4/27/2019 - Pantera Likes this wine:

Much darker and deeper flavors than a typical Pinot, almost like a Cabernet.

4/27/2019 - Pantera Likes this wine:

This was a fantastic wine. Lighter for a Napa Cabernet, but certainly a crowd pleaser.

4/27/2019 - Pantera wrote:

Didn't have the notes of cherry, cola, raspberry notes that I remember from the previous years version.

12/28/2018 - Pantera Likes this wine:

Flavors were a bit muted. Still had great aromatics. Was drier than expected for a California Cabernet. Krissy liked it. Probably not worth the $65 price tag.

12/25/2018 - Pantera Likes this wine:

Went really well with the flavors of Moroccan cooking. Indian spices, blackberry and earthy. Delicious.

9/1/2018 - Pantera Likes this wine:

Wow this is a bold wine. Notes of blueberry, coconut, soil, blackberry with a lengthy finish. Krissy loved it and it reminded us why we went to Napa Valley for our honeymoon. Phenomenal.

2/28/2018 - Pantera Likes this wine:

Decanted 90 mins. Light red, clear. Notes of raspberry, cranberry, rooibos tea and a hint of cedar and vanilla lead to a lengthy finish. Would get this again. Krissy liked it

1/9/2018 - Pantera Likes this wine:

On the decline

12/30/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

Much more of an old world Bordeaux than most California Cabernets. Notes of herbs, pine, sour cherry and coffee. At first I wasn't a big fan but as time went on, it really opened up. Probably not worth the $60 price tag but not a bad wine either.

12/29/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

Little fruit at this point, much more savory notes present. Notes of buttered rolls, almonds, and honey and vanilla. Drink up as this wine is at the end of it's life.

12/15/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

Notes of cherry, cedar and some char on the nose with blackberry and vanilla flavors. A 30 second finish makes this a solid wine.

12/24/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

This wine seemed over the hill as the usual notes of ripe pineapple and coconut that we have come to expect were not present. The oak was not very noticeable to me. Still a decent wine but not memorable.

12/25/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

This wine is a different beast altogether. On the nose are fragrant aromas of cherry, cranberry and rose petals. However, the taste is that of a very savory wine with notes of orange peel, cedar, tea and spices. This is one of the most unique wines I have ever drank and just kept changing as aeration time increased. Great Christmas wine with ham.

12/5/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

This is yet another great wine from Southeast Pennsylvania. Notes of Mandarin oranges and stone fruits on the nose lead to crisp flavors of golden delicious apple, lime zest and kiwi with a creaminess on the finish that brought it all together. Fantastic.

11/22/2017 - Pantera wrote:

A solid wine for the price. Took a little bit of time to open up. Blackberry, vanilla, oak and tobacco on the nose. Black and blue fruits that turned into a black pepper note with a short finish. A solid price quality ratio and I would certainly get again. Perfect wine for entertaining without breaking the bank.

10/21/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

Had this bottle after Bridge by Allegro and it seemed thin and watered down. Still had some good cherry/raspberry flavors and some cedar notes but it clearly lacked complexity. Black Ankle's entry level red wine, their high end bottles are much better.

9/30/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

Has aged very well, everyone was a fan of this wine.

9/18/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

Notes of stone and citrus fruits and red delicious apples on the nose. Medium bodied with flavors of apricot, peach, tangerine and honeysuckle on the palate with a hint of residual sweetness. I am a big fan of this wine.

9/13/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

We wanted to open a special bottle for our 3rd anniversary, so we went with a bottle purchased during our honeymoon. While visiting Shafer vineyards, the 2004 One Point Five was their cellar selection, purchased for $95. Once the cork was popped, the aromas were immediately evident. Let it breathe for 1 hour in a decanter. On the nose were notes of blue and black fruits, sandalwood, forest floor and an almost perfume like aroma. Flavors of blackberry, licorice, dark chocolate and earth with a finish that lasted 40 seconds. This wine took me back to our visit to Shafer vineyards and I cannot wait to go back.

