3/29/2024 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Not bad. Not great. Very mellow. No acid. Has not developed the complexity one would hope for in an aged Riesling. Tastes like gourmet apple juice.

3/27/2024 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

May have hit its peak. Good, but not as good as 18 mos ago. Rather than opening up over a few hours it went a bit flat, lost its balanced oomph, which is what made it great.

3/5/2024 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Classic big RRV pinot. Drink now.

12/17/2023 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Heavy juice. Nicer tertiary components arising with age but still some heat. Could settle into something great in a few years or may have already peaked.

11/14/2023 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Medium body, sour cherry similar to 3 years ago but now with nice tertiary flavors. Leather, tobacco, mushroom. Great QPR.

11/8/2023 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Agree with prior notes. Excellent night one. Precipitous drop on night two after pumping air. Drink now.

10/26/2023 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Easy drinker. Good value. Pairs well w red sauce pasta.

10/9/2023 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Quintessential RRV Pinot. Big red fruit, well-balanced, in a good spot. Paired well with grilled salmon, of course.

9/18/2023 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Brick red. Smells like violets, fresh leather and chambord. Tastes like raspberry jam, cigar box and beef broth. Well balanced tannins and lots of acidity. This has a lot of life left. Wish I had more.

9/16/2023 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Well-aged, still big flavors of cassis, blackberry, vanilla and a bit of eucalyptus but now also some leather and earth. Color turning from purple to purple-crimson. Maintaining acid and balance. Seems at its peak but will hold for several years.

7/16/2023 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Lemon, toast, oak, decent acidity. Very good. From 375.

7/9/2023 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Deep red color, raspberries and flowers on the nose. Taste disappoints. Flat. Rather like a thin low budget pommard. Not bad, just not very good.

5/22/2023 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Not much going on. Some savory flavors. Not awful but not worth the calories. Boring. From 375.

4/29/2023 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Benefitted from some time. Peaking. Great balance of red cherry with savory notes and acidity. Light but full. Excellent with grilled salmon.

3/27/2023 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Excellent. Well balanced classic CA cab. Fruit and earth and tannin and acid perfectly integrated over 13 years. Should continue to peak for at least a few more, but no reason to wait. Paired well with NY Strip and Jackson’s fondant potatoes.

3/7/2023 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Big but balanced. Tasty.

3/7/2023 - BillyRayValentine Likes this wine:

Agree with recent tasting notes. Better first night than second. Drink soon.

2/5/2023 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Agree w tasting note from Tony Ling. Very enjoyable pinot. Would drink now. Fruit is still there but softening - the faint bitter tinge at the end is not softening.

1/8/2023 - BillyRayValentine Likes this wine:

Red fruits, nice acidity, well balanced. Elegant Sonoma coast pinot. Drinking well now.

12/26/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Lemon zest, honeysuckle, bitter apple, burnt toast, flint, gravel and graphite. Very mineral forward. Low acid. Thin. Better, richer, on night two, so might have more time to improve, or not. Meh to disappointing.

12/20/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Aging well. Still nice amount of cherry, and acid to balance with sage, mushroom and earthy flavors developing. Excellent pairing with grilled salmon.

12/13/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Much much better than 18 months ago. High hopes for the next few years. From 375.

12/10/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Wow. What a difference 30 minutes makes. Astringent and unpleasant immediately after opening. After 15-30 minutes it smooths out and sings. Agree with recent tasting notes on flavor profile. This is an amazing wine, should carry for several years but in a perfect spot now. Paired beautifully with skirt steak and fondant potatoes, courtesy of Chef Jackson.

12/1/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

A Thanksgiving disappointment. Meh at best. Fruit fell flat, tannic, low acid, boring. Did not even finish the bottle. Cheap for a Grand Cru Burg, and it shows. Not a deal. Bad QPR.

12/1/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

A bit past its prime or in a funky spot. Good but not amazing. Better 5 years ago. Some fruit still there but mostly faded along with the acid. Dusty.

