11/20/22, 9:21 AM - FYI. If you tap the edit button on your review, you return to a screen which allows you to delete the entire note. Unfortunately, I have to use it a lot.
1/29/22, 11:51 AM - Thank you. The only other Force Majeure Temp I have tasted was the 2015 and I loved it. I did consider that this bottle was flawed, but it did not present the elements I typical find. I will contact the winery and, again, thank you. >John
4/24/22, 7:13 AM - Thanks for the note. Me too. Force Majeure is my favorite Washington winery.
12/3/21, 7:56 AM - Hello. No, the bottle was not corked. In fact, there was a good amount of fruit, but there was an offputting flavor which I cannot describe well. Maybe medicinal/bandaid.
12/3/21, 8:15 AM - Unfortunately, I tried waiting for night two also, but the wine was obstinate offering the same as night one, neither better nor worse. Maybe you simply had an oak presence which blew off.
10/23/21, 9:41 AM - Hey Mark, I wish I had gotten your first experience. This was my first engagement with a Bevan wine so maybe I just expected too much. I fear it has a long way to go, but wine is a funny thing and anything is possible.
10/23/21, 9:52 AM - Hi DC and thanks for the comment. I sure hope it has more to do with shutdown. I rarely drink a Cab this young but I thought I would see for myself what was in the bottle. So maybe I deserved what I got. But I am always hopeful for the future.
8/13/21, 8:09 AM - Hi Nick. Thanks for the comment. I love big wines, but I am not sure Mike Smith falls into that category. Interestingly, I admire his mentor's wines but not his. Every one I have tasted has been sweet and acid starved, but I have only had his own label and a few from Scarlet. His great popularity defies my understanding. My cellar was Napa dominant until the Central Coast switched from Zin and mediocre Cab to Rhones. I have returned to Napa for more balance, but this "modern" approach is a bit bewildering. And yes, you should get all the Andremily and Torrin you can along with L'Aventure and Saxum.
8/10/21, 7:55 AM - Good morning Mark. I do find it thrilling to be surprised by a wine. I think when Jeb Dunnuck was tasting for the Wine Advocate, he gave this wine 100 points. I find him to be an easy grader (not as easy as Suckling, though), but he may well have gotten this one right. So enjoyable. L'Aventure is one of the early French emigrants fleeing the vinicultural regulations of their homeland (Stephan Asseo).
8/1/21, 9:01 AM - Hello Southeasterners. Stephan Asseo's L'Aventure, in my opinion, produces Paso's best Cabernet in vintages he decides to bottle it alone. In the 2019 vintage, he joined fruit with Vice Versa to produce Vice Versa's Les Cousin which the popular CSIMM1161 awarded 100 points in a review on 7/27/21. Given its scarcity and probable price tag, I expect to never taste it. Admittedly, most Paso Cabernet cannot compete with Napa, let alone Napa's best, but a couple can. And Jen, everything Torrin produces is wonderfully crafted. By all means, search it out. >John
7/29/21, 7:20 PM - This is only a 10% comment, but what a number of Paso wineries purchased as Monastrel proved to be, in fact, Graciano. Most winemakers consider it serendipitous in that Graciano adds acid and is a promising blending varietal for the area. No way to change the existing labels, but all future labels have corrected the varietal. And, I love L'Aventure. Thanks for the update on this release. You have talked me into opening one. >John
7/31/21, 6:26 AM - Now Mr. 2372, if you had not misled the CT audience by claiming 10% Monestrell in the blend, I would not have pedantically commented. Haha.
6/26/21, 7:05 AM - Just a hint, but if you hit the edit button, you are returned to the original screen which has a remove button so you can repair your damage and no one knows. I have to do this more often than I like. Cheers. >John
3/26/21, 7:54 AM - 2013 was hailed highly by the critics as the best vintage in California in decades. I have not seen much movement in the wines since they were bottled. To quote a winemaker/friend I spoke with just yesterday when this topic arose, the 2013's may prove to be great in 20 years, but they remain all structure and offer little fruit at this point.
3/26/21, 8:26 AM - Wow. That is good to hear. Your exception has been my rule. I would love to wade into the 13s, but I have been so disappointed to date that I am awaiting positive comments on CT. Better luck on your future bottles. Hopefully it was just flawed.
