3/6/2009 - jrj wrote:

Not bad but not special. Started with some heat which quickly faded, then fairly mellow and fruity.

3/6/2009 - jrj wrote:

Great stuff. Still quite tannic. Very good nose with some lead pencil.

9/30/2006 - jrj wrote:

This is definitely drinking better than the last bottle. Nice but not big nose of clove, vanilla, spice. On the palate more clove, vanilla, cherry. Moderately sweet, no idea where that comes from. Fine and restrained tannins. Finishes well but not a long aftertaste.

4/22/2006 - jrj wrote:

Ruby red. Cherry and cassis nose. Not unpleasant but it is clearly over the hill now.

4/21/2006 - jrj wrote:

Cola and clove nose. Ripe rich and sappy. Lots of cherry. A little alcohol in the back of the throat. Despite all that, not unbalanced. Needs air/more bottle age.

4/13/2006 - jrj wrote:

Cork broke trying to pull it out but the wine seems fine. First taste a bit currant-y but that seemed to blow off. A tasty, mature wine: blackberries and eucalyptus. I'm guessing it's at or just past it's peak.

4/1/2006 - jrj wrote:

Very funky, cedar-box and manure nose - waited for it to settle down, which it did. Somewhat tannic and weedy, not too much fruit, but still decent. Interesting, at least. Opened a second 375 to make sure it wasn't just the bottle. I think this one's a bit over the hill - maybe my 750s will be better preserved?

3/18/2006 - jrj wrote:

This is a nice and different kind of wine. Full, lemony-fresh, and somewhat bitter (though not unpleasantly so), with good acids. Not really trying to be a great wine but lots of fun.

12/31/2005 - jrj wrote:

Excellent wine. Immediately appealing but also deep and multi-layered, both on the nose and the palate.

12/30/2005 - jrj wrote:

Quite different to the '02 Peay Syrah. This has more of a lifted nose, floral notes. It's a bit sweeter and not as serious, at least at this point. We'll see how it develops...

12/30/2005 - jrj wrote:

Golden yellow color. Very big, rich, oaky. Maybe outstanding, but not my style.

12/23/2005 - jrj wrote:

Medium to light body. Light ruby color, no brown edge. Tannins fairly mellow at this point and still some fruit but not too exciting. Pleasant but no more than that.

12/23/2005 - jrj wrote:

Bottle seems in good condition. Light ruby red color, medium body. Not much nose. Not unpleasant but fairly tannic and not much fruit. Not worth dwelling on...

12/21/2005 - jrj wrote:

Dark ruby color, no brown around the edge. Deep nose w/ garrigue and olive. Decent body, fairly rich, but not a long aftertaste. Well-preserved if a bit over the hill.

12/2/2005 - jrj wrote:

In very good shape. Somewhat spicy nose, hint of almonds. Medium bodied, smooth on entry. White flowers and hazelnuts.

11/25/2005 - jrj wrote:

Bad bottle. Dried-out cork, although kept in exactly the same conditions as the delicious '85 L'Arrosee consumed immediately prior. Basically undrinkable. Oak and vinegar.

11/25/2005 - jrj wrote:

Very nicely preserved. Ruby red in the glass, no brown edge. Moderately aromatic. Mellow and supple mouthfeel, moderate fruit. Not a bombshell but a very pleasant glass of wine, and it seems to be holding together well.

8/18/2005 - jrj wrote:

Medium red. Nice medium body. Not too much fruit, and sort of a funky undertone.

8/16/2005 - jrj wrote:

Tasted over two nights. Medium body, some herbs and tar on the nose. First night very pleasant, minerally and quaffable, holding up surprisingly well. A nice food wine. Next night a bit less fruit, tannin more prominent. Fading but still OK. If you have any of this, it's probably time to polish it off.

8/3/2005 - jrj wrote:

@ Modinis. Much better this time. I'm getting the creosote/lead pencil/crushed flowers nose and a more complex body. Full but not overdone, no heat, not sweet. Long finish. Wish I had more to keep for a few years.

7/7/2005 - jrj wrote:

w/Sten & Sara. Fresh, pungent nose. Good acidity. Grapefruit and apples. Nice.

7/6/2005 - jrj wrote:

Deep red, medium body. Coffee, mint, and black fruit on the nose. Fairly tannic on entry. Not really Bordeaux-like, but similar weight and depth. Very nice wine, probably still too young - wait a few more years.

6/27/2005 - jrj wrote:

@ Dalarö. Lush and low-acid, some tannin on the finish. Deep fruit. This is a terrific wine. Maybe better in a short while, but no reason to wait for a long time.

6/26/2005 - jrj wrote:

@ Dalarö w/ Tolstoys. Pale green overtones and somewhat milky. Unfortunately bad glasses so less nose than there should be. Flinty, good acids, melon and citrus. Deep and nicely balanced.

6/25/2005 - jrj wrote:

@ Dalarö. Purple and dense. Grapey, highly extracted. A good wine but not super complex.

6/17/2005 - jrj wrote:

Earthy, tannic, and acidic. Dark fruit but not enough. Don't think it's going to get better.

6/17/2005 - jrj wrote:

@ Modinis. Nice deep red. This is going to be a race between the tannins and the remaining fruit. At the moment, the tannin is winning.

6/16/2005 - jrj wrote:

Clear ruby red with very slight browning at the edges. Nice brambly, tarry nose. Light to medium-bodied. Holding its own at age 20. Not deep or rich but complex. Earthy, weedy, slightly leathery but enought fruit to carry it. Probably not getting any better, but hanging in there nicely.

