5/31/2021 - haBu Likes this wine:

Big, heady nose of dark cherry, dark fruit, plum, cassis, and leather On the palate all the above with cigar, white pepper, wet river stone. Finish could / should have been longer, it’s too good on the mouth feel to go away so quick

4/22/2021 - haBu wrote:

Pale straw in color, the mineral content and acidity / zest were subdued Hopefully it may develop in the bottle

12/12/2020 - haBu Likes this wine:

Last bottle of this in the cellar, drinking well but showing its age. A good drinker but without the lively fruit forward of earlier bottles and slightly more subdued. Typical new world PN, glad to have known you these few years

10/3/2020 - haBu wrote:

Thin edge, tawny in color. Initial pour leaves little on the nose, a thin mouthfeel with slight notes of cherries, raspberries, wet stone. Finish is very short indeed. QPR makes this Best enjoyed on a deck watching the sun start to set

6/28/2020 - haBu Likes this wine:

, dark berries, washed stone and peach. Delicious mouthfeel and a longish finish of plum and dark cherries

3/30/2020 - haBu Likes this wine:

Pale light gold, good overall mouthfeel with a slight zest. Blended with Viognier which adds a interesting aspect No heavy or buttery taste and a good drinker Quite enjoyable

3/10/2020 - haBu Likes this wine:

Pale gold almost clear. Tastes of pear, honeydew, sweet green apple with a beautifully blended acidity. Light but noticeable finish

1/31/2020 - haBu Likes this wine:

Upon opening the 'taste' was not pleasant, to the point of returning the bottle. Accidentally I left the bottle open for many hours 4 and was surprised to taste a good and complex red. More hours of air and this is quite impressive.

1/2/2020 - haBu Likes this wine:

Hitting its beautiful drinking window

12/8/2019 - haBu wrote:

Nothing special or noteworthy

8/30/2019 - haBu Likes this wine:

Fresh bright fruity red that is easy to drink for no particular reason

8/5/2019 - haBu wrote:

Sad to say but I think the distribution channel did this wine a dis-service, perhaps stored wrong or..... Cork while not crumbling, did not appear to have any wine mark to it. Pale yellow in color On the nose a glint of citrus zest and when first poured maybe some white peach. Add some air time. Now nothing, save for a bit of alcohol taste
I will probably return its twin and try again on another vintage, another time

5/4/2019 - haBu wrote:

I may have waited to long before opening. Dark gold in color right to the edge, long legs and a finish remains surprisingly long. Heat and some pepper appears after it gets some air in the glass, but after that it fades

3/29/2019 - haBu wrote:

Very dark ruby. Poured out of the bottle with no air time. Nose of dark cherries, blackberries, white pepper. Finish is mild and short lived. In a small sample I was unable to find a suitable pairing. Meat cheese, chocolates all overwhelmed the glass

2/21/2019 - haBu Likes this wine:

Medium body bright red with a thin edge. fruit forward, bright red berries with hints of cedar and spice. Enjoying the mouthful by itself, but having a chore trying for a food pairing.

2/8/2019 - haBu Likes this wine:

Graphite and flint. Mineralogy shines through. A bit thin at first, slight fruit forward but not much, non-traditional mouth feel and finish, but not offensives; interesting and surprising.

11/16/2018 - haBu Likes this wine:

Medium mouthfeel Cali cab with balanced fruit Black fruit, currants, graphite, white pepper. Almost a medium finish but coming up short.

11/10/2018 - haBu Likes this wine:

After reading earlier comments I decided to postpone opening this bottle and was happy I did. Red fruit and a little spice that showed medium body, medium mouth feel, medium finish. Second day was even better

10/20/2018 - haBu wrote:

Purple with a large fruit bouquet upon opening, Thin with little mouthfeel. Finish is nearly nonexistent. Dark berries, graphite, and some cassis

9/23/2018 - haBu Likes this wine:

Light garnet in color. Light mouthfeel with tastes of red berry and tobacco. A bit of acid on the thin finish. I probably will not repeat the purchase, nothing wrong with the wine, just not the wine I expected

9/10/2018 - haBu Likes this wine:

Thin ruby color very transparent. Cherry and plum on the tongue

6/21/2018 - haBu Likes this wine:

Medium dark ruby, typical fruit forward cab whilelacking any distinguishing character besides red fruit. Pleasant party/social wine for large diverse groups, most would not complain on this selection. Sorry CC; I am missing the earth, currants, and cocoa you mention, but it's an easy drinker at a honest price

2/3/2018 - haBu Likes this wine:

Dark purple to the edge. Classic Balboa. Mouth filling flavors and tight ripe fruit. Tastes of dark fruit, blackberry, with hints of wood and spice. Subtle hints of vanilla sometimes come out. Long finish that remains after the glass is put down

1/25/2018 - haBu Likes this wine:

Out of the bottle. Dark ruby/purple to the rim, very thin edge. Fruit forward, with notes of blackberry , washed stone, and black raspberry. Finish is barely medium with noticeable alcohol remnants on each breathe Recommended that this bottle is opened early to remove the heat

1/14/2018 - haBu Likes this wine:

Developed nicely. Glad I waited. Simple swirl in the glass releases all the goodness. In this case no need to decant today.

