2/4/2023 - Kaybrian wrote:

Not going to rate it. Not ready yet. Had decanted for an hour, and then on a whim threw the last 2/3 of the bottle in a blender. Marked improvement, though wouldn’t say it got over the hump. Hold.

2/2/2023 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine:

It was chili-garlic shrimp night at my house and THIS wine was in the fridge. What a lovely pairing. Juicy, but NOT overripe fruit, apricot, lychee and minerality and some softness that all came together for an impressive package. Bravo August Forest!

10/9/2022 - ChrisinCowiche wrote:

Wow, luxurious, precise, pepper, length. Way young, but way good. Only way to go is up! Great job, Justin!

8/3/2022 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine:

In an amazing "ready to drink" spot. Really. Things have softened, the color is bricking, smooth, not a tannin above a whisper.

3/7/2022 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine:

This was a long night of observing this wine, a second growth bordeaux, a wine of esteem, go from "meh" to "hmmm" to "oh, okay" and on to "wow, hmmm". Opened with a fairly restrained nose of currant and cedar. Nothing too special. But eventually a bit of exotica moved in, bigger and better fruit flavors (it's an '05, so fruit was not what I was banking on). Later in the evening the fruit got all condensed, dried fruit, dark fruits. And my last few sips, probably 5 hours after opening the bottle, the tannins were the most notable thing. Drying, so dry, incredibly dry. This may have been an accumulative effect. I'm curious what will happen with these (I have 2 more) over the next few years. It's certainly ready to drink now, but yeah, another 5 years at this stage I am guessing.

4/21/2022 - LovesBurgundy Likes this wine:

No change from my earlier note - delicious but would hold on to it for a few more years to allow the tannins to soften.

4/20/2022 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine:

This happens sometimes. But I did not expect it to happen here! Going to a restaurant with your wine, to pay corkage. And the restaurant has no decent glassware. Sure, can happen anywhere, but I was at a "nicer" ($$$) place, IN SONOMA CA!!! They bring small water glasses to the table for the wine. WTF??? So, no rating here. I know it was good, but there's really no detail as to what we tasted (dense dark fruit, floral). The wine was good, food was good. Experience not good.

3/15/2022 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine:

So much floral...dried roses, dried tree bark. Just a very dusty nose overall. Some cola, or Dr Pepper even. Medium body, still good acidity. This is something you could pour for a Pinot lover and convince them it's a Pinot's more interesting cousin. But it's not. It's a Nebiolo, from Italy. And it's certainly more Old World than new. A few more good years ahead of it, but in a nice drinking window now for sure.

2/20/2022 - SpinnerDan Likes this wine:

So good. Soft and round but rich and full. The flavors have melded well so nothing really jumps out but I’d say leather, cocoa, a little mellon, and a hint of cranberry. The residual tannins are there for presence but not bitter or sour at all. …honestly, I have no idea what I am talking about so read someone else’s review for how it tastes. I definitely like it and am thrilled I have a couple more bottles. These can easily cellar at least 5 years, maybe more, no problem. Enjoy

12/13/2021 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine:

Buy it! As many as you can, if you find it on a deal ($25) and drink it every Tuesday night and live like a KING! Very creative packaging, blend of grapes, all of it. LOVE LOVE LOVE!

11/6/2021 - Ron Slye wrote:

Someone please slap my hand if I reach for this in the next two to three years. At first this has deep red fruit, some clear oak/vanilla. Still some nice complexity but not really together. Day two with just a glass left in the decanter, this is really great. Lovely savory flavors and everything seems nicely integrated. Note to self: stay away for a while!!

6/14/2021 - TallMikeWine wrote:

A little thin for my tastes, though I think some people would rate this higher. Get to it before 2024 though.

3/6/2021 - bugdoced Likes this wine:

started off old world with a touch of oak
evolved into some sweet dark fruit
reminded me of a blackberry margarita I had in B.C. at the end of the evening

3/3/2021 - richard.presser Likes this wine:

A lovely Barossa shiaraz showing some bottle development.

2/16/2021 - TallMikeWine wrote:

Amazing brightness here. I am going to go out on a limb and say these are ready to drink and 3 more years of this freshness. Drink by 2024. Blue fruit and a ton of floral notes. Great finish!

1/11/2021 - Tomportwine wrote:

Waited too long. Fruits and other distinctive flavors are diminished, more muddled. Now I know this is a 6 yr lifespan wine, not 10. Still has echos of greatness, balanced, some cedar and tobacco.

12/30/2020 - Cailles wrote:

Tasted double blind. I’ve guessed this to be 5-10 years older as it was much smoother and more ready to drink than I would give a 2012. The long decant has certainly helped but in fact, it’s the second Sangiovese from 2012 I’ve had in a matter of weeks and both showed very well. Maybe a nice early drinking vintage. The highlights with this wine were the purity, the precision with quintessential Sangiovese aromatics of pure red fruit, a vegetal herbaceousness and earthy notes. With a lot of air this is perfectly ready to go but should develop more complexity with age (in this category, is not on par with the best wines and vintages).

