8/8/2019 - Kevincrouch wrote:

This was wound pretty tight and backward right now. A lot of umami and mushroom and some fruit, but not very generous. Decanting and breathing was not very helpful either. Will wait several years before I touch another one.

4/20/2019 - Kevincrouch wrote:

Pretty classic balance of cassis and oak. Very good but not remarkable. Improved with air.

4/20/2019 - Kevincrouch wrote:

Awkward upon opening, improved over a few hours and became very smooth and rich by the next day.

4/20/2019 - Kevincrouch wrote:

This has seen a sudden improvement this winter and is now worth the wait. It is drinking at that perfect level of maturity with red fruit that is still bright, but aromas of dried orange peel, flowers, and a touch of umami. What a balance. On palate I pick up a touch of toasty oak, but the orange and cherry really shine through on the silky mouthfeel. It still has plenty of time left. Can't beat that for 18 bucks.

1/31/2019 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

This continues to get better; highly drinkable now even on opening and yet the data suggests it still has so much left in it. Right off the corkscrew it has an intense nose of red fruit confit with luxurious seaside umami notes. It gives an impression of high-roller merlot and just wants to be sniffed. But one must drink it too. Refined and velvety cherry, cassis liqueur, and macaroon at first but developing a layered, chewey, rich texture full of plum and black fruit as it breathed. There are no empty spaces here, just densely packed right-bank pleasure.

1/13/2019 - Kevincrouch wrote:

Quite bright and fruity still with plenty of acid and cherry to go the distance. I think this still had many years left.

1/13/2019 - Kevincrouch wrote:

A solid syrah with plenty of varietal character. Very enjoyable and nerd freindly.

1/13/2019 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

Didn't age as well I had hoped and could best be described as rich but uneventful. Had a touch of marine air and cocoa.

1/13/2019 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

Held up very well over three days and showed the maturity I was hoping for. Nose of toffee, citrus and healthy compost on the first day with a full dark fruit body. after 24 hours the oak began to show through more with tannins and a bit of funk. This evolved into brown gravy and soy with stewed fruit by day 3. Might even go another day and this still has plenty of time left in the cellar.

12/20/2018 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

Slightly funky and wild nose with marine overones. Dense, chewy and packed with dark fruit. and finishing with a touch of toffee. Incredible balance for such a big wine and very representative of great carignan grenache from the broader region.

12/9/2018 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

Brought this over to a dessert wine tasting and it held up well against some nice ports, especially when the chocolate fudge was brought out. Not to be drunk on its own as this really sings with sweets.

12/9/2018 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

Big and bold this time around with a fullness to the plum, cassis, and toasty oak notes. Every new glass had a different character.

12/9/2018 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

A very characterful wine with nice jammy fruit and some light mature notes. Good value.

12/9/2018 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

Still very hearty but interestingly did not seem to have changed much in character since its youth. Still very primary and fruit forward.

11/17/2018 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

Still a fine wine with the same New World approach that is easy to love. Round fruit, toffee, some notes of maturity. I don't know that this wine is actually getting better with age, but it is certainly holding up well. Cellared properly in my cave since release.

11/17/2018 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

I'm not rating this wine as I felt it was past its prime. It didn't evolve as well as I had hoped and in many ways was disappointing. Just a big muddy wine now with mature stewed fruit and oak components. No finesse left in it.

11/11/2018 - Kevincrouch wrote:

Big and full-bodied yet still fresh with classic lines of a cabernet franc-dominated wine. Red fruit shows through with gentle oak and some subtle herb infusion. A lovely wine that struggles a bit to know what it wants to be.

11/11/2018 - Kevincrouch wrote:

A full-bodied and satisfying wine with light holiday spice notes and plenty of aged fruit character. Deep and dark and went very well with chocolate.

11/11/2018 - Kevincrouch wrote:

Had aged a bit prematurely and was tasty but over maderized.

11/11/2018 - Kevincrouch wrote:

A captivating merlot showing the stunning potential of this grape in the Walla Walla valley. Starting off full of peppermint on the palate and clam bake on the nose, this wine held up through the next day to develop kettle corn and hoisin on the nose and rich cassis and plum on the palate. Top notes of kirsch linger on the long finish. Mouthfeel is wonderfully silky throughout.

11/10/2018 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

It was not as interesting this time around... though I did not let it breathe for long. It was interesting but not full and forthcoming. Next time I will decant and let it pick up some air.

11/10/2018 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

This wine has emerged as a true wonder. At 8 years past vintage it still had life, energy, and more in the tank. At first, it was very wild, with meat, forest, and microbial suggestions. After 24 hours it was more lithe with bright cherry and blackberry fruit and a more acidic finish. The tannins also began to show up here and provide great length. By day 2 it had a nose of Bailey's or Mozart liqueur with luscious dark fruit on the finish. I have one more and I will leave it alone for another year.

9/30/2018 - Kevincrouch wrote:

A very smooth and enjoyable wine that never really showed off. It presented some refined cassis and toast but not much else that is worth writing to the world about. I would recommend for those looking for elegance, finesse and depth.

9/27/2018 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

A pleasant Bordeaux with a balanced profile of the vintage, though without a lot of oohs and aahs. I would drink this up soon.

9/27/2018 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

This wine is most certainly improving with age and is showing very nicely at the moment. Drank over two days and though a bit reduced at first, its overall character remained consistent the whole time. What strikes me as significant - since the last time I tasted this wine was in 2014 - is how much more complex and integrated it is. Tannins have melted and just give the right amount of grip. The nose is reserved but offers notable plum and marine along with mushroom and other mature aromas. The lengthy palate peaks with kirsch and dark chocolate and seems to get fresher as it remains open with more fruit and less earth and meat. I would say this still has many more great years ahead.

