4/16/2022 - psusfca Likes this wine:

Still a youngster Dark purple, no bricking so far. Tannins still present but well resolved. I really think the merlot brings out all the things we love about Insignia. We reversed things and started with Insignia (3 hour decant) and paired with24 month aged Dutch Gouda and 18 month aged cheddar from Australia. Amazing. Then some Brewer Clifton Pinot Noir to go with Duck ‘a L’Orange with Tokyo Turnips and their greens and duck fat roasted fingerling potatoes. Wonderful meal. And then we experienced food coma as we watched warriors game 1.

12/7/2021 - psusfca Does not like this wine:

This is the lowest rating I have ever given a wine on here. I wanted to like it, but this was awful. I opened it and tasted. Not corked but no positive elements. Tasted again several times to see if it just needed air and time. It remained terrible. Maybe it is just my palate, but I have Napa Cabs from many of the great producers. I hate pouring out basically a full bottle of wine but it was just not enjoyable. I still have a 2002 left. I'll give it a try soon. Fingers crossed

11/24/2021 - psusfca Likes this wine:

This is an utterly yummy wine. It starts out herbaceous but then red fruit and a lingering finish on back of the palate. I am a big fan of dolcetto and go two thumbs up on this one. Not sure it gets much better but will likely hold well at this delicious level at least for five years.

6/18/2021 - psusfca Likes this wine:

This was a gorgeous wine. I think that it is at its peak and will not improve further. But still likely can plateau at this level for many years of enjoyment. Fantastic length across the palate. Tannins fully resolved. Black fruit. I normally wouldn't drink an Insignia this young but as I looked at the reviews it seemed it was time to try one. Was so glad I did. Paired amazingly with a dry aged rib-eye. This was one of the most "pretty" Insignias that I can recall.

4/25/2021 - psusfca Likes this wine:

I think this was delicious. It is very much settled in its element. I don’t think it has huge back of palate but really well made. I respectfully disagree with previous commenter with regard to vintage ratings. 2011 has some amazing wines. I’ll go back to 1998 that was panned by critics but many ended up being way better than the outstanding 1997’s. I’ll give Dunn Howell Moutain as an example. If you have them time 1997 blew away 1998. I could go on with vintages.

12/7/2020 - psusfca wrote:

Maybe just at a dumb place but fruit was already gone. Had huge expectations that was so disappointing. Stick with Syrah, Petit Sirah and Zin. The PN’s are not holding up well.

8/22/2020 - psusfca Likes this wine:

I love Thackrey wines. This one I was worried I was drinking too early. It’s definitely early and will get even better but it is Petite Sirah at its finest. Dark fruit, rich tannins, a finish that travelers from front, middle and back palate. It needs air to take down the Eucalyptus. He does ferment this wine in open tanks under Eucalyptus trees outside in Bolinas. So you do get Eucalyptus from leaves falling in. Which adds a character I love. Drink it early it is very prevalent. Wait and it is magical. Another great rendition of this wine. Had some 2001, 2002 recently and they are so so good but still babies.

3 of us drinking it tonight. I secretly set my rating at 94. My husband came in at 95 and my cousin and 93. When I turned my number over it was funny - right in the middle. Well done.

7/2/2020 - psusfca Does not like this wine:

Maybe it is past prime or maybe it will open over time. I’ll check tomorrow. But the fruit was lacking and it was heavy tobacco. I love the Scaia wines but not this one.

10/21/2019 - psusfca Likes this wine:

Wow this is great!! I'm sure it will get better as it is young for Dunn even the Napa Valley. Opened it and loved it - 3 hours later even more amazing. Dark fruit, resolved tannins, amazing length on the palate. This is why I love Dunn wines so much.

10/14/2019 - psusfca Likes this wine:

Very well done. Definitely in a richer Cali style. Not Burgundian but also not a butter and oak bomb we used to get from California Chardonnay. Similar to the great wines we are getting from places like Gary Farrell. And a steal at $20 per bottle. At original price of $36 would still be worth it. I might stock up on this for weeknight chard. Balanced, nutty, rich. I’m a fan of Calera wines in general. And this adds to my fandom

10/5/2019 - psusfca wrote:

I remember opening a bottle back 6 years ago or so and was disappointed. Good but not great. This has improved a lot. Nice dark fruit, settled tannins but still maybe a touch more oak than I would like these days. Still a very nice experience. Won’t get better from here. But for the $30 I paid I’m happy very happy with it.

