3/23/2013 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Beautiful wine- deep nose of bing cherries, dirt, tobacco, violets, and smoke. Balanced, velvety light, and deep with a nice lingering finish-killer.

2/17/2013 - LeatherPalate Likes this wine:

Decanted for 5 hours- deep nose of red and dark fruits strawberry and plums + baking spices, a little cola, black tea, black pepper and dirt. Nice backbone and weight of tannins that speak on the finish and what they say is that this puppy is built for the long haul. It will be fun to watch this one evolve but the ceiling is high. 92+

1/23/2013 - LeatherPalate Likes this wine:

killer,brioche, green apple, citrus, nut oils, long, and explosive- this bottle was pretty young..

12/30/2012 - LeatherPalate wrote:

explosive, strawberry, cranberry, yeast. Nice food wine and a nice value.

12/30/2012 - LeatherPalate Likes this wine:

deep nose of yeast, earth, shrooms, and oils. Nice backbone and finish of rocks and citrus oils, shell, and mouse. While quite young this is showing plenty now and should improve for several years.. killer.

12/17/2012 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Killer- rocking nose of tobacco, leather, cedar,dark fruits, dark chocolate, on and on. Deep lingering palate- somewhat tooth chattering tannins but oh what a finish.

12/17/2012 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Awkward- a little green,jammy, and maybe shut down or off. Hot finish as well going to give this the benefit of the doubt but not drinking well imho.

10/27/2012 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Killer bottle. Firm backbone, citrus, bread, some rocks and a tremendous finish. Fresh and pure and oh so good with food. Tasted with Amy, AG, and Alison at Riffle in PDX..

10/27/2012 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Fat indeed, nice salinity, rocks, white fruits -pear and peach.. Great with Oysters and more at Riffle in PDX with AG and Alison!

10/27/2012 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Probably over chilled this-doh- started to drink best at the very end. Nice flint, roasted nuts, citrus. Lingering finish. Take your time with this one.

6/23/2012 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Still quite young-took some coaxing. Tar, cherries, rose petals, black tea, dried herbs. Probably should have decanted this for a day or two.. Great mouth feel- give it plenty of air.

5/8/2012 - LeatherPalate wrote:

No formal note but drinking really well..

5/8/2012 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Nutty, citrus,stones, very nice backbone- still quite young..

3/22/2012 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Killer juice. Lemon, stone, chalk, and a little Reee CO Laaa. Balanced palate that is light yet persistent. Wonderful.

3/11/2012 - LeatherPalate wrote:

This needed an hour of air to come to life. Nice tart cherries, earth tones, shrooms, cranberry, herbs.. Orange peel. This is on the backside of it's evolution but it really rallied to strut it's stuff..

3/11/2012 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Rocking nose, high tones, truffles,tart cherries, black tea, spicy on the palate with nice length.
Drinking quite well..

3/11/2012 - LeatherPalate wrote:

killer- brioche, nutty, green apple, long.. young..

1/14/2012 - LeatherPalate wrote:

My first bottle of 6 and this was a bit off. Thin,off balance, short. Hope the other 5 have held up...

1/1/2012 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Hitting it's stride. Dark fruit, pencil shavings, tobacco, cedar. Quite young but fully drinking.

1/1/2012 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Modern with a dark profile, a touch of oak, cassis, nice length. Still quite young.

8/20/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Actually, this was my wine of the night.. Poured a glass and followed it throughout the dinner. Tons of spices, pine, meats, raspberries,
strawberries, roses, and herbs. The nose was ever changing and blossoming throughout the night. Palate followed the nose and seemed
to open up, soften, and take on balance as the night progressed as well. Tons of red fruit, baking spice, pine needles, venison, shrooms,
that flows into a nice long finish. Obviously, this is quite young but given time to open up it really provided the kind of complexity and
enjoyment you would expect. Cheers to Robertito for bringing this to our celebration!!

8/19/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

This seemed to have everything in place but remains quite young yet.
Plush, dark, brooding. Rich notes of tobacco and dark fruit with a big
almost jammy mouth. Clearly well made juice which either needs more time
or air to enjoy properly..

8/19/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Beautiful bottle that seemed quite young. Dark fruits kicking on the nose with cassis, leather, herbs, minerals, and cedar.
Wonderfully balanced on the palate with a nice dose of dark fruits, coffee, dark chocolate, mint, dried dirt, cigar
box into a nice lip smacking finish. This bottle was right in the zone but came across and being able to hang for
some time yet..

