4/1/2024 - kennyd wrote:

Stunning! See my 2/11/23 review. No change, indeed, perhaps better. Well done, Sojourn

3/23/2024 - kennyd Likes this wine:

I like it, sort of, but I'm not going to give it a score. Purchased a case of this a few weeks ago, based upon reviews and the history of the source. It's not my favorite, which is not to say I dislike it. It's definitely Burgundian in taste profile, not Cali big and fruity. Even then, it doesn't have that lovely "barnyard funk" of really good burgundies. It's just not all there. Perhaps it's simply tight as a result of being a relatively recent vintage (2022). Gonna wait on the next bottle. Guests concurred with me that there's something missing.

3/23/2024 - kennyd Likes this wine:

I agree with most of the earlier comments. At the heavily discounted price we paid ($39.00 per bottle, which includes tax and shipping), this has a stellar QPR and is punching way above its weight. If you like big Napa cabs with tobacco and leather and a nice backbone of some lingering tannins, this might be for you. Went great with the midwestern prime filets and caesar salad, but was also enjoyable just to sip.

3/23/2024 - kennyd Likes this wine:

I pulled this out of our cellar right after we finished off a Sojourn Sangiacomo Pinot Noir from the same vintage. They're both great wines, the Sojourn Sangiacomo being perhaps my favorite Cali pinot. As I've previously commented, this Bydand cuvee is so enjoyable, with a scary good QPR. For pure taste and consistency (as well as some sentimental reasons), the family of Sojourn pinots will likely always be my favorites, but I'll purchase Bydand anywhere and everywhere I find it. BTW the Bydand single vineyards are excellent, they just don't have quite the QPR. Cheers!

3/23/2024 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Solid version of a bit larger Sonoma Coast cuvee. Bit of a bit. At the price we paid for a case, not bad at all. I might buy more.

3/23/2024 - kennyd Likes this wine:

I think it may actually be getting better. Pretty amazing for a Cali pinot, especially five plus years out from vintage. SO GLAD that I have five more bottles left in our cellar, two of which are magnums. Absolutely no rush to drink.

2/4/2024 - kennyd Likes this wine:

It is what it is. Drank it over three days, and it worked. Wouldn't buy a case, but I also didn't mind having it in my cellar as a gift from someone.

2/4/2024 - kennyd wrote:

Wow! What a great cuvee that has a tremendous QPR. I have also had a couple of the Bydand single vineyard pinots, which are awesome, but this one is crazy good given its price. Big and bodacious, but also there is an easily sensed burgundian elegance. Likey!

12/31/2023 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Another great wine we had on New Years Eve (along with a 2007 Poetry). Of course the Gargiulo was fresher, bigger and more fruit-forward. The Money Road Ranch is an admirable "No. 2" for Gargiulo. Although this wine is not inexpensive, I believe it represents a really nice PQR given the classic, near perfect valley floor cabernet that it is.

12/31/2023 - kennyd Likes this wine:

This wine was great with our prime filets on New Years Eve. It is in a perfect place No need to decant. Hold or drink, leaning more towards drink, although it is quite clearly constructed for aging. One note: the cork virtually disintegrated. The wine was unharmed. I have to admit I'm a bit concerned about the other five bottles we have in our cellar. I will just be careful when I open them.

12/25/2023 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Buy lots when it is available. Classic Sangiacomo! BTW lovin' the new branding scheme.

12/9/2023 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Ready to drink. Quite good. Probably won't wait on the remaining bottles.

11/24/2023 - kennyd Does not like this wine:

Not going to score this wine. It is terribly flat and tasteless. Not sure what's up with the seeming broad variability in taste profile over different bottles. i hope the last three in our cellar are much better, because this wine was, quite simply, awful.

11/23/2023 - kennyd Likes this wine:

As with most vintages of the Sangiacomo, this is drinking "Sonoma explosive red fruit big" right now, and I love it. But it will reward two to three years of cellar time. Thanks to the Sojourn team.

11/23/2023 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Bydand makes great wines. This is a wonderful Sonoma cuvée that punches way above its weight class. It's a lovely sipper, or pairs with almost anything.

11/22/2023 - kennyd Likes this wine:

I would not hold much longer, if at all.

11/9/2023 - kennyd wrote:

Gave to Peter.

8/15/2023 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Amazing that it's 16 years out from vintage.

6/25/2023 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Still a perfect 100! Absolutely no doubts.

6/25/2023 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Amazing how good this was almost 17 years after vintage.

6/25/2023 - kennyd Likes this wine:

AWESOME!

6/25/2023 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Probably drink the other bottles soon.

4/8/2023 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Still awesome! Many thanks to the Sojourn team.

3/11/2023 - kennyd Likes this wine:

I agree that this is on the lighter side, particularly as compared to previous Ridgetop vintages. I don't plan to hold in our cellar for very long.

