4/14/2024 - bergkamp10 Likes this wine:

Very pleasant nose, red cherry, raspberry and hint of forest floor. Ripe red fruit, cherry, hints of raspberry with some cola lurking in the background. Good acid driven finish, long and quite sappy. Good stuff, well made and all the elements are there. Drink up, as I can’t see this developing any interesting tertiary notes so I would enjoy before the fruit fades.

3/21/2024 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Deep yellow in the glass. Simple nose, lemon, some saline notes with cut apple and pear. Good mouthfeel, a little round with nice texture. A tad closed and unyielding on the palate bit promising layers of citrus fruit appear hidden behind a solid core of acid. On the fence with this. There’s promising depth, and texture complemented with balanced acidity but the fruit seems a a bit shy. Cellar for a few years ?

3/15/2024 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Impressive mature Zinfandel. Lovely nose, blackberries, tea and spice. Rich mouthfeel, with layers of blue fruits, earth and leather. Lingering long and complex finish. One of my favorite Carlisle Zinfandel's and treat for devotees of old vine Zinfandel. This did start to fade after a couple of hours, so further improvement seems unlikely and drinking in the next year or so is recommended based on the bottle I consumed.

3/10/2024 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Very good premier cru morey. Slight hints of vanilla on the nose. Silky entry on the palate. Dark fruits, black cherry, Asian spice and tea. Nice length on the finsh. Well integrated, and certainly balanced. Good if a bit modern in a crowd pleasing way. I would buy again.

3/4/2024 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Mature reserve CDP. Black fruit, rich raspberry but a touch stewy and oaky. Quite deep, but lacks freshness and not terribly complex. Not my favorite.

3/3/2024 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Sometimes one is surprised by aged Bordeaux from an off vintage but alias not this time. Light, and slightly translucent ruby color in the glass. thin, flat and charmless on palette. Hints of cherry, leather give this away as an aged claret but there’s a noticeable steak of green tannins and acidic astringency on the finish. This is give me the impression of being a mediocre wine that’s on the decline.

3/1/2024 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Good color, deep red and no deposit. One hour decant. Nice nose, a little herbaceous with some oak and leather.Medium bodied classic claret mouthfeel, black fruits, coffee, leather and tar. Lingering fresh finish. Lovely stuff for fans of classic claret. Impressive considering the vintage. Drink up.

2/25/2024 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Very good Margaux. Open for business after a hour decant. Good dark color, lovely bouquet plums, leather and pencil shavings. Full body and mouthfeel, setting quite a muscular tone. Lush ripe fruit, blackberry, coffee and spice underpinned with a veneer of oak. Long finish with smooth tannins. Modern’ish style and I’m not sure how it’s going to evolve so I would be tempted to drink up over the next few years.

2/24/2024 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Medium bodied, and accessible. Nice bouquet, quite fragrant with black fruits, pencil shavings and earth. Silky mouthfeel, ripe black fruits, cherry and steely graphite core. Good acid balance.

2/24/2024 - bergkamp10 Likes this wine:

Impressive. Elegant, red fruit, leather and earth. Long finish. Excellent purity and complexity for such a such a mature wine. Still alive and kicking, and a great choice for those that appreciate the charm of mature bordeaux.

2/23/2024 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Plush Syrah, on the bigger side without being overbearing. Relatively restrained nose, plums and earth. Dense mouthfeel, with a medley of deep ripe black fruit dominating the palate. Longish finish, smooth tannins with a just enough acid balance knitting everything together. Not my favorite Bedrock Syrah, the overall profile is a bit singular for me. Drink or hold.

2/3/2024 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Fairly racy and fruit forward, hints of lemon and citrus. Decent acidity. Maybe a bit short on body and complexity. Not as compelling as previous vintages.

1/31/2024 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Mature, and holding on. Medium bodied, translucent red, some signs of bottle age e.g. browning on rim. Really nice mouthfeel, quite silky. Red fruits, cherry with sour raspberry and a nice savory finish. Elegant and complex.

