7/9/2023 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

Still amazingly fresh at 14 years in. Ample acidity brings bright cherry and pomegranate to the fore, while there's plenty of woodsy, herbal aroma and a judicious amount of oak spicines. Tannins are in a great, silky place in their evolution. This has at least another half-dozen years of life left in it, easy.

5/24/2023 - stvjackson Does not like this wine:

A rare letdown from A-R. There's no there there with this wine anymore. Aroma is faint, palate is fainter. No intensity, no complexity, nothing of interest. I would have expected more longeivity from this.

1/15/2023 - stvjackson wrote:

Sat on this too long. Absolutely over the hill.

12/25/2022 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

I had a great-uncle who was a motorcycle rider and a pipe smoker. This wine’s aromatics remind me of his leather jacket. Dark fruit (black cherry, dried brown fig, Medjool dates that are just a smidge too dry), big spice (mace, allspice, smoke-tinged well-worn leather, cigar humidor. There’s still a big burst of intense fruit on the palate, reminiscent of liqueur-soaked cherries encased in dark chocolate from a box of truffles. This was a gnarly, insanely grippy tannic bastard when young, but now everything is mellowed out into silky smoothness. There is a little hint of stewed fruit forming around the edges, which could be due to age or a temperature blip in the dozen or so years I’ve been hanging onto this, but that’s of hardly any consequence, other than indicating this could be about to crest the hill. But right now, it’s singing. Just delightful.

7/3/2022 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

This is delightful. A blend of indigenous varieties from the Trentino-Alto Adige region - Wanderbara, Veltliner Rosato, Nosiola and Vernaza - this is aromatic, bright, fruity yet herbal (or maybe herbal yet fruity).

Soft white flowers (hibiscus, jasmine) and pink grapefruit skin are the dominant aromas, with undercurrents of rubbed sage, oolong tea, parmesan rind, wet granite, honeycomb, underripe muscadines, and preserved lemon. The same characteristics carry through to the palate, with the grapefruit becoming more like blood orange, losing the pithy bitterness, and the addition of the juice of just barely ripe green apple. The brininess of preserved lemon becomes more pronounced, and the sage becomes softer. It’s like someone mashed together Sancerre, Verdicchio, Sylvaner and more.

Zippy acidity and light-medium body make this delightful on a muggy midsummer day.

7/2/2022 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

Found this bottle hiding in storage. Popped it open, being fully prepared for it to be tired and well past its prime. Surprisingly, it's still vibrant and enjoyable. The dusty floral aromatics are still there, with a noticeable pyrazine accent I don't recall from when this was younger. Good levels of acidity have kept this bright and zippy, and the red fruit flavors remain just juicy enough, coupled with some dried fruit flavors that have developed over the decade in bottle. Pleasantly surprising.

4/23/2022 - stvjackson Does not like this wine:

This was a legendarily difficult vintage in this part of the Loire, and it shows in the wine. All acid - even accounting for Chenin Blanc's normally high-acid nature - with just the faintest hints of any kind of primary or tertiary fruit. Noticeable oxidation. No length or complexity. Proof that even the best houses are going to struggle to make good wine in terrible vintages.

1/1/2022 - stvjackson wrote:

Lesson learned: This is a Champagne that is definitely at its best within a couple years or so of bottling. Finished off my last bottle that's pushing about 4 years now, and it's lost a ton of character and become a little abrasive. The aromatics are muted, the fruit is vanishing, and the lees character is starting to move from yeasty to autolyzed.

Really fun when it's young, and definitely not a long-term keeper.

9/10/2021 - stvjackson wrote:

Heavy presence of Brettanomyces. Unfortunately, undrinkable.

3/14/2021 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

Aromas of citrus zest - a little lemon, a little orange - struck flint, and a subtle hint of yeast - as well as an accent of hops that carry a pleasingly green and ever-so-slightly dank herbaceousness. Flavors are complex, with both hops and grapes contributing a wide range of fruit (Mosaic is known for being an especially fruity hop): white stone fruit, juicy mango, fresh-squeezed Meyer lemon, green apple, wisps of pineapple. A little herbal bitterness lingers in a relatively short finish.

This is more spritzy than sparkling, and it starts to feel a little thin as the bubbles lose their vivaciousness.

