5/18/2020 - bmilesfl Likes this wine:

Found this gym sitting in my cellar. It was a PnP and my thoughts before my first sip was to wait some time for the bottle to breathe. But, I could not resist. OMG, the first taste was remarkably good. Age is treating this wine kindly. Love these Herman Story wines! It has a strong blackberry flavor with hints of leather and tar. And, a very slight pepper taste. Nice legs on the swirl. It is pairing well with crackers and blue cheese. I wish I had another case of this wine!

3/14/2015 - bmilesfl Likes this wine:

This wine was stunning. Smooth, accessible and delicious. Had that beautiful Larkmead earthy taste with enough black fruit to balance it. Drinking very well right now. I've been sitting on this for just under a decade and it has been worth the wait. PnP at a restaurant. Might have even been better with a small amount of time breathing.

4/26/2012 - bmilesfl wrote:

PnP. Was impressed from first taste. Smooth wine with relatively good balance of dark fruit, tannins and moderate alcohol. Actually one of the better Italian wines I've had recently. Very enjoyable and recommend drinking now to 7 years from now.

4/1/2012 - bmilesfl wrote:

Boo! That was the tannin monster that was just unleashed from the bottle. Opened this 3 hours before consuming and it still needed time to breathe. The strong tannins overwhelm the taste of this wine early on. But, with subsequent sips, you get dark cherries and dark chocolate on the mid palate and the finish. This is an excellent wine. Wished though I had read the CT reviews for this wine dating back to 2011 commenting about the early age of this wine (note to self: listen to my fellow CT reviewers). My next one won't be opened for 2+ years. I'm still glad I opened this one though to appreciate how it is evolving nicely.

12/25/2011 - bmilesfl wrote:

The perfect sweetness to follow a great Christmas day meal. Nice balance of melon, citrus, mild spices and lemon drops. This couple probably age for a considerable more years ahead. But, if you are so inclined - open one up and enjoy.

10/10/2011 - bmilesfl wrote:

Funny, just like the last CT note, I too had the cork break off halfway down as I was pulling it out. I've had mine properly cellared in a EuroCave for a few years. I rarely see this happen. Wonder if Andrew Will has a cork QC problem??? Fortunately, the wine was fine and was enjoyable. Big fruit and tannins present in this wine. PnP showed flat profile. But, after a couple of hours, it opens up nicely. So, recommend a decant before consuming.

8/29/2011 - bmilesfl wrote:

I agree with that Dasher guy, this wine is smoking. Great balance of fruit, tannins and good 'ole Napa goodness. Drinks great now. And has the weight to last another 10+ years. Wish I had more.

8/20/2011 - bmilesfl wrote:

Tasty Syrah. Incredible balance with pepper, spices, dark fruit and a smooth finish were the strong characteristics of this wine. A 2+ hour opening, before drinking was definitely worth it. One more bottle left (wish i had more). Will try to let 5+ years go by before I open the last one. This wine seems like it will age nicely, and improve, with time. Drinks good now also.

8/20/2011 - bmilesfl wrote:

This wine is still going strong and tasting good. Aging nicely. Enjoy now. But, it also has some more time to evolve. A great QPR Shiraz.

7/15/2011 - bmilesfl wrote:

This was just an outstanding bottle of wine. It started with the wonderful nose. The depth & complexity were remarkable and pleasing. Rich fruit, balanced tannins. Everything about this wine impressed me. Will try to find more.

6/10/2011 - bmilesfl wrote:

Unremarkable. Opened 2 hours before drinking. No decant. Higher than usual tannins compared to other 2007 Napa cabs. Usually, over the course of tasting a wine like this, the tannins mellow and the fruit moves forward. This one did not ever present that expected, positive development.

3/31/2011 - bmilesfl wrote:

I've been a member of Argyle's Wine Club for the last 6 years. This may be their best effort to-date. I liked this one very much. Very balanced, delicious wine. All that is good from a Willamette Valley pinot noir wine.