11/11/2017 - haBu Likes this wine:

Faded ruby in color, large pale rim on the glass. Very fresh and lively, Extremely fruity sipper with big tastes of strawberries and cherries. red fruit is abundant, however the winemakers comment of black fruit and spicy notes did not reveal themselves this tasting. Some acid to help it match with rich fish and meat. Quite pleasant but was expecting something of a finish from the 95% gamay(there was none)

9/22/2017 - haBu Likes this wine:

Big, heady mouth feel, dusty, with a long finish that resides in the top of your mouth and back of your throat. Grew more delightful as air brought subtle notes of fat drippings, wet leather, and warm rainy afternoons at a meadow. No fruit bomb here

8/18/2017 - haBu wrote:

Thin claret in color, bountiful bouquet of sweet black cherries, wild flowers, and strawberry something like a Cali Pinot gone outrageously fruit forward. Maybe Drinkable on its own but what to pair it with? I'm lost and so is this wine

7/22/2017 - haBu wrote:

Dark claret to the rim, seems to be the perfect time to uncork it. Delight mouthful of dark berries with just a little pepper. Just an easy drinker with a medium but nice finish

6/24/2017 - haBu Likes this wine:

Very pleasant summer wine when chilled slightly

6/18/2017 - haBu Likes this wine:

Mid 2017 first impression upon opening; dark claret with a thin edge. Wonderful heady bouquet in the bowl, no heat or sharp alcohol taste. Big mouthfuls of dark berries that linger in the mouth for a long time. Bruising it in the glass with a lot of swirling a nice complex taste has developed, I will just let the bottle sit for an hour opened before dinner. Do not believe this needs to be decanted. Glad I waited this long before opening.

6/18/2017 - haBu wrote:

Very pale yellow, was expecting a complex but subdued wine with apples, cream but received a citrus zest infused with high levels of alcohol. No finish to be had Almost like an astringent Graves. I have a second bottle and if it mirrors the first I will pass on this in the future

6/11/2017 - haBu Likes this wine:

Very pale gold, smokey and citrus initially a bit like a Condreau with a tad more citrus zest.

5/13/2017 - haBu Likes this wine:

was served chilled, too cold in fact, but as the wine warmed it opened up revealing a complex minerality and zest. However I was intrigued enough to pick up more than a few bottles. I will closely watch the serving tempeature and update this note

1/30/2017 - haBu Likes this wine:

Very dark red, dark to the rim. Reminding one of a LBV port blended to a rich Syrah. It is hard to rate this unique wine/Porto, a bottle for a special occasion. Wish I read the other reviews, I would have saved it for a killer BBQ day

11/19/2016 - haBu Likes this wine:

Very pale gold, dry, crisp, tart without heavy citrus overtones. Needs to sit in a glass for 15 minutes to lose the harshness on the tip of the tongue

8/5/2016 - haBu wrote:

tastes of dark fruit, mature red berries, with plenty of earthy essence coming thru. More of a Burgundian style than a fruit forward Cali type, or new style Oregonian. Smooth with a pleasantly longish finish. I will give this another year or two in the cellar before opening another one.

7/31/2016 - haBu Likes this wine:

Balanced acidity, straw, citrus zest, hint of rich cream. Get the temperature just right and it sings, err on the warm side of chilled

5/15/2016 - haBu Likes this wine:

Big mouthful of red berries, losing the jammy qualities and getting bolder more mature yet still delightful. Length of the finish has improved, sad to say this is my last bottle but it's leaving me quite a happy memory

4/6/2016 - haBu wrote:

Heavily infused with wood. Dark berries and tobacco. Short finish but a long aftertaste

2/2/2016 - haBu Likes this wine:

steely acid chablis, not yet ready I will let this cellar some more and pop a bottle next year. Has potential i believe

1/31/2016 - haBu Likes this wine:

ruby in the glass with a thin edge. Taste of bright ripe fruit and cherries, nicely blended as none of the three major grapes overwhelm the palate. At the price a very nice every day wine no complaints easy drinking & QPR Medium finish

1/1/2016 - haBu Likes this wine:

Very Dark ruby right to the edge. Tastes of cassis, strawberry, and RC cola(sweet). Hint of white pepper, a powerful mouthful, bring your over the top red meat. Lingering chewey finish that does not disappoint.

12/21/2015 - haBu wrote:

dark ruby, fleshy grape flavor with spice. If this improves tomorrow, I will return to edit this review, if not in the stew pot it goes

12/17/2015 - haBu Likes this wine:

medium claret in color, fresh red berries and floral on the palate; thin to the mouth without substance. Best server with roast chicken or mild cheese.

12/11/2015 - haBu Likes this wine:

drinking nicely now, very easy to enjoy, but this enjoyment is costly. better values elsewhere

12/14/2015 - haBu Likes this wine:

drank the superior 2007, however this 2008 is much lighter, not nearly as full bodied, still with bright red berries and a lighter finish,

12/7/2015 - haBu Likes this wine:

A year later(12/14) and the wine is improving. the musty barnyard is getting hints of wet leather (more Bordeaux like) Dark Ruby that stains the glass, bigger dark fruit, and a finish length that is improving, Ill open the next bottle next year or may wait until 2017, it should be something grand then.

12/3/2015 - haBu Likes this wine:

When I first opened this I was not going to rate it, glad I waited until later, and a second tasting. medium ruby with a thin edge, taste's of cherry & raspberry, light and fruitful on the palate with a slight finish. Quite enjoyable amount of acidity to keep it interesting, it really changed my mind and I am glad I didn't dismiss it early.

11/26/2015 - haBu Likes this wine:

I also had a leakage issue with the cork, but it did not seem to impact the wine itself I believe Dark red with tastes of dark fruit, straw, and powdered graphite. Did not feel the bouquet that others mentioned, alas this may have seen better day