11/11/2015 - WineHawkeye Likes this wine:

Very good. Round red fruit flavors. Lacking the acidity to bring full complexity and a lengthy finish. 90+

10/8/2015 - WineHawkeye Likes this wine:

Very nice, creamy, full, 91. The review provided below on 7/11/15 by Melaney was right on.

9/30/2015 - WineHawkeye Likes this wine:

First 2010 RRV bottle in nearly two years for me. Evolving nicely. Better with 30 minute decant. Nose more full and cherry and cranberry dominated flavors more integrated. Ample acid to support further bottle age. Well done in a sub-optimal vintage. 90-92.

6/27/2015 - WineHawkeye Likes this wine:

Excellent--we are fans of about all things DuMol. However, for 2009 vintage Pinot the Estate is best.

12/19/2014 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Light cranberry in appearance. Did not decant which was a big mistake. Underwhelming until the final glass. Very nice following plenty of time. 89-91.

12/13/2014 - WineHawkeye Likes this wine:

Very good. Expressive nose. Consumed in an evening following 2009 Kosta Brown Keefer and 2009 DuMol Ryan. While nice, this bottle trailed those by a substantial margin. 91+.

12/13/2014 - WineHawkeye Likes this wine:

Deeper yellow. Drinking perfectly. Typical DuMol brilliance at the perfect age. 94.

9/27/2014 - WineHawkeye Likes this wine:

Still as good as ever. Rarely matched complexity and depth. Wonderful.

8/23/2014 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Extraordinary. 93 or better

8/23/2014 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Very good. More earth-like tones than black-blue fruit. Tanzer's review has it right. Wine Library's 96 is ridiculous. 90-92.

8/8/2014 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Jammy fruit

8/8/2014 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Over the hill, unfortunately. Purchased on secondary market, unknown provenance.

6/12/2014 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Exceeded expectations. On par with many of the big name 2010 Sonoma Coast vintners.

4/8/2014 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Needed to open with a 30+ mins decant to show itself. Nose and flavors consistent with other reviews. 91

3/14/2014 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Well ahead of expectations. Tiny bubbles, balanced fruit & nut nose & layered flavors with ample acid and pleasantly long finish. Has improved measurably with cellar time. Seeking more. 92.

2/14/2014 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Better day two. Decent QPR. Nose better than palate. 89

2/1/2014 - WineHawkeye Likes this wine:

Exceptional. Intense yellow, fully integrated minerality with sufficient acid remaining. Unlikely to improve, but no decline from its peak yet either. 92+

1/19/2014 - WineHawkeye Likes this wine:

30+ min decant. Nose and attack both provided plenty of bright red fruit. Modest spice and additional layers of fruit covered the mid-palate with a medium-long finish. Better than expected. 92

11/18/2013 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Scharin has it right. Give it another year. Better have second night. Still muted nose and evolving flavor array. DuMol ages well & this vintage is one requiring a bit more time I believe.

11/3/2013 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Still there. 90

11/1/2013 - WineHawkeye wrote:

V nice. Exceptionally well balanced after two years in the bottle. 91, better than expected.

6/7/2013 - WineHawkeye Likes this wine:

Well aged. Do not hesitate. Classic DuMol Pinot profile but with fading acid. 90+

6/14/2013 - WineHawkeye Likes this wine:

Near greenish hue. Complex exotic fruit, oak & butter & acid perfectly layered into a unique flavor profile. One of the best Chards we have ever enjoyed. 94.

6/14/2013 - WineHawkeye Likes this wine:

Well aged. Ready to drink. From mag.

5/26/2013 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Fruit forward on the nose and throughout. Light on the acid. Enjoyable, easy drinking, a measure less complex than expected IMO. Reputation helping the score a touch, 91-ish.

