10/9/2010 - Combee1 wrote:

Had this blind with friends. Am I the only one who thinks this tastes more like Grenache than Petite Sirah?

9/24/2010 - Combee1 wrote:

Jack and Dorey brought this over. Recommended by Jeff. Classic plummy, almost raisined nose, with a hint of alcohol, but great complexity. Chocolate, tobacco, vanilla, and anise and touch of cedar to round out the fruit. Follows through on the palate with a smooth silky attack. Tannins very soft and well integrated. Finishes moderately long and strong with a hint of spice and anise. Very well made. (B+).

9/24/2010 - Combee1 wrote:

No formal note. Remember dark garnet color, yummy nose of sweet brambly fruit cloaked in vanilla. Very smooth and gentle on the palate with sweet new world red fruit. Restrained and well made, delicious wine. Will definitely add more to the cellar (A).

8/6/2010 - Combee1 wrote:

Drank with Jack and Dorey at Ronin, for Jack's 40th. Big Napa nose. Darker fruits, cassis, dark chocolate, coffee, vanilla'd oak and hint of anise on the nose. Fruit forward without being too extracted. Bone dry finish with an impressive gripping tannic finish. Should be an unbelievably nice wine in 5-10 years. Infantacide at this point. (b+).

8/6/2010 - Combee1 wrote:

Drank with Jack and Dorey on Jack's 40th, at the OWC. No formal note. Beautiful Napa nose of red currant, vanilla, ripe plum, dark chocolate, with a hint of tobacco and menthol. Very smooth on ythe palate. Juicy and fruit forward, with soft tannnins and slightly overmatched acidity. Just a touch of heat on the finish. Great blend, that appears to be peaking. Would def revisit. (b+).

4/10/2010 - Combee1 wrote:

Pale garnet/pinkin glass. Yummi nose of Twizzlers red licorice wrapped in a layer of forest floor earth and asian spice. Well structuredwith a noce dose of cherry, crisp acidity, and a vegetal layer with spicy finish, think red hots. Very nice wine. New world meets old world. (b-)

2/28/2010 - Combee1 wrote:

Extremely light pink/purple in glass. Beautiful perfumed nose of bright cherry, perfume, rose petals, and slight hint of Asian spice. On the palate, intense, but not fruit forward. Well structued with firm tannins and tinny acidity,. Intense, but delicate at the same time, if that makes sense. A very well made wine (b-).

9/22/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Purchased a 1/2 bottle with dinner at Ola Restaurant, Turtle Bay Resort, North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii. This was the night we "renewed" our wedding vows. Dark inky purple in the glass. Very tight right out of the bottle. Somewhat monolithic, lacking typical Napa fruit. Very young, raw, slightly green tannins. Opened up after an hour in the glass, but this was just a simple case of infanticide. I would like to revisit this wine again in a few years, or taste it after a proper decant. (B-).

9/18/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Single glass at the bar in Mama's Fish House on the North Shore of Maui. Dark ruby red/purple in glass. Huge nose of cassis, vanilla, plum, enveloped by a pronounced earthiness. This wine delivers on the palate with new world fruit wrapped in firm and chewy tannins. Nice long, well-balanced finish. For the price, this is a great Cab. (A-).

9/18/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Bought a half bottle at Mama's Fish House on the North Shore of Maui. Probably the best dinner I've ever had, and this wine complimented it perfectly. Very dark garnet/purple in glass. Explosive nose of cassis, black cherry, spice, vanilla. Fruit forward and well concentrated on the palate, but also well balanced with mouth watering acidity and tongue coating tannins. Long lingering finish where cassis dominates. Beautifully smooth. Probably my favorite Merlot right now (solid A).

1/7/2010 - Combee1 wrote:

Very tight at first. Opened up after 30 minutes. Deep dark crimson red in glass. Funky nose of wet socks, smoke, black pepper. Medium bodied with juicy black cherry fruit balanced well with crisp acidity and tight, somewhat faint, enveloping tannins. Juicy, somewhat short finish, but smooth and pleasant. A simple, somewhat rustic, food-friendly wine. Good value. (B-)

12/7/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Light vibrant garnet in glass. Black cherry/raspberry fruit intermingled with smokey burnt bacon fat and a cloak of minerality on the nose. Aggressive attack of tart cherry fruit, a hint of heat, with gripping slightly green tannins fading to a lingering smooth dry finish laden with minerals and kiss of vanilla. This wine was very slow to open up and probably will drink better in 5-10 years. Overall, despite being young, a well-made food friendly wine, albeit slightly pricey. (B-)

11/12/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Bought this for a friend as a thank you. Insisted on opening at his house. Medium dark garnet in glass. Intense but classy and sophisticated nose. Meaty Black cherry, plum, hint of anise, pepper, vanilla, and copper. Very smooth, silky attack with fine well integrated tannins. Well balanced dark fruits with a pleasant, food- friendly acidity. Very charming with a classic rustic earthiness underneath the smooth attack. Ultra long on the palate with a graceful mineral lift on the mid that lingers throughout the never ending finish. A total pleasure to drink. Best Brunello I've had. Well worth the sticker price. (solid A).

