2/5/2014 - jhannah27 wrote:

Not nearly as approachable as the 2003s that I had several years ago, but I believe this is probably a little more structured and age worthy. Nose is tight, but it did show dusty black fruits, spicy wood, and a hint of damp earth. It took quite some time to even begin to open up. showing very soft and underwhelming red and blue berry fruits and a bit of dusty tannin out of the finish. As it took in air the tannin became a bit more forward and the fruits began to show more depth and complexity. By the time we finished off the bottle about 3 hours in, there was more going on with a good balance, of fruit, bark, and earth. Definitely needs a couple more years to develop.

2/3/2014 - jhannah27 wrote:

Right from the pop the nose was jumping out with spicy, brambly, dark fruits, the Syrah dominates no doubt. Sticking my nose into the glass for a better sense, there was a hint of alcohol, floral notes from the grenache, and softer red fruits. This is much softer on the palate than the nose indicated, as it was at first quite thin with some ripe blue and red berries. As it breathed over the next few hours, it picked up a bit of weight and chalky tannins, but the spice and fruits also became more prominent, so it stayed balanced. Medium length finish of dried fruits and spices. Make sure you give this 30-60 minutes air or another year or two in the bottle. The quality here is undeniable and in comparison to other CdRs out there, this ranks up with some of the best of them.

2/1/2014 - jhannah27 Likes this wine:

Seemed pretty tight throughout as it was kind of a one note. That said, I enjoyed the one note it does have. This seemed more like a Russian River pinot to me that Santa Maria with all of its cherry cola flavors. There were some underlying herbs and spices, but that was what seemed on mute for the most part. I wish there was a bit more to it. Acid is medium light, which worries me for the age ability of the wine, but all in all its a decent wine for the money

2/1/2014 - jhannah27 wrote:

Nose was pretty closed down, with only hints of lemon rind, citrus and a bit of floral melon. Soft round mouthfeel with grapefruit, lemongrass, and a hint of honey. All in all an easy drinking Bdx Blanc, and for $9 it's an easy choice to pick up more.

1/29/2014 - jhannah27 wrote:

More stewed fruits and spice on this compared to the more funky and earthy 2004 I purchased from the winery a few years back. Still quite nice with medium body and a medium plus acid structure that is telling me this still needs some time to really come into its own. With about 2 hours of air on it, it really opened up with some of the damp forest earth, and herbascious flavors that I was expecting, which really balanced well with the dark fruits. I will hide 6 or so bottles of the case I purchased away to sleep for a bit, but at $25, this is a great wine to pull out for a nice weeknight dinner.

12/27/2012 - jhannah27 wrote:

Woah! This was a pleasant surprise. Browsing the isles at Wine Exchange a week or so ago, and I came across this little gem. Never heard of it, but with the tag telling me that it is $13 down from $36 (although CT states average price for a 750 is $28) I decided to buy a bottle. Tried it this past Sunday and returned on Monday for a case. Best pinot I have had for under $20 in a very long time. While it is from SLO, it shows much more like Russian River in its ripe, round cherry, cola, and spice flavors. It is surprisingly balanced and medium bodied, with a strawberry and clove finish. It won't blow your mind, but good pinot this cheap is hard to find.

9/26/2012 - jhannah27 wrote:

Popped and poured. Had a taste at the pop, but let sit in the glass for about 90 minutes before really diving in. At the pop, the aromatics were jumping out with meatty, smoky and floral aromas. Pretty bold when I took the initial taste, but after time in the air it mellowed significantly. Nice balance of sweet purple fruits, smoke, and a touch of earthy spice. So easy to drink and decent complexity, especially for the money. My one issue was the mouth feel, it needed a touch of acid and/or weight to give it a little more presence. At times it felt a bit thin. Overall very tasty though!

