10/1/2014 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Found this in a club pack previously forgotten. Sidebar and Hal's blind tasting in Venice. Remarkably fresh for a 2010. Not bad, but glad I didn't lose track of any more of these.

10/1/2014 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Darker and more full-bodied than the 2007. Black fruit, very smooth mid-palate and remarkably well-balanced.

10/1/2014 - alwebb2000 wrote:

2nd place in blind Meritage (and CA bordeaux blend's) at Hal's in Venice Beach.

8/2/2014 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Not a good bottle. Over the hill.

8/2/2014 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Found a neglected bottle of this. It's finished.

7/22/2014 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Still tight at first. Opened up nicely over the first hour. Smooth, substantial fruit, nice finish.

7/9/2014 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Finished 2nd in blind tasting of Australian and California Syrah to the 04 Killikanoon Testament, but only by half a point. Rich, full bodied, and smooth.

7/8/2014 - alwebb2000 wrote:

One of the true hidden gems...

7/6/2014 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Nose a bit flat and has lost a lot of fruit. Not the zin I tasted at the winery. One more bottle to see if this was an anomaly.

5/29/2014 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Just finishing this bottle. Started on it last night, and it's even better today than yesterday.. Jeb Dunnuck of Wine Advocate had this at 88 points and called it old as of 2014. BS!

Clean beautiful aroma and still pure, fresh and rich --- but incredible persistence -- A finish that's lasting well over 2 minutes which is about as long as I can stand not having another sip. No wonder it's sold out. Dang it; bottle's empty!! On to the remainder of the Grenache Rose...

Drank it rather cool - about 50 degrees.

2/19/2014 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Not the same wine I tasted at the winery. Took to a blind tasting of 16 Nor Cal Pinots - Tight, rustic...never opened up.

1/17/2007 - alwebb2000 wrote:

This stuff was sure much better than the other tasting note. We bought a case, drank some and game some away to friends who tasted it. Much better than the NV.

8/22/2013 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Brilliant effort still going strong. Drank at the end of dinner at Luciana's in Dana point - a dessert in itself. Lots of boysenberry though not at all jammy. Just wonderful aromatics.

7/31/2013 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Big nose of blackberries and spice and noticeable alcohol. Bold and burly on the palate, that accompanied spicy lamb sausage pizza perfectly. Nicely balanced despite the alcohol. If you like a big, fruity complex Zinfandel, look no further.

7/17/2012 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Took this wine to a Southern Rhone blind tasting. Blew away two Parker 95 CDP's. Sadly I was unable to pick out this wine as even new world much less Paso. Beautifully aromatic, smooth, balanced. 4 first place votes out of the 11 wines present. The group bought 18 bottles. WOTN and best bottle I've opened so far.

12/22/2012 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Absolutely stunning. After 2 hours in decanter everything in perfect balance.

12/11/2012 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Nice with age, very aromatic black fruit, smooth and luscious on the palate, though slightly alcoholic towards the finish. Of 17 zins tasted, this was in the top 4 on most charts

10/7/2012 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Excellent pairing with Sausage and Ricotta Mannicotti

10/6/2012 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Absolultely delicious... long finish.. Memorable

7/29/2012 - alwebb2000 wrote:

No real fruit left in this one...

6/2/2012 - alwebb2000 wrote:

BIG nose of Boysenberry dominates with secondary cherry component balanced by the acidity. Nice minerality and lengthy finish. I'd say nailed this one. It's an outstanding value.

4/27/2012 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Tasted at Wally's Napa tasting. Very nice red fruit intensity up front, fades on the mid-palate without much of a finish. For ripe, fruity, vanilla and oak.. you may enjoy this. Others in our group did. We were not fans especially at this price point.

4/9/2012 - alwebb2000 wrote:

An excellent Zinfandel. This still has amazing fruit at 8 years old! Deep rich flavors yet still light on the palate. Spicy and delicious!

3/31/2012 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Not good at all.

12/28/2011 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Delicious aroma, depth,complexity and finish. Drank this over 2 days.

1/1/2009 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Not particularly good. No real fruit at all. Perhaps just not my style.

3/28/2012 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Drank over about a year or more. Even pretty good after all that time.

3/25/2012 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Opened at Christmas. Very closed and not ready.

12/15/2010 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Nice nose though the wife thought it a bit funky. Tart cherry and medium bodied. A little bitter on the finish. Did not improve with air so next night blended with a La Chirapada New Mexican Reisling. Smoothed out the tartness and added a bit to the finish.

7/6/2008 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Still driking pretty well

7/5/2008 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Forrest floor, mushrooms, and an earthy quality dominate, not nearly as fruit forward as the 93. More restrained and similar to a decent Northern Rhone in style.

7/3/2008 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Tasting very well.

6/29/2008 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Better the second day and warmer than fridge temp.

6/29/2008 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Because of secondary fermentation problems, my cousin had 2 bottles explode the corks in his wine closet. I found my three also had corks pushed out about 1/4 inch. Opened all 3 which were all bad. Called the winery for replacement/refund. They are well aware of this problem.

6/29/2008 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Drank over several days. Just okay. 90pts WS

6/29/2008 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Tight and very peppery. Good black fruit, but better overnight

6/29/2008 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Not bad, but better as it warmed up a little

6/19/2008 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Tasted this out of both a regular burgundy glass and a Riedel Oregon Pinot glass. The difference was PHENOMENAL. Fragrance jumped from the Riedel glass. MUCH better than the 89 from WA. Bought 5 more.

6/7/2008 - alwebb2000 wrote:

An excellent Cerise. Designed to drink while waiting for the Pinots to age awhile, we found this a very nice summer quaffing choice. Fruit forward, with semi-serious structure--very tasty.

6/1/2008 - alwebb2000 wrote:

2000 Cabernet Sauvignon – is a distinctly masculine wine, though with some elements of interesting ambiguity, like Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean. Sweet fruit-wood smoke with licorice-tar & other grand aromatics of tobacco & leather, a medley of ripe, black berries & cassis in a finely carved cedar cask, & perhaps a trace of mint & something of lavender? This Cabernet is so extracted & dark that you cannot see though it unless you hold your glass above your head at a sharp horizontal angle, looking up through a thin layer of wine in your tilted glass towards a bright light, thus revealing its limpid clarity. Occasionally, some of the fine liquid will spill upon your pate, in which case consider yourself properly anointed. Grapes: the Lone Madrone Vineyard in the York Mountain appellation west of Paso Robles. Aged: barrel fermented & aged 43 months in oak. Ageability: longer than most of us.
Bottle Price: $75

3/20/2008 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Thought it was actually pretty good.

6/4/2007 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Very nice, among the drier zins. Nice berries forward with, minerals and soft tannin on the finish. Seems to get better with each sip...

6/4/2007 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Opened this the other night after a couple of years in the cellar. I remember thinking so may of John Munch's other wines were better that during the barrel tasting, but WOW..it really was excellent! For the $20 I paid, a best buy for sure. Very sorry it's my last one.

5/14/2007 - alwebb2000 wrote:

I'm not sure awful begins to describe it, but.... we turned it into cooking wine and opened a 2003 Pipestone Syrah instead.. 90 for the Pipeston

3/3/2007 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Near Swill

2/17/2007 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Excellent Cabernet Merlot Cabernet Franc Blend 34/33/33% Blend -- Special Tasting with Winemaker Greg

2/16/2007 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Man this stuff was bad. My friend ended up mixing it with 7-up. Evidently makes a dandy wine cooler.

1/19/2007 - alwebb2000 wrote:

Not NEARLY as good as the 2001 Vintage