1/4/21, 7:57 AM - Probably my favorite, too. I did find the Seneshal to be an interesting departure. Torrin is really producing fine wine. It is sad he had to let his share of the Booker Vyd. go to purchase his estate as I find Booker and James Berry to be Paso's finest growing areas.
12/13/20, 6:49 AM - Hello, Mark. I probably should have left some for day 2. Occasionally I would get a swallow that was mostly fruit so I think I kept looking for another one of those but killed the bottle in the process. I have to admit that it was kind of fun drinking this bottle so young. Maybe prurient curiosity. I just hope I live long enough to have another bottle closer to maturity. Thanks for the tip on the '15's. >John
12/13/20, 6:38 PM - You have never identified what you are drinking. Is it a 15 or 16?
9/23/20, 9:10 AM - Yeah guys, I think I am done with Mike Smith altogether. One of the most successful in the business, but.....I still have his highly rated Elysian which I should try before deciding.
9/24/20, 7:02 AM - Allow me to insinuate myself into the conversation. I also highly respect a bottle which is close to immediately accessible and maintains its freshness as they say. But is the idea mere whimsy except on those occasions when it occurs naturally? Can wine be made to behave the way we desire it to without losing something important? Doesn't all the variables of a vintage determine how a bottle behaves? Winemakers like to say that they intrude as little as possible from picking to final product. I cannot help but think that the reason I don't appreciate Mike Smith's wines is the result of too much intervention in the process.
9/24/20, 10:00 AM - FB.....I have a way of complicating everything as nothing seems simple to me. From a consumer's point of view, I can see an expectation of an early drinking window with an unblocked future of graceful development. I just don't see it as realistic. I see it more as an attitude of present generations who view things in terms of instant gratification. I don't mean to be petty, but sports cars are totally manufactured and thus controllable while wine depends on an agricultural commodity and the vagaries attached to it. I fear that a wine manufactured like a sports car will lose its mystery. And true, we purchase financial constructs with a (hopeful) expectation that they will reward us in the future, but is that not like the purchase of wine? The fact remains that some producers make wine that should not be touched for at least 8 years while others are accessible earlier so it would seem that a winemakers intent and process is involved in the traits of the final product. Personally, I am fine waiting a few years, but I am way too old to wait for Bordeaux to mature. Now I totally agree with you about opening a bottle that is not ready. I also fret over the appropriate decant every time. Too little and it will be oak dominant or too tannic, but too much and it will be past its garden spot and perhaps in an awkward window. It irks me when CT notes do not mention how long the decant was and unless I know something about the reviewer, I don't usually do not trust their view on drinkability either. But, in general, I find CT very useful.
9/24/20, 10:08 AM - Hi Mark. Yep, I believe my return to Napa idea is coming to a close. I plan to continue with a few like Selah, and some French winemakers like Julian Fayard, Melka, or Touquette. But the wines are mostly overpriced and over - manipulated for my taste. Back to Paso Rhones. I see you do enjoy Turley. I was a member back when they were located in Napa. Somewhere, I lost my taste for Zinfandel. I think Syrah simply displaced it. But I purchased a lot of French and Italian wine over the past three years which won't be ready for another couple of years, but it will give me enough variety.
9/25/20, 7:28 AM - I do get it. The angst of the wine buyer is quite appropriate. I typically would drink Napa Cabs at 7 or 8 years from the vintage. But now that I have decided to wade into many of the newly arrived winemakers, I have to taste earlier to see if I approve of the style, especially given the price of their product. Mike Smith makes so much wine, I decided to go with his own label. I totally disliked his Syrahs in a decent vintage and am now pretty much unhappy with the Cabs. I did try a Scarlett Reserve which I found too close to the Myriad style. I have not ventured farther than that. In general, I have always purchased from producers who provide a consistent brand. I would typically taste before purchasing, but I trusted their loyalty to the style. Throughout the 80's and 90's, I was predominantly a Napa Cab and Sonoma Pinot and Zin drinker. In 2006 I discovered Rhone wines from Paso Robles and became enamored. Names like Saxum, Torrn, L'Aventure, and Clos Solene consistently produce gorgeous wines, especially during this spate of amazing vintages. The most angst I now experience is with the Napa product due to my present inexperience with it. I will say, the best bottle I have experienced is the 2014 Outpost True Vyd. so I believe Thomas Rivers Brown is a keeper for me. It is one of life's mysteries that Mike Smith tutored under him.