4/8/2019 - psusfca Likes this wine:

This is gorgeous. Never had an Orion this good this young. It will age glacially but I have plenty of bottles. There is dark fruit, eucalyptus/menthol mostly absent. Already just a highlight. It’s yummy. Now back to NCAA championship game

3/13/2019 - psusfca Likes this wine:

My Mea Culpa moment. I gave this wine an average rating 8 years ago. I was not patient enough. This has blossomed into a gorgeous wine that has the nose of an French Hermitage. Gorgeous wine. Dark fruit, the right acidity, earthiness, length from front to back of palate. I am going out on a limb given my memory these days, but this was one of my favorite Orion’s ever. Well done Sean.

5/31/2018 - psusfca wrote:

I have really liked Loring wines in the past. This one is far from a favorite. Candied fruit is at front and never goes away. I tried over two days. Just never found it more than ok

5/17/2018 - psusfca Likes this wine:

I think this is delicious. It is on the softer side. Oak is just a hint in the background. Length goes from front to back of palate. Black fruits more prevalent for me. I was skeptical based on professional ratings, but I think this is an extremely well done Cab. Bravo

5/1/2018 - psusfca Likes this wine:

I wish I had more of this wine. To us, it is In a great place. Fruit is still present in forefront and continues across the palate. A bit of leather upfront with earthiness carrying through with more dark fruits in the glass. I’d put this as a Grand Cru Bordeaux tasting blind. And a great one at that. Not as good as a 1998 La Mission Haut-Brion we had last week bit still stellar.

4/9/2018 - psusfca Likes this wine:

This is just spectacular. Best Quilceda I've had ever. I hesitate to put this wine at such a high rating. Gorgeous blue fruits. Oak is present in a reasonable way at open, but fades to perfectly balanced in background. Its delicious. I don't think this bottle will get much better, so I think I'll drink the others over the next year or so.

3/29/2018 - psusfca Likes this wine:

Just a beautiful wine. This is delicious. It has delicious fruit, great stricture and a nice finish. My husband found more leather on the back end than wanted but I disagree. This has aged wonderfully. I think this wine has peaked. But it will stay here for a few years. It’s delicious.

3/12/2018 - psusfca wrote:

I love Merus wines. The smell is terrific. The wine has stayed over several hours in the candied fruit category. Just a bit too cloying. Oak is almost non-existent (and I have grown to dislike overoaked Cabs). It seems to be lacking fresh fruit flavors. I still enjoy it to an extent, but can't say I am close to wowed. I opened a 2006 Stryker Two Moon Cab to compare before we had dinner. The Stryker had better structure and tannins. Maybe this is in a dumb phase for the wine but can't say that it makes me excited for the bottles I still have. Maybe waited too long. Confusing wine.

2/23/2018 - psusfca Likes this wine:

This was delicious. The wine still seemed young but not too early. And at a $20 bargain price point, I wish I had bought multiple cases. It is exceptional.

1/25/2018 - psusfca Likes this wine:

This is young, but I wanted to see what the rest of the bottles are going to become. But it is still delicious. Has some menthol/eucalyptus at first open, that dissipated a good amount upon Vinturi/air. This should improve with age - quite a bit I assume, but surprisingly delicious now. I usually do not open this early. 6 or 7 more to age

12/4/2017 - psusfca Likes this wine:

I opened this thinking it would be quite young but would open up. But it was really delicious shortly after a small decant. Dark fruit, some herbal but more restrained then I would have thought at this point in its journey. It will be even better down the road but delicious now. I would say that the length is not as long as I would normally expect. But delicious - well done

8/7/2017 - psusfca Likes this wine:

This was delicious. I think it is at a great point. Doubt it will get better but likely to hang at this tasty level for several years. Tannins are tame, oak is pleasantly in the background. Dark fruits predominate for me. Nice finish. Not super long, but quite good front to back. I've been mixed on Provenance wines from decent to delicious. This fits into delicious.

6/5/2017 - psusfca Likes this wine:

This was simply delicious. Opened 3 hours before consumption. On open, tight and quite oaky. It turned into a yummy wine. Not great length on the palate, but nice mix of black and red fruits, touch of oak, and reasonable complexity. AO wines have aged better than I expected. 10 years old, and I think it will hold at this for a few years. But probably won't get better. So drinking now is a good option

3/10/2017 - psusfca Likes this wine:

Stunning juice. It needed some opening. But was great Tannins are resolved. Red and Back fruits. This goes across all palates. Oak is at the level (low) that I think is perfect. Wish I had more

12/8/2016 - psusfca Likes this wine:

This was a fabulous wine. Paired perfectly with our meat course at Chez Panisse. This had finesse and elegance but also a really nice backbone. Very aromatic in the glass. Great lingering finish. Black and red fruits in abundance. This is perfection in a glass.

