2/21/2010 - queneau wrote:

Amber blonde; a blend of several seed fruits, with strawberry the king. Intense, but not over powering...in fact every facet of this offering did not stand out, but rather the seamless balance of berry fruit mousse; lemony acid; a mere hint of sweetness and tartness...every component plays a supporting role evolving into a pleasure to drink. A statement wine for the Riesling grape.

12/27/2009 - queneau wrote:

Faint blueberry, septic tank aroma in latter stages of fermentation. Disjointed flavours resembling darker fruits, perhaps on the wane. After one hour decanting, reminds me of tasting makeup the following morning.

12/24/2009 - queneau wrote:

Pure apricot nectar without the pulp, since mouth feel is light to medium weight, not cloying, nor sweet. Lingering apricot bouquet, beguiling wine. Well preserved for 375 bt.

12/15/2009 - queneau wrote:

Partially fermented apple and lime; alpine rock bed flora; laced in the middle with firm acid, considering this effort costs less than ten dollah, a considerable value.

12/7/2009 - queneau wrote:

Deep black currant/cassis fruit; pomegranate, eucalyptus, some band aid, barky with smokey wood. Enjoyable, opens after an hour.

11/29/2009 - queneau wrote:

Well balanced, rhubarb nose; strong fruitiness laced with lemony tartness. Enjoyable now. This represents pink wine with character.

11/22/2009 - queneau wrote:

Interesting impressions of a Jack and Cola; straw; the very sniff and aftertaste of whisky. Boiled cabbage; After decanting, more natural sweetness develops from cabbage and straw upon tip of tongue, then finishing as dry as an empty basket.

11/11/2009 - queneau wrote:

Mushroomy scent mingling with cherry and blueberry. Rather tart, earthen. Something like a cherry fruit roll up, but sugar free.
Clean 3 way soil finish with more of same fruit.

10/22/2009 - queneau wrote:

Barely ripe blueberry nose; celery stick; forest floor wood; wet straw with flavours of cocoa, coffee and blueberry. Moderately tannic, showing little sign of age. Impressive showing and well preserved.
Much sediment, so recommend decanting.

10/16/2009 - queneau wrote:

Distinct ripened pear nose and flavour. Finishes buttery, fresh fruit, soft mouth feel. Dry finish. True to origin, and quite a value.

9/11/2009 - queneau wrote:

A pineapple birthday cake with burnt butter cream frosting. So balanced and laced with acid, certainly in latter stages of prime drinking, an absolutely delicious wine.

9/6/2009 - queneau wrote:

Crushed violets; petrol; animal fat. Remarkable length, braced with defining tannin. Probably in decline, yet will continue to offer a pleasurable experience during the next decade. Not at all astringic, rather easy to drink and fragrant floral noted tend to dominate.
Three hour decanting time.

9/4/2009 - queneau wrote:

Nose of blueberry, tomato soup, a hint of eucalyptus along with Anaheim peppers thrown in. Decanting helps develop the mentholyptus motif of this wine. Complex nose, full bodied and substantial, yet subdued flavour; a complete wine with all components strong outside of resounding finish.
A pleasurable drinking wine, particularly after two hours of decant time.

8/1/2009 - queneau wrote:

Honeydew coloured; with tiny bubbles, slight spritzig. Initial whiff of anise; as if pouring a delicate mint jelly atop thinly sliced honey crisp apple slices. Even though this wine finishes slightly sweet, the saving grace is the bracing acidity. Absolutely harmonious insofar as balance; with none of the usual bitter after notes associated with sweeter Rieslings.

7/27/2009 - queneau wrote:

Sweet grapefruit consumed from a limestone urn. Damp stone, fine acid and altogether serviceable.

7/24/2009 - queneau wrote:

Tangerine and citrus; dry...fine bead of acid down mid palate. Not much to crow or spew about. Serviceable PQR wine for a summer evening.

7/12/2009 - queneau wrote:

Interesting gold-sunset red colour, as if viewing a desert wine. Initially bosc pear nose; then some older, musty wood scent...old orchard; straw; dirty sock combo. More pear and pineapple with minor whiff of anise. All these components do not mesh together and come off as awkward.

7/10/2009 - queneau wrote:

Boiled cabbage, wet straw along with pleasant unripened raspberry dilution. After a few hours decanting time, boiled veggies leaves way to softer raspberry fruit with lingering finish.