Certainly nothing profound, but it’s a very successful experiment and a very fun wine.

2/23/2021 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

I was always a huge fan of the wines Wells Guthrie produced at Copain. While I loved his Pinot Noir, Syrah is where he really shined. So I've been excited to give his inaugural wines from his new Dupuis label a try.

It's honestly way too early to be drinking this, but a few hours of air help bring out hints of where this is heading. And it's heading to a very good place (and is already there in a lot of ways). It's a bit different from what I recall of his last Baker Ranch vintages at Copain, but the bones are still the same (helped along by one of the best sites for Syrah in the state).

The wine pours a vibrant purple, with a surprisingly light intensity for a Syrah (even a full pour retains some translucency through the glass). Initial impressions are of bursting ripe blueberries, a melange of savory herbs, and a little bit of black pepper. Over several hours, notes of tapenade and smoked meat come to the fore, accented with some wet leather and damp forest floor. The palate is a little unfocused, in line with this wine's youth. There's good structure, and both acidity and tannins are smoother than expected at this stage of its evolution.

Really enjoyable to drink young, but it's going to take a few more years to really get a sense of just how good this will be. But it's very nice to get a taste of new Wells Guthrie wine after a few years of his absence from the market while he waited out his non-compete.

2/21/2021 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

A little riper than I would have expected, with some stewed plums lingering around the dominant black cherry and currant. Lovely dusty rose petals on the nose. But nicely balanced, good intensity, and some decent length.

1/31/2021 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

Honey, almond and hazelnut are the initial aromas that jump out of the glass, followed by subtler notes of dried apricots and green apple. There are some soft floral tones lurking in there as well, making themselves known more as the wine gets more air and warms a bit. Like any Vouvray, the acidity is prominent and striking. The fruit comes a little more to the fore on the palate, again emphasizing dried apricots, with some fresh white peach making itself heard. Hazelnut and honey linger on the palate.

Huët’s pétillant isn’t terribly effervescent when young, and with 15 years, there’s just a slight hint of spritz left, reminiscent of the little tingle you’d get from a Vinho Verde or Txakoli. It’s just enough to lift the brisk acidity and help brighten the fruit.

1/24/2021 - stvjackson wrote:

Could be in a dumb phase. Could be bottle variation. Or it could be that this just isn't very compelling. Intensity and complexity are lacking. There's a little more going on aromatically than in terms of flavor, but it's still much more subdued than I'd expect out of CdP and just not terribly interesting.

1/10/2021 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

Nice aromatic complexity: toasty and yeasty up front, giving way to soft jasmine and honeysuckle, white nectarine and a little lemon curd, and a hint of wet slate. A wider range of fruit shows up on the palate, with a little green apple and a little bit of tropical fruit supporting the dominant stone fruit. Mineral notes hang around throughout a lingering finish. Very finely textured, high acidity while staying balanced. The only quibble is that the fruit fades pretty quickly in the palate, leaving just that mineral note. But that doesn't diminish from a really delightful wine.

11/23/2020 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

Nine years in, there's a great balance of freshness and age. Aromas are still bright and lively, with a nice burst of ripe pomegranate and cranberry bursting out of the glass. Candied raspberry, clove, dusty granite and slight roast game notes follow. Fruit remains juicy on the palate, and the game notes become a little more pronounced, along with barrel notes of leather and toast. Crisp acidity, tannins that still provoke a little tingle on the cheeks and gums but have mostly rounded out into velvety texture, and a long finish. Really nice showing from a meh vintage, and while there are probably still a few years left, but the balance of youth and age really seems to be hitting its ideal point.

10/18/2020 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

A simple quaffer that pleases with excellent balance, bright aromatics and a pleasant mix of fruit and herbaceousness. Tropical fruit, winter herbs, a hint of wet slate, a little bitter almond in the finish. Body's a bit on the thin side, and the acidity could stand to be a little sharper. Not a tremendous amount of complexity here, but that's not what I'm asking for with a wine like this, and especially at this price. Just a good, well-made and interesting blend that works well on its own as well as matched up against herbal and umami-laced foods.

