9/19/2023 - yonster24 wrote:

Absolutely gorgeous. nutty, brioche, some honey and apple on the nose. Full bodied yet lively on the palate leading to a wonderful finish with great acidity to back everything up. So good.

8/21/2023 - yonster24 wrote:

Big time brioche on the nose, nutty and a little bit of apple as well. Lively on the palate and bright with some citrus and green apple coming through. med+ finish. Really solid Champagne for $34 from KL.

8/21/2023 - yonster24 wrote:

Really solid wine. Black olive, game, pepper and dark fruit on the nose. while a big wine, it's not over the top. Great balance of fruit/tannins/acid to keep this lively and fresh, yet really tasty.

8/14/2023 - yonster24 wrote:

Big wine. Oak prevalent right off the bat. Mocha, cassis, dark fruits on the nose. Really ripe on the palate. Had the tannins and acidity to hold up but this is a big wine. Not my style.

11/22/2022 - yonster24 wrote:

Nose: Black olive / coffee / light roasted meat / a touch of barnyard. Taste: awesome. Honestly no better way to describe it. Gorgeous mouth feel. Tannins integrated mostly but come out a little with air along great acidity allowing this to hold true for a while. Not sure this will get much better but honestly doesn’t need to. In a perfect spot right now and my WOTY so far.

11/15/2022 - yonster24 wrote:

Had this with Brian G. No official notes but this was in an absolute perfect spot. Drop dead gorgeous bottle of wine. This isn't getting any better, but will hold here for a quite a few more years. Wish I had taken more detailed notes, but regardless...this was absolutely fantastic.

5/15/2022 - yonster24 wrote:

I guess I can see why some people like this. Found it for 30 bucks and thought I’d give it a whirl. Not my cup of tea. overdone. Ehh.

12/23/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

for the 20 bucks I paid this is hard to beat. Shows the depth and breadth of the 2013 vintage. Big, but not overdone. Tasty and balanced. Wish this wine was like this every year! hahaha...

12/23/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

2 hour decant softened this up a bit, but this still has ages to go. Deep color to it. Pepper, black olive, uncooked meat on the nose. Med/full bodied on the palate. Definitely not over the top. Med/full bodied on the palate but not over the top at all. Perfectly in balance with great acidity and tannins that should integrate with time.

10/16/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

Solid Chianti. Nose of red fruit and tobacco. Med bodied on the palate. Red cherry really taking the reigns here. Med+ finish with a little bit of bite to it. Will age a few more years before being fully integrated. Went great with dinner.

10/12/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

Didn't take any formal notes on this as I had it a couple weeks ago and opened it for a friend. All I can really say about this is I remember thinking to myself "well s**t, probably should have waited a few more years.

Was super tight and we didn't give time to decant. WHOOPS!

10/12/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

Great wine for the price, though could probably use another year to chill out. Black olive, pepper, red/dark fruit on the nose. Med/full bodied and tasty, leading to a med+ finish with some spice on the end. Solid wine.

10/2/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

waaaay too young. Decanted a few hours and still super tight. Red fruit, floral quality to it. Med bodied but giving up very little. Gonna be really good in a few years.

8/23/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

bright cherries, red fruit. earth, a touch of funk (very miniscule.) bright and lively on the palate. really refreshing and enjoyable to drink. loved it.

5/31/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

Deep perfume of dark berries, black pepper, ok.

Big wine. Full bodied, but fortunately not over-the-top. no raisin or prune here. Clean dark fruit enveloping the palate. Leading to a long finish with some spice and solid tannins. Maybe a touch of alcohol sting that dissipates after a while. Solid wine.

5/17/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

Citrus on the nose. Crisp and refreshing, maybe a touch of green apple and lemon zest. Not big and overbearing (as I HATE that in Cali Chards) but refreshing, medium bodied, tasty.

3/22/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

Had about a week ago and didn't write down specific notes. That being said is I remember this being infinitely better on day two than on day one. More open, more expressive, more everything. Was great one day two whereas day one felt like a bit of a dud. Leads me to believe that this needs a couple years to show it's true (fantastic) colors.

