9/3/2023 - Nerve4Verve wrote:

Part of a blind tasting pairing with some friends for marinated tri-tip. One mentioned that this was his "happy wine!" Ya, I can get behind that... opened with a nice funky nose and silky layered menagerie of dark fruits. Glad I've still got a handful... drink 'em and enjoy!

12/14/2020 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

Sadly, my last bottle. This is hitting on all cylinders and in a great drinking window. Beautiful extraction, nose, and lengthy finish that continues to build 60"+... need more!

11/4/2020 - Nerve4Verve wrote:

Glad I waited! PnP, had dark fruit profile on nose and palet... typical Cam short finish. 2nd night in and the last half of corked bottle was a huge improvement with cedar, leather, smooth tannins and lengthy finish. If you've still got some, you'll be rewarded, as this is hitting on all cylinders now.

9/20/2020 - Nerve4Verve wrote:

PnP and this ready to go now... Still nothing to gush over and nothing that spoke Rutherford to me. Had the typical cab nose and mirrored pallet with very smooth tannins and throwing tons of sediment now. If you've still got a few, I'd drink what you've got, as I don't see it improving from here.

7/11/2020 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

Yep... last bottle and this was a stunner 15 years in. Still fresh and vibrant with layers of tobacco, earthy cherry, licorice, & leather. Acidity is balanced and tannins have resolved into sweet honey with decant 60" finish. Glad I was part this journey!

7/9/2020 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

5 years since last bottle. PnP with little funk on the nose... cleared up with a 30 mins air. No sediment yet, deep red, lots of leather and tobacco with mineral, earthy tart cherry, crushed rock, and loads of mouth coating tannins still. A little angular and hollow after mid... Pedigree is here and this could go for several more years... hope the fruit holds up.

6/17/2020 - Nerve4Verve wrote:

I should have bought more... great QPR. From PnP, this was immediately worth the 1st bottle test. Already balanced and will for sure get better... find some while you still can!

3/15/2020 - Nerve4Verve wrote:

Ready to go at PnP and in a great drinking window... somehow we finished the bottle in one afternoon!

6/1/2019 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

PnP... took about a hour to unwind in glass. Jury is still out, due to muted nose and short finish. It had nice hallmarks of lip smacking chocolate, black cherry, leather, hints of vanilla, & touch of earth. Its chewy, tannins are in check, while a little alcoholic heat comes through. Not bad, but will a few extra years provide the nose, finish, & push above the 90 points?

12/9/2018 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

Drink them, if you've still got 'em... it's gracefully saying goodbye. PnP and cherry pie was the main profile, with red licorice, and silky tannins in the background. 2nd night in, it surprisingly had the stuffing to unfold layers of tobacco and anise with extended finish. We've been through numerous cases and this was one of the best buys I've made... Cam stated this had great components and I'm glad to have been apart of this wine's journey.

11/22/2018 - Nerve4Verve Does not like this wine:

Been holding a couple bottles for awhile... this one did not impress for Thanksgiving. I'm afraid it's past peek and sliding quickly. I'll try the other in 2020 on the 10 year mark... cheers, here's hoping for a better experience!

4/22/2018 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

Good stuff and QPR. PnP and this is a crowd pleaser with immediate tobacco, cherry pie, & bit of vanilla exploding out of glass... Infact, more than Cam's typical mixes. Palate is mirrored with round mouth filling black cherry, bit of white pepper, balanced grainy tannins, acidity, and oaky vanilla in a 30" medium finish. While I normally don't get excited about "oaked" red's, this one is enjoyable. It's ready to go now and with the fresh acidity, it could benefit from some extra time... Drink now or wait a bit. Fun conundrum to have.

4/19/2018 - Nerve4Verve Does not like this wine:

Ugh... Can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd rather have a "2 Buck Chuck" and save some money. Opened for 5 days and this is still mouth puckering tart sugar water... I'll give it a gold star for staying power. 2013 was such a fantastic buy... 2016 not so much.

