9/27/2020 - nospeel Likes this wine:

My last bottle... Deep yellow and gold, showing its age. Citrus - lemon, dried pineapple, a touch of honey, petrol and white flowers on nose.

Palate - lemon zest, tart apple and beeswax. Acid is moderate plus, alcohol medium minus. Balanced. Long finish.

Really has come together. Drink up!

1/13/2019 - nospeel Likes this wine:

Light gold clear at rim. No bubbles. Medium minus viscosity. Clean. White flowers and peach nose with some river bed aromas. Grapefruit and unripe pear. Some butter, perhaps a touch of oak. Medium plus acid. Medium body and finish. Lovely.

8/30/2017 - nospeel Likes this wine:

On PnP, fairly tight but pleasant. However, as others noted, with two or so hours in the glass it keeps getting better and better. Light gold with lime honey and pear on the nose. Some added waxy flavors on the tongue. Dry and balanced. I may decant my next bottle.

8/15/2016 - nospeel Likes this wine:

Clear, bright garnet in the glass. Nose of raw meat, dirt and licorice. Lots of pepper, deep red fruit and a little coffee. Medium acid with nice balance. Long finish with moderate heat. Not over the top. But, feels like it is holding back a bit. Should evolve over the next 5-10 years.

7/3/2016 - nospeel Likes this wine:

Nice. Needs a good decant. At first, threw off a lot of vegetable notes and appeared very hot. After 90 minutes, it mellowed with deep pepper and plum. Nice balance.

4/10/2016 - nospeel wrote:

Blew my wife and I away... Plums, blackberry and spice on the nose. Deep red fruit with some licorice on the palate. Tannins are present but not overwhelming. Nicely balanced. Does need a couple hours to open - was throwing off sediment - even at this young age.

2/21/2016 - nospeel wrote:

A very lovely, precise Sancerre. Grass, celery and chalk on the nose. Kiwi and lime on the palate - dill? Nicely balanced. Good dose of acid - nice and food friendly.

2/9/2016 - nospeel Likes this wine:

Delicious. Some red cherry, coffee and licorice on the nose. Earthy, medium body. Not overly tannic. Some interesting spice - anise and a little mint. Really enjoying this. Went really well with some manhattan style fish chowder tonight. Two for two with the wines from West of Temperance...

2/8/2016 - nospeel wrote:

Prior notes are right on. Already, lovely, this baby needs some time! Very mineral driven - which I love (wife, not so much). Full of green flavors as expected. Really looking forward to this developing more.

2/8/2016 - nospeel wrote:

Really interesting blend - Petite Sirah, Viognier (!), Aglianico, Teroldego, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Zinfandel and Merlot. From multiple vintages (2012, 2013 and 2104) - per the data sheets. The Petit Sirah shines through - lots of blackberry jam and pepper. Opened up quite a bit after one hour.

1/5/2016 - nospeel wrote:

Really in a perfect place right now. May improve over the next 3 years. But, really lovely.

11/30/2015 - nospeel Likes this wine:

Chablis like minerality. Lovel. Lemon peel crabapple on the nose. Nice salinity and brioche on the palate. Nice finish. Really food friendly.

10/30/2015 - nospeel wrote:

Fantastic bottle - entering its prime. Tannins, while still there, have receded a bit to showcase some amazing complexity. This is not an big masculine Syrah. Rather, it has the restraint to allow some light caramel and licorice notes to shine through - along with the typical spice, pepper and dark fruit. My next bottle will not be shared with three others :)

10/30/2015 - nospeel wrote:

Really nice. Some floral notes. Really nice bitter orange on the finish. More complexity than normally found in a prosecco. The bitterness along with some nice acidity made this an ideal pairing with cheese and dried meats.

3/14/2015 - nospeel wrote:

Wow - great QPR. Floral (honeysuckle/rose) on the nose - medium body - nice acid on the finish. A little bit of glycerin along with apricot and spice. Beyond pleasant! Will be buying more.

3/6/2015 - nospeel Likes this wine:

Singing right now...

12/20/2014 - nospeel Likes this wine:

Drinking really well. Really evolved over the three hours it to drink. Just kept improving. Jam, lavender and spice on the nose. A real creaminess on the palate with some nice mushrooms and fennel. Then a pepper filled finish. Nice balance.

11/3/2014 - nospeel wrote:

Good, not great. More on the European side for Sojourn. Cherry and a little spice on the nose. Medium/light weight.

9/11/2014 - nospeel wrote:

Wow. Great qpr! I agree that it starts on the hot side. But, lots of complexity for the price. Lovely on its own.

5/9/2014 - nospeel wrote:

Nice blend of new and old world. Has a rich honey apple nose with nice minerals on the palate. Great value and a terrific food wine.

3/24/2014 - nospeel wrote:

Great balance - nice grassy nose with a slight wood note. Lemon with some stoniness on the palate. Nice finish. Very versatile wine - enough acid for food - but, lovely on its own.

3/19/2013 - nospeel wrote:

Nice QPR. A little thin - but very, very drinkable with some unexpected complexity.

2/18/2013 - nospeel Does not like this wine:

Deep purple. Nose of Jam, Clove, and Soy Sauce. Woody (bark?) and Bell Pepper. Medium body, medium finish.

2/3/2013 - nospeel Likes this wine:

Leather and wood on the nose. Tannins have receded nicely showing some medium body fruit - soft dark berry and a little spice on the palate. Drink up - seems to be at the end of its peak.

