11/6/2021 - KillerJones Likes this wine:

This is one of those bottles that once opened and tasted, should transport you to the Left bank. Even before decanting, the plum, pepper & earthy oak are already present in an extremely rich, yet balanced way.

On the tongue are notes of dark fruit, mocha chocolate, and oak. There are hints of bright cherry and pepper sprinkled throughout. On day 2, the chocolate takes a back seat; the dark fruits and oak find a nice, tasty balance; and the pepper takes over. To think it is still young, right?

Drinks likes twice the price.

9/24/2021 - df1962 wrote:

PnD let air for 3hrs.

Clear deep ruby.

Clean. Medium(+) intensity with aromas of cassis blackberry pate des fruits thyme tar tobacco and vanilla.

Dry. Medium(+) tannins. Medium(+) acidity. Medium alcohol. Medium body. Medium(+) intensity with flavours of cassis blackberry blood thyme jasmine tea and coconut.

Medium(+) finish with lingering cassis black tea and herbal notes. Very good drink now suitable for further ageing. Fresh with nice tertiary elements and balance. Great window over the next five years. Nice reminder of why you need to be patient with BDX.

9/3/2021 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine:

What a surprise. I believe this was in the WS Top 100. Blind I would have called a Guado al Tasso 2016. Deep purple colour. The tannins are extremely fine and present. Lots of concentrated blue fruits and black olives. High quality oak. Will need more time to become a little more complex; 5-7 years. Excellent QPR.

6/20/2021 - df1962 wrote:

Two bottles for earl Father's Day family dinner. Decanted both and let air for 3hrs. Turns out one was corked. Replacement was a PnP.

Both bottles were great and consistent with previous notes. Air does bring everything nicely into focus which bodes well for future ageing.

11/21/2020 - KillerJones Likes this wine:

From the WS ‘Winemaker of the Year’ (Congrats, Greg… it's about time) comes a blend of three vineyards: Hapgood, 3-D & Machado.

With whole cluster fermentation & neutral barrels , this strikes up the floral, fragrant side of pinot, with a nose of pomegranate, white tea, & raspberry – almost “Campari-esque” aromatics.

Expect a mid-weight palate that is firm & dusty, leafy and strawberry-tinged...carrying a very good to almost excellent length.

Enjoy over the next three years. 😊 (I know i will)

3/11/2021 - ptm wrote:

This is a delight - well balanced, uncomplicated. I believe it is at it's prime now. I would not hold it for more than another year or two.

11/27/2020 - bboard wrote:

Wine is apparently made for US market (supposely exact same as Hypothesis) - somehow made available to BCLS for the holidays (either didn't sell well and return to BC or never left BC).

Regardless tried 2 bottles from same store, from same case. Both seems corked. Aroma was decent, black fruits, cherry, vanilla oak. Taste was very different. High acidity, little to no fruit, some tannin and good bitterness on the back end. Tasted over 24 days for both samples. Returned to store.

3/3/2020 - geoffjb Likes this wine:

Deep ruby with a very slight orange tinge at the rim. Aromas were complex and medium intensity, with a perfect blend of fruit and earth, including ripe blackberries, cinnamon, clove, forest floor, molasses, black currant, and rich tobacco. On the palate: oak, blackberries, and black currant. Acidity starts low and grows to medium-plus at its peak. It was a bit hot and bone dry, with full body, a long finish, and silky and ripe tannins that are experienced in the gums. There's a great development of flavours, with the molasses lingering on the long finish. Another great wine from Tinhorn.

11/22/2019 - bboard Likes this wine:

No detail notes - first of six bottles. Closest German riesling alike we have found in BC. Plenty of signature acidity from Tantalus, with enough sweetness to balance it out. Our preference is this over Tantalus Old vine riesling.

7/2/2020 - bboard Likes this wine:

Decanted with aerator, waited 1 hour prior to consumption, served slightly on the chilled side. Color was slightly brickish (partly due to low lighting also). More red fruit than black fruit, unmistakenly Tuscany, noticeable acidity, tannin doesn't really come through until the finish, feels like a really really good chianti classico (or a young Brunello). Body is med/med+, finishes med/med+. Slightly disappointed. Saved 1/3 bottle for Day 2, re-cork and kept in fridge.

Day 2 tastes fantastic. Pronounced black fruits and dominates over the red fruits. Great balance of power, acidity, and fruits. Med+ to full body, finishes med+ to long. Finishes with some smoke, herbs, leather, licorice.

Day 1 threw us off a bit with the color thinking this bottle aged quicker, but the fact Day 2 is much much better wine confirms that this is a young wine right now if consumed same night. Recommend long decant to really see how this wine shines.

