9/30/2021 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Decanted. Lots of fine sediment. Consumed over 3 hours with no fall off of nose or palate. Really solid bottle of wine. Balanced, structured, complex, not youthful but definitely not aged. Excited to have a few more of these in the cellar.

3/1/2020 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Paired with rare ahi tuna and a Thai influenced sauce (mildly spicy). Quite pleasant. Nose had a decent hint of petrol that typically comes through in older German Rieslings. Bit of spice cabinet on the palate, as the flavors ran more on the savory side.

7/31/2019 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Very good wine at the price point. Needed 30 minutes of air in the glass to come around. Would decant next time.

7/17/2019 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Pop and pour. Consumed over 3 hours. Copious amounts of sediment, could have used a decant. Dark opaque red color. Flavors of black raspberry and bing cherries. Balanced acidity. Grippy tannins. Would purchase again.

4/18/2019 - MagnumGourmet wrote:

Pop and poured. Noticed the top of the bottle had a slight chip in the glass (poor quality control?). Typically I prefer to allow chardonnay to warm up from cellar temperature over an evening to see how the complexities of the wine develop and change. This wine definitely prefers to be in the chilled side as the warmer temps brought out harsher/unpleasant notes on the nose. Interesting, but would not purchase again.

4/8/2019 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Exquisite bottle of wine.

3/23/2019 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Was initially concerned due to the cork having wine creep nearly all the way up to the top. Fears were quickly put to rest. Needed 30 minutes of air to really open up. Aromas of white peppercorn and hatch chiles. Broad, but bright mouthfeel. Flavors of cranberry and dark cocoa powder. Would purchase again.

2/8/2019 - MagnumGourmet wrote:

Realize this wine is a baby, but needed to pair with butternut squash soup. Popped and poured. First sniff was extremely tight, so made myself a cocktail to allow the wine to open up for an hour. Nose had wet mushroom, and an olive brine aroma. Palate had young and aggressive tannin structure that needs a bunch of time to settle into. Later in the evening, the nose closed up and the wine just wasn't giving much feedback. Quill revisit next bottle in 3-5 years to see how it's evolved.

2/5/2019 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Twisted and poured (screwcap). This wine is just starting to come into its own. Absolutely singing. Expressive floral and savory nose. Crisp acidity. Citrus and vanilla on the palate.
This stands head and shoulders above other Washington chardonnay.

1/21/2019 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Exceptional bottle of wine.

1/20/2019 - MagnumGourmet wrote:

Heavy cork taint.

12/21/2018 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Exceptional bottle of champagne. Fine bubbles. Touch of bread dough with lots of nutty aromas. Hint of candied orange peel on the palate.

12/16/2018 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Needed a 6 hour decant to open up.

11/2/2018 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Twisted and poured. Vibrant green gold color. Savory and spiced nose with coriander and crushed mustard seed. Weighty mouthfeel that transitions to crisp acidity. Exquisite!

10/28/2018 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Good bit of sediment, but I am glad that I didn't decant as the aromas the first 90 minutes were ethereal (and those afterwards were just very good). So, the extra aeration may not be a benefit at this point in the wine's evolution. Absolutely no hint of age on the color. Very deep purple. The nose was extremely savory, and bounced between pozole or roast chicken and olives. The palate had elements of an unsweetened sasparilla cola. Tannins were still quite pronounced on the back palate and lingered on the finish. Drinking exceptionally right now.

10/7/2018 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Solid wine. Improved throughout the evening. Paired with slow roast pork loin.

10/7/2018 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Most balanced Wine I've made. Drinking really well right now.

10/6/2018 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Initial nose of pie cherries right after the cork came out, but blew off quickly. Quite sad that this is the last bottle I have as this has oodles of life left in it. Evolved and improved over the few hours the bottle lasted. Striking, but balanced acidity. Tannins are maturing, but still have a pronounced structure. Full mouthfeel. Had a hard time pinning down aroma and flavor profiles. Just really well balanced. Would purchase again.

