8/9/2019 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Really nice! Delicious savory plummy fruit, velvety

2/11/2018 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Huge candy floral nose. Big sweet silky dark fruit and chocolate carried by nice acid

2/2/2018 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

I didn’t find it to be “austere” at all like the other note- lots of delicious cherry and violet flavors carried by great acid, savory/earthy on the finish. My first German Pinot and I feel like I’m hooked

1/30/2018 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Drinking perfect right now. Brown at edges. Tar and roses nose. Really savory delicious fruit, not at all too modern/over the top, tannins soft

1/2/2018 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

nice salmony color. Really great clean and delicious strawberry, green apple, lemon flavors with a little creamy/yeastiness. fruit and acid and bubbles and sweetness all super well balanced. For $50 was very very happy with this, great champagne to finish the year

12/29/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Golden yellow color. Big vanilla, butter, etc oakiness nicely offset by slightly underripe green apple.

12/26/2017 - sp4388 wrote:

Big brioche and apple on the nose. Much more restrained on the palate, but very clean green apple and sage Chardonnay flavors .

11/27/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Big nose of sweet fruit, violets. Big fruit on the palate- almost port like in density and some of the figgy dark cherry flavors but not actually sweet. A little bit of Italian sour funk, some fresh tingly herb, and great structure from acid and tannin (strong but still very drinkable right now). Very long finish.

11/13/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Oaky, buttery popcorn, tropical fruit. x3. I "hate" it but I can't stop drinking it- one of those.

11/11/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Delicious wine, very port-like but also very California. Figs, raisins, cherry, chocolate, nice spice and acid.

11/5/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Delicious, fragrant, savory, not over-oaked rioja. Tart cherry and raspberry, leather/meat/earth, herb

10/23/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Dark fruit that is delicious and fresh and big but held in check by great balance provided by acid and tannin- not gloopy/fake at all which this level of fruit in California under $50 usually takes you. lots of pepper too. really good

10/22/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Lime zest, pineapple, bacon, cream, mineral. Electric, intense, delicious.

9/24/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Delicious silky creamy raspberry, meat/earth, dark chocolate, mint, caramel, long finish, really well structured to support the sweetness

9/8/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

This is close to my perfect gewurztraminer and a steal for $30- big floral (rose, white flower, orange- like condrieu) nose, peachy/tropical/honey but with great acid that is rare in gewurtz and minerality too, a touch of spice/fresh sage, dry, clean, really floral, long finish. wow.

9/7/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Stone fruit, flowers, honey, acid and sweetness in great balance- dense but light at the same time, not at all tiring.

9/7/2017 - sp4388 wrote:

Love this- has the acid and minerality of a great Chablis and the big delicious fruit (apple, peach, pineapple, lemon) of the new world plus a little nuttiness/funkiness probably from the age. on some sips I sense more creaminess, on some a tingling fresh herb. All comes together perfectly. Long finish.

7/15/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Huge, velvety blackberry, currant and raspberry fruit, a little syrupy for me but delicious still. Also a little hot on the finish. Some savoriness and spice to keep it interesting. Nice acid, tannins present but pretty faded.

7/12/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Apple skins, white peach, nice acid

5/24/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

50% gasoline, 50% classic riesling fruit on the nose. Really clean, fresh and delicious tropical, stone and green apple fruit, dense and sweeter than i expected, but without being weighty/cloying at all- pretty great feat as it doesn't have as much acid as you would normally need to achieve that kind of balance but for some reason it still comes together really really well. Long finish. Excellent value for $17

5/15/2017 - sp4388 wrote:

Not a super expressive nose, the most apparent thing for me is earl grey- its got a mix of tea and floral elements. On the palate is has a pretty full bodied, somewhat oaky/creamy but also oily texture, pretty good acid to carry it. Flavors are stone fruit, honey (but not sweet), nuttiness, a little buttered popcorn. seems like its probably at the point that its fading without gaining much complexity so I'd drink these now. Overall very good but not great for me.

