4/20/2024 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Tasty and a bit unusual for its chocolate and mocha flavors. Very dark and full bodied. The mix of the chocolate with the brighter intense violet flavors of the 60% petit verdot is a great pairing. The rest is 40% merlot.

4/19/2024 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Very nicely aged, complex cherry fruit, medium body but very well balanced. Fruit is quit diminished but the complex earth tones are tasty.

4/16/2024 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

dense cherry fruit with darker Mourvèdre fruit coming forward and a great smooth and rich finish.

4/11/2024 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Nice complex strawberry flavors with some baking spices. Medium weight but rich and mouth-filling at the same time. A really fun bottle all the way through. Can age for a couple of years more.

4/10/2024 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

I'm tasting that this is still on its way up. Smells of light nectarine and honeydew melon, some honeycomb as well. Flavors are quite big, a rich mouthfeel without feeling heavy. Long and balanced finish.
Tastes of honeycomb, asian (spicy) pear, ripe nectarine and a 'blond-wood' note. Great now (April 2024) and will improve for another 1-2 years.

4/7/2024 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

This blend is drinking amazing now. Nose of red current, red berries, light mint and integrated sweet oaky notes.
Tastes like red fruits and mineral, oaky notes that glide on the pallet for a supper smooth and balanced finish.
Tannins fully integrated now. Probably great for 2 more years but 2024 and 2025 is best

3/31/2024 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Great match of intense berry fruits, right amount of oak and ripeness to make this a zin feel special. Drinks great today but should hold through 2027

3/30/2024 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

This has taken a on a wonderful mineral and riverstone quality to the balanced red fruits and has a very balanced and long finish. Red berry and pencil lead. Seems to be peaking now and 2-3 more years.

3/10/2024 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Drinks with remarkable complexity and balance. Its medium weight but punches thru with bold and smooth flavors of spicy red berry and dark fruit too.

2/26/2024 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Nice drinking window with ripe cherry and complexity.

2/24/2024 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Quite different than my bottle 8 months ago. This still has the red crushed berries, stone and mineral rock, cherry notes but overall it is quite brighter red fruit with a slightly warm finish.
After 3 hours, the last 2 glasses were much better with nice length and darker berry fruits but it still gave out a slightly dry finish and warm finish. Still excellent, though. The last half of the bottle gets a 93

2/22/2024 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Still on its way up

2/22/2024 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

I wanted so much to believe this wine is fine, that was not past its prime but ultimately, yes, it is.
Nose had black berry, almost licorice notes with a bit of leesy-sour cheese notes.
Big, black berry and spicy fruit in the mid-pallet that is tasty but then the finish is only medium in length and has light dark berry fruit but a dry texture and a slight minty flavor in the alcoholic and dry finish.

After 3 hours, the dark mourvèdre berry fruit turned to kirsch.

So it seems disjointed in a way that will not ultimately come together with age, in my opinion. The dry finish and relatively short fruit in the mid pallet will not improve. But still, a good drink with hearty food and some aeration will get you the most from this.

2/20/2024 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Stunning flavors of intense apricot and honey, but not sweet. There are also refreshing and lively mineral and limestone with all the intense apricot. Very very long finish. It's like a desert wine without being sweet. I don't think it should be held but would be interesting for a more intense sweet edge to develop. Went great with seafood pasta

2/20/2024 - dino_mike wrote:

Definit green flavors intermixed with the intense and bright cherry fruit. Overall quite dry in the mid pallet and dry, long finish. Drink now after leaving open for a few hours, it's still dry but it diminishes. Holding any longer will just age the cherry and leave the dryness.
There is some pleasant slate and minerality in there too

2/19/2024 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

At its peak for the "younger" style of Stony. Great mouthfeel, with intense citrus and honeycomb. Has a balanced and lengthy finish. A few more years will reveal the more "older" honeyed flavors but I'm liking this age its at now and will drink over 2024-2025

1/20/2024 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Phenomonal and still on its way up. Very complex and fragrant. Perfect balance and mouthfeel. Has the dusty berry but complex cola you expect. but probably best now and 2-3 years more.

