9/23/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Opens up with that Pinot smoothness but a bit tart on the finish

9/11/2005 - Tom E wrote:

This has definitely improved with some time in the cellar. While still not a complex wine, it is a very pleasant and powerful Aussie Shiraz, which made a great match with Vegetable Lasagna. Although there was a bit of heat and oak on the finish when first opened, this dissipated with time. Definite improvement on the second night.

9/6/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Don't know if this was a bad bottle, but quite hot and drier than I recall

8/12/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Very dark purple, with a muted nose. Initial impression is all fruit - this packs a punch and is more fruit forward than I would typically expect from a Southern Rhone. Not sure what's in this blend, but seem more syrah-like than grenache. This never really bloomed to reveal nuances of flavors beyond the fruit, except a somewhat tart finish - fairly straightforward

8/3/2005 - Tom E wrote:

I just can't get over how tasty this is. A very fine desert wine/port

8/6/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Good pizza wine, but not too complex, fruit forward, with tingling acidity on finish. Perhaps with a bit more time this coudl settle down, but it probably isnot made to age.

7/29/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Wonderful Cal chard. These seem to take about 1/2 hour to fully open and blossem. Just a notch below the Alyce, but smooth butter-citrus with just a tad bit of oak. Well-done.

7/27/2005 - Tom E wrote:

This one is ready to go. Decanted. Deep ruby, but definitely a pinot. This has the wonderful fruit forward aspects of Cali pinots, with a great mix of earthy funk on the mid-palate and finish. Went wonderfuly with grilled salmon and corn. This is the best of the Siduri 2002's that I have had yet.

7/26/2005 - Tom E wrote:

OK, nothing special; fruit forward, medium length. A bit hot

7/23/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Very different impression than Lorenzo. Not decanted. To me, this was all bright fruit on the frontal attack, with reasonable balance and length. Not much earth or other elements to bring some complexity, but a far better than average pinot. I didn't see much change over a few hours. Perhaps with a little time, this could gain some depth, but a very nice drink now.

7/22/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Just beautiful. Pale white/golden color. Pear on the nose. Butter, apple on first approach, with strong mid-palate and finish. This is not a butter oak chardonnay, but much more refined. The finish goes no for a good 15-20 seconds. I've not had some of the more expensive Cal. Chardonnays, but this is clearly one of the best I've had.

7/13/2005 - Tom E wrote:

I am no expert on port, but this was very enjoyable, brown, nutty and sweet desert "wine" - great value

7/13/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Dark ruby, well-balanced, sweet tannins with long finish. I suspect that this still needs some time before hitting its peak.

7/8/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Nice, but not outstanding. Jammy zin, well balanced and not too hot, with blueberry/rasberry fruit.

7/7/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Either there is some bottle variation or this goes to show how different wine can taste on different nights. I really liked this the last time I drank it, but tonight, the oak was just overwhelming, masking the fruit.

7/4/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Very nice. Deep red. Muted nose at first, but significantly improved over time. Great balance between sweet, ripe fruit and acid. Not overly oaked. Very enjoyable on the 4th.

Wow - this continued to improve, and on the 2nd night was really lovely. Outstanding wine, and I'll be looking for more.

6/28/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Wow. What a great QPR. This is what I expect from an inexpensive ($11) CDR. Round, full, sweet grenache fruit, nicely balanced with decent length. Went stunningly well with shrimp salad (go figure). Will definitely buy more, as this will make a nice house wine.

6/23/2005 - Tom E wrote:

This is the best bottle I've had of this wine. The heat is beginning to dissipate, with the deep fruit coming to the fore. This won't ever be a great wine, but it does seem to be settling down a bit. I'll wait some more before diving into my remaining bottles. Past experience suggests this improves on the second night. We'll see.

6/20/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Consistent with previous notes, this is a fine example of an Australian Cabernet. Has the full, deep fruit one would expect, but nicely balanced and not too hot or jammy as some Australian wines can be.

6/19/2005 - Tom E wrote:

With friends. Great contrast with a 95 Burgandy that followed. While the Burgandy was all earth, the Siduri was all deep, dark fruit. Both wines were wonderful, just different.