5/6/2017 - sp4388 wrote:

Really expressive floral (violet, rose, lilac) and funky cherry nose. Slightly effervescent on opening, goes away after an hour or two. Delicious, clean, funky fresh sour cherry and purple fruit, high acid, loads of minerality, and amazing savory complexity- earth, dried leaves, smoky bacon, olive, mushroom, balsamic, general funkiness. Long finish. So good.

5/1/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Very unique and enjoyable wine, but not for everyone. Light, very translucent cranberry cocktail juice color, smells and tastes like cranberry/strawberry kool aid, but in a super delicious and mostly not fake kind of way. Nice acid and some mineral too

5/1/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Wet leaves, dirt and a little bit of flowers on the nose. Palate has great acid, lots of savory (spy sauce, red meat, earth) character and a decent amount of red fruit left. Great.

4/18/2017 - sp4388 wrote:

Starts with clean flavors of gooseberry and tropical fruit that transition to bitter/underripe herb and lime, past the point of "zesty" and more like like chewing lime skins- interesting, but less pleasant. Sharp acidity, very nice minerality.

4/16/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

This was awesome. Great creamy body, very toasty/nutty without being over the top, tart green apple flavors, a bit oxidized/butterscotchy from the age, carbonation still very much intact. At least another 5 great years in it.

4/16/2017 - sp4388 wrote:

It's very good but to me not worth the price. expressive floral/berry nose, classic Malbec purple/berry fruit flavors that are delicious and clean, good amount of oak tannin and some vanilla, with a fairly strong green/peppery/astringent element on the finish that others have noted.

4/10/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

It's a pretty big wine but still very Oregon pinot- many of the classic flavors- cherry/strawberry, cola, earth- just amplified. Nose is really nice too- sweet cherry, roses, chocolate, tiny bit of smoke. Nice acid, silky mouthfeel. Really great wine, and likely to please both old and new world fans. I think it would be awesome with bbq

4/3/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Still very alive but I think it was probably better 10 years ago. Nose more expressive than the palate, which was a little faded. Nice classic gewurtztraminer peach flavors and some oxidized/nutty/tea-like elements that are interesting and not at all offputting which is nice given the age, off-dry, low-ish acid

3/29/2017 - sp4388 wrote:

Still has big, sweet-ish mixed berry fruit, structure, might be a little over the top for some but I didn't think the flavors had any sort of offensive fake character nor did I find the alcohol overbearing. Mostly just delicious

3/18/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Granny Smith Apple, pineapple, california sunshine, a good amount of yeastiness and creaminess, long finish. Delicious, but I hit palate fatigue after one glass, ideally for me this would be toned down a notch

3/14/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Beautiful candy/floral aromas with a little smokiness as well, you can't help sticking your nose as far as you can in the glass and inhaling obnoxiously. Similar flavors on the palate- somewhat explosive red and dark semi-candied fruit without tasting fake as many Grenache wines of this style do, or being too weighty, because it has great acid and savoriness. medium-long finish. I wouldn't wait longer as I'd worry its voluptuousness would fade without complexity taking its place. Could be wrong on that though.

3/11/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Mostly leather and somewhat smokey meat on the nose. Similar on the palate, the moderate amount of fruit that's still there is an Italian-like funky cherry. Good acid

3/11/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Peach, green grape, salty mineralty, nice acid. Great with shellfish.