3/18/2018 - Nerve4Verve wrote:

Hearing that 2016 had a difficult rainy end to the vintage in Puglia... this shows it. Unfortunately, it's a pale comparison to the 2014 & 2015 siblings. While nothing is off-putting, my main complaint is that it's thin & "watery." There are still faint components that represent the region and throwing down $4 (sourced at Trader Joes) to have a cheap any day Sangiovese isn't going to break the bank. Makes me wonder if there's anything else "better" for another $1 or $2... how about you?

2/17/2018 - Nerve4Verve wrote:

Ok... I like "dark fruit" wines and I like this wine... on the 2nd day in. When 1st opened, it poured deep purple and had an expressive Bordeaux nose. However, it sure didnt match what I anticipated, as it came across tannic, short, and hollow with the fruit hidden by the brute force. 2nd day in, and this is now something that can be enjoyed with blueberry pie, leather, anise, chocolate, and lingering finish. Give another year or two and this is a winner. Sourced at Costco... buy, drink... repeat.

*Edit 2.18.18: Just poured last few ounces on 3rd day... Layers of tobacco & pepper have emerged, while holding strong with original attributes Moved rating from 86 to 88.

2/15/2018 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

Good stuff for $10. P&P with a bit of barnyard at first, which blew off... about an hour in, cherry and chocolate notes revealed themselves nicely. Palette mirrored with bitter cocoa and red berries mix. It is a little hollow at mid stroke with short-medium finish, but tannins & acidity are in check. I suspect that in a year or two things will fill out. Sourced at Costco... get some while you can.

1/16/2018 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

This is now ready & open for business with everything in its place! Full bodied and poured as deep purple with tobacco, boysenberry, & pepper on the nose. Perfectly framed with dark fruits, black licorice, silky tannins, and lively acidity that kept it fresh... somehow we finished the bottle without even thinking about it... Glad I have more!

12/25/2017 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

PnP for Christmas ham and this was ready to go. Deep dark hues poured into glass with some barnyard on nose. This quickly blew off to reveal lovely rose/lilacs, smokey meats, and spice. Velupuous mouth-filling layers of pure dark fruits, bit of dusty minerality with seemlessly integrated tannins/acidity, and persistant 1' plus finish framed each glass through dinner. Gorgeous, well crafted wine from Costco!

12/17/2017 - Nerve4Verve wrote:

Decadent & Lush... in a beautiful drinking window! Still pouring as opaque deep purple in the glass, with little to no bricking at rim and a bit of sediment in bottle now. Opened up with persistant nose filling boysenberry, plumb, smokey meats, & bit of tobacco. All mirrored by pure silk on the palate, with mouth filling dark fruits, ballanced acidity, sweet fine grain tannins, & 60" plus finish. WOW... I've never had a wine that was worthy of epic scores like this... 94++

11/19/2017 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

Nice surprise...even 2nd day in. Some bell pepper notes on the nose. Licorice, cherries, round mouthfeel with balanced tannins and minerality... stock up and be a hero at the next party!

7/3/2017 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

Touted as an experiment that was sold off, this is the 1st bottle from my stash and 5 years in its almost ready for prime time. PnP... opened as deep/opaque purple in the glass with pencil lead, delicate floral, & black berries on the nose. It interestingly pulled back into itself for about an hour and then 3 hours in, this really opened up into a silky/well balanced beauty with seemless acidity, & multi-layered dark fruits. I believe there is room for improvement that only patience will grant, as the tannins are still "iron clad" and the finish is shorter than I hoped for. This is a 1st class wine and I'm looking forward to being along for the ride... Glad I have more!

5/31/2017 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

Best bottle yet! I'm not sure how much better this can get... But I'll endeavor to have fun exploring future bottles. Deep black ink poured as tobacco, cedar, & blackberry pie exploded out of the glass. Seemlessly balanced & framed, this is the real deal as layers of black fruits, spice, & smokey meats unfold in the mouth filling 60"+ finish. Wife says YUM... Glad I have more!

