5/3/2024 - Kentw wrote:

Medium plus weight, a mix of blue and black fruits. Sweet fruit profile, with a smooth middle and soft finish. No tannin to speak of. Good drinker on its own. I liked it better two years prior when it had more structure in the palate.

5/4/2024 - Kentw wrote:

Easy drinker at this stage. Medium plus weight with mixed black fruits. Very mild mid-level acidity and finishes soft. Not as good as hyped, but a decent wine.

5/3/2024 - Kentw wrote:

Has started to improve since the last bottle in Dec. 2023. Solid structure for such a reasonably priced wine. Full body, dark fruits, and a soft tannin on the finish. Went well with some hard cheeses. It is better with food. I expect it will improve some more in the next 2 years.

4/21/2024 - Kentw wrote:

Medium body, dry and very acidic. If you can get around the acidity, there is some nice fruit behind it. Drink with food to reduce the sharp acidity, even after 14 years.

4/11/2024 - Kentw Likes this wine:

Quite drinkable and enjoyable at this point. Medium plus weight, smooth, mostly black, and some red fruits. Shows Paso Robles Cab notes, mild acidity, and not much tannin at the finish. An easy drinker that can be paired with salmon to various meats but not heavily smoked or grilled.

4/5/2024 - Kentw wrote:

Past prime - Flawed.

3/23/2024 - Kentw wrote:

A bit austere. Age shows in color with a bit of funk on the initial opening. Usual Brunello terroir notes, decent drinker for weekdays but nothing special.

3/30/2024 - Kentw wrote:

Full-bodied now with dark fruits but needs to be decanted for 30-plus minutes. Will go well with a nice steak.

3/31/2024 - Kentw Likes this wine:

Similar to prior notes. Just give it an hour decant.

3/28/2024 - Kentw wrote:

Medium plus body. Blackberry and some sour cherry notes. More acidic in mid palate than anticipated for this age and a bit flat on the finish. Was better a few years ago but drinkable now. Just don’t expect too much.

2/19/2024 - Kentw Likes this wine:

Medium weight, smooth, and lean. In an excellent spot right now. Nice mix of red and some black fruits. Smooth finish. Aerated and decanted for a few hours. Prior was a bit acidic, but allowing it to breathe, it showed its stuff very well. Friends enjoyed it tremendously and was better than a San Leonardo, Super Tuscan which was more expensive and fuller. Extra few years in the cellar paid off handsomely.

2/17/2024 - Kentw Does not like this wine:

This bottle was not very good. All I tasted was burnt toast and licorice. No fruit at all and burnt toast notes were still there on the third day.
What a variation in bottle over the years. Very disappointed with this wine.

2/12/2024 - Kentw wrote:

More intense than prior bottles. Heavy and somewhat muted dark fruit notes. Maybe past prime, have a few other bottles to confirm.

12/15/2023 - Kentw Likes this wine:

Full bodied Zin. Not as jammy as in some years. More cab like but retains the sweet fruit profile it is known for and which my wife enjoys. Very tasty wine and goes well with some nice cheeses.

2/7/2024 - Kentw wrote:

Even better than last bottle. Sweet dark fruits with mid level acidity and a tasty long finish with a touch of drying tannins. Best Go Figure Cab that I have purchased to date. Suspect that it is near or at its peak with some years left.

2/3/2024 - Kentw Likes this wine:

This has aged quite well. Medium plus weight, dark fruits are very well balanced, smooth and silky at this point. Finishes with mild tannins. Mid palate is well blended and not acidic as in past years. Friends enjoyed it very much.

1/29/2024 - Kentw Likes this wine:

Full bodied, very dark fruits with a predominance of black cherry, but not over the top. Mild acidity in mid palate and finishes with soft tannin and some bitter dark chocolate notes. Has aged well. Good drinker for a nice steak.

1/21/2024 - Kentw wrote:

This bottle was better than the last one, my last bottle. Full body, heavy, very dark fruits dominate with some burnt toast and fairly dry. The flavor profile is longer providing distinct fruit characteristics, but some may like it this way. Just very dense because of age and it never matured to what was expected based on prior vintages.

1/17/2024 - Kentw wrote:

Quite tart and acidic. Not as good as previous bottles.

1/14/2024 - Kentw wrote:

Full-body wine with lots of dark fruits and Atlas Peak cab notes that resemble Coombsville. Starts with solid fruit up front, and mid-level acidity with sour cherry but finishes with too much earthiness even after aerating and decanting for an hour which detracts from the fruit notes and overall enjoyment. Let's see what day 2 brings if the earthiness backs off.

1/9/2024 - Kentw Likes this wine:

Similar to the last bottle. Medium plus body, dark fruits, very smooth. Reasonable length finish. Very nice buy from WTSO. Good QPR.

1/2/2024 - Kentw wrote:

Quite acidic. Fruit notes hard to distinguish under so much acidity. Variations in bottles are obvious.Similar to bottles drank in 2022. Very disappointed given that I thoroughly enjoyed the 2012 vintage.

12/23/2023 - Kentw wrote:

Full body with black fruits. Some mid palate acidity and reasonable finish. Bold wine, but not complex. Decent with food, red meats in particular, but not memorable. Last bottle drank in 2022 was more balanced.

12/31/2023 - Kentw Likes this wine:

Very nice wine. Medium plus body, very smooth, almost silky at this stage. It is a nice blend of Cabernet with black fruit notes that are in harmony with one another. Very pleasant finish. Friends enjoyed it very much. Maybe peaking, so drink up.