2/11/2023 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Wow, and I mean WOW! I'm not sure that this wine could taste much better. It has a deep, ruby red and pure color. On the nose, you get, in equal parts, "Sonoma big" red fruit, but then there's also almost the aroma of walking in a redwood forest right after it has rained for a couple of days. The fullness of the taste is quite amazing given that this wine is five years out from vintage. Strawberry is there, the oak treatment is playing in the background, and there are some nicely mature tannins. Cali wines get a bad rap for not aging well. This wine puts that to rest. The nice thing about it is that there is absolutely no reason to rush on the bottles we still have in our cellar. There is a reason that I believe Riddle has perhaps become a second flagship wine for Sojourn, right along side Sangiacomo. Thank you to everyone at Sojourn.

2/11/2023 - kennyd Likes this wine:

This is a much better wine since the last bottle we opened. It has seemingly become much more fruit forward. Quite round and full. The Bordeaux varietals are bracing it, but they're leaving the malbec front and center. I had questions when I last opened a bottle. Now I concur with DOZHDBOG that this wine is a stunning value. Well-done to Monsieur Rolland and the rest of the team at Clos de los Siete!

1/7/2023 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Too bad this was the last bottle in our cellar. So good! Still big, but evolving some to having a greater sense of elegance. No rush to drink if you have any left. A heart "Well done!" to Todd and the rest of the cru at Dakota Shy.

1/7/2023 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Pretty darn good, for being so young. Try to allow at least six more months before next bottle

12/18/2022 - kennyd Likes this wine:

AWESOME! It is at a perfect place right now. Quite sad that we only have one more bottle left in our cellar. On the other hand, I don't see it improving, so probably wise to drink the next bottle in next 6-12 months.

8/6/2022 - kennyd Likes this wine:

I suggest not holding any longer if you have any.

3/20/2022 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Perfect! Simply, perfect! Ever since I first started collecting wines 15 years ago this is the first time that I've ever thought a wine is a perfect 100. It's apparent that I didn't score this wine high enough when I last drank a bottle on 6/20/20 (see my review). My daughter and I had this exact wine at Bodega Catena Zapata the second week of March 2020 (yep, the week when America shut down due to COVID). This wine was by far the best of the tasting. Really glad that I have just shy of a full case left in our cellar. No rush to drink it, although the wine is, obviously, in a perfect place right now.

3/20/2022 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Last bottle of this sparkler in our cellar. It was the best one we tasted at Schramsberg during my daughter's first trip to Napa. Hated to see it go, but it was still quite nice. Cheers!

2/5/2022 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Wait a year on next bottle.

2/5/2022 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Quite nice QPR. More French than Sonoma in character, but I'm good with that

1/23/2022 - kennyd Likes this wine:

SO SO GOOD!

12/26/2021 - kennyd wrote:

G2G now. Quite Burgundian. Like it.

12/5/2021 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Not gonna give it a point rating. For the price, it's good, and is interesting. The other bourdeaux varietals spice up what really is an Uco malbec. But, I'm not sure it's the consensus 90 plus point wine that the experts have deemed it to be, at least not right now. We'll see how it evolves. Certainly drinkable now for what it is. We have several bottles of Zuccardi Concreto in our cellar, a pure malbec from another "rockstar" winemaker. It's going to be interesting to see how they evolve compared to each other.

10/1/2021 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Really good QPR on this pinot. Herbaceous on the nose, but not overly "barnyardy." Elegantly big Sonoma (is that an oxymoron?). Well-balanced, and just good to sip. 91 points might venue be a bit low. Good find on Wine Access.

10/1/2021 - kennyd Does not like this wine:

This is the first vintage of Barrel Blend that just didn't work for me, even at its relatively low price.

10/1/2021 - kennyd Does not like this wine:

Not going to give this wine a points rating. My wife hit the nail on the head in describing it: "This wine needs to decide what it wants to be." It's not a pinot, and yet I wouldn't consider it a rose of pinot either. What's truly unfortunate is that it barely tasted like water with some sort of flavoring added. Not at all good. Indeed, it's just bad.

7/10/2021 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Dakota Shy is simply killing it!

8/7/2021 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Very nice chardonnay, with a great QPR for what we paid.

8/7/2021 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Wow! I love finding a great wine that I've never heard of. This is just such a wine. Bouquet is pinot all the way, leaning to a more burgundian smell. It's not easy to make wet forest floor so alluring. Beautiful red fruit (thanks to the RRV) flavor balanced out, rather, perhaps more supported by, some bitter spices and savoriness. Again, much like good burgundies. Well done to the team at typicite!

7/3/2021 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Ever so slight degradation from how I recall the last bottle that we had in December 2020, so one point lower. BUT, still really good.

7/2/2021 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Still luscious!

7/2/2021 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Try to wait on next bottle.

7/2/2021 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Last bottle. Not gonna rate it, but it was still really good.

6/11/2021 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Wow, I think it's actually better than the last bottle we opened six months ago. No need to wait, but also no need to rush. Big and rich, even after five years. So good.

6/2/2021 - kennyd Likes this wine:

Still going pretty strong. No rush on last two bottles in our cellar.

4/18/2021 - kennyd wrote:

I'm not going to rate this bottle, in order to give the wine the benefit of the doubt. We had this exact vintage at the winery in Valle de Uco. It was one of the best, purest examples of malbec that we had during our trip Unfortunately, this bottle, although not bad, didn't live up to my clear recollection. I hope the net bottle will be better.