TN: Herbs, underbrush, vegetal aromas dominate the nose with black fruit lingering in the background. Medium expressive and medium interesting at best. The palate shows better and is open and more harmonious. Candy like pure red berries, ripe but not too ripe. Bushes, leaves, tea leaves, herbs and hints of earthy aromas. Good concentration, good precision but not very complex. The finish is of medium+ length and with good tension and pressure. The tannins (with a lot of decanting) are soft, the acidity high but well integrated and the overall appearance is quite harmonious – especially on the palate.

Decanting: Decanted for roughly 10 hours.

1/2/2021 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine:

Great under $40 cab from The Napa Valley. And those are NOT easy to come by anymore. Not good ones anyway. Do not expect this to age for the long term however. I'd say this one is ready to go, and probably was ready from day one of release. A great pop and pour wine that hits all the bases...fruit, earth, wood, mellowed out tannins on the finish. Great stuff.

11/28/2020 - PeterFromThePan Does not like this wine:

Did not enjoy this. Maybe it was corked?

9/18/2020 - mike410 wrote:

My third bottle and I have to say I am not so impressed. I expect a much more fruit forward wine as I have experienced with other earlier vintages. I'll wait a few years before trying the next bottle, and I hope there will be a significant change.

6/8/2020 - dsimmons Likes this wine:

We drank our second bottle with grilled beef tenderloin. As good or better than the bottle we drank a year ago. Excellent balance. concentrated fruit, licorice,herbs and earth tones. Drinking at peak. Happy to have a few more.

4/3/2020 - pdbender Likes this wine:

I continue to tout and appreciate Washington State wines and here's another winner. The D 2 is medium to full bodied, very well made (don't know the winemaker, but kudos) and bursting with flavor, depth and concentration. To me Washington state is the new California with tons of potential. I can find no flaws with this bottle as it displays all the exact characteristics of a superb Napa or Sonoma cabernet blend. I only wish they would tell you on the label what the blend was???

12/8/2019 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine:

Solid value Bordeaux, not fancy, but getting to the part of the window I like. Medium body, balanced nicely. Will improve for a few more years.

8/9/2019 - Gruner40 Likes this wine:

Having visited Red Mountain just a few months ago are there better wines out there from this area? Absolutely and wasn’t expecting top wine from Duckhorn but overall solid wine / fairly big actually and close to 15 percent abv. Would like to taste a little more mountain fruit to get that score up a little bit.

12/13/2019 - cbforever1 wrote:

From magnum, even better than last one

9/12/2017 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine:

Oh. OH. OHHHH!!!

This was the wine I picked out to be "the chosen one" for my birthday, which, alas, happened (again). And I really couldn't ask for anything more than this wine. SO full of layers, as it opened up from the decanter. Early on it was ALL red fruit, but superior red fruit. The BEST fruit! Cassis and candied cherries. Big and smooth. After a couple of hours (I attempted to savor) the menthol came out, really well integrated with the fruit. Shortly after that, the sticks, twigs and "tastes of the forest" hopped on. Really wonderful. Medium to full bodied. Drink now if you want. Maybe for the next 3-4 years.

10/20/2019 - PIntag wrote:

Pretty similar to the last bottle on the pop 'n pour and I learned to give this one lots of air, so I did that and saved most of it overnight under vacuum seal. This brought out the fruit a bit more, but this still had a prominent volcanic ashy note that i was just not digging at all. I don't know if this is from the grape's Red Mountain terrior, the oak treatment, or a disgruntled ex-employee who dumped a cigarette ashtray into one of the barrels.

6/24/2019 - ziavino wrote:

I was concerned about the VA warning below, but glad that my bottle showed well. Loads of plum and blackberry on the nose and palate, with smoke and vanilla notes emerging. Very ripe, and fairly simple.

3/24/2019 - Rollerball wrote:

Dark, mild, and a little heavy with a nose of coffee, graphite, jumbled fruit, and evening flowers and the impression of a steady cold river; medicinal notes add nuance. Tempted to rate 89 (very good), but want to give another bottle a try soon. Feels solidly into drinking window to me, and should hold for five more years. -2024

3/13/2019 - Chrisandjennie wrote:

Good bye Joe and Steff! Enjoy your new home!

2/20/2019 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine:

There was a vintage, characterized by some in the wine writing community as being a "bad year". But if course people working in that community need things about which to concoct stories. The stories of 2011 being a "bad year" have been greatly exaggerated. Know this.

Beautiful wine. Dark, rich, ripe fruit. Loads of spice, and a fi dish for days. And this is good to go now, or hold for a other 5! The Smith brothers know a thing or two. They will not let you down.

