2/27/2024 - aronh Does not like this wine:

Too much fruit (and bitter at that), like a CA Pinot.

10/20/2023 - aronh Likes this wine:

Seemingly on the tail end of its drinking window, tobacco/mint/faint leather on the nose. Good acid/medium tannin, but nothing remarkable.

3/20/2023 - aronh Likes this wine:

Super delicious, dense mouth puckering saline quaff. Like being back in Kakheti drinking out of plastic jugs.

2/27/2023 - aronh Likes this wine:

Always such a good wine to come back to - volcanic sulfur funk bathed in acid and tannic eloquence.

2/16/2023 - aronh Likes this wine:

Drank with gramigna & cabbage/cheese ragù. Surprisingly went well with chicken mujaddarah the next day. More versatile than at first glance, it appears.

1/12/2023 - aronh wrote:

Hopefully will be luckier in the next bottle. Some minty notes on the nose, large, gripping tannins, fading fruit; not what I wanted for a riserva barbaresco.

1/8/2023 - aronh Likes this wine:

Solid petrol nose, a bit of toasted oak, pale gold in color, high acid and balanced white grape notes. Looking forward to drinking with some rich golubtsi (stuffed cabbage).

1/6/2023 - aronh Likes this wine:

This is supremely slurpable table wine, good acid for balancing with foods such as: amatriciana, polpette alla napoletana with friarelli, etc etc. Don’t let the notes direct you too far away.

12/27/2022 - aronh Likes this wine:

On its own, I thought meh - but then I started eating with smoked scamorza and mint pizza and the wine started to shine. Well balanced slurpable quaff of juicy volcanic fruit, this shouldn’t be held too much longer.

10/24/2022 - aronh Likes this wine:

Seepage all the way up to the top, a little mold that may have transferred over to the nose, seems closed right now upon first open.

Generated by the tasting note assistant: "The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry, stoniness, cedar and bell pepper. It tastes like tea, stoniness, stems and red currant. The body is medium. The wine has juicy texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has high acidity."

9/16/2022 - aronh Likes this wine:

Super floral tropical aromatics, with a touch of petrol. Aroma reminds me of a California viognier Sauvignon blanc smash. Lively acid and slightly bitter on the edges of the tongue, slight sweetness — drink this with some fresh fish or lobster even - a little sweetness to match.

4/8/2022 - aronh wrote:

I can’t tell if there is a lot of residual sweetness, or just a lot more fruit than I want. I want more balance to the acid, perhaps? Kind of reminds me of a California white, especially at 13.5% alcohol.

12/22/2021 - aronh Likes this wine:

This aglianico is a bit too fruit forward for me. Would prefer more rusticity.

Edit: a few days later, stored under vacuum in the fridge, has muted some of the fruit (could also be the chill). Nicer than I remember! Cherry balanced with some rough tannins that linger.

8/5/2021 - aronh Likes this wine:

Super light in color, translucent brick red pinkish. Nose of hot dog and mortadella, spice and freshness - along with red currants and cherries. On the palate juicy, light and very quenchable. Can’t shake the hot dog.

7/6/2021 - aronh Likes this wine:

Surprisingly delicious. If California had a pure expression of fruit, this might be it. Peak ripeness with inky ruby color, a reasonable 14.5% alcohol; well balanced with acidity and lots of tannins - mouth puckering tannins. But there is a liveliness and zip to this wine I can’t really explain. I’d like to try this again in 5-10 years.

6/29/2021 - aronh Likes this wine:

Purple volcano! Dark fruit, ham, sulfur (in a good way), medium+ acid, soft but lengthy tannins make this a delight to drink. Drinking very well right now, don’t wait too long.

4/27/2021 - aronh Likes this wine:

I was transported to the forest floor where the redwoods tower and the mushrooms mush and the sea breezes dampen the pine leaves, the moist soil lays its fine scent in my nose. This was fun.

4/9/2021 - aronh Likes this wine:

Tartaric acid!!

3/23/2021 - aronh Likes this wine:

Forest berries, spice and the typical Tuscan slurpability. If I’m not careful I could finish the whole bottle. Ate with artichoke & leek frittata and chicken liver pate.

2/7/2021 - aronh Likes this wine:

So good, but more tart/bitter than I remember it being.

12/27/2020 - aronh wrote:

A bit lacking in excitement, too much dark fruit (or bitter “Pinot” taste?) for me even though there’s a nice effervescence and lightness/juiciness to the wine.

12/23/2020 - aronh Likes this wine:

Nice and lively, spicy, inky but not heavy. Somewhat corked initially but seemed to recover over the next few days.

12/13/2020 - aronh Likes this wine:

What a French wine should be! Funky brambly black pepper nose, a touch cloudy inky garnet color, medium-ish tannin, just enough to balance out the juicy acid. Very slurpable, the slight effervescence helps.

12/7/2020 - aronh Likes this wine:

Lovely crisp, lemon rind and honeysuckle aroma; slightly cloudy and well-rounded to the taste, while remaining delightfully acidic and slurpable.

9/25/2020 - aronh Likes this wine:

This wine is different with every bottle! The first couple were an ethereal alpine milky smooth mineral fest, this one is a fizzy lemon drop. Still getting some nice wildflower aromatics on the nose, with flinty rock for good measure. It’s very thirst quenching. 🕺

9/18/2020 - aronh Likes this wine:

Light blush/violet/brick red in color, moss and berries and roses on the nose. Mostly cherry on nose, bright juicy cherries. Slight effervescence; beautifully acidic and balanced for a 2 year old Pinot. Slightly hot, but not too much. Would love to see how this tastes in 2-5 years.

