3/13/2017 - slon Does not like this wine:

Waited too long on this bottle. Has lost most of the fruit and freshness I remember from before. Alcohol is dominant.

12/27/2014 - slon Likes this wine:

at Prime Meats in Brooklyn NY

1/12/2009 - slon wrote:

What happened? Nothing but slight carbonation and searing alcohol. Undrinkable.

8/30/2007 - slon wrote:

No notes, but I enjoyed this very much. Excellent with spicy shrimp and grilled sokeye salmon.

5/5/2007 - slon wrote:

Prunes and alcohol. Really a disaster. Was this a flawed bottle?

4/6/2007 - slon wrote:

No formal notes, but I remember liking this bottling quite a bit (at least for a Zinfandel). Pure, rich flavors and good balancing acidity.

4/6/2007 - slon wrote:

Very pale color. Wonderful nose of melon trailing off into something more floral. Some lemon, a touch of sweetness on the palate, but ultimately a little flat.

12/9/2006 - slon wrote:

On opening, wonderful nose, extraordinarily rich flavor. Plenty of black cherry and cassis. A little heat. I would never have identified this as a pinot blind. With time though it all snapped into place.

10/3/2006 - slon wrote:

Very ripe, with refreshing acidity. But for me the alcohol got in the way. We chilled it down further, which helped, but I still found it unpleasant to drink.

9/2/2006 - slon wrote:

Others were not so sure, but I thought the bottle was definitely flawed.

9/2/2006 - slon wrote:

Thick and sweet, but balanced, with butterscotch, apple, and smoke. A little too much wood on the finish. But still very enjoyable.

9/2/2006 - slon wrote:

Nice nose and very sweet fruit. Probably a bit much for my tatse, but balanced. A little hot on the finish. Only had a taste...

1/21/2006 - slon wrote:

Spoiled, probably TCA + bacterial.

4/28/2005 - slon wrote:

Very aromatic. Citrus fruits and nice oak aromas. Palate consistent with the nose, but surprisingly bold and sweet. Perhaps even a little caramel which I definitely didn't expect.

4/19/2005 - slon wrote:

Deep plum-black with narrow magenta rim. Restrained nose. Some off aromas at first (adhesive?), but then got a really nice orange/citrus smell. On the palate it was all cherry pie, with some raspberry as it opened in the glass. Sweet and rich. Very nice. My WOTN.

4/19/2005 - slon wrote:

No date on it, but this bottle looked very old. Extremely cloudy yellow-brown core with a yellow-green rim. Lots of sediment and particulates. This looked so bad I'm surprised I put it in my mouth. Toffee, earth, and mushrooms on the palate. Not very pleasant. What happened here? I thought madeira was indestructible.

4/19/2005 - slon wrote:

Yellow ochre. Grassy, stale aromas. Light in the mouth, but very hot. Nutty brown butter. Medium finish. Served too warm.

4/17/2005 - slon wrote:

Copper-colored. Vanilla, honey, and burnt sugar nose. Thick and sweet on the palate with more honey plus caramel and baked apple. Very long finish.

4/12/2005 - slon wrote:

Vigorous, foamy bubbles. Yeasty, bready aromas. Mature, but simple, with a short finish.

4/5/2005 - slon wrote:

Nose: Intense, youthful, grapefruit and green apple. Palate: Dry, crisp acidity, and more grapefruit. I liked it, but it's a single note.

3/25/2005 - slon wrote:

Dinner at Cru in NYC. Fantastic wine. Rich, exotic, and sweet, with just the right amount of acid to keep everything fresh.

3/25/2005 - slon wrote:

Dinner at Cru in NYC. Decanted at recommendation of sommelier (Alex). Deep, rich wine. Stone fruits, minerals, and some spice. Not hot, but a little prickly. Not sure if that's the acid or the 15% (!) alcohol.

3/22/2005 - slon wrote:

Deeply colored green-gold. Intense aromas of apple tart, vanilla, caramel, honey, and shellac. Sweet, with a pleasant tartness, but also a cidery character that I didn't love.

3/22/2005 - slon wrote:

Clear, watery, yellow-green. Muted aromas of mineral, pear, mint, smoke, and grapefruit. Dry, balanced, with a nice finish.

3/22/2005 - slon wrote:

Chocolate, cooked plums, and tobacco on the nose. Rich and reasonably well-balanced, but the oak is a bit intrusive, and I find the whole package a little too sweet and flabby. Still, a nice drink at a reasonable price.

3/20/2005 - slon wrote:

I have never seen a wine this color. It is cloudy and has the deep orange color of a peach liquor, but with lemon and green highlights!

3/18/2005 - slon wrote:

Deep, saturated, ruby, with some purple notes. Aromas of plum, chocolate, and cola. Think and very rich, but reasonably well-balanced. Nice, if somewhat strange, finish, with a distinct flavor of slightly burnt marshmallows(!).

3/15/2005 - slon wrote:

Pale straw color. Some bubbles. Intense nose. Sweet, but very light and balanced. Lemon custard. Baked apple. Nice finish.