9/8/2015 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine:

Had this on my Birthday, with duck confit! I think that birthday was done right, right? Fruit still fresh, earth nice and earthy, wood, vanilla, pencils, all present and wonderful.

7/29/2018 - charlie190 wrote:

Medium body and medium tannins, with a surprising amount of acidity that made the wine feel almost sour. Left the glass alone for about 10-15 minutes, and after aeration you can taste the standard flavors of a Napa Cab.

5/1/2018 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine:

This had that nice roasty toasty thing going on from the get go. Blue fruit, hazelnuts, and then later some green pepper (but not overtly). As far as 100% PV's go, this one is pretty freaking awesome. Probably another few years at peak.

4/6/2018 - jackiefeld Likes this wine:

Lots of sediment, eg chewy, but tastes great!

12/31/2017 - TallMikeWine wrote:

This was touted as the "reliable under$20 bottle". I really think one can do a lot better. To me this was a symphony played on one instrument, and to one note. Meh.

11/18/2017 - mpicasso wrote:

Agree with the other reviews. Its just a wine, started spicy then just sat in the fridge. Have had better at this price point

8/30/2017 - amenenberg Likes this wine:

This is rocking out hard right now. The hedonistic nose has abundant sweet blueberries, blackberries and very dark cherries to go with crushed rocks, cinnamon, nutmeg, mocha and a pepper kick. The body is medium. Tannins and alcohol are well-integrated and the acid dances around the palate nicely. The fruit is integrated into the mid-palate and secondary flavors are on stage. There's black cherry, very sweet strawberries, blackberries, burnt orange rind, coconut, allspice, cinnamon and a fair amount of dusty cocoa. A lot of 2010 Washington wines lack concentration from the cooler vintage, and although this wine has the weight of a 2010 it hasn't fallen prey to thin flavors or density. This is really nice stuff, and just entering its prime drinking window.

8/17/2017 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine:

Just open this and get ready to sink down deep into the blue fruit abyss. Really. Such pure fruit, with hints of herbs, dust, oh, maybe bacon fat? Just easy to suck down this one. Thanks David Ramey. Well done! And will probably still be great for another 5 years if cellared properly.

5/12/2017 - stags22 Likes this wine:

Really great, strong out of the gate. Tobacco and dark berry. Strong QPR, drinks well beyond its price.

11/2/2016 - rhanke wrote:

great, olives, smoky - cubs win world series

7/5/2015 - cliffkol wrote:

Doris loved this

6/5/2015 - kylerogers wrote:

Nose: raspberry, blackberry, very heavy smoked meats, and coffee.

Palate: spicy blackberry, leather, wet earth, dried tobacco leaves.

I have found the ultimate barbecue wine. This thing begs for a slab of dry-rub smoked ribs and some baked beans with bacon.

6/14/2015 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine:

This one, like most using Dubrul fruit, is multi-layered and tells quite a story. I decanted, and you should too. Big fruit on the initial nose, dark ones, preserved ones, oh the fruit! Then came the spice, dry spice, baking spice (not sweet). Then the earth and wood notes. Minerals, and something a little "dank" in a good way (yes!). Drink it now, OR hold another 3-4 years for prime drinking.

5/4/2015 - millerarner Likes this wine:

Pretty good now, but this is still a baby & will get even better. It always seems that stylistically if you triangulate Cali & Bdx, you end up with WA state. Nice dark fruit, with some herbal, pepper & forest notes. This feels like it has some cab franc in it.

2/13/2015 - Frank Schneider Likes this wine:

Yummy !!! Nobody needs the . . aias when you get this in your glass.
Stunning opulent and liquid silk on the tongue. Hunt for it

1/25/2015 - Genghis88 Likes this wine:

Dark purple, inky, full bodied
Black cherries, oak, Cassis, hibiscus, red licorice,
Oak, tobacco, long finish, high alcohol, red licorice sweetness, chalky
with nice minerality, smooth tannins, kirsch cherry finish

WOW! What a spectacular product...

Kava loved it as well...

11/28/2014 - crispino wrote:

Drank with Thanksgiving dinner, and what with making the dinner and having good conversation with the guests, I don't have a detailed recollection of this one. Having said that, I distinctly recall enjoying it thoroughly, with a long, deep, rich pulse of fruit, well-integrated tannins, and a very nice long finish. Full of brambly fruit flavors without being syrupy.

11/10/2014 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine:

This vintage in Napa is getting pooh poohed by most everyone. And those people are spoiled brats! There is some kick-ass wine out there from the '11 vintage. Like this one. Yeah, it's a little peppery, bell pepper, some bramble. But it also features plush fruit and acid to counter. Then silky tannins on the back end. Old School Napa Cab, I think. And quite drinkable and lovely. You don't like it? Tell it to your Mamma!

9/5/2014 - tcosgriff Does not like this wine:

Purple color with a bouquet of cardboard. Little if any fruit in evidence, with flavor dominated by tannins and acidity. Possibly an off bottle.