4/15/2024 - Fugu Me Does not like this wine:

I should know better by now than to get the Garagiste mystery wines. Great for those who like big, bold, and hot. Not so much for others. I fall into the latter.

3/29/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Opened for Last Puppy Night. Clean notes and acidity really shone in this. Perfect palate cleanser with chicken tikka masala, saag aloo, samosas, and pakoras. Consumed over three days, the second half of the bottle on night three showed no decline at all, still showing nice and bright.

3/17/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Crisply acidic, this mineral-driven rosé has lovely lift. Refreshing and zippy, perfect for the charcuterie board it was consumed with.

3/17/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

PnP, consumed over three days. Definitely more savory, earth, and spice notes than fruit. A lot of depth to this wine, it was equally good with food (filet mignon) and by itself with plenty to contemplate. No hint of fading, or even peaking. This stayed the course through the several days it sat opened under cork on my kitchen counter.

3/15/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

PnP, consumed over two nights. Straight up delicious on initial pour, this continued to evolve and gain a bit of seriousness with air. Savory notes of olives, brine, and iron, as one would expect of the Rocks, but in a more subdued delivery than many of the Cayuse offerings. Big and round suppleness from the Merlot, backed with green herbal notes from the Cab Franc. Sadly my only bottle of this, as I think there’s nothing but upside for the next 10 years.

3/7/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

PnP, took a couple of hours of air to really open up, which was to be expected given its youth. Very black peppery in a good way on the palate. Paired very nicely with seared duck breast with a cherry balsamic sauce.

3/4/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

PnP, consumed over three nights. This took a couple of hours to really open up, then held straight and steady through the three days it was open, so clearly lots of life ahead, with plenty of room to continue to improve, which is saying something, as it’s already really, really good. My first of four bottles, wishing I had more cellared.

2/28/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Unmistakably Cayuse brand of Rocks funk. Delicious, umami-rich, olive tapenade, bacon fat, tar, pepper and dark fruit. PnP, this seems to be in a great spot now.

2/26/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Tannins firm but in balance. Oak has fully integrated, leaving dark fruit and an underlying black tea starting to develop.

2/19/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

“Tester bottle,” as this is my first from Misc. PnP, consumed over two nights. Gorgeous, inky black in the glass. Dark berries, slight menthol and a touch of graphite. Tannins are firm but not overbearing, and good acidity helps balance everything out. Oak is present, but also not at all overwhelming, as in many Napa cabs this young. Tremendously well made, and, as anticipated, even better on night two. Paired brilliantly with Flannery ribeyes and roasted veggies. Delicious.

2/18/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

From 375ml. Cork was completely saturated, but came out intact with a Durand. Translucent light ruby in the glass. Fruit and raisin notes. Paired well with molten lava cake.

2/16/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Young, but drinking quite well at the moment. Green notes with blue and black fruits, hints of pepper. Light acidity keeps this balanced. Quite approachable, but I’ll be interested to see how this develops.

2/14/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Disgorged Q1, 2022. Gorgeous wild salmon color in the glass. Saline, cherry and strawberry notes with light acidity. Paired well with a mountain of king crab legs for Valentine’s Day.

2/13/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Quite young, but fresh, vibrant, and pure. Consumed over two nights, this put on a little weight overnight. At this price, this almost gets into the “stupid good for the money” category. Very solid qpr.

2/6/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Discovered this in the recesses of my cellar not too long ago. Definitely seems to be on the decline, but still pleasant. Only downside to continuing to hold.

1/26/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

On initial PnP, this had strong green notes and was a bit tight. Opened up with a little air. Finished the second half of the bottle two days after opening (stored in the fridge under cork in the interim), and it was all silk and elegance.

1/21/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

PnP, consumed over four hours. While this was excellent on initial pour, it was truly singing about two hours in. Tannins are integrated, creating a silken texture on the palate. Rocks signature notes of olives, tar, and roasted meats, with hints of red berries, all tied nicely in a fairly elegant experience. Nowhere near being over the hill, this should easily drink well for another 5-10 years.

1/17/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Light body, low alcohol, acidity and slightly dry tannins, combined with tart fruit and earthy notes make this a fresh , easy to drink delight. Very approachable now. It seems unclear to me how this might age, but good enough now that you don’t really need to.

1/13/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

From 375. Even from the half bottle format, this felt like baby killing. Prominent, bold, grippy tannins. Primary fruit, graphite and wet granite. PnP, consumed over three hours, the last glass was definitely the best. Truly excellent now, but patience will definitely be rewarded. Paired with Flannery hanger steak, which helped with those tannins. Delicious.

1/11/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

PnP, consumed over two days. Savory smoked meats, soy umami and tar. No Rocks funk, but otherwise all of the elements are there. More fruit became apparent on night two. As others have noted, this is a great QPR purchase via the Full Pull redacted series.

1/11/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

From 375ml. This seems to be really coming into its own, but still needed some air to truly shine. Would hold full bottles a while longer.

1/8/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Surprisingly tannic on initial pour, this opened up after about an hour. Based on my prior bottles and others' notes here, I think this bottle may have been a bit of a late bloomer. Definitely a big wine, but quite good for what it is, and it hit the spot on a chilly January night.