9/9/2017 - Pantera Does not like this wine:

Green apple, some minerality but not much else going on.

9/1/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

I probably didn't give it enough aeration, since Va La's wines seem to need more aeration than most. Makes sense why the winemaker won't sell his red wines to restaurants. An hour after opening, I got notes of candied apple, spice and cranberry but it had a shorter finish than I remembered at the winery. Winemaker said it's their "steak wine" and tried it with a NY Strip but it just didn't do it for me, as not enough tannins to cut the fat. Probably my least favorite Va La wine, but still a decent bottle nontheless.

8/23/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

On the decline

8/20/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

Getting to the end of it's lifetime

8/20/2017 - Pantera wrote:

Corked

8/18/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

Full bodied. Mouth coating flavors of tangerine, nectarine, cantaloupe, honeyed almonds. Moderate length finish. Black Ankle has done wonders with this grape. Excellent.

8/11/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

Wow, this stuff absolutely blew me away. A lighter red with an almost orange hue around the rim, this had endless notes of grilled bread, orange marmalade, cherry, cranberries, cedar, light oak that led to flavors of cherry, berry compote, milk chocolate, vanilla with one of the smoothest finishes I've had in a long time. An absolutely amazing wine from a producer that we are just learning about. I'm finding more and more that a few select wineries in Pennsylvania are making superb wine.

7/7/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

From the first glass (no decant) to the end, this is a stellar bottle of wine. Initial earthy aromas lead to notes of red flowers, chocolate, coconut and red berries. The palate reflects the nose and leads to a medium length finish with moderate acidity. Black Ankle is killing it lately and this bottle is no exception. By far the best winery in Maryland and one of the best on the east coast.

6/22/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

Poured inky purple into the glass. Etheral notes of flowers, dark cherry, blackberry and a slight hint of mint. Flavors of blackberry, dark chocolate and a hint of coffee with a long, lingering finish. An excellent bottle of wine.

6/7/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

This wine was amazing from the first pop of the cork and got better with time. Dark berries and vanilla on the initial nose and palate then changed to coffee, mocha, cola along with blackberry and a 30 second finish. Sheridan is truly making some outstanding wines.

4/29/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

Upon opening, my nose was greeted the the vastly different notes of honey, baked golden delicious apples, spices that one would expect from a see dessert wine. Yet when I took my first sip, this wine was bone dry. Amazing how Va La's wines have flavors that are just so different than the norm, especially when the nose is duped into thinking this wine will be cloyingly sweet. Remarkable.

5/6/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

This bottle was rough and astringent at first, but once the wine opened after about an hour, wow! The nose came alive with etheral notes of cherry, raspberry, cedar, pie filling, chocolate. I could go on and on. The taste reflected the nose but didn't have the finish I was expecting. Short but, for being from Pennsylvania, this is stellar.

4/19/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

Felt like this bottle was in its down phase, where the flavors were more muted than in the 2012. Still, nice flavors of cherry, vanilla, cherry cola, rose water with a short finish.

4/12/2017 - Pantera wrote:

Pepper, vanilla and bring cherries on the nose on the first day of opening. Red fruits, light spices with higher acidity lead to a medium finish.

4/8/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

Nice minerality, a hint of oak. Apples, pears and tangerine on the nose. Citrus and stone fruits left a shorter finish, but delicious regardless.

4/3/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

I could smell this wine all day. Cranberries, cedar chips, cherries jubilee, oak, chocolate covered cherries. But the taste didn't really echo that on the nose. Medium bodied with a short finish. Pretty good overall.

2/11/2017 - Pantera wrote:

Was looking forward to this one but it just missed the mark for me. Had more of a dark flavor profile than some Napa Cabernets that I've had bit didn't have a lingering finish or anything that stood out.