8/19/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

This was probably my CO-WOTN with the 79 Lanson. Dried roses, tobacco, raw leather,
black tea, and dried red cherries. Nicely balanced palate with red fruits sneaking in amongst
a ton of elegant earth tones of raw leather, dried herbs, tons of dried roses, tobacco,cedar..
Fully resolved and holding on..

8/19/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

First whiff and this seemed off. Wah wah.. downer.. but I called it first!! ;-)

8/19/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Great bottle that showed hints of it's glory years while clearly being a bit past prime.
Tons of coffee on the nose, with leather, herbs, dirt, and some meaty tones.
Very earthy palate of mushrooms, leather, some sweet tobacco, cedar, and dried flowers..
This was ever changing but never fell apart. It seemed to get better with air, and while it didn't
show much fruit it has some beautifully aged earth tones going on for eons..

8/19/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

This is drinking really well. Nice hits of citrus zest, hot oils, almonds, and slate on the nose.
Huge mouth feel that delivers tropical fruits, clean acid, and river rock. The delivery of this wine
is very modern and explosive and the finish lingers nicely..

8/19/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

From Mag.. The retailer states that this was a Red label Brut but the bottle matched the above picture for this wine.
Killer nose that just got better and better. Brioche, lemon tart, yeast, nuttiness, and stones on the nose.
The palate is extraordinarily youthful and energetic with an explosive delivery of tart apples, supple acidity,
lingering minerality, and gamey/ mousy notes on the finish. This wine just got better and better throughout
the evening and proved to be a favorite on a table of ten..

6/30/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Fun nose of almonds, peaches, mango, dry hay, stones, and a little watermelon jolly rancher.
Creamy and full with a nice backbone. Delivers the fruit on the front end and brings chalk and stone
with a nice herbal quality into it's moderately lingering finish. This will drink well with just about anything
during the grilling season and at 11 % why would you not have a few in the fridge, cooler, yada..

6/20/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

What a rich and classic wine. This bottle just oozes tobacco, cedar, pencil shavings, dark berries, plums, cassis and on and on.
The palate shows some really nice spiciness, rich cigar box, cassis, sumptuous dark fruit, leather, medium acid, and sneaky smooth tannins.
Beautifully proportioned, long, and deep. Comes across as having tons of energy left but is drinking quite well right now.

6/14/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Masculine, dark, and deep. Killer nose of leather, cigar box, venison, black licorice, dark berries, ash and smoke.
Attacks the palate with loads of darkness and earth, mint, blackberries, tobacco, smoke, a touch of brett. Very long
finish . This was young and energetic and showed really well. Decanted for 3+ hours.. Great bottle.

6/11/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Nice honey, lemon,apricot, minerals, and white flower nose.
Palate is slightly fat, but delivers nice lemon curd, minerals, and acidic oomph..
Nice value.

6/11/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Beautiful aromas of cassis, rich tobacco, leather, black tea, venison, dried roses, and dark berries that just keep coming at you in waves. It's Like you're surfing in
paradise and the next wave is better than the last with no ebb in sight. There is a sweet spiciness on the palate as well as loads of gobs of tobacco,
dark cherries, cassis, leather, cedar, dried flowers. Perfect balance. Elegant, pure, and oh so long... With each taste you contemplate and discover
something new and wait until it feels right to go in again.. This is a show stopper..

6/9/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Gold with a touch of green on this wine. Nice toasted nuts, honey, peaches,
chalk,tons of minerality, lemon, hot oils, into a long long finish. Pure chardonnay this is what
it is all about.. 92+

6/9/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Cork came out like a dry fart- Ruh Rho... But alas this was indeed alive. Nice red fruits on the nose, cherries, plums,
soy sauce. More rustic on the palate with tons of mushrooms, dirt, a touch of coco and coffee, cranberries and orange peel darting around the
edges with a bright lingering finish. A bit cloudy in appearance and not overly charismatic but pure and alive.. really nice.. Still drinking well 30+ minutes in...

6/8/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Consumed over 2 nights. This shows nice pure black cherries, pomegranate,plum a touch of spicy oak, black tea. This is pure,feminine,
balanced. Not exceptionally complex or long but very nice. Another shitty 07 Oregon Pinot... ;-)

5/30/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Pop and pour- started out pretty tight but after an hour our so started to show some lemon, rocks, oils,and a whiff of oak.
Nice balance but quite pubescent. Lemons,seashells, crisp acidity, lingering finish. This needs more time to strut it's stuff.