1/14/2024 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Gearing up to be one of the finest Optimus: Lots of ripe round flavors and loads of velvety tannins in the fore-pallet and thru to the finish with lots of spice and french oak too.

1/13/2024 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

24 years old and still drinks great. Smokey cherry, some spicy red berry and clean, rich finish.
Aged flavors but not "expired" flavors by any means
At its peak and should hold thru 2025, but drink soon

1/5/2024 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Is this wine technically past its prime? Yes, I would have like some more distinct red berry flavors but it's near stunning in its ripe round, fleshy flavors. There's meaty flavors up front, then tons of mineral, slate and a hint of eucalyptus with a great, smooth finish. It added more black olive, dry flavors after 3 hours, near the end of the bottle but quite fun and tasty overall. Drink now (2024) but it certainly will hold a tiny bit.

1/2/2024 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Lots of mineral and black raspberry with minor briery notes. Long and smooth, very fine tannins in the finish. This should hold for a couple of years

12/13/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Though you feel the alcohol (it runs a bit hot) the overwhelming black raspberry and inky black purple color are very enjoyable.

12/11/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

From magnum: Still drinkable and quite enjoyable once open for 4 hours, and even better 24 hours later when the touch of sour cherry and a light alcohol finish left it. The bright flavors left after a few hours and it was rich, full bodied bramble-blackberry flavors with cassis and very minor plum flavors that rounded the finish. Drink ASAP from larger formats, I'm not sure 750ml bottle would still be this decent

12/3/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Sadly, my last 2012 and its drinking superbly. Dark and bright cherry fruit jump from the glass upon opening and drinks with the same fruit but a good amount of dark spice too to balance the brighter fruit. Also, has lots of sweet french oak that blends will with it. After 2 hours, there was added meaty, complex notes too. If the velvety tannins were muted a bit, it can score higher but it's a knock-out now.
Not past its prime but drink now and 2024 (2025 would be the farthest)

12/3/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Still one of the best "young" red Esprit because its already ripe, open, complex, balanced and its doing it while still being full bodied though not dense.
It surely will age nicely to due to the balance and fine flavors.

12/2/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Gobs of cherry fruit, some smoke and a dry finish in a great package. Drink soon

11/29/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Excellent drinking window as the classic napa cabernet fruit is quite intense and delivers the red currant with light mocha notes, it has a pleasant but dry finish that is still balanced and satisfying but might be more pronounced with further aging of the fruit. So drink now and enjoy.

11/29/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Nice intensity and bright beam of red fruits dominate. Finish seemed muted. This 2020 version is not as approachable yet. Optimus is usually quite fun to drink both young and or aged but this stands out as another great Optimus,...just wait 2-3 years before you start pulling them out (at least that is what I'll do, until they open up). It has all the right parts hiding in there.

11/26/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Stunning blend with one of the biggest noses that jumps out of the glass immediately. It tastes like the perfect blend of petite syrah and tannat, but not Paso Tannat but the darker richer Uruguay style. Long and velvety, mineral finish with lots of compact fruit still waiting to come out. I'm so glad I've held on to these because they really need a few years on them. This one can be enjoyed now but wait until 2028

11/23/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Phenomenal in this slightly aged period. Picks up viscosity, great mouthfeel especially when it keeps the floral and fruity notes with so much weight in the wine. This should be quite nice in the next 2 years.

11/17/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

The petite sirah (only 27%) is really singing in this zin blend. Very chocholaty and dark barky black fruits with a hint of boysenberry. Very satisfying long finish.

11/17/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Not the best aged Stony I've had but still a fine wine. Drink now. Was best at room temp and after an hour open. Quite fragrant and a long finish but a bit disjointed in between. Nice honeycomb and hay flavors with some quince and brighter honey and citrus notes that are almost like cognac but not sweet nor oxidized. And its that flavor sits separately from the rest. Went very well with a lobster cream sauce in a seafood pasta. I'm thinking there is some bottle variation at this age and your mileage may vary

11/11/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Ripe and mildly spicy syrah with nice red fruits and a full bodied feel. Fun to drink now but some aging is fine. its 2023 now so a couple more years.