3/25/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

Been a Jaffurs fan for a while and when i found this on a restaurant list in Mammoth for 40 bucks, i jumped at it. (considering it's only 13 bucks above retail price I consider this a great deal.)

Anyway, solid as usual. Black olive / dark fruit and black pepper permeate the nose. Full bodied on the palate but not gloppy at all. very well built. Fruit forward and not over the top. Solid structure/backbone to this with a fairly long finish. Should age for a few years nicely. Wonderful wine.

3/4/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

Wish I had a better note than this, but this was after a LOOOONG night of drinking and having a little left with breakfast (!!) the next morning. So all I'll say is that this was downright tasty. Only thing that wold belie it's age would be it's darker color. This was fresh, unctious, full bodied and completely in check in terms of balance. great spice and acidity on the finish to keep this from becoming flabby. I want to get another bottle to really be able to evaluate this properly.

3/4/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

Hmmmm...no real in depth analysis here as it's from memory over the weekend, but this was a really good bottle. Nose of mushrooms, red fruit, and a touch of Brett. Silky body on the palate with red fruits really coming through. med+ finish with tannins there but fairly integrated and nice spice/acidity on the back-end. This was a good bottle, but overshadowed a bit by the 2013 Cayuse Armada and the 1999 Podere Roche Barolo. That's not a knock on this wine at all, it just speaks to how fantastic those two bottles end up being.

3/4/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

Salmon color to the wine. yeast/baked bread, raspberries and strawberry cream. Runs a nice balance between being crisp and full on the palate, with the flavor mirroring the nose. Schramsberg is hands down the best American Sparkler out there.

3/4/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

Haunting nose to this wine, absolutely beautiful. Floral, with telltale Barolo tar, earth, a very small touch of raisin (that wasn't distracting as I usually hate raisin in wine.) BIG on the palate. Full bodied wine from front to back. Tannins were insanely powerful and drying. There would be absolutely no way to tell this was a 17-year-old wine if tasted blind. As a matter of fact, they were so prevalent, I worry about the tannins outlasting the fruit. Hoping to pick up another bottle and try again in 5-10 years. Still... a fantastic wine.

3/4/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

Pretty straightforward Champs. Brioche, yeast and apple on the nose. Light, lemon zest, lively on the palate. Solid if not spectacular.

2/28/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

I forgot how much I really enjoy John's wines. Great nose of Olive, pepper, black cherry, dark fruit and a touch of mocha. Med/full bodied on the palate. fresh and vibrant throughout with no real holes in it. Finish was med+ length with a solid backbone. Tannins juuuuust starting to integrate a little and some spice on the back-end. This will hold up a while.

2/14/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

Citrus, Strawberry Cream, Toast on the nose. Palate mirrors the nose and throws some raspberries on top of it. great effervescence here as well. really enjoyed this.

2/22/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

Really nice Zin here. As mentioned by others on this wine. There is a delicateness to the wine. Light but not insipid. Really pretty. Nice red color in the glass. Floral notes, red fruit. Med bodied on the palate and flat out tasty. From front to back this was a joy to drink with no real holes. med+ finish with great balance. While not terribly complex, this is definitely worth the $20 tariff.

2/11/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

Decanted for two hours prior to drinking. Beautiful nose of red cherries a touch of cocoa, cassis, earth. Great mouthfeel and not over-the-top at all. One word to describe this wine: balance. Everything from the nose to the palate to the finish was completely in check and complimentary of each other. My idea of a solid Napa Cab.

2/7/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

Not a bad wine but nothing particularly exciting about it. Red fruit and cassis on the nose. Light/med body on the palate. Needs to gain a little more weight. I'm all for a restrained Cab but this felt somewhat hollow on the mid palate. Was hoping it would gain weight over the course of the evening. Med length finish with good balance, but I would venture a guess to drink near term rather than long term.

1/27/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

As usual, this is a great bottle for the price. No detailed notes this time around, just know that it was immensely better and more open on day 2. Give it some time to breathe and you'll be a happy wine drinker.

