10/17/2015 - jnanz wrote:

Corked

10/11/2015 - jnanz Likes this wine:

Pretty nose filled with red fruit and some spice. Flavors of ripe strawberry, red berries and apple juice were supported by good acidity / structure. The bright fruit and silky texture left the wine feeling medium weight. Secondary spicy aromatic notes were in the background, but this didn't stick around long enough for them to really emerge. This was excellent and really surprised me.

6/29/2015 - jnanz Likes this wine:

Excellent. The oak has integrated, leaving flavors of honeyed pears, with candied citrus tones. The finish is loaded with a rich honey flavor.

6/28/2015 - jnanz Likes this wine:

Excellent bottle. Decanted for an our before drinking. Brambly syrah fruit with herbal edges supported by a nice spine of acidity. Nose of lavender and other flowers is intoxicating. Some tannin remains. Day 2 the wine had fleshed out further and improved significantly with a silky texture. Anticipate this has another 5 yrs in it.

8/3/2014 - jnanz Likes this wine:

This was excellent and ready to go after 30 minutes in the glass. Nice cherry fruit with floral tones and silky tannin. Great balance and acidity. From the profile I'd say this is entering its drinking window but has an easy 5 years left I'd guess.

6/11/2014 - jnanz Likes this wine:

Outstanding wine. My first experience with Gruner of this caliber. A complete wine with a fantastic nose, gorgeous weight and texture. Richer and more full bodied than other Gruner's I've had. The stone and orchard fruit profile is balanced deftly with excellent minerality and acidity. I must seek more of this in the future.

12/7/2013 - jnanz wrote:

Last bottle. The nose was full of violet and berry fruit. Flavors of herbs d'provence, crystalized violets and raspberry are clinging to a tannic frame with notes of leather and stem. While this was very good upon opening, the tannin just does not surrender and turns dry. A portion saved for the following day confirmed that the tannins are drying and the fruit is probably breathing its last breaths.

12/6/2013 - jnanz wrote:

Very good pinot. Darker cherry fruit profile compared to the Sonoma. Dark fruit and spice on the nose are carried through the palate with black cherry supported by cinnamon, mace, sassafras and nutmeg spice (mulling spices?). The cinnamon on the finish is slightly complicated by a little alcohol (heat). At peak for me.

12/3/2013 - jnanz Likes this wine:

Excellent Pinot that has aged better than I would have expected, provided its youthful, rich, fruit-forward style. Fruit remains, as do more integrated cola / sassafrass notes. The fruit remains in the rich candied cherry to blackberry range. Secondary tea notes are evolving on the finish. I would probably enjoy this over the next couple of years. Likely at peak.

9/25/2013 - jnanz Likes this wine:

Excellent chardonnay. Aromas of apple, pear and citrus. The wine had a great verve, very lively and long. Flavors of bartlett pear, sweet lemon (lemon curd?), and citrus pith supplemented by excellent minerality (almost limestone?) and light floral tones. The floral tones emerged later, after being open for an hour and warming slightly. I think this will be outstanding with time.

7/16/2013 - jnanz Likes this wine:

Excellent to Outstanding. My last bottle of 2003, and as others have noted - this keeps getting better. Much more mature than my previous bottle, slight bricking was observed. Rich kirsh and black cherry fruit on the nose are complimented by a light hoisin / mirin note. The nose is fantastic. Flavors of dark cherry, blackberry and ripe plum with hoisin, spicecake and leather notes were fantastic. The tannins are velvety and resolved completely within 30 minutes in the glass. For me this is in a perfect spot.

5/27/2013 - jnanz wrote:

Very Good Bordeaux. Initially tight with barnyard aromas. Tannins remain drying and bitter on the finish. Dark fruit flavors with earth tones and licorice. The fruit seems ripe, almost showing hints of dates. A fairly simple wine, but what do you expect at the price. A good QPR at $15.

5/27/2013 - jnanz Likes this wine:

Very Good to Excellent Merlot. This was ready to go shortly after decanting (30 min). Garnet with evidence of bricking. Initially a little tart, this gained weight with air. Mature cherry, raspberry and plum fruit. Didn't seem overly roasted or stewed to me. Velvety smooth tannin, but lacked acidity. Only minor notes of minerality. Barrel notes of bitter chocolate provided background flavors. Nice wine. I enjoyed this even if it was on the more simple side of the spectrum.

5/27/2013 - jnanz Likes this wine:

Excellent Bordeaux. Based on my previous note, this has continued to evolve. Not as open as my previous bottle. Decanted again for 1 hour, this was still a little tight. This bottle didn't strike me at all as ripe or forward. This was almost austere, with ripe plum and cherry fruit and a strong mineral and earth character. The nose was almost all earth with dirt and cheese rind dominating the aromas. The palate showed ripe plum and dark berry fruit. Maybe slight hints to roasted fruits. The earth and minerality provides excellent structure. Really enjoyed this, a very intriguing bottle.

