2/2/2018 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

Deep garnet red with some bricking on the rim. On the nose, medium- intensity with a slightly oxidized character, suggesting the wine has some age but not overly distracting. Black fruit, black olive tapenade, some nutiness with time in the decanter. On the palate, medium intensity with high, dry tannin. Black fruit with tons of black pepper, black cherry with blueberry notes and some chocolate liqueur. Full body with high acidity. Finish just short of what I would call long. This is an excellent wine, but a bit out of balance, with the fruit being a bit one dimensional. This improved over the course of the night sitting in the decanter, suggesting this vintage may have some time to go (just not sure about this particular bottle). Still, a nice glass of red.

[Faustino I: 2005-1964 vertical retrospective]

2/20/2018 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

Deep (not quite opaque) garnet red (with no fading on the rim). Developing nose with medium intensity. Plumb, some black cherry a hint smoky and some raisin characters. On the palate, dry with medium+ intensity, black cherry, kirsch, pepper with high, slightly ripe tannin and a hint of licorice. Finish was long. Overall an excellent wine. Was decanted 1.5-2 hours before tasting. Nice integration and super smooth. Great QPR. Still young and I suspect with another 3-4 years more tertiary characters would round out this wine giving it more characer. This wine was the best in the line-up despite some very old siblings being present.

[Faustino I: 2005-1964 vertical retrospective].

2/2/2018 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

Opaque garnet red (no fading on the rim). Medium- intensity on the nose with black cherry, plumb, mild tea leaf, some floral notes - but still closed. On the palate the tannins were high and smooth and a snick ripe - followed the nose with black cherry, plumb, some blueberry and tea leaf. Full body with high alcohol. Finish was long. This is an excellent wine (especially for the price point), but needs at least another 4-5 years and based on the other wines in the flight - will probably go for another 20-30 years. Wine was decanted for 1.5 - 2 hours before tasting.

[Faustino I: 2005-1964 vertical retrospective].

12/16/2011 - Rondelet wrote:

Medium, ruby-garnet with a pinkish rim. Medium intensity and developing. On the nose, black fruit with cherry and a hint of vanilla, mentos (?), and some red licorice. Very interesting and that "pencil shaving character". Good acidity with med+ tannin that are a tad grainy. Good intensity on the palate with black cherry, tea leaf, slight bitterness on the back palate. Medium finish. Overall a very good wine. The nose is great, but the palate falls short and a little one-dimensional. The high alcohol and slight bitterness on the back palate is distracting. I marked it down a little on account of the price paid ($60 at Seatac), which I though was high. Looking at the more recent notes suggest I may have gone into this too early.

[Retrospective TN from my journal].

1/21/2018 - Rondelet wrote:

Deep ruby red core with a brick red rim. Medium intensity on the nose with red fruit, some garrique-type notes as well a a hint of mushroom, strawberry and leather. However, the mushroom notes blow off after some time (around 45 min) which give way to some floral notes. On the palate, nice tannin that that is relatively soft (compared to the other Rioja tasted in the flight), suggesting good integration with some bottle age. Flavours of black cherry, plumb, leather, black pepper, some blueberry notes and tea leaf. Really nice integration with no hard edges. Medium length finish. Nice wine with nice floral accents on the nose - provided it is decanted for at least an hour (longer would be better). Good fruit, nice integration, classic Rioja - quite drinkable now.

1/5/2018 - Rondelet wrote:

Deep, almost opaque, inky garnet red with purple on the rim. Medium intensity on the nose with black fruit, plumb, a tad pruny, some tea leaf, licorice, some mushroom notes and a hint of leather. Good acidity with medium + tannins that are a bit woody. Flavours of black cherry, tea leaf and currant - a bit tart. Some black pepper and mushroom notes but coming across a bit clunky and not well integrated. This is not a bad wine, but the palate falls short of the nose. It's very fruit forward but a bit tart and curt on the finish. Overall the fruit is not well balanced with the tannin and I'm not sure time in the cellar will resolve this.

