8/29/2009 - skm95t wrote:

opened for recipe

9/3/2009 - skm95t wrote:

opened with spagetti

8/28/2009 - skm95t wrote:

took to BYOB

8/22/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Used for recipe, drank the rest

8/10/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Nice everyday wine with a Bordeaux feel, sweet fruit, low tannin, some complexities that made it fun

7/30/2009 - skm95t wrote:

took to byob

7/25/2009 - skm95t wrote:

took to byob

7/4/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Very good merlot, lots of cola flavor, along with cherries and vanilla. This is good for at least 5 more years

6/21/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Better than what I wrote in my previous note. . a little time probably helped. I got much of the same notes as before just better

6/10/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Julie opened with her mom

6/6/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Great complement to grilled T-bones, everything you want from a nice Cab, dark brooding color, cherries, cedar, currents complement a firm texture, still seemed a little youthful and should have many years left

6/1/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Drank with grilled rib-eye, decanted for 30 minutes before drinking then drank over 2-3 hours. Very dark and thick, very full bodied mouthfeel. Smoky, meaty, tobacco, and dense fruit (almost portish), improved over the 3 hours, very much a crowd pleaser

5/28/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Last bottle, took to a BYOB, great as always, friends liked it as well, lots of old world charm with red hots nose, bricking color, fully matured

5/27/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Drank by the pool, good as always

5/26/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Drank by the pool over 2 days, great pear, floral nose, and grapefruit palate

5/17/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Drank over two days

5/10/2009 - skm95t wrote:

drank at byob, the oak has really turned into vanilla, ready to drink now, maybe a year or two left

5/4/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Opened to drink casually by the pool

5/2/2009 - skm95t wrote:

A more medium bodied pinot, the sweet cherry fruit on the attack had a sweet and sour (or tangy) thing going on kind of like a cherry sour patch kid. The finish had a woody component that was somewhat bitter and completely separate from the attack. Overall, a good but not great pinot.

4/28/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Had as an afternoon appertif, the nose was full of peaches and red hots, on the palate the wine was not as syrupy as many late harvest wines which was nice

4/25/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Had at a steakhouse, it was served a little too warm so it took that under consideration. This is the third vintage I've had of this, and they are indistinguishable. This is consistantly a good everyday pinot, lots of cherries and spice, not much else going on but always a crowd pleasure

4/26/2009 - skm95t wrote:

The citrus and nuttyness really showed here. I got a full mouth feel expected with a chard. flavors of orange and nuts. It's probably time to drink if your holding

4/24/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Nice fruit upon opening, dry on the finish, alcohol was intrusive. . . those still holding can wait, this has several more years ahead of it

4/17/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Drank while watching a game

4/17/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Took to a BYOB, no tasting notes but it was good

4/12/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Very nice bottle that complements food very well, bright fruits on the nose with some cedar, nice dry mouthfeel, tannins suggest 10 more years of cellaring

4/8/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Seriously extracted deep purple wine. This is not my favorite style of wine, I get a wine head ache on my second glass after wines like this. However, for $8.50 this is a real steal. The flavors are genuine and muscular including dark fruits, white pepper, and a hint of smokyness. When I smelled my almost empty glass it smelled like a red wine reduction sauce I make. Very rich wine.

4/5/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Poured in decanter and started drinking after 15 minutes, finished over two days. This was good, but not as big and outstanding as the '01 I had about 2 years ago. That being said this is a very solid wine from a non-traditional place that would absolutely surprise any wine drinker. New world in form with cherries and plums dominate thus far, the structure suggests at least 4-5 more years of productive life left. I don't see much more room for improvement, but this is a solid high 80's wine.

3/31/2009 - skm95t wrote:

I'll try to control my excitement about this wine. After opening an Italian sangiovese that had passed its prime so we dumped it, we opened this to have with spegetti and meat sauce. The bright cherries jumped out of the glass upon opening which was completely the opposite of the bottle before where the fruit had fallen. The most interesting note was cream underneath the cherries. This creamyness came through on the palate as well, it was like drinking a cherries covered in whip cream.

As the wine opened up, more plum and spice notes started showing up, but right now the primary cherry flavors are dominant. I will definately buy more of this so I can let it sit a year and develop, then drink over 2-3 more years.

As compared to the '05, this wine is fruitier with less earthy or "terrior" componants. I would expect some of the '05 complexities to develop here as well.

