12/22/22, 6:40 PM - Been buying from them for many years. Like a Bordeaux, don’t drink young and give lots of air. 2014 just beginning to come into its own. Cheers!
12/8/22, 1:46 PM - The tropical/flowery tastes are more of a California style versus a French Alsatian. Different style than the Rhone, for sure. Haven't tried ours yet to be honest. Interesting to see how it compares.
12/8/22, 1:44 PM - Too young. We just finished the 2017s of this and opened a 2018 and it is just entering the drinking window. 4-5 years for most decent Zins measuring the vintage from September before they enter an acceptable drinking window. We have a number of different Zins and the 2017s are perfect right now, 5+ years old.
10/10/22, 12:59 PM - I have found with young wines like this, opening them up the night before, about an hour of breathing and then recorking will yield the results you found the second night on the night you drank it.
10/10/22, 12:55 PM - it is still young, so harsh edges are typical
10/10/22, 12:52 PM - Too young. Over the decades with this wine, I have found that once it gets past year 6 and closer to year 7 (this time next year) it will start opening up. I have also found opening younger red wines and letting them breathe an hour the night before (and recorking) works well. Particularly true of European reds.
8/29/22, 8:10 AM - Your review nailed it.
8/19/22, 5:54 PM - A 92 rating would indicate in the excellent category?
8/16/22, 11:20 AM - Your advice is spot on. I just paid $33.99 at Costco, but my research shows it is usually sold closer to $45. This was partially oaked (50%), so thanks again for the advice. This was rated 92 by Wine Spectator, so immense value. 2024 EOY sounds right; could pair well with Thanksgiving turkey.
7/26/22, 5:40 PM - PLEASE EXPLAIN.
7/8/22, 10:57 AM - If we're going to drink something this young (and this is way young), we let it breathe a bit the day before and recork, opening the next day. That way you get day two on day one. But this is young. We're working on 2015s now.
5/9/22, 5:44 PM - For what it's worth, the cork on the bottle we consumed tonight, the cork broke in half and I had no choice but to push it in. The wine was pretty good (89 imo), but maybe not as good as other vintages. From our experience, there is variation between vintages and some variation between bottles of the same vintage with Rioja. When you consider these were shipped from Europe and who know how it got in your local wine store and how it got treated in between, there is your answer. Always best to buy at the winery, but that is rarely practical for all of us.
2/15/22, 5:25 PM - I like your comment about "pushes the limit of oak without going over the line". Very accurate. We gave it a 91.
1/29/22, 12:15 PM - THIS is how you do a review! The detailed notes help those of us who are cellaring or buying. Thank You.
1/9/22, 5:40 PM - We've been fans of this wonderful, affordable Pinot for years and you nailed it. Our experience is that it is best at 4-5 years (count from September harvest season), but 3 isn't bad if you give it more air. Given our experience with Pinots around the world, not one for long-term aging. In other words, 5 years (in other words, September to EOY 2022 for a 2017) would be the end of the best drinking window and we'd be worrying about it thinning out beyond that.
12/29/21, 11:28 AM - Been buying this for years and just bought two more. I wouldn't touch them until at least this time next year (EOY 2022, early 2023). This wine will really shine best past 6 years, 7 or 8 even better. Probably coming out of what wine experts call "the dumb phase".
12/17/21, 6:40 PM - Great food pairing by you.
12/17/21, 6:38 PM - Acidic wine with acidic food sometimes doesn't work. I'd try either a sweet wine or a very austere Sauv Blanc with lemon chicken. This wine to us paired better with spicy than acidic food. Just a thought, no criticism, sharing. Live and learn. Best,
12/13/21, 6:23 PM - You were right. End of 2021 was the drinking window start.
11/28/21, 11:05 AM - Looking at all the other reviews and given the 2015 vintage, I’m guessing this is still too young (dumb phase some call it).Wine mag said best starting in 2022.
11/11/21, 8:28 AM - Totally understand not your style, we have a good number of those, but even if a wine isn't my style, I base my rating and review on how well the vintner did with the varietal (varietal correctness) and how it compares with others of the same varietal we've had. Just a thought, nothing mean-spirited intended.
11/9/21, 5:05 PM - 3-4 hours of breathing brought this around nicely yesterday, fyi.
5/30/20, 11:38 AM - I did some reading on this before purchasing as I am not particularly fond of Beaujolais. That said, everything I read indicated it is a very dense wine that would need significant aging (think Bordeaux-maybe at least 7 years). If it is like a Bordeaux or Napa Cab it is probably in its dumb phase, which sounds like your experience. Plan to age this at least until fall 2022 and give it lots of air at that time. Bought it kind of as an oddity, we'll see.
