6/2/2023 - WagesOfZin wrote:

This is a complete game changer. Ladies and Gentlemen, we have SERIOUS boxed wine! Finally!! Varietally correct, but definitely done in a forward Paso style. Impressive structure, concentration, and length. Everything you were hoping you could one day acquire in a box format. Think Harvey & Harriet, but boxed. Just really good stuff, and at price equivalent of about $16 per bottle. Fantastic QPR with the added convenience and longevity of a box format.

Home! Run!

2/10/2022 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

notes from memory and no score assigned.

beautiful red and blue fruit on the nose and palate, but quite austere on night 1. consumed about 1/2 bottle over 3 or 4 hours. this just wasn't giving up the goods. vacuum corked and left overnight.

on night 2, this was open for business. much more expressive and bursting with flavor. my suggestion is to leave this alone for a couple years. too closed down for consumption at this point without a significant amount of air time.

excited to see where this goes, nonetheless.

1/8/2022 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

Checking in on this after about a year.

One hour of aeration in a glass and enjoyed over the evening; served with braised lamb shanks.

Beautiful raspberry on the nose and palate, along with a bit of black currant. The tannins are smoothed and finely grained. Medium+ acidity. Velvety and mouth coating while remaining relatively light on its feet. This is not a bruiser. It's fruit forward, but this wine still caresses rather than punches.

Incredibly enjoyable for less than $25.

8/17/2021 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

What a fun wine. Bright lemon in color. Quite reserved on the nose. Medium body.
This is not big Chardonnay. Bursting with bright tropical fruit with a dash of lemon on the palate. Underripe pineapple and maybe just a hint of tart pear? Medium acidity on the lengthy finish. Quite light on its feet for a Chardonnay. This is not a round wine at all. A great example of the versatility Chardonnay provides a winemaker to be sure, and a welcome surprise from an American chardy.

7/13/2021 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

Just a great WA Rhone blend. Red fruits dominate the nose and palate, raspberry in particular. Medium bodied. Beautiful acidity. This does carry a bit of heat. Great finish with decent length. Scrumptious stuff.

Consistent over three bottles.

6/8/2021 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

Hot damn! This is great Pinot for under $20. Black cherry and straight up allspice on the nose. Medium bodied with black cherry in the mouth. Balanced medium length finish. I'll seek this out again for sure.

5/27/2021 - WagesOfZin wrote:

This is respectable. Red fruits dominate with a bit of black sneaking in. Acidity is medium-ish. A little bit of a backbone. Finish length is decent. Not complex in any way, but displays itself varietally correct.

ACME cab, but identifiable as cab nonetheless. In this price range, there are other cabs I'd rather seek out, particularly WA examples like Substance, H3, and Indian Wells.

4/20/2021 - WagesOfZin Does not like this wine:

ACME wine.

4/11/2021 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

PnP one glass on night one with no notes taken. Vacuum stopper. Notes from night two.

Translucent ruby, edging a bit toward the garnet side of ruby. Red and black cherry and currant on the nose. A touch of leather. Tight and not very forthcoming, but there's something there worth exploring. No heat on the nose.

Medium bodied. Red cherry on the palate dominates. More leather. Tannins are stripping big time. They were more finely grained night one, but they were also quite obviously tightly wound on night one as well. Acidity is medium.

This is going to be a great food wine. It's young and it needs to loosen up a bit. Even so, $8? Oh hell yeah. This is damn good cellar protector infantry stuff. If I owned an Italian joint this would be a strong contender for the house red. A nice little wine that comes with a decent amount of finesse and balance rarely found at this price point. Even better, no off-putting aromas or flavors that are so commonly found at this price point.
No score, as I owe this more time and dedicated night one notes. I won't hesitate to buy more than my current stock on hand.

4/9/2021 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

PnP and consumed over several hours. Bursting with ripe red and blue fruit on the nose. Lots of raspberry reduction. A good amount of heat as well. There's some toasted baking spice lingering far in the background.