12/1/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

PnP with 10 minute wait in glass. Equally good on night 2 after air pumped. Recent tasting notes are spot on. Nothing more to add other than it’s in a sweet spot now, lots of life left but no reason to wait.

11/30/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

No acid, hint of sweetness under lots of oak. Maybe a bit past it’s prime but would not have liked it any better with more fruit. Poor QPR.

11/17/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Agree w flavor descriptions of more recent notes. One of the better Patz vineyards. Red fruit. Not a fruit bomb. Balanced. Did not get excessive heat, maybe has mellowed. In a great place at the moment.

11/17/2022 - BillyRayValentine Likes this wine:

Agree with recent tasting notes. Happily surprised. Rich but well balanced and complex, peak drinking window. Excellent.

11/9/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Meh. Kinda flat, low acid. Better two years ago.

11/6/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Less fruit and funk, more leather, smoother, peaking.

11/6/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Great QPR.

10/20/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

No decant. Let bottle breathe for 30+ mins at restaurant. Excellent out the gate, improved in the glass. Paired well with Osso Bucco and lamb chops at Stella Alpina. Agree with notes from Rocknroller and Bellissimo. Peaking now but believe this will hold for several years.

10/16/2022 - BillyRayValentine Likes this wine:

Nice juice. Fruit has mellowed, secondary flavors relatively soft Not sure it has the stuffing to go much longer. Would drink now.

9/25/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Agree with recent tasting notes. Classic RRV pinot. Big cherry but well balanced. Paired well with grilled salmon night one and pork chops night two.

9/18/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Sour cherry, rhubarb, clove, nutmeg and a balancing hint of bacon grease. Flinty finish. Nice wine.

9/18/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

In a good spot.

6/14/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Oxidized. Bad cork seal. Bummer.

6/7/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Still going strong. Excellent QPR.

6/1/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Killer QPR. Agree with recent tasting notes but don’t think the fruit is lacking, it has always been a more feminine Bordeaux, and fruit is integrating well for its age. May be peaking but bet it will go for a few more years. Pairs well with a simple skirt steak, pork roast, or pasta bolognese with mushrooms. Save something bigger - or younger - for the ribeyes.

3/6/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Agree with flavor descriptions in prior notes. Starting to develop tertiary flavors. I typically like that, but this wine shines more for me when the fruit takes a front seat. That is starting to change. This wine is great but was better for me a few years ago.

3/2/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Smooth. Cherries, cocoa, hint of leather, high ETH but doesn’t taste like it. Balanced.

2/13/2022 - BillyRayValentine Likes this wine:

Agree w prior note from Lmaybaum. Rich, complex, mellow. Would drink now, peaked or peaking.

1/27/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Might be over the hill already.

1/16/2022 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Agree w note from Papablue2. Dark and sour cherry, leather, cigar box, drinking great now. From 375. Not sure I would hold these too much longer.

12/25/2021 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Drank a while ago and forgot to post note. Remember it was well balanced and being very pleased for the price.

12/25/2021 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Brick red, light cherry, oak and earth. A bit of heat. Decent acidity. Secondary flavors already starting to take lead. Cork was in good shape, but wine seems older than its true age. Like I feel after too much wine. Will drink the rest over the next year.

12/12/2021 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Rich dark red color leads to surprisingly light strawberry rhubarb nose and flavor. Oak. High acidity, which I usually like, but not enough fruit to balance. Good QPR at $30. Not good QPR at CT average price of over $70.

12/4/2021 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Agree w prior note from Derek Darth Taster. Red brick color and incredible amount of sediment after sitting undisturbed in cellar for over 10 years. Drink now. May have already peaked.

11/28/2021 - BillyRayValentine wrote:

Nice wine. Less fruit than typical central coast pinot but still has weight. Raspberry, light cherry, rose petals, stem, earth and oak.