9/25/20, 7:35 AM - Mark, thanks for the info on the Selah 2017. Given the fires and the general quality of the vintage, I decided to go heavy on the 2018's instead. I even bought a bit of Myriad, I think I thought I'd try the Georges. I really seesaw on Myriad, kind of like a jilted lover, I can't seem to just cut it off, but I really should. I am at an age where I have to think about stopping the purchases altogether. I don't want to leave my wife with over a thousand bottles to deal with. Now I just have to break the buying addiction.
8/26/20, 8:08 AM - Hi Mark. I have been loyal to D-P for a long time. Always a solid classic. What do you think of 2013 in general? It was praised by critics, but I never really got it. More structure than fruit when young. Maybe the barrel was more telling as this bottle certainly developed nicely. I have only waded into the vintage.
8/11/20, 7:41 AM - I commented on a bottle I tasted on 12/6/18 calling it liquid nothingness. It is striking that some early scores are very high with comments about big fruit. I fear that much of the bottling was tainted and we got hosed. I guess you don't want to buy the one I have left.
7/30/20, 7:01 AM - Hi SRH. I agree, the decanting procedure is pivotal, but so many notes say nothing about it. I am constantly fretting over it most every time I open a bottle. I have to assume most people are pop and pour.....Force Majeur is my favorite Washington winery. Not so when I started with them, but they have changed style completely and are now estate.
7/29/20, 6:33 AM - Hey, thanks. I don't get that bowled over very often, but I gave the wine the same score when it was only potential. Frankly, I was surprised at the level of development. Be sure to give it lots of air and enjoy! >John
5/16/20, 7:32 AM - Yes, I learned about the great mix up in Paso. Despite the interesting aspects of Graciano, it depresses me that there appears to be no renewed drive to obtain Monestrel since I am a big Mourvedre fan. I have asked several winemakers and it is just not there.
4/25/20, 9:04 AM - For sure it is my wife's favorite and very near the top of my list.
3/26/20, 12:40 PM - I agree it is too young. But the four reviews prior to mine rated it 94 to 98. The point of my review was that it did not merit those kinds of ratings at this point in its development. It probably will deserve such ratings later.
3/3/20, 7:03 AM - Just a little random support here so no need to respond. I was compelled to read your Aubert review twice today, so complements. Your audience should be even larger than it already is. Not that easy to bundle outrageous humor with solid information. Thanks.
1/20/20, 7:42 AM - SRH. Hello. I was quite happy to see the improvement, but I intend to wait another year or two for my last bottle. It is kind of hard for me to justify cellaring wine at this price point, but this bottle makes me want to do it.
1/16/20, 7:50 AM - Hi Mark. the 2017 vintage in Paso has been a surprise. I tasted just bottled wines which were all amazingly accessible but should still age nicely. However, the 2018 vintage is expected to "wow" and there is promising talk about 2019. Happy sipping. >John
12/9/19, 9:33 PM - 2 months later, I know. I plod. Smart insight that. I gave a wine my first 100 a while ago and am now afraid to try another one. I think it is the bottle plus mood, plus company, plus a myriad of unknowns. I seem to be chasing the epiphany, but I doubt I am alone.
11/26/19, 6:24 AM - Thanks Mark1npt. You should get a referral fee.... I was surprised a mountain TRB wine would be that accessible in 4 years. I was expecting more oak influence than I wanted, but this bottle was not heavy-handed at all. I hope it continues to move in the same direction. >John
10/20/19, 7:54 AM - Sorry for the late response, but I have been on the road. The only other Mike Smith Cab I have had is the 2015 Scarlet Reserve and it was very similar, and I was not fond of his Syrah under the Myriad label. This style does seem to be the "modern" approach with varying amounts of residual sugar. With younger wines, I used to find improvement on night two, but these wines do not appear to have the endurance.... I see you visited Selah. I will probably switch over from Outpost based on its sale as well as the appealing smallness and now your impression of the winery. Thanks for the response. >John
10/4/19, 4:26 PM - Thanks for the comment. It is nice to know that I am not a lone voice. >J
7/18/19, 6:02 PM - Yes, it may have been an off bottle. I do have a couple more so stay tuned. I probably will wait a bit and try again. Thanks for your comments. >John
6/29/19, 7:46 AM - Daou being in anyone's top 500 is a mystery to me. Beautiful Cabs are made in Paso at L'Aventure and Clos Solene, but they are rarely accessible early. There are Cab/Syrah blends from Torrin, Law, and Booker which are worth experiencing....btw, I enjoy reading your reviews thanks. >John
6/4/19, 10:38 AM - I later remembered that Jeb Dunnuck had given it a 100 score, but I did not know if that was from barrel or bottle. I expected it to be big but tight. Interestingly, it started out as well-made but medium bodied with no hint of what was to come. Like so many wines, one hopes to find its garden spot rather than finish the bottle too soon or decant it too long. When it came around, I was truly stunned. If you get to Paso, my favorite wineries aside Torrin are Law, L'Aventure, and Clos Solene / Benom.
