9/17/2023 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com Likes this wine:

I expected this to be over the hill, but was pleasantly surprised. Perhaps because it had been cellared consistently since 2005 and basically not moved. It is apparently a bend of cabernet, syrah, and merlot, and the fruit character was showing more like a very well aged California syrah than either of the other two. The tannic core was pretty much gone, but there was vibrant fruit, good mouthfeel, and length. Should have probably drunk it 5 years or so ago, but it was surprisingly tasty!

3/28/2016 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com Likes this wine:

Please see my 2011 note. Now even better.

1/2/2014 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

See prior note

1/3/2014 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

See prior note; tannins still good and holding well.

10/26/2013 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

Strong tarragon, green peppercorns, tobacco, strawberries, and vanilla on the nose; rich dark fruit, plums, tobacco, some green vegetal notes; good lenth, good mouthfeel and fruit, tannins gripping but fading. Delicious value wine; awesome.

9/28/2013 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

Cassis, some pine tar on the nose. Dark, tar, blueberries, pine and licorice. Good length. Ripe red acid. Drink in next 2 years.

9/26/2013 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

See my prior note; perhaps needing drinking up now.

8/31/2013 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

One year on from my last tasting note and this is even better. I would say 2-3 year drinking window remains as it is great right now.

7/19/2013 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

Vanilla bean and white pepper on the nose; plums, menthol with a touch of tobacco, subtle dark note tending towards lead or licorice; very ripe and hefty alcoholl (says 13.5% but could be higher). Great value. Drinking very well right now.

6/17/2013 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

garnet with pink fringe; cooked red cherries on the nose, very light spearmint; vibrant ripe red fruit -- raspberries and cranberries; lively acid, good length, with gorgeous, pure, gamay fruit.

5/9/2013 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

Rather muted nose, figs; dark fruits, bramble, some pine, some allspice, nice cedar touch, excellent tannic grip; good length. No rush to drink; can hold. Great value wine.

4/11/2013 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com Likes this wine:

Orange peel on the nose with eucalpytus and alcohol; great tannins, dark fruit and a tarry chocolate; good length

1/11/2013 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com Likes this wine:

Eucalyptus and green herbs on the nose, with green plum and smoky dark fruit; lovely dark bramble fruits, blackberry, and dark currant fruit notes, with some green herbs (thyme?). Good mouthfeel and length. Delicious wine - good ripe fruit and typicity and not overextracted.

12/1/2012 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

Corked!

10/21/2012 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

Tasting note 26 hours after opening. Light brown sugar nose, stewed prunes and dates, nutiness, with big alcohol; rich bramble, rosemary, meatiness, salt, gorgeous length, fig-ish finish. Delicious.

8/11/2012 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

Still tasting well, which was a pleasant surprise for me not having tasted Willimatte pinots this old. Orange rind and some bacon fat on the nose. Some Burgundian notes. Good deep rich fruit. Good length. Some meaty notes. But also some rather vibrant fruit. Suggest not much longer to go. Was a bottle brought by a friend to dinner (his hometown!) and what a great treat!

7/13/2012 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

Sweet cinnamon and tobacco leaf nose, with dark plum fruit. Blackberries, cloves, tobacco, great mouthfeel. Soft tannins. Nice length. Finish of red cherries and darker fruits. Nicely surprised for a 2002. Overpaid for this buying it from Ontario LCBO but now it looks like a good buy!

5/5/2012 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

See prior note. Perhaps even improved. And more of a smoked meat/bacon note. Delicious!

4/27/2012 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

Solid ruby, very slight fade; nose of tobacco leaves and green pepper corns, bracken, some vanilla and lots of alcohol; some good forward tannins, nice balance and top of the mouth fruit - cherries and red currants; very good length and ending towards the acidic cherry notes. Food: pork with roasted peppers, or cherries, veal chop grilled, better with more unadorned meat than meat with sauce.

3/18/2012 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

This wine was a lovely surprise. 2002 and wasn't expecting much. But very nice dark fruit and a touch of licorIce on the nose. Good tannins, brambleberry, cedar and a touch of tobacco. Decent length. Glad I have 11 more and will plan to drink them in the next 24 months. A great example of a stellar value futures purchase...

3/2/2012 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

On the nose, barnyard, bacon fat, deep gamey notes, dried cherries and dried pears, offset by a delicate floral overlay (wonderful nose); rich round mouthfeel and lively acids, rich meatiness (smoked or cured -- proscuitto/Jamón), touch of butterscotch, fresh dark cherries and dried cherries, and some green herbs (thyme?). This is delicious now but in now way showing decline. Love HR!

10/9/2011 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

Lovely light gold; honey and honeysuckle nose, with some dried apricot; lovely slightly viscous mouthfeel, creamy honey, touch of butter, banana, pineapple, nice touch of dry botrytris. This is a super interesting, rich wine!

