4/15/2024 - 716_cellar wrote:

Almost the same experience with this as the previous bottle and notes...just a bit heavy and muted compared to what I like from this region and varietal.

4/12/2024 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

My favorite hidden gem winery in the Finger Lakes region! Beautiful translucency in the glass, while showing a hint of age; bright cherry and cranberry notes on the nose that carry through to the palate; wonderful acidity. Looking forward to remaining bottles from Shaw and heading there soon for more...

3/23/2024 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Big, bold, fruit forward. Classic modern Napa blend...but not what I was hoping for.

3/15/2024 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Stellar...and continuing to improve.

2/23/2024 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Solid bottle with more life to go; Deep ruby in glass with little/no translucency, Rich dark fruits on the nose and palate, noticeable minerality underneath; long finish and med+ tannin. Price point too high today to acquire more of this, but it was enjoyable.

2/16/2024 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Another great bottle! This will evolve and continue to be great for quite some time...but very drinkable now.

1/29/2024 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Amazing wine! Cork was soft but I was able to remove with a standard corkscrew...very carefully...

Deep-purple in the glass with just a slight brownish tint on the rim; wonderful blackberry on the nose with a hint of cedar; black & blueberry on the palate; long finish. I'd suspect this wine might be just over it's peak, but will still be great for five more years! 2nd to only to Grange for me so far when it comes to Australian vino to date!...

1/21/2024 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Amazing Zin and QPR! Maybe a touch past it's peak...but still showing really well!

1/13/2024 - 716_cellar wrote:

Another bad bottle. Bought 6 of these from WineBid and threw away half. Luck of the draw I guess…

1/7/2024 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

A hidden gem and amazing QPR. Same notes as before…I think his might still improve more over the next couple years. Give it 30 minutes after opening.

12/28/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Drinking well. Give it an hour + to decant. Will still get better in the cellar from here!...

12/11/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Ripe cherry on the nose, with a hint of cocoa; dark fruits enter on the palate; silky smooth, medium acidity, lingering finish. Nose and early palate just like I recall form the winery years ago, but the notes and finish have only improved! Beautiful NOTL red here, which I had more!

11/24/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Great QPR Sonoma Pinot Noir! Perfect representation of the varietal from this region.

11/14/2023 - 716_cellar wrote:

Corked…another in a growing list of bad bottles from Underground Cellar.

11/12/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Decent blend, improved in the glass...but nothing too inspiring. Would love to try a 2016 or 2018 as I think this might have suffered from a challenging growing season in 2017...

10/29/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Our first wine from this winery. Beautiful translucency in the glass; bright strawberry on the nose; strawberry carries through the palate, with cranberry and pomegranate as well along with the presence of some earthiness. Acidity is wonderful. Could be easily mistaken for a Gamay-Noir. Will be back to the winery soon...and looking forward to trying the Syrah and Cab Franc in the cellar as well...

10/9/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Old Ghost has always been one of our favorite CA Zinfandels...ever since having a bottle of this 2011 near it's release. Unfortunately, we waited too long to open this one. Still memorable dark fruits on the nose and palate, along with cedar, but drink it up if you've still got it!

10/5/2023 - 716_cellar wrote:

Nothing too interesting here. Mediocre on the nose and palate. Drank on its' own over two nights, but might have been a bit better with food and/or with a little more time in the cellar.

9/24/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

I am not sure I have had a better wine at this price point! A CA wine that could compete with this would be 3X minimum. Not finding any more in the US...but will keep looking...

9/17/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Another great bottle! Same notes as before, and still drinking beautifully...but it's definitely time to drink up any remaining bottles...

9/9/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Agree with last two notes…this has improved with age. Acidity down just a n.bit from last bottle and fruit notes even more present. Great wine! Will plan to try remaining bottles over next 1-2 years.

8/28/2023 - 716_cellar wrote:

Nice nose, but wine overall was unstructured and lacked anything noteworthy on the palate.

8/28/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Another great bottle...just like I remembered. The last bottle was corked, but this one is exactly what I was expecting and consistent with previous notes. Fingers crossed the remaining bottles are also great!

8/23/2023 - 716_cellar wrote:

Enjoyed earlier bottles. Bottle was flawed. The nose was not a dead giveaway. Worst sip of wine I think I've ever had...

8/20/2023 - 716_cellar Does not like this wine:

Pretty disappointing given the hype and price point...

I've had other Orin Swift wines (8Yrs, Papillon) that were quite enjoyable and felt like decent/good value. This was just an unstructured, high alcohol, fruit bomb. I really wanted to enjoy this but just couldn't find anything worth highlighting...