I would move drinking windows starting 2023-2025 until some long long years ahead

7/7/2020 - df1962 wrote:

PnD at Minerva’s with MB

Wow great depth complexity balance and finish. Bridges the gap between old and new world beautifully. Intense black and red fruits with savoury notes. Over scored by JS but still awesome.

3/31/2020 - bboard wrote:

Compare to note from Apr 2019, wine definitely improved... more fruits to balance out the wine. That bitterness still there. Med body, med length finish, ok tannin. Still a little disappointed for my palate, not a re-buy for me (although I wouldn't hesitate to taste again from friend's stash)

11/10/2019 - bboard Likes this wine:

1 hour decant. Bold, fruit forward, dark red fruits, cherries. Medium long finish. New world style. Smooth tannins. Round and soft. Very enjoyable even though our preference is elegant classic type of Pinot.

4/16/2019 - Francois Le Mouel wrote:

Maybe the first time I'm not super impressed by a Little Engine wine. The attack is overwhelming because of the alcohol level (14.9%)...and it remains a distraction on the mid-palate as well. The nose is not very complex, with dominant notes of raspberries and espresso. On the palate, the first thing you notice is the richness, the low acidity (which makes the wine a little heavy throughout the tasting) and some bitterness due to the high alcohol level. The texture is quite polished without any aggressive tannins. Medium length on the finish. I'm puzzled with what to do with my other bottle...IMHO it doesn't have the balance to be cellared for 10 years, so I'll wait a year or two and see if it improves a bit. At $45 a bottle, I wouldn't recommend it...it would be MUCH wiser to buy a Laughing Stock Portfolio, a Painted Rock Cab Sauv or even a Black Hills Punch Down Red at almost half the price.

2/2/2020 - df1962 wrote:

PnD let air for 3hrs.

Cherry blood and iron on the nose and palate. Nose has a slight floral note and is better than the palate. Not much body or finish.

Not a patch on the 2016. Not a re-buy.

2/9/2020 - geoffjb Likes this wine:

This was my first experience with Painted Rock, a winery with a very generous wine club (as a member, you get a standard discount and only have to commit to six bottles per year). I look forward to visiting the winery this July.

I love B.C. Syrah and this one did not disappoint. It was deep purple with a thin rim. Aromas were pronounced: most noticeably, sour cherry, tobacco, black pepper, and raw beef (steak, not ground). The palate was complex, with pronounced flavours of sour cherry, black pepper, raspberry, green almond, black tea, and cola. Acidity was medium and fresh. Alcohol was high but not disjointed. It was bone dry and full bodied, with medium tannins that were astringent and green. The finish was medium-plus in length—I would likely rate it as long if the astringency of the tannins didn't get in the way.

This is a very good wine that will get better with at least one to two years in the cellar. In a few years, I imagine I would rate this 92 or 93. It was an exciting wine to drink and enjoy, with each sip bringing something new. This is one to buy by the case.

12/10/2019 - df1962 wrote:

PnD 2/3 of the bottle. Let air for 90mins. Drank over 90mins.

Consistent with previous note. Nice figgy torrefication notes. Balanced ripeness lots of complexity. Huge value.

4/13/2019 - bboard Likes this wine:

Surprisingly accessible even with 30 mins decant. Great dark fruits, good tannin, vanilla oak (although the oak is a little much ... for now). Not super complex at this stage, was hoping to find some herbs or complexity after the fruits. Great with steaks now, and quite curious how this develops over time. 14.9% alcohol listed, but didn't feel it was "hot". Well made IMHO.

4/16/2019 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine:

Excellent Pinot Noir offering a good dose of complexity, freshness and fun. It's the perfect mix of old and new world. The alcohol level is a bit high to my taste (14.9%), but it's almost perfectly integrated and you don't really notice it. Once again, Little Engine doesn't disappoint. I would recommend to enjoy this wine over the next 3-4 years.

1/19/2019 - df1962 wrote:

PnD let air for 30 mins.

Dried cherry Bing cherry plum raspberry ganache anise and tar on the intense developing nose.

Dry. High acidity. Medium alcohol. Medium(+) tannnins. Medium body. Medium(+) intensity with flavours of cherry plum raspberry and tar. Youthful. Medium finish. This needs time or tons of air.

Better on the nose. This is going to get way better. Case worthy.

Five days later fleshes out picks up soy and meaty notes with some floral notes. Wow. +2pts.

