3/5/2024 - pape du neuf wrote:

Way past the suggested drinking window, but not at all over the hill.
Beautiful garnet color , savory now mixed with dark fruits. Surprisingly tart and lively given the underlying ripeness.
In a blind tasting this would pass for a Burgundy costing several times as much, but you can't buy more from PG. The vineyard deserves attention as handled by other wine makers.

2/27/2024 - pape du neuf wrote:

Many years after its supposed drinking window, this Pinot was still in prime condition. Deep garnet, no bricking, fresh on the nose with cherry and plum.
Silky on the palate, combining dark fruits with enough acidity to keep it lively.
Not a hint at all of any oxidation or deterioration.

12/16/2023 - pape du neuf Does not like this wine:

Too much oak spice, too much cola, too much ethanol.
I won't rate this. Just noting for future reference that it is not my style.

11/29/2023 - pape du neuf wrote:

Tasted twice (two different bottles at two different times).
I hesitated to post a tasting note at first because both I and my wife detected smoke residue at first sip. It is not overwhelming enough to make the wine undrinkable, but knocks off a couple of points. Some people might not even notice, so I hate to influence by power of suggestion.
Otherwise, the wine has sufficient acidity, good fruit, and is in a robust style that I like better than Italian Pinot Grigios, yet not cloying like some Alsatian versions.

11/28/2023 - pape du neuf Likes this wine:

Beautiful golden color. Darker than usual for Pinot Blanc, but in no way oxidized. Still fresh with citrus backing up the pear and apple. Altogether more substantial than most Pinot Blancs.I will definitely buy again every time I'm given the chance.

11/9/2023 - pape du neuf Likes this wine:

Superb alternative to tawny port, Madeira, etc. It has sweetness, balance of acidity, and complexity covering a wide spectrum from citric to raisin, add nuts and rancia. Every sip is a new facet.
This is my first bottle after drinking wine for 50+ years. Where has it been all this time? I'll definitely purchase again.

11/9/2023 - pape du neuf Likes this wine:

Beautifully balanced mix of rose, tea, cherry, mushroom. Acidity is just right, giving a slight citrus undertow. Seems to be on a stable plateau of development. Drink or hold.

7/1/2023 - pape du neuf wrote:

Corked, so didn't taste.
Too bad. It still looked young and it smelled like there was some substance.

6/24/2023 - pape du neuf Does not like this wine:

First whiff showed a bit of oxidation and a bit of VA. Modest fruit and not much depth. Tons of sediment, so I decanted.
My rating may be generous, but we did drink about half the bottle before dumping. I opened the wine because we were having heavily barbecue sauced chicken thighs. I figured good wines would be wasted. I guess that was the right choice, but the group moved on to better wines and beer.

I'm going to give this an edit, because it could have been a bad cork. The wine was stored in ideal conditions, but seepage was visible.

4/17/2023 - pape du neuf Likes this wine:

On the full side for an Oregon PN without being overblown. Both the nose and palate emphasize cherry, with only a hint of oak and vanilla. There is enough acidity to back up the forward fruit.
Drink, or hold for another year or two.

2/10/2023 - pape du neuf Likes this wine:

Received as a gift, so I have no idea of storage.
Perfect garnet color, shy on the nose. Opened to classic WV Pinot with sour cherry at the center. Great balance, nothing protrudes.
It may not reach the sublime, but I could drink this with pleasure any time, with or without food.

12/2/2022 - pape du neuf Likes this wine:

Rose petals and tart cherries on the nose. A bit of tar. This is overlapping Barbaresco territory. Nice balance, pleasant fruit, with still an edge of fine tannin. Made to have with food. I should have gone deep on this. Too bad that with Rimmerman it is always hit or miss.

11/20/2022 - pape du neuf wrote:

Brett beyond my tolerance. It could have been very good if clean.