5/28/2017 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

Tasty crowd pleaser, with oak on nose and balanced acid/tannins. However, it's way too "oaked" and the vanilla is front and center masking any real fruit character. At $10 it's an easy grab for a party... Where you're​ going to be a hero.

5/17/2017 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

Wow, this hits well above it's price point and gives you everything you'd expect from this region. From P&P through 2nd night, this delivers and I believe it's better than the 2014 offering. While this will never be a complex or deep thinking bottle, it's a perfect "whenever" mid-week splash​. I've had other wines 5x more expensive that weren't this polished and expressive. Sourced at Trader Joe's... Go get a case and enjoy without reservation.

5/11/2017 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

PnP... hits the "good" QPR mark with typical Bordeaux hallmarks. At this early 2017 date 2 years in, the nose surprisingly open/aromatic, but body came across as fairly thin and "hollow" on pour. Re-corked 1/2 bottle and 2nd day in, this gained some weight with things filling out to a nicely balanced wine. Sourced at Trader Joe's at under $9 and would think it's a no-brainer for an anytime splash or bulk purchase to sit on for a bit... who knows, 2015 is a great year for the "all boats rising" analogy.

4/3/2017 - Nerve4Verve wrote:

Solid example of inexpensive Bordeaux wine that delivers for an any day splash. Poured deep black in glass with a touch of cedar/tobacco on nose. Plush blue/black fruits framed by balanced acidity & tannins. While not "complex" and won't be a cellar star, this is a no brainer for a bulk purchase to enjoy right now, without reservation.

12/17/2016 - Nerve4Verve wrote:

P&P... dark opaque elixir filled the glass with hints of dried cherry and tobacco. Surprisingly this still has tons of tannins that obliterate any fruit. Being that this is now 10 years old, I'm not sure where it's going and I'm afraid that there won't be any fruit left when the tannins do finally integrate... maybe it's already gone now. Looking at other's notes this could be a bad bottle, but the W.S. touted 94 points is still extremely optimistic.

12/18/2016 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

This is a BIG in your face wine with deep opaque purple, cigar box, spice, and earthy fig on the pour. Dense & Mouth filling rustic black fruits with a grity minerality, that lead to a 30"+ finish. After about an hour of air, some big grained tannins were still in the mix. This is not a "sipping" wine, but will pair great with food and was awesome with the steak dinner. I belive there is good fruit here that will last until the tannins settle in to allow everything to come together.

12/11/2016 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

Cheap Pinot that actually works... this hits the target with a bit of cola, cherry, crowd pleasing oak, & vanilla tones. Yes this is over oaked, but it's nice to find something that's not syrupy and this even has enough acid to work with food too. Buy, drink... repeat without hesitation.

12/4/2016 - Nerve4Verve wrote:

Always on the look-out for an "any day," cheap splash... this hits the mark. P&P - light/medium bodied, nice garnet color, with pleasant toasty nose, & round mouthfeel. Slow-ox testing ensued... Recorked and re-tasted days 2 & 3. Hit its stride on 2nd day. Peaked on day 3... opened up further with nice touches of spiced blueberry pie & plush dark fruits. Buy this without reservation... just give it some air right now and enjoy!

12/1/2016 - Nerve4Verve Does not like this wine:

Burnt rubber... why would anyone subject themselves to this.

12/1/2016 - Nerve4Verve wrote:

Sugared grape juice, infused with alcohol... seriously, this had no Petite Syrah character at all and could have been anything they put into the bottle.

11/29/2016 - Nerve4Verve Does not like this wine:

Meh... I get a better experience out of the "Black Box" wine from Costco. This pours deep purple with a little bit of spice on the nose. Tastes like stewed berries, while being tanic and tart. Not something I want again (especially at the price of entry).

11/24/2016 - Nerve4Verve wrote:

Elegant & well crafted... P&P for Thanksgiving dinner. Immediately came out to play with subdued cola and earthy cherry on the nose. Light/medium bodied with balanced acidity & tannins, cherry/strawberry, nice round mouthfeel, and a short/medium finish. This was a little underpowered without a piercing bright core and unfortunately was overwhelmed by the meal but, as a "sipper" with light hors d'oeuvres, it would deliver in spades.