7/31/2018 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Cork in fine shape with less than a cm of saturation up the sides. Garnet color with a fairly well defined edge that had hints of bricking. Nose had lost most all of the aromas except a bit of oak. Super silky on the mouthfeel with a 5 second burst of sweet raspberry/strawberry on the palate. After that moment of glory the wine drops off a flavor cliff and the finish became overly acidic and stemmy. Drink 'em if you got 'em. Although the mid-palate is still wonderful, the wine is riding off into the sunset. Glad I still had one to see how it was holding up.

5/27/2018 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Lots of life left. Deep golden color. Lemon oil on the palate. Would purchase again.

5/22/2018 - MagnumGourmet Does not like this wine:

Just didn't do it for me tonight. Nothing technically wrong with it, just not aligned with my palate.

4/16/2018 - MagnumGourmet wrote:

Tight, tight, tight...Even with a decant.

4/9/2018 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Twisted and poured. Dark cranberry color, with no hint of age. Nose was gigantic with elements of soy sauce, espresso, pine tar and charred lamb. Palate had lots of stone (mineral), Rainier cherry and rosemary. Drinking really nicely right now, but no signs of it being past its peak.

3/25/2018 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Light golden color. Stone and mineral on the nose. Tropical fruits on the palate. Substantial silky texture on the tongue without being flabby. Few winemakers can do Washington Chardonnay well, but this is one of them. Would purchase again.

3/3/2018 - MagnumGourmet wrote:

Popped and poured. Should have decanted for sediment. Inky black. Nose of green and white peppercorns. Subtle black currant flavor. Light texture on the mouthfeel. Clean finish. Would purchase again.

2/23/2018 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Solid bottle right from the get go, but really started to elevate as it warmed slightly from cellar temperature. Nose of honey, lime, wet rock and biscuit dough. Flavors jumped all over the place with notes of green apple, mild blue cheese, vanilla infused whipped cream. The palate had both a weighty viscosity as well as a laser focused acidity to keep it luxurious without being overblown. Finish lasted a good minute. Would purchase again.

1/14/2018 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Could have used a decanting to alleviate soeme of the sediment, but concerned that extra oxygen would have been detrimental to the wine. This bottle sang for about 90 minutes before starting a quick decline. Color is starting to show some bricking. Aromas of leather, green peppercorns. Could definitely tell that this had a sizable % of Cab Franc in it. Flavors of hard strawberry candy and rainier cherry. At about the 2 hour mark, the flavors shifted into a more medicinal note (akin to Robitussin). Very enjoyable wine early on in the evening's evolution. Drink 'em if you got 'em!

9/28/2017 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Singing beautifully tonight.

8/8/2017 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Beautiful bottle of wine that is taking on some more mature notes while hitting the balance of an older Riesling. Nose of diesel and kiwi. Any residual sugar has faded from a sweetness standpoint and is there to provide some broadening in the palate. Healthy amount of acid without being tart. Would purchase again.

7/16/2017 - MagnumGourmet wrote:

VA - Slightly distracting, but not so much that it was off putting.

6/7/2017 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Excellent bottle of merlot. Heady aromas of spice, plums and what I can only describe as rendered pork fat from a grilled piece of meat. Full structure on the palate. Balanced acid. Would purchase again.

5/11/2017 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and decanted. No sediment. Very intriguing and savory nose. Palate was very young and disjointed. Give it more time in the cellar. Would purchase again.

5/8/2017 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Clear, bright rainier cherry color. Nose of white peppercorns, Italian plums and cumin. Flavors of ripe raspberry. Wine is soft up front with more acid hitting the back of the tongue. First half hour was best, then the finish got a bit disjointed as the wine was exposed to more air.

3/6/2017 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This vintage is finally starting to come into it's own. The mid palate is beginning to gain some weight and the greener tannin structure has mellowed. Nose of Rainier cherry, ripe strawberry and grilled bell pepper. Palate has Italian plum, a hint of barrel toast and some leafiness (from the cool vintage). Good acid. Shorter finish. Would purchase again.

