be with a long, sweet, enjoyable finish. Note: decanted through an aerator with another 30 - 45 mins to open. Perhaps a tad young but who’s quivelling. This is seriously great wine.

3/11/2018 - afu wrote:

My wine of the week and this was a big wine week. I preface this review with a caution that this wine is super young. With 75 mins or so to breathe this is a spectacular blend. An easy 95.

The nose is big, very enjoyable a tad alcoholic hot. From there it just kept getting better and better. This is a blend of Cabernet, Syrah, Malbec and Merlot. Combines the best of each. Frui, fruit, fruit of all colors but not a fruit bomber. Some spice, licorice and more in a dark, rich blend. The tannins were sweet and not offensive in any way. This blend works for Buoncristiani.

Thoroughly enjoyed. More will be on its way tomorrow. In closing be patient. An hour or more will be supremely rewarded.

1/24/2018 - afu wrote:

Amazingly smooth for a Herman Story wine. Not hot in any way, so well integrated. A lighter Paso Grenache. Fruit forward but not a fruit bomber. Long polished finish. This wine really benefited from air time. The longer it was in the glass the better it got. Ideally 2+ hours in a decanter would be ideal.

1/6/2018 - afu wrote:

Coravin sampled. It was tight but with promise. 1/12 uncorked. Wine was shot. There was a stain on the capsule. Another bad Aussie cork.

11/27/2017 - afu wrote:

Another magic Syrah moment courtesy of Matt Reynvaan.

To me, this wine is it it’s perfect drinking window, if you have any, I recommend enjoying some now. From the nose to the mouth feel to the finish – perfection. Rivaled the 2010 Stonessence for best Syrah I’ve ever had which is saying a lot. Decanting for about an hour brought out the very best.

Started off with the nose of that classic wallow Walla funkiness. Plenty of blueberry, blackberry absolute or chocolate in just the right amount of that unique rocky taste. The wine was just so pure and rich. The finish was long, sweet and so enjoyable. Mouth feel was just right in every way.

11/9/2017 - afu wrote:

Every time I think Matt Reynvaan creates something spectacular he goes out and raises the bar even higher This is a tour de force for his new personal label, MTR. A project that began over 5 years ago was quietly released to the public last weekend at fall release. Those of us fortunate enough to taste realized just how special this wine is.

100% Syrah, barrel aged 2 years and in the bottle 3 more resulted in a velvety smooth, ready to drink Syrah, with a long finish and at 13.1 % alcohol, no heat at all. There is plenty of fruit, blueberry blackberry - bright but gentle, not in your face at all. Quality is exactly what you would expect from one of his best blocks. And just a hint of that Walla Walla funk that took me 3 tastings to identify. Initially I just wasn’t sure.

This wine is so enjoyable that I feel a twinge of guilt every time I open a bottle. This is a very very limited introductory release. Get some while you can.

7/24/2017 - afu wrote:

Real easy 93. This is seriously delicious. Inherently sweet; sweet oak, licorice, cassis, great moth feel and a very nice finish.

7/13/2017 - afu wrote:

Tight, bitter, harsh, hot at opening. The 80 represents a major improvement to something drinkable. Way too young as well who knows - maybe this will become decent.

7/14/2017 - afu wrote:

Thoroughly enjoyed this bottle. Got better as evening progressed with more frui and some complexity developing. Cherry but not overwhelmingly sweet and notes of earthiness and smoke. Nice finish. No rough edges anywhere.

3/25/2017 - afu wrote:

Don't see this as a 97 especially for Parker. Solid 92+ at this point. Unfair to drink so young. Like a finely tailored English suit everything is exactly where it should be. Dark color, dark fruit black cherry and more. High alcohol evident, glycerine legs I couldn't believe. A little lighter than a Napa big boy cab though pure with a nice finish. Really deserves some time. Already enjoyed most 2 of our 3 bottles.

3/8/2017 - afu wrote:

Decent daily drinker. Medium bodied, decent concentration, not oaky or tannic, everything was very nice. Finish medium in length and pleasant. Some spice, some chocolate, medium bodied without the richness that higher scoring wines take for granted. Will pick my spot for serving the remaining bottle.

2/23/2017 - afu wrote:

Beautiful nose on opening, unmistakable Bordeaux style blend from the start. Missing is the merlot component so a little more edge then what I was expecting. Nitpicking aside the color dark, vibrant notes of dark fruit, some leather and spice. Very enjoyable. Packed with enough power to stay enjoyable for a long time.

2/9/2017 - afu wrote:

Having reviewed my scoring, I've tightened up a lot. Feel comfortable with a 93. This is seriously good wine. Even better with some time breathing. And much better second day. OK their is fruit forward but in a very nice way. Strong tannins when first opened. Really really needs a good hour to show well. Very rich, full, with great mouth feel and a plush nose when first opened. Finish goes on and on. Would be special with some real time to sort themselves out.

