4/12/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Opened and tasted wine at cellar temp. Started out good and got better as bottle and glass warmed. Fragrant nose and medium bodied on the palette. At just cooler than room temp, it is really nice. Citrus and pear with an unexpected plushness. But not enough acid or minerality for a Sancerre to generate a higher score. Very Paul Lato like. Was great with dinner of marinated and grilled chicken thighs.

3/28/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Very Nice sauv blanc. Floral nose with pear, melon, and apple. Medium body with palette adding some lemongrass. Fresh and bright with a fairly long finish. Would be better if it was complicated with some minerality or salinity. Excellent QPR.

3/9/2024 - BordeauxBoy wrote:

Consist with prior note.

3/9/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Tasted at winery last September with Chris Upchurch. Bought a whole case and I almost never buy a whole case of anything. Let settle in my cellar until this first bottle. Opened and after a couple hours of slow ox, it was singing. Opened up a little further in the glass. As described before, incredible nose and a consistent, delicious palate and long finish. Young, so tannin and acid are still discernable but alcohol is already well hidden. Gonna wait to start drinking the rest in about 5-15 years (or longer) to see how they evolve. Expecting a little more Red Mountain terroir to emerge that would merit a score closer to WA. What an incredible value that will keep me interested in future vintages. Hero Twins was only slightly better.

3/3/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Simple. Not too ripe. Tasty. Ready to drink. Ribeye recommended.

3/3/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

This is just starting to come around. Double decanted for 1.5 hours, recorked, and then pulled cork again for another hour after driving to a friends house for dinner. So 3-3.5 hours of total air time prior to drinking. Really, really good. Deep strawberry and cassis on nose and pallet, very subtle oak with BdM dry earthiness that compliments the fruit so well. Secondary flavors just starting to peak out and tannin and acid have resolved. I'd say this is just at the beginning of a wonderful decade long window that could see some improvement for more aged Brunello drinkers. I'm looking forward to future drinking with this in my cellar.

3/3/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Popped but did not decant. Started tasting after 1.5 hours. Delicious red fruit on the nose and pallet and quite opposite from a big ripe fruit forward CaliPinot. Oregon earthiness is not quite like Burgundy but nicely prominent throughout even at this young age. May get better after a few years but excellent now. Glad I have more!

2/18/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

My last bottle :-(

2/18/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

This is still evolving in a fantastic way. Opened and slow Ox'd for about a half hour. Wine opened up in the glass after that. Beautiful dark fruit and cassis berry flavor along with evolving and complimentary light earthiness. Hoping for a little more complexity in the future before the fruit start to fade in the next decade. I really liked this wine with our grilled lamb chop dinner and it held up side by side with the 2010 Vigna Paganelli and 2012 Beaucastel. A really nice international comparison.

2/18/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Two points higher than my 2017 rating. Still a little disappointed because there is little Chateauneuf distinction vs. Clos des Papes or Pegau. Would've rated it another two points higher if it did. It is delicious with beautiful fruit that is not over powering, and some secondary flavors starting to evolve. Seems like the Syrah component is stronger than usually found. Finish is long and strong. Its a very sexy wine but this bottle is not what I'd expect from CdP. Opened for two hours before starting to drink with a 2010 Vigna Paganelli, and a 2012 Keenan Reserve Cab. Thinking the fruit will start to recede as it continues to evolve and should go for another 5 years.

2/18/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Brought to dinner by a friend and I opened on the spot...was very tight. Started drinking after an hour in a decanter (and a bourbon and half of a bottle of 2012 Beaucastel), and it had opened considerably. Second taste was even better and after the second hour, it was really pretty. Excellent fruit with smooth tannin. Killer pairing with grilled lamb chops. An excellent representative of high quality BdM.

2/15/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Huge Wine. Will take three days of tooth brushing and a session at the whitener to remove the purple stain on my teeth. Not my style but others at dinner loved it.

2/15/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Huge Howell mountain fruit forward wine that is not ready for prime time if you like ‘em with age and complexity. Perfect if you lean towards big fruit.

2/15/2024 - BordeauxBoy wrote:

Atypical CdP. Light and young fruit forward with no real guts here.. Tasted blind with 5 other experienced tasters and all thought big Cali Pinot. Person who brought it said it had some barnyard upon opening but tasted completely different after a half hour. Bright red fruit. Tasty wine but not very CdP like.

2/15/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Proper cellaring makes all the difference. This is fantastic. Brought to blind tasting and everyone guessed Bordeaux. Fruit is still amazing even 5 hours after opening. Wish I had more. Another 5 years of prime drinking if well cellared. P.S. this is not the first vintage of Cardinale.

2/15/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Starter at a wine tasting with friends. Wine maker worked at Schramsberg and is putting that experience to good use. This is excellent, dry, with 0 dosage. Doesn’t have the yeast/brioche character of French but the Chardonnay fruit is stunning and fresh. A new world sparkler that is delicious.