10/22/2017 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

Appearance is medium-deep ruby red with bricking on the rim. The nose is developing with medium + intensity. Smoky, some mushroom, plumb and black fruit (fruit is there just not up front), savory - almost meaty. Good acidity on the palate with high, slightly ripe tannin. Nice fruit-plumb, black cherry , tea leaf, black pepper, some blueberry notes - and lots of finesse! Finish is just shy of long. Overall an excellent wine. Still young but with great integration, mouth feel and deportment I really like the subtleties of this wine now - but it will definitely improve with with 3-4 years in the cellar. Will buy a few more for the cellar as this is a great value wine.

9/8/2017 - Rondelet wrote:

The wine is opaque, inky garnet red with purple on the rim. Medium (-) intensity on the nose featuring black fruit, plumb, "meat & mint" characters (kinda like smoky bacon), some green pepper & herby notes. The palate is dry with very high, very dry tannin. Full body with black cherry, plumb, black tea leaf, unsweetened dark chocolate and some kirsch notes. The finish is med (+) in length.
Overall this is a very good wine, but is very tightly wound, with somewhat distracting astringent tannin. Having it sit in the glass for 30 minutes definitely helped to open it up. Suggest that a couple of more years in the cellar might settle it down. Given the tannin and bitter chocolate notes, this wine would go great with a big juicy steak from the BBQ.

8/3/2017 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

Very deep, garnet red with a brick/brown rim. Medium + intensity, developing with notable age. Nose features red fruit, garrique, nice licorice notes and a hint of game and mushroom. The palate is dry with medium ++ intensity. Medium ++ tannins that are dry and well integrated. Red fruit, plumb, black pepper, blueberry same tea leaf, cherry and garrique. Finish is very long. An excellent wine! Beautiful nose with nice, balanced and integrated fruit and a finish that goes on forever. Drinking very well now. Could easily hold at this level for another 5-6 years.

7/29/2017 - Rondelet Does not like this wine:

Medium ruby red. Nose has med- intensity; young with bright, strawberry, raspberry, maraschino cherry and hint of floral notes. On the palate the wine is dry with med-- intensity with red fruit flavors that follow nose including some currant and some bitter cola. Finish is very short. Overall an interesting wine that comes across like a weak Beaujolais nouveau. Fruit forward and cherry-esque with little depth. Not my style, but does have some great marketing.

8/2/2017 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

Opaque, inky garnet red with some purple in the rim. Developing with medium intensity featuring black fruit, cassis (lots) black currant with notes of mineral/crushed gravel in the background. High acidity with high and ripe tannins. Medium++ intensity on the palate that features black fruit, cassis, blackberry, loads of black pepper, tea leaf, kirsch. The mid-palate is a bit taught and bitter from the high alcohol; however, this improves with some time in the decanter. Finish is long but distracted by the high alcohol. Overall a great wine with a fruit forward plush mouthfeel.

7/27/2017 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

Clear, opaque garnet red, ruby rim with a little bricking. Despite the age, it is still developing. Medium + intensity on the nose showing black fruit, plumb, some spice and bell pepper, mint and little savory spice. Dry with high alcohol/full body. Tannins are high and dry. Plates features black fruit, black cherry, tea leaf and cola and a long finish. Great fruit and integration. Overall an excellent wine with a lot going on - but still comes across as a bit young and could probably cellar 2-3 more years before it hits its stride.

3/31/2017 - Rondelet wrote:

Opaque, inky garnet red with some purple on the rim. Clean with medium intensity, developing. Old school with dark fruit, plumb, blackberry, leather, some pepper, licorice, mildly earthy. Dry, tannin high, slightly ripe and a bit grainy, acidity high with high alcohol. On the palate medium intensity, very fruit forward with black cherry, plumb, currants, loads of black pepper and some chocolate liquor, but also a slight tart, slightly bitter edge on the finish which is a bit distracting. This is a big dense wine, very viscous and bold with a long finish that is carried by high alcohol. Overall an excellent wine. I really like the nose. While the palate has nice density it's a little out of balance in my opinion.