9/2/2018 - Bam_Man wrote:

I have not tasted any other vintage of Ruffino Modus since the '09. This is a very different wine now. Much more "modern" and New World in style. Inky and totally opaque in the glass. Very powerful and attractive scents of crushed dark fruits, earth, spice and vanilla on the nose. Full-bodied and very rich in texture. Almost syrupy. Definitely shows the ripeness of the vintage. There is plenty of delicious plum, blackberry and dark cherry fruit here. Mouth coating, with very good depth and intensity. The somewhat compact finish displays good length, with abundant, ripe, opulent fruit, a prominent black licorice note and velvety tannins that are just beginning to integrate. Quite enjoyable, though a bit one-dimensional and perhaps slightly over-done. Very good - and especially so at its modest $17 price point - but not even close to being the equal of the freakishly good 2007.
50+5+12+16+7=90

1/31/2018 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine:

Probably the most exciting Pinot Noir I had from LFNG. This is clearly new world in style, very exuberant, but with class as well. A couple of years in the cellar has been very beneficial. Everything is more integrated and polished than it was a few years ago. Still can be cellared for another few years.

12/22/2017 - man_in_snow Likes this wine:

Needs 3hrs decanting for fruit to wake up. Pepper spice note, Ripe black currant.

2/10/2017 - bboard wrote:

Blind tasting vs 2014 Ornellaia Le Volte (similar blend except Cab Franc, similar price range). While all of us did guess correctly, it wasn't without debate and second guessing. Fortissimo does shows lots of Tuscan notes... along with floral & minty aroma. Med body, med length finish. Its well made. There's a core fruit sweetness to it (Is it a La Stella thing?), and in the end that gave it away this was BC. This bottle also had this hint of cough syrup? cherry cola? (I can't quite put into words). Love to try an older vintage to see how it'll evolve.

2/17/2017 - df1962 wrote:

PnD. Pre drink. Ripe fresh and in a real good delicious spot. Still has life.

3/22/2016 - df1962 wrote:

PnD let air in the glass for 1hr. Dark crimson not saturated with clear rim. Bitter cherry nose with a burnt tar note on the nose. Medium(-) weight with cherry skin tannin. Sour cherry raspberry bitter herbal accents on the palate. Gained some richness and complexity with air as some of the burnt tar funk blew off. Think the last 1/3 of the bottle will be better tomorrow. Initially a bit on the simple side of Montepulciano with out some depth and complexity the Merlot was intended to bring.

2 days later - what a difference. Funks has disappeared. More integrated with depth of fruit and more complexity while maintaining a pleasing freshness.+3 pts.

1/16/2016 - bboard Likes this wine:

30 mins decant. Tasted vs 2013 Black Hills Syrah. No details notes. more Rhone style, fresh floral aroma, round mouthful, tasted herbs, vanilla, coffee, finish med(+), can be drank now but probably needs a good year or two.

8/19/2015 - bboard wrote:

Drank over multiple evenings. Muted fruits, slightly thin, acidic, graphite-like, tobacco finish, medium body on day 1. Re-corked left on kitchen counter for day 2, much more pronounce fruits, more mouthful, tamer tannin. Winner day 2 for sure, don't see get much better or much worst either - should drink up if your palates needs some fruits...

6/14/2015 - bboard wrote:

Started drinking with only 30 mins decant. Medium-dark color, medium body, little tannin initially (but finally showed up by the last glass 90 mins after opening) and turned into well-balanced wine with medium tannin. Most CT notes are right that's its sweet, but its really a hint of sweetness that doesn't overpower everything else. Really recommend 1hr+ decant before consumption, as wine is much much more balanced then. Chocolate Cocoa flavour finish. Very enjoyable, unfortunately only bottle consumed. IMHO, wine can wait for another year+ at minimum.

1/4/2015 - df1962 Likes this wine:

PnD let air for 6hrs. Deep garnet claret purple not saturated with a crimson to clear rim. Cassis plums espresso and a whiff of cedar on the nose. Medium with with slightly gritty tannins. Cassis plums cherries espresso herbs and cedar on the palate. Much more integrated and less candied than previous bottle. Great with a grilled T-bone. What a difference 6 months makes. Would buy again.

11/20/2014 - Motz wrote:

From a half. Out of the bottle this showed candied tropical fruits, especially pineapple and mango, ripe persimmon, and spice. It came off a touch thin, with angular alcohol. Two plus hours of air made a significant difference, allowing the wine to reveal its potential. It put on weight, showed better integration, and added depth, including appealing nuttiness and mincemeat notes. A very young wine; the component parts are present but need time to come together. If scoring for right now, 92-93. With several years of cellaring it could merit a 94 point score. At this price point, it might be worth cellaring a few bottles. Recommend holding until 2018. 92-94.