8/14/2011 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

See June 15 note.

8/7/2011 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

[Note: Day 2 tasting note] Citrus, rich brown sugar/molasses, shiraz-raisnynes; wonderful mouthfeel, wonderfully integrated rich red fruit and blueberry shiraz fruit, brown sugar and vanilla, great balance touch on methol on back end. [Note: this is from the initial bottling]. Shame about the scandolous second bottling, because this wine is amazing value.

8/7/2011 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

[Note: note after being open 4 hrs] Orange rind, dark licorice, five spice; delicious five spice, wild hrebs (rosemary?), good acid and blance. Excellent $20 Chanti!.

8/5/2011 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

60% rosanne; 20% grenache; 20% viognier. Honey and apricots on the nose; good residual sweetness, nice buttery viognier note, dominant white peach, apricot, and a touch of lychee. Very enjoyable summer bottle.

7/31/2011 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

See 6/16/11 note

7/30/2011 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

Tobacco leaf, touch of pine, touch of tar, green herbal notes, and some delicate jasmine flower on the nose; plummy, tobacco leaf, light cedar, blackberries, nice grippy tannins and lively acid. Very good now, no sense of decline.

7/24/2011 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

Orange peel, cloves, otuch of cedar, and heavy alcohol on the nose; good tannins, slight menthol, dark plums, blueberries, and hefty alcohol; bit to heavy alcohol, but nice merlot -- good steak wine

7/15/2011 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

Coffee, cinnamon, and some butcher shop/ raw red meat on the nose; coffee notes and ripe red fruits, with white pepper, cinnamon, heat, orange rind, and some muted leathery barnyard notes. Excellent Oregon Pinot, and for the price quite fabulous. Don't serve too cool. And allow it some time open -- was definitely improved 5-6 hours after opening.

7/16/2011 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

See 6/18/2011 note. Maybe a nice bit of malo, too.

7/9/2011 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

lemon peel, dark and marschino cherries, slight licorice, touch of earthiness/mushrooms; bright but light acid, hefty alcohol, wonderful length, lemon and orange peel, dark cherries, and pleasant nuttiness

7/9/2011 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

(Note: Day 2 tasting note...) Lovely ripe new world pinot nose, touch of brown sugar and vanilla; grippy tanins and balanced acid, brambleberries, raspberry jam, slightest bit of tar, touch of white pepper; good length; another very good Benziger wine

6/26/2011 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

Nose of hot red fruits, cedar/cigar box, light eucalyptus, some blackcurant jam, and alcohol; palate blackcurrant jam/cooked dark fruits, nicely integrated oak, and some dark spice notes; nice easy drinking Caligornia cab that won't over-dominate food (had it with lamb kabobs); good value for the money, would buy again

6/23/2011 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

Initially tasted at Wildman burgundy tasting Feb 2011. Beautiful fresh gamay nose; orange peel; prior taster had noted charcoal, correctly; wonderful full high acid mouth, fleshy and chunky, great lively, nice muted spice; fabulous value at $17; great big BBQ wine; so glad I bought more of the Potel 2009s.

6/19/2011 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

Citrus nose, grapefruit dominant; also a touch of creaminess, not sweet enough to be butter. Delicious sauvignon fruit; lively; grapefruit and lime; nice lactic finish. Good nice and young -- lovely food wine.

6/18/2011 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

I forget what was paid for this CDR, but oh my God it is so much better than the low price. White pepper and vanilla on the nose, touch of pine, and warm red fruits. Well balanced, nice high acid, pronouced tobacco notes, good long finish. Must buy more.

6/18/2011 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

Had been warned it was passed its prime, but overall pretty darn tasty. Warm red fruit nose with some allspice and cigarbox. Still grippy tannins, tobaccco leaves, cedar, and blackcurrants. Really benefitted from being open a while -- final taste at the end of the night was by far the best!

6/18/2011 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

Lovely light lemon nose with a touch of oak and a lactic (buttery) touch. Good chardonnary fruit. At first, thought oak was a bit heavy, but as bottle sat for a bit, realized it was better integrated than I thought. Overall, lovely buttery lactic chardonnary fruit. Will certainly buy again.

6/16/2011 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

Very pleasant, easy drinking. Bit disappointed insofar as it quite lacks sangiovese typicity. Good acid. Nice weekday pasta wine and certainly good value.

6/15/2011 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

Bold and plummy nose with high alcohol as well as some black pepper and dark spices. Ripe, new world syrah character, some nice white pepper on midpalate, shifting to darker pepper notes, some green vegetal as well; finish is warmer, with fruit still dark but some redfruit character, also an almost cinnamon-heart sweet spice touch. Very good wine for the price.

6/26/2010 - peter.pound@morganlewis.com wrote:

Bit tired