1/28/2024 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Very good mature Zinfandel. Big brambly dark fruit, pepper with a mineral core. Well resolved tannins, a hint of vanilla. Long slightly sweet finish. Not sure if there’s upside but this hold for a couple more years.

1/21/2024 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Very good, and quite approachable. Medium bodied, with a silky mouthfeel, great mix of black and blue fruits smooth tannins with a fresh mineral note on the finish. No hard edges and good balance. Very attractive with impeccable balance. Drink now to 2040.

1/12/2024 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Good color, deep red with nice clarity on the rim. Earthy nose, some spice and leather. Dark fruits, slightly ripe but interesting layers of dark cherry and some vanilla add complexity. Some sappy intensity to close, but the finish feels a bit short and slightly austere. Mature, on the edge so it’s time to drink up.

1/6/2024 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Very nice. One hour decant. Initially a bit reserved, very pleasant bouquet of leather, red fruits and hints of smoked meat. Medium bodied and quite silky on the palate. Racy red and black fruits framed with a mineral undertone and well resolved tannins. Put on weight with air and this was singing after a couple of hours.

12/30/2023 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Solid Bordeaux. Great value at $10.

12/27/2023 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Solid traditional & food friendly Barolo. Good color, cherry red with good clarity and no bricking. Reticent nose, hints of red fruits with cherry, herbs and pencil shavings. Classic Barolo notes on the palate, raspberry, red cherry with herbs and orange peel. Tannic bite on the fresh finish. Excellent structure and balance. This seems ready to go, but no rush and few more years may soften with mine. Excellent QPR if your are looking for a traditional food friendly baro.

11/19/2023 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Nice representation of a traditional CDP, drinking well. Medium bodied, good translucent red, not too dark. Classic Grenache notes, red fruits, cherry and raspberry, some garrigue and hints of herbs. Clean and quite persistent finish. The absence of heavy oak treatment is quite refreshing. A few more years in the cellar could help this evolve greater complexity through the addition of secondary notes. Decent value, but in general I prefer the Charvin at a similar price point.

11/12/2023 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Big modern Napa cab that will appeal. Ok, but not terribly interesting or complex. Seemed a touch heavy, and a bit of out of balance.

11/9/2023 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Ripe and dark fruit, herbs and a hint of leather on the nose. Plush and fleshy mouthfeel, black fruit, hints of ripe black cherry, with an undercurrent of black currant and chocolate. Decent finish, with well resolved tannins. This seemed quite advanced and ready to drink. Good value and I would buy again, but fans of more traditional claret may want to go elsewhere.

11/2/2023 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Wonderful & mature Zinfandel ! Slightly herbal nose with hints of raspberry and tea. Lovely mouthfeel, with real depth. Complex flavor profile black fruits, orange rind, with black pepper. Well resolved tannins, deep and long finish. Bravo!

10/6/2023 - bergkamp10 wrote:

My initial thoughts, a dark brooding spicy Pinot, with plenty of structure which seems a bit odd for the Sonoma coast bottling which is usually pretty accessible and user friendly. Notes, one hour decant. Black fruits, some hints of pencil shavings and baking spice on the nose. Full bodied, dense black fruits with noticeable acid and tannin on the finish. A bit four square, age may help round this out. On the fence….

9/9/2023 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Big concentrated and dense Napa Cabernet. Inky black in the glass, velvety mouthfeel which gives way to ripe black fruit, cassis and lead pencil. Long finish, with well resolved tannins. This has all the hallmarks of a luxury Napa cab. On the other hand it lacks a bit of structure and complexity, and age ability is questionable but a fair effort and sure to please the crowd that like fruit driven cab to go with steak.