8/18/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Very dark golden hue in glass. Nice nose of citrus honey and white flowers. Weighty on the palate and smooth. Drinks more like a desert wine with loads of residual sugar, but pleasant and easy drinking. Not unpleasant at all, but not very complex. (B).

8/16/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Very pale straw in glass. Simple but pleasant nose of lemon and light pear. Weighty mouthfeel for Pinot Gris and slightly buttery with a toffee finish. Fruit underlying of pear and lemon with crisp acidity. Nice wine, very well made and smooth. (B+).

8/15/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Dark purple/garnet highlights in glass. Nose of bright cherry, anise, earthiness. A little disjointed with very tight girpping tannins. This improved immensely after an hour decant. Coming back to it, much better integrated bright juicy cherry, with a layer of earth, and loads of anise. Lots of structure, that should only improve this wine with a few more years in the bottle. Good value at the price. (B+)

8/15/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Great wine. Very rich and heady with a moderate amount of bubbles. Great mouthfeel, and balance of acidity with fruit. Light apple fruit, but dominated by toasted almonds and a wave of minerality on the finish. A wonderful champagne.

3/15/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

First time revisiting this wine. Paired incredibly well with triple cream brie. Same note as first. Definitely needs the splash decant. Straight out of the bottle it comes off a touch hot, but this blows off. Very nice wine (B+).

3/15/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Suspect that this bottle was not stored well. Wine on the outside of the cork and a crack in the cork. The wine drank fine, but not nearly the same wine we tasted at Epcot. Much less fruit. Still, very well structured, classic bordeaux style blend. Just not the same "pop" of fruit, just kind of "dead". A pleasure to drink nonetheless, but wold pass again at this price point (B-).

3/9/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Golden yellow in glass. Beautiful nose dominated by buttered toast, pear, and hints of citrus and hazlenut. Nose doesn't seem to follow through on the palate. Very crisp and clean with more spice and acidity than fruit. Finish does linger to a soft green apple peal flavor. Even at this price point, probably a pass for me (C).

3/2/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Had this with my in-laws. Recommended by buyer at Wine Warehouse. No formal tasting note, but distinctly remember enjoying this wine. New world style fruit manicured in the traditional Rioja fashion. Creamy midpalate, great acidity, long lingering finish. Great value (A-).

3/1/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Bright reddish purple, clear in glass. Hot nose of black pepper, red fruit, and hint of earth. Attack of heat, black pepper, with juicy red fruit and nice acidity on the back end. Slightly harsh on the attack, but a smooth somewhat thin finish. Didn't seem to pair well with lasagna because of the spice and heat, but could see this work well with pork. I wouldn't purchase as just a sipping wine by itself, but not bad at the price point (C).

2/20/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Friday night on the cruise. Inky dark reddish purple in glass. Very dark, brooding nose of black cherry, cedar, coffee, dark chocolate, and currant. New world meets old world on the palate, with very dark fruit, coffee, and dark bitter chocolate on the back end, all underneath a very taught but approachable tannic backbone. A very tightly wound wine that should get better over the next couple years, but drinking very well now, especially at this price point. (B+)

1/18/2008 - Combee1 wrote:

Tasted at the winery. Besides their reserve level Cab, this is the wine that stood out. Unique in that 27% sees french oak during fermentation. Very complex and creamy, but still has the acidity that shines in sauv blancs. A bit on the expensive side, but worth every penny (A-).

3/1/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Nearly clear yellow/green in glass. Nose of citrus and hint of flint and lemongrass. A bit harsh in the palate with loads of grapefruit and lemon fruit. Pretty straightfoward wine and definitely a pass at this price (C).

2/19/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Very pale ginger with moderate bubbles. Nose of red apple, hints of yeast roll, and pomegranite. Nice moutfeel, with gobs of fruit on palate. Acidity shows heavily on finish. A bit flabby on the mid-palate, but definitely in the champagne mold. (C+/B-).

