6/11/2010 - lac14 wrote:

I bought this wine several months ago at the winery and was disappointed when I opened a bottle. I remembered it being fruity and earthy with good acidity. But this bottle has too much vanilla, oak, and alcohol on the nose. Let it decant and it opened up slightly

10/28/2008 - lac14 wrote:

Clean mineral flavor with some melon and some mellowed oak flavor. Contrary to the other note I found it had a clean french style that is hard to find in California whites. Looking forward to having with some grilled fish. Not the best QPR as it costs $27/bottle.

10/28/2008 - lac14 wrote:

One of my favorite Frick wines ever. Deep earthy nose, typical of a Frick Syrah, but rounded out with a luscious fruit flavor and chalky tannins.

10/8/2008 - lac14 wrote:

I remember buying this because it had a slight diesel flavor that reminded me of a German Riesling. Good minerality and acidity that is so hard if not impossible to find with a white wine from California. I do recommend a visit to the winery by the way, nice people. All the white wines have a more old world style.

7/7/2008 - lac14 wrote:

Red and black cherry fruit, earthy, balanced by a slight acidity and soft tannins. Delicious. I bought a case of this over the Syrah because there was less heat on the nose. But at $70/case, why not buy at least one each?

9/29/2007 - lac14 wrote:

Tasted over ten Brunello's at Enoteca la Fortezza in the town of Montalcino. This was my favorite perhaps because it was the most unique. Strong tobacco and leather aroma, with black cherry, cedar, and earth. A bit short on the finish but well balanced acid and tannins as expected from a Brunello.

8/14/2007 - lac14 wrote:

Medium body with clean acidic finish. Red candy fruit and some spice. Good structure.

7/10/2007 - lac14 wrote:

When it was cold and straight out of the refrigerator, it had a decent Viognier toasty almond and fruit aroma. As it warmed, out came overwheliming "artificial flavors" of butter popcorn flavoring, coconut extract, and pineapple. Left my mouth with a chemical aftertaste.

7/10/2007 - lac14 wrote:

Concentrated black fruit and mouth drying tannins. Big big body. Notes of tobacco, coffee, chocolate. Excellent.

7/10/2007 - lac14 wrote:

Decanted for two hours. Good meaty Mourvedre aroma and flavor of red fruit and black pepper. Strong backbone of acid and tannin.

6/25/2007 - lac14 wrote:

Good nose. Muscular black fruit and black pepper, typical of a Mourvedre. Could have hoped for a little bit more spice, but overall a good effort.

6/25/2007 - lac14 wrote:

Tasted five or six Santa Barbara Pinots this weekend and this was one of the best. Medium body for a Pinot (although it is listed at 14.5% alcohol). For Santa Barbara leaning more towards a classical style than a fruit bomb. Elegant mouthfeel with structure and balance. Strawberry and black cherry fruit, with some deeper flavors in the mid-palette.

6/24/2007 - lac14 wrote:

Not a jammy fruit bomb type Pinot. Elegant red berry flavors with decent structure and balance.

5/12/2007 - lac14 wrote:

Amazing value for £8.5! Wonderfully spicy smell (someone described it as "Christmas in a bottle") of Dr. Pepper soda. Balanced with ripe raspberry/blackberry flavors and good structure.

5/12/2007 - lac14 wrote:

Drinking very well right now. Slightly faded redish brownish color. Pleasant aromas of dark red fruit, spice and and a faint bit of leather/tobacco (after reading the tasting notes the "black tea" comment is the perfect description the spicy/leathery smell). Great finish and balance. Enjoyed it with an assortment of cheeses and a simple beef stroganoff.

http://www.vinography.com/archives/2005/02/2001_domaine_du_galet_des_pape.html
Tasting Notes:
This wine is a medium to dark garnet color in the glass with a spicy nose of green and black peppercorns, black tea, and a hint of cassis and red berries. In the mouth it is powerful and a little raw for a Chateauneuf, with primary flavors of cassis, black raspberries, sandalwood, and a bit of the black tea as it tapers to a very long finish. The wine has an excellent mouthfeel and wonderful balance to it, all the while managing to be a bit more burly than one might expect.
Food Pairing:
This is a pretty intense wine that could be served with any kind of roast or grilled red meats. I served it at a wine dinner with a smoky roast squab and olives over a bed of wild mushrooms and greens.
Overall Score: 9/9.5

5/12/2007 - lac14 wrote:

Disappointing for a Chateauneuf du Pape. Simple red strawberry syrup or soda pop flavor that I would expect from a $13 Cote du Rhone. Decent acidity so it may be better with food.

5/6/2007 - lac14 wrote:

Lovely red/garnet color. Mellow tannins. Wonderful nose and smooth mouthfeel. There was still a wonderfuly elegant currant and black fruit flavor and slight hints of tobacco and leather. The fruit and spice was enhanced by the a pairing of lamb chops with a rosemary/wine/balsamic reduction. Liquid velvet!

6/15/2007 - lac14 wrote:

I tried this wine at the winery when it first came out and remembered that it got a 91 point score from Wine Spectator. I enjoyed the black fruit and structure, and was happy to find the winery had a couple of bottles for sale recently in 2006... The tannins were mellowed out for a nice Cabernet flavor but I found it a bit lacking in acid so the structure did not hold up great with a steak.

4/8/2006 - lac14 wrote:

Simple red fruit flavors such as strawberry, and smooth and elegant mouthfeel. However lacked some of the spicy, smoky, and intensity that I love and expect from a Chateauneuf du Pape.

