2/10/2021 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

Limited decant but the wine is a monster. It probably could use another few years in the bottle and would probably see a higher score too. Quite well made.

12/23/2020 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

Really solid. Some texture, zero flaws. A touch frissante, lots of acid. Not for people who are afraid of high acid, european styled wines. 6g/l acid is what I like in my reds. Reminds us of an Italian rose. Perfect for the winter in CA and paired with food which needs a little acid bite. I will look to pick up more in future editions. This is a definite cellar requirement for a wine nerd. Listening to Midnight Sun by Dee Dee Bridgewater.

12/7/2020 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

Solid wine out of the gate with lots of fruit and a few, lingering tannins. As it had air, it kinda flattened and a few oxidized notes came out. Some cedar, some spice and more muted aromas as it decanted. It was cool and I don't have many higher end Chilean wines so it was nice to taste something different. But, it wasn't earth shattering so 2020 might be a year too old for the wine.

7/5/2020 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

Excellent. Lots of berry and a little spice.

5/22/2020 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

Very much like the 2012, but this one is a little lighter and brighter, yet still keeping the complexity. I think this is when Greg started dialing back the alcohol and making these more food worthy. This was slightly tart but not under-ripe or disjointed. Another few years would have rounded it out. Lots of funky, savory violet and soy sauce notes. Limited tertiary components make this a perfect delicate game meat wine.

7/3/2020 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

Incredible "every day" syrah. It's lovely, very unctuous and savory. Lots of blue fruits and meat. Also, the alcohol keeps dropping, making this far more approachable as food wine.

9/26/2020 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

Consistently the best Grenache. Finally gave this a legitimate decant. 7 years of age has this particular vintage at its peak. I'm a huge Pinot Noir fan but this is the older, more sophisticated brother, which is really hard to find consistently in Grenache. Funk, complexity, vibrant. Amazing food wine or great to sit and enjoy as it evolves over a few hours.

6/14/2020 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

Quite delicious! Lots of funk, layered and soft. Well balanced and an excellent version of WA Grenache. Might have hit this at the perfect time.

5/4/2020 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

Exceptional. Aromatics are off the charts. Some herbal notes but not green bell pepper. Only opened for an hour and it showed nicely. Probably a longer decant gives it a higher score. Aromatically, I thought this much prettier than the 2014.

10/20/2019 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

Beautiful Cabernet Franc. Lots of perfume on the nose and just a hint of herbs and green, giving it the quintessential CF bouquet. Clean, bright and lots of fruit with some nice tannins.

10/12/2019 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

Drinking exceptionally well. Read my notes on the 2015 for details but the 2014 is ready to drink and seems to be more approachable sooner than the 2015.

8/1/2020 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

Freemark Napa Cabernet is the best QPR Cab in the valley. Lots of everything going on but also very drinkable. Solid cedar, spice and dark berry. I also love that it is very bright and perfectly designed to pair with food.

8/18/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

Very pretty wine. RRV is a little too much of a fruit bomb for me but the funk is nice on this one. A little more restrained than most RRV is why I like this one.

4/4/2020 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

Solid PN. Good earth and funk. A little bit more fruit forward than personally preferred.

5/10/2019 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

Past it's prime. A bit pruney and getting some oxidized notes.

12/19/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine Does not like this wine:

Not a good wine. Has some aromas like SB but is overtly sweet. Not sure why areas like this are trying to grow this variety as it's rare it would ripen in a warm year (I used to make wine in this area so I know...). Also, this wine tasted like a bunch of fruit juice was added. The likelihood this was 12% alcohol naturally while also having enough sugar to give this profile is not realistic. Almost tastes like they put in some clarified tropical juice or concentrate.

11/4/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

Tasted like red wine. Sadly, that's about it. It's the VR line of Zin but it didn't have any characteristics of Zin that I'd look for any time. Not horrible in any way; no faults or issues but still benign.

10/25/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

Had some Ethyl Acetate. Blew off in the glass when swirled but became too much over the course of the bottle.

9/25/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

Completely undrinkable. Smelled of nail polish (ethyl acetate) and was not good. Ran some tests and the VA was at 1.6g/L which is .4 over the Federal legal limit.

9/27/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

Smelled like geraniol. It was weirdly floral and smelled like baby powder. Was hoping to like this.

8/29/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

Corked

8/30/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

Solid PN, especially for the price. Some good Earth, very new world, but not a fruit bomb like its neighbor RRV. Label says 13.9ABV, which is a bit higher than I prefer but still lower than most CA Pinot. Well worth the purchase

8/29/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

Some Brett but the cork fell apart and was a bit rough. Lots of cork aromas

8/29/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine Does not like this wine:

Diacetyl is fine for some but this is so movie popcorn butter it's undrinkable for me. Perceptibly unflawed otherwise but the butter notes hide everything. Flawed is perspective based... But too much butter is a flaw for me

8/21/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

Not bad but lacking any real depth. With the 11 vintage, I expected more structure and more herbaceous notes but lighter in body (as would happen in a cool vintage). It barely had any of the signature CF aromas. Having been around Walla Walla at that time, it feels like this was blended out with something. A nice wine but not the best CF and it didn't seem vintage driven. FYI, 11 was a leaner year so anyone expecting fruit forward for that vintage needs to reset expectations. Look more toward Bordeaux for comparison, not toward other WA vintages.

8/17/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

This was really good. Softer due to age and lots of Lewis but wasn't showing those old, stewed notes. Still was vibrant and even had a little funk on the nose. Quite surprised and happy how this wine has aged.