9/27/2020 - stvjackson wrote:

Rapidly hitting the end of its lifespan. When first opened, there's rich aroma of black fruit (blackberry, fig), black olive, leather and game. The same notes carry through on the palate, although the finish fades quickly. However, starting an hour or so after opening, the fruit and primary flavors mostly disappear, leaving only acid, some barrel and aging notes, and tannin (granted, nicely velvety tannins). Drink any remaining bottles quickly - both in terms of how soon after opening and in terms of the calendar.

4/22/2020 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

There's so, so much wonderfulness going on here, with remarkable evolution as it takes on more air and continues to open up.

Most striking is the level of freshness that's still present 50 years in. Immediately upon opening, there was this burst of aromatics reminiscent of perfectly ripe blueberries. The palate fruits go a bit darker, but they remain juicy, with strong flavors of juicy blackberry and black plum. The nose continually shifts as the wine takes on more air, with aromatics of cocoa, tobacco, leather, cedar, eucalyptus, dates, figs.

Very well balanced, remarkable complexity, an absolute pleasure to drink.

4/19/2020 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

Remarkably well balanced for being a rather large wine. No jamminess or booziness at all. Rather, thanks to ample, still-bright acidity, there's a nice amount of fresh black fruit - cassis, black plum, blackberry - in the nose and showing as juiciness on the palate. But this is really about a nose full of roasted wild game, black pepper, leather, and just a little mushroomy earthiness. Really enjoyable and drinking fantastically right now.

4/9/2020 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

Ridiculously good for the price. Lovely nose with dusty rose petal, tart cherry, juicy raspberry and allspice. Palate bursts with ripe, tart cherry up front with a bit of earth and more clovey/cinnamony spice in the finish. Lively acidty, somewhat abbreviated finish. Nothing amazing, but super enjoyable.

3/28/2020 - stvjackson wrote:

Mixed bag. This still had a lot of bright, vivacious acidity and plush stone fruit. But there was also some slightly unpleasant vegetal bitterness creeping in. Pleasant enough, but also possibly fading rapidly. (Also, there's quite likely quite a bit of bottle variation at this age. Will have to compare to another bottle soon to see which direction this is really heading.)

9/16/2019 - stvjackson wrote:

Medium ruby color, with a little garnet developing around the edges. Legs are relatively light given the alcohol content. Medium-plus aromatic intensity, with dried fruit notes most prominent – dark raisins, dried plums. Additional notes of blackberry, bramble, cassis, black pepper, slight game and smoke, clove, allspice.

Medium-plus intensity on that palate. Fruit comes across as slightly less dried and slightly more jammy, with the same flavors as noted in the aromatics. Smokiness and gaminess are more pronounced but still slight relative to other flavors. Clove and allspice linger, along with some barrel toast. Full body, high alcohol – although felt more as warmth rather than tasting boozy – medium-plus tannin, medium-plus finish.

Very good quality. I drank this a bit young, so I expect more complexity will develop as tertiary characteristics evolve with age. Can drink now, but will definitely age further and should almost certainly be left alone for a few more years.

9/12/2019 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

Deep amber color, with significant, lingering legs in the glass. The color is quite complex, with both gold and brown tones intermingled.

Medium-plus aromatic intensity. Oxidative notes of caramel, walnut and almond dominate and are highly reminiscent of tawny port, with secondary notes of golden raisin, dried apricots and honey. Slight barrel notes of cedar and toast are present.

Palate is of pronounced intensity, as the caramel, dried apricot and walnut/almond notes dominate. Barrel/secondary characteristics are more pronounced compared to the nose, with a noticeable toasty note. Nutty and sweet flavors combine to create flavors reminiscent of nocino and candied walnuts. Honey lingers in the finish, as well as a slight candied raisin flavor. Decidedly sweet but not to the level of luscious, high acidity, a bit of warmth from high alcohol, full body, long finish.

Quality assessment: Outstanding. Despite the sweetness and higher alcohol, there’s ample acidity to leave this extremely well balanced. Aromatics and flavors are both intense and complex, and they linger and continue to evolve for an exceptionally long time. Can definitely drink now – it seems to be hitting the early part of its prime – but this should continue to evolve for years to come and is definitely suitable for further aging.

9/10/2019 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

Pours clear, deep lemon. Medium-minus nose, with initial notes of oyster shell, wet stone, chalk and white flowers. Asparagus and a slight hint of tarragon follow. Fruit takes a little while to expose itself, with apricot and pineapple aromas emerging as the wine opens up.