5/23/2013 - jnanz Likes this wine:

Very good Bordeaux. Translucent garnet with edges beginning to brick. Nose of spiced cherry fruit. Upon opening some velvety tannin was apparent, though this completely integrated within 30 minutes. What was left was a nice wine with very good cherry fruit and a little spice (cigar box, light vanilla). Initial hints of cranberry faded resolved quickly to cherry juice flavors. Medium bodied, but no real staying power on the palate. Did not have the structure, acid or tannin to stand up to a grilled Waygu flap. Very good and enjoyable to sip with lighter appetizers. Likely at peak (will change, but I am not sure how much it will improve) for me.

4/24/2013 - jnanz Likes this wine:

An excellent wine. My last of six bottles - and one of my favorite spring / summer sippers. Pretty salmon color, can be a little cloudy (sediment) if one does not stand the bottle or decant gently. Aromas of citrus and strawberry. The taste profile is similar - light strawberry, citrus with an herbal element. Nice acidic frame.

4/9/2013 - jnanz Likes this wine:

Absolutely outstanding pinot. Even better than the last tim eI had this. Stunning nose of red fruit, earth and flowers - a tiny bit of earthy funk. Pretty ruby / garnet color with only the smallest bit of bricking. Delicate with great acidity, good spice and pretty fruit. Spiced cranberries, cherries and pomegranate with earhty notes, some flowers, stem and tea undertones. The midpalate has filled out leaving a complete wine. Silky texture without weight. Long finish with spiced fruit and earth notes. The best 2008 CA Pinot Noir I've had to date.

3/27/2013 - jnanz Likes this wine:

Very good right now. This bottle seemed less evolved than I would have expected. It opened up nicely over a couple of hours, but initially it was a little muted. Will hold remaining bottle a few more years.

2/26/2013 - jnanz Likes this wine:

Excellent pinot. Bright red fruit (cherry, strawberry) with earth and spice elements. I slight note of smokey earth resolved within 30 minutes of opening. Nice earth (forest floor, mushroom) backdrop.

1/18/2013 - jnanz Does not like this wine:

Have had 3 bottles to date. All have had consistent flavor profile. A dark, extracted wine. Nose of dark berry and oak. The palate wasn't much different. Very extracted, purple color with a lot of dark berry fruit. The wine was very much over-oaked to my palate with the nella-wafer oak profile dominating most other (potential) secondary notes. After airing out overnight this was subdued a bit, but it never hit the aromatic complexity or flavor profile noted in critical review. Will likely improve with age and offer more, but this is not my cup of tea. Well made for the money I suppose (a good to very good wine), but more or less one dimensional.

1/11/2013 - jnanz Likes this wine:

Excellent syrah. Black fruit nose with smoked meat notes. The palate resonates the black fruit profile and meaty flavors combined with a strong olive profile. Super dark and briney. Tannins still provide texture but are calming a bit. I'll hold my next (last) bottle for 4 or 5 more years.

11/23/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Outstanding, but STILL wound up. Stemmy earth tones, olive and flowers over a core of blackberry/raspberry/plum fruit. Leather and spice notes add complexity. Decent acidity and still a nice velvety tannin frame. Hold off 2 -5 years on remaining bottle.

11/22/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Outstanding. Spiced cranberry and a big rootbeer finish. Nice acidity. Great with Thanksgiving dinner.

11/16/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Outstanding. Best Carlisle syrah I've tasted to date. Has plenty of time to go. Ripe black fruit with hints of meat and spice.

11/14/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Excellent example of "introductory" nebbiolo. Cherry, strawberry, porcini, tobacco, hints of tar and floral aromatics. Transparent ruby, medium light body.

11/6/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Excellent to outstanding. Nice red fruit, great texture, earthy undertones on a decent acidic backbone. Easy to drink and over-delivers for the price. I bit of heat on the finish subsided with about an hour of air.

11/2/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Outstanding. Entering its drinking window.

10/29/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Good. Very disjointed. Ripe red fruit and acid profile was not integrated with the oak component. Hints of lead and cedar present as well with the oak. Heat on the finish. This was nothing like my previous bottle 18 months ago. I can't tell whether it needs time or has had too much.

10/24/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Excellent pinot. I really jumped the gun on this - when I tasted at the winery upon release this was very fruit forward. I didn't know if this would ever offer more than fruit. Loaded with cola, root beer, dark cherry and earth. Still quite young. Fine tannins are still not integrated, but this has great structure and good acidity. If I had more I'd probably check in at year 8 or 10.

9/26/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Outstanding bottle of wine. Alas, this was the last of our house summer white - it will be missed. I think others have covered the flavor spectrum here very well: orchard fruit, with herbal and floral notes supported by a solid mineral and acid profile. A great summer sipper.

