3/27/2012 - N2Vin wrote:

Brickish red color. Smooth and unctous on the palate. Loads of creamy red and black berries, cassis, licorice, and mocha. Completely integrated with some black pepper, mint and spice rack. A loaded, tasty wine. Would be stunning with a filet!

3/8/2012 - N2Vin wrote:

Choclate cherry, spice and black fruits. Smooth and round.

3/3/2012 - N2Vin wrote:

Superb.

2/11/2012 - N2Vin wrote:

A good wine. Loads of berry and spice with oak and smoke. Clean, full bodied. Hints of black licorice and asian spices.

2/4/2012 - N2Vin wrote:

Deep purple and youthful looking. Nose of red berry ans sweet oak. Silky, young and monolithic but with good structure such that this will likely continue to evolve and eventually develop secondary nuances. Very pleasant and well made claret.

1/24/2012 - N2Vin wrote:

Wow! This is a wine to share and show off! Alas, I am drinking it alone, but be it known that this bottle of wine is stunning! It turned a cold, bleak, rainy day into something memorable. I had another bottle not so long ago, and my note there does not indicate that these wines were "in the bottle" equal. The color shows some aging with bricking at the meniscus and dusty rose in the bubbles, Nonetheless, this wine has such supple roundness to it, a full mouthcoating sensation and oh does the fruit blast through. Wonderful notes of berry and bramble with black cherry, spice and clove on the nose. Round, full of strawberry and cola on the palate. Finish is light and fresh. Not long nor big, but subtle and lingering. Nice way to end the day.

1/22/2012 - N2Vin wrote:

Beautiful Shiraz. Nose is sweet with black fruit accompanied by smoke and spice. Round and fully integrated on the palate. Fruit, spices, breads and licorice. Chewey goodness. Lovely to the last sip. Miles to go before it sleeps.

1/17/2012 - N2Vin wrote:

still youthful classic Napa claret

1/2/2012 - N2Vin wrote:

This wine shows such a fresh flower bouquet along with apple and lychee that is is hard to believe it is 12 years of age. The color is a bright green/yellow. A quite dry muscat with seemingly limitless ageing potential. nice.

11/10/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

After double decanting and two hours back in bottle this wine was teriffic. Plenty of deep ruby with red and brick at the edge. Fruit and chocolate with an earthy Paulliac sense to it. Tannins fully resolved. Smooth and slightly sweet finish. But by no means too old.

10/26/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Not showing well. Hints of TCA. Eroded fruit.

9/21/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

What a lovely Margaux. The beautiful balance of red fruits, oak, kirsch, floral notes and spice is compelling on the nose and prominent on the palate. This is a subtle, sexy and sweet wine rather modern in style but still shows its quality fruit source. Like it alot.

9/7/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Black cherry and some spices. Hint of sweet oak. Not much depth here. Finish is short and fruitish. But still a wine with freshness. Seems light and very low alcohol.

9/5/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

blasts of raspberry and blackberry. A fruit driven wine that is still young and quite expressive.

8/31/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Wow! One of the joys of buying and ageing wine is every once in a while you are rewarded many times over. Such is the case with this 2000 Bin 61 Shiraz from Leasingham. A deep and rich ruby red color showing little or no sign of age. Wonderful ripe red fruits on the nose with loads of spice and smoke along with subtle oak. The nuances of age are certainly showing in this wine as the tannins are totally resolved and it shows a very old world style of evolution. This is so nice to drink now but has more time before it fades. Quite a wine for $13.

8/11/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Very smooth and integrated shiraz. Full of spices and blackberry with strong oak and hint of smoke. Round, full bodied with mild tannins which have been resolved by 10 years passage.

8/6/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Still intact and youthful. Loaded with pepper and blueverry, spice and oak. Hot and spicy, but precise for its genre from 2002.

7/28/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

WOW. What a beautiful example of Barossa Shiraz and its ability to carry age! Color is deep garnet red and still youthful. The nose is replete with spice and blackberry, smoke, meatiness and oak. Loads of sweet fruit continue to dominate the palate along with spices and oak. This has to be 15+ alcohol though, my only complaint. This wine has great ripeness as the Barossa is want to be. The fruit is so fresh still and tannins tame. There is life left here for sure. There is no mistaking what this is. Unabashed Barossa Shiraz and proud of it.

7/26/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Has not held together well. Also displayed some brett. Fruit is sound and sweet. Oak, red fruit and spices. short finish.

7/13/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Six years in my cellar was maybe a bit too long. Fruit has faded while metallic and mineral notes have emerged. Nose is very muted. The palate is slightly astringent. Scorched earth and plum highlight the finish along with ample tannins. But the color is remarkably fresh without any hint of ageing. Alcohol is high and noticable. Maybe this wine is actually too young. Last one so I'll leave it to other tasters to discover that.

