8/5/2023 - andolini Likes this wine:

Popped and poured, dark and fragrant. Juicy, still youthful with some tannic structure. Cherry, cassis, lively acidity and smooth, long finish. Drinking very nicely at this stage.

7/31/2023 - andolini Likes this wine:

Getting better with age! Amazing nose just jumps out of the glass. Still inky dark, no sign of color fading at all in the glass. Fruit forward, dark red fruits on the palate, but with well integrated leather/smoky notes. Still high octane, but smooth and never seemed overly hot. Paired surprisingly well with duck, and I preferred this SQN with age over the younger ones.

7/6/2023 - andolini Likes this wine:

Opened for 30 minutes, no signs of fading. Rich color, somewhat soft nose, floral bouquet. Smooth, well-rounded, less of a fruit profile than what I was hoping, but no surprise given the age. Enjoyed it more as the night went on, but not a complex wine at this stage, and probably a bit past its prime drinking window. Drink up.

4/3/2023 - andolini wrote:

Love aged Montelena, held on to this a bit too long. Well integrated and balanced, but fruit profile was limited. Drink up

9/7/2022 - andolini wrote:

Popped and Poured. Wow wine. Deep, dark, rich, viscous. Jammy, bold dark red fruit with some chocolate/tobacco notes. No sign of fading -- could easily last a few more decades based on this tasting. Smooth seamless finish. Delicious.

9/3/2022 - andolini wrote:

Popped and poured, balanced, elegant, but almost muted compared to the other high-octane cabs of the evening. Not the best company for the Araujo to shine, but seemed to be at its peak.

9/3/2022 - andolini wrote:

Popped and poured. Should have decanted and given it more time to open up. No sign of aging at all -- powerful, red fruit with a hint of herbaceous earthiness, smooth and balanced.

5/30/2022 - andolini wrote:

Popped and poured, drank over the course of two hours. Dark purple, pure cabernet, still youthful without any rough edges. Pure, dark red/blue fruit, vanilla richness and creaminess. Seamless finish. Truly enjoyable.

5/16/2022 - andolini wrote:

Found at the back of the cellar, and feared it was over the hill. Nose was still attractive with some strawberry/raspberry aromas, and surprisingly light ruby in color. On the palate, it was overwhelmingly hot, like cherry cough syrup with less cherry, and way past the prime drinking window. My fault for waiting too long.

5/15/2022 - andolini wrote:

Popped and poured. Well balanced, but still youthful with some acidity and tannic structure. Dark red fruit, dark cherry, oak. Well-integrated and pleasant.

2/27/2022 - andolini wrote:

Opened for an hour. Well structured, not showing signs of fading, and in a great spot for a well-aged cabernet.

2/27/2022 - andolini wrote:

Opened for an hour, beautiful aged cab nose. Unfortunately seemed to be past its peak, with slightly faded fruit profile and less distinction and complexity as previous tastings. Not a bad bottle by any stretch of the imagination, but my hopes with these aged cabs are to have a transcendent experience, and this didn't reach that level.

12/25/2021 - andolini wrote:

Popped and poured. Super dark, no sign of any age. Cherry, red fruit, almost a sweetness on the palate. Followed by burnt rubber, tar, slightly piney flavors. Medium finish. Similar from previous bottle 3 years ago so it seems to holding up fine.

12/25/2021 - andolini wrote:

Decanted, opened for 3 hours. Still dark red, with some slight bricking. Lovely nose of classic cabernet. Smooth, strong plum/red fruit on the palate, a touch of earthiness and smoke, and nice long finish. Wasn't a wow wine and might be slightly past peak, but very enjoyable and I would be happy to drink again and again.

11/28/2021 - andolini Likes this wine:

Decanted, left to open up for 1-2 hours before drinking. Dark purple, rich, raspberry, dark red fruits on the nose. I half feared that this was going to be over the hill and a hot mess, but alcohol wasn't noticeable, nor was it a huge fruit bomb. Raspberry, slight pepper, classic zin, some rich/creamy thickness with a smooth finish. If there is any criticism, it lacked some complexity at this stage, but I enjoyed it.

5/30/2021 - andolini Likes this wine:

Deep red, no sign of fading or age. Dark red fruit, pure cabernet, oak. Still very structured with very grippy tannins. Has not mellowed as much as I expected with age and at this pace, it still needs another 5-10 years to hit its peak.