Pineapple is more expressive on the dry, medium-intensity palate, with apricot taking a secondary note alongside the hint of asparagus (which expresses itself a bit more in the finish). The tarragon present in the nose turns into more of a grassy expression on the palate. Stone and oyster shell linger on the long finish, with chalky notes being particularly notable, accompanied by high acidity (a finish very reminiscent of Chablis). Medium-minus body, with a very slight viscosity.

Quality: Very good, with good balance, length and complexity. Can drink now, will probably hold on for another year or two, but unlikely to evolve considerably in that time.

9/2/2019 - stvjackson wrote:

Medium yellow color. Light aromatics, with faint notes of white flowers, lemon zest, green apple and fennel, and stronger scents featuring asparagus and wet stone. Medium-minus body, medium-plus acidity. Medium-minus flavor intensity, with mineral and asparagus notes dominating, particularly in the medium finish. Well-balanced with a decent finish, but lacking in complexity and intensity, even for a relatively neutral varietal. Don't bother holding on to this one: It's not going to develop any further.

8/27/2019 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

Pours with a richly saturated ruby color that starts turning slightly garnet at the edges, but the intensity is still light enough to leave a pronounced halo around the edge of the glass. Aroma is pronounced, with an initial burst of tart pie cherry bursting out of the glass. There are also strong notes of violet and black plum, with accents of forest floor, bramble, cocoa, and blackberry. Even though this didn’t spend time in the barrel, there’s also a hint of toast or faint smoke present.

Palate is medium-plus in intensity, with the pie cherry and plum dominating. The cocoa note becomes more prevalent, hanging around in the medium-length finish. There’s also a little hint of stemmy astringency in the finish that is ever-so-slightly distracting. Tannins are fine-grained and plush, but definitely at medium-plus levels as felt around the gums. Medium-plus acidity provides good balance. Medium-plus body.

Quality assessment: Very good, with the relatively short and faintly astringent finish holding this back from a higher rating. Can definitely be drunk now but has the potential for further aging.

8/14/2019 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

Wonderfully aromatic and plush nose. Scents of violet strike first, with ripe Bing cherry and black plums following closely behind. There are also notes of spice - clove and allspice - cedar, leather and wet forest floor. The palate is juicy without being overripe, the spices carry through the lengthy finish, and there are flavors of game were only faintly present in the aromatics. Lively acidity and moderately high tannins (that have already started evolving into a velvety texture) give this plenty of structure and potential to keep improving for the next few years. It's not one suited for long-term aging, but this is highly enjoyable now, and I'm guessing it should continue to be so for the next 4-5 years.

8/14/2019 - stvjackson Does not like this wine:

Leather and smoke dominate this one, particularly on the nose, with fruit seemingly having gone MIA four years after harvest. What faint primary characteristics exist consist mostly of weak black cherry, black tea, and a tiny hint of candied plums. There's a little bit of weak, faded, dusty spice (old cinnamon, worn clove) floating around in there as well. The palate is thin and slight, and the finish is terse and overly acidic with a slight lingering vegetal note. There's not a lot of balance or interest here.

There's nothing obvious to indicate that there is anything flawed, but I have suspicions that something may be off with this bottle. I've had this previously during industry tastings, and while it wasn't anything remarkable, it had more intensity and complexity than this. It's possible that there are TCA levels below my perceptibility but at the level where the fruit is washed out. It's also possible that this bottle is in a dumb phase. Whatever the reason, there's not much there there with this one.

8/9/2019 - stvjackson wrote:

Takes a little while to come out of its shell. The nose throws off a ton of wet earth and mushroom at first, but after it gets a little air that turns into accents that go along with a bit of leather and baking spice behind the dominant notes of sour cherry and cranberry. Palate is a little thin, both literally and metaphorically. Body is light, seeming nearly watery if there's a little too much chill. Flavors are muted, dominated by the same cranberry and sour cherry notes, with the prominent earthiness on the nose carrying through as a bit of umami in the finish. Acidity is high and lingers, somewhat distracting from the rapid disappearance of the fruit. There aren't any flaws here, but there's nothing special. Makes for a nicely balanced and reasonably flavorful table wine.