6/27/2009 - queneau wrote:

Rather pleasant wine. Fresh red furry fruits...strawberry, raspberry dominate. Mid palate provides just enough acid, with dry lingering summer time finish.

6/27/2009 - queneau wrote:

Initial mousse alive with medium size bubbles; aromas of candied fruits, predominately apricots, pineapple and tart cherry. Palate impression is rather muted flavours of aforementioned dry fruit. some yeast as well.
Upon initially pouring, after just five minutes, both flutes totally lost effervescence, leading to this wine become rather dull and tired. No oxidation was evident. Rather disappointing. Drink up.

6/25/2009 - queneau wrote:

Ripened banana nose; finish is slightly hot. Cherry and banana flavour components are present and distinctly separate. Creamy almost like a tapioca. Could benefit from more acid...seems soft, not interesting. Disappointing.

6/20/2009 - queneau wrote:

Dense, some blueberry and non-mainstream cola. Dusty buckskin quartz impression, and once penetrated absolutely pleasant blueberry fruit loaded with tannins.

5/21/2009 - queneau wrote:

Aroma of pineapple; petrol; a freshly lit Chesterfield cigarette...all of this understated; with cutting acid throughout and particularly mid palate; a field of wild grasses after a summer rain shower...again all is balanced and all is understated, subdued, with exception to the long rather provocative finish which I continue to experience 15 minutes post bottleorum. Incredible value, at 13 dollar.

5/19/2009 - queneau wrote:

Lead pencil; boiled cabbage/parsnip. Whiffs of compost stink. Some blueberry on the wane. Unyielding tannins is the concern.

5/18/2009 - queneau wrote:

Stunning wine. Mountain river bed spawning pineapple with peach and other stone fruit. Characteristic Kistler burnt cream. Layers of this flavour, non-stop, and oddly enough Caribbean grown cigar fragrance, all these seemingly disparate aspects in harmony.

5/16/2009 - queneau wrote:

Dense, monstrous critter. Fruit is present, but hiding behind massive tannins and potting soil. Revisit this offering in a few years for development. Sense potential. Today it is beet and soil soup that could use a sprinkle of salt.

5/16/2009 - queneau wrote:

Absolutely stunning wine. Nose of crushed violets and roses; along with red fruit. Bell pepper; tobacco leaf, some green stem without the tannin. Soft, velvety mouth feel, well structured wine showing no signs of age. Mature Obama wine.

4/25/2009 - queneau wrote:

Initially, a cross between Cab Franc and Gamay (light translucent red); later on reminding me of young peppery Oregon pinot noir. Upon further sniff, pepper is more like the scent of freshly picked frisia. Vinted with a light hand, unmistakable cherry finish, with gentle tannins coating the palate. Notable, well structured wine, sciacarello grape, appellation Corsica.

4/13/2009 - queneau wrote:

Surprisingly spritzig, which lasted throughout. Immediate banana/starfruit; slightly sweet, yet with strong acid through mid palate. Even with the acid, the sugars bothered me some, would have preferred a dryer style. It is as if this wine has not come together, still exhibiting youthfulness.

4/12/2009 - queneau wrote:

Immediate black berry and blue berry nose; grapey. It is like walking through a field following a fox hunt, with olfactory impressions of the animal participants, including trampled grasses; dung; clods of soil; leather and so on.
After 30 minutes this hunt loses its hormonal fruit impact, dulling out into merely red wine.

4/11/2009 - queneau wrote:

Golden colour. Limestone/river rock. Green asparagus. Well structured offering with beginning, middle and end. Tropical character of pineapple and mango with coconut blended with fresh cream. This offering finishes with a resounding Bing cherry that goes on and on. Superlative wine.

4/9/2009 - queneau wrote:

Characteristic cab franc; softer tannins, strong blueberry fragrance. Stemmy; tart grape. This wine is ready, alive delivering what wines priced 2-3 times higher rarely achieve, balance, dazzling blue fruit with stems and sticks and cocoa finish. Drink now.

4/5/2009 - queneau wrote:

Steamed broccoli nose; fresh tobacco; totally devoid of tannins. Road tar, celery, tart cherry is present. Middle is missing with age, but rather pleasant offering considering age. Very soft through mid palate and finish.