12/5/2016 - psusfca Likes this wine:

I think that this would go up in score but maybe needs another year or so. It still has a bit too much oak for me. I think it is delicious with an *. I hope the oak softens - at least for me. Some people love an oak first red.

11/16/2016 - psusfca Likes this wine:

I opened this not knowing what to expect. Great deal it seemed at $20 and with reasonably good thoughts from the pros. Opened and it was tasty but some more oak than I would prefer. I think that will dissipate. Because some gorgeous fruit is there that would be better with just a hint of oak. And that is what happened. A very nice merlot that has nice fruit, hints of oak after it opened up, and reasonable length. I think this is a delicious merlot that I give a thumbs up.

11/10/2016 - psusfca Likes this wine:

Beautiful Petite Sirah. It is not over the top huge. Actually, it has some elegance (well for a PS). Dark fruits, Superb length across the palate, a touch of oak and still a touch of menthol/eucalyptus. I bet that will blow off even more over next several years. This is drinking beautifully and just in the early stages of its drinking window. This has plenty of time left in my mind. But also gorgeous now.

10/30/2016 - psusfca Likes this wine:

This was delightful. The last 1997 Lokoya that I have. So bummed. I wasn't sure if I had waited too long, but this baby still has plenty of time. The is still a decent amount of oak, with dark fruits and really nice length. It was absolutely delicious.

9/30/2016 - psusfca Likes this wine:

Still really young. Or needs many hours of decanting. opened after a magnum of 2004 that was open 4 hours before consumption. Still very tight with acidity and herbs lingering. It was delicious but should have opened it earlier in the day.

9/30/2016 - psusfca Likes this wine:

This was from a magnum. Aged but still a baby. I opened this 4 hours before serving and it was singing. Just a touch of herbal. Great length on the palate. The wine was really complete. Complex but with a bit of what's that. I have one more magnum of this vintage and will hold it for 4-5 years if I can. As a comparison, I opened a 2001 Orion 750 to follow this. Popped and poured. It was delicious but needed some air. These wines are so age worthy.

9/21/2016 - psusfca Likes this wine:

This is perhaps the best Cab Franc I have enjoyed. It trends Cali but has hints of Loire and Bordeaux. The wine has gorgeous red and black fruit with a decent amount of oak that dissipates. Eventually it is just a joy to drink. I'm sure it will get better, but i'm tempted to suck it all down tonight. My only issue is price. It is one of the priciest Cab Francs I have seen, maybe the highest. Will people pay for it? The ST wine list will likely but it may be a tougher sell without more marketing for other buyers to prove its worth

9/12/2016 - psusfca Likes this wine:

Opened this on Saturday night and what a treat. Decanted for an hour or so - it had some toasty oak on initial open but that blew off and just was a hint in the background. It has some classic mourvedre flavors but still good acidity. I's agree with Voteferpedro that tasting blind you might say Burgundy. And for sure Thackrey wine. It was really delicious. Started out with some black fruits and then had a long finish. I ground some short ribs, NY Strip and Chuck and made some tasty burgers to accompany. These were one offs done by Sean Thackrey - about 250 bottles or so. Glad I have one left.

8/2/2016 - psusfca Likes this wine:

Awesome bordeaux varietal out of Alexander Valley. This is likely at its peak but should stay there for several years. Elegant blend that has soft tannins now but still great structure. Lower alcohol like a french wine - these guys don't need to do the in your face Cali Cab - they hit the right notes for a wine that competes with the world. Well done.

7/16/2016 - psusfca Likes this wine:

Splitting the difference of my last two reviews. This wine is likely at its peak, but should hold here for a few years. One more bottle to consume. Poured this beside the 2008 with Duck Legs Braised in Pinot Noir (no, I did not use Thackrey for the braise). This was my preference along with 2 other guests. The other three were '08 fans. This is just so elegant now, very Burgundian. Got red and black fruits here, and almost no eucalyptus/menthol. Still a beauty.