10/3/2022 - pape du neuf Does not like this wine:

Comes across as old style Italian, i.e. some VA, leathery (low level brett), and some coarse tannins, even after 12 years. Good fruit underneath redeems the wine. It shows the Cabernet character.
Some might really like this, but there are many similar wines that are better in the same price range.

6/11/2022 - pape du neuf Does not like this wine:

Too young? Too old" Too green? Too ripe? All of the above. It just illustrates what happens with second string material. I'm sure other bottles of the same wine are better, and I think this must have been better 3-5 years ago.
Funny thing, 3-5 years ago people thought it needed more time.
Too much VA, a tad oxidized, some hint of cedar, fruit that has lost brightness. There are so many $15 wines that are more enjoyable.

3/18/2022 - pape du neuf Likes this wine:

Aromatics come out immediately upon pouring. Mint and rose, citrus and other sour fruits. The color is garnet with just a hint of bricking.
Ready to drink, for sure, but not over the hill, and maybe not even yet at peak. Plenty of sour fruit flavors, with the nose always taking first position.
This is the real thing, even at the low end price and generic label.

1/21/2022 - pape du neuf wrote:

Strange wine. Lots of esters, including tropical fruit hints like pineapple, with underlying minerality/salinity which may be a combination of less ripe grapes tossed in the mix, with excess sulfur additions.

Pleasant fruit underneath, but the weirdness negated the positives.

I hope the other two bottles I have show better

10/20/2021 - pape du neuf wrote:

A huge wine- hugely disappointing, that is.
I could call it steakhouse, or meat axe. Lots of dark fruit, not much definition, high proof delivery.
One of those perpetually either too young or too old, never just right, wines.

2/7/2021 - pape du neuf wrote:

Bottle variation? This wine was not faded, or even ready to drink. No orange at edges, deep garnet to the rim.
Too much heavy toast oak, to be sure, covering up the cherry fruit that emerged with air. I think it could have been a much better wine if put up with a lighter touch. It has sufficient acidity, and if I had another bottle I'd let it age another four years or so in hopes that the aromatics that draw me to Barbaresco develop.

1/31/2021 - pape du neuf Likes this wine:

I thought this would be ready, but it is not. After 24 hours it is still tannic and primary. It is starting to show its stuff, but if you just want dense fruit backed by oak it can come at a far lower price.
My rating reflects drinking now. I expect much better in about five years.
The underlying acidity tells me that this wine wine will have a long drinking window.

1/18/2021 - pape du neuf Likes this wine:

Beautiful nose of cherries and flowers. Fruits start with citrus and move through apple, strawberry and sour cherry. Everything is fresh, and the wine seems to be just starting to rock. Oak presence is absent, or subliminal. This wine was not made to be a heavy hitter, yet it touches the right places.
Well kept bottles will drink well for at least few more years.

1/14/2021 - pape du neuf wrote:

Kind of like a mix of tea and pomegranate juice. The low alcohol adds to the impression that this isn't really wine.
Some may love this as a summer refresher. I'd just drink a Belgian sour and get a more integrated and complex beverage.

12/13/2020 - pape du neuf Likes this wine:

Far exceeded expectations. A dead ringer for a good Meursault.

11/12/2020 - pape du neuf wrote:

Still fresh enough, with good color, plenty of fruit, nicely balanced, spoiled by a touch of brett.
Some wouldn't mind, or even like the leather/earth, but it killed the aromatics.

11/2/2020 - pape du neuf Likes this wine:

The most satisfying Bordeaux blend in this price range for the last six months. Still fresh and showing youthful energy, but not likely to benefit from additional aging.
Strong black cherry note coming through a complex of dark and mid-dark fruit. On the verge of excess alcohol, but no VA or impression of heat.
Well crafted from excellent juice, worth it's price.

7/9/2020 - pape du neuf Likes this wine:

What goes well with Trader Joe's meatloaf and rough cut oven fries with rosemary and sage? A Mediterranean wine written off as undrinkable ten years ago.
I honestly would have guessed this wine was 4-5 years old. Bright color, still a bit of reduction on the nose. Garrigue emerging as the wine sat in the glass. Nice acidity, with fruit and floral notes coming forward with more air.
Maybe everyone was deceived by the modest price they paid. Why would anyone want to keep a sub $20 wine in their cellar for this long?