6/16/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Deep, dark purple. Very fruit forward and intense, moreso than one would expect of a CDR at this price level. I would not have guessed Grenache, but this is a very nice, complete wine, with decent length and fine balance.

6/13/2005 - Tom E wrote:

This wine continues to grow and improve, a surprise (for me) given I never really considered that a Beaujolais could improve over time. The frut was deeper, the finish longer, simply more umph to this wine than my previous tastings. A great wine with food.

6/11/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Very nice wine (Note to self - buy more if available). Enjoyed with Indian food (always a tough match), but the sweet fruit cut the spiciness nicely. Apples, pears, and lingering finish.

6/9/2005 - Tom E wrote:

First wine of the night at the monthly wino poker game. Consistent notes as last time. This is a fine, very drinkable, balanced cab.

6/6/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Very funky nose immediately upon opening, reminding me more of a Southern Rhone than a Cali Pinot. But, within 1/2 hour, this settled down and the wine continued to improve over several hours, with bright, cherry fruits mixed with earth and loam notes. Medium to long finish. This probably could use more time; I just need more restraint.

6/6/2005 - Tom E wrote:

A gift. bleh - way past gone.

5/28/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Whether it was the additional time in the bottle or the fact that we enjoyed this outside, at Wolf Trap, listening to Prairie Home Companion, this was an outstanding wine, improved from my previous experience. Medium red, bright, deep cherry notes. Fantastic with sushi, caprese salad and cheese.

5/27/2005 - Tom E wrote:

I think I'm finally beginning to understand German wines. I've always liked them, but something clicked with this one. Nice tropical and apple notes, but quite simple. I think I drank this too young and will need to learn to restrain myself and wait another couple of years for my other bottle of this.

5/26/2005 - Tom E wrote:

This white mix of primarily sauvingnon blanc and semillion continues to impress. Nose of buttered oak and apples, but the oak is not that discernable on the palate. This wine always takes a bit to get used to, as it has a level of stringency that is atypical for one more familiar with Cal. whites, NZ SBs and French Chardonnay-based wines than Bourdeaux whites, but once you "get used to it," it is a great drinking wine. Goes very well with many foods, and was great on a beautiful spring evening eating outdoors.

5/25/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Bright nose of cherry grenache. Not a deep wine, but very pleasant to drink, with medium length and good balance. If I recall the price (mid-$20s?), this is a very good QPR CDP; better than your standard CDR, but not up to snuff with the big boys. Make mental note to watch for sales of this in the future.

5/23/2005 - Tom E wrote:

All I can say is buttered popcorn. Strong nose of butter and oak. That's the first impression of taste, as well. In contrast to the D'Arenberg Laughing Magpie I had the previous evening, which exploded with blueberry and deep fruit flavors, this seemed less deep, more acidic and simply very heavy on the buttered oak spectrum. 3 more of these, and I'm not enthralled.

5/22/2005 - Tom E wrote:

A fruit bomb, but an enjoyable and well-made one. Blueberry and floral notes immediately upon the nose. Deep, dark color. With air, the blueberry mixes with oak for pleasant entry, strong taste of fruits, and long finish. This one is ready to go, but I kept a 1/2 bottle for a second night.

I have been less enthusiastic for these sorts of wines - what does one eat with them. But it actually went very nicely with Rotisserie chicken and mixed salad. Not my favorite type of wine, but when you're in the mood . . .

Second night, a bit mellowed, but the blueberry and deep fruit flavors persisted. Very nice.

5/20/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Decanted. Really started to strut its stuff after about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Strong nose of garrique. Sweet entry, long finish. Simply a lovely wine to enjoy.

5/17/2005 - Tom E wrote:

First one of these I opened was corked (and the cork broke in half when I pulled it). I was fearful about this one as well, as upon opening, the fruit was extremely muted and there was a faint hint of telltale wet cardboard. This blew off after about 1/2 hour, and the wine began to develop some taste. Still, not being the most sensitive to TCA, I wonder whether this one was corked as well. If not, a bit disappointing after reading some of the comments on the Parker BB.

5/17/2005 - Tom E wrote:

corked

5/11/2005 - Tom E wrote:

This bottle was a tad disappointing. My recollection of this wine was that it was better last time (but I apparently didn't take notes). Medium red in color, a bit muted on the nose. Well-balanced, with medium length. This wine went well with Chicken Cacciatore.