9/20/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Partially corked

8/15/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Excellent - outstanding. Best Carlisle I've had to date. Plush, rich, spicy black fruit. Nice tannins on a cocoa-y finish.

8/7/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Outstanding. Drinking very well right now. Ripe nose of black cherry and berries. On the palate, dark cherry pie flavors dominated. Dark cherry, cherry pit, pie crust (vanilla oak) with an undercurrent of earth and sassafrass. Tannins were silky. Wine showed excellent balance and very good acidity to support the cherry fruit tones.

7/31/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Very good wine. Decanted 12 hours. Big, rich, extracted with tons of inky fruit, cocoa powder and a creamy finish (a good dose of new oak). Very good and "fun" to drink, yes. But I am not sure this is what I seek in a syrah. More about extraction than any place (or varietal character); muscle opposed to elegance. Sure it is a crowd pleasing wine, but I may stick to the Zins moving forward.

7/14/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Excellent, not sure how much more it will improve. Similar flavor profile as many entry-level CDP. Nice floral nose, raspberry, blackberry and spice-cake flavors dominate the palate. There is an interesting sweetness on the finish (not typical to CDP I've had). Tannins are silky and the wine had an excellent texture.

7/14/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Outstanding bottle of wine. Obviously a big, dense wine. Dark cherry, lead and sweet, velvety tannin. Beginning to show secondary flavors but not there yet. I should have stood my bottle longer as the sediment was substantial - and waited 5+ more years to open. Character almost reminded me of a nice St. Julien from a riper vintage.

7/11/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Excellent

2/12/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Good acidity with cranberry, spice and earth notes. Also some notes of stems present. Interesting this time around. Very good, but not as good as my last bottle.

2/8/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Not even close. Tight and tannic. Brilliant notes of smokey meat, BBQ sauce(?) and blackberry. Probably needs another 4-5 years?

2/6/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Both this and the bottle I had in December were disjointed and hot with notes I have not commonly associated with Pinot Noir. Fruit has faded and or given way to darker more alcoholic notes. I think this has fallen off. The bottle I had a year ago seemed to be in much better shape, maybe I got the vintage wrong last year? I've had a number of 2006 KB Pinots over the past 3 months (all except the 4-barrel, Gary's and Rosella's) and believe they are all in decline.

2/4/2012 - jnanz wrote:

Translucent ruby - very pretty color. Spicy nose of cherry and pomegranate. Lighter bodied on the palate with silky tannins. Great acidity balanced flavors of cherry, cranberry and pomegranate with mushroom and chai notes. Every now and then one could catch a note of tea and even something reminiscent of watermelon. Crying for some fat (duck maybe?). An excellent bottle of pinot noir.

10/25/2011 - jnanz wrote:

Exceptional. Completely balanced. Berry, bramble and coffee notes. A plesant spiciness with an almost floral note (almost like Bali long peppercorn). Again full-bodied with excellent minerality. tremendous depth without coming off sweet or over-extracted.

10/9/2011 - jnanz wrote:

Excellent wine. Great nose of red berries and earth translated well to the palate. Bright red fruit (cherry, cranberry, raspberry), earthy elements and herbs were carried along the palate with good energy (acidity). Perfect for herb-roasted chicken. Great texture and balance.

7/30/2011 - jnanz wrote:

Corked.

5/15/2011 - jnanz wrote:

Very good. Very nice nose of flowers. Light bodied, good with food, bright fruit.

5/2/2011 - jnanz wrote:

Outstanding chardonnay. Juicy pear fruit supported by notes of apple, peach pit and lemon zest (providing nice acidity). Excellent balance. The finish lends a puff pastry element. I am reminded of Anjou pear tarts - delicious stuff!

5/1/2011 - jnanz wrote:

Delicious. Decanted and drank over 2 hours. Just an outstanding cabernet. Ripe currant, dark berry in perfect balance with chocolately oak. Initially a little tannic, but the tannins mellowed nicely. A more forward style and entering an excellent drinking window. Outstanding.

3/30/2011 - jnanz wrote:

Continues to be an excellent bottle of sauvignon blanc. Gooseberry, citrus, juniper and other herbal flavors are supported by excellent acidity and a touch of oak. Delicious.

3/27/2011 - jnanz wrote:

Outstanding pinot. I really enjoyed this. Very pretty nose. Very delicate and light with great acidity, good spice and pretty fruit. Spiced cranberries and pomegranate. Initially the wine almost seemed thin or hollow, but it put on substantial weight with air, adding depth to the midpalate. Already silky in texture. A great food wine, I really like what Pax has done with this bottling.

3/19/2011 - jnanz wrote:

Cracked while we were sorting through the cellar. Powerful, full-bodied wine with ripe cassis, plum and blackberry fruit. Chocolatey / mocha oak rounds out the finish. Outstanding.