Medium plus body. Raspberry compote, fresh blackberry, and cassis. Silky and mouth coating; not nearly as hot as the nose was suggesting. The tannic edge has been sanded down on this, but there's still structure. Acid is in balance. Plenty of length on the finish.

This is a very nice bottle of wine and a crowd pleaser to be sure. There's enough going on below the surface to pique the interest of a more discerning drinker as long as they don't turn their nose up at the paso "vernacular". I'd purchase again at the CT value.

I do like cali rhones, I must admit.

4/4/2021 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

Chilled and PnP served.

Deep color for a rose...watermelon jolly rancher-esque. Speaking of: watermelon jolly rancher, fresh strawberry sprinkled with a touch of sugar, granny Smith apple, and canned pear on the nose.

Flirting with off-dry. Fresh underripe strawberry, watermelon, and apple skin on the palate. This is surprisingly full and round. This is in your face. Duh! It's Herman Story, and true to form unapologetically. This is Rosé for ribs, or any other bbq'd pork for that matter. I just drank this with a BLT and it was a fantastic pairing.

I'm probably in the minority when it comes to rose, but ever since discovering Peju Province I've fallen in love with darker, more brooding, profiles. This is squarely in that wheel house. If you prefer your rose barely hinting at salmon in color, run like the wind. However, if you've always wished roses were much muchi-er, seek this out. This is a perfect 4th of July wine at about 3pm.

PS - it's boozy as well, unapologetically so. Herman Story gonna Herman Story.

EDIT - about a glass and a half worth was placed in the fridge with a vacuum stopper and poured two days later. There's now a creaminess that I hadn't picked up on previously that almost brings a raspberry yogurt note to the palate. This really is fascinating stuff, definitely an unconventional iteration. It's better for that, in my opinion.

4/3/2021 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

Night 1 - from recollection, foggy at that. A drunk front rolled through prior to PnPing. Very fruit forward. Extracted. Acidity was beautiful. I raved about it, albeit talking in cursive.

Night 2 - 1/2 bottle left on the counter overnight with a vacuum stopper. Deep translucent ruby in color. Lots of red fruit on the nose, maybe a touch of blackberry. More of the same on the palate with some heat and a touch of pepper. Medium bodied and the acidity is zipping again. Tannins are stripping, chalky, but not overbearing. There's decent length to the finish. I'm quite happy with this.

Hopefully I'll have the opportunity to take some notes in earnest upon opening the next bottle.

2/20/2021 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

From memory. Decanted and given one hour air time.

No score, but higher than 91. Fantastic stuff. Medium plus body and concentrated fruit. Beautiful depth. A bit of heat on the nose and palate. I'll sit on the other one for a coupletwotree.

2/9/2021 - WagesOfZin wrote:

decanted for 2 hours prior to consumption

red raspberry, black cherry, and cassis on the nose and palate. tremendous fruit. this is hedonistic and unapologetically fruit forward. a bit of dust or graphite. very primary. heat is in check.

....and then you swallow....and the acid and tannins wrap your mouth in a velvety dance that slingshots you into the finish. will this gain some complexity with time? i'm not sure, but i'm eager to find out.

2/6/2021 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

Merlot and Sangiovese. 14% alcohol.

Poured through a vinturi and given about an hour of air time. Deep, dark, and opaque in the glass, with a dark ruby rim. Black fruits and undertones of licorice on the nose. A bit of heat shows up.

Black cherry and blackberry flavors. Full bodied with a good deal of acid keeping the fruit from becoming cloying. Firm, yet round, structure on the finish. This wine has some great balance. Very primary nonetheless, at least at this point of evolution. The Merlot definitely makes its presence known in this wine.

Certainly ready to drink now with a bit of air. Curious to see if this gains any nuance with time. An enjoyable wine nonetheless, and certainly worth $20.