3/16/2005 - slon wrote:

Silver-straw with watery rim. Debris in glass. Not tartrates and doesn't look like cork fragments. Intense, "off" aroma of nail polish remover. Very alarming, but I went ahead and tasted anyway. Flat, dead, no fruit left at all, and nothing taking its place. After 20 minutes the foul aromas were starting to fade, but it tasted even worse. Not sure what to think of this.

3/15/2005 - slon wrote:

Intense yellow-gold, some bubbles, watery rim. Moderately intense nose dominated by diesel notes. Fresh tasting. Low alcohol. Mangos.

3/15/2005 - slon wrote:

Clear, pale straw, with green-silver notes. Some foamy bubbles. Aromas of tropical fruits. Creamy texture in the mouth. Custard. The rest of my notes are unclear.

3/15/2005 - slon wrote:

Clear, pale silver. Restrained aromas of apple (baked?), stone fruits, with a resin note. Off dry, low alcohol, good acidity, balanced.

3/16/2005 - slon wrote:

Clear, pale greenish silver, watery. Pronounced, fresh aromas. Tropical fruits, apple, hint of brown sugar. Dry to half-dry with some spritz. Candied note on finish.

3/16/2005 - slon wrote:

Clear, pale ruby with a watery rim. Muted nose of earth, red fruits, and smoke. Light, dry, and youthful, with plenty of acid and some odd flavors I couldn't ID.

3/11/2005 - slon wrote:

Clear, deep ruby. Intensely aromatic--plum, graphite, blackberries. Smooth and balanced, with a long, complex finish.

3/9/2005 - slon wrote:

Clear, almost colorless, some very fine bubbles. Fresh nose of kiwi, pear, and almond paste. Surprisingly sweet, with a rich mouthfeel, moderate acidity, and low alcohol. Finish is fine, but simple, with some saltiness (?) and a bit of citrus tang.

3/8/2005 - slon wrote:

Caramel colored, with green tones. Poured like motor oil, looked gelatinous on the side of the glass. Intense honey and caramel. Incredibly soft and full in the mouth. Fresh figs, dried fruit. It's 17% alc. but you can't tell, the wine is so dense and sweet. I've never tasted anything like it.

3/8/2005 - slon wrote:

Nearly opaque crimson and purple. Earth, smoke, leather, and general funk.

3/8/2005 - slon wrote:

Cloudy, ruby red. Initially restrained nose (opened up with aeration). Savory aromas--mushrooms, meat, minerals.

3/8/2005 - slon wrote:

Clear, almost colorless, green tint. Spritzy with a slight touch of sweetness. Good for what it is.

3/8/2005 - slon wrote:

Slightly cloudy, brick colored with broad rim. Aromas of bacon, tar, misc. savory smells, some dirt. Smooth, balanced, and definitely ready to drink.

3/8/2005 - slon wrote:

Clear pale straw, almost colorless. Nose of candied fruit. Quince? Low acidity, flabby, slightly hot finish.

3/8/2005 - slon wrote:

Ruddy brown with some brick at the rim. Aromas of black cherry and leather. Tight lean tannins.

2/26/2005 - slon wrote:

Clear, intense purple with some fading at the rim. Aromas of violets, earth, and mushrooms. Sweet, firm tannins, medium acidity. A little hot, but not enough to disturb. My favorite of this flight.

2/26/2005 - slon wrote:

Clear, intense purple color straight to rim. Meaty, roasted fruit aromas with some earth and hay. Dry with prickly tannins, moderate acidity, and a dissapointing, somewhat hot finish. I enjoyed this a lot more with food.

2/26/2005 - slon wrote:

Slightly cloudy, ruby with some purple. Nose was initially very reticent, with aromas of berries and leather. Moderately sweet, with firm acids, smooth tannins, and a hot finish. The heat seemed to moderate with aeration (or perhaps it was the cheese [morbier]).

2/26/2005 - slon wrote:

Nearly opaque, intense purple color, with bright violet at the rim. Very extracted. Overwhelming aroma of hot dogs (seriously) and dead leaves. Later some earth and tar. Dry, very tannic, everything is in the front of the mouth, no mid-palate or finish, although it did start to unfold with some time in the glass.

2/25/2005 - slon wrote:

Reticent nose. Opened up as the bottle warmed, with tropical fruit and floral aromas. [The Other said the smell reminded her of "over air-conditioned Chinese department store"!!!]. Dry, fresh, with a simple but persistent finish. Went well with my choucroute garni.

2/23/2005 - slon wrote:

Clear, deep ruby core with some orange at the (thin) rim. Moderately intense nose, with blackberry, cherry cola, and some roasted notes. Rich and sweet, more blackberry, with some spice, soft tannins, and nice acidity on the long finish.

2/20/2005 - slon wrote:

Pale yellow with some copper tones. Aromas of bisquit, preserved plum, and caramel. Begins with a pleasant bitterness, firm acids. Sweet, creamy mid-palate, and a long, intricate finish. Delicious.