5/1/19, 6:10 AM - Thanks for the comment. It seems I am waiting for too many bottles to become ready. I was just venturing into the Paso 2014's, but that door is now closed for awhile. It always feels a bit wasteful to open a nice bottle too early, but I don't have confidence in the long term effects of using a Coravin. Aaargh!
3/9/19, 6:34 AM - I have no idea where they source their grapes, but in strong vintages, they are quite impressive. I don't think they have had much of a price increase at all since their beginning.... My wine voyage began one night with a 1976 Heitz Martha's Vyd. and a 1980 Pine Ridge. Major eye opening. I remained a Napa guy until I discovered the Rhones out of Paso Robles. I will tell you, everything changes in your 70's when life expectancy becomes a meaningful specter. You realize you cannot just lay wines down for the future. Fortunately, the vintages from 2013 through 2016 have been strong allowing me to binge on Bordeaux, Southern Rhone, and Italy as well as a return to Napa. Huh. Not sure why this is all spilling out as it is not a direct response to your comment, but thanks for reading my review. >John
3/9/19, 7:27 AM - Since I appear to be in a crisis mode this morning, allow me to impose one more comment to which you need not respond, and I will leave you alone. I have concluded that perhaps the most magical wines are produced by talented European winemakers using the best California fruit. My favorite Paso and Napa wines are those reflecting the raciness of our fruit overseen by European sensibilities with a couple of exceptions, of course. Okay. I am done with proclamations. Thanks for your patience. >John
3/10/19, 7:56 AM - Eerie. It is so unlike me to engage as I am essentially an old curmudgeon. I am also unaware of St. Potelle. Don't know how I missed it, but I am sure there are many others. Your trip sounds great. Later. >John
12/26/18, 7:03 AM - No response required. I just wanted to thank you for the decant information. Sometimes I think it should be a requirement for any rating post because it is probably the most important single piece of data to me.
8/29/18, 6:31 AM - Three bottles on Saturday night! Did I miss the party? Ha. Lisa and friends arrive Friday. If she reads about this, I am going to have to crack a bottle. Keeping up with the Jones's jones. Poor me. >John
4/30/18, 6:08 AM - Hey, thanks for the note. A couple of years ago I commented on a review you wrote about the ebbing quality of KB as represented by their 2012 Russian River release with which I wholly agreed (and left them though they have not slammed the door). I have been following your entertaining impressions since, and when I felt compelled to re-enter the modern Napa Cab era, your impressive breadth of key wineries has been my road map. Just wanted to thank you for that. Although Mr. Smith's style has not set the hook, I have been wowed by T.R. Brown, and Touquette and Melka from the French invasion so far. Again, thanks >John
1/2/18, 5:22 PM - Thank you for the comment. I have read a number of your reviews and respect your opinion. Over the last year or two I have been attempting to get back into Napa Cab after some seven years immersing myself in Rhone varietals from Paso. Thus, I have little history with the wines I have acquired. I am finding it a bit difficult not popping some of them, especially since I have to make decisions on whether to invest even further in a producer I have never experienced. I will probably continue with the Myriad 2016s and take the advise to leave the 2014s alone for another year at least. Thanks again.