11/24/2016 - Nerve4Verve wrote:

Wow... straight from pop and pour, this continues to impress as it ages and explodes with tons of character & length now. See previous notes... Definitely in a great drinking window!

11/2/2016 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

Picked up as a $10 twin-pack at Costco for cheap every day splash. Cutting to the chase... go get some now! As of this writing (11/2016); Give it some "air" time and you'll be rewarded... Great QPR. In the glass it started off as a basic red and I was happy to find a decent bottle at this price point. 4 days later: I forgot this was opened and as a whim gave it a try before tossing... Surprise, SURPRISE the 2nd half of bottle had become quite good! I'm getting some kirsch, black cherry, & touch of tobacco notes, round plum & dark fruits, silky tannins framed by balanced acidity. Stupid good at $5/bottle and I'm going back to buy a bunch more... Who knows how this might come along!

10/31/2016 - Nerve4Verve wrote:

P&P as a test bottle for a few just purchased. I was initially excited about finding a Costco hidden gem, but there's not much here to write home about. Decent color in glass, faint whiff of typical Bordeaux and weak red fruit on the pour. Through 3 hours of glass-time, there was no evolution as it came across thin and never had any character. Retested on 2nd day with no improvement. While this is very early for proper assessment, I feel that the source dumped some juice on Costco and doubt it will be anything special. I returned the purchase (love Costco''s return policy).

10/20/2016 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

A real treat to open this... found it in my father-in-law's cellar while doing inventory after he passed a year ago. This is beyond it's prime, but still gave some enjoyment. Pale ruby color, some sediment, with lots of caramel and spice on the nose. Nice initial attack, but quickly became hollow in the mid with a thin finish. Truly amazing to experience this nearly 40 years after it was produced!

*Update - 3 days in, this has really opneed up and has balanced its self with full mid and a succulent finish. As such... I'm moving the rating up to 90+... Incredible to be along for this journey!

9/18/2016 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

PnP with friends as a 1st bottle test. Beautiful dark elixir in glass and extremely tight at first. Needed about 2 hours to start opening up. Hints of florals and cigar box. Bright red fruit tones, nice balanced acidity and tanins on the palate. This one will need a few more years (maybe 5) to come into it's own... let it rest or allow for a long decant if you must have now.

5/30/2016 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

Pop & pour... Gorgeous and balanced wine out of the gate that continued to open up with layers of dried cherries, sweet tobacco leaf, earth, moss, and medium long finish. I think this entering its drinking window and will continue to gain complexity... wife says YUM... Glad I have more!

2/25/2016 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

P&P - Opened up with prototypical Cam Hughes profile... big grippy tannins, dense, dark fruit, and medium finish. Re-corked and 2nd night the tannins were nicely in check, but now there's alcoholic heat coming through. Decent fruit here... hope the heat comes into balance.

1/31/2016 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

Great representation of the 2010 vintage. P&P and beautiful dark crimson poured into glass with nice cigar & dark cherry spice on the nose. Several layers of pure red & dark fruits unwrapped as it opened and evolved over the course of the night, all framed by integrated tannins & acidity... and long luscious finish. This rocks now and will undoubtedly have years of enjoyment ahead.

12/30/2015 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

Gorgeous... as the "Pure Napa Valley Wine" label suggests; this represents Napa's opportunity for great fruit and delivers the real deal (at a young age) with deep dark hues in the glass, luscious dark fruits on the nose, which is mirrored on the palate with dense black currant, boysenberry/blueberry, dark chocolate, and a touch of eucalyptus. All is framed by seamlessly integrated silky sweet tannins, acidity, and alcohol allowing for a long succulent finish. We opened this along with 3 other brands... sadly they were forgotten as this wine was the favorite and quickly disappeared. Find some while you still can!