I'm lucky I read the initial tasting notes and stuck it in a hold bin for as long as I thought necessary.

4/25/2020 - pape du neuf wrote:

Nose of over-ripe fruit and a hit of alcohol. Seems higher than the stated 14.7. There is more freshness to the fruit than the nose indicates, and also more acidity, but the entire impression is spoiled by an underlying bitterness. This is not tannic astringency, and I don't quite understand where it comes from. Drink soon, if ever.

10/16/2019 - pape du neuf Likes this wine:

To my memory, the best Match Cabernet I've had. Deep fruit, held up by sufficient acidity. Herbs and smoke add complexity. Instead of standing out, the oak influence is totally integrated.
I'm a tough grader. It may be better than I say.
Ready to drink.

9/20/2019 - pape du neuf wrote:

Worked perfectly with the grilled fresh halibut this evening. Predominant flavor was lime, with hints of stone fruit. Not flabby, as many white Rhones can be. As it was a cool evening, the alcohol did not intrude.
I'd buy it again.

9/19/2019 - pape du neuf Likes this wine:

This is better than it has any right to be. I usually don't even comment on CdRs. This one gets high points for a perfectly balanced package that delivers concentrated fruit, clean, tinged with garrigue, a little meat and olive from the Syrah and Mouvedre, and an acid spine to hold up to rich food.
The notes on the label indicate some oak ageing, which is not noticeable at all, and the 14% ABV does not stand out either.
It is probably at it's prime right now, and well stored bottles will last a while.

1/14/2019 - pape du neuf wrote:

Definitely cork taint. I detected it before tasting. My wife, who is very sensitive, concurred. Too bad. The TCA was barely above threshold, and the wine underneath would have been at least 90 pts. , and a QPR bargain, otherwise.

1/14/2019 - pape du neuf Does not like this wine:

Disappointing. Too ripe. No definition. General fruitiness, tending toward plum. A touch of brett. I won't buy again.

10/2/2018 - pape du neuf Likes this wine:

First impression was ripe, alcoholic, cherries, no funk. Decanted because of thick sediment. Slight whiff of incipient oxidation, but otherwise fresh for a wine that has spent a dozen years in the cellar.
Darker fruit than I expected from reading the notes. Tannins and acidity have evidently faded, but still plenty of fruit. Nose is not particularly expressive, on the rough side for Burgundy. A good fit with grilled, herbed chicken thighs.
I can't remember buying this wine, but I'm sure it is worth what I paid for it.

5/8/2017 - pape du neuf wrote:

Light for a Cab, and as noted below, high in acidity. Good berry and tart cherry flavor. This is more of a pizza Cab than a steak Cab. Perhaps trying to emulate the late David Lake, who made long lived light bodied Cabs and Merlots for Columbia Winery. I only had one, so I won't get to give this wine a later try.

4/12/2017 - pape du neuf wrote:

Reminds me of what many 2008 WV Pinots were like on release. Bright red fruits including cranberry and pomegranate. Clean and tasty, with years of life ahead.

4/12/2017 - pape du neuf wrote:

Seems to me to be right in its drinking window, definitely not showing decline. Rich and a little savory, mid to darker fruits. Could use more acidity. Muddled, and not as cleanly layered as a PG Winderlea consumed at the same time. I'd still drink it any time offered.

4/12/2017 - pape du neuf wrote:

Tannins have softened, but the fruit is holding up. OK as a rustic, casual weekday wine. No particular reason to search out or buy again.

12/3/2016 - pape du neuf wrote:

The bottle I opened showed brett. I'll hold off on a rating until I open another.