3/29/2017 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

Medium ruby red with a slightly pink rim. Medium intensity on the nose, with raspberry, some dark fruit and licorice and nice floral notes. Still a little restrained. On the palate dry, medium+ intensity with high alcohol and full bodied. Tannins are medium and slightly stringent. On the palate black cherry, some cola notes, tea leaf, a little (black) pepper and some Asian spice. On the back palate there is a slight bitter edge. Finish is medium+. Overall a great wine, love the nose and integration on the palate, although it does have a couple of rough edges that will probably smooth out with a tad more cellar time.

1/7/2017 - Rondelet wrote:

Clear, deep garnet red with some red/brown on the rim. On the nose, clean, developing, with medium intensity. Earthy, blackfruit, mushroom, and leather on the nose. On the palate, dry with high acidity. Developing. Flavours of blackfruit, plumb, tea leaf, black pepper, black olive. Finish is long carried by the alcohol. Overall a very nice wine, but a tad disappointing for a Brunello. Integration is good, but the nose is distracting by the earthy characters. Palate is nice and well integrated. I suspect this wine will improve with time, just not sure how much. Nonetheless, the wine would pair superbly with a mushroom risotto!

1/15/2017 - Rondelet wrote:

This wine is much better than I remember after buying it some years ago on a merchants recommendation. It's an opaque, inky garnet red with a purple-tinged red rim. On the nose there's a mix of plumb and red-fruit, flora notes, some minerality, blueberry compote and very nice mushroom and savory notes - that are rather pleasant. On the palate, it's dry with good (to high) alcohol and acidity and follows the nose. Tannins are med+, and almost restrained. Flavours of plumb, blackberry, kirsch, tea leaf, very mild pepper, and savory notes. Finish is med+. Overall this is and excellent wine that is drinking in it's prime. I really like the nose and the integration on the palate and the way the kirsch notes carries it along.

12/30/2016 - Rondelet wrote:

Opaque, inky garnet with some purple in the rim. Clean, intensity med+, maturing (but still some time to go). Notes of plumb, licorice, coffee bean, some floral characters and a hint of chocolate liquor on the end - very nice. On the palate: dry, medium intensity, high alcohol and full bodied. Tannin is high, somewhat dry - soft but not ripe. Flavours of plumb, black cherry, black fruit - black berry and black current, with some kirsch notes. Very fruity and concentrated. Slight woody/bitterness on the finish that's a tad distracting. This might improve with time in the cellar or longer decanting (current glass was decanted for 1 hour). Finish is long. Overall an excellent wine. Love the brooding nose and depth/richness of the fruit on the palate. I'd say this wine will improve will a little more time in the cellar so it can soften up a bit (as I get a sense it is still opening up in the glass as write this). Great malbec for sure.

12/30/2016 - Rondelet wrote:

Medium intensity, youthful, with note of white grapefruit, stone fruit - white peach, granny smith apple, and a hint (?) of green banana. Dry, with an off-dry character, med intensity and acidity on the palate. Flavours of citrus, white peach and apple that pretty much follow the nose. Medium finish. This is a great little wine. Love the citrus and off-dry fruit characters that are well balance with the crisp acidity. True to the label there is no oak in sight.

12/29/2016 - Rondelet wrote:

Bright on the nose, showcasing youth and medium intensity. Aromas of red cherry, some plumb, hint of vanillin and some floral notes. On the palate the wine is dry with high acidity; medium intensity and tannin. Flavours of black cherry, some leather and red fruit, with some tea leaf-character on the back end. Finish is medium +. A very nice wine with very good QPR given the price point. I like the nose and bright palate, even if it has a bit of youthful zing!. Good "drink now wine" that went very well with spaghetti with tomato and basil sauce.

8/30/2016 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

Opaque, inky garnet red with a bright ruby rim. Young, med+ intensity on the nose, with plum, a little pruny, black fruit, black cherry and a hint of tabacco. On the palate, dry with very high & dry tannins. High acidity with a full body. Flavours of plum and tea leaf, black pepper and hint of clove. Finish is long.

This is great wine. Very big and extracted and a little "big and chunky" and therefore needs time to settle down. Even thought it's a 2010 - I would give it 2-3 years to mellow out. Great wine to pair with a big juicy steak!