10/16/17, 6:50 AM - I rarely comment, but after your review a couple of years ago of the 2012 KB Russian River being pedestrian which was also my impression (I dropped them), I had to offer support. Here I am again. I became so tired of writing negative Carlyle reviews, I dropped them, too. I think I have one bottle of Pallisades PS left. You will probably receive a few responses from their avid fan base. No group has been more moved to respond to my negativity than them, typically polite but with a sense of restrained anger. I started to write one person back, but then I noticed their picture had them posing with a Carlyle magnum. Keep up the good fight. <John
7/13/17, 8:04 PM - Hello. It is difficult to stay away from it realizing the great rewards are several years down the road. I hope you have a bunch because this is really exceptional. I question myself whether at the 4 or 8 hour mark it was showing more than at the 12 hour mark. Wine is so unpredictable as it moves in and out of accessibility. I hope to wait a couple of years but I will need to be distracted. Thanks for reading my thoughts. >John
12/27/16, 7:17 AM - Thanks. I hope it works for you. I never had to worry about aeration exactitude until I discovered Paso wines. Now I fret over whether I should decant the night before, leave it in the decanter or return it to the bottle to slowly oxidize or a combination of both. It usually seems to be when guests arrive that I have chosen the wrong option. I am just starting this multiple decant on bigger, slow developing wines. I, too, am hoping it accelerates their accessibility. >John
11/23/15, 7:05 PM - Thanks for the thoughtful note. I was quite disappointed when I tasted the 2012 RR expecting something interesting from a promising vintage. I think I went into some kind of denial and explained away my reaction. I tried the Sonoma Coast bottling tonight experiencing the same sense of disappointment. It reminds me of when Arrowood sold to Mondavi in the 90's. The denigration was quick and fatal.
11/21/15, 8:05 AM - They are all that good. I always decant Nick's wine the night before. In fact, I believe most of the wine out of Paso benefits from a long decant. The 2012 Nicora Shadow Canyon, I felt, did not hit its stride until about the 36 hour mark. Nicora is still the best deal and most unrecognized wine in the area.
7/5/15, 7:36 AM - Thanks. If you decide to pop one, believe me, the long decant makes such a difference.
2/25/15, 6:57 AM - That is a good question. I looked back at my tasting notes. In Dec. 2014, I had a 2007 Akasha which is the oldest Torrin I have tasted. It was in balance but the fruit was still tight, so the Akasha appears to take a long time. However, I had a 2009 Banshee last January and it was much more open so I think it depends on which bottling and even which year. Last month I tasted a 2011 Law Vyd. and it was already approachable. I am hoping that is due to a change in style and not just reflective of the vineyard or vintage. I fear the Tsundere is in the Akasha class, whereas Maven should be more forthcoming.
2/25/15, 7:23 AM - Yes, once decanted the Torrin wines do not progress in a straight line, another frustration. I plan to try another 2011 soon to learn if the Law Vyd. was an outlier or whether Torrin is taking a more modern approach. Thanks.
12/4/14, 7:14 AM - I drank this wine a year or two after its release and it was sublime. I held my others until this year. Big mistake as it has deteriorated badly. I now drink KB wines early.
8/31/14, 7:34 AM - I did the vineyard tour with Nick yesterday and had the opportunity to taste the upcoming Fall release which had been decanted the day before. To my mind, his 2012's are, overall, his best to date and barrel samples of 2013 were even better. He is a yet undiscovered gem.
4/4/14, 8:12 AM - Thank you for the comments. It is difficult to go against the tide, especially when it is a highly reputable winery with an avid following. This is my fourth 2011 Carlisle, and I believe it was a very problematic vintage for them. They were not alone.
2/6/14, 7:24 AM - Hopefully. It is confusing to read other reviewers whose present experience is so different from mine. I did expect the zins to be fairly approachable, but I will have to let them sit. Thanks.
12/14/13, 11:13 AM - Looking forward to others. Being new to me, what do you consider their prize releases. Thanks.
11/21/13, 5:52 AM - Thank you for the comment. It feels odd to have a different tasting experience than others who have rated the wine. I believe you are most likely correct, too.
10/25/13, 7:18 AM - It has been my understanding for many years that blending anything with pinot noir is sinful. I would be stunned if a serious producer such as KB "tainted" any of their bottlings.
10/25/13, 12:57 PM - I can only conjecture that KB would consider 100% pinot noir a given, much like the true Burgundians. The mere thought of tampering is heinous akin to the evil incarnate in the Harry Potter series whose name must not be spoken. I subscribe to several other pinot producers who, as I recall, do specify 100% pinot noir on their specifications.
Thanks for letting us know about this problem. We will review your comments and be in touch soon with an update.
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