2/19/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Pale ginger with large bubbles. Nose of green apple, citrus. Very clean and straight forward on the nose with little yeast or "doughyness". Acidity shines in this one with very little weight, but pleasant mouthfeel. A tough bitter and bracing on the finish, but overall very pleasant. Not my favorite style of champagne, but very nice for any occasion.(B-).

2/27/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Drank with neighbors. Medium reddish purple with moderate sediment. Beautiful expressive nose of candied cherries, smoke, and pepper. Medium-bodied and very smooth. Great balance of tart candied fruit with nice acidity and just a hint of tannins in a long smooth finish. Very nice wine where new world fruit meets old world style. Great wine for the price (A-).

2/24/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Medium purple with pink highlights in the glass. Nose of dust, alcohol, red fruit, and hint of cassis. Spicy brambly fruit with a smooth lingering finish. Very "grenache-like" in profile. Very straight-forward and easy drinking. (B-).

2/22/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

93.5 % Verdelho, 6.5% Chardonnay. Medium yellow in glass. Tight nose of lemongrass, tropical fruit, and spicy toast. Nose follows through on palate but fruit is overwhelmed by an off-tasting acidity. Finish is creamy but short. The acidity seems to overwhelm this wine, but rather than leaving it crisp and light, it's just plain "off". (C-).

2/25/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Light garnet in glass. Tight nose of earth, spice, and cherry. Very light on palate with little fruit, kiss of asian spice, and loads of acidity. A bit watery and short on the finish. Very disappointing for the price. (C).

2/25/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Inky purple in glass. Huge nose of blackberry/blackcherry, smoke, dark chocolate, and coffee. Follows through on the palate with explosive dark fruit with a lingering finish kissed with dark chocolate and bitter young tannins. Very straight forward, but delicious and mouthfilling. (A-).

2/25/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Pale yellow with green highlights. Nose of green apple, burnt popcorn, oak. Medium bodied, well balanced, not overly oaked. Crisp with nice fruit, but simple and lacking on the finish. Good for the price point. (B-).

2/25/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Tasted this wine twice on a recent cruise. Paired incredibly well with surf and turf. 90% Grenache blend. Beautiful bright purple/pink color in glass. Nice nose of brambly fruit and earth. Medium-bodied with nice silky mouthfeel. Beautiful balance of fruit and acidity with soft dusting tannins on the back end. Great food wine. I prefer this style of Grenache over the over-extracted "burnt" wines coming out of Spain and Australia right now. (A-/B+).

2/13/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Medium garnet-purple in glass. Generous nose of forest floor funk, black currant, spice, and blackberry. Very smooth on the palate with black cherry, spice, black currant, and licorice on the nice smooth finish. Very straight forward with well balanced new world fruit and acidity. A very nice grenache for the price. Will buy again (solid B).

2/7/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Very light garnet almost pink in the glass. Nose of strawberry/raspberry and heat (alcohol). Very thin on the palate with crisp acidity and LOADS of spice (black pepper). Very harsh at first. Very little fruit, nice acidity, very spicy on the palate. Somewhat disjointed. VERY YOUNG. Much like the Evil, this wine takes forever to open up. I left this wine in the decanter for over 4 hours. Becomes mouthwatering with strawberry/raspberry fruit, great crisp acidity, loads of licorice on the back end and nice dose of black pepper. No doubt a lightweight grenache, but overall, after a considerable decant, a nice food friendly simple grenache. I'd be interested in trying this in a year or two to see if it mellows even more. (C+/B-).

2/7/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Pale yellow in glass. Interesting nose of a buttered yeast roll wrapped around a spiced pear. Nice weighty mouthfeel full of spiced pear, ginger, and a lingering butterscotch. Very long and warm finish. Nice easy drinking chenin blanc with an interesting yeasty quality and a kiss of butterscoch. (B).

2/7/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Nearly 100% Merlot. Only 12.5% alcohol. Medium-light garnet in glass with a hint of bricking. Very tight on the nose with a earth/dustiness and mostly black licorice. Very thin on the palate with a touch of minerality over sour cherry fruit. Completely lacking a mid-palate, the smooth finish stands out as the strength in this wine. Very light on fruit (past it's prime?) but long on structure. Very smooth, but lacking overall. (C).

2/1/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Very pale straw yellow in glass. Awkward nose of cellophane, red apple core and a hint of ginger. Very simple and flabby on the palate with soft red apple, a hint of ginger spice, fading to a somewhat short apple peel finish. This does not at all resemble the wine we tasted 2 years ago. I presume it is well past it's prime. For the price, it's a pass, but still a very pleasant and soft riesling (C+).