8/24/2016 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

Deep, opaque garnet red with purple tint on the rim. Youthful Med+ intensity on the nose, with plum, chocolate, vanillin, a hint of menthol, kirsch and floral notes - really nice. On the palate, dry, with high tannins, high acidity and full body with plum, black cherry and pepper. Finish long and beautifully smooth, seductively slow drawing you back again and again. Great integration and finesse! Drinking very well at this time.

3/16/2016 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

Deep ruby red with some purple on the rim. Nose opens with blackfruit, blueberry, floral notes, some bacon fat and a hint of tea leaf. Palate has medium intensity with high, grippy, tannins, full body with black fruit, plum, tea leaf, tons of black pepper but also black cherry and a something of a stone fruit core. Great wine with superb QPR (at $26 Cdn). Very good fruit and integration, no rough edges with nice secondary characteristics.

8/13/2015 - Rondelet wrote:

Opaque garnet red with a brick red rim. Medium intensity with blackberry, cherry, eucalyptus, chocolate, blueberry and christmas cake on the nose - very nice. On the palate tannins are high and dry but smooth. Medium intensity with black cherry, plum, tea leaf, coffee, garrique, pepper and cedar notes on the back palate. Finish is long carried by high alcohol and the cedar note which are a bit distracting. Great wine with a very nice nose but I thought the palate fell a little short and could be better balanced.

1/2/2016 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

This is very good wine, very fruit forward. Could use a couple more years in the cellar to soften up a bit.

1/2/2016 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

This is an excellent wine that is drinking very well at the moment.

8/2/2015 - Rondelet wrote:

Some black fruit and pepper on the nose - but a basic wine. One it's way down. If you have any left in your cell would suggest drinking up.

5/2/2015 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

Opaque garnet with lots of purple in the rim. Very pronounced wine that is still developing. On the nose, black fruit, cherry, menthol, Christmas cake, some meatiness in the background. Full bodied with high alcohol and high, dry tannins; medium+ intensity. The palate has a lot going on with black fruit, lots of black pepper, black cherry, cigar box, tea leaf making it come across as a bit curt on the back palate. Finish is long.

This is an excellent wine. Great nose and then the palate brings on the fruit with very nice integration. This wine is drinking well now with a bit of time in the decanter suggesting it still has room to improve with time in the cellar.

7/9/2015 - Rondelet wrote:

Opaque inky garnet with a brick red/brown rim. Medium intensity and is developing - just not sure how much further it will go. On the nose, black fruit, plum, Christmas cake, some baking spice, and a hint of vanilla. High in alcohol with a full body and very nice mouth feel. Tannins are high, slightly ripe and a little dusty. Medium+ intensity on the palate which black cherry, black fruit, chocolate liquor, tea leaf and lots of white pepper. The finish is long, carried by the alcohol.

This is a great wine, but seems a little held back; however, I don't think any more cellaring will improve it and don't see it as a 10-15 year wine as the winery claims. It is drinking well now - very well balanced and smooth with a great mouth feel.

6/30/2015 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

Clear, opaque deep garnet red-almost cola like with a bricking/brown rim. On the nose it’s clearly aged with medium intensity. Plum, cherry, bell pepper, some mushroom and a hint burnt wood/mint – certainly different. Palate is dry, high acidity with great smooth, ripe tannins. The mouth feel is very dense and viscous, almost luscious. Intensity is good, but at this point in the wine's evolution the fruit is low. Black fruit/cherry and tons of pepper, some tea leaf. The finish drawn out (med++), carried by the high alcohol. Overall great density and mouth feel, good integration and some neat secondary characteristics. However, the fruit is clearly starting to fade suggestion the wine is approaching the end of its drinking window.

1/16/2015 - Rondelet wrote:

Opaque garnet red, some thinning on the rim with a hint of purple. Developing wine with medium intensity. Notes of Black fruit, plum, vanillin some cinnamon type spice, hints of menthol and chocolate. Quite nice with a touch of minerality. On the palate a big wine with high (and dry) tannins, full body and high alcohol. Lots of fruit and concentration: black fruit, black cherry, some blue berry, tea leaf with a med++ finish. Very nice but needs a least another 2-3 years in the cellar. The nose is great but the tannins dominate the palate and need time to settle down. Might garner an extra point or two with time.

