3/10/2023 - apspr wrote:

Excellent! Opened very quickly, still nicely tannic but lush and nuanced. Great with filet mignon.

4/24/2021 - apspr wrote:

Very disappointing - gave it about 2 hours in decanter but it never did a thing. Drinkable but almost without character. Maybe just a bad bottle - I wouldn't think a well-made 2007 should be this out of gas...

2/2/2021 - apspr wrote:

Lovely freshness to this unoaked Chardonnay. Peach and stone fruit notes and a luscious mouthfeel, but also a nice dry texture. Really good stuff!

11/27/2020 - apspr wrote:

Classic Mazzocco style, luscious fruit, well-balanced.

11/27/2020 - apspr wrote:

Beautiful Pinot, very characteristic of the coastal terroir. perfect for Thanksgiving

4/12/2020 - apspr wrote:

Whoa!! Earlier bottles were enjoyable, but this one was sensational. I guess the 07 is peaking now. Explosive dark red fruit from the opening moments, so fresh tasting, and yet with some really nice complex notes of aging. I wish people who don’t “get” Napa cabs could taste this, they would be converted.

4/11/2020 - apspr Likes this wine:

Delightfully fresh and distinctive - really a nice change - would happily get more.

3/17/2020 - apspr Likes this wine:

Pleasant, not remarkable.

3/17/2020 - apspr wrote:

Disappointing bottle, with little vibrancy of fruit. Maybe past its prime, maybe just an off bottle.

10/11/2019 - apspr wrote:

Still needs time to open after popping. After two hours it was really singing with black fruit, esp. plums, and cedar. Really lovely, but decant it early.

4/15/2019 - apspr wrote:

Still vibrant and fresh- lots of varietal and regional character. Classic Sonoma.

3/21/2019 - apspr wrote:

Surprisingly quiet on the nose but very expressive taste and a lovely long finish. Drinking well now and should continue for a few years still.

12/26/2018 - apspr wrote:

wonderful in a holiday feast with pork porchetta and various vegetable dishes.

12/26/2018 - apspr wrote:

Still drinking wonderfully

11/20/2018 - apspr wrote:

No detailed notes, but excellent as always from this producer

11/12/2018 - apspr wrote:

Usual Davis excellence-

11/8/2018 - apspr wrote:

Blueberry and raspberry copiously on the nose and palate. Huge, delicious fruit balanced and complicated by notes of leather, dust, and mint. Great Napa Merlot, right in its window.

10/17/2018 - apspr Likes this wine:

Another Carlisle gem - fruit is of amazing quality and intensity and yet the restraint and balance is equally evident. How does he do it?

4/8/2018 - apspr wrote:

very nice - needed a half hour to open-

4/7/2018 - apspr wrote:

We gave this about an hour to open and it was superb from beginning to end. Lush mixed berry fruit and a great cocoa powder element. Didn't get the cedar other tasters have noted, but maybe that sharper element has aged out. Fabulous wine!

3/10/2018 - apspr wrote:

Opened up really well after about 30-45 minutes. Not as lush as Dry Creek Zins but really well balanced, and hardly what you would call austere. Nicely done.

3/4/2018 - apspr Does not like this wine:

Whoo- this was a disappointment. Maybe it's gone off, but we found bit too much tire rubber for our palates :( I won't give it a number... hopefully just a subpar bottle.

2/10/2018 - apspr wrote:

Potent, fascinating, still growing into its maturity.

2/10/2018 - apspr wrote:

Fine wine, still on the upswing.

5/28/2017 - apspr wrote:

Still great wine, but not quite as bursting with life as it had been. Time to drink, I think-

5/21/2017 - apspr wrote:

Really excellent - served to various friends and all were enthusiastic. Would buy more

5/21/2017 - apspr wrote:

Solid, well-balanced, characteristic of the region - very nicely done.

4/29/2017 - apspr wrote:

Superb upon opening and through the evening. I'm not a Tempranillo expert so I'll leave descriptions up to others. Didn't really hold up to a second night despite vacuum-sealing. Drink now.

4/29/2017 - apspr wrote:

Smells lovely, with some intriguing age notes. Still some tannic backbone, but not sure how much longer it will last, if this is a typical bottle.

3/21/2017 - apspr Likes this wine:

drinking superbly now- no need to wait. Rich fruit has now been complemented by heady aromatics and some nice age; tannins are muted if not gone. Definitely of a style, but really nice.

2/19/2016 - apspr wrote:

Very nice, ready to drink. Luscious dark red and black fruit, a little coffee and spice element.

12/5/2015 - apspr wrote:

Rich viscous texture, darkly luscious fruit (plum, black cherry), surprisingly soft tannins for a Pritchard Hill-area wine. Absolutely delicious-

10/3/2015 - apspr wrote:

Wow, that was awesome. Fruit was still incredibly vibrant after 10 years, the tannins were in perfect balance, and the finish was rich and warm. A wonderful wine, drinking fantastically. If you have some, don't hesitate!

9/14/2015 - apspr wrote:

Very nice - classic Dry Creek profile with fruit (berry, brambles) forward, but everything really well balanced.

6/21/2015 - apspr wrote:

Popped and poured for a friend - spectacular! Great sense of terroir- I love these Merlots from the east bank of the valley.

5/10/2015 - apspr wrote:

Maybe I'm getting spoiled, but this seemed a little nondescript, pleasant but not exciting.

3/9/2015 - apspr wrote:

Just a very nice wine, full of varietal character and harmonious with food. Great QPR!

3/12/2015 - apspr wrote:

Sadly our last bottle of this superb Cali-Syrah. Still going strong, with plenty of enriching tannins and fruit exploding with character.

2/12/2015 - apspr wrote:

Uncanny- these Phelps Chardonnays have made me understand Chard in a whole new way - first at the Freestone tasting room, and now at home. If I was worried that my initial impression was a product of tasting room bliss, I need not have. The fruit, minerality, and spice in this wine are phenomenal.

2/24/2015 - apspr wrote:

Excellent wine - still full of life in 2015, and a while left. Tannins are still lively, but beautifully balanced with opulent fruit and spices.

12/17/2014 - apspr wrote:

Lovely

1/17/2015 - apspr wrote:

Not bad but pretty steep for the $$

12/5/2014 - apspr Likes this wine:

Dang if this wine isn't STILL wonderful- I really thought this last of our bottles would be something of a bust, but it was tremendous for the tariff - incredibly vivid fruit, spice, and still some tannins to give it a grip. This 2004 was an epic wine for $20 - Mazzocco never disappoints.

12/5/2014 - apspr wrote:

Served at Thanksgiving 2014 in Asheville.

12/5/2014 - apspr wrote:

Served at Thanksgiving 2014 in Asheville.

12/5/2014 - apspr Likes this wine:

Served at Thanksgiving 2014 in Asheville.

12/5/2014 - apspr wrote:

lovely, easy to drink, great producer

12/5/2014 - apspr wrote:

Didn'seem to t have the remarkable profile of Davis pinots, but maybe it was just an off night

11/4/2014 - apspr wrote:

Typical rich and tasty Mazzocco zin - hedonistic fruity elements but in nice balance.

11/14/2014 - apspr wrote:

plummy, still very tannic for an 8-year-old. Very nice though