4/15/2024 - tjross Likes this wine:

67% Merlot and 33% Cabernet Franc from Red Mountain and Wahluke Slope. Double decanted and poured. Drinking very nicely now (the current CT window starting 2028 is absurd) with a decade in front of it, but at <$20 why wait. Solid QPR and one of the better right bank blends out of Washington I’ve had in awhile.

12/15/2023 - tjross wrote:

Corked

10/28/2023 - tjross Likes this wine:

A surprise wow. This might be the most interesting Rocks wine I’ve had this year. There is a saltiness on the finish that I find particularly compelling. Double decanted and left open for five hours, which was plenty.

10/25/2023 - tjross Likes this wine:

Pretty straightforward, easy drinking Italian wine. Paired with Spinasse super club dinner and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” reruns, which worked well.

10/24/2023 - tjross Likes this wine:

A very pleasant surprise. PnP and it immediately grabbed me. Bright, complex, and very drinkable. A brilliant daily drinker. A definite reorder.

10/23/2023 - tjross Likes this wine:

A budget version of the Betz from the same vineyard and vintage — both in price and quality. Lots of oak and acid. Lacks much depth and texture.

10/8/2023 - tjross Likes this wine:

Surprised there were no notes on this, so I thought I’d leave one. Double decanted and paired with steak frites. Wife noted how “elegant” it was. I’d note that most of these seem very tannic to me this young, but this was super approachable. Solid depth, nice balance. Tons of fruit. Will only get better with time.

8/18/2023 - tjross Likes this wine:

Beyond the wine, which I have had from a bottle, this is from a 3L bag. On first taste it compares well to the bottle taste. We’ll see how it holds up over a couple days (if it lasts that long).

7/29/2023 - tjross Likes this wine:

A mind-blowing wine on a random Saturday with steak-frites and It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia reruns. Improved greatly from last taste three years ago. Pure perfection. The wife didn’t spill any of this one.

6/13/2023 - tjross Does not like this wine:

Pretty disappointed in this compared to past vintages. Color leans yellow. Cheap apple juice dominates the nose and palate. Overly acidic. I’ve got 11 more bottles, so will give it a beat to see if it comes around.

4/11/2023 - tjross Likes this wine:

Improved greatly over 3+ years since last note. Better depth midpalate with a fuller finish. Overall texture and balance have found themselves. Nice wine.

3/14/2023 - tjross wrote:

secondary fermentation

9/24/2022 - tjross wrote:

Corked

6/24/2022 - tjross wrote:

Corked

6/10/2022 - tjross wrote:

Not sure what happened here. Not corked but clearly flawed. Maybe second fermentation? Maybe decanter wasn’t clean or had soap residue?

5/31/2022 - tjross Likes this wine:

Surprisingly good given varietal and cost. Another solid offering from TV.

5/30/2022 - tjross Likes this wine:

Our May effort for Sean Sullivan’s PNW Chardonnay challenge. Probably the most drinkable of the five we’ve had. Nothing to shy away from here.

5/27/2022 - tjross Does not like this wine:

Still horrible

4/22/2022 - tjross Likes this wine:

From a mystery Full Pull Rocks’ source. Very tasty for the price. Mild Rocks’ funk. Leans delicate to almost too thin but not quite. More rough day drinker than notable moment fare. Well served.

4/22/2022 - tjross Likes this wine:

Really impressive. Blind, I’d readily peg this as something from Cayuse or No Girls. Modest funk, layers of interest, steady finish. Nice acid. Popped and poured. Drinking well. Wish I had another bottle or two.

4/8/2022 - tjross Likes this wine:

Relatively disappointing, compared to other Baron offerings. Lacks much depth and texture. Found the finish a bit off-putting. On the young side, so we’ll see how the other two bottles develop.

4/2/2022 - tjross wrote:

Corked

2/22/2022 - tjross Likes this wine:

Solid Tuesday night wine!

2/12/2022 - tjross Likes this wine:

Hey, it cracked 50 degrees today and was sunny. Perfect rosé weather. This is the seventh bottle of this vintage I’ve had and I’d say it is drinking better now than ever. Happy to have two more. Brilliant wine.