1/6/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Brioche and green apples. Solid QPR.

1/5/2024 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Fresh and youthful with a vibrant clarity that matches the visual appearance of the wine itself. Bright and not tart acidity, perhaps less earth and mineral notes than I typically expect from this wine based on prior vintages. A bit cherry-forward. Easy to drink now, I think I’ll wait a couple of years before opening more.

12/28/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Fantastic bottle. As others have noted, this is the best UM BdN I’ve had to date. Seems to be in a prime spot now. Citrus and mineral notes; a bit of richness balanced by a racy but not aggressive acidity. Paired well with fresh-out-of-the-fryer karaage.

12/24/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Opened to make red wine au jus with prime rib, of course this was not going to waste. This bottle seemed pretty ready on PnP. Had one glass while cooking, saved half the bottle for later. After two days, it was still drinking well but starting to fade a bit. Night 1/2 was probably the sweet spot.

12/25/2023 - Fugu Me wrote:

Corked

12/7/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Really beautiful wine. Needs more time to really grow into what will probably be incredible, but excellent now with air.

12/20/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Savory and delicious. Intriguing blend.

12/4/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

PnP, consumed over two nights. Clearly quite young, this was definitely grenache-driven, but with great depth and complexity. While fruit-driven in this stage, it also showed a certain finesse. Not a tremendous amount of evolution across the two nights it was open, I think it needs a good 2-3 years before it really starts to shine, although it's quite good now.

12/7/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

First half of the bottle consumed over several months via Coravin. Second half consumed over ~2 hours. This was a gorgeous bottle, managing a fascinating balancing act of being simultaneously rich but light. Need to ration my remaining four bottles, as this has years of life ahead.

11/26/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

PnP, consumed over two nights. Early days for this wine, drinking well both when opened and the next day. Many years ahead of it. Well made, but in a very modern, generic style. No sense of place, and, while enjoyable to drink, I think this will ultimately be forgettable.

11/23/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Opened ~1 hour prior to serving, this was in a great place. Light with a hint of acidity, this paired well with Thanksgiving dinner. Spicy and a hint of smoked meats, with receding fruit. Definitely well received by all.

11/23/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Great way to start Thanksgiving festivities, with some left over as a perfect palate cleanser at the end of the night. Always delivers.

11/22/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Tart apple and brioche. Easy drinking with Hawaiian bbq.

11/17/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

From 375ml. Minerality and acidity balanced with a subtle richness. Easy drinking.

11/7/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

PnP, consumed over three hours. This is drinking like it’s at its peak. Lovely on initial pour, it held steady throughout the evening. As it warmed up to room temp, the alcohol showed a little hot, but otherwise this was an elegant, balanced bottle. Tannins are fully integrated, and this was just smooth as silk. A fair amount of fine sediment, so recommend standing the bottle up for a while prior to opening.

11/3/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

PnP, consumed over two nights. This is a more refined style of Syrah, lighter in body than most. Very good friendly with acidity and fine tannins. Added a bit of weight over the two nights it was open. This has years of life ahead of it.

10/26/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

This, my final bottle, was fantastic. Silky and plush with fruit, but showing its age in a good way. No longer youthful exuberance, this was mature and integrated. Rocks notes were there, but finding them to be supportive of the maturing notes that are showing.

10/31/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Nice, easy drinking cremant. Sufficient acidity to pair well with dim sum.

10/29/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

PnP, paired well with shoyu-ginger marinated flank steak.

10/23/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

PnP, consumed over two nights. This bottle still had a fair bit of tannic grip on opening, which was a bit of a surprise. Integrated well over the two nights. Fruit receding and taking on more mature notes. Nice roundness from the Merlot, but felt like the Cab Sauv is dominating the palate. No rush on these.

10/25/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Remaining half of a coravined bottle. Served cool, this did not display alc heat that others have noted. Rich and layered, this was well balanced and gorgeous. Still showing primary fruits and a bit of tannic grip, there is plenty of time to allow further development.

10/19/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

PnP, consumed over three hours. Savory Rocks umami throughout, this mostly showcased the Grenache in the first hour or so, then really started to lean into the power of the Cab and Syrah, but displayed finesse from start to finish. Seems to be in a great window now, but also would like to see some tertiary development with more age.

10/18/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

PnP, this was all silken smoothness from first sip to the last, across the evening. No sign of fading, and not much secondary development, showing luscious, balanced fruit.

10/6/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Vibrant with a touch richness, this is alarmingly easy to drink.

9/30/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Clean and lively, made a great palate cleanser with ribs.

9/26/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Lightly copper-tinged, light citrus and saline on the nose, both carrying through to the palate with a decidedly earthenware earthiness to it. Initially tasted at cellar temperature, this found more balance and richness as it warmed to room temperature. Air and a higher temperature than I would have thought were rewarding.

9/25/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Showed a bit tannic on PnP, but settled down with a little air. Held together just fine on Day 2. No rush on drinking these down.

9/25/2023 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:

Final bottle. Lovely on PnP, started to fall apart a bit overnight. Time to drink up any remaining bottles out there.