5/21/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Very earthy nose of shrooms, dirt,sour cherries, barnyard, and a good amount of brett.
Tannins dominate a bit on the palate but there are some very nicely earthy tones, leather, dried cherries, rose petals, decent acidity.
Overall a touch long in the tooth and not fully in balance. That being said the rustic qualities of this wine won me over and made it a nice complement
with our food.

5/20/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

I'm digging this- V8 nose with raspberries, milk chocolate, sea salt, and forest floor.
Balanced palate with tons of minerality, raspberries, pine needles, milk chocolate, and green peppers.
Decent finish. This has favorite daily drinker written all over it.. 90-91

5/19/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Killed another one of these with Pops. Definite oak influence that dissipates with air. Ever changing nose
of purple florals, peppers, blueberries, tapenade, venison, rocks. Layered palate that is a bit creamy and ripe.
Loads of spices of black and dried peppers, a hint of iron, dark fruit, all interwoven into a ever changing kaleidoscope
of flavor. Long finish. This is going to age into a real dandy if you pop one now give it a nice decant. 93+

5/12/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

This is one domestic pinot that I'm not afraid to give plenty of air. This got well over an hour in a decanter.
Great nose of blueberries, violets, pine needles, peppery spices, dry stones.. very balanced mouthfell with nice
fresh darker fruits blueberries and blackberries, peppers, roses, underbrush, nice acidity, smooth, and medium plus finish.
This is the third time that I've checked in with this over the last 4 years and it's really starting to show me something.
IMHO has the potential to be the best BF BF yet... We shall see in the next 5-10? This was a wedding year wine Happy Anniversary
Amy! 92++

4/22/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Consumed over two nights and it really started to shine with more air. Killer nose of cloves, cinnamon, white pepper,cherries, pomegranate, and a savory/meaty tone as well.
Really nice acidity to this with sour cherries, peppery spices,bramble, and a little smoky wood.. This is a wonderfully fresh and elegant glass of Pinot Noir with so much going on in almost perfect harmony.
Not sure if this got whacked with some wood or not but it seems as though and it protrudes just a skosh. Gots to get me some more of this..

4/16/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

If you're looking for a everyday food friendly non-spoofified red wine this is it.For 12 bucks this
gives you a nice glimpse into reasonable Italian wine. Dark fruit, dried leaves, black pepper and Iron
into a nicely rustic finish. I will be buying more of this..

4/16/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Oxidized bottle from HDH..Wah Wah...

4/15/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Took this to a tasting as a backup bottle and ended up popping it. Really didn't get much air or time to open it up
and get the funky funk kicking. Dark fruits, tapenade, and leather on a nose which was, not surprisingly, very tight.
Mouthfeel is right there though with that trademark Cayuse explosive mix of ripe fruit and earthy goodness. This
is a wine that needs tons of air and time to enjoy all of which were in short supply at this fun tasting event..

4/15/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Big ripe fruit on the nose along with blueberry pie, raspberries,spicy oak and vanilla.
Huge mouthfeel with tons of ripe fruit, a little oak, and some underlying minerality. Very ripe and
modern but well made may need time..

4/15/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Nice Cali Chard. Nose is kicking tons of stones, grapefruit, lemons, with a touch of oak.
Nice mouthfeel- creamy especially after a couple ( of chablis in the flight) tons of lemon and
really nice minerals as well. Great finish..

4/15/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Rocks,chalk,green fruits, and citrus on the nose, clean sea shells and minerality.
This is a clean Chablis with a nice cleansing acidity and great finish. This came across as more
traditional than the 06 Les Clos GC and is showing really well.

4/15/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Chalk,lemon,rocks,white florals on the nose. The palate is creamier than one would expect almost Cali-Like but not.
Ripper and fatter fruit, minerals, lemon, with a rich and long finish. This was not in favor with the traditionalists( due to a lack of backbone)
at the table but I found it balanced and enjoyable. 92+

4/15/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote:

Great nose of peaches,apricots,petrol,honeysuckle. The palate is right there with the nose
but it is still quite young-nice backbone, honey and white fruits and fluttering minerality. Long finish.
Killer