11/3/2016 - pape du neuf wrote:

Too bad about the brett influence. This had the material to become a classic long living Sangiovese wine. Still a little tannic, revealing cherry, flowers, and a touch of darker fruit. The leathery brett may appeal to some, but to me it knocked the drinkability from a true pleasure to barely worth imbibing.

9/16/2016 - pape du neuf wrote:

The cork was in great condition. dark fruits and a hint of VA on the nose. Clean-no brett. The tannins have finally smoothed out, but the wine will never be elegant. It shows the hallmarks of the hot growing season. While not cooked, the fruits are ripe and dark. Acidity is there, the high notes of Sangiovese are not. It didn't change much hours after opening.

8/9/2016 - pape du neuf wrote:

No flaws, thankfully. Lacking the aromatics of a good Nebbiolo. Dark fruit, but not in any way fruit forward. Some tannins showing. Good acidity. In a way, seems not yet mature, Doubtful it will get better, though.

6/21/2016 - pape du neuf wrote:

A rustic wine that is neither over the hill, nor will it get better. More than a whiff of VA upon opening. Saturated ripe fruit underlined by coarse tannins that intrude rather than adding balance. Except that the fruit was not cooked, reminded me of '03s.
It actually went fine with grilled beef fajitas, but not a wine for elegant meals.

3/3/2016 - pape du neuf wrote:

Rich and dark for a Chianti. Plenty of forward fruit. Not a style for aging. A whiff of VA, and earthiness that could come from the native yeast, or could be a hint of brett showing through, giving a rustic impression. Some might actually like the aromatic lift given by the VA, and leathery complexity Relatively high 14.5% ABV. My wife liked it less than I did.

5/6/2015 - pape du neuf wrote:

Surprisingly full and lush. Still with acidity to back it up, and not showing the high alcohol in any bad way. A bit of baked apple, that I think comes from extra ripe grapes, not oxidation. Wish I had a case of this.

1/26/2015 - pape du neuf wrote:

Vivid color. Ripe berries, ripe, but tart. No overt oak. Settles down with food.
Seems young, but since I'm not familiar with the grape I have no way of knowing how it will develop.

9/22/2014 - pape du neuf Likes this wine:

This bottle was in the drinking window. Tannins faded, fruit showing. I always worry about Falesco wines because of inconsistency, but this time I got elegance, balance, and lots of Cabernet character.

6/5/2014 - pape du neuf wrote:

Dark in color, and structured for an '06, which I expected from Momtazi. Did not show the heat, VA, or pruney tendencies of many '06 Oregon Pinots. Still, on the hefty side and leaning closer to California than Burgundy. Lots of deep cherry fruit, with vanilla and toast from oak that has not yet fully integrated.
I've been drinking up my '06 OR pinots for fear they are cracking up, but this one is not only holding up, it seemed to need additional time.
Paired with grilled chicken thighs. Big enough to stand up to red meat.

5/29/2014 - pape du neuf wrote:

Tasted again from another bottle opened by the same friends. Same impressions, but I'm surprised that it does not seem to have aged a bit, despite the lack of structure. I bumped up the rating because it didn't fall apart as I expected. An easy wine to like, if lacking the complexity expected from a wine of the price.
I find this listed as a Nebbiolo blend, but it is only 5% Nebbiolo.
It is really Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc, and Nebbiolo, in that order.

5/23/2014 - pape du neuf Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Deep in color, no bricking. At first sniff I was worried by a hint of the VA that mars so many WV '06 Pinots, but underneath was deep pure fruit, centering on black cherry. Adequate acidity to keep it from becoming cloying. Oak and tannins are both fully integrated.
Prime time to drink this wine.

5/19/2014 - pape du neuf wrote:

From the library collection at Eyrie. That means it was selected and inspected, and not indicative of the average condition of bottles this old.
First surprise, only slightly oxidized. Second surprise, fruit was still expressive, citrus, green apple and pear. The acidity was still crackling, which is what kept it so fresh. It evolved in the glass rather than fading.
This wine was enjoyable per se, not just as a curiosity from the past.