11/4/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Tastes like a fine bordeaux blend but it's only 40% cab and the rest syrah and petite syrah. Lots of tasty balanced oak with the cab fruit and the brighter red fruits from the syrah round it out nicely. Very impressive and perfect to share with cab lovers. Drinks fine now

10/9/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Drinking younger than 2014 and 2015, not in a tannic way, but huge fruit, lots of velvety tannins and a distinct coco oaky thing that is reminiscent of american oak (tho it certainly has non) that makes this really fascinating and fun to drink. This has years ahead of it still, but drinks fine now.

10/7/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Inky purple color, lots of violets and dark fruits. Huge beams of black fruit.

10/1/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Surprising amount of dark berry fruit in this

9/27/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Ultra ripe and rich at this age, but dark purple color and full smooth finis. Drink now

9/23/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Big rich with good spiciness to it too. Will drink well for 5 years.

9/17/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

very inky purple color and smoky mineral nose. Lot more mineral-berry flavors and a crunchy-velvety tannin mouth feel that is still balanced.

Purple berry, blue berry and dark earthy berry emerge but it never becomes a fruit bomb, the mineral flinty dark fruit stays with it.

Drinks great now, will hold for another 2 years but I wouldn't wait

9/17/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Tobin Dusi, at least this vintage is better than any other wineries Dusi I've had (3). There is judicious oak since the fruit has all the complexity and depth you need. The 1st 2 hours had an almost Mourvèdre, dark berry and mineral flavors which itself was near perfect but eventually some boysenberry fruit emerged and it was an awesome drinking time throughout. Has both depth and elegance. Wish I had another bottle because this one will age better and more interesting than most good zins, but drinks wonderfully now.

9/3/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Rich, gold color and starting to get viscous and rich. Great mineral and stone with some intense peach too. Should age well for a couple of years and stand up to its French name-sakes well.

9/3/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Really drinkable with soft and full body mouthfeel of warm cherry fruit. Shorter term drink window in my opinion but a lovely wine now.

8/28/2023 - dino_mike wrote:

Rich and lively wine with nice mineral, spice and honey-citrus notes that are all in balance. I slight viscosity works well with those flavors.

8/26/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Lots of dark berry, almost blueberry fruit and a dark smokey-oakiness that Dogtown/Lodi wines can have.

8/26/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Drinking really well: lots of light apricot and honey notes, some mineral and stone, and finishes long and refreshing so you really look forward to the next sip. Has a bit of viscosity developing. Its mid 2023 and I would keep a few bottles to 2028

8/24/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Excellent drinking window with some silky and crunchy-spicy tannins that support the black berry, red berry spicy fruit. Oak is actually a bit more pronounced than other vintages but well integrated still. Drank in late Aug of 2023 but will age for a few more years too.

8/21/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

From magnum:
Drinks very good but has the ability to improve and hold for another 7 years...at least in magnum.
This was what 3 of us thought when we drank it a few days ago. Cherry and red berry fruit and spice with some mineral or silky tannins still around. Has the fruit and body for more aging more.

8/14/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Not much nose, but still has distinct red cherry, then the flavors of slightly tart red cherry fruit on a short finish. I don't recall if this Fredricks vineyard is donimant on the brighter side of zin with cherry, but I am a little disappointed in this wine. I sloshed the glass quite a bit and it felt like it wanted to open up more and did a tiny bit over 2 hours. I still don't get a "tightly wound" vibe that calls for cellaring but I would put a note on the bottle to "drink 2026 plus, get something more interesting especially in the length of the wine.
EDIT after reading earlier reviews:
There must be some bottle variation since I trust the others I read, that it has a "long finish". There is nothing corked about my bottle, just the short, mediocre red fruited wine, so it may have been my bottle.

8/9/2023 - dino_mike Likes this wine:

Had this magnum for decades and just opened. Tasted great over 2 days. Medium body with soft brick red color. Smells great, tastes great: Sweet leather, some ripe pinot noir flavors of orange rind, smoke and tea with juicy red fruits underneath. Tastes like an aged grenache. A real surprise at this age, we all loved the smokiness, the sweet leathery oak and baked, sage red fruits that's just barely there. Very well balanced that leads to a fairly good and long finish.