1/26/2017 - afu wrote:

On the low end of good. Nothing at all remarkable about this one. Though to be fair it was the 4th attempt of the night, the previous 3 Brunelli were cooked. No discernible flavors other than some relatively tired fruit. Mini finish, all-in-all an OK to good older Brunello just about worth drinking.

1/23/2017 - afu wrote:

Near perfect, the epitome of what a modern Brunello should be. Opens to sweet, pure red fruit, think cherries along with spice, cedar some licorice and more. The finish is simply gorgeous. It goes on and on with a perfect mouth feel. The only weakness is a tendency to react less than ideally to open bottle time. In the near term drank better as pop and pour than breathing in a glass or bottle. Quite possibly extended decanter time might turn all that around. But will never know at least for this bottle. If all Brunello was anywhere near this enjoyable I would be offloading most everything else and looking for more great Brnello.

1/21/2017 - afu wrote:

I know it's young but couldn't resist. And glad I didn't. This is a ripe, rich, well structured elegant though young thoroughbred. Plenty of fruit, some meat, spice and more. It tastes and feels so pure. Though there's tannin and wood to hold down the overall excellence at this time. Will revisit often and expect it to get better and better.

11/12/2016 - afu wrote:

Very pleasant Grenache, light in color cherry and other light berry, nice long sweet finish, w slight twist of Walla Walla salty funk.

11/6/2016 - afu wrote:

This is a very special Washington Cabernet. Dark fruit, chocolate and some spice come together to provided a smooth, balanced treat. There's just a hint of that meaty Walla Walla funk. Mouth feel is just right and there's a long sweet finish. Not a single rough edge. Almost felt guilty about drinking this so young but glad I did. With some bottle time this will be a treat. And it's built to last as evidenced by some other older Reynvaan wines we tasted. You can enjoy them now, they drink well young or give them time, they get better and better with age.

11/6/2016 - afu wrote:

Pop and pour immediately after it travel to us. "Nice" best describes this wine. Easy to drink, tannins well managed, balanced and no harshness. Notes of cherry and chocolate. Not a powerhouse. Perfect Sunday nighter.

10/26/2016 - afu wrote:

Another older bad Brunello. If this keeps up bye-bye Brunello. Cork ok, just tired, flat and done. So erratic, one great followed by awful. Suggest drinking up at these older Brunellos. And have a spare ready you may well need it.

10/23/2016 - afu wrote:

Easy 93, best '01 Poggio Antico yet. Was really surprised at how much vibrancy there was in the fruit. Time has rounded any rough edges. Plenty of rich dark cherry and other dark fruit - plum & blackberry. Hint of tobacco. Nothing tired or stale, a structured Brunello in absolute prime drinking window. And rewarded with a long enjoyable finish. And no extended decant just pop, pour and enjoy.

10/6/2016 - afu wrote:

Flirts with perfection. More time to breath and a better pairing and this is an easy 99. Among my top 5 all-time. Dark blue fruits, mineral it's that's slightly salty, beef, a little pepper and a LONG sweet finish form a near perfect package. Still needs just a little more time

9/30/2016 - afu wrote:

Awful! White mold on cork. Cork was soft, moment I started screwing in the key I knew this was a goner! Too many bad Brunellos of late. And it's not our storage.

9/28/2016 - afu wrote:

Scary, tonight OK, mature, cherry and dark berry with an undercurrent of something not good. Dark in color with some bricking. Medium finish. These of been all over the lot, never know what we're going to get. Very nice when they're good and awful when they're bad.

9/18/2016 - afu wrote:

At this stage there's notable aging or maturing to be kinder. Plenty of dark fruit, spice and notes of leather. Nose was very rich and enticing. And like most Kamen cab a long, smooth rich and enjoyable finish. Good enough this we're going to rejoin the mailing list. For the money in a sea of inflated CA cab, this is a great under the radar value.

9/13/2016 - afu wrote:

Another spoiled '01 Montosoli. Stored properly from day 1. About 1 of every 2 or 3 is bad. And with absolutely no seepage it's not oxidized or a bad cork. I think the QC wasn't there. Kind of like a Forrest Gump wine, open one you never know what you're going to get. On a more serious note, if you have these remaining your seller drink up and have a standby at the ready. You'll most likely need it.

9/7/2016 - afu wrote:

Overall a very easy 93. Not fair to pop and pour. Kept opening and getting richer until it was all gone. Like all Reynvaan a long pure and very satisfying finish. Plenty of rocky terroir along with purple and dark fruit.

7/19/2016 - afu wrote:

Flirted with perfection. Shows a French influence in its richness, purity, balance and earthy nuances. This wine is in its prime enjoyment window. Best Astralis or Australian I've ever had.