3/6/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Initially kind of muted/chalky on the nose, gave way to nice blue and raspberry fruit and cocoa powder over a couple hours. On the palate it's nice but to me I don't get the blend- I keep feeling I'd rather it be more Pinot-y or Syrah-y, I don't get what each adds to the other. It's well balanced tho- nice fruit, oak integration (a little vanilla but not too much), and acid. Low on tannins. Kinda short finish

2/27/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Still has rich delicious fruit that seems to be mostly primary...raspberry jam (in flavor more than weight), mandarin orange, great structure- both acid and still a decent amount of tannin, not hot despite 15.9%. If this is past it's peak then it must have been some peak...I think it still has some great years left in it

2/25/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

So Italian on the nose- roses and red fruit and funkiness. Light but penetrating funky sour cherry flavors on the palate, superb acid, decent amount of tannin. Kind of like an aged barolo with the funk turned up. awesome value

2/25/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Very clear golden color. Beautiful nose of orange blossom, rose, tropical fruit, meyer lemon, honey, wet stone. Even better on the palate, has flavors of Asian pear, orange, lemon tart, pineapple, peach. Nice richness without the oak being overbearing, great acid to balance that and give freshness and energy, very long delicious finish, nice minerality. Held up fine over 3 days at cellar temp. Wow.

2/20/2017 - sp4388 wrote:

Can't rate less than 90 because of how unique and interesting it is, but less delicious and lacking in acid. Golden leaning towards amber color, definite oxidized nutty sherry note, gewurtz-like apricot, light honey, strange flowers

2/20/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

I think it's a little past it's prime. Notes of forest honey, Turkish apricots, eucalyptus, waxiness, slightly burnt brown sugar, butterscotch. Still a good amount of deliciousness despite being a little faded

2/7/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Great wine and amazing value. Pale golden color, nose has grass, candied lemon. In the mouth has medium-high acid that cuts perfectly through the low-medium sweetness, delicious apple skin, citrus and peach flavors, tart and a little green, nice salty minerality, maybe also a little nutty/savory. Think it would age really well

2/2/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Definitely needs more time- took a day+ to open up, and still the deep volcanic character that makes it special was very fleeting. Absent that it was still a very good, dark fruit, well structured (high tannin) wine

2/2/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Medium bodied delicious 2/3 cherry 1/3 strawberry fruit, minty and earthy

1/10/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Apricot, bergamot, flowers, honey. Delicious and complex but needs more acid to balance the sweetness and carry the flavors

1/10/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Second time having this. Remains probably the best smelling white wine I've ever had- intoxicatingly beautiful white flowers, rose and orange blossoms, moreso on day 2 and at just below room temp. Crystal clear/clean on the palate similar flavors of orange creamsicle and floral honey, medium acid, some viognier oiliness, some oak/lees-iness. The flower power may have faded slightly from last year, and given way to a little more oak presence than would be ideal, so I think these should probably be drank soon, though I don't have experience with any condrieu older than 5 years so am not confident in that view.

1/7/2017 - sp4388 wrote:

similar notes on nose and palate- apple/peach, pepper, herb, citrus, mineral. a little rounder/sweeter than expected. could use a touch more acidity. very good.

1/4/2017 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Sweet dark fruit, medium bodied, a little earth to make it interesting, nice acid. Not especially complex or delicious. Surprised to see 13.2 alcohol

12/19/2016 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Nose was all gasoline/rubber at first, gradually gave way to classic German Riesling tropical fruit and citrus aromas over a few hours. On palate, after just opened (and at cellar temp, 50-55 degrees) seemed both thin and low on acid, then transformed into something awesome after half a day of air and at room temp- delicious, concentrated but not too weighty tropical fruit and green apple flavors, the kind of electric acidity I love in great Riesling, a super long finish that creeps into every corner of your mouth. Off dry. If you are opening this now, I suggest you give it at least a few hours of air and drink it just below room temp, at 60-65 degrees.

12/18/2016 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

mango, peach/apricot, exotic citrus (think yuzu, bergamot, Meyer lemon) a little bit of oxidized character, 8.5/10 sweet, good acidity but could use a tad more to balance the sweetness. Very long finish. In a great place but probably not going to improve from here.

11/30/2016 - sp4388 Likes this wine:

Definitely more aged character than the bottle I had 2.5 years ago- some sherry like waxy, nutty, slightly butterscotchy flavors. Still has that very high acid, lemon/green (maybe now a little baked) apple core. Love this. Wish I had another one to try in a few more years.