2/11/2015 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

Very deep (not opaque) garnet red with purple hues. Still developing with a nose of black fruit, coffee, mint, leather, Christmas cake and cooking spices - very nice intensity (med +). On the palate the tannins are med + and dry. Black cherry, blue berry, some red currant, kirsch and loads of pepper. The alcohol is high and the wine full bodied, but the mid palate seems a bit thin. The finish is med +, almost long. This is an excellent wine with lots of Syrah character on the nose and palate. Very fruit forward, perhaps a tad early. I'd give it 2 more years before is really opens up.

11/22/2014 - Rondelet wrote:

Deep ruby red leaning towards garnet. Young with medium intensity. On the nose: black fruit, cherry, Christmas cake, , dark chocolate with a hint of garrigue. Dry with high acidity, medium tannins (that or they are just smooth!) and high alcohol. Full body featuring black fruit, black cherry and tea leaf, black pepper and savory spice on the back palate. Finish is medium +.

A great wine for the price point. Seems light for a CduP, but well integrated with a nice finish despite a slightly tart mid palate. It will improve with a couple of years in the cellar.

11/28/2014 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

Follow up tasting from my last note back in Feb 2013.

Clear deep garnet red with some bricking on the rim. The wine remains intense, but not as much as my first note indicated. Still developing, with lots of black fruit, plum, cherry, menthol, vanillin, hint of leather and pepper and some meaty accents. On the palate, high acidity and high, slightly ripe tannins. Black cherry, cassis, plum, tea leaf and black pepper. Finish is medium-long. Overall, it remains an excellent wine. Very smooth, deep wine with luscious fruit that is very well integrated. The wine still has a somewhat bitter/harsh mid palate, but it works as it's such a big wine. I would say it's holding up very well and still has a few years left in it. Good thing as I have one more bottle!

10/29/2014 - Rondelet wrote:

Pulled the cork and decanted for 1.5 hours. Opaque garnet red out to the rim. Young developing wine with a medium intensity. Plum and black fruit on the nose with hints of vanilla, a bit “herby” and some spice characters. On the palate, dry with high acidity. Tannins are high, dry but smooth. High alcohol and full body. Good fruit flavors that follow the nose, plum, black cherry, black pepper tea leaf and hint of blueberry. The finish is long but carried by the high alcohol. Overall, very nice but still stringent and very tight. Lots of potential but I’d say it needs another 3 years and it might garner another couple of points. As this is the first vintage for Hypothesis I think the young vines might be evident or the fruit wasn’t as ripe as it should have been. Lastly, the price is a bit high given the local competition.

10/29/2014 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

Opaque garnet red with a slight purple on the rim. Still developing with medium+ intensity, dark chocolate, violet, black fruit (black berry), some mesquite, Christmas cake/molasses characters. Dry with high acidity, high, very smooth tannins that are just a tad ripe. Full bodied with medium development. Black cherry, loads of black pepper, tea leaf, blueberry and a hint of licorice. Medium finish carried by the high alcohol. Very good, if excellent wine. However, it’s a tad tart and in my opinion still a bit young – 2 more years? Definitely a wine for some smoked meat off the BBQ!

10/18/2014 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

Deep garnet red with a brick red rim. Still developing with medium+ intensity. Black fruit, mint, plum, fruit cake, some cherry – very nice. Similarly, the palate is still developing with medium intensity, high acidity and high alcohol appears med+ (but is actually quite high), with a full body, all framed by high, quite smooth tannins. The palate has loads of black cherry, black berry, some plum, currant and tea leaf, black pepper with hints of kirsch and blueberry – all with a medium to long finish. An excellent wine. Very fruit forward with nice integration. This wine will continue to improve in the cellar for a couple of years as I get the impression that there are some nice secondary characters that don’t seem apparent due to all the fruit.