11/29/2020 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

in the glass, it's a dark essentially opaque deep violet.

on the nose, dark fruits. black cherry, blackberry, blueberry. vanilla and custard. this is heavily oaked.

on the palate, more dark fruits from the same basket. velvety and mouth coating texture. full bodied.

fruit forward. hedonistic. decadent. new world. pick your favorite stereotypical describers for the style. my phrase of choice is "big dumb wine", and this is most certainly big dumb wine. that said, it's varietally correct and representative of the "floor" for what one should expect from a WA merlot. it's well made for its style and price point and presents a good value if you enjoy your wines rich and bombastic.

11/27/2020 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

notes entered on night 2. all night one impressions are based off memory. thanksgiving festivities, so....

night 1: opened about 2 hours prior to serving with dill brined and smoked turkey flanked by the usual suspects.

night 2: served with a cornucopia of tunes.

black cherry and a bit of leather. seems a bit restrained. more black or dark cherry on the palate as well. this seems a bit young. tannins on night 1 were plenty grippy. they've mellowed on night 2 and the wine seems to still have plenty of gas in the tank despite oxidation. pretty full bodied, with a mouthcoating texture. acidity is medium. decent length on the finish.

i've recently had the '17 le coteau de mon rêve and found that wine to be considerably more expressive/emotive, not to mention complex. have to agree with another reviewer that this, at least currently, isn't on the same level. i'll leave this alone for at least a year to see if there's some development.

11/16/2020 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

red fruits on the nose and palate. fresh cherry, a bit of cranberry. medium+ bodied. nice acidity. nice length on the finish. this punches well above the $27 weight i acquired it for. definitely will be keeping an eye out for additional wines from this producer.

11/8/2020 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

strawberries and watermelon. not too sweet. definitely worth another try. no score.

11/7/2020 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

Night 1 - poured through a vinturi and given 30 minutes of air. consumed over following three hours. deep, dark, almost opaque, with ruby/magenta at the rim. nose is stingy. a bit of raspberry. shy on palate as well. with some red and black fruits. acidity is medium. tannins are grippy, but polished. curious to see how this evolves on night 2, and if that reveals whether i simply opened this too early. it feels like there's more to this wine that's not being allowed to reveal itself. no score.

Night 2 - yup. the wine has opened up. raspberry and blackberry compote on the nose. some cedar as well. raspberry and blackberry compote again on the palate. the slightest hint of vanilla. this isn't jammy, but it's flirting in that direction. medium+ weight. medium acidity. a little bit of length on the finish. a well made and enjoyable wine. i'll certainly wait a couple years to try again, given the transition over 24 hours.

10/31/2020 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

Night 1 - my first rioja. poured through a vinturi with 15 minutes of air. consumed over the following 3 hours. dried red cherries on the nose. red plum. definitely a dill note. medium bodied on the palate with red cherry and plum again. a bit of cocoa on the back end. the oak treatment is pronounced on the finish. no score yet, but quite enjoyable.

10/29/2020 - WagesOfZin wrote:

Third time drinking this wine with consistent perceptions across all three bottles.

Restrained nose. Red fruit and a bit of leather. Medium bodied and restrained on the palate. More red fruit. Varietally correct. Good acidity with a soft tannic structure. Short on the finish. ACME pinot.

10/24/2020 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

Night 1 - about 30 minutes of air before sampling, and two glasses consumed over 6 hours.

on the nose: blackberries, black plums, dried herbs, and a chunk of slate wrapped in a leather baseball glove. incredible nose on this wine.

on the palate: medium bodied. black plum skin and dried blueberries on a leather blanket laid down in the herb garden. this wine is a poster child for finesse and balance. smooth, refined, but grippy tannins and a good amount of acidity on a lengthy finish. this has a decade of life, maybe more.

pair with: lamb, game, duck, stews, and the like. pork shank with bacon onion jam. this wine begs to be paired with a hearty meal. i feel like i've done the first half of the bottle a disservice by merely sipping it and stewing on it.