3/28/2009 - queneau wrote:

Rather pleasant, if one dimensional Welches grape juice memory. It is unavoidable, persistent. Grapey, not jammy and in this case more dry or tart. Some small tannins, a bit woody; but nature aside, finishes with that glistening Welches fruitiness.

3/20/2009 - queneau wrote:

Lime and banana nose; flavour of orange blossom; not quite ripened strawberry. Mineral, as limestone. Orange peel with some coconut. Slightly sweet; bracing acid. This represents an understated, more refined and well balanced gewurz long on the finish.

3/18/2009 - queneau wrote:

Mouthwatering celery-lemon flavours; dry and round; lush with great balance. Star fruit; lingering citrus finish. A complete thirst quenching wine.

3/16/2009 - queneau wrote:

Dry green apple and pineapple blended inside a plasticine container; some petrol. Pound cake. Laced with acid, along with a disappointing finish. Bone dry. This wine never really comes together.

3/14/2009 - queneau wrote:

Light bodied; initially spoiled Hi C fruit punch nose, then settling to bacon fat, cinnamon and rhubarb. Light to moderate stemmy tannins with strong acidic mid palate. Abrupt finish.

3/8/2009 - queneau wrote:

Outstanding wine. Tangerine and grapefruit impressions. Strong acidic mid palate. Fermented dry.

3/7/2009 - queneau wrote:

Apricot blossom; pineapple nose. Dry styled. Strong acid in mid palate. Certainly not a value at 20 bones, more like between 12-15 dollar offering. Anticipated more complexity with the price point. Deutschland uber alles.

3/7/2009 - queneau wrote:

Has gracefully aged; totally devoid of tannins, soft/silky on the palate. Crushed flowers, lavender, compost, leather. Almost no sediment. As this wine aerates, more complexity insofar as rose petals and crushed herbs elevate their presence.

3/3/2009 - queneau wrote:

Lead pencil; densely closed black fruit...barnyard straw...some manure. Blood; earthy cooked beets. Decant this wine.

3/1/2009 - queneau wrote:

Fragrant fruit both black and red. Blueberry; blackberry along with raspberry and rhubarb. Accompanied with road tar; dusty tannins; persimmon; tobacco leaf. Light to medium bodied, finishes thin. Nicely spiced and drinking well now.

2/28/2009 - queneau wrote:

Gamy; musty/moldy nose. Stemmy and woody, light oregano along with black currant. Mineral and animal hides drying in the sun. A walk through a big game preserve on a hot, dry day. Blackened pork chops brought forward the reluctant black fruit, with this wine showing better with food.
Suggest a revisit in five and again in ten years. Potentially a great wine. Strong tannins. Decant for at least three hours.

2/27/2009 - queneau wrote:

Initial nose of apple juice, ditto for colour. Then caramel, toasty butterscotch nose imbued with anise/celery component.
A dry wine, well into middle age displaying rather pleasant cherry finish. Well structured and now well balanced wine.

2/20/2009 - queneau wrote:

Surprising cigar box fragrance; packed with supporting cast of fruit namely pineapple, unsweetened coconut, stone fruit galore, lightly grilled/smoked. If one were to smoke a very dry pina colada, this is the impression.
Well structured pronounced flavours braced with acids absolutely staying power with toasted fruit via tropics.

2/16/2009 - queneau wrote:

Flax; star fruit; handful of pebbles from an alpine stream bed. Fermented dry, honeyish finish that lingers. Sense that this wine will benefit with more time with it living rather large resembling tannic mouth feel (if that is possible for a chenin), agreeably bitter.

1/14/2009 - queneau wrote:

Chalky; very light bodied; strong acid in mid palate; More floral than anything insofar as aroma and taste. Honey is dominant scent. Alive wine, strong acid. Still youthful, try next year.

1/13/2009 - queneau wrote:

Pencil lead shavings blended with black fruit. Mineral laden, earthen metallic tomato. Freshly laid asphalt steam. A big wine, large tannins with finesse and power. Powerful earthy wine of the old school variety. Terroir dominates.

1/11/2009 - queneau wrote:

Long lasting white mouse atop pale yellow liquid; Initial nose hit of pineapple; austere and tart lemon-biscuit aromas. Burnt cream. Rippled with strong lemony acid from tip of tongue to finish. Elegant, clean palate cleansing mineral laden wine.