6/4/2005 - jrj wrote:

Clear ruby color, no signs of age. Mineral and spice on the nose. It's a middleweight wine at this point. Not super concentrated. Some tannins but pretty relaxed. Cassis, mocha, earth, pepper and herbs. Not a deep wine but fairly complex.

6/3/2005 - jrj wrote:

@ Modini's. Quite rich, very silky mouthfeel. Apricots and some minerals. Seems like it's probably near it's peak.

5/27/2005 - jrj wrote:

Ruby red, quite a bit of sediment. Not decanted. Moderate bouquet. Blackberry, plums, pepper and vanilla with fine tannins. Long finish. A very nicely proportioned bottle of wine and drinking well now.

5/27/2005 - jrj wrote:

Dinner @ Pineflat. Not a big nose. Medium-bodied. More Bordeaux than NZ-style, ie not as sharp or piquant. Rounded melon and some grapefruit. A nice wine, but not as outstanding as the rest of the Peter Michael lineup.

5/20/2005 - jrj wrote:

Deep but clear red color. Nose very similar to a shiraz, but on the palate there is more acidity and sharper, leaner fruit. Brambly is a good word. Not sure this will gain much from more age, though there's no rush to drink it. Not a bad wine - improves with some air - but the three grapes don't quite come together to give it an integrated personality.

5/7/2005 - jrj wrote:

Another one @ Modinis. Very similar impression to last time, but got a small candied grenache note as well - not my favorite. Still, a nice wine.

4/29/2005 - jrj wrote:

Late posting the note (from a week ago), but this was an excellent wine. Very minerally, almost flint, balanced by melon. Sounds like a barbell but it works very nicely. Not at all overdone. Long aftertaste.

4/24/2005 - jrj wrote:

@ Balboa, from winelist. Medium bodied red. A little spice and some flowers on the nose. Fairly restrained cherries and spice palate. Nice but doesn't have that extra dimension tonight.

4/23/2005 - jrj wrote:

@ Modini's. Decent but unmemorable gewurtz. Not too sweet, not too spicy, perfectly OK.

4/23/2005 - jrj wrote:

Tasted the wine this morning at the Peay open house and thought it was terrific, so we popped one for dinner @ Modinis. At the open house the wine had an outstanding spicy, minerally nose. Later (no decanting, drinking from a tumbler) that was harder to pick up. But the wine is very easy to drink today. Light texture, cherry and spice (clove? nutmeg? vanilla?) with mineral overtones, and some oak. Lovely wine.

As an aside, the Peay's new winery seems quite a showplace and a serious winemaking facility, and it was fun to see Vanessa, Nick, and Andy.

4/22/2005 - jrj wrote:

@ Pineflat, with barbequed chicken. Nice deep color, semi-opaque, quite viscous. Deep spicy nose. Soft, lush and chewy mouthfeel but more tannin than I remember from the Rhone Rangers tasting. Next time I'll decant for a while. This comes across like a very good middleweight Barossa shiraz. Not overdone. Lots of black fruit, moderate spice. Delicious.

4/16/2005 - jrj wrote:

Medium body but viscous. Nice ruby red. Cherries, kirsch and a bit of tar on the nose. Mourvedre immediately obvious on entry. Bright fruit but not a deep finish. Fresh now and may improve but not a long ager. Very pleasant, quaffable wine. Bring on the pizza.

4/15/2005 - jrj wrote:

@ Zazu. Sweet and lush. Not particularly deep or interesting. On the bright side but not syrupy or overdone.

4/15/2005 - jrj wrote:

@ Modinis. Smokey and sweet. A bit of mint? Young and should improve but not overly tannic now.

4/10/2005 - jrj wrote:

Much better than the last one. Deep red color. Game, herbs, and creme de cassis on the nose. A rather warm, meaty, spicy mouthfeel. Aftertaste mellow and long. Opened up further after two hours - a bit sweeter and mellower still.

4/8/2005 - jrj wrote:

@ Modini's. Deep red. Penetrating but not huge aroma. Violets, camphor, and a little bacon. Complex mouthfeel, long aftertaste. Opens up a little over two hours, still needs more. This is a serious wine, maybe not as approachable as it will be in a few years.

4/8/2005 - jrj wrote:

@ Modini's. Ugly label, but nice wine. Pretty spicy, moderately sweet.

4/3/2005 - jrj wrote:

Dinner @ Balboa Cafe. Decanted for a half hour. Deep purple-red. Big smokey nose, explodes in the glass. More smoke and bacon fat on entry. Mid-palate coffee beans, pepper, and creme de cassis. Nicely integrated and tannins pretty smooth but should improve with a few more years. Long aftertaste.

4/1/2005 - jrj wrote:

Sweet. Not much spice.

4/1/2005 - jrj wrote:

Must have been a bad bottle, but I'm not sure why. Dull nose and flattish, warm taste. Maybe a bit sour but not awful. Very unpleasant, lingering, almost plastic-y aftertaste, however - I could still taste it an hour later.

3/27/2005 - jrj wrote:

Red. Spicy nose. More kirsch than garrigue. Tannins have mellowed. A bit deeper, smoother, and more serious than the average CdR, but maybe not as fun. Holding up very nicely and no hurry to drink up.

3/26/2005 - jrj wrote:

Medium red. Garrigue, lavender, and earth. Not deep, not tannic, but very quaffable.