4/13/2023 - bobadopolis Likes this wine:

Powerfully tannic on opening, but was very approachable after approximately 3 hours in the decanter, and the following evening was spectacular. Would probably hold for another 2-3+ years, or recommend lengthy decant if drinking now.

5/5/2023 - chchchch__ Likes this wine:

Got knocked down into rocks today by a wave in Big Sur cove. In the second or two of panic, time slowed a bit as they say. Or maybe the time-slowing is an artifact of reflection after survival. In either case I'll remember it this way. Hearing the rush and froth of water, feeling the cold and the somehow always-unexpected force of water, I considered my condition as my last moment - time slowed and I reflected: really it was good, my life of toil and frustration. Because the toil and frustration is interrupted occasionally, but enough, more than enough if I'm honest, by pure consumption of life's pleasures: great wine like this bottle of Shaffer from last night; a run through a forest of redwoods along a river; conversations frivolous, cancellable, dark, light, and drunk with a best friend. So if I was swept out to the cold and violent Pacific that moment, well, I had it pretty good.

1/15/2020 - bobadopolis Likes this wine:

Young and spectacular.

1/28/2012 - Tim Heaton wrote:

Mayfair tasting group does Syrah (Denver, CO): Opened, not decanted and served blind one hour later. Deep ruby color, slight sign of age. Clearly New World with plenty of alcohol and cherry cough syrup leading the way at first. The palate was full-bodied, but proved as uninteresting as the nose. My #8 of 9, group #8. The format called for points, so I gave this one 86, guessed Washington state and guessed 2007. The 2oz or so that I had upon first pour did not change during the following 2 hours. At the end of the blind tasting, we re-visited the bottles that were showing well- all of them got drained in the following 2 hours, all of them having openedup completely by that time. The Piedrasassi saw no more takers that night and was re-corked for someone to have the next day (prolly the person that supplied it). This was not a flawed bottle, I think it just showed so poorly when tasted side-by-side with some really fantastic Syrah from all over the world. Drink now, not getting better, score: B

7/7/2016 - bobadopolis Likes this wine:

Nice young Tempranillo. Decanted for about 30 minutes, drank over 2 hours. Fine, non-obtrusive tannins; smooth and easy drinking. Probably a bit young. Was hoping to compare tonight's experience to tomorrow night, see how it would evolve over 24 hours, but instead we polished it off in one sitting. Very enjoyable, to be sure.

9/26/2015 - bobadopolis Likes this wine:

Wow, what a fantastic bottle of wine. Consensus WOTN, although for me took a slight back seat to the 1998 Janesse Vieilles Vignes (1998 Le Vieux Donjon and 2005 d'Armailhac were also in the running in this French themed evening). Nose on this wine was huge ... deep red fruit was unmistakable even before decanting, which we did 4 hours prior to consumption. Such a young wine, but tannins were soft and non-obtrusive. Long finish. Brooks from Corkscrews advised against opening this bottle so early, and I will wait at least 3-5 years before opening the next bottle, but this was the best young Bordeaux I've ever tasted.