8/2/2019 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

Good-quality table wine. Intense purple color, with prominent aromatics of red plum and cranberry, with lighter notes of baking spice, fresh flowers, and a hint of dust. Plum and cranberry continue to play a prominent role on the palate, with a little spice lingering on the short-lived finish. Acidity is bright and lively, and balances the richer fruits well. There's a slight/bitter/stemmy flavor that lingers after the fruit and spice have vanished in the finish. It's not unpleasant enough to mar the other good things going on here, but it does remind you that this is a $10 bottle. Nevertheless, there's a lot of quality here at the price point, and this works very well as a nice, flavorful weeknight wine.

7/5/2019 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

Delightful sparkler. Lively, fresh acidity and effervescence that enhances drinkability. Soft berry fruit that turns a little bubble-gummy as it warms. Fleshy stone fruit on the nose, carrying into the mouthfeel. Surprisingly pale in color given the amount of skin contact that comes through on both nose and palate. Excellent hot-weather refresher.

5/3/2019 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

Simple - in a good way - and refreshing. Soft white flowers and citrus, just a little subtle effervescence to add some texture.

2/9/2019 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

Tremendously fun wine. Almost Gamay-like aroma, with a pretty burst of violet accompanying notes of blue fruit (perhaps from semi-carbonic laceration?). Red and blue fruit, with a vibrantly spicy finish, with notes of clove and cinnamon. Very enjoyable.

6/13/2018 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

Pretty nose, dominated by violet, blackberry, black plum and blueberry, along with a prominent dusty character and some underlying chalk. Interestingly, the fruit shifts from black to red on the palate, primarily red cherry with accents of cranberry and raspberry. As it warms there's a little bit of cocoa lurking underneath, but otherwise this is all about primary fruit and floral. Well-balanced, low to moderate tannins to provide a little structure, light body and a lengthy, if simple, finish. Drinks well on its own, but I need to put this up against some food to see how it shows against something suitably hearty from the local cuisine. It's a very good, everyday wine with a good amount of character - especially at $15.

6/10/2018 - stvjackson wrote:

Agreed with the previous review that this wine is definitely on the back end of the slope. It's still got a good amount of life left - primary fruit is still there and vibrant, particularly on the palate - but some secondary and tertiary notes are starting to threaten to overwhelm. There's a huge burst of smoke and acetone upon opening, but that does dissipate to a degree, leaving more of a heavily toasted oak character. Acidity is still bright and lively, and there's good intensity overall. But this is heading on its way out, and probably only has another year or two of drinkability left.

6/10/2018 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

For me, muscats can often be all nose and no follow-through. This is not that kind of muscat.

Of course, it's gorgeously aromatic. Acacia and white blossom and lemon and green apple and some melon thrown in for good measure. What stands out is the palate. Bright citrus and green fruit that has staying power. Objectively, it's a medium finish, but with so many of the muscats I've had fading into a whisper nearly instantly, this seems to go on and on. Acidity more than balances out the fruit and flowers, giving this a refreshing, almost thirst-quenching character. For fans of aromatic whites, this is about as well-balanced a wine as you could ever hope for. Highly enjoyable.

4/7/2018 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

An absolutely beautiful, fascinating champagne. The goldish hue is approaching salmon, hinting at a whiff of strawberry that appears on the palate (brought out by any slightly sweet food) and indicates that perhaps there was some brief skin contact. Tart apple and pear, and a little citrus zest round out the fruit. The nose is full of dough and pastry, which turns into a luscious crème brûlée note on the palate. Crisply, refreshingly acidic, thickly moussed when poured, which leaves a pleasant tingle of bubbles long after the mousse fades. Outstanding already, and with only the barest hints of bottle age starting to form (with a little hint of honey and hazelnut), this has potential to develop for a good while.

3/15/2018 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

Always nice to get a bottle that's right in its prime. Everything has come together at this stage - the jammy fruit that stuck out too much when this was younger has mellowed out but remains bright and flavorful, with juicy red and black fruits hiding a bit in the nose (which is dominated by game, forest floor, tobacco, toast and black pepper) but providing a strong introduction on the palate. Tannins are robust but completely rounded out, giving a nicely silky character to the full body. Acidity measures up to the fruit, and the finish lingers for a long time with game, cocoa and coffee. Alcohol is prominent and just a bit out of balance, leaving this just short of outstanding.