5/9/2005 - Tom E wrote:

The proverbial Australian "fruit bomb." Very dark, almost black color. Didn't get the alcohol on the nose noted by others, which was a relief and a bit unexpected given listed alcohol level > 14%. Thick, almost viscous mouthfeel. This really coated the mouth nicely. Packed a punch of dark fruit, but actually was well-balanced, with some toasty oak and tannins. I wouldn't be surprised to see this settle down with more time. Nice QPR, but I've lost my taste for these sorts of wines as they just don't go great with food.

5/6/2005 - Tom E wrote:

I really enjoyed this Siduri - better balanced, more restrained than many I have had. Beautiful nose of cherry, wonderfully balanced acid and fruit. None of the hot, alcohol finish that one can often find in a California Pinot. A truly enjoyable wine that is drinking very well right now.

5/2/2005 - Tom E wrote:

What a great QPR. Color on the lighter side, but the nose is quite powerful cherry/berry, an aroma closely matching the taste of this wine. Nothing overly complex, but just a very well made wine that tastes fantastic. Will need to buy more of these.

4/26/2005 - Tom E wrote:

I was a bit disappointed in this after reading some of the tasting notes. Is it in a "dumb" phase? This lacked the bright fruit I had been expecting. Drank 1/2 bottle without decanting, and it just seemed to die after the initial hint of fruit. The wine lacked any complexity tonight. Slight heat on the finish, but not overwhelming. I'll see if it improves after a night in the fridge, and will wait awhile before drinking my one other bottle.

4/23/2005 - Tom E wrote:

A kosher wine from Australia? Not in the blockbuster, Australian-style of shiraz that one might expect. Nice dark, ruby color. At first, a bit muted, with a touch of green on the finish. With some air, it improved. Not bad for a kosher wine, but that's not a very high bar.

4/20/2005 - Tom E wrote:

My opinoin about this wine changes each time I taste it. This was the best of the three I've had. Much deeper and darker than I recall, with nice length and balance. I think one of the things that bothers me about this wine is the slight metallic taste on the finish, which can be a bit off-putting. Sometimes it is much more evident than others. On this occassion, the cherry fruit masked this trait.

4/18/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Very nice, sweet tropical fruit and long finish.

4/17/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Lacking any sense of what a real fine German wine should taste like (and hence the lack of a "score"), all I know is that this was yummy. Delicious fruit, apricots, citrus, etc. - with good, long finish. Still trying to get a better handle on German wines beyond the simple "I like it."

4/16/2005 - Tom E wrote:

With little experience in tasting Brunello, this went very nicely with Penne Norma (egglant/tomato), veal ragu and other italie dishes. I wasn't blow away, and had expected a more oaky, acidic wine (from reading about Brunello). Instead, I got a lightly acidic and very fruity, well balanced wine. Really opened up with about 30 minutes of decanting. I don't get the sense that this one is going to improve much. On balance, a good one, but a bit disappointing given the hype for 97 Brunello.

4/14/2005 - Tom E wrote:

My opinion of this wine continues to decline. Decanted for 1 hour, but the hot, alcohol finish remained. It has nice entry and mouthfeel, with deep, brooding fruit, but that finish really detracts from the pleasure of drinking this wine.

4/13/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Pleasant enough Cal. Chardonnay. Not bad QPR. Butter-citrus flavo, with moderate finish, went nicely with fish. Good, but not outstanding.

4/12/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Dark, ruby color. Drank without decanting. At first, the wine seemed a bit green and clipped on the finish, but within 1/2 hour, the nose gathered strength and the taste expanded. Leather/tobacco with wonderful berry fruits. Perfectly balanced. A very nice wine, which one can't help but know is a Bordeaux.

4/10/2005 - Tom E wrote:

A good QPR. Dark, ruby color, nice nose of plums, good balance, with the Rhone garrique (sp?) and spice.

4/5/2005 - Tom E wrote:

Wow, what a difference from my last bottle of this wine. Much improved - was it travel shock or simply a bad night the last time? Who knows, but this wine showed very nicely on this night. Much better structure and fruit, with an acid ting on the finish. Would mix nicely with fish or other light foods.