4/8/2006 - lac14 wrote:

This wine is drinking very well right now I need to find a special occasion to drink another. Like other Frick Syrah's, its lower alcohol content and subdued black fruit flavors reminds me of a perfect combination of California and southern Rhone. Concentrated dark purple Syrah and plumb flavors with some brooding spice that you'd expect from a Cote du Rhone or Chateauneuf du Pape. Much more subtle and lower tannins than any other California Syrah you will find.

2/4/2007 - lac14 wrote:

My favorite Unti wine year after year. Bright red fruit and smooth Grenache mouth feel. Very approachable although it benefits from being decanted or left open for a bit. Not as deep, spicy, or earthy as a Chateauneuf (I've done a side by side tasting). However like a French wine it does complement food quite well; have matched it with Channa Masala or Mediterranean, and drunk it on its own and its still approachable and enjoyable.

8/6/2006 - lac14 wrote:

Classic Mourvedre black pepper and green pepper flavors. This has a California twist in that it was very fruit forward with a round mouth feel, balanced with some tannins. Ready to drink now and for the next couple of years. Drank side by side with a 2003 Domain Tempier Bandol and this stood up well. Stronger more concentrated fruit and black pepper and luscious mouthfeel. Lower in acidity than the Bandol.

8/6/2006 - lac14 wrote:

Classic Napa Valley cab. Fruit forward as you would expect from Peju. More intense and tannic than the 2002, which I found a bit jammy.

8/6/2006 - lac14 wrote:

Classic Napa Valley cab. Fruit forward as you expect from Peju. Definitely more intense and tannic than the 2002.

8/6/2006 - lac14 wrote:

Bright red fruit (strawberry and red cherry?) and balanced tannins. Good Napa Valley cab as you expect from Beringer but without as much as of the concentrated black fruit and tar-like Cabernet flavor as I would like.

8/5/2006 - lac14 wrote:

Classic concentrated black fruit, tar-flavor, and mouth puckering tannins that I associate with great Napa Valley Cabernets. I did not detect much spice or secondary flavors. However the intense fruit flavor and balanced structure account for the high score. Found it quite big and easily has the structure to lay down for a couple more years.

1/4/2007 - lac14 wrote:

Dark purple and elegant, ready to drink. Silky like a Grenacha with concentrated black fruit from the Tempranillo. Balanced with tannin but very smooth.

8/6/2006 - lac14 wrote:

Surprising how big and tannic it was for a five year old wine. Dark black purple color and very fruit forward. Very good, although not much spice or other flavors.

1/4/2007 - lac14 wrote:

Fruit forward and earthy, but somewhat one dimensional. Balanced with tannin and acidity, I'm going to see what happens to it in a year or two.

3/12/2007 - lac14 wrote:

Great blend of California fruit and old world earthiness. Only 13.5% alcohol %. Not as spicy as the 1999 but still more elegant than most new world Syrahs.

8/5/2006 - lac14 wrote:

Tobacco and cedar flavor... upped the score from 86 to 89 after drinking another bottle (original tasting in August 2006, this time in July '07). Red fruit is fading a little, but balanced with some tobacco and cedar flavor and mellow tannins. When I tasted this a year ago I thought it would stand a couple more years aging. But after today I'd say drink soon (1-3 years).

3/11/2007 - lac14 wrote:

Incredible value for $16 (if you buy a case). Medium body black fruit like a Cote du Rhone and good structure. Drink now and drink lots!

3/11/2007 - lac14 wrote:

Medium body black and red fruit and strong tannins. Good for the price ($20). Ready to drink with a big steak.

3/11/2007 - lac14 wrote:

Ready to drink. Tannins have mellowed out, but has picked up a little bit of tobacco flavor compared to the 2001 I tried.

7/2/2006 - lac14 wrote:

Tasted a glass of this wine in a hip Tapas restaurant in El Born for 3 euros and had to go find a bottle. Brought a couple home for 12.5 euros. Like many Toros black fruit and big body, some chocolate and spice. Good structure but drinkable now.

2/26/2007 - lac14 wrote:

Tasted this wine twice in 2006 and once in 2007. It is drinking very well now and probably over the next two to three years. Medium to large body for a Pinot with good structure for aging. Bold red fruits with matching tannins and acidity. Clean finish, matches well with food (have drank with pizza, lamb chops and sweet potatoes, and a pork chop w/ Sage). Perhaps the best and most Bergundian California Pinot I've had in this price range.

8/5/2006 - lac14 wrote:

Lovely elegant and smooth unique Frick style. Even better when you take it home from the winery and open up a bottle with food. Medium body fruit and lovely earth spicy flavors. Dark and intense like a wine from southern rhone, yet smooth approachable like a new world Syrah. The spicy characteristics are intensified by food such as braised meats; this wine is a better complement to food than any other California syrah I have tried. Have tasted several years ('95, '99, '2000) of Frick Syrah and this is my favorite!

7/2/2006 - lac14 wrote:

Had a heavenly experience w/ this wine in San Sebastian, with a beef tenderloin w/ wine reduction. Bought a couple bottles and have tasted it since. Velvety grenache smoothness with powerful fruit, spicy, earthy tempranillo punch. Ready now but will be interesting to see how it ages.

4/17/2006 - lac14 wrote:

Good Napa-oakville tar-cabernet flavor and fruit. Medium body, bought a couple that will sit for a couple years. Definitely not ready yet may be a lot better after even a couple months in the bottle.

4/2/2007 - lac14 wrote:

Perhaps one of the best Sauvignon Blancs I've had that is made California (for only $13!). Good acidity and crispness. Just like described by the winery- a little bit of citrus and a little bit of mineral - a perfect blend of New Zeland and French styles!