9/3/2023 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Very drinkable, if relatively straightforward. Hints of pepper and herbs on the nose. Nice mouthfeel, quite velvety. Anise, dark fruits with smoked meats with hints of minerals. Powerful and long finish. This seems mature to me, but I’m sure well stored bottles will hold for a few more years. Decent QPR, but I would say this is a step below the Hayne and Library vineyard petite Syrahs.

7/6/2023 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Mature medium weight Syrah. Slight funk on the nose, medium bodied some precipitation. Decent mouthfeel, mix of blue and red fruits, with some hints of smoked meats. Notably acidic and lean finish. Almost Burgundian in profile. Interesting, but not my style. Drink up.

7/2/2023 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Very nice. Notes of apple, lemon, and cut of sea spray. Lean mouthfeel, maybe lacking some texture and give. On the palate, cut apple, hints of pear and lemon. Long and mineral laden finish. Fresh and racy. Interesting style. On the fence as to whether this has the stuffing to age but I do like the balance and commitment to freshness.

5/19/2023 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Mature and possibly on the decline. Nice brunello, with some classic notes, but the overall feeling was a bottle that had seen better days. Based on prior experience and the tasting notes of others I suspect a bad bottle.

4/1/2023 - bergkamp10 wrote:

More advanced and mature than expected. Closed on opening, dank nose with unyielding palate and hot finish. Dark brambly fruit eventually emerged, and pieces fell into place. Much better after an hour, dark fruits, creamy mouthfeel, decent acid balance for a big wine. There was a slightly sour raisiny note that started to dominate after an hour. Drink up, on the downslope.

3/28/2023 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Just about hanging on. This was a pretty hot mess upon opening, pleasant sour cherry on the nose but the palate was dominated by unpleasant melange of vanilla, cola and a hot finish. Things got better after 20 mins and the fruit showed and the balance improved. I’m not really sure why the wine maker pushed this to point where it’s 15.5% alcohol ? Seems unnecessary given the terroir. Overall, a Parker points chaser raging against the dying of the light. I’ve never been a huge BC fan ….

3/18/2023 - bergkamp10 Likes this wine:

Excellent Pinot finding its stride. Drinking well, and not much to add to the many recent excellent tasting notes. Mature and there doesn’t appear to be much upside to cellaring further.

3/17/2023 - bergkamp10 wrote:

A bit of modern bruiser this one. Opened for an hour. Deep color in the glass. Classic nose, dried cherries, hints of leather and damp earth. Raspberry and hints of black cherry, with orange rind and dark chocolate. Finishes with a tannic bite. Full bodied and structured. Needs food. I get the sense this is a bit overly extracted, and perhaps there’s too much oak? I would drink up before it’s dries out.

1/4/2023 - bergkamp10 wrote:

A bit of a paradox, and I’m not sure if this still a bit shutdown or there’s not enough fruit to balance out the vigorous acidity. Nice fresh nose, hints of cherry and wood shaving. Soft red cherry, some spice, and black tea tannins framed with minerals and firm acidity. The finish is a bit sauvage and while I like the energy and freshness this comes across as a bit austere and shrill. I expected a bit more fruit in a 2010. On the fence, but I’m not inclined to invest in additional offerings from the producer given the alternatives at the same price point.

1/2/2023 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Lovely aged Syrah. Black fruits, smoked meats on the nose with hints of lavender and dried herbs. Medium weight with slightly creamy mouthfeel which opens up lovely spectrum of classic Syrah flavors, sweet plum and
cherry, with undertones of bacon fat and hints of chocolate. The whole profile is framed with a persistent savory finish. Really well done !