3/15/2011 - bmilesfl wrote:

I like the balance in this wine. Maybe too many tannins right now that will eventually calm down with some age (3+ years from now). I'm a fan of the Kathryn Hall 2006 Cab (big fan, actually) so, I was interested in trying this '06 Bergfeld. It too is a great wine. Hall must have done everything right in 2006 as this vintage from them has been another big winner with me. Their 2007 wines I've tried are also quite good too. This wine has good dark fruit, firm tannins, a great nose and legs. Drinking smooth now but, will benefit with a few more years in the cellar. Only one problem for me: this was my only 2006 Bergfeld in my cellar. Will likely seek more, if available.

3/5/2011 - bmilesfl wrote:

Had the chance to visit this winery on my recent trip to Napa Valley. They are making some great stuff at Larkmead and this wine/vintage is no exception. Consumed this bottle over two consecutive nights and it actually was better on day #2. Great balance of tannins, dark fruit, light oak, and seemingly low alcohol. Moderate to long length made this a nice sipping wine. Interestingly, day #1 revealed a less complex, even "light" wine. But, by day #2, the wine seemed bolder and full bodied (after day #1, I vacuum sealed and put in fridge). If drinking this soon, I would recommend a good 2+ hour decant to let this wine reveal its real beauty.

1/7/2011 - bmilesfl wrote:

Disappointing. Very good winery, great vintage for this region. Mediocre wine. Nothing going on here that excites the taste. Flat, dull, unremarkable.

12/2/2010 - bmilesfl wrote:

Not as good as expected. I Liked this wine but, did not love it. No real distinguishing characteristisc. Yet it drank nicely. I just can't get this one into the 90's point-wise. Still, a very good wine. No real complaints.

11/19/2010 - bmilesfl wrote:

One hour decant. A beautiful symphony of tannins, fruit, oak, chocolate and dark berries. A very nice wine. Reasonable QPR. All that is good about the 2007 No. California vintage. Drinking nicely right now.

10/21/2010 - bmilesfl Likes this wine:

3 hour decant. I've had this vintage several times over the past year w/o leaving tasting notes. I gave it about a year of cellaring before I wanted to record my first tasting note. It seems to be migrating from that initial fruit-bomb (which I found to be very good too) to that balanced tannic/fruit/acidic wine that now shows much more aging potential. From this tasting, the oak and tannins are prominent. The fruit is still there but, more muted than previous bottles. The length is excellent. Having had this bottle, I'm likening this to more of a '05 or '06 California Cab which will enjoy years of further aging and maturing. Clio remains as one of my top 5 all-time favorite wines. Gave this 94 points due to the transitory nature of the wine now. But, has the potential to get to 95-97 in the future.

10/19/2010 - bmilesfl wrote:

A spanish jem built in the USA! This is a wonderful wine that rivals many of the great Spanish Tempranillo's I've had. Probably consumed this one too early though. But, had to try it out since this is the first Abacela wine I have had.. Nice balance of tannins, acidity and fruit. Very good minerality with a structure that seems like this can lie down for a good 10 - 20 years and age wonderfully. I'll be getting some more of this.

10/18/2010 - bmilesfl Likes this wine:

What a pleasant surprise. Purchased at a local big-box spirits retailer. Excellent wine. Opened 3 hours before consuming and finished over a two day period. Great balance. Very well integrated fruit (not too fruit forward) and tannins. Exceptional lingering taste on the palate. One of those unique wines that stays on your mind well past the time you finished the last glass. This one drinks well now (some decanting recommended) and seems like it will age for a couple of more decades.

7/12/2010 - bmilesfl Likes this wine:

Popped & poured. Strong dark fruit Hints of pepper - which blinded would have me guessed some zin blend. Moderate tannins suggest to drink sooner, rather than later. Nice legs in glass. Overall very good QPR.

5/26/2010 - bmilesfl wrote:

%#&$!? Bought at winery 2 years ago. Carefully brought back home, cellared in EuroCave ever since. My reward? A vinegar, tart mess. A flawed bottle! Too bad. My first try from this producer. Only one bottle left to try. Scared to open now.