9/16/2012 - jhannah27 wrote:

I always love 100% Cab Franc bottles when they are done right, but yet I never gravitate towards them when I am shopping for whatever reason. For the price, this is one of the best that I have had, and I will definitely go back. Nose shows light red and black fruits, with the characteristic spice and herbs that I love in CF. You can already sense the finesse in this bottle on the nose. The fruit shines on the front of this surprisingly getting more into the lighter strawberry and black cherry area, vs the more meaty black fruits I would expect. Great structure and acid into the long herbascious and spicy finish. Excellent bottle at a very reasonable price.

9/16/2012 - jhannah27 wrote:

Not much of a Chard household, but man, when they are good, they are good. This has such great depth and balance while stilling being refreshing without all that oak and 2ndary Malo manipulation. Nose is soft and sweet with some tropical fruits and melons. Taste shows those lovely fruits up front, but washes over into a more herby and slightly earthy finish. I am no expert, but I felt like I could really taste the influence of the terroir on these grapes. My best comparison is to the Arcadian Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Chard (which is a big complement in my book), that goes for about $15-$20 more. Just lovely for a reasonable price.

7/13/2012 - jhannah27 wrote:

Popped and left in the bottle for about 30 minutes to slowly breath before dinner. Lovely balance of mature black fruits, spice and musty earth on the nose. A little thin at first, but as it took in air in the glass the fruit and earth came forward, as did some dusty tannin as well. It's a rough call as to whether I would think this has much more life in it, but at the $35 price point I found this for, it's a great value to drink short term.

7/10/2012 - jhannah27 wrote:

I have to agree more with Harley1199 on the raw nature of this wine, and am surprised to read the dichotomous note from Rob. While this is my first note of the wine, I have had this wine several times now and find it to be full of bold fruit, spice, earth and wood. It tends to need some time to settle itself, as it is kind of all over the place at the pop. I recommend giving it 30 minutes to an hour of air prior to drinking. The air seems to bring things together better.

7/7/2012 - jhannah27 wrote:

Lovely earth, pepper and cherry nose. The palate was much lighter than I expected with great integration of acid and the slightest bit of tannin for structure. Lovely strawberry, dark cherry, earth, and tobacco flavors, this had a finish reminiscent of a pinot more than your typical Bordeaux, but that all worked like crazy here. Deliscious and a steal at $40.

7/7/2012 - jhannah27 wrote:

Tart cherries and cranberries with a touch of dusty earth and herbs. The tartness mellows with air, but I can't say I was overly impressed with this effort.

7/7/2012 - jhannah27 wrote:

Still very youthful in its frty exuberance, but it seems to be maturing nicely. Dense bark and black fruits with a nice acidic balance. Nice for the money.

7/7/2012 - jhannah27 wrote:

Soft, floral, dusty red berries on the nose. The florals and strawberries carry over on the delicate mouthfeel, the Sangio gives it a touch of structure to keep it just on the edge of not being too subtle. This is a lovely wine from start to finish. My only criticism was that despite the modest 13% ABV, I was tasting a lot of booze out of the finish. It went too quickly to see if that would subside with air, but perhaps it will integrate with time? All in all a winner.

6/22/2012 - jhannah27 wrote:

I can't say that I was a huge fan of this wine in the past, but I found these 97's for a great price and had to grab some. Still deep purple in color and hardly any aging in the look of it. Aromas of dense wood,earth and black berries. Earth and graphite hit up front on the palate followed through with mature fruit on the finish. Squarely in it's drinking window now, and will likely give a few more good years, but for the price, I say drink up!

6/22/2012 - jhannah27 wrote:

A consistent buy each spring for us, I enjoy the balance and restraint this wine always shows. Not too sweet, not too herbacious. Just subtle strawberry, watermellon, and herbs de provence. A great warm weekend sipper.

8/12/2011 - jhannah27 wrote:

I didn't enjoy this as most other tasters here. I am all for old world, but this was all muddy stems and tangy fruit. The saving grace was its body and structure, but the flavor profile just wasn't for me.

7/30/2011 - jhannah27 wrote:

Decanted for about an hour before drinking. This was much more subtle and delicate than I was expecting. Extremelynfloral nose showing lavendar and soft sweet fruits underneath. Perfect balance on the palate with rich red and black berries and garrigue that transition into the smoky floral finish. Really enjoyable from start to finish. It had been awhile since I have had a good CdP, and this didn't disappoint.