7/8/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

A delightfully rich wine. Four years from the last CT tasting note and well worth the wait! Loaded with fresh red fruits. toasted oak, and cassis. Fruit exploding on the palate and refuses to wane. Wow! I just love this wine. Based on the reviews below nobody had any idea how good this wine might become. This is quintessential Napa Cabernet and a strong argument that these quality Napa cabs should not be evaluated until they have aged comensurate to that which is allowed classified Bordeaux before they are given such lofty scores.

6/27/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Again,
Best of AP Vin breed. Loaded with spice and forest floor. Complex wine loaded with red berry, clove, and smoke. Love this. Finish is so mouthfilling and sexy.

6/12/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Color shows some bricking. Very nice wine. Mature and totally integrated. Fruit, expresso, oak, leather. Tannins totally controlled and fine. Double decanted and drank over four hours. Long finish.

6/6/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Simply a stunning Cabernet to me. The nose, the palate, the finish are so integrated to my senses it is hard to take them apart. The fruit is alive and ripe along with secondary flavors of oak, spice, and cigar box with tea and cassis. But the ripe red berry flavors are astounding. The smooth creamy tannins are mouthcoating and addicting. The finish go on and on. Minutes it seems! Wow! A ground zero cab for my palate.

6/4/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Fruit and oak forward. Aged nicely. Loaded with red fruit and vanilla oak. Smooth and food friendly.

6/3/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Dark inky purple. Somewhat reluctant nose to open. An hour of air reveals red berry, asian spices, black berry and and oak. Smooth, sweet red and black fruit with an accompanying peppered and smoked deli meat taste. Sweet fruit and mild tanin on the finish.

5/31/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Well made. Bright honeyed yellow with greenish tint. Nose of pineapple and lemongrass. Bright acidity. Apricot, pineapple and fresh cut grass. Well made wine which leans toward the floral and fruit tones. Clean finish.

5/5/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Wonderful nose of apricot, melon and honey apple. Oak is quite present as is malo. Essence of quince and minerality. Long finish. Very golden color.

5/3/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Very nice wine. Light in body, almost pinot like in appearance. Nose is full of chocolate, oak and red berry. Loads of very tasty fruit and a hint of sweet tea on the palate with a finish that is very classy and begs another taste. Nice wine.

5/3/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

A bit oaky and lacking the pepper and spice I look for in Syrah.

4/27/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

One of my favorite tasters anywhere Cwheeler had two bottles of this "medicine wine" and rated each 82 points so I wasn't expecting much in this one. To my suprise, not the case. This wine was delicious. Oak, spice and smoke balanced against the still abundant raspberry fruit. Tannins along with substantial alcohol well integrated. No medicinal "iodine" notes at all. Lithe and sweet finish. Fruit is holding so nicely. Smoke and spice notes along with black tea round out this wine. Very nice and a suprise. By and large I am finding these Aussie Shriazs made in the fruit bomb era tend not to hold up well, but Dan's Standish is one that has.

4/9/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

This wine is so concentrated and youthful still at 9 years of life. It may be a 50 year wine! Plum, oak and asian spices, white pepper and even ginger on the nose. This wine must be decanted and aired for 4-6 hours. Just so dark purple from one side of the glass to the other. It is still an over the top rich, ripe, plummy wine with lots of oak, spice, raisin and detectable alcohol. You almost want to serve this with chocolate and a cigar rather than with food. Very port like. But still very balanced and possessing a full life ahead.

4/1/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

A beautiful wine showing a deep garnet color and a rich nose of ripe wild raspberry, mocha and toasty oak. The palate is repleate with sweet red berry, new oak, tea, and hints of chocolate. This wine has a great backbone, loads of tannin and excellent balance. The taste finishes with sweet tannins and lingering fruit that fill the mouth with desire for another taste. A very well made Zinfandel in a classic style that should be tried.

3/28/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Very nice wine. Good fruit, spice, oak. Youthful still.

3/20/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

This bottle just did not come off a pinot noir. It was a nice wine but lacked the brambly forest floor and spice that I like.

3/20/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Rich golden color, like an aged Sauterne. This bottle showed decided notes of yeast and creme bruele as well as honeyed citrus and pear. Very creamy and slightly saline almost. Really reminds me of a what a glass of vintage Krug might taste like after sitting out all night. Finishes with pear and fig and honeyed nuts maybe. Looking at my prior notes on this wine, this bottle was quite unusual.