5/21/2010 - bmilesfl Likes this wine:

Had this wine following the '07 Caymus and '07 Robert Foley Claret, both of which were exceptional wines. Surprisingly, this one held up well to those notable wines. Great balance of red fruit, tannins, followed by decent depth and length. Nice wine that is drinking well now. Sorry this is my one and only bottle.

4/25/2010 - bmilesfl Likes this wine:

Ordered pizza from Papa Johns now what do we drink? Popped and poured this Boxer (after the Mollydooker shake). Tastes great. Nice balance since trying last year. It's aging nicely and can be consumed now. Noticeable strong black and red berry flavors on the palate. Good nose. Picky wife gave this a big thumbs up. Worth extra points in my book.

4/4/2010 - bmilesfl wrote:

Had not had this wine in over a year. Drank very nicely along with cooking out with friends. Smooth buttery, oaky wine that coats the mouth with all that is good from a wine like this. This still is one of my favorite Chards.

4/2/2010 - bmilesfl Likes this wine:

I loved this wine. Consumed with two friends at a local steak house. One brought the '05 Robert Foley Claret and the other brought the '07 Larkmead LMV. All three were terrific. Back to this wine....
A beautiful, elegant wine with incredible balance of dark fruit, tannins and length. Also, has one of my favorite characteristics in a wine which is one that, while consumed over a couple of hours, shows subtle changes and nuances that makes a wine like this enjoyable with every sip. This is a California Cab at its best! Only one bottle left of this one in my cellar. So, I may need to find a few more.

3/4/2010 - bmilesfl Likes this wine:

Popped and poured, initially. The nose showed a strong floral garden and and was promising. The early tastes showed a tight, tannin monster (with less fruit than what the nose predicted) that opened up with each subsequent taste. Big tannins, mocha chocolate and flowers are what I found in tasting this wine. My last glass of this wine was approximately four hours after initially opening it and it showed a more open and inviting taste which tells me next time: DECANT FIRST. Maybe not the best California '05 Cab I've had but, a good wine. I will likely get a couple of more bottles and age.

3/2/2010 - bmilesfl Likes this wine:

This is a beautiful, sexy wine that drinks very well today and shows much potential for the future. Incredible length and finish. This is my first CDP tasted and this '07 vintage seems to live up to the WA hype. Very enjoyable and is clearly going to get better over time. I may not have purchased enough of this wine and may regret it later...

12/25/2009 - bmilesfl wrote:

Incredible wine for the price. Smooth, wonderful wine.

10/13/2009 - bmilesfl wrote:

I'm very impressed with this wine. Just wish my favorite retailer can find some more for me. First tried this one at a blind tasting with other varietals and was immediately impressed. Purchased several bottles. Opened one tonight. Popped and poured. Very youthful wine. Slight strawberry flavors and almost a sweet-tart cherry flavor. Long, memorable finish. I'm not that experienced with California Pinots as I am with Oregon Pinots. This one was one of the best CA PN's I've had. Very elegant and enjoyable. Thumbs up from my wife (which is always worth an extra couple of rating points which I did not add to my 92 rating). My retailer had this for under $20/bottle. The winery shows same wine for approx $38. After tasting, I'd be willing to pay for the wine at the higher price. But, the amount I paid made this an outstanding QPR.

9/13/2009 - bmilesfl wrote:

Decanted 2 hours. Flat and unimpressive. Nothing in the bottle said to me "this is interesting." Poured out half the bottle. Don't think it was a flawed/corked bottle. Just not that appealing to me.

8/3/2009 - bmilesfl wrote:

Okay, I'm going to join the praise parade on this one too. Decanted for 1.5 hours and was very impressed with this wine. I've purchased Gigondas in past vintages, but have not opened and tried them yet. So, I had no historical reference point. The wine was recommended by my favorite retailer and he was right - this is a great wine for the money. I decided to open this recent vintage to give it a try. Nose was muted but fruitful. The second glass revealed cherry cobbler (maybe with a taste of being overcooked, but not in a bad way). Great nose and lingering aftertaste. Had some pizza at the tail end of this bottle and it rose to the occasion. This would be a fun wine to try with many foods. However, it stands out on its own as a sipping wine too. Back to the wine store to grab a few more bottles of this one...