8/10/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

Oxidized

8/8/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

Good wine but way too young. The tannins aren't plush but the aromatics are nice. Still a bit one nite will revis

8/1/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

Not bad. Decent aroma and taste but very short length on both. Slight chemical note on the palate. Free to me so good for the porch on a weekday

7/11/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

Most likely past its prime. A little flat but no major oxidation. Some soft oak, good fruit aromad. Pretty good for a Thursday evening.

6/30/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

Sadly, it was terribly oxidized.

6/7/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

It was fine but not special. The other Galerie SB was way better. This one was still holding onto a ton of SO2. Kinda bland where I had greater expectations. For the price, it doesn't hold the value.

6/7/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

Damn good for a few years old. Fresh and bright, perfect with the fish ceviche we had. Consistently good Rose

5/23/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

There was a fair amount of Brett in this wine, mostly on the nose. It was not enough to ruin the flavor. Intriguing wine that did not seem to be over the hill.

6/4/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

My initial notes from last night: Soft and round. Missing any edge. Quaffable but not exciting.

A well done wine but it's missing any form of zest or lift. It's very consumer friendly but at a lower price point. I know some is barrel aged and this wine typically shows more mouthfeel than other SB but it's lacking some of the exciting parts of SB. I feel the '16 had more of the exciting qualities that could make the wine stand out and still be approachable to the general public.

5/20/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

To anyone not liking this wine: This is vintage correct. It's a 2011 West Coast wine. '11 has lots of tannins, lighter body but great for aging and pairing with food, which isn't normal for Americans. Most '11s will be better to drink after the '12s or even '13s.

Solid wine. Decent fruit but has much more of an herbal/bell pepper note more representative of Cabernet Franc. It's an 11 so it definitely is vintage correct with the green notes. Still has some good fruit but is a solid food wine. A 90 review is not representative of quality or aging as this could age for some time. It is just missing a little bit of plushness that is not typical of the region. Then again, if you were in Bordeaux (right bank), this would be an awesome offering worthy of much higher scores and accolades.

5/19/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

Very acidic and light initially. Over the course of a few hours, it filled with body and aromas. Became a great wine, as I remembered in the TR a year ago. Has a slight "corky" smell but might simply be a musty or a Sonoma county aroma as I've noticed this before in numerous other Sonoma wines, mostly from Sonoma Valley. Great food driven wine. Good acidity and not overly alcoholic. The polar opposite of a RRV Pinot. More austere and not nearly as jammy/fruit forward.

The fact it took a few hours to open up gives this wine some time in anyone's cellar. Glad I have another.

5/17/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

I like this wine. It's got some good austere earthy notes on the nose. It has the backbone of acidity and light aspect of what I like but with good complexity; with even a hint of tension (buzz word!) The thing this wine is missing is the length. It's a bit of a clipped fruit forward, heavier mid palate, austere finish wine; old blended into a new world kinda wine. Also has a touch of reduction (which I enjoy in moderation) as it opens up along with more funk. It might just be too young. Hoping they keep this brand around because it could be a lot of fun.

3/8/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

Wine was ok. Had some typical Carmenere qualities but was rough around the edges. Seemed to be bulk made. Possibly a little Brett too.

3/9/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

Still needs significant time to open up. Wine just started showing about 2 hours into the decant. Hefty wine but has come together nicely in the bottle over the past few years. 89 upon opening, 92++ after giving a significant decant. A longer decant would have done even more to help the wine open.

2/17/2017 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

Corked

1/5/2018 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

Had as a glass pour at Ad Hoc - so this could be a pop and pour, thus muting it's aroma. It was pretty and flawless on the nose but it honestly didn't have much aromatic complexity. It was missing some of the cool Earth and funk I prefer in my PN. It was solid on the palate but not overtly complex. It appears as though the more I try their PN, I prefer their Chardonnay over their PN. For people looking for pretty but simpler Pinot, this is a great choice. For someone looking for depth and funk, I'd explore elsewhere.

I've had and made a lot of whole cluster wines and didn't notice anything like that on the palate or aromas.

8/8/2017 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

Exceptional wine. Multilayered and opened up well over a few hours. So glad I have another bottle

4/2/2017 - JoshandAnnaWine Does not like this wine:

It was ok but not nearly as good as it was when I purchased it. Was thin and missing a lot of the depth it once had. It opened up a bit but even after a few hours, it wasn't what I had hoped.

11/8/2017 - JoshandAnnaWine Does not like this wine:

Tons of VA. Most of the wines from here had lots of it but this wine definitely developed it even more in bottle.

2/12/2016 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

This was really good. 2010 was considered a cool vintage but this wine was nice and had great fruit. The higher tannins were more relaxed but still had great structure. I always believe JF's wines are better as they age; they're simply not young drinking wines. This could have used another 3-5 years for sure.

8/8/2016 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

This was my favorite at the 2012 NW Wine Summit event. Waited 5 more years and it was actually better when open a few days later. Lots of caramel and toasted notes. These guys produce some of the best Ice wines in the West

8/8/2016 - JoshandAnnaWine Likes this wine:

Absolutely divine. It had wonderful warm hazelnut notes. Even better after opening and in the fridge for a month. These are some of the best dessert wines.

7/15/2016 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

It wasnt bad but it was mostly non descript.

7/2/2016 - JoshandAnnaWine wrote:

Unfortunately, it's over the hill. Good honey but very strong oxidation. Aroma aldehydes