12/31/2022 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Deep purple in the glass. Good nose, tobacco, leather cedar. Rich mouthfeel. Plush with deep red fruits, cassis, hints of spicey chocolate on the finish. Firm finish with well resolved tannins. Solid Cabernet and good value at $50 but this bottle did struck me as being a bit one dimensional and slightly flat. I think this seemed more interesting and multi dimensional when I tried on release. Drink or hold.,

12/16/2022 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Bravo! In a good spot, no need to wait. Herbs, and orange rind on the nose, with hints of raspberry and dark chocolate. On the palate: classic old vine Zinfandel profile with raspberry licquer, hints of black fruits and fig. Long finish with well resolved dusty tannins and integrated oak. There are some hints of secondary flavors emerging and the briary brambly flavors have given way to more harmonious profile. This is going last a few more years but I would be inclined to drink up over the next 18 months or so to avoid disappointment.

11/25/2022 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Pleasant but not remarkable. Not much to add to the excellent tasting notes from others. This drinks well, food friendly but it’s not a wine for the cellar. More compelling alternatives for Cru Beaujolais at the price point.

11/23/2022 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Still quite youthful, and a bit of bruiser. Classic RRV Zinfandel. Dark fruits on the nose, hints of pepper and orange rind. Nice mouthfeel, nice mix of red and black fruits, earth, tea spice and quite primary with mineral undertones. Developed layers after a couple of hours in the decanter when it really starter to sing with black cherry and leather started to show. Good acid, nice intensity but the finish seems a tad short. Drink or hold. Would buy again.

11/6/2022 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Excellent, walks the line. Taut and expressive, good intensity, body and structure with good chenin character. Needs time.

10/15/2022 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Solid Turley Zin. Big wine, brambly, vanilla dark fruit with some spice and mineral undertones. A bit four square, but there’s plenty of structure and some underlying tannins which gives me hope that a couple more years in the cellar will pay dividends.

10/12/2022 - bergkamp10 Likes this wine:

Very good qpr. Merlot dominant claret, plenty of stuffing, slightly modern. Nice flavor profile, dark fruits, cedar, leather and dark chocolate. No rough edges and obvious flaws. Better with food. Would buy again.

8/29/2022 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Decent Nebbiolo, hits most of the right notes. Soft cherry aromas on the nose, bright red fruits with decent acidity on the finish. Solid qpr and a worthy cellar defender !

8/20/2022 - bergkamp10 Likes this wine:

Reticent bouquet even after an hour of air, hints of dark fruits, cherry and spice. Deep color in the glass, red fruits cloaked by a layer of tannins that slowly yielded after an hour or so. Short finish. This never reached equilibrium, with tannins and acid dominating and the fruit never getting a look in. Not a great showing, and I’m going to give this the benefit given the raw materials and assume it’s shutdown.

8/18/2022 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Very ripe red fruits, with almost liquor like feel. Lush mouthfeel, long and peristent finish but there’s a lack of freshness and it feels heavy, a bit fat and one dimensional. Not my favorite Turley, and I would favor the old vines or the Kirschenman if you want to try a Lodi zin.

8/9/2022 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Deep crimson, minimal bricking and deposit. Classic bouquet, earth, leather with lingering undertones of dark fruits. Deep dark red and black fruits, currant, plum and blackberries with a dark chocolate cocoa finsh. Pretty good if a bit modern. Seems ready to go. Nice QPR at $25.

7/23/2022 - bergkamp10 wrote:

High toned, fresh with some primary lemon and apple notes. Linear, precise with mineral undertones. Needs time. Decent value, assuming a few more years in the cellar bring the fruit and acid into balance.

6/13/2022 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Elegant Zinfandel, in a good drinking window. Bright red fruits, hints of sweet cherry, raspberry, with a silky mouthfeel with good acid balance and long finish. Became more interesting with air, picking up dark fruits, with hints of black tea, spice and orange rind.

6/4/2022 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Bright red fruits, almost hints of sweet cherry and raspberry. Developed some meaty notes after opening up. Medium bodied, fresh, good acidity. Reminded me of a dolcetto or a good cru beaujolais.

6/2/2022 - bergkamp10 wrote:

Very nice mountain Zinfandel. Hits all the right notes as others have highlighted. In a good place, but probably going to decline after it’s 10th birthday….