10/31/21, 9:36 AM - Same experience, but an 87 for a pos wine like this? 87=very good.
10/21/21, 11:23 AM - Too young...wine likely in what is called "dumb phase"
8/22/21, 7:07 PM - Agree with your note.Based on our experience this is likely a drink now. Didn't see it as a wine that would get better with age.
7/3/21, 5:44 PM - Lamb is the perfect pairing. We make a mint pest sauce, combining basil for dipping. Awesome. Great comment by you.
6/17/21, 6:55 PM - We let it breathe overnight (corking it at bedtime) and seemed to be what it took, but we decanted also. Needs lots of air and may be young yet. Best guess coming out of "dumb phase".
4/9/21, 6:01 PM - Too early. 5 years minimum in my experience.
4/6/21, 12:18 PM - Bought enough of this over the years to know it won't be anywhere close to where it needs to be until at least 5 years (fall 2022).
4/5/21, 3:33 PM - Clearly in the "dumb phase" and will improve with age. Wouldn't touch this until fall 2022 at the earliest....we'd have a much better experience.
3/31/21, 5:48 PM - Agreed. The first of the two we bought was a solid Barolo- good but not great- we did give it air. The second bottle was decanted, but everyone wanted right at it.
3/3/21, 6:23 PM - Needs lots of air if you're going to open early. We let our breathe today all afternoon and wished we'd decanted additionally. European wines are best not young, which many of we Americans can't handle.
2/22/21, 12:29 PM - The bottle states: 70% Grenache, 10% each syrah, mourvèdre and cinsault.
1/19/21, 1:06 PM - You are right, will need more aging- the 2015 vintage was a case of a rising tide lifting all boats.Even the 2nd and 3rd growth can stand some aging. Might open a 2015 St Emilion by end of year, but not a left bank.
1/12/21, 8:48 AM - You nailed it. Not a food matching wine, but the summer quaffer of your dreams.
12/25/20, 8:19 PM - Agreed. We had four bottles and drank one. Not going to touch the other three until end of 2021 at the earliest. Been buying from them for many years and their wines are like fine left bank Bordeaux; they need a lot of aging unlike some decent Napa Cabs that are great at 5 years.
12/20/20, 11:00 AM - For not liking it, a 91 is in the Excellent category...just saying.
11/23/20, 10:03 AM - 87 is in the Very Good range of their rating scale, FYI.
11/5/20, 10:31 AM - Did you mean to rate the Arroyo Seco (budget) or the Arroyo Vista which is pricier? If the Arroyo Vista, your tasting notes nail it.
10/17/20, 12:59 PM - Had a 2010 in October 2019 and it was at its prime. I have 2 bottles and will not touch until at least 2023 based on my experience with this vintner. Great QPR year after year.
9/3/20, 10:54 AM - Good comments. 5 years would be pretty young for a good Barolo, but with lots of air it might be approachable. Going your route, going to try it and if it stacks up, will call Costco and have them hold some for me.Really enjoy detailed reviews like yours, WITH a number rating.Lets me know what I might be getting into.
7/15/20, 5:37 PM - Not really, won't improve with age. Intense style which some like. For us, depends on the food match. Your review was a year ago, so I would say it is drink now as of summer 2020. Your notes are very accurate as to the experience.
7/5/20, 5:27 PM - You'd have a better experience if you let it breathe 3-4 hours, based on my experience with this vintners over 30 years. Just saying. Breathing is everything with European wines, but once they get to 10 + years, open to breathe only an hour or two before.
7/5/20, 8:49 AM - Same experience as you. Not bad, but unremarkable for the price, not much to it.
6/2/20, 5:43 PM - We've had several 2015s and found this is probably still young. Had one last night and while it took a while to open up, even after several hours of breathing, it was amazing, but it either needs air or years imo.
5/31/20, 10:52 AM - Can't wait to try your higher end wines-Zins just purchased end of October. Might be a tad young yet and we are still working off 2014 Cali Zins from our cellar. Nothing better than a Cali field blend, each one different, thanks for your illuminating comment. If you're ever in Groveland (once things open) please stop by and visit Provisions in the Hotel Groveland, our kids own and run that.
4/22/20, 6:08 PM - Way too young in 16.
4/7/20, 4:08 PM - 85 falls in the "good" not very good range of their rating scale, but I think you nailed it at 85.
3/30/20, 11:53 AM - The 2014 of this is just now opening up, so this will be best starting in about two years and will garner better ratings. Early drinking of Bordeaux is usually disappointing. Lord knows I learned that lesson the hard way.
3/30/20, 11:48 AM - Way too young no matter how long you give it air or how.I'm holding mine until no earlier than fall 2016 (6 years).Probably in what we call the "dumb phase" right now.
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