5/11/2021 - andolini wrote:

Opened about an hour, still very youthful and primary. Juicy, dark red fruit, cherry on the nose. More red fruit and cherry on the palate with some bramble/wood/forest notes and a bright acidity which paired well with the steak I was having. Letting the rest of my stash rest for another few years before trying the next bottle.

1/4/2021 - andolini Likes this wine:

A real surprise. Popped and poured, and was half expecting this to be a hot mess. Previous experiences with young Sea Smokes have been tart cherry heat, but this was softer, with strawberry as the dominant fruit profile, slight earth/funk notes, and a soft and smooth balance without noticeable heat. A real pleasure -- maybe I should start cellaring all my Sea Smokes for 15 years!

12/18/2020 - andolini wrote:

Popped and poured, enjoyed a bottle over 2 days. Rich cabernet, very primary at this young age. Cherry, red fruits, some pepper, some tartness, oak. Tannins grip on the finish. Smoothed out a bit on day 2, but overall impressions are remarkably similar. Well structured but needs more time to develop!

10/24/2020 - andolini wrote:

Popped and poured. Does not seem like a decade old wine. Still youthful, bright fruit, and could use some more cellaring time.

10/24/2020 - andolini wrote:

Popped and poured -- served a bit too cold. Nose and flavors muted at first (probably due to the temperature) but really opened up over three hours. Chewy, plums, pepper, meaty, leather notes. Finish was a bit short and not a WOW showing for SQN, but certainly a solid crowd pleaser.

1/3/2020 - andolini wrote:

Golden yellow color with floral aromas. Tropical, honey, mineral, petrol, some heat. Pineapple and minerality really shine through with an interesting (in a good way) mix. Enjoyable and in a better place than one I consumed 2 years ago.

12/28/2019 - andolini wrote:

Popped and poured. Golden colored. Mineral, oak, petrol, tropical flavors. More minerality and wet stone than the Resiste white I had a week earlier. I would have preferred more fruit but well integrated.

12/28/2019 - andolini wrote:

Decanted and opened up over few hours. Initial impressions were overwhelmingly of oak and some salinity and soy sauce notes. Jammy fruit on the nose but still oak dominated. Fruit is muted on the palate, with wood, petrol, smoke, tobacco, forest notes. Became more balanced over a few hours with the fruit expressing itself more but not my favorite due to the oak.

11/30/2019 - andolini wrote:

In a good place right now. Decanted 2 hours. Floral, fruit, soft notes on the nose. Aged profile, very soft mouthfeel. Earth and grass notes noticeably mixing with the fruit, which is getting somewhat muted. Very smooth finish. Suggestion is to drink up.

11/30/2019 - andolini wrote:

Decanted for 2 hours. Beautiful nose. Dark red fruit, chocolate, cigar, some earth and forest notes. Still young, somewhat linear but all the structure is there. Some additional age should help soften some of the rough edges. No signs of fading and has a long life ahead of it.

11/30/2019 - andolini wrote:

Consistent with previous tasting. Decanted for 3 hours, pure and velvety cabernet shines through. Less angular and more well rounded at this stage, but no sign of fading. Dark red/blue fruit, chocolate, cocoa, some tobacco, and seamless finish.

11/30/2019 - andolini wrote:

Decanted for 3 hours. Round, soft, all the fruit and complexity melds together with an aged nose and flavor profile. Smooth, with clear cabernet flavors dominating. Enjoyable, but steeply priced.

10/15/2019 - andolini wrote:

Popped and poured. Dark purple. Dark red fruit, plums, a bit of sweetness on the finish. Not as complex or earthy as previous Beaucastels. Didn't change in glass over the course of an evening. Drinkable but not my favorite showing.

8/29/2019 - andolini wrote:

Opened and decanted for a few hours before serving. Notable sediment. Beautiful dark red color. Just a very well-aged, complex, solid wine. I can't say it wowed me, but consistent dark red fruit/leather/chocolate/aged cabernet/smooth finish. Would love to have more. I have yet to be disappointed by a 90s Insignia.

4/23/2019 - andolini wrote:

Drank from 375 ml. Dark, rich, pure cabernet on the nose. Still too young -- Maybach always has a silky, rich vanilla and pure fruit core to me, but I think this was opened too early for me. Give it another few years!

4/21/2019 - andolini wrote:

Superb. Dark ruby red, with ever so slight bricking. Opened for an hour. Vanilla, floral notes, earth, grass. A beautifully aged wine without any rough edges. Core of cabernet fruit with notes of vanilla, cocoa, leather. Amazingly smooth finish. In a perfect place now.