1/25/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Recommended by staff at Bon Gourmet. Medium crimson-garnet in glass. Masonry, cherry, oak, and a hint of terpentine on the nose. This wine was incredibly slow to open up. After 4 hour decant this wine was much more palatable. Not in the typical Napa mold. Lighter bodied with tight cherry, crisp acidity, and moderate extraction. Falls apart on the finish with abruptly fading fruit to lingering acidity. Overall, not what I expected or would want from a Cali Cab, but not a bad wine. For the price I'd pass again. (C).

1/30/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Medium ruby red in glass. Tight nose of black cherry and earth under a cloud of dust. Medium-bodied and initially very tight. Much better after 2-hour decant. Opens up to be very smooth fruit forward wine with nice mouthfeel and finish. (B-).

1/30/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Very pale yellow in glass. Expressive nose of lemon, melon, spiced pear, and petrol. Juicy attack with nice acidity, candle wax on the palate with a hint of minerality and saline. Light-bodied finish that lingers with a hint of wet rocks. Overall, focus is not on fruit but complexity. Fruit is a bit tart/sour, and finish lacking a bit, but overall for the price, solid. (B-).

1/30/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Thick and golden in the glass. Tight nose when cold that opens more as the wine warms in the glass. Dominant petrol/paraffin wax on the nose with pear the dominant fruit, a hint of vanilla, and spice. Medium weight mouthfeel. Very smooth, almost creamy on the midpalate. Juicy attack of pear, lemon-lime, and spice, with a kiss of petrol. A bit flabby and somewhat lacking on the finish, but overall a nice wine for the price. (B-).

1/13/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Dark inky purple with ruby highlights. Generous nose of oak and alcohol that fades over time revealing brambly fruit, some cherry kirsch, and black pepper. Slightly Robitussin-like on the palate with raspberry fruit and a touch of anise fading to loads of black licorice. Medium finish with alcohol lingering, a hint of pepper, and firm tannins on the back end. This wine does have a delicious creamy midpalate at its core that reveals itself after a couple hours in the decanter. For the price a nice wine that should get better with time in the bottle. (C+/B-).

1/22/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Dark ruby red. Nose of dust, oak, maricino cherry, and earth. Well structured wine with well balanced acidity, hint of dark black cherry fruit, and a long very dry finish enveloped with firm bitter tannins and a hint of greenness. Overall, your basic table wine better served with food. (C).

1/21/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Pale golden in glass. Generous and gorgeous nose of honey, mandarin orange, white flowers, and hint of petrol. Very weighty and creamy on the palate with explosive citrus orange fading to a creamy key lime pie finish, with again a hint of the petrol on the back end. Lacking just a touch of acidity and maybe a touch too much residual sugar, but maybe that is being too picky. Overall an incredibly delicious Riesling that would please most crowds. (A-).

1/14/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

Drank with friends in ATL with triple cream brie and strawberries. Dark golden and viscous in glass. A very interesting somewhat tight nose revealing honey, sweet relish, and green olive. Without a doubt the most unique nose of any dessert wine I've tasted. Great weight and mouthfeel without being cloying. Sweet red apple and spiced pear fading to a slightly drying green tea finish of medium length. All in all, a nice dessert wine with a very interesting nose. (B-).

1/16/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

No formal note. Drank with friends at a get together in KY. Inky purple in glass. Explosive nose of cherry, spice, vanilla, oak, and licorice. Just explodes on the palate with a ton of sweet fruit. Finish is a little rough with firm slightly bitter tannins on the back end. Should get better with time. Seemed to have a decent amount of acidity to aid with aging. I'm generally not crazy about this style of wine, but I do taste the merits in this one. At this price point, it's a steal. (B+).

1/17/2009 - Combee1 wrote:

No formal note. Had with friends at a party in KY. Inky dark in glass. Remember the nose was generous with plum, black cherry, cassis, a hint of alcohol, and black licorice. Very explosive yet creamy on the midpalate. Loads of delicious fruit with nice firm tannins on a lingering finish. Needs time in the bottle, but drinking well now and promises to be a crowd pleaser. This was my favorite of the three MollyDooker's we tasted that weekend. (B+).

12/31/2008 - Combee1 wrote:

Vibrant purple with pink highlights in glass. Generous nose of raspberry/strawberry fruit underneath loads of clove, pepper, and some crushed leaves. Medium-bodied, Juicy attack of raspberry/tart strawberry giving way to loads of spice/clove/pepper fading to a medium dry finish with fine firm tannins and hint of coffee/mocha and anise. Slightly hot on the midpalate, but a very well-made smooth drinking wine. Drinking very young right now and needs time to integrate all these components. Great QPR, but the price seems to be creeping up with all the WS accolades. (B+).