1/27/2022 - tjross Likes this wine:

Decanted for an hour, which was plenty. Screams CdC. Super pleasing. Perfect balance. Soft tannins. Finish and depth are lacking. Solid Thursday night wine or third bottle Saturday night wine or special occasion wine in my 30s.

Girl says “super drinkable, 93”.

12/23/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

Decanted and poured. Followed a Horsepower Grenache and was the inferior of the two. Still awesome though.

12/10/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

A bit underwhelming. Probably more to do with the blend (and my preferences) than the wine quality.

12/5/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

Decanted for four hours. A very hefty, fruit forward wine. Great acidity. Still really young. Not quite up there with the more notable WA cabs, but close.

11/27/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

Surprisingly heavy with sediment. Fruity and bright, but on the subtle side of things.

11/16/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

39% Mourvedre, 23% Cinsault, 19% Counoise, 15% Syrah, and 4% Grenache from Elephant Mountain, Sugarloaf, and Willow Run vineyards. Medium body, very bright. Probably better suited for a hot summer day than a cold rainy Seattle November, but was enjoyable.

11/10/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

Pop and pour. Medium body Syrah dominate GSM. Leans more earthy/meaty than fruity but balanced with a bright finish. A really promising producer.

11/10/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

Solid QPR. My favorite from this vintage’s line. Could age for a number of years but I like it’s sturdiness to be open for 3+ days, making it an ideal daily sipper.

11/8/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

Thanks to Gdub for this bottle. I think this is the 14th I’ve had over three years. A lot variation from bottle to bottle. This one was on plus side of the tacky <—>tasty scale.

11/6/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

Double decanted. Drinking really well. This followed the ‘16 En Chamberlin. Not in the same class, but stood up well. Continue to be impressed with this producer.

11/6/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

Decanted for six hours. Fairly light on the funk and more delicate than most Cayuse offerings. Really nice acidity, making it bright and energetic. Very nice.

10/23/2021 - tjross wrote:

Corked

9/24/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

Lots of bubbles. Pretty enjoyable, despite the bottle cap and slightly off putting hue. Dry and refreshing. Killer for the price.

8/29/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

Double decanted and drank over two nights. An interesting blend of blend of Touriga Nacional, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache, Tinta Cão, Souzão and Cinsault. Probably a tad early, but worked well with food — a mix of French fries, eggplant parmigiana, salad, and cheesecake for me. A lot of fruit and nicely balanced, if a bit thin on the finish. A fun wine.

8/13/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

Really interesting on pop and pour. Lost a lot on night two.

7/26/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

Gift from Arnie, popped for 18th anniversary. I’m reluctant to share that this was paired with pretzel bites from Red Robin (inside joke with K) and takeout Chinese. Surprisingly worked well with both. What to say? I’m not a big fan of bubbles but have had my fair share of both horrible and brilliant. This tops them all. Freaking amazing.

7/24/2021 - tjross wrote:

Corked

7/7/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

Popped to watch stage 11 of 2021 Tour de France with double ascent of Ventoux. More heft than I was expecting. Solid QPR. Perfect Wednesday drinker.

5/31/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

Not overly complex and underwhelming for the price but a rather pleasing wine. Bright, vibrant, and nicely balanced.

4/17/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

Decanted four hours, which opened it up nicely. Followed ‘17 Edith, paired with steak frites and Hamilton rewatch. Soft upfront, incredibly concentrated. Probably my least favorite Christophe offering, but still brilliant.

4/3/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

Decanted for two hours prior to winery virtual tasting. Surprisingly drinkable given age and producer.

3/24/2021 - tjross wrote:

Corked

3/16/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

Solid QPR. Blend of excess juice of Syrah (56%), Malbec (24%), and Cab (20%). Short decant. A tad young, but I doubt it will develop much. Nice structure, with an abbreviated finish.

3/13/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

Decanted six hours. Pretty approachable, but I expect it has years of maturity ahead of it.

3/12/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

A pre-Spinasse takeout dinner bottle. This had been sitting in thr fridge since September probably. Still sings. Lovely Rosé.

3/11/2021 - tjross Likes this wine:

A GSMCV. Double decanted. Really solid. Incredible bouquet. Finish is a tad thin.