Night 2 - nose is pretty in line with the previous night. getting a dried fig element on the palate that i wasn't picking up on last night. the tannins have loosened just a bit. this wine is hitting on all cylinders. the fruit in general is more prominent. yup. food wine. drank alongside a mushroom leak and bacon chowder. the wine paired wonderfully with the mushrooms and the smokiness of the bacon.

again, a great wine that if i'm given the chance to purchase again, i'll think long and hard about a bulk buy.

Day 3 - oxidation is just now beginning to turn the tide on this. even so, the wine is still singing right along. pretty muted nose at this stage. on the tongue, the fruit is all black, deep and brooding. the secondary notes have subsided to a significant degree. the acidity is still zipping right along and the finish just keeps going and going.

three more bottles to go. i owe it to myself to let at least one of these see 2030+

10/18/2020 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

no formal notes, and score is a dart throw. consumed over three days and was still evolving and going strong to the end. very enjoyable. this has plenty of life yet.

10/18/2020 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

2nd go around with this. Lots of berry on the noise and palate. Almost a confectionary quality to it, but not off putting. Impressive weight and texture. Chocolate and black tea notes for sure. Delicious stuff and worth seeking out for $15+/-

9/11/2020 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

Candy apple red in color. Red fruits on the nose. Cherry pie filling without the unctuousness. Red fruits on the palate as well. More cherry. A bit of spice and dust. Medium bodied. Nice rolling finish. Well made, if a bit one dimensional. It's hard to find pinot this good for less than $30, much less $20.

9/4/2020 - WagesOfZin wrote:

Night 1 - popped and poured into a stem glass with 45 minutes of air time and consumed over the following coupletwotree hours.

A bit restrained on the noise with black and blue fruit. This is no meaty syrah. Light footed. A touch of heat on the nose as well. Black and blue fruits on the palate. Black cherry. A good amount of tannic bite and decent length on the finish. Less heat on the palate than the nose. This is more delicate than brooding. It's well made, but I wish it was much muchi-er, at least for my tastes. 88 for now, may revise.

8/23/2020 - WagesOfZin wrote:

Fruit forward new world blend. Predominantly red fruits. A hint of baking spice, but this is very much a one hit wonder Lacking in tannic structure, maybe could use a touch more acidity as well. Drink it now, to be sure. Better than the usual grocery store suspects, but not enough to keep my attention by any means.

8/15/2020 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

Dark fruits. Blackberry; a hint of raisin. Extracted wine. Full bodied. Unapologetically new world and unapologetically made to drink in the next 1-3 years. A respectable amount of tannic backbone. Decent amount of acidity. Big dumb wine, but well made big dumb wine. Worth every bit of $15 if you like the more gluttonous new world style.

8/15/2020 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

Drank one week ago, so vague notes. Medium-medium+ bodied. Red fruits. Integrated tannins, silky finish. Bright fruit. Varietally correct. Nice bottle of wine. Score is a dart throw, but close to the bullseye regardless. Hopefully better notes with the next bottle.

8/13/2020 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

Night 1 - first go around. initial impressions were pretty generic. predominantly red fruit. raspberry, cranberry, red cassis. with air and time it seemed to gain heft. a bit of dustiness? definitely a short term wine. no backbone to age long term. acidity was medium(-). no brainer for under $10. no score for now.

Night 2 - blackberry the predominant fruit tonight. maybe i was off on my notes night 1? definitely getting pencil lead. what tannic structure was there night 1 is even more softened. not a ton of complexity by any means, but a well made wine. something i wouldn't mind paying $15-20 per bottle for. crazy value under $10. still no score, but high 80's minimum. more bottles await to further evaluate.