1/15/2017 - yonster24 wrote:

Decanted for about an hour prior to drinking. upon opening, it seemed to have had a fairly size-able wallop of funk/brett to it, which concerned me a little. The last bottle was way too bretty to enjoy. Decided to let it sit for a bit and come back to it. Once I came back, the funk seemed to have subsided quite a bit and relegate itself to the background. Red fruits, maybe a bit dark and a touch of oak involved here. Medium bodied on the palate with sweet cherry really coming through along with the underlying brett. Acidity very much prevalent and tannins fairly integrated. Med+ finish. Very solid bottle of wine if you can enjoy a little funk in it. (of which I can.)

12/25/2016 - yonster24 wrote:

Fantastic wine of insanely young. Primary fruit on the nose to go with cassis, wet asphault and a little bit of oak. Med/full bodied on the palate. Extremely well balanced but obviously young. Decanted for 5 hours and the tannins were still drying and biting on the finish. I think this starts entering drinking window in about 3-4 years and stays there a while. Excellent wine.

12/24/2016 - yonster24 wrote:

Never heard of this winery and was pleasantly surprised. Black olive, black fruit, crayon, earth, the faintest hint of raw meat and a little oak. Med bodied on the palate. Sweet fruit on entry but not in a bad way. Really well balanced wine. Fruit/acid/tannin all in check. Med+ finish with some spice. Will age for a few more years, though it's super solid right now.

12/20/2016 - yonster24 wrote:

Lovely bottle of wine. Black Olive, a little pepper, underlying game, dark fruit really jumping out of the glass. Great mouthfeel to the wine, striking a great balance between the fruit, acidity and tannin. Long finish with some pepper to it. This has quite a few years left ahead of it.

12/19/2016 - yonster24 wrote:

Let me be clear: I get no joy out of saying this...but this wine is TERRIBLE. Way too big, over extracted, sweet, no varietal distinction. Just disappointing all around. Received as a gift and will be sure to never purchase on my own.

12/19/2016 - yonster24 wrote:

Pretty solid if not amazing. I'm thinking you should drink if you have it. I don't see this getting any better, and in fact probably declining fairly soon. As it is, I don't think this is a Syrah that is generally built to go the long haul regardless.

Nice nose of black fruit, olive, coffee/mocha and a little bit of cinnamon underlying it all. Med-full bodied wine with the flavors really attacking the front of the palate. Was a touch tired after that with mid-palate dying down a little but still very much drinkable. got this weird minty(??) aspect to it towards the back end of the palate. has a touch more acidity than tannin at this point in time. Again, not spectacular but for the $15 I got it for, it wasn't bad at all....

12/12/2016 - yonster24 wrote:

You'd be hard pressed to find a better Chard at this price anywhere. (12 bucks.) Citrus on the nose, pineapple and wet stone. Clean and fresh on the palate. Lively, maybe a little steely but not overly so. Nice finish. Not a wine that needs too much contemplation. Just a wine that is fantastic for every day drinking.

12/11/2016 - yonster24 wrote:

As always, this is a fantastic QPR bottle. nose of game, pepper, dark fruit and maybe a touch of vanilla. Dark fruit coming through on the palate, leading to a med+ finish with some tannins finding their way through. Just an enjoyable bottle of wine if not overly complex. Still feels young. could benefit from another 2-3 years in bottle to show full potential.

12/11/2016 - yonster24 wrote:

Definitely drank waaay too young. I like most of my Ridge's with a bit of age on them but it sounded good tonight so I pulled this. Slightly riper than normal but. It overdone. Bramble, a little black pepper, dark red fruit. Slightly sweet on the palate and smooth but a little disjointed in a sense that you could tell this needs time to really shine. Solid grip and acidity on the back-end. This will be better in 5-7 years once it's settled in.

11/26/2016 - yonster24 wrote:

Bright color. Nose: violet, flower bed (earth) cranberry and bright cherry. Maybe a hint of oak peeking through underneath. Cranberry really coming through in the front end of the palate. Med bodied wine. Tasty. Long finish, great acidity. Probably has a couple more years left in the tank.

11/24/2016 - yonster24 wrote:

Light salmon color to it. Fine bubbles. Nose: Baked bread, Strawberry cream and almonds.
Palate: Citrus/orange with some peach and light red cherry. Some nuttiness to it. Lively, fresh and really enjoyable.