3/31/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

This was a cab Franc done in a lighter style. Cranberry, cherry and cedar/spice on the nose with raspberry, rhubarb and some clove notes with a long finish. Pennsylvania is making some great wine.

3/30/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

Notes of buttered biscuits, almonds, nectarines, tangerines and lime zest. Short finish but a great snap of acidity to pull it all together. Beautiful.

2/10/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

This had a more fruity flavor profile but not a fruit bomb like most Napa Cabernet blends. Notes of blueberry, chocolate covered cherry and vanilla with a medium finish. This was totally worth the $20 price tag.

2/10/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

This is a solid Malbec, especially considering the price I paid for it of $17. Dark red brick in color, opened with aromas of vanilla, tobacco and barrel char/smoke. Smooth on the palate with flavors of vanilla, blackberry and a little blueberry. This was is drinking great right now, I just wish I had bought more when it was available.

2/5/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

An interesting Cabernet Franc based blend that had aromas of cedar box, spices and some potpourri. Higher acidity with only moderate tannins. Decent depth of flavors with hints of cherry and black pepper. Not a bad weekday wine.

1/27/2017 - Pantera wrote:

I was hoping for a repeat of the 2013 vintage but it just did not deliver. Still the same great vanilla, oak, cherry and chocolate on the nose but the flavors to me seemed disjointed and did not mesh well together. After a few days open, got more old world flavors of earth, dark flowers and spices. My only hope is this bottle comes together in the future.

1/30/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

A great Sauvignon Blanc from one of Virginia's premier wineries. Notes of peach, pear and crisp Granny Smith apple on the nose. Great minerality and flavors of white grape juice, nectarine and Mandarin orange. The finish is disappointing, as it doesn't last long at all. Still a great effort for Virginia Sauvignon Blanc.

1/21/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

I was really excited for this wine as all of Va La's wines are very good but on day 1, this one missed the mark for me. Decanted for 1 hour with aromas of brambly raspberries, and cranberries and a touch of cedar wood. The acidity was pervasive and caused my mouth to pucker. Hopefully some time in the bottle will smooth this out.

After the bottle was opened for 48 hours, this wine really came alive with aromas of cherry, candied orange peel and savory notes of mushroom. The acidity had subsided and smoothed out. The way that Va La wines come alive over time to aromas/flavors that are uncommon for wines from the major regions is truly remarkable.

1/17/2017 - Pantera Likes this wine:

This wine poured a dark red/purple color. Initial impressions were of candied cherry, cedar box, milk chocolate. Very deep and rich, some of the secondary characteristics of leather and wood smoke came out during the second glass (1.5 hours after opening). The one flaw in this wine was the lack of finish, lasting only 10-15 seconds. During the second day, the notes of leather and tobacco were even more pronounced. This wine was great, and especially for a Maryland wine. Probably could have aged it longer as well.

12/25/2016 - Pantera Likes this wine:

Compared to back in February, this wine is on the decline, as the flavors are more muted than before. After about 7 hours, the aromas were gone. Still great acidity, but it's time to drink up.

11/24/2016 - Pantera Likes this wine:

This wine was very smooth with a big nose of vanilla upon opening. The vanilla wears off on the second day. Notes of earth, savory oak, clove, Asian 5 spice and chocolate lead to a big kick of black fruits on the palate. This is one of the better Malbecs I have had.

10/20/2016 - Pantera wrote:

Found this wine to be a bit thin. Much less of the sweet, vanilla notes I have come to expect from Napa Cabernets. Savory notes of smoke and raspberry, with some violets as well. Had a bit of a bite at first that smoothened out after 40 mins or so. Didn't have the long finish I was hoping for either. I don't think this is worth the $35 price tag.

1/11/2014 - Pantera Does not like this wine:

really bad wine, does not resemble a riesling at all, very harsh notes on the nose and a rough taste on the palette, pawned it off on drunk guests to finish

1/11/2014 - Pantera Does not like this wine:

very flat, did not give a strong flavor at all, no lingering finish, would not recommend