3/11/2018 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

Aptly named. Aromatics are indeed intense and powerful when first poured, with prominent toast and pastry aromas, accented by green fruits (apple, quince) and a little bit of wet stone, with a hint of ginger lurking underneath. High acidity, apple and slight spice, more toast and pastry, again with that lingering hint of ginger. Medium-long finish, nice complexity. Very enjoyable, and definitely still with potential to age a bit further.

11/8/2017 - stvjackson wrote:

Drink up now, as this seems to be fading fast. The fruit is largely gone, with just some black cherry lingering in a nose that's mostly composed of barrel notes. Fruit is equally faint on the palate, and a little black-tea astringency is settling in. Still drinkable, but nowhere near as interesting as this once was. Further time won't help things.

6/10/2017 - stvjackson wrote:

While this is really well-constructed and flavorful, I'm missing the Gamay hallmarks of a noseful of violet and rose petal. There are floral aromatics here, but they're very well-hidden. Instead there's bright red fruit - a little tart cherry and strawberry - and subtle hints of cocoa and oak. The palate is bursting with juicy berry fruit and vibrant acidity.

Obviously this is quite young at this stage, which shows in a muted profile when the bottle was first opened. But it's quite enjoyable with a little air. It's only the missing floral notes that hold this back a bit.

5/5/2017 - stvjackson wrote:

I can't help but wonder if this is just an off bottle, because this is completely unlike anything I've had from Hirsch before (and quite unlike most other comments so far). There's just no there there. Very little going on aromatically, with the barest hints of pie cherry and bramble (and it took a great amount of aeration to get that to come out). Palate has even less going on, with just a lot of acid and no fruit or tannin. Finish disappears nearly instantly. Extremely disappointing, which is a huge surprise given the consistently high quality I've had from Hirsch. Hopefully this bottle is just one of those dumb ones that shows up periodically in any vintage.

2/18/2017 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

Nicely balanced and restrained, while being full of flavor. Toast and vanilla from what seems to be a relatively light oak treatment jump out first on the nose, with undercurrents of flint, citrus and white peach. The toastiness continues along the palate, along with more dominant stone-fruit flavors, a little steeliness, and a pleasantly lingering, tart finish. Well-integrated at this stage, with a little more room for evolution. Very good.

1/4/2017 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

Nicely balanced and with all the right fruit flavors and aromas you'd expect out of a zin. Blackberry and black tea mix with a hint of tar and cedar, and there's just a bit of peppery spiciness in the finish. That said, there seems to be a little something missing to give just a bit more complexity; maybe the tannins have rounded out a little too well, maybe the acidity could be a touch zippier. Don't get me wrong, this is a very nice wine, but I do feel like I'm constantly in search of something that's just outside its reach that would elevate to a great wine.

7/24/2016 - stvjackson wrote:

As other reviewers said, there's no there there with this one. Faint, indistinct and unremarkable aromas and flavors. This would be unmemorable from any producer; from Ostertag, it's disappointing.

4/17/2016 - stvjackson Does not like this wine:

This has gone sharply downhill from the last moderately disappointing bottle I had a couple years ago. Strong diesel nose, which slightly blows off after an hour or so. Unfortunately, a strong metallic aftertaste never diminishes no matter how much time is given. The honeyed sweetness has become cloying, with acidity and fruitiness both disappearing with time. Quite disappointing.

2/7/2016 - stvjackson Likes this wine:

This is a little outside of what I would ordinarily associate with Chablis, but it still fits in perfectly. There's the chalky minerality, citrus and steely acidity that are the typical price of entry. But there are additional layers of melon, green apple, and just a bit of oaky roundness that's a little more reminiscent of Beaune-region white Burgundies. Very drinkable, and a steal at $20.

12/6/2015 - stvjackson Does not like this wine:

I may have waited too long on this one. No fruit in the nose, a bit jammy and boozy on the palate. Disappointing.

12/5/2015 - stvjackson wrote:

Same problems as I noted in a previous tasting: This is a wine that can't really make up its mind what it wants to be, trying to straddle a line between a Meursault-style white Burgundy and a more assertive California-style chardonnay. The result isn't bad. But it's far from great.