5/13/2023 - fluffy drinker wrote:

Not much complexity

3/19/2023 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Nice wine with food. Short but pleasant finish. Grew peppers, dark fruits.

2/26/2023 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Nice wine. Good value. Resembles NZ’s Sauvignon blanc

2/5/2023 - fluffy drinker wrote:

It's ok wine for its price ($12)

12/3/2022 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Excellent Merlot. Red cherry, species and hints of chocolate like a great Merlot should be. Ping finish with very smooth tannins. Still can improve with more cellaring. Needs at least hour of decanting.

10/2/2022 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

I like it. Not sweet, well balanced, light acidity, minerals

5/21/2022 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Light body, fruity nose, well balanced acidity with smooth tannins. Red berries, mushrooms.

8/22/2021 - fluffy drinker Does not like this wine:

Got it at Costco couple of weeks ago. After 30 min aromas started to get out with nice red fruits, lavender and barn notes. But that pretty much it. Very simple and flat on a palate. Short finish. No real structure to give chance to improve.

5/31/2021 - fluffy drinker Does not like this wine:

Way too sweet for Cab, feels more like Zin but without a fruit bomb. Very flat with short finish. Not impressive at all.

11/22/2020 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

We really liked it after 2 hours of decanting. Medium full body, black fruits, balanced, mid long finish.

10/11/2020 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Very nice wine. Fairly simple, but good flavor of dark fruits. Medium body, fairly short finish. Nice table wine.

3/29/2020 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

For such price is a superb wine. Still may improve in next year or two.

3/21/2020 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

That was worth keeping this wine so long. Probably in its peak now. Not many tannins not acidity. Plums, figs, some floral and earth hints. Short to medium finish. Overall great value for money.

12/15/2019 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Excellent wine. Medium body, ruby color with tannins almost gone. IMO at peak now, very balanced. Black berries on the nose, black currants. Black dried plums with hints of liquorice. Medim finish. Worked well with steak.

11/28/2019 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Very nice wine, still young. Will enjoy from other 2-3 years of cellaring. Well balanced with red berries and spices layers. Medium to long finish.

2/25/2019 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Nicely balanced, with plenty of minerals. Too premature to judge even after 3 hours of decanting.

6/13/2018 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Do not drink yet. Start 2020 at least

6/13/2018 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Tasted @Bachmutsky, still should wait another year or two just to start drinking. 2019+

3/23/2018 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Very unique. Mid bodied. Some spices and herbs. Heavy drinking.

9/3/2017 - fluffy drinker Does not like this wine:

Very simple and too sweet, resembling blended jam. You get a fruit bomb without any structure. There are better wines for $15

8/14/2017 - fluffy drinker Does not like this wine:

A little harsh and tar flavors. Good thing it was just $10. It's cheap CA commercial wine, not more than that.

6/15/2017 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

I expected this wine to be good, but I didn't expect this to be soooooo gooood. Perfectly balanced with still strong but very gentle tannins. Distinct flavor of smoke and cassis. Still in its youth. Great to drink now, but will be great for few more years for sure.

5/27/2017 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

I last tasted this wine 2 years ago and wasn't very pleased. I decided to keep one bottle for longer and see how it develops.
Wow, this is a beautiful wine now. Dark ruby color. Black currant and chocolate nose. Mid to heavy body. All the pieces are got the getter now, gentle acidity with soft tannins. Dense dry plum, black cherries and licorice. Rather long finish. What a pleasant wine which probably will become even better in the next couple of years. That potty I have no more bottles left.

3/25/2017 - fluffy drinker wrote:

Beautiful light Bordo color. Fresh fruits on the nose. Very nice made, well balanced with good acidity, pomegranates, sour cherries and cranberries. Light and very drinkable Syrah blend. Went well with roasted chicken.

3/4/2017 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Very nice wine for $$. Red berries on nose. Cassis, cherries and spices in palate. Medium body with medium to long finish.

11/6/2016 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Great wine. Fall 2016, but still very young and will develop in the next 3-5 years at least. Red cherries, hints of spices and nuts. Very smooth tannins and soft acidity. Medium body with great structure and long finish.

10/2/2016 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Very nice. Spices, earth.

4/25/2016 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Jenny and I liked this champagne. Well balanced with hints of apples, even peach and muskat. Smooth acidity. Long finish.

3/27/2016 - fluffy drinker wrote:

Very simple wine, perhaps too simple even for this price. Light body, flat taste of red berries. Short finish.

2/21/2016 - fluffy drinker wrote:

I first tasted this wine 1.5 years ago and took a not for myself do not touch until 2016 with hope it will develop some qualities. This CdP improved a little since 2014, but still remain not impressive. When opened, some earthy flavors and acidity. After 3 hours and double decanting, there nose still was unclear with hints of red berries. Fairly flat and acidic flavor, which worked fairly well with fatty Lamb Lion Chop, but not really close to good CdP. I guess you get what you paid for, $20 for CdP.

9/6/2015 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Not sure about other notes, but after double decanting and 4 hours this wine began to show its beautiful side. Classic south Rhone wine. Very well balanced with strong but very smooth tannins. Black and red berrie and light spices in the palate. Medium finish. Probably not for long cellaring, but most likely will improve during next year or two. One of the best values for the price ($15 at Costco).