3/17/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

At Michael's Restaurant, Naples CA with Braised veal ossobuco;

Color was a brilliant garnet showing no signs of age yet. The nose was sublime, so very soft with notes of dusty rose, ripe red fruit, leather and a fresh cut boquet. Tremendous balance with near perfect complement of ripe fruit, tannins, acidity and sense of sweetness. After four hours this wine was at its best. A very soft and sexy wine that has many years left but is now singing like a Puccini aria.

2/19/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

A near perfect Bordeaux. The freshness of the fruit is just amazing. First growth quality in this bottle.

2/18/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

This wine's color shows definate bricking and is quite light in color, reminiscent almost of a pinot noir. The nose is soft and plush, displaying elements of black cherry, fresh leather and raisin. On the palate the wine show elegance and refined grace. The sweet cherry, oak, black tea and a hint of tobacco are wonderful. This wine screams to be drank with food. It is not a powerful wine. It is a wine that want to be engaged with other sensory experiences. The tannins are quite smooth and the finish lingers on expressing components of black tea and black berry.

2/16/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

As more and more California pinot noir producers are finally coaxing greatness out of this noble varietal and out of very specific terroirs up and down the coast, California pinots like this will fade. Dark in color but thin and weak on the palate. Oak and strawberry, maybe a hint of cola but not much else. I couldn't distinguish this from a Valley grown over oaked Merlot really. It drinks very smooth and is refreshing, eminately drinkable, but that makes it no different from much of the red wine made in California. My tastes may have just evolved. Blame the likes of Rhys I suppose.

2/13/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Stunning wine. Reminiscent of a Corton. A Cali PN with ABV of 12.7?? Wow! Such an elegant wine. Cassis, clove, black cherry. Perfect hint of oak. Etherial nose. Very sexy wine. This one ought to be a big winner for Valentine's day. The acidity is lower than most Cali PNs resulting is a very smoth and silky wine. The body is light but nuanced. The finish hangs effortlessly until your next taste.

2/11/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Light red with bluish hint. Nose of spice and red berry. Black cherry and clove. Cool forest sense too. Nice wine. Light body. Aromatic rather than fruit driven.

2/4/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Wonderful spicy mouthful of strawberry and Dr. Pepper. Hints of mint and herbs with a clean, sweet, tannic finish full of cloves and apple skins. Goes on and on. You couldn't knock this finish out with mouthwash. Great pinot noir.

2/4/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Bought based on the Decanter blind tasting of 2007 Napa/Sonoma cabs. This wine was first place and the only one to average over 19 points (of 20). Frankly I don't see it. This is an oak monster (entirely consistent with Sebastiani's style btw). The nose explodes with perfumy oak, vanilla, rlpe red berry and sweet floral notes. It is a beautiful rich red to purple color, almost jeweled. The palate is just as you would expect, sweet ripe jammy red fruit, currant, vanilla and smoky oak with little tannin or acidity. Finish is rich with sweet fruit, tight and light tannins. Not particularly long. This is a very stylish oaked Cali cabernet. I would not have thought it would be so liked in Europe as this wine has little in common style wise with the great clarets of Europe. Maybe that's the point. It doesn't even try.

2/4/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Smooth, suave and new world shiraz. Deep bluish purple right to the rim. Loaded nose with spice, black berry, oak, cold cuts and smoke. The palate is very fruit forward with blackberry dominating. After several moments, plum, smoke, spices and vanilla show up along with some anise. Smooth finish if a bit short. QPR is as usual for Schild off the chart. Drink anytime with 2-4 hours air time.

2/1/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

This wine is an oaky mess. Flat and lacking in acidity. Overripe and unctous. Lots of pineapple, banana and citrus to go with the wood chips, but not even close to modern Cali Chardonnay. This is what most vinters are apologizing for and running away from.
OK, I don't mean to pan this wine too much. I mean, it willl get your girlfriend drunk at a reasonable price. But it will not educate your or her palate much. If your objective for the evening is less than that, then pour this wine. It should go down easy allowing you to accomplish your objective.

2/1/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Classic wine with tart citrus, minerality, slate and green pineapple. Really nice for its impersonation of a nice Mosel kabinett.

2/1/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Fruit and oak. Hint of spice and vanilla. Finish is nice.

1/31/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

The nose is quite unusual because of a lemon zest component I detect. But it also displays more traditional notes of oak, blackberry, cloves, spice and leather. Very modern but attractive. The palate is explosive with black cherry, mocha and toasted oak, but is cut short by the powerful tannins. This wine is loaded with tannic backbone and is still very young. I think in 5 or so years the tannins will resolve and what will evolve is one very fine wine that might suprise a lot of people. This wine has a story yet to tell.

1/29/2011 - N2Vin wrote:

Ripe and sweet fruit. Bright red color. Red berry and plum with some notes of oak and spice. Mild and sweet tannin with some note of red apple skin to finish. Drink now.