3/31/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Held on too long

3/27/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Opened at GOLV's house, very approachable without decanting, a little closed a first but fruit opened up with a little air. Not as much complexities as the 2000 Lewelling I had last, but this probably has a ways to go before it reaches its potential

3/26/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Good everyday pinot, lots of crisp fruit but not a lot of complexities. I would buy again

3/23/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Decent everyday bottle of chianti, nothing jumps out as memorable, QPR is really low, this is really overpriced, many 10-15 dollar chianti's just as good, the one suprising thing is it did hold up in the decanter over 2 days

3/22/2009 - skm95t wrote:

This wine continues to impress everytime we open it. I've had it a dozen times over several vintages and it is consistant from year to year.

3/17/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Given a bottle on vacation, drank a glass at night over 3 nights, though Chards are not my favorite this wine was nice and balanced with lots of crisp fruits. The buttery aspect was present but not overbearing.

3/12/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Wine store consultant recommended this, home alone this week so decided to open something harmless with low expectations. For $15, this was good. Lots of fruit jumped out of the glass when I pulled the cork. Sweet red fruits dominate any other underlining flavors of interest right now, but I think this will settle in over the next few years. There is a nice tannic structure to this wine that is not intruding, but does give it a bite and room for improvement. Overall, I would buy more and I probably will to see how it develops, I could see this lasting 12-15 years and scoring in the low 90s.

Day 2 - Better maybe a point or two, tannins still present, I'll stick with my 12-15 year window

2/28/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Lots of cherry and traditional sangiovese flavors including tobacco and cinamon. Lots of tannin still present but the palate was a little thin and underwhelming. I don't see this improving, and IMO the tannins are a little intusive.

2/27/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Drinking perfect right now, no longer need to wait. Great wine to open with spegetti and meatballs or a BYOB pizza joint. A more developed version of what I had 2 years ago

2/19/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Opened and poured a glass and the rest in the decanter, got some slight brett notes with very subtle aromas behind it, the palate was silky and full bodied. I don't know if it was my allergies or what but I could get nothing out of the nose.

Day 2 didn't help bring out any other flavors. In fact it went downhill a little. Overall, a good but not great wine

2/15/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Drank my second bottle, same notes as the first except I got lots of chocolate on the finish this time, more milky chocolate

2/7/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Needed a few minutes in the decanter, light to medium color, somewhat average merlot, seemed better at the winery 18 months ago, drink now, will probably go downhill over the next year

2/6/2009 - skm95t wrote:

This wine still needs 30 minutes to an hour of decanting to really open up and give its all. This wine features red fruits including raspberries and bright cherries that give it a little tartness. Tart fruit and carmelized sugar on the palate is supported by integrated fine tannins. A solid everyday red, and I would drink this by 2011.

1/30/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Middle of the road viogner, typical viogner characteristics but nothing too memerable here

1/28/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Pop and poured, didn't really care for this out of the bottle, I thought it was tangy and bitter and generally unpleasant. As it opened up in the glass it certainly improved, new world fruity cherry and dried cranberry aromas dominated with some briaryness, the palate was medium bodied with fine tannins.

1/25/2009 - skm95t wrote:

GOLV brought this over to try out of a 500ml. This was only opened briefly before consuming so this wine was still very tight and tannic. This wine has a nice flavor profile underneath layers of tannin that a pretty punishing at this point. Half the bottle is left and will update if there is any change on day 2. I see a 90-92 potential here.

1/24/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Opened with Strip Steak Au Poivre w/ a balsamic reduction sauce, poured a small glass initially and decanted the rest for 60-90 minutes, decanting helped. The nose was expressive but not over the top showing black currents, dark cherries, and cedar cigar box. The palate was full-bodied, velvetly textured with a dry dark chocolate finish.

This wine has a ways to go to reach its potential. I will wait a minimum of 3 years before opening another bottle.

1/23/2009 - skm95t wrote:

Had at a local BYOB pizza joint. My initial thought is who poured the pepper in my wine. This wine has very peppery aromas and flavors, also got some strawberry and tar notes. I believe there is enough structure to live through 2015.

1/19/2009 - skm95t wrote:

This wine is just not my cup of tea, the nose was pruny and overripe, the palate was full bodied and had some nice texture, but the aromas were off putting

1/18/2009 - skm95t wrote:

A another year in the bottle has really paid off here. Full bodied goodness, fragrant nose full of dark ripe fruits, balanced oak and acidity on the palate with firm enough tannins to suggest this will continue to improve through 2011. Drank casualy with others while watching football, and this was a definite crowd pleaser.

1/17/2009 - skm95t wrote:

To be fair this is a $10 Bordeaux, but IMO it drinks much better. More new world in style with juicy fruit on the nose. This is a drink now wine, but will easily last another 5 years.