7/2/2011 - jhannah27 wrote:

Absolutely stunning stuff. Lovely floral and earthy nose that really screams aged Cab. Rich dark berries and stewed fruits the slowly slip to the loooong earthy finish.

7/29/2011 - jhannah27 wrote:

Decanted for an hour prior to drinking. Such an amazing texture to this wine. The alcohol troubles I noticed a few years ago are long gone as the balance here is now just about perfect. Fruit is maturing, but still quite fresh with some cherry cola and smoke out of the finish. Really excellent stuff that should continue to get better.

7/29/2011 - jhannah27 wrote:

This is in a great spot right now. Round red berries, smoke, and earth on the nose. Perfect balance of acid with the silky smooth mouthfeel. I have to say that I was not impressed by this vintage at release, but they have aged beautifully.

7/4/2011 - jhannah27 wrote:

Still holding its depth and complexity. hands down the best Nero d'Avola in my experiene. Wish I could find more of it in the US.

7/29/2011 - jhannah27 wrote:

Tart and acidic on the pop, but there is some nice raspberry, and black cherry flavors in the background. Took about 2-3 hours to really start to settle down, but it was very enjoyable once it did. For $20, these probably won't see the 5-7 years they need to really come together, but very nice, none the less.

6/24/2011 - jhannah27 wrote:

Dropped in the decanter for about an hour before pairing with filet mignon. Really lovely floral and roasted herb nose jumping out of the glass. The fruit is rich and structured, but wound pretty tight right now. I also got a wonderful herb and pencil lead finish that I love so much from Cab Franc. I don't think this is built for the long haul, but it definitely still needs a year or so in bottle to come together. Excellent for the price.

6/25/2011 - jhannah27 wrote:

First one of these in about 3 years, and unfortunately there may have been some slight TCA, on this bottle, but not so much that it was worth not drinking. The barnyard was a touch too prominent and the fruit took just a little too long to come around. Even when it did, it was no where near as robust as I remember. The nose still came across balanced with dark fruits, spice and earth, so I'll be curious to see how the other 3 bottles I have have held up.

4/22/2011 - jhannah27 wrote:

Decanted about an hour prior to pairing with filet and brandy peppercorn sauce. Nose full of chocolate, raspberries, dark cherries, and menthol. Medium bodied with the sweet fruit hitting you up front with some angular tannin moving toward more roasted coffee and coco nibs out of the finish. Great balance and structure with everything in the right place. Popped it too soon of course, but sit on this for 10 years or more and you will be rewarded for sure.

4/1/2011 - jhannah27 wrote:

A bit rough around the edges at first, but with an hour or so in the decanter it settled to show a gatbdepth of dusty red fruit and a himt of spice. Still held on to a ton of tannin from start to finish, but that should resolve with time. Let these rest for a good 5 years, and they have the build to go 20+, in my opinion.

3/25/2011 - jhannah27 wrote:

Yikes! I know these need some time to settle down, and opening this the night after arriving here probably wasn't the best idea, but I like to try these young. At the pop, it was like a grape martini, but after about 3 hours in the decanter it settled nicely into a rich and balanced wine. Great depth of red and blue fruit and all spice. Going to hide tthese away for the next few years, but a fun look at whats to come.

4/2/2011 - jhannah27 wrote:

Wow...this hasn't aged a lick since I first tasted it a couple years ago. Lovely floral fruits and a slight nutty smokiness. Smooth mouthfeel and still has life to spare. I can't imagine that this will be dying any time soon, but oh so tasty right now.

4/2/2011 - jhannah27 wrote:

Last bottle of this amazing wine. It seems to be transitioning to a more caramel and soft oak place over the typical tropical fruits and citrus. Still very balanced and complex. I'll have to seek out somemore of these.

