1/19/2024 - krmcgrath Likes this wine:

Tasty. Earth, mineral, briar and dark fruit. Speaks Italian on the finish.

1/2/2024 - krmcgrath wrote:

A bit of an offputting funk and mustiness. Seems like a solid nebbiolo underneath but I think it's flawed.

4/22/2023 - krmcgrath wrote:

Fine Thursday night with a simple meal. Didn't weather over night though.

4/20/2023 - krmcgrath Likes this wine:

Interesting. I’m definitely more in BOTTLESCHOLAR’s camp then PORTLAND SETH’s (who I'm generally aligned with) on this one. I get all the smokey, meaty, tobacco notes complicating dark cherry and something blacker. I’m not really getting the cloying, flabby cough syrup vibe. Maybe a bit blocky and straight forward and not what you would call elegant but I’m good with the $20 spent. Bottle variation?

9/15/2022 - krmcgrath Likes this wine:

Dark cherry, dark chocolate and coffee. Oily. Herbs. Enough acidity to counter balance. Rustic and a little stemmy but no green. Working for me on this Thursday night.

9/5/2022 - krmcgrath Likes this wine:

Simple, tasty and easy to drink. A subtle nod to elegance and place.

1/22/2022 - krmcgrath wrote:

Definitely fruity but with no layering depth. Lots of scorched earthy notes and drying, somewhat green tannins dominating the finish. Not bad but also not really interesting or satisfying and not ideal on it’s own. Don’t think this is one that just needs some more time, it is what it is.

11/18/2021 - krmcgrath Likes this wine:

Give it some air

9/30/2021 - krmcgrath wrote:

Lots of dark cherry fruit tangled up in some briary terroir and juicy acidity. Maybe just the slightest hint of something unwanted happening in the bottle. But still, very enjoyable.

7/29/2021 - krmcgrath Likes this wine:

Shoot, for $12 I'm a fan.
Garagiste is of course a mixed bag but more often than not I'm pleased with what I get. But I've been with Jon a long time. I can read between the lines of his expositions a bit and I know what I like.
But you know, I still won't commit heavy to a wine I haven't tasted. So it's not uncommon for me to think I wish I'd doubled down on one of his wines.
This is one. Thursday night with a simple meal and a glass or two of this (for $12 a bottle)...

2/28/2021 - krmcgrath wrote:

Go ahead and drink this. It's fruit is receding and now part of a beautiful mature mix of earth, mushroom and easy acidity.

11/23/2019 - krmcgrath wrote:

Really tasty but with a green Cab Franc kinda vibe. Dark fruit, brambly earthy notes and fairly big smooth tannins. Great with food and good on it's own.

2/19/2019 - krmcgrath wrote:

Good fruit but the greenish tannins want to be the show. Does not hold up well over night.

2/8/2019 - krmcgrath wrote:

Dark cherry syrup with alcohol and tannins providing spice. Medium bodied and moderate acidity. Cork says Icardi.

1/25/2019 - krmcgrath wrote:

Deep, dark expressive nose. Dark fruit with good acidity and tannic presence. Cedary resolving oak notes hang on for a good while. Singing tonight.

1/2/2019 - krmcgrath Likes this wine:

I really like this wine. Rustic and honest, it's dark and juicy with surprisingly good balance. Food friendly but fine on it's own. Nearly perfect for Wednesday night at under $10.

12/20/2018 - krmcgrath wrote:

Good but oak notes overwhelm the fact that this is a wine made from grapes at this point. Don't see it improving much with more time.

6/21/2018 - krmcgrath wrote:

Red fruit, blood, currants and plums. Juicy and just a little oxidized tasting.

3/9/2018 - krmcgrath Likes this wine:

Dark fruits, coffee, just a touch of green to the present tannins. A little more roasty than I normally like. Would do well with a full flavored meal.

9/24/2017 - krmcgrath wrote:

Tart, fizzy, off. Poured out and opened another. This one is fine.

8/2/2017 - krmcgrath wrote:

Dark translucent ruby and medium weight. Lean and dry but with nice dark fruit, slightly stemmy tannins and moderate acidity. Opens with a little air and nicely complimented our meal without competing.

6/2/2017 - krmcgrath wrote:

All stems, earth, spice, alcohol and barrel. Dark fruits counterbalance but play second to the more savory elements. Nicely done if that's your thing and a beautiful match with our grilled steak.

5/11/2017 - krmcgrath wrote:

Past it's prime. Pruney, sherried, lots of olive and alcohol. Has been stored well in my cellar for over a decade. Oh well.

5/10/2017 - krmcgrath wrote:

In a very good place. Deep dark red, full bodied and great balance. Terrific along side a funky cheese and olive plate.

3/3/2017 - krmcgrath wrote:

Nice dark fruit that's mellowed, gotten more delicate and complex. But ultimately this is unbalanced leaning way to heavily on oak.