7/16/2016 - psusfca Likes this wine:

This was a very good wine. Poured it opposite the 2007. I still favor the '07, but it was a mixed audience - about 50/50. This wine was a bigger wine than the '07. More tannin, more fruit, and the eucalyptus/menthol a bit more pronounced. But overall a great wine that can be enjoyed for a number of years more. Dark fruit was well balanced. Finish was fairly long

6/10/2016 - psusfca Likes this wine:

This was very good. It's tasty but I did not get blown away. It did make for a Warriors win, but it was just a bit less than I thought. Delicious but not amazing. I'd give it 93ish - the depth was not there. and the fruit of a 15% alcohol wine had faded

5/30/2016 - psusfca Likes this wine:

Opened this to watch game 7 of the Warriors. This is still a baby. I normally let these decant for 3 or more hours but decided to open it late. Decanted about an hour before we started drinking. Huge structure, with deep dark fruits. The eucalyptus has mostly blown off, with just a hint there to add complexity. In hour two, it really started to hum. It had mellowed out some of the tannins. The earthiness came through as it opened up - it was very Rhone-like at this point. Superbly complex and the length of this was very long. It really lingered. I'm glad I have more, but I think they should sit a few more years - I'll work on the 2002's, 2003's and 2004's in the near term

2/17/2016 - psusfca wrote:

While a tasty wine, it does not really scream Pinot to me. It seems more like a Gamay. I like Pinots across the board and more delicate ones can be great. But I don't get the pinot qualities coming forth. Its delicious and nice red fruit, but I don't think it is a great pinot

2/6/2016 - psusfca Does not like this wine:

This was a disappointment. Not flawed just not a great bottle of wine. The oak was pronounced. The fruit disjointed. Had super high expectations as we finished off with this and I have loved other bottles I've opened. I'm hoping it was just in a bad place at the moment or my remaining bottles will be equally disappointing.

1/4/2016 - psusfca Likes this wine:

This is a very pleasant Blanc de Blanc. This bottle is from the early 2014 wine club release. Very clean taste. A slight creaminess with a hint of acidity. A nice wine at a decent price - although I find other Castoro wines to be a better value - if that is what you are looking for.

12/31/2015 - psusfca Likes this wine:

We really liked this wine. It has held up extremely well. Opened for NYE with Pan Seared Filet Mignon. Perfect pairing. It had the qualities of an aged Grand Cru Bordeaux. There was surprisingly only minimal bricking color so far. Tannins have softened and incorporated nicely. Good acidity and the fruit showed red fruits for my palate. Well done. I hope the newer vintages can age this well given they have dialed up alcohol levels.

12/14/2015 - psusfca Does not like this wine:

This might be the lowest rated wine I've posted on here and I don't like doing it. The wine just never became anything. Over four hours it was just overoaked and lacking fruit. Maybe it was a few years passed. I wish I liked it more - I've loved many other vintages. we shall see

12/10/2015 - psusfca Likes this wine:

This was a delicious Thursday wine. It was way more elegant/delicate than I remembered when tasting at the winery. It had some spice. If I was blind - a more restrained Russian River Pinot would have been the guess. It had nice acidity, subtle fruit, and nice length. I'm a fan

12/8/2015 - psusfca Likes this wine:

This was a very nice wine. Had it with Wild Mushroom Soup. It accompanied that beautifully. There was good dark fruit, with spice and some wild earthiness. Tannins were there but not overpowering and the oak was subtle enough to add and not detract from the experience. Well done

12/5/2015 - psusfca Likes this wine:

This is so delicious. I liked White Bordeaux before, fell hard for Australian Semillon when there for a month earlier this year, and this one once again gives me joy to be able open up a bottle that focuses on this grape. I wish I had more. It is just pleasure in a bottle.

12/4/2015 - psusfca Likes this wine:

This was a gorgeous wine. I was worried that the high alcohol was going to overwhelm. But this was beautifully balanced. Good acidity and big fruit. But also quite elegant. We brought this to Chez Panisse as it was Zinfandel week. I don't think anything on their list would have been better. It paired beautifully with The Striped Bass in Zinfandel Tomato Sauce followed by the Crispy Quail with Parsley Sauce. Yum

11/11/2015 - psusfca Likes this wine:

This wine is delicious now, but it is still quite young. There is no where to go but up. I decanted it through a Vinturi for an hour, but it still could have used more time. Paired with Marin Sun Farms Dry Aged New York Strips. Worked gorgeously. There is classic Thackrey Eucalyptus that is starting to mellow some. You want the hint that will be there in a few years. There is dark fruit. It starts on the elegant side and then gets much more complex on the finish. i'll let the last few bottles rest some more. I'll open up some earlier vintages.

10/27/2015 - psusfca wrote:

I'm neutral. It's pleasant but seems to lack depth. Its almost a bit watered down Russian River Pinot. There was a good beginning then it really fell off. Definitely drinkable but not anything special