9/15/2018 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

At 11 years, this wine is still drinking strong, and my cellar is not optimum. Evolving nicely in the glass with ridiculously unctuous meat, dark chocolate and molasses bursting from the glass and a full, balanced palate that finishes with just a touch of tannin and tart red fruit. This wine is going the distance.

9/8/2018 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

Eight years and in its prime. A testament to the potential of high-end Syncline wines. Age aside, this wine brings me to Gigondas with a new world opulence. A nose of basil and mint, toffee and blueberry, the Grenache shines on this with full-bodied richness up-front leading into a silky smooth finish of dark chocolate and cassis. This takes the best of each variety and makes something even better out of each.

8/2/2018 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

This wine had a rough showing. It started off quite reduced, then offered cocoa and cherry, but quickly lost its composure and slid into a rut of tannic rusticity without much resolution on anything specific. Quite floral on the nose throughout but a bit tough to break through on the palate when the food was gone.

7/30/2018 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

Nice wine with generous and mature characteristics. Held up quite well for the price and impressed with fruit and barrel notes reminiscent of much more expensive wines.

7/30/2018 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

Unlike the previous review, this wine was a stunner, but not for everyone. Classic nerdy, aged Syrah, this was thick with asian sauces, cinnamon, cloves, smoke and burnt edges. Use your imagination to plan a meal to go with it.

7/30/2018 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

Finally pulled the cork on this wine and was not disappointed in the least. Still showed fresh stone fruit but added honey notes and layers of subtle complexity. What a stunning wine that demonstrates how acids mellow over time to keep a wine fresh yet mature.

7/30/2018 - Kevincrouch wrote:

A pleasant wine but more mature than I had expected it to be and lacking concentration and freshness.

2/12/2017 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

A rich, open and satisfying wine with sweet tobacco and dark fruit. Second bottle did not travel well.

7/8/2016 - Kevincrouch wrote:

Another example of this consistently misunderstood vintage. This is but one of a string of 2009's that are showing somewhat austere in what was described as a short-lived and fruit forward vintage. This shows all pencil shavings and deep but tight fruit with tannins that seem to grow more astringent as it breathes. This has a long life ahead of it. 2009 is still in its infancy.

7/7/2016 - Kevincrouch wrote:

Still young as expected and has a similar profile as the 2010 with a bit more stuffing. Looking forward to breaking into another one in a few years.

7/7/2016 - Kevincrouch wrote:

A beautiful dry rose that just went down so, so easily. The perfect amount of acidity and lovely sweet fruit to balance. Did not eat with food.

7/7/2016 - Kevincrouch wrote:

A solid syrah with some varietal character showing through. This is a very good value.

7/7/2016 - Kevincrouch wrote:

This is a great value indeed. Deep cassis and other red fruits with a long finish and just the right touch of oak. It is not complex, but it does the important things well.

7/7/2016 - Kevincrouch wrote:

A lovely red with great balance and rich fruit. It aged very well and its a good thing as I don't think this winery is making wine anymore.

7/16/2015 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

A lovely and satisfying rose with strawberry and light hay and plenty of mouthwatering acidity. Can't go wrong at this price.

7/16/2015 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

Definitely harder and fuller than the Austrian Gruners we tasted this with. A nice wine but lacking the finesse of the Austrians.

7/16/2015 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

Bright berry fruit with a touch of earthiness. Just what a Carmenere such as this should be. Overall a very fresh and enjoyable wine with blue and black fruits.

7/16/2015 - Kevincrouch wrote:

Not as deep and interesting as I had hoped, but perhaps it was simply too young at this point. It was open for a week and then began to come out of its shell. I did little research before grabbing this one to go with dessert.

7/14/2015 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

Smelly, satisfying and noteworthy, the Dunham hits the senses with briney marine funk, soy, and toast and takes to the palate confidently with blueberry and mocha on a lightly grippy texture. It is certainly influenced to a large degree by its luxury barrel treatment, but it all comes together very nicely. Outstanding.

7/14/2015 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

A beam of graphite and sanguine minerality hit you first with this wine on both the nose and palate. A full-bodied and soft core of blueberry and currant fruit carries the wine tenuously across the palate with silky pleasure, but perhaps missing a bit of acid for pizazz. Tannins are almost totally kneaded in and the wine finishes with a subtle woodsiness. This was most certainly still too young as it began to show more oak and fruit the following evening. Keep it.

7/9/2015 - Kevincrouch wrote:

Taught and reduced upon opening but within an hour it began to show some nice syrah traits. Earthy and austere with graphite minerality and spiciness in the finish. The fruit is either tightly locked up or has faded a bit which is hard to believe for a 2008. Very Rhone like in its current form.

7/8/2015 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

This wine has some profound potential, but I haven't reached that summit yet with it and alas I only had one bottle. Washington Merlot shines in this 2009 vintage, but unlike its early-drinking brethren this is still wound tighter than Michael Jackson's face and simply would not relax. An empty glass offered appetizing toffee notes, but a full one shared little. Day two offered only a little more with the toffee blessing the palate but all the fruit still locked up tight. With such a smooth, silky body its like drinking a glass of red glycerin knowing that somewhere down the line it will be magical when the curtain is finally lifted. If you have one of these, enjoy in 5-10 years.

7/6/2015 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

Tighter and more solventy on the nose than the last time I drank this, it shows more minerality but retains the intense jammy blue fruits from the last bottle. Sweet caramel smooths out the finish that passes without much pause or grip.

7/6/2015 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

Easily one of the best Syrah's I've ever tasted. Loved how it evolved with so much texture and savory character. Plenty of fruit as well to balance things out.

7/6/2015 - Kevincrouch Likes this wine:

Crowd pleaser. Can't go wrong.