12/12/2023 - Kentw wrote:

It is a good wine for the price point. Bold, full body with good fruit in the front, medium acidity in the middle, and tight tannin on the long finish. Suggest another couple of years in the cellar or a long decant to soften the finish. Great QPR. Tried the big brother which was twice the price. It is better balanced with a smoother finish.

12/6/2023 - Kentw wrote:

Intense, full bodied wine. Lots of dark fruits and licorice. Needs a few hours in the decanter. Good with a good steak. Could use another couple of years in the cellar, but good to drink now.

12/13/2023 - Kentw Likes this wine:

Full body and well balanced. Mixed black and some red fruit notes but overall balance in the drinking profile stands out. Friends enjoyed it very much with lunch.

12/19/2023 - Kentw wrote:

Bold and full body but not over the top. Good mixed dark fruits with vanilla notes present at outset but finishes a touch flat. Good with food but needs another few years to soften the finishing tannin and be a bit more balanced. Good potential and great QPR at $15 on sale. Tastes like a young $40 wine. Expect it to improve in 2-3 years. It would be my bargain wine for 2023.

11/29/2023 - Kentw wrote:

Just ok. Better with food. Did not find the same fruit expression as the professional scores. Medium weight, mixed dark fruits, fairly smooth finish. Nothing really stood out, ok drinker but not memorable.

11/2/2023 - Kentw Likes this wine:

This was an excellent value wine - Great QPR. Dark fruits, smooth, mild tannin with dark chocolate notes on the finish. Wish I had gotten more of the 2018. Compares favorably with many $50 cabs. It was great with short ribs.

10/31/2023 - Kentw Likes this wine:

This was a good bottle similar to prior ones other than the January 2023 drinker

10/22/2023 - Kentw wrote:

This bottle was was not as good as the one in March. Full body, dark fruits but quite dry and not as balanced and bold. Maybe some variations by bottle. It was fine with food, but a bit too much without it.

10/15/2023 - Kentw wrote:

Old world flavor profile, medium weight, color shows age. Mid-palate acidity and long finish. However, the barnyard funk can be a bit distracting for the first 60 minutes after opening. On day two funk dissipates and flavor profile improves.

10/16/2023 - Kentw wrote:

Bold and heavy. Full-bodied, black fruits with coffee grounds, black cherry at the outset. Medium acidity and fair dry finish. Decanted for 90 mins. Could do with another couple of years in the cellar to soften some.

9/23/2023 - Kentw Likes this wine:

This was very good. Off-dry with great white fruit flavors and a very nice finish.

9/30/2023 - Kentw Likes this wine:

This bottle was quite good. Full-bodied with that Coombsvile cab profile. This bottling has had quite a bit of variance. This unit was more what I expected and it drank very nicely. The extra year in storage has helped it.

9/17/2023 - Kentw Likes this wine:

Been quite a while since my last bottle. After 13+ years this wine is now a very solid cab, full-bodied, with dark fruits dominating, and ready for a big grilled steak. No funk at all. Would compare to a $50 plus wine today. But you had to wait 13+ years to get to this point. 90 -91

9/8/2023 - Kentw wrote:

Flawed. The nose was ok, definitely past prime but the cork crumbled and the wine tasted like cooked raisins

9/4/2023 - Kentw wrote:

Medium plus weight, mixed dark, and some red fruit profile, acidity prominent in mid-palate but not excessive, but has a tart lingering finish which is distracting to my palate. May need 2-3 more years in the cellar to balance the tart finish with the mild tannin. Rate 88 now, but possibly to 90 in a few years if the tartness softens.

9/6/2023 - Kentw wrote:

Full body, dark heavy fruits, and quite peppery. A bit stiff right now, could use another 2 years in the cellar.

8/14/2023 - Kentw wrote:

Nothing special. Forgetful wine. Everyday drinker. Better with food.

8/21/2023 - Kentw wrote:

Everyday table wine. Nothing special. Dry, sour cherry and some dark fruits. Nothing stands out. Better with food and on second day. Not memorable.

8/12/2023 - Kentw wrote:

Best after a long decant to reduce the acidity and become more balanced.

7/31/2023 - Kentw wrote:

Somilar to last bottle. Full, dark fruits dominant, intense. Good with food.

7/18/2023 - Kentw Likes this wine:

Good solid structure, full body, dark, and intense. A bit too intense at this time. Needs another 2-3 years to settle down a bit further. I think it has the opportunity to get to a 92 or 93. But needs more time. My last Carodorum was the 2004 vintage with a red label, which was very nice starting to drink in 2010 thru 2018. Found it most balanced after 2014. That is 10 years in the cellar. It has longevity. Found this at Costco which was a surprise as I have not seen it available for many years.

6/24/2023 - Kentw Likes this wine:

Good drinker with food. Mid-palate acidity and easy finish. Full-bodied. But I think it could have done with a couple more years in the cellar.

6/21/2023 - Kentw Likes this wine:

Excellent wine. Smooth, full-bodied but restrained, Cali cab flavors that are well-balanced with very mild tannin on the finish.

6/21/2023 - Kentw Likes this wine:

Nice and well balanced

6/21/2023 - Kentw Likes this wine:

A touch different from the last bottle in 2019. Dark, full with a touch of dry brush in the mid-palate. Mushroom and black fruits. But still quite good.

7/22/2023 - Kentw Likes this wine:

A touch better than the last bottle. Friends enjoyed it. Dark fruits and smooth finish.