12/23/2015 - Nerve4Verve wrote:

Real vintage, real cork... real Brunello? Does anyone know where Costco sourced this? I hope this one was flawed... and only this one. However, there were no apparent cork defects showing why this would have been so bad as I opened it. Poured as see through red brick in glass, had a slight flowery nose. Was very light weight, watery with weak fruit, and barely a hint of backbone. Re-corked for a "just in case" test and 2nd night was even worse. Not what I expected at all from the epic 2010 vintage! Even with the rediculously cheap $26 price, there is no way I'm going to risk cellaring these for years... returned the entire bulk purchase today. I hope others have better luck... I'll invest the money elsewhere.

12/20/2015 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

What else could you possibly want from a $6 Rioja? P&P and was immediately accessible with some florals, spice, cherries... 1 hour later opened up further with some cedar, tea, tobacco, & earth. Poured as mid-weight dark crimson with bright rim. Mouthfeel was a bit rustic/angular with bright acidity and tannins working well along side blackberries, cherry, and decent 20 second finish. While this is a bit thin and I did detect some "green" elements (they were always in the backround) everything just worked... GREAT QPR & is a no-brainer for bulk purchase to drink without reservation.

12/19/2015 - Nerve4Verve wrote:

1 year re-test update... Still nothing special (too early?) and I'm still not a raving fan of this wine. P&P and took 3 days of slow-ox test/recorking for this to open up... lacked any kind of nose or character and had some alcoholic heat with tannins that hid any real fruit until 3rd night. Finally came out with some floral notes, cherry liquor, and a bit of tobacco on nose. Mouthfeel was still a little angular, with a short/medium finish of plum & black cherry mix. All in all, this is rather bland and I'm not sure if it will ever be a "Rutherford." I'll try another in 2017... hopefully it'll be something to write about after 5 years of integration.

12/12/2015 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

P&P... Big, dense & broad shouldered dry-side adventure. This infant, poured as teeth staining opaque purple. Tight at first, but within 1/2 hour it opened up to some subdued mineral dusty notes, espresso, & hints of cacao. Definitely early... alcoholic heat, grippy tannins, and some peppery acidity in front of chewy blackberry, blueberry, and black cherry/boysenberry. Even so, mouthfeel comes across as round and finish starts to lengthen from non-existent to 20-30 second as it gets air. Have I said that this is a big wine? I hope this comes together and balances the heat and tannins... so much potential!

12/7/2015 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

One of the better Cali Merlots that I've had in a while... could easily pass as mid-tier "big name" and garners a good QPR for where Cam has it offered. P&P and actually finished the bottle the same night (which is rare, since I typically re-cork for 2nd night evolution test). Poured as full bodied and deep purple in glass. Tight at 1st... with 1 hour of open bottle air and swirling, it came out to play with good mix of plush dark fruits (blueberry & plum) and cherry layered below. Nose is somewhat subdued right now, but has hints of chocolate and blueberry pie. This has acidity and tannins framing the fruit which should support some aging and future complexity... looking forward to seeing where it goes!

11/30/2015 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

Great food wine... P&P medium weight crimson/garnet in glass with notes of cherry, raspberry, and white pepper. This has a rustic style with spicy rhubarb, cherry, red licorice, and oak/vanilla taking backseat. Fairly angular with solid backbone of acidity and tannins in background... nice change from the typical syrupy zins in this price category.

11/16/2015 - Nerve4Verve Likes this wine:

A "biggest release" that I really don't get... don't get me wrong... It's good but, doesn't scream "Epic-Oakville" to me. Pop & Poured as see-thru medium weight with good color, nice touches of tobacco, and earth on the nose. It was round with mix of dark fruits immediately available, some toasty oak, and fine tannins holding it together. While this is definitely way too early to properly access, it's surprisingly approachable to me and didn't have any overwhelming tannins or a bright core of acidity for backbone. I see this becoming an elegant 90 point (not much more) beauty once everything comes in balance, which could be sooner than later... Place your bets!