8/2/2009 - bmilesfl wrote:

[as an aside, I hate that Cork.z has an input for notes and it automatically makes it a public note. Need to post a comment to their site about this "feature"]. I've now had at least three bottles of this wine on different occasions with many experienced and novice wine drinkers trying this. This one is always a crowd favorite which says a lot to me. It has a great combination of being bold and elegant all at the same time. This wine is a classic cab and drinking quite well right now. We've had this with a variety of foods, entrees and appetizers and it has gone well with all of them with aplomb. This is a classy cab with great balance of red fruit, tannins, earthiness and all things good from a California Cab. Consumed with an hour of decanting. A strong recommendation from me on this one.

7/19/2009 - bmilesfl wrote:

I opened this wine about 2 hours before consuming. Poured out a little in the glass and then did the Mollydooker "shake" on the rest of the bottle (not sure if this was needed for this MD wine. If not, it did accelerate the aeration of the wine anyway). The pre-shake glass had some heat on the nose and youthful harshness on the initial taste. Not bad, but not promising at that point. Meanwhile, we started cooking dinner for some friends and family that consisted of steak and chicken both with some spiciness to the rubs we used. The wine that had been sitting for a couple of hours was then ready to consume with dinner. Boy, did it get tremendously better. Went very well with the food we had. Plus, the Merlot and Cab blends in this wine cut some of the fruit-bomb aspects of a pure Shiraz. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of this wine. It had great balance and smoothness each taste. Definitely a fruit-forward wine, as you would expect. But, it was enjoyed by everyone who had it with dinner. I cannot wait to try another bottle of this same wine. Recommended.

6/22/2009 - bmilesfl wrote:

Stunned. Very impressive. That is all I can say after trying this wine. It was served blind to a group of us at a retailer and our guesses included Napa Cab, Chilean Cab, etc. Of course, no one came close to guessing where this wine was from. It is quite a QPR. Great, smooth earthiness. Just enough dark fruit to appease those that like that in a cab. Reminds me more of a Walla Walla / Columbia Valley blend. This is a crowd pleaser and you'll get great mileage talking about a wine like this coming from the Golan Heights in Israel. Definitely worth grabbing a bottle or two. Can't wait to see what others think of this wine too.

5/7/2009 - bmilesfl wrote:

Excellent QPR. Nice all-around wine for an every day drinking type wine. Great balance and smooth from start to finish.

4/14/2009 - bmilesfl wrote:

An excellent wine for the price. A good QPR. Popped and poured. Only had two glasses and second one was markedly better than the first that leads me to believe this wine will be better with some decanting. Dark purple color. Pleasant nose. Rich fruit and tannins stand out. A recommended wine if you have not tried this one yet.

3/20/2009 - bmilesfl wrote:

This was a very memorable and enjoyable wine. I've tried two bottles so far and I'm very impressed. The first time I tasted this wine, I thought I had just poured in my mouth a mix of soil and dark fruit. The earthiness in the taste is remarkable. I'm not a fan (yet) of Bordeaux wines as I've only been collecting for a few years. I'm still holding '00's, '04's and '05's Bordeaux's in my cellar for future consumption. But, tasting wines like this gets me excited about enjoying these Bordeaux's in the future. As another reviewer (SoCal) stated, this wine has a nice mix of new world and old world to please fans of both.

3/12/2009 - bmilesfl wrote:

This was a very enjoyable wine from So. Africa. Had some very "earthy" tastes with nice fruit. I frankly may have underrated this one. I'll try another. It could rate out to a 91-92 which I'll happily investigate!