10/29/2014 - Rondelet wrote:

Deep, almost opaque garnet red with some purple in the rim. Still a young wine. Medium intensity with black fruit, plum, cassis, and fruit cake aromas. There is also a hint of vanillin and menthol – quite nice. The palate is dry with medium tannins, medium+ acidity and medium intensity. Very fruit forward dominated by black cherry, currant, tea leaf with hints of licorice, white pepper and maybe a whiff of chocolate. The mid palate is a bit tart, which seemed a bit odd to me. Overall an interesting wine. The nose is great, but the palate is much more basic with few secondary characteristics peeking through a core of black cherry and currant-like characters. I thinking it will be better in a year – but hard to say. This wine took the Premier’s Award for best wine in then 2014 BC Wine Awards. Not exactly sure why, it’s a very good wine for sure, but I wouldn’t have pegged it as the best in the field.

7/4/2014 - Rondelet wrote:

Bought this wine directly from Franco at his winery! Opaque garnet red with a brick red/tawny rim. This is a rustic wine that took some time to settle down once poured. Medium intensity with plum, cherry mushroom and earthiness on the nose. The palate is dry with high acidity and very high tannins that are mouth drying. Lots of plum, black cherry, black pepper and loads of tea leaf and some spice. The finish is medium in length. This wine is a blend of 50% sangiovese and 50% cabernet sauvignon that is very good but also decidedly old school. I suspect it would mellow out some in the cellar, but there is slight distracting funkiness on the nose. Seemed much better at the winery but the slab of fresh parmesan cheese and fresh bread probably helped a lot.

7/4/2014 - Rondelet wrote:

Corked

6/15/2014 - Rondelet wrote:

Nice colour, garnet red with a hint of brick red on the rim. On the nose, medium intensity, young and closed. Aromas of black fruit, plum, hint of black olive, burnt wood and minerality. The wine is dry, med+ intensity, high alcohol and med++ tannins that are a tad grainy - a little more extracted than would be expected from a Chianti. On the palate black cherry, black fruit, hint of garrique, black pepper and spice. Overall this is a great wine, just young. I suspect that two more years in bottle will sort it out. Given the price point it represents very good value if you're looking for a "drink now" wine for your cellar.

3/2/2014 - Rondelet wrote:

Color is very light, with a golden yellow almost sparkling disposition. The nose has medium intensity with lemon citrus and gooseberry aromas with lots of minerality and a slight nettle thing going on. The palate is dry with high acidity, medium alcohol and body. The palate follows the nose with some added green apple (pear?), but also white pepper on the back palate. The mouthfeel is good with a slight waxy accent, but a short finish. The dominating characters are the lemon citrus, green apple and minerality. While I think it's a very solid and well made wine, it fall short for me. It appears to lack some focus or perhaps definition for a Chablis.

7/7/2012 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

Very dark ruby red, almost opaque, with a purple hue on the rim. On the nose med++ intensity with aromas of red fruit (raspberry), but also plum, vanilla and menthol as well as floral accents and hint of sugar and “creaminess”. Just gorgeous! On the palate, medium intensity and medium tannins that were a little dry (and unexpected given the nose). The palate is quite different with strong black fruit, plum and black cherry, black pepper and garrique. The finish is medium+, a little curt and dry. This is an excellent wine that is still young. The nose is brilliant. The palate has lots of fruit but seems a bit short mid palate. Will definitely improve with time in the cellar.

12/22/2011 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

Deep ruby red with a slight brick red rim. Nose has med+ intensity with red fruit (strawberry), some cherry, vanilla, menthol and a hint of licorice. The palate features black cherry, black pepper, plum and some strawberry. Tannins are slightly grainy. Medium length finish that is carried somewhat by the high alcohol. An excellent wine with a brilliant nose. The palate is a little lacking and probably needs at a couple of years to really open up.

