3/22/2012 - crumbletop Likes this wine:

A tough couple of days at work. Time to open a nice bottle. Ripe apples on the nose with hints of ripe fig and spring flowers. Ripe "golden delicious" apples dominate on the palate with a bit of orange pith that grows more pronounced on the medium finish. Maybe a little bit of honeysuckle in there, but this isn't sweet. Nice complexity and balance.

3/1/2012 - crumbletop Likes this wine:

Not quite as smooth as the bottle from a few months ago, but still quite good. A nice chenin blanc and an excellent value. Glad I have a few more left in the cellar.

2/24/2012 - crumbletop Likes this wine:

Perseverating on pinots lately. Bumped into the Faust in the cellar as I was going for yet another pinot. 2007 is indeed a nice year for napa cabs. Decanted for 2 hours prior to consuming. Deep purple color. Nose of blackberry and plum. Same on the palate with currants, firm tanins and nice acidity. Nice complexity that continues through the medium-long finish with mild cherry notes. A nice and welcomed change of pace.

2/13/2012 - crumbletop Likes this wine:

BIG pinot -- if there is such a pinot. This one isn't subtle. The fruit is nicely balanced, but is almost as concentrated as a lollipop. Still, a nice pinot.

2/5/2012 - crumbletop Likes this wine:

Wonderful nose of ripe plum and cherry. Nice balance and structure with nice cherry and plum on the palate with a bit of spice. Balanced quite nicely with strong umami foods with dinner but also paired well with swordfish and capers. Smooth, though somewhat short finish.

2/3/2012 - crumbletop Likes this wine:

In the decent smooth drinking sav blanc category, and it is indeed quite smooth. Quite good with my jambalaya tonight. Yes, grapefruit on the nose and palate, but not tart. Smooth ripe grapefruit with just the faintest hint of honey on the mid-palate. It's a lip smacker for me with a medium finish that doesn't unfold and reveal many layers, but this is quite a good wine.

1/24/2012 - crumbletop Likes this wine:

Glad I finally opened this bottle. Nice aromas of just-ripe "golden delicious" apples and honey. Nice on the palate with the same flavors, and towards the end of the finish, a bit of bannana. Very smooth with a lingering, though subtle finish. I would prefer it to be a bit dyer, but still quite nice. The acidity balances quite nicely with the flavors and sweetness. I give it a 92.

1/24/2012 - crumbletop wrote:

A bit too extracted and sweet with little nuance. It's prime has come and gone. Still not bad, but too sweet and fruity for me. The last time I had this was 2 years ago and it was much better then.

1/24/2012 - crumbletop Does not like this wine:

Has gone WAY down hill. Opened 2 bottles. I should have consumed this more quickly. WAY too sugary sweet now, with little nuance or pop. Very flat nose. Will probably be ok for spaghetti sauce, but that's about it. This was an awesome wine in its prime.

1/14/2012 - crumbletop Likes this wine:

A nice one. The thing that pops the most for me is the smoothness through the lingering finish. Quite nice with hints of cherry and raspberry. The transition from first taste to finish is quite smooth and nice. I'll be saving some to open a few more years down the road.

1/14/2012 - crumbletop Likes this wine:

I'm not a huge fan of California Pinot, preferring the subtler aromas and flavors of the Willamette Valley. This bottle surprised me. Quite nice and smooth. Not thin, but also not jammy. Quite nice dark fruits on the nose and very well balanced on the palate with a nice finish. Love it! Glad I got a few bottles.

12/6/2011 - crumbletop Likes this wine:

Nice nose of grapefruit and lime. Tart, but smooth grapefruit and lime peal that mellows . A bit of tart kiwi. medium-short finish that stays on the tart side. Refreshing. Good with mahi.

12/5/2011 - crumbletop Likes this wine:

Wonderful nose of apple, pear, and a hint of honey. Nice concentration of crisp apple on the palate followed by a hint of ripe pear. Nice acidity. No sweetness, but just a hint of honey on the long and lingering finish. This is quite a nice wine.

12/2/2011 - crumbletop Likes this wine:

Decanted for an hour prior to consuming. Nice fresh plum notes with a hint of cherry and a nice finish.

11/30/2011 - crumbletop Likes this wine:

A subdued nose. This has nice acidity and is rather unusual in its flavor. Not as "shirazy" as other fine south Australian shirazes, but is quite good. It is slightly thinner than typical shirazes in mouth feel. Nice acidity. Subdued dark fruit. Just a slight hint of sweetness. The medium-long finish yields to a caramel corn flavor on the back of the palate. A nice wine.

11/30/2011 - crumbletop Likes this wine:

Decanted for an hour before consuming. Slightly musty with hints of ripe plum and currants on the nose. Firm tannins with nice acidity. Nice and fruity, though slightly thin on the mouth feel. Mild cherry notes. I was a bit freaked out because I purchased this and then read other reviews with "beets" on the palate. I HATE beets, and was very relieved to find that I don't detect a hint of them. Your palate may vary (YPMV) :)

11/30/2011 - crumbletop Likes this wine:

Pop and pour. This wine is quite good. An earthy nose with hints of ripe cherry. A nice full and fresh acidity of dark fruit hits the palate, followed by hints of plum. Round tannins, and not heavy. A light, but full red with a medium finish. I quite like it.

11/5/2011 - crumbletop wrote:

THIS is chenin blanc! Wonderful nose of spring flowers, citrus and peach. Truly amazing flavors of honey and citrus -- but only slightly sweet. The finish goes on for minutes.

11/5/2011 - crumbletop Likes this wine:

Decent Pinot. Nice ruby color and nice fruity nose. The taste is smooth, but there is a bit of tartness that lingers after the medium finish that is not so pleasant. The first sip is much better than the last.

11/2/2011 - crumbletop Likes this wine:

Nice raspberry desert wine. Smooth raspberry flavor. Must drink quite cold, and is an excellent compliment to dark chocolate.

11/2/2011 - crumbletop Likes this wine:

Needs to air a bit, but nice ripe fruit. A little bit heavy on the alcohol, but still a nice wine with a medium finish.

10/27/2011 - crumbletop Likes this wine:

The menu listed the 2009 Blue-eyed boy, and they brought 2010 instead. After double checking that they didn't have any 2009, I went ahead and tried the 2010 and was glad I did. Compared to the 2007-2009 vintages, 2010 ROCKS, and that is saying something since those previous vintages were excellent shirazes. Wonderful dark fruit, voluptuous tanins and an amazing finish. This is one of those wines that makes you go "Wow!". Highly recommended if you like Aussie shiraz. The day after consuming this, my Aussie boss sent me a newspaper article extolling the virtues of the 2010 vintage there. Expect great things!

10/29/2011 - crumbletop Likes this wine:

Nice oregon pinot noir. Smooth and a short but reasonably smooth finish. Notes of ripe plum and raspberry.

10/23/2011 - crumbletop wrote:

Nice taste of dark fruit and berries. Smooth on the mid palette, but the finish disappoints - short and a a bit harsh. Still a good wine for the price. 88 points.

10/23/2011 - crumbletop wrote:

Citrus and smooth honeysuckle. Nice long finish. Outstanding for the price. 93 points.