9/13/2020 - aronh wrote:

A fruit forward Napa cab without much tannin left. A bit too smooth for my taste. Still quite hot nine years in! 14.5% abv is no joke.

9/1/2020 - aronh Likes this wine:

Light colored, high alcohol (14.5% - though certainly doesn’t feel like it at first taste) Sangiovese/Colorino Toscano with enough tannin to keep things interesting. Wish there were more aromatics, but alas, the scent of Tuscan dust is nigh absent. That’s what you get for spending $8.99. But at that price, this is an excellent table wine.

8/28/2020 - aronh Likes this wine:

14 years in.. still a considerable amount of fruit left! Definitely a California Syrah. Still, the age tempers the fruit to an acceptable level - a nice bouquet of green and black pepper, elderberry and other dark fruit; blackberry and medium tannin on the palate.

8/6/2020 - aronh Likes this wine:

Honeysuckle & lemon oil nose, slight cloudiness in the glass. Strong fruit up front balanced by a good amount of acid. Good, viscous body. My first wine from Orinda, 60% chenin blanc, 25% sauv blanc, 15% muscat.

7/22/2020 - aronh Likes this wine:

Sadly used for nocillato (or maybe not sadly?), but I saved a taste for myself. Always love this wine - fresh volcanic rose bouquet, good tannins, fresh acidity. I still need to visit the winery!

7/15/2020 - aronh Likes this wine:

Light, straw color, viscous. Ripe pear and wildflower honey on nose. Getting a bit of fresh lemon and grape as well. On first sip, quite acidic, almost “aspro”, light and does not linger very long. Delicious with homemade bouillabaisse.

7/10/2020 - aronh Likes this wine:

Open for 3 days. Kept in fridge under vacuum. Deep purplish-ruby color. Dark fruit, garden roses on bouquet. Slight effervescence has worn off since opening, but minerality is still there. Low to medium tannin; quite juicy. The Sannio is there, but a bit hidden under the fruit. Good acid to balance out a stewed meat or good salumi. A nice easy drinker and good every day wine!

6/12/2020 - aronh wrote:

Quite an interesting wine - like a sherry! Getting used to it over time, but it really only goes with food of the Levant (Greek, Turkish, etc)

Drank over a week+, since it was already oxidized it wavered and actually got better over time. Very particular and unique, I’m going to miss it but I’m sure many people will be turned off (including my wife).

6/23/2020 - aronh Likes this wine:

Brick red color. Mint/menthol, rosemary and Tuscan earth on the nose. Good structure, medium fine tannin and still tasting somewhat hot! This bottle was much better than the last I had. Sadly the last one in my possession.

5/10/2020 - aronh Likes this wine:

Drank a couple weeks ago and remember it not being as good as the first bottle I had, but still interesting.

5/2/2020 - aronh wrote:

Super weird petrol on nose, and not in a good way. This Barolo is funky! Over time the nose mellowed out, but still, hard to enjoy.

4/30/2020 - aronh Likes this wine:

Delicious, aromatic, juicy, spicy well-aged slightly effervescent Pinot that could be mistaken for a French noble wine. Although, I drank it with a cassoulet, which in tandem could have raised this wine’s profile. I wish I had another, there are still some years left, though it is drinking very nicely now.

3/18/2020 - aronh Likes this wine:

On first open, earthy faint mushroom, sweet forest floor with faint berries. Opens up sweetly like a Piemontese Nebbiolo, delicious. Slight tannins balance out this gem of a wine. Funky mushroom earth and sweet berry, juicy. A strange sweetness at the back and sides of the tongue makes this evident that it's still California we're dealing with.

3/14/2020 - aronh wrote:

Tight nose upon open. A bit of swirl and getting thyme, oregano herbs - very green, green pepper almost. Tuscan dust barely there. Light brick red color. First taste, heavy tannin! Not so much nuance to flavor though. Kind of flat. Probably past its prime but may open up over the next couple days.

3/2/2020 - aronh Likes this wine:

Still quite lemony, almost Riesling-esque in its slight petrol aroma.

3/1/2020 - aronh wrote:

Much funkier in a weird way than I remember.

2/5/2020 - aronh Likes this wine:

Classic rubber/petrol nose, a bit of honey as well. Good acid and body balance each other out. Drinking nicely.

2/7/2020 - aronh Likes this wine:

Still good after 13 years and several cellars. Strong tannins are a bit overpowering, not too much of a nose or any prominent notes on the palate. Should drink in the next couple years.

11/17/2019 - aronh Likes this wine:

Slightly effervescent and sweet. Like walking into a garden. A bit sour at the end.

11/17/2019 - aronh Likes this wine:

Medium tannin, sauerkraut on nose, maybe give it some age.

11/17/2019 - aronh wrote:

Cedar, pine nose; red volcanic soil.

11/17/2019 - aronh wrote:

Nose: honeysuckle, medium tannin, not too much fruit. (Pressed by the feet of the San Francisco ballet!)

11/17/2019 - aronh wrote:

Sweet and flowery on nose, great aromatics, very different fruit! Thyme herbaceousness, fresh juice, medium-heavy tannin.

11/17/2019 - aronh wrote:

Spice, forest, pine, could age.