1/31/2014 - Rondelet wrote:

Bought this wine direct from Bill at the Winery. In the glass, it’s a deep garnet red. The nose is great and has a lot going. Med+ intensity and developing with aromas of black fruit, cherry, liquorice, fruit cake and a hint of mint, as well as a slight minerality. On the palate, the tannins are high and bit dry/woody. Intensity is not as high as the nose, but very fruit forward with lots of black cherry, plum, some red fruit and blueberry accents and black pepper. However, there is also a somewhat bitter tea leaf/tobacco type accent that mars the finish. This is too bad, as the wine is excellent up until then. This settles down with some time in the glass, but it affects the final score for me.

10/5/2013 - Rondelet wrote:

Very good with a nice nose. But the palate is lean and the tannins dusty (gritty?) and a little harsh on the finish. I think it falls a little short for an Okanagan red blend at this price point.

10/24/2013 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

Wine is deep, dark garnet red. On the nose, medium+ intensity with aromas of strawberry, cherry, vanilla and cola, but a little rustic with forest floor and leather characteristics. There's also a hint of charcoal and spice. On the palate the wine is dry with high acidity and notable tannins that are a bit dusty. Body is full with medium- intensity (not as interesting as the nose). Flavours of black cherry, some red fruit, cola, spice and tea leaves with a medium finish. This is an excellent wine but a little tight and austere. The nose suggests it will open up after an additional year or two in the cellar. While the overall balance is good, the mid palate and finish is a bit harsh. After the big win at the Decanter Wine Awards for the 2011 (no longer available) I was expecting more from this wine. I guess time will tell.

10/12/2013 - Rondelet wrote:

The wine is a ruby-garnet red with a brick red rim. The nose is almost sublime - good (med+) intensity with plum, red fruit (strawberry), vanilla, cherry and a very nice floral component (lilac?)with a slight minerality to it. On the palate, acidity is high, tannins are high - but very smooth (with a tinge of ripeness). Flavors of plum, cherry, blueberry and black pepper accompanied by a long finish. A great wine that is just coming on-line after 5 years in the cellar. While the high alcohol is tad distracting, I really like the finesse on the nose and the overall balance of the wine.

7/1/2013 - Rondelet Likes this wine:

Actually bought this wine at the winery last summer. The wine is ruby red with a brick red/brownish rim. On the nose the wine is clean with med++ intensity. Picked up some black fruit, cherry, plum, vanilla, licorice and touch of fruit cake. On the palate, dry with med-high acidity, high alcohol (14.5%). Good intensity with medium, smooth tannins. Flavours follow the nose, with black cherry, plum, some leather, spice box and white pepper. Very fruit forward, but also very well integrated with a long finish. This wine is still developing and perhaps a tad young suggesting it might need another year or two in the cellar.

2/10/2013 - Rondelet wrote:

Clear deep red with slight pinkish tinge on rim. A developing wine with medium++ intensity. Aromas of black fruit, fruit cake, chocolate, hint of mint, but also some earthy chalkiness. There is a hint of green pepper and a slight greenness - but it works. Palate is dry with high acidity and medium++ intensity. Tannins are high, but very smooth and well integrated, almost silky. Body is full. Flavors include black fruit, black berry, black cherry, some plum and licorice and black pepper - a lot going on. The mid palate features tea leaf and slight bitterness which faded somewhat with time in the decanter. Finish is long. This is an excellent wine drinking at its peak. Liked the integration and mouth feel; didn’t like the high alcohol and bitterness mid palate. At bit odd, perhaps, the front label says "Coyote Bowl" - which is one of C&S vineyards, but on the back label it says the fruit is from Sun Ridge Vineyard - what's up with that?

12/29/2012 - Rondelet wrote:

Very deep, almost opaque garnet red, with brick red rim. Nose is youthful with medium+ intensity. Aromas of raspberry, cherry, vanilla and a hint of mint, fruit cake and raisins. Quite nice, perhaps a bit closed (with some time in glass a touch of licorice). The palate is dry with medium+ acidity, full body with very high alcohol that is a little off-putting. Tannins are medium, dry and gritty. Flavors of red cherry, red currants, tart on the mid palate, tea leaf and black pepper on the medium finish. Not a bad wine, just a little one dimensional. Very clean and very nice on the nose; however, the palate is a little unbalanced with the high alcohol, tartness and gritty tannins.