2/27/2017 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Knew better, but didn't decant and paid for it with lots of grit in the final glass. Mushroom on the nose. Lots of fruit on the palate, cherry, black raspberry and strawberry candy. Grippy tannin. Balanced acid. Would purchase again.

2/25/2017 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Took about an hour for the wine to open up. Bit muted at first and then got very complex and exciting. Would purchase again.

2/23/2017 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Should have decanted due to sediment. Exquisite wine. The nose just jumped from the glass with elements of whole leaf chewing tobacco, white pepper and a forest service road in the summer (hot earth). Balanced acidity, resolved tannin structure. Would purchase again.

2/14/2017 - MagnumGourmet Does not like this wine:

Popped and poured. Should have decanted due to the heavy sediment. Was not feeling this wine tonight. Was primarily tannin and oak. Didn't improve over the evening. Oh well!

2/6/2017 - MagnumGourmet wrote:

Popped and poured. Nearly identical to the last bottle I had of this. Copious amounts of bubbles, reductive nose, sharp acidity, sour apple palate and an aggressive finish that peaks quickly and then falls off of a cliff. Five seconds after swallowing, it's like you never had a sip of wine. Interesting Champagne, but not something I would actively seek out.

1/8/2017 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. The bottom of the cork was coated in hardened sediment. I should have decanted (my bad), but even with a careful last glass pour it ended up a bit gritty. The wine is in a great place right now. Complex nose with aromas of potpourri, rose petals, saddle leather and toasted coconut. The flavors of black currant and leather really shone through. Light, but adequate amount of acid to keep it from coming across flabby. Paired with a swiss chard minestrone soup made from a porcini broth. The food and the wine elevated the aromas and flavors of each other. Would purchase again.

1/6/2017 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Very consistent with prior trading notes. Would purchase again.

12/31/2016 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Complex, savory notes on the nose. Elements of pipe tobacco, green peppercorns, anise and fresh baked bread crust right out of the oven. The palate had bits of thyme and more green peppercorn as well as black raspberry. I saved a glass or so in the bottle to try the next day. Day 2 was serviceable, but not very exciting. Mostly barrel notes with all of the fruit in the background. This wine is drinking very nicely right now and I would say that it's likely in it's peak. The risk of holding on to one of these vs the potential for flavor/aroma improvements doesn't seem like a good bet to me. Drink up.

12/24/2016 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Decanted, not much sediment. Started to just come around about three hours in. Needs more cellar time, or a long decant.

12/18/2016 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Consistent notes from prior bottle. Lots of burnt orange peel on the nose. Not enough acidity to cut through the sweet, but also not "fat" on the palate.

11/17/2016 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Should have decanted. A bit of tannin on the fore front which started to settle down about an hour in. Good fruit, balanced acid. Hold a while longer. Would purchase again.

10/25/2016 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Decanted. Excellent effort.

8/17/2016 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Paired with a cantaloupe & peach soup as well as strips of prosciutto. The dryness of the Brut Nature was a surprisingly poor match with the slight sweetness of the soup. It brought out a funky aged component of the Champagne that I was not a fan of. After cleaning the palate with a few slices of salty prosciutto, the wine had a much more balanced nose and palate. Fine bubbles with moderate quantity. Balanced acidity. Would purchase again.

8/4/2016 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Notes of wet earth jump from the glass. This wine is dirty in all the right ways. Flavors of mild cinnamon and Italian plums. Balanced acidity. Still very youthful with a dark purple color. Oak was well integrated until the finish when it became a touch too front and center. Would purchase again.

8/1/2016 - MagnumGourmet Does not like this wine:

Too much residual sugar. No indication on label that this is not a dry wine. 50% Chardonnay / 50% Viognier. Would not purchase again.

7/12/2016 - MagnumGourmet Likes this wine:

It was in spectacular shape (won the taste competition with the Betz). Still very youthful. Aromas of olives, roasted marshmallows, soy sauce and raspberry salt water taffy. We've been holding onto this one since we first visited the winery. Thought it was time to break it out, but could easily have aged another number of years. Would purchase again.