2/15/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

This has turned into a beautiful, elegant wine with pure fruit, resolved tannins, and almost Cabernet like secondary flavors of tobacco and cedar that hide the alcohol so well. Along with Carlisle, this is the crème de la crème of zin. Excellent!

2/15/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Still very primary. Tasted blind with 5 other experienced winos and all of us guessed Napa. I had the vintage but all others thought younger. Well cellared. Opened 5 hrs. before tasting. No obvious Bordeaux characteristics at all at this point…not even terroir…just huge fruit. Is this a truly Parkerized wine? If I had some, would not touch it for at least 10 more years.

2/10/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Very nice. Same as earlier rating.

2/6/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Opened a second bottle a couple days later to confirm my first impressions. This wine seems to have come through the dumb phase well and it's open for business for young Bordeaux drinkers. 3 hour decant and tasted over the next 2 hrs. with friends. Beautiful young dark fruit with the beginning of some secondary flavors. Nice terroir as well. Tannins still loom large but not bitter or overpowering. Never known Lascombes to be as ageable as other Margaux wines so I'll drink my last 4 bottles 5-10 years from now.

2/5/2024 - BordeauxBoy wrote:

Purchased upon release from winery. Maybe a little bottle variation as this last one is a little better, less tart, than the last two. Still big fruit but not much else to be excited about. Expensive for the rating and other vintages I've have have been a lot better. This was just OK and would be more disappointed if I purchased in a restaurant for a lot more money.

2/4/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

A very feminine, gentle Barolo. After 15 minutes of air, the floral nose began to jump from the Pinot glass I used. If had tasted blind would have guessed Barbaresco. Nice Qpr. Strawberry dominant red fruit on palette. Brickish in color already and tannins are slight with little acidity. Suspect this is already at peak and will only go another few years.

2/4/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Nice young Brunello that needs a couple of hours to open up. Great Qpr that drinks way above it price. Lower acidity suggests the it may not age as well as other Brunellos. Glad I bought a bunch that I'll drink over the next 10 years.

2/4/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Opened for 4 hours but did not decant before drinking and it got even better as the evening went on. Nice dark fruit, a little more savory than sweet. The limited terroir characteristic keeps this from scoring higher but can definitely tell it's a nice young left bank bordeaux. Expect this to go another 10+ years at a high level.

1/28/2024 - BordeauxBoy wrote:

It's just OK...but nothing remarkable. Have owned and been well cellared since release. Fruit and terroir are still there now but no evidence yet of nice secondary flavors going. Not sure it will either. The oak seems to be overtaking the fruit in an astringent way unfortunately. I'd either drink now if looking for more fruit or try again in 10 years to see if it was able to mature more gracefully.

1/28/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Still very young and thinking after 10 years of aging, this will be a much higher rating. Opened for three hours and drank over 2 more with other open wines. It kept improving. Don't think this will truly be a baby Grange as the Cabernet is way more dominant here...which in no way is a bad thing either. Nice fruit and still rather primary. Delicious now but will tuck my other bottles away for a while.

1/28/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Very good. Brought to dinner by a guest and dry cork crumbled upon opening so may have been an accelerated aging. Wine was initially in good shape with crimson edges but started to fade an hour after opening. So probably not a true rating compared to if it had been properly cellared. Although I read other ratings and it sounds like it was mature in '22 as well. It was still very good and tasted quite mature. Went well with our opening cheese course. I liked it a lot and just wonder how good it could have been.

1/28/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Carlisle Vineyard Estate is my favorite Zin, even better than Mancini, and I've tried a ton of different wines from Martinelli, WSelyem, Mauritson, Turley, etc...and this takes the cake for me. This is a more elegant style with little to no black pepper like many others. And the fruit and complex terroir are so pure and rich without being a fruit bomb or too ripe. Cut my teeth on Guiseppe and Louisa, moved to Jackass, and then graduated to Carlisle. They are all great but this is my favorite. Needs an hour of air. Delicious!

1/28/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

I liked this even better than my first rating. 13 year old and starting to fall into the mature end of it's drinking window. Nice balance between the fruit, oak, and earthiness it has developed. A really nice wine...wish I had more to drink now!

1/28/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Opened before dinner but did not decant, and started drinking about 1.5 hours after other Napa cabs with friends. It was just starting to open up and you could taste it in your glass over time as well. Needs probably 3 hours in a decanter. Excellent wine. Would not have guessed Spring mountain as the earthiness present suggested valley floor...almost Bordeaux like but not quite. I get the pyrazine aspect from an earlier rating but it is slight and adds to the complexity and enjoyment for me anyway. Was very complimentary with our after dinner cheese and chocolate.

1/28/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Very surprised I'm the first to rate this given it's quality and age. Delicious Howell Mountain fruit from one of my favorite vineyards. Opened for 2 hours, began tasting and was singing at 3 hours. Nice pure dark fruits with no typical blueberry(not my favorite) either. Not a lot of complexity but not a fruit bomb either as the tannins are settled and there is little to no acid present anymore. Just a beautiful Napa mountain fruit cab with a little age on it. Can go another 5 years in this form or 5 more to develop some secondary flavors. Was excellent now with our smoked brisket.

