3/28/2011 - BedrockMorgan wrote:

Good dark red. Dusty but perfumed aromatics of classic Cote-Rotie- dark berries, iron filings, lifted herbs and game. Wine is still taught and very structured-- a brief window of fruit gives way to a serious layer of rich tannin. I think this is going to open up nicely with some time but I am not convinced it will ever match the structure. Overall, aromatically quite pretty, but still closed down.

3/16/2011 - BedrockMorgan wrote:

Beautifully, almost explosively, perfumed nose of flowers, red fruits, and sassafras. Lifted and bright in the palate, and though not enormous in terms of core density. Lovely juice and great qpr.

3/10/2011 - BedrockMorgan wrote:

Smoke Taint. Not the most overt but definitely there in the nose and finish.

3/4/2011 - BedrockMorgan wrote:

Decanted for 30 minutes. Dark red. Enormously ebullient perfumed nose of pepper, bacon fat and flowers. Lithe and elegant but plenty of density. A graceful and delicious bottle of Syrah.

3/31/2010 - BedrockMorgan wrote:

Corked beyond belief. A shame because the dark color and buried aromatics indicated something quite tasty.

3/31/2010 - BedrockMorgan wrote:

Pop and pour. Picked up from JV Wine in Napa for $29.99. Still absolutely opaque color almost to the rim. Fresh, deep, and dense aromatics-- trace of leafiness, but largely just pure cassis, trace of euculyptus, vanilla, and ripe fruits. On the palate the wine is huge, ripe, but fresh, with well-judged acidification and perhaps some RS (if there is anything left I will run analysis), with just a smidge of secondary cedar, tobacco, and tar. This is gorgeous, cooler-climate, Aussie Cabernet: balances richness with brightness well.

11/22/2009 - BedrockMorgan wrote:

This wine is delicious now. However, the bret-funk has started overwhelm this wine and I doubt it will age particularly well. Given the density, richness of fruit, and aromatics, I would have been really excited about this wines long-term potential. However, I think the bret is already overwhelming things and am not sure that this wine willl get any better.

5/14/2009 - BedrockMorgan wrote:

Had this wine at Zuni cafe in SF from the half-bottle. It was absolutely delicious and perfect with the food. Queen anne's cherry, and fresh raspberry along with sweet earth and a touch of dried baking spices on the nose. Taught, elegant, and juice, with a trace of refreshing grippy tannin on the back end. This was able to complement the sand-dabs and stand up to the pork-chop-- a really satisfying food wine and bloody cheap for what it offered.

5/13/2009 - BedrockMorgan wrote:

Perfumed, and rich with crackly, classic Syrah spice and bacon fat. An absolutely textbook, excellent, Crozes from a forward vintage.

5/13/2009 - BedrockMorgan wrote:

Hot, VA through the roof, rough, sour and weedy. A bottle from a private collection, the ullage and cork were fine. Just unpleasant Zinfandel.

4/23/2009 - BedrockMorgan wrote:

Deep, inky, black-purple to purple rim. Decanted for two hours. Stunning, pure, Syrah nose of smoke, dark fruits, and pungent spice. This wine is at once dense and lifted in the palate, seemingly growing more aromatic, this fills my head. Gorgeous, pure Syrah, at a reasonable 14.2% alcohol.

4/23/2009 - BedrockMorgan wrote:

Deep yellow. Pretty nose of interwoven meyer lemon, pink grapefruit rind, mineral, and trace of wood spice. This wine has great brightness and length, with good core density. Refreshing and complex, and great with food.

4/22/2009 - BedrockMorgan wrote:

A big, dark, wine. This is 50% Zin, 25% Car. and 25$ Pets. Gotta love the field blend, this is big, black, with a lot of blackberry, violet, and tons of pepper. Love this! Classic dark, ripe, fruit of dcv, i think the density here could use a few years of softenint out. Huge, but balanced.

4/22/2009 - BedrockMorgan wrote:

There are only a few Graves-blanc style wines out there from CA. This one is made from 110 yr. old vine Semillon grown at Monte Rosso Vineyard and Sauvignon Blanc from Kick Ranch. Perfumed, dense, a ringer for Pessac Blanc, this has the brightness and interest I am looking for. A unusual and great alternative to CA chard.-- particularly given the price. Tasted this against Arietta, Mondavi To-Kalon, Spring Mountain, Cliff Lede, and Selene from 2007, and this was the best.

3/31/2009 - BedrockMorgan wrote:

Big, bright, and perfumey with lots of spice and good oak. Though large this wine shows good balance and restraint with plenty of rich fruit and excellent spice. Nice!