3/3/2009 - bmilesfl wrote:

Okay, today was one of my typical trips to my favorite wine store and I bought some additional bottles of wines I've tried in the past (mostly'06 Spanish Reds & Australian Shiraz's). They were ones which had become personal favorites and then last week the Parker scores came out on them and I wanted to grab some more of the highly rated ones in the event they started disappearing off the retail shelf. Well, in addition to those wines I was buying, this particular wine was one that my retailer suggested I try also. I've never had a wine from Portugal (other than Port) and certainly not this varietal. Boy, am I impressed! I did not decant and it may improve the otherwise very positive results. I popped and poured and started trying this one out. The nose is fantastic . Had some cedar and dark red fruit smell - even a hint of freshly cut grass. This wine gracefully dances a fine line between being elegant and muscular. There is a balance of great fruit, oak and tannins that lingers nicely on the palate. The finish is long and the wine's taste continue to change nicely with each pour. If you come across this one, definitely worth giving it a try.

2/13/2009 - bmilesfl wrote:

What a pleasant surprise this wine was. I'm not an experienced Italian wine drinker, but this one really caught my attention. Each of us who tried it Friday evening at our wine retailer's tasting were very impressed with this wine. Nose and appearance were beautiful and enjoyable. Has a great balance of earthiness & minerality along with enough dark fruit to make this quite pleasurable to drink. We popped and poured (using a Vinturi) so, we did not allow it much time to breathe before enjoying. We all noticed that the wine improved by the minute as we swirled and tasted our way through it. I definitely believe this wine will improve with time (both trying now with decanting first and over several years if you decide to cellar). It is worth grabbing a few, trying one now and waiting to see how this wine improves with age. It has enough structure to last a long time in the cellar.

1/3/2009 - bmilesfl wrote:

This 2006 is drinking very well and, in my opinion, is better than the '05 Veraton. Both this wine and it's big brother, Alto Moncayo have the most spectacular nose of any wines I have had the past couple of years. If you could consume wine only through your nose, this would be the one to pick (sorry for the imagery!). This 2006 vintage is outstanding based on my first try. This will definitely be one to buy a few more bottles for long-term storage. Very good QPR. This wine has so much to enjoy. After the incredible smell, the rush of flavors on the palate are very satisfying. Dark fruit and maybe even some toasted coconut are present. Good finish and aftertaste. Finally, one of the favorable attributes I look for in a wine is one that changes/improves with every glass and this one does not disappoint in that category. I say grab this one before the Parker reviews in February as I think this will score well and then will become scarce on retail shelves.

12/27/2008 - bmilesfl wrote:

I was getting ready to have some chili for dinner which my visiting mother fixed and knew we probably needed a Shiraz to offset some of the food's spice. I had purchased one bottle of this wine with the intention of holding for a few years. But, that plan dissipated tonight! I became a big fan of the Marquis Phillips wines starting with their '04 #9 - which I considered to be quite good. Well, we opened this one up and it was very enjoyable and actually did well against the chili it accompanied. Others have commented about this wine being a difficult one to pair with food and I would generally agree - unless you found some spicy dishes to try it with or perhaps the sharp cheeses as others had suggested. Based on this tasting, I think it would be a good stand-alone wine without trying to match it with food. We did not decant before serving. It was a pop 'n pour situation. The heat in the wine was noticeable early and eventually burned off. There was not a strong nose on this wine, but once you poured it into your mouth, it was a terrific rush of flavors. There is a strong blueberry flavor on the palate and was quite good. Since this was my only bottle, I'll go back and grab a few more since the experience with this one was very good! Highly recommended to all who like this type of shiraz/blend.