3/2/2011 - jhannah27 wrote:

Decanted and drank over about 4 hours. Pretty typical young Burg at first with tart blue and black berry flavors with a great mushroomy earthiness on the finish. As it took on air it slowly began to blossom as all of the flavors opened up and really took on shape and depth. Great acid structure at this point as well. Absolutley too young right now, but there is a ton of potential here for great improvement as these flavors mature. A relative value in Burgundy, but buy mutiples to try one and cellar the rest.

12/31/2010 - jhannah27 wrote:

See Rob MacKay's notes for specifics. Really kind of a let down. I preferred the 95 Lascombes for a fraction of the ptice.

12/31/2010 - jhannah27 wrote:

See Rob MacKay's notes for specifics. I, too, mistook this wine for the CA in the bunch.

12/31/2010 - jhannah27 wrote:

See Rob MacKay's note for specifics. Amazing wine.

1/1/2011 - jhannah27 wrote:

Nice surprise here, never having had this producer before and getting this on a recommendation from K&L. Aromatically full of violets, eucalyptus, some funky earth and blue fruits. The palate is still very lively, full of forest floor, black and blue fruits and finishing long full of more floral notes. This really was an amazing value and has TONS of life left in it. Drink now or hold til 2015 or so.

12/10/2010 - jhannah27 wrote:

Right from the pop the nose came jumping out full of musty, earth, tobacco, and stewed black and blue fruits. Great balance of fruit, earth acid and well integrated tannin. For $45, this was pretty impressive from the 2000 vintage. Makes me want to check in on a more high end producer.

11/12/2010 - jhannah27 wrote:

Pretty much DOA. With some air the fruit started to come alive just a bit with clean, mature cabernet flavors. A fun experience, but nothing to write home about at this point. Drink up!

11/13/2010 - jhannah27 wrote:

Pretty intense burnt toast on the nose for about the first 30 minutes, but this blew off to show lots of dark fruits, green peppers, and a bit of muddy earth. Tannins are still pretty strong, but are beginning to integrate and are never overwhelming. I think this would show much better with a big piece of meat. Lot's of life left in it, and if I had another, I would sit on it for another 5 years or so.

11/13/2010 - jhannah27 wrote:

Despite being from a weak vintage, this was absolutely stunning. Full of florals, funky earth, mature yet still refreshing fruit, and pencil lead. Took some time to come around as well, and despite being 30 years old it still has quite a bit of life left in it. My wife asked if we could get another for her 40th, and I am not sure it would go that long, but certainly should hang on for the next 5 years or so.

11/13/2010 - jhannah27 wrote:

Absolutely beautiful blackberry and cherry fruit and spice, florals, and minerality. This is in a good place, but could still sleep for a few more years and continue to develop. Give it about an hour in the decanter, as it needs some air to really come around and show what it has to offer.

11/10/2010 - jhannah27 wrote:

Cork fell apart upon trying to corkscrew, so since I don't have an Ah-So, I pushed it in and filtered the wine into a decanter. Still very aromatic and seemingly excited to be out of it's 30 year old slumber. Lots of spicy stewed prunes and cherries with an underlying funky aromatics that fill the glass bowl. Flavors were initially pretty full of balsamic, prune, and spice box. Despite the maturity of the flavors everything is pretty lively here. Exactly what I would expect in a 30 year old wine from a weaker vintage. Quite the pleasant surprise, really. I was anticipating DOA. No score, because this was all in fun, there really is no comparison when tasting wines this old.

11/9/2010 - jhannah27 wrote:

Wow. Exploding out of the bottle with big cherry, spice, and muddy terroir. Reminded me of a RRV pinot on the nose. Great balance of ripe fruits, spice, and herbs with a great hit of acid out of the finish. A little more modern in styling than most Burgs that I have had, but probably one of the best values I have had in my limited Burgundy experience.

10/28/2010 - jhannah27 wrote:

Great dusty raspberry, red licorice and spice aromas that translate over to the flavors. Medium to light bodied, great acid structure, spice and dusty red fruits. Really excellent basic level Rioja that is well worth the price tag.

11/4/2010 - jhannah27 wrote:

Decanted for about 2 hours prior to dinner. Had a taste about an hour in and it was really wound up, so we set it aside for another