11/22/2018 - andolini wrote:

Thanksgiving dinner, opened for several hours. Dark red, rich, mild oak, chocolate. More mellow and smoother than I had expected. Very nice, but steep price for the experience.

10/15/2018 - andolini Likes this wine:

Decanted for 4 hours. Pepper, meat, earth are dominant first impressions. Kept evolving in glass. This had a different flavor profile from the first sip vs. the last sip two hours later. Consistent pepper notes throughout, but also had dark red/black fruit, leather, rubber, some bramble, earth. The evolution and combination of flavors in the glass is what makes this interesting. Looking forward to seeing how it evolves over the next few years.

10/15/2018 - andolini Likes this wine:

Opened and decanted for four hours before first sip. A bit muted on the nose, but pure, smooth cabernet on palate. Juicy and mildly sweet, but not over the top or jammy. Mainly red/blue fruit profile, but I did not pick up many secondary characteristics. This was very balanced without overt alcohol or oak. Long finish. Very enjoyable.

4/2/2018 - andolini wrote:

Floral, peach, pineapple, and a bit of petrol and "stickiness". Perhaps more heavily oaked than I would like, but was a crowd pleaser.

4/2/2018 - andolini wrote:

Decanted for an hour. Took a while for this to express itself. Austere, mineral, tart cherry and brambly. Some age and earthiness makes it interesting and well integrated, but not too much going on at this stage. Perhaps past its prime, but still an enjoyable drink.

4/2/2018 - andolini Likes this wine:

Terrific bottle, sad it was my last. Decanted for about an hour, and still dark with very little sign of fading color. Aged, complex aromas jump out of glass but the purity of the fruit still shines through. On the palate, dark red/blue fruits, some chocolate/cocoa notes with some earth and funk. But it all comes together in a smooth, balanced manner with a pure finish. It's in a perfect place now and can't see how it can get better.

3/11/2018 - andolini wrote:

Expected this to be over the hill, but not only is it not fading, but this was an amazing bottle. Nose of floral fruits jumps out of glass. Balanced, smooth, red fruit with a beautiful aged complexity. So smooth and in a great place.

3/4/2018 - andolini wrote:

Not a good showing. Opened for an hour before consuming. Color still deep red and shows no signs of fading. First sips reveal cherry and some red fruits, but dominant impression on palate after more sips is monolithic heat. Seems hot and simple without much complexity or other nuances of flavor. Just didn't enjoy this -- atypical of other Sea Smokes I've had, so either over the hill, or hopefully an off bottle.

3/2/2018 - andolini Likes this wine:

Still holding up well. Good balance, deep dark blue/red fruit, smoke, some forest, tar, burnt notes. Drying on the finish.

2/7/2018 - andolini wrote:

Dark, no signs of age in the glass. Took a while to open up, but quite smooth and balanced with dark red/blue fruit profile, burnt rubber, oak, but seamlessly integrated. Very nice and in a very good spot now.

12/24/2017 - andolini wrote:

Golden yellow. Complex, honey, floral notes on the nose. Petrol, oak, good weight and balance, but detectable heat as well. Finishes smooth.

10/22/2017 - andolini wrote:

Amazing. Bright, luscious red fruit, tart, balanced acid, interesting blend of red/blue fruits and spices that culminates with a pure and smooth finish. Kept on improving over the course of an evening. Surprised at how good this was.

11/22/2017 - andolini wrote:

Golden color. This is very different at this age compared to when it was first released. Mellowed, not as much tropical fruit. Instead I found petrol and confectionary notes with a touch of heat. Very smooth but I think I like these young.

9/19/2017 - andolini wrote:

Complex, mature nose. Slight bricking. Smooth, rounded with some meaty, smoky, tobacco notes. More old world than fruit forward. Very enjoyable.

9/19/2017 - andolini wrote:

Surprisingly drinkable given age and other notes. Somewhat simple on the palate, but definitely a mature wine with nuances of earth, tobacco, smoke, darker red fruit.

7/5/2017 - andolini Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Nose has a depth and purity of fruit and some floral notes. Vanilla, pepper, leather, smoked meat, long finish. In a great place right now.

5/31/2017 - andolini wrote:

Popped and poured. Cherry fruit, some funk, heat. Iodine, soy sauce, burnt rubber. The fruit is dominated by the metallic element and didn't enjoy this bottle that much.

5/9/2017 - andolini wrote:

Popped and poured. Lemon, acidity, minerality, some green apple, petrol, and tartness. Very nice.