12/21/2008 - bmilesfl wrote:

Well, I may be going out on a limb by giving this wine a rating at 90 points. Admittedly, I'm not a big fan of French Bordeaux's due to only having been a wine collector since the early 2000's. So, I have a few '00 and '05 Bordeaux's in the cellar and I've only tried a couple in the past year or two with mixed impressions. I generally cannot get past how earthy and dry they all seem to taste. I'm assuming that the continued cellaring will make them better in the future (otherwise they will have been a waste of cellar space...) But, when I tried this little gem, it has now increased my curiosity in trying more Bordeaux's. Yes, I know, this is not one of those big name wines from that region, but if you are interested in learning more about them, give this wine a try. I found this particular one to have enough fruit to satisfy my taste combined with the earthiness which is more characteristic of Bordeaux's. There is enough depth, flavor and dryness to satisfy someone interested in trying this type of wine. I ended up liking it enough to purchase a few more bottles. It is hard to beat the price on this one too. This is one of those wines that you realize that a wine's price is not necessarily an indicator of its value. This wine is recommended!

12/4/2008 - bmilesfl wrote:

This was a very smooth and enjoyable wine. Great balance and drank well during the course of the night. Consuming this wine was accompanied by a couple of different strong cheeses and they were very complimentary of each other. In the end, not a knock-your-socks-off wine, but I may buy one or two more for future long-term cellaring.

11/5/2008 - bmilesfl wrote:

During our June '08 anniversary visit to Walla Walla, we visited about 10 wineries. This '06 Woodward Canyon Cab became the top wine we tasted in an otherwise outstanding '06 vintage from the Walla Walla region. We consumed the 3 bottles of this same wine we purchased while still on our trip in Washington state. I ended up ordering a case of this wine and had the winery hold the shipment until the weather was favorable to ship here in Florida. Well, it arrived today and of course I had to open one bottle. I continue to be impressed. Very smooth Cab with beautiful nose and wonderful fruit flavors after just a pop-and-pour. I'll try other bottles after decanting, but this one indicates that this is a great Cab, easy to drink and very good lingering aftertaste. I'm guessing subsequent bottles, after cellaring, will get better than this 92 score I'm giving it now. Glad I grabbed the case that I did. Recommended!

10/28/2008 - bmilesfl wrote:

Decanted for about 1.5 hours. Very nice ! My first vintage of this wine was the '05. I was immediately impressed and found myself scouring the country to find retailer inventory of the '05. I ended up buying a couple of cases. So, it was with great anticipation the release of this '06. Well, I'm even more impressed. This wine is as-good or better than the '05. Great nose. Complex taste with many things to enjoy. Definitely taste the minerals and rich fruit. Develops an envelope of taste in the mouth. Well balanced and dense. Spicy aftertaste which is quite enjoyable, if not remarkable. I grabbed one case and may grab another based on just this first bottle. Highly recommended.

10/18/2008 - bmilesfl wrote:

Wow! Very impressive wine. I popped and poured this one and it is progressively getting better with each tasting. The absence of any strong oak really makes this wine focus on the fruit and other cabernet-related flavors without weighting it down. Definitely tasting dark berries and cherries in each swig. Interestingly, this wine almost knocked me out from the alcohol on the nose after first opening, pouring and smelling. But, that alcohol was not noticeable on the taste. This is not a wine (i.e., Cab Franc) I would have purchased without a recommendation. Overall this is an enjoyable wine and highly recommended. I will buy more for the future based on experiencing this bottle.

10/17/2008 - bmilesfl wrote:

Consumed over about a 3 hour period. Decanted and kept decanter in a cold water bucket maintaining a cooler drinking temperature. Very smooth Napa Valley Cab. Not as bold compared to the '02 which I thought was one of their best vintages. The nose had a nice floral quality. Each tasting over the three hour period became smoother and more enjoyable. This is a highly recommended Cab - and reasonable for its price point. Will likely order more in the near future.

9/17/2008 - bmilesfl wrote:

Boy, this was disappointing! Retailer reviews looked reasonably good. I tried it without allowing for and decanting or air time (maybe really needed such). After the first taste, the 1st thing that crossed my mind is whether I could continue to drink and even enjoy this wine. After finishing the first glass, I made my decision - the rest went down the drain. I could not find myself drinking any more. Too many sweet fruity flavors colliding in this wine to really give something notable to latch on to. I predict the standard deviation of scores on this wine will be quite large. It is an anomaly and very different. For me, not in a good way!