1/28/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Wow, this has really rounded into shape. That giant 2013 fruit has lessened and the wine has resolved itself. Nice Spring Mountain berry fruit still remains but now balanced with a slight earthiness, hints of tobacco and leather. Many people would guess Bordeaux if tasted blind. Pnp'd with guests and it was fantastic within 5 minutes in the glass. Seems to be about mid window with another 5 years to evolve...but delicious now.

1/26/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Niiice!!! Have owned this since release and it is really good...and it's not even the Palisades, as mentioned below. Decanted for an hour and drank with a dinner of beef burgundy. What a nice pairing. Beautiful fruit but not a fruit bomb in any way. A little monolithic but delicious none the less. Acid and tannins have nicely resolved. Drinking well now and probably has another decade to develop some secondary flavors.

1/23/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Always reliable!

1/23/2024 - BordeauxBoy wrote:

Has been a nice Qpr wine with plenty of pleasant dark fruit still there but starting to diminish. Made to drink young and we are getting past young. Drink up with your next burger or pizza!

1/23/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Had this wine a couple of years ago and I would have scored it higher. This last bottle was purchased directly from the winery and well cellared. That famous Paso Robles fruit has diminished and a little astringency has appeared without the development of any secondary flavors yet. Don't know if this is going through a dumb phase like a bordeaux but it wasn't as good as I recall from a couple years ago. Holding back on place in drinking window as I just plain don't know yet.

1/23/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Beautiful single vintage tawny style port that offers nice caramel, almond, and a tinge of orange that surprised me. Not too sweet which is more my style. In a good place now but could go another decade or longer without much improvement, if any. Delicious!

1/23/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

No doubt a CaliPinot. Big fruit even after 10 years but not sweet like a Golden Eye. Soft tannins that have this drinking really well right now but when the fruit starts to fade, in the next 5 years I'm guessing, there will be little else interesting to go on. Pull out some hardier protein or some heavy spices for dinner with this one.

1/23/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Opened with a 2001 Grange and what a beautiful contrast. The Grange is more my style because of the aging but this wine was incredible as well. Double decanted for a three hour period before drinking. Wonderful cassis berry in the front and darker plum in the mid, with a 60+ second fantastic finish. This would be a perfect wine for young CaliCab drinkers. There wasn't any significant acid present and the tannins had settled out well so I'd say there another decade of great drinking here but don't think it will evolve into a Grange!

1/23/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Opened with a 2016 B Cellars To Kalon and what a beautiful contrast. Both were excellent in their own way but aged Grange continues to be in my wheel house. Beautiful fruit with wonderful, complimentary savory flavors. Opened 2 hours before drinking and it was singing. The only thing that kept it from being a perfect 100pts was the lack of terroir like a top notch bordeaux. A world class wine that is completely resolved and should be at peak for another 5-10 years.

12/30/2023 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Had this wine at Barolo Grill in Denver and it was spectacular. Well resolved, medium bodied and elegant with beautiful red fruit as well as secondary flavors of mushroom and tar. Opened, decanted and had a cocktail while is aired out in our glasses and it was singing a half hour after opening. Also ordered the 2012 for comparison and while a good - 91, it still had some heavy grip, less fruit, and started fading in the third hour of dinner. The '10 (great vintage) just kept on humming along. Unfortunately, none left at retail in the country.

12/30/2023 - BordeauxBoy wrote:

Nice but not as good as the 2010 by far. Started strong but tannins didn't settle while the fruit faded in the 3rd hour.

12/24/2023 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Unctuous with sweet fruit. Paired well with our white cheeses.

12/24/2023 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Delicious. Paired well with our cheeses.

12/24/2023 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Can you say carmel! Surprising nose and thinking it is still quite young. Big fruit and tannin that didn’t even begin to subside over 5 hours. Did not decant and there was none left to taste the next day. Drank it all!!

12/24/2023 - BordeauxBoy wrote:

In a great place. Thought Bordeaux upon opening but started drinking about 1-1/2 hours later and the red fruit profile magically appeared. No decant. It was beautiful the rest of the night. Drink now.

12/24/2023 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Opened and drank over five hours w/o decanting. So good and early in a long drinking window like many ‘00s and will only get better in next 10-20 years.

12/24/2023 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

This is getting better with time as you would expect. Beautiful left bank fruit. Early in drinking window and I’d wait another 5 years to build more secondary flavors.

12/24/2023 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Early maturing with a garnet core and amber rim. Surprised but don’t think the wine had been damaged in any way. Not sure it can age a lot longer. Loved it!

12/24/2023 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine:

Nice wine. Clear orchard fruit but no brioche or nuttiness I’d normally associate with aged champagne. Years to go.