6/14/2015 - fluffy drinker wrote:

Quite disappointing compare to previous vintages of Ella Valley. Over the peak with getting brick in the color. Overwhelming plum jam flavor, too sweet to my taste. Not totally integrated with sweetness jumping first masking other favors, and followed by hints of acidity. Medium to long finish.

6/14/2015 - fluffy drinker Does not like this wine:

Very disappointing wine. Not well integrated, even after long decanting. Lack of structure and character. Just hints of fruits, acidity and alcohol. Very short finish.

5/25/2015 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Beautiful wine, full of sun fruits and honey. Dark ruby color. With nice red fruits nose. Well balanced with nice structure. Natural sweetness complimented with light acidity and still very strong but smooth tannins (even after double decanting). Mouthful starting with Figs and dry black plums, some hints of sweet field herbs. Continues with hints of spices and sweet paprika, and then finishes with dark chocolate. Fairly long finish. Still didn't reach full potential and it seems to keep developing for next 2-5 years. If you have a bottle or two I would recommend to wait another year before tasting it.

5/9/2015 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

On open, clear garnet color, with red berries jam on nose. Started with strong acidity and alcohol. After few hours of decanting acidity was much better integrated. Hints of stables and plums shown up along with red berries. Still quite a lot of alcohol. Medium to full body with very long finish. Still improving, can easily hold few more years.

5/2/2015 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

On opening nose was a little dusty and acidic, and taste was flat and very acidic too, but after hour of decanting and warming up this wine turned into nicely balanced bucket of red berries, with strong but smooth acidity, hints of skin and long enough finish. One one side there is nice structure and a lot of acidity, on another ripe color and heavy sediment. I'm not sure if this wine reaches its peak or still long way to improve. Should keep tasting :)

4/25/2015 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Tasted at winery. Excellent nose of squeezed lines and melon. Beautifully distributed acidity with easy start in the beginning and stronger with finish. Excellent taste of a little honey with leeche, melon and pear. Long long finish.

1/17/2015 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Excellent value. Deep purple color. Spicy nose. Very smooth tannins with gentle acidity. Well balanced. Starts with taste of cranberries and other red berries, then spices, grained pepper even some cumin, and finishing with very long earthy finish. Great potential. Pleasant to drink now (after 3 hours of decanting), but I would say keep it for another year at least.

12/23/2014 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Tasted in winery. Moderately fruity nose. Soft tannins well connected to red berries acidity which moving toward black berries. Medium body and finish. Overall very pleasant wine for drinking now. Will improve for next 2-4 years.

12/22/2014 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Tasted in winery. Still way too young. Well balanced with soft tannins and acidity. Layers of taste beginning with red berries, through spices finishing with deep plum and cherries. I would say don't touch till 2016, but then probably another 5-8 years to improve.

11/30/2014 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Dark purple color, tight fruity nose on opening. No distinct flavor when opened, but then needs at least 2-3 hours to start opening up. Layers of flavors beginning with black berries, hint of spices and then long finish of red berries with smooth tannins and acidity, and hints of citrus. IMHO didn't reach its peak yet and will improve during next 2-3 years at least.

11/9/2014 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Vibrant blend which emits mouthful flavors and Israeli sun. Medium to full bodied wine with taste of rip black berries, dark plums and hints of pepper spices. Soft tannins and gentle acidity balanced quite well with typical Mediterranean sweetness. Pairing well with short beef ribs and dark chocolate. Drink now through 2016.

10/19/2014 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Still too young. Luck complexity of 2007, but nicely balanced. Strong but smooth tannins, acidity. Nice Californian cab fruity, but not overwhelming. Black currants. Solid finish. I would say don't touch till 2016-2017.

9/25/2014 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Despite being crafted 13 years ago this is still young wine. When just opened tar and acidity dominate anything else, but after 2 hours of decanting this wine starts to open up with well balanced structure, still strong but soft tannins, layers of red fruits and spices, a little bit of earth and very long finish. IMO easily can be kept for 3-5 years more or even longer. I believe this wine still didn't reach its peak.

9/22/2014 - fluffy drinker Likes this wine:

Need more cellar time. Started to show some signs of openness only after 2-3 hours of decanting

7/19/2014 - fluffy drinker wrote:

Unlike previous comment I found this wine very basic. Strong but smooth tannins, not very balanced though. Acidity jumps quite straight into mouth. Very short finish. Earthy and woody flavors. Maybe collaring will help, but I doubt that.

6/23/2014 - fluffy drinker wrote:

Nice

6/8/2014 - fluffy drinker wrote:

This wine is pretty much dead. Far beyond its peak.

5/30/2014 - fluffy drinker wrote:

Excellent wine, dark purple color. Strong spicy fruits nose. Strong but smooth tannins with plenty of acidity. Very well balanced. Layers after layers of taste, starting with spicy herbs, then red berries and black berries and then long and chocolate finish. I wouldn't touch this wine at least until 2015-2016.

5/30/2014 - fluffy drinker wrote:

Thomas Coyne was a hidden gem, so sad he is not making wine anymore.

This wine is very mature, full bodied, with good smell of rip cherries and horses. Some spices, black berries, licorice, long finish. Very pleasant. Enjoy it now.