1/16/2013 - nospeel Likes this wine:

Very tight. Camphor, rotting meat and plum on the nose. A little vegetal on the palate with some spice. Short finish. Tannins are not receding - will save some for tomorrow...

1/11/2013 - nospeel Likes this wine:

Bright red. Medium body. Floral and spice on nose. Crushed stone and plum. Nice finish

12/11/2012 - nospeel Does not like this wine:

Deep brick/purple - cloudy. Dust, flint and black fruits on nose. Dry medium body with some acidic crispness. Tannins are forward and dry with pepper, green pepper and dirt on the palate. Medium finish. A little out of balance.

12/10/2012 - nospeel wrote:

Deep, hazy garnet. Moderate aromas of cherry and smoke - a little young. Dry with a some pepper and blackberry flavor. A little flabby and unbalanced. Medium finish.

12/5/2012 - nospeel Likes this wine:

Deep, clear ruby. Graphite and a little cinnamon nose. With lots of cranberry and plum. Dry with soft tannins.

12/3/2012 - nospeel Likes this wine:

Deep yellow gold. On the nose: Lemon, Raisin, and Lychee. Definitely off-dry. With Botrytised, Leesy Apricots. Medium/Full body with a slight thickness and a nice finish.

11/26/2012 - nospeel wrote:

Tannins have faded nicely. Gentle fruit. Cherry and leather on the nose. Plums, anise and a little pepper. A tad short on finish. Better than the prior reviews - but, I agree, drink up!

11/13/2012 - nospeel wrote:

- Light gold color with medium forming legs and aromas of kerosene and pineapple. It's lacking fruit and has flavours of melon and diacetyl (butter) with a light/medium body. Fleshy texture with a short finish.

11/10/2012 - nospeel wrote:

Improving over time. Happy that I have some more.

11/9/2012 - nospeel wrote:

Still going strong. Figs and blueberries and tomato. Really enjoyable. With some spice on the backend. Soft tannins and a tad sweet.

10/31/2012 - nospeel wrote:

My second bottle of this. Same notes as prior.

10/30/2012 - nospeel wrote:

Wonderful. Mocha on the nose with some flowers (roses?). Full of graphite and chocolate with some nice barn-yardy notes. Nicely balanced. Perfectly aged. Double filtered and decanted. 1/2 bottle with 2 hour decant. 1/2 bottle after 48 hours. After two days, barnyard disappears revealing leathery fruit. Wow!

10/28/2012 - nospeel wrote:

Vanilla, baked apple and glycerin on the nose. Tropical fruit and light grassiness. Pleasantly balanced acidity. Medium finish. Good value.

10/18/2012 - nospeel wrote:

Pale salmon color. Grapefruit/mint on the nose. Minerals and a little creaminess on the palate. Nice acid.

10/12/2012 - nospeel wrote:

- Violet color and aromas of tar and tea. It's somewhat balanced and has flavours of coffee and cedar with a medium body. Leathery texture with a medium finish.

10/7/2012 - nospeel wrote:

Deep garnet. Smoke, mushrooms, berry and licorice on the nose. Some spice and dark cherry with some thyme notes on the palate. Tannins are nicely soft. Drinking really nice. Really fantastic - with a finish that goes on forever.

10/1/2012 - nospeel wrote:

A hit of sulphur on the nose - rather surprising. Was expecting a more buttery / oaked style - did not get this (my wife loves this style - not for me though).. Some pear and apple on the nose. Rather weak finish.

9/16/2012 - nospeel wrote:

Second bottle - loving it. Piercing acidity makes this a great food wine. Floral, citrus nose. Tart lime, minerals and a little spice on the palate. Really nice body. Terrific!

9/16/2012 - nospeel wrote:

At its peak! Give it a vigorous 1 hour decant - you will be rewarded.

9/5/2012 - nospeel wrote:

Lemon and citrus on the nose. Saline/mineral with some glycerine on the palate. Nice balance. I loved the finish - a little chemical. Wife did not...

9/4/2012 - nospeel wrote:

Really out of balance. Very thin. An average / solid bottle to use for cooking. Well priced for its quality.

9/3/2012 - nospeel wrote:

deep rose - with a tinge of orange. peaches on the nose - with some salinity and minerals on the palate. more complex than expected. i am looking forward to trying the blanc de blanc

8/1/2012 - nospeel wrote:

Bought during BerserkerFest. Had not had any experience/knowledge of Windy Oaks. Officially added to my "must purchase" list. A little bit of rose along with some smokiness on the nose. Fruit forward palate - with a little bit of heat. Medium finish.

7/8/2012 - nospeel wrote:

Citrus, chalk and a little popcorn on the nose. Some salinity and grass. A little fuller than expected. But, with a nice balanced finish. Light gold in color. Really nice.

7/4/2012 - nospeel wrote:

Decanted for 30 minutes. Deep garnet. Floral notes and must on the nose. Spice and subtle fruit. Medium finish. Tannins are a little forward (not unexpected). Nice - much more mellow than expected. While lovely, not great value at this price.

6/16/2012 - nospeel wrote:

This one needs a long decant. Very closed and fruit forward at first - after 8 hours, some lovely earthiness joins the wood, cherry and cola (agree with the prior note) on the nose. Palate has some bite (pleasant) along with caramel and characteristic cherry. Finish is nice with balance. Oddly, just tried some the next day with some chill on it - really amazing and refreshing