5/26/2013 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Over the hill

5/7/2013 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Substantially better than my last making me wonder if the earlier may have been flawed or nearly so. Tart cherry with lively acid and a nice linger. Light in tone and nose but bright on the pallet. 90-91

5/3/2013 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Solid effort. Very good QPR. Deep purple, clear at edges, slow skinny legs. Blue & black fruit, hints of green veggies, modest oak on the nose. Fruit comes through, just sufficient acid and some dusty soil on the close that lingers modestly. Will likely improve somewhat and be suitable for another 4 years+. Enjoyable but not the special occasion wine. 90

4/29/2013 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Prasm has it dead on in his/her review. 90+

4/13/2013 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Muted and uninspiring throughout. Expected better; I am a W-S fan but not so much of this effort. Likely the result of a well aged below-average vintage. Seek only as a deal. 87-88

4/6/2013 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Muted, almost non-existant nose and flavor profile, oddly chewy and lacking in depth, sophistication and duration. Not in keeping with Arista expectations.

4/7/2013 - WineHawkeye Does not like this wine:

Way over the hill. Purchased as a gamble in aftermarket of unknown provence so perhaps that is the reason.

4/5/2013 - WineHawkeye Likes this wine:

Every bit of 91. Improving with bottle time. Red fruit on the nose and through the attack. Enough AV spice and ample acid to linger. Will enjoy it even more in another year. Well done. 91+

3/30/2013 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Getting there, but either a hour in the glass or another year+ in the bottle to get to where I like it best. 90 with potential to climb in my view.

3/26/2013 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Better than advertised. Sonoma Coast-like. 91+

2/24/2013 - WineHawkeye wrote:

The pros have it nailed in the SJ 7/31/10 review. Nice Zin.

2/16/2013 - WineHawkeye wrote:

RP had it right when he called this the best Sav Blanc in the New World. As good as S-B can be. Top of its game today. 94+ or better.

2/16/2013 - WineHawkeye wrote:

As good as a well aged Napa Cab gets. Nicely aged, refined, layered and sophisticated. Charcoal, dry earth, some tobacco and aged dry leather align with black fruits and ample lingering acid make this a wonderful Cab. Likely Under-rated at 94.

2/13/2013 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Much much improved with increased bottle age. Approaching the better of RRV Pinots. Red fruits dominate with some blue fruits and a touch of spice. 91.

2/12/2013 - WineHawkeye wrote:

As good as it gets. A muture chardonnay with almond and hazelnut-ish slightly buttery with mild hint of toasted oak flavors. Oily, leggy consistency. Rewarded for patience. 93

2/10/2013 - WineHawkeye wrote:

As good as it gets! Rewarded for have left it lay another year. The citrus and stone fruit flavors have matured to a toasty buttered hazelnut-ish still supported by ample acid to linger. Delicious.

2/11/2013 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Youthful but fantastic. Better nose after 45 mins in decanter and glass. Flavors of blue and black fruit with hint of pencil shavings heading into the lengthy finish supported by firm but not chewy tannins. Will improve even from its mid-90s starting point.

1/24/2013 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Green, stemmy, mid-acid and low spice. A satisfying pinot, perhaps a bit young, questionable QPR north of $45. Won't give away what I have remaining but won't seek more--you know the type. 89-ish.

1/18/2013 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Just what a properly aged Napa Cab should be, impeccable. 94 or better.

12/29/2012 - WineHawkeye wrote:

@ home.

12/29/2012 - WineHawkeye wrote:

@ home

12/29/2012 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Better second night. Nicely aged classic Cab, as expected. 89-90.

9/21/2012 - WineHawkeye wrote:

As expected, fruit forward on the nose and from attack forward. Has benefited from some bottle time; much more put together right now than the somewhat disjointed youthful '10 shows. 91

9/22/2012 - WineHawkeye wrote:

From Magnum. Bouquet of fully aged, at peak, and clearly not over the hill, supremely balanced cab. Classic medium-full cab flavors with moderate complexity and fully integrated tannins and sufficient but fading acid. Very enjoyable. No upside in further rest. 91

9/16/2012 - WineHawkeye wrote:

Perhaps the provenance of my bottle, which I purchased at auction recently, was suspect. Not corked, just over the hill. Drinkable for certain, but not nearly as enjoyable as it would have been a year or two ago.