2/11/2017 - krmcgrath Likes this wine:

This was in great shape thankfully. Decanted, gave it a bit of air. Dark, full, savory and beautiful.

2/3/2017 - krmcgrath wrote:

Pnp. This is a big wine that wants your attention. Dark fruits mix with smoke, coffee and char which then give way to a core of stems, tannins and moderate acidity. Had this by itself but feel it would show better with more air and a grilled steak.

1/13/2017 - krmcgrath wrote:

Mushrooms, plums, currant. A hint of road kill. In the mouth resolved slightly green tannins, dark fruit and coffee then apple and lingering acidity. Lots of flavor and interest and not at all dense or heavy. Nice experience for the tarif.

1/11/2017 - krmcgrath wrote:

I liked this Italian house wine. Even though it is moderate bodied (not a bad thing), clean and straight forward, it is balanced nicely with round dark red fruit, easy tannins and lingering moderate acidity. For $12 it worked well for us with a simple Wednesday night meal.
This was actually better on day 2.

12/26/2016 - krmcgrath Likes this wine:

Dark berries, coffee, motor oil, iodine. Extracted and more oak notes than I currently like, this still has nice balance with noticeable acidity and smooth resolving tannins.

12/18/2016 - krmcgrath Likes this wine:

Pleased with this straight forward medium weight example. Dark cherry, earth and floral notes balance the smooth, slightly chalky tannins. Best with food but fine on it's own.

12/8/2016 - krmcgrath wrote:

Corked

12/7/2016 - krmcgrath Likes this wine:

The nose shows old world grenache, dark fruit, licorice and lavender. This is medium bodied with nice minerality and plenty of just ripe tannins. The dark fruit quickly transitions to earth and spice on a lingering finish. Traditional, balanced, terroir driven, delicious.

11/24/2016 - krmcgrath wrote:

Dark and red fruit, lots of resolving oak, tobacco and slightly green tannins. Smooth and round. Drink now.

11/14/2016 - krmcgrath wrote:

Tons of personality starting night one after a good bit of air through night two. Different, food friendly and starting to come together (though it probably will continue to improve).

10/22/2016 - krmcgrath wrote:

Two corked bottles. Bummer.

10/22/2016 - krmcgrath wrote:

This seems to have improved since my last bottle 10 months ago. The dark fruit still hides behind earthiness and moderate acidity but it's got things going on that bring interest and it worked well with our meal. More France than California.

10/20/2016 - krmcgrath wrote:

This is starting to come around. Upon opening it seemed tart and slightly off. After an hour in the glass it showed ripe dark and red fruit, then spice from both barrel and alcohol. Not sure where it is going but it is in as good a spot as it's ever been.

10/12/2016 - krmcgrath Likes this wine:

Nice surprise. Funk, briar, blackberry, a little leaf and loam all on a medium frame. Excellent Tuesday wine for us at $10.

5/12/2016 - krmcgrath wrote:

Give it some air and its a gutsy acidic terrior driven party. Food wine.

4/14/2016 - krmcgrath wrote:

Found this buried in my cellar. Regrettably past it's prime IMO.

4/3/2016 - krmcgrath wrote:

Dark broad red fruit balanced with mature tannins and moderate acidity. Not complex but full and round with a lingering finish. Very nice with our pizzas tonight.

4/2/2016 - krmcgrath wrote:

Full bodied, dry and brambly. Green, motor oil and heavy barrel char combine to make this not my thing.
Note: A few hours of air was good to this, bringing it much more into balance. Upped my score 2 points.

3/31/2016 - krmcgrath Likes this wine:

Classic styled mountain cabernet. Really maturing well.

3/11/2016 - krmcgrath wrote:

Ripe fruit but not particularly bright. Easy drinking, food friendly CC. Not complex and not as nervy as I'd like but it went well tonight with our simple meal and continued to drink well after.

2/14/2016 - krmcgrath wrote:

Dark fruit, coffee and brier with lots of dry smooth integrated but slightly green tannins. Medium to full bodied. Old world leaning and cab franc dominant. Really nice expression.

12/21/2015 - krmcgrath wrote:

Light in the mouth. Dry, nearly green. It's fruit just peaks up above the earthy flavors and it's acidity gives it some life. Nearly like an entry level bourgonge. The 2012 was much more giving.

8/2/2015 - krmcgrath wrote:

Dark, smokey with hints of dried herbs accenting it's dark red and black fruit. Balanced towards easy drinking, medium to full bodied with low to moderate acidity. Pretty and in balance. Ripe but not overly done. Drink now.

7/16/2015 - krmcgrath wrote:

Pretty darn good. Rich and full bodied but still true to it's cool climate. This has really matured well.

7/15/2015 - krmcgrath wrote:

Deep dark ripe red fruit with smooth tannins, moderate acidity and a nice earthy bitter undercurrent. A lot of sediment with this bottle. Seems close to peak.