11/24/2016 - yonster24 wrote:

Very murky. Ruby in color. Nose: wine cave (I guess you can take this as oak, but it's more than that. Certain wine caves have a wonderful smell to them and I specifically got that here.) Earth, Raspberries. Palate: vibrant, fresh. Lively. Red cherries, Great acidity. Savory. Extremely enjoyable long finish. This won't get any better but will hold for a few more years. So complex and delicious.

11/24/2016 - yonster24 wrote:

Dark Ruby in color. Nose of cassis, wet asphalt, mocha , hay, blackberry on the nose.

Full bodied wine. Maybe a touch too much for me personally. Sweet tannin, could use a bit more acid on the back end but this wasn't necessarily flabby. Good wine, not terribly complex but definitely a crowd pleaser. I give this 5-7 years.

11/23/2016 - yonster24 wrote:

Dark Ruby in color. Nose of Mocha/Vanilla with some underlying plum and violet to go along with blue/black fruits. The Mocha/Vanilla aspect was just a touch more than I like, but overall it was very enticing to smell. Definitely a full bodied wine, but not over-the-top or 'plush' by any means. Strikes a pretty good balance with the plum and blue fruit really showcasing on the palate. Oak spice on the finish with somewhat drying tannins giving this a little bit of a bite. Really solid Bordeaux blend. I would venture a guess of another 4-6 years of really drinking well.

11/21/2016 - yonster24 wrote:

Dusty on the nose / oak spice / dark cherries / cocoa powder. med bodied wine. little bit of leather, dark red cherries on the palate. Weird juxtaposition here. Nose of the wine seems fairly young, but on the palate, with the earth and leather, it seems a touch more aged than the nose would suggest. med+ finish with great acidity keeping this lively and fresh. Mild tannins and very well balanced. While I think this will progress over the next few years, I'm not entirely sure due to the palate already possessing teritiary traits.

11/19/2016 - yonster24 wrote:

Meh. Fairly middle of the road Pinot. Not bad by any means but also not particularly interesting. Nose of vanilla, Dark cherry, raspberry. Med-full bodied wine with the palate mirroring the nose. Somewhat of a clipped finish that left me wanting. Not terribly complex and fairly straightforward. Again, not bad but sorta boring.

11/18/2016 - yonster24 wrote:

Descartes 2 hours prior to drinking. Nose of lavender, lead pencil, dark fruit and a touch of vanilla/oak. Plush wine on the palate. Concentrated Dark fruits with some underlying coffee really enveloping the palate. Leading to some oak spice on the back end with I guess what you would call sweet tannins that are yet to be resolved but starting to soften. I would venture a guess of 3-5 years before being fully integrated.

While a good wine, not really spectacular. Wasn't complex but it's definitely a crowd pleaser.

11/13/2016 - yonster24 wrote:

straw color to it. nose of fresh cut grass (love this smell), a touch of lemon and some light honey fighting it's way through in the background. Medium body on the palate with lemon and oak - though not overdone at all - really shining along with some great minerality to it. great acidity on the back-end keeping this lively and fresh. Really well done.

11/6/2016 - yonster24 wrote:

Man, this was great! Bought this years ago and will look to buy more. Still on the young side but not shut down at all. Cigar / dark fruit / smoke / wet cement on the nose. Full bodied on the palate with a little green coming through (but not in a bad way at all.) Tannins very prevalent on the finish but not harsh at all. Acidity on point. Makes for a very well made and well -balanced wine. This easily has 10 years life left on it. Still feels young and primary almost but not overly so. In a great spot and will be for a long time.

11/5/2016 - yonster24 wrote:

I enjoyed this, though others did so slightly more than I. Full bodied wine. Honey / Melon / Mineral / Citrus on the nose. While this is definitely a California Chard it wasn't over the top. Solid balance to it throughout the wine. I honestly don't have enough experience with Rochioli to know how long this will last, but I think it can improve a little and drink well for a few more years.

11/5/2016 - yonster24 wrote:

Justin always makes a solid Cab for the price and this was no different. Cedar / Cassis / dark fruits on the nose. Med/Full bodied wine with the palate mirroring the nose for the most part. Great acidity and enough tannin there to suggest this will be wonderful in a few years.