8/2/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Fantastic wine! Dark ruby red; wonderful blackberry and vanilla nose; dark fruits carry through on the palate. High tannin and medium acidity present with a lingering finish. This wine is very enjoyable now and gets better in the glass...but I'm wishing I held for at least a couple more years.

7/11/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Finger Lakes at its finest! Shaw has put together a wonderful Bordeaux blend and it has aged perfectly. Let it open up for an hour and enjoy! Wish I had more.

7/7/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Same as last bottle. Nice vino!

6/24/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Agree with last review…might be at its prime.

Wonderful black fruit notes on nose and palate, silky smooth, lingering finish.

6/16/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Drinking perfectly now!

6/11/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Best Cab Franc I've had from the Niagara region.

6/2/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Great WTSO bottle here! Will pick up some more.

5/22/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

A great, unique varietal in CA or anywhere. Very consistent with previous notes on this bottle. Curious to see if there is much change in next few years...

5/17/2023 - 716_cellar wrote:

Corked.

5/15/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Tried the first of 6 bottles upon arrival. Nice nose of dark fruits continuing on the palate, with some lingering pepper. Medium acidity and notable tannins. Medium body, not an overpowering zinfandel, but seems to be lacking in structure. Will give this a couple year to develop a bit more, but pretty good for the Last Bottle price point.

5/7/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Continues to impress! One of the best bottles I've found at this price point. This was my last bottle...need to add more.

5/1/2023 - 716_cellar Does not like this wine:

Another flawed, overly oxidized bottle. This batch purchased from WineBid has definitely been a mixed bag. Some were perfect, others flawed...bummer.

4/26/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Wonderful Syrah! Blackberry and raspberry are dominant on the nose, with a hint of cinnamon and pepper; ripe, sweet dark fruit carries through on the palate; lingering finish. Saving my last bottle for a few more years...

4/6/2023 - 716_cellar Does not like this wine:

Used Coravin to try a glass of this from the cellar. Agree with previous comments. Nothing of note on the nose; no structure and flat on the palate; some tannin presence but not sure this will improve with age.

4/1/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Wonderful Paso Cab! Blackberry and dark fruit on the nose, followed by slight green pepper and cedar; Silky smooth on the palate with the dark fruits and vanilla at the forefront; medium finish. Seems to have aged well and is drinking great right now.

3/13/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Previous review from 2019 was spot on. Fantastic wine! This may still improve for another 10 years…but drinking quite well now. Give it at least an hour after opening and enjoy!…

3/4/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

2016 was a great year for Napa and this might be the best representation I've experienced anywhere near this price point. Might be the perfect drinking window...

2/27/2023 - 716_cellar wrote:

A bit heavier than expected; deep purple hue in the glass; dark berry fruits; lower acidity than expected as well. I am a big gamay fan and this didn't live up to others from the region...

2/18/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

A consistently great representation of the region! Great value! Need to add another case to the cellar...

2/11/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Tasted at the winery and thought it was nice for the price point, but it was a very hot summer day and the wine was too warm as well. Fresh from cellar temperatures at home, this did not disappoint. Beautiful color and translucency in the glass; plum and strawberry notes on the nose; very nice acidity. Felt like a pinot, although it's blended with Blaufränkisch (not familiar with this varietal). Will look to acquire more to consume over the next 5 years or so...

1/23/2023 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

This is a very nice wine that's going to continue to improve for a while!
Soil, earthy on the nose that mellowed by day 2 bringing forward blackberry and plum. Black fruits present on the palate, with some tobacco flavors. Well integrated oak presence throughout. Tannins mellowed in the glass and into day 2. Holding the remaining bottles for now, but this is a great QPR.

12/23/2022 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Beautiful wine! Loved visiting this winery in the Finger Lakes this summer. The tasting was laid back and the conversation was fantastic! Their red wines might be some of the best in the region and after this discovery, I'm a fan. Nose is simply amazing!

11/27/2022 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

This is great wine! Used Coravin for this first glass. Medium ruby color in the glass; Blackberry, slight menthol and cocoa on the nose; Fresh fruit on the palate with cherry, black and blueberry, vanilla, and more cocoa; wonderful med+ acidity and strong tannin. This seems to be made in more of an old world style than many recent Napa cabernets which may catch some off guard, but it's welcomed here. Good juice...that'll hold up a while in the cellar!

11/24/2022 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Great bottle! Same exact notes as last time!

11/19/2022 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Agree with review written on 1/29/2021 by In vino potestus est. Really a great wine. Picked this one up on Underground Cellar and will look to acquire more. This wine will mature for another few years.