8/8/2020 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

Night 1: medium+ body. tannic for a 10 year old wine. easily has a coupletwotree more years of life at minimum. red fruits. strawberry, cranberry. a bit of blackberry as well. some of that earthy almost hay-like grenache thing you expect. a bit of cinnamon. pepper for sure. a bit of heat, but not overbearing by any means.

Night 2 - tannins softened and brought the wine more into balance. Hold for at least another year or two.

7/24/2016 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

currently on day 2. dense and concentrated. black and blue fruits. nice balance. nice length. still going strong 24 hours after initial opening. good value at the price point.

7/5/2016 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

phenomenal stuff. wish i'd ordered more. next spring....

12/14/2015 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

drank with grilled oysters with sriracha lime butter. excellent pairing.

5/23/2015 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

Strawberries and graham crackers. So good.

5/4/2014 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

having consumed two of these so far, it is clear that this wine gets better with some air time. really seemed to be hitting around the two hour mark. was also still going strong on day 2.

light bodied, red fruits, a bit of spiciness/earthiness. well made. great texture in the mouth. i'm digging it. 3 more in the cellar.

2/24/2014 - WagesOfZin wrote:

citris and lemon dominate with hints of pear and apple. very fish friendly wine. this is better with food than on it's own.

2/15/2014 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

every time i open a bottle of this, i kick myself for not buying my full allocation.

1/19/2014 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

- pale straw in color
- pear, granny smith apple, and a touch of grapefruit on the nose
- not quite off-dry. green apple and pear in the mouth. nice acidity. very gewurz/viognier in character.
- finish is short and clipped.

-this is my first experience with this varietal and my first georgia wine. i have to say i'm quite impressed. this is far and away the most enjoyable and intriguing wine produced in the southeast that i've ever tasted. everything i've tasted out of the southeast to this point has been dreck. this is legit wine that would be very appropriate for a summer sunday brunch. i'd gladly drink this again.

1/11/2014 - WagesOfZin wrote:

- dark garnet in color.
- getting slate, black cherry, a little meat, and a touch of coffee on the nose.
- medium to full bodied. decent acidity. nice tannic grip. relatively short on the finish, but not completely falling off a cliff. no heat. decent balance.
- black currant, black cherry, bramble and minerals on the palate with a slight savory note on the back end.

scored 6 of these for under $10. pleased with the the QPR at that price. this strikes me as more of a food wine than one to be consumed on its own.

12/28/2013 - WagesOfZin wrote:

drank during and after christmas dinner. no formal notes due to a head cold. there is no doubting the quality of this wine. one of the best values i've ever come across in wine. i have quickly become a bedrock fan boy.

12/9/2013 - WagesOfZin wrote:

drank WAY too early. tight and tannic even after a few hours. i'll be letting my other bottle marinate for quite some time.

1/4/2013 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

nose: leather, tobacco, dark fruits, baking spice, dust/earth
mouth: full bodied. dark black fruits, leather, baking spice, pencil lead. velvety mouthfeel and tannic structure. nice length on the finish.

purchased 4. wish i'd bought more. complex nose and palate and pleasant through the finish. at under $20, this is a flat out steal of a wine. hope to find more.

3/25/2011 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

consistently good every time.

3/17/2011 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

agree with the other note. elegant in style with an impressive and silky finish. medium bodied with red fruits. some earth and a small amount of possibly green pepper on the nose. not terribly complex. found on the clearance rack for $8 and for that it was an absolute steal. at $30, not so much.

3/12/2011 - WagesOfZin wrote:

seems a bit tannic and disjointed. might need a bit of time to integrate.

3/10/2011 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

dark fruits, dark chocolate and a bit of oak induced vanilla. very good for the price. well worth a repurchase.

3/7/2011 - WagesOfZin Likes this wine:

typical CC grand estates cab. always a good value at under $10. heavy on the oak as usual with dark fruits and a bit of mocha/chocolate

3/1/2011 - WagesOfZin wrote:

thin and one dimensional. wasn't impressed