4/9/2024 - laetulos wrote:

This one seems to be a bit over the hill. Its still very good and the Bordeaux style is there, but its more muted without the layers now. I enjoyed it, but if you've got some in your celler I'd suggest drinking it now.

4/4/2024 - laetulos wrote:

Still very good

3/24/2024 - laetulos wrote:

Classic Rhone profile, dusty tannins, earth, a hint of violet. The violet fades fairly quickly after its open. A good wine.

3/15/2024 - laetulos wrote:

Time has been good to this one, classic CA cab flavors at a very good price.

2/3/2024 - laetulos wrote:

Typical Rioja, everyone at the table commented that it was quite good with elk tagine.

2/1/2024 - laetulos wrote:

This bottle was very good, drink up.

1/8/2024 - laetulos wrote:

Very good, purple fruit, plum, minerals, and a taste that, if blind, I would have probably guessed Shiraz. Captures a little bit of Australia.

12/25/2023 - laetulos wrote:

Still great. Classic Rhone.

12/23/2023 - laetulos wrote:

I found another bottle! I think this was the best of the bunch, well integrated oak, minerals, a fair bit of nuance. Everyone enjoyed it a lot. It is still drinking wel!

12/23/2023 - laetulos wrote:

This is an incredible port. Loads of butter scotch, leather, earth, the finish goes on forever. The first 1/2 bottle was with coravin, the finished it off 6 months latter with no clear loss. I wish I had bought more.

12/19/2023 - laetulos wrote:

Still very good.

11/14/2023 - laetulos wrote:

Solid, didn't take detailed notes, but I would have called it a 'nice' Napa blend. Didn't note the Malbec, and I don't see it indicated on the bottle.

10/19/2023 - laetulos wrote:

Classic Napa cab at a very good price point. Oak and blueberries, a touch of bourbon. That said, it seems a bit 2-dimensional, like it doesn't reach its potential, especially at the finish. Its good, but it doesn't seem like a screaming deal to me.

9/14/2023 - laetulos wrote:

Very good with a bit of air. Cherries, red fruit, but nuanced rather than bright.

8/11/2023 - laetulos wrote:

Good, consistent with previous notes, but underwelming given the price.

8/11/2023 - laetulos wrote:

This bottle was great, still surprisingly young red fruit but with nuance from age.

8/11/2023 - laetulos wrote:

Over the hill, tasted interesting at first pour, but then plum and port.

7/6/2023 - laetulos wrote:

Notes of berries, oak, a bit of spice, and a long finish. This is really an interesting wine and of all the Romanian wines I've had the best by a long shot.

7/1/2023 - laetulos wrote:

Leather, strawberry compote, some minerals, a long finish, just a great wine which is drinking really well right now. It was better night 1.

5/24/2023 - laetulos wrote:

Very good, especially for the price. Notes of Minerals and herbs, moderate body with some depth.

4/30/2023 - laetulos wrote:

This bottle was incredible, leather, tobacco, anise, raspberries. A long finish. Just a great wine. Hope my last bottle lives up to this one (previous bottle was flawed).

4/24/2023 - laetulos wrote:

A hint of minerals, but mostly grape juice. Hope time brings out currently hidden potential.

4/24/2023 - laetulos wrote:

Classic Bordeaux profile, minerals, graphite, muted fruit. Shows what a reasonably priced bottle in a good year can do when given time.

4/21/2023 - laetulos wrote:

Tasted like port from the pop.

4/3/2023 - laetulos wrote:

This wine is starting to fade, minerals still, but not bright.

3/31/2023 - laetulos wrote:

This pinot really showed last night, after a moderate amount of air it developed that barnyard funk which I find rare and really enjoy. Probably not going to improve with age, drink up!

2/27/2023 - laetulos wrote:

Better than a couple years ago, no evidence of being over the hill in this bottle.

2/5/2023 - laetulos wrote:

Others liked this but I wasn't the biggest fan. There are notes of maybe a strawberry vinaigrette on the nose which just didn't jive with me. The overall profile is better, red fruits. It did go quite well with a spicy tagine.

2/5/2023 - laetulos wrote:

Needs lots of air, maybe 4 hrs in the decanter. Then, some leather, jammy red fruits, long finish. Very good. I think it still has some time.

1/30/2023 - laetulos wrote:

Last bottle, still a nice CA cab, but didn't stick out as remarkable. Looks like 11 years was peak. Drink up if you have any left.

1/23/2023 - laetulos wrote:

Solid Bordeaux table wine. Classic tastes, didn't seem distinctive, but good.

1/5/2023 - laetulos wrote:

Good cab, drank with the 2013 and liked the 13 better. Needs more time?

1/5/2023 - laetulos wrote:

Still drinking surprisingly well. Should have waited longer with this wine.

1/5/2023 - laetulos wrote:

Very good Sonoma Cab, this has aged well and shows a good bit of nuance.

1/5/2023 - laetulos wrote:

Drinking really well, classic Bordeax notes, fairly big wine that went with steak.

1/5/2023 - laetulos wrote:

A good northern Italian wine, light, nuance, opens up with some time.

11/30/2022 - laetulos Likes this wine:

Very good, still feels young. Dusty tannins, blueberries, violets, and that classic Rhone flavor that is easy to id. I think this still has a lot of life but its the best (and last) of my bottles.

11/26/2022 - laetulos wrote:

Still a good wine but was better young. Has that unique mourvedre flavor.

11/22/2022 - laetulos wrote:

This isn't going to get better but it was still quite good, well integrated, identifiable as a CA cab, but kinda mellowed over time. Enjoyed. Better night 1 than night 2.

11/16/2022 - laetulos wrote:

A short time after pop this is reasonably well integrated and good, pretty easy to place it as a CA blend. By day 2 (with vacuum cork) it has lost its luster rather non-de-script with bitter tones. Pop and pour this one!

11/12/2022 - laetulos wrote:

Oak, spice, cherry compote. Not really layered, but a very good and enjoyable wine. I think it's my last bottle, database says I have 2 more but I don't see them.

10/10/2022 - laetulos wrote:

Solid table wine.

9/11/2022 - laetulos wrote:

Very good, better on night 2. Leather, cedar, red fruit compote.

9/3/2022 - laetulos wrote:

Well integrated while retaining power. This wine is very good right now. Fairly straight forward CA Syrah flavor profile.

9/2/2022 - laetulos wrote:

22 years old, this tastes like its in mid life. Well integrated, graphite, oak, a bit of dark fruit. Just great.

8/31/2022 - laetulos wrote:

For the prices this is excellent. Minerals, earth, pine forest warmed by the sun. Still good 48 hrs after opening.

8/19/2022 - laetulos wrote:

This one was great, leather, grape jam, oak. Not over the hill at all.

8/19/2022 - laetulos wrote:

This bottle was very good, odd, not light at all nor was it obvious that this is a Pinot. My wife is usually very good at naming the wine blind and she did NOT think this was Pinot at all by the taste (although the color is). Bigger, less fruit, more oak and earth. Quite good.

8/2/2022 - laetulos wrote:

This bottle was bad, tasted of port. Storage was OK so... interestingly, I opened a 2012 next and it was still good. Have a few more of these, need to see if the rest are good.

7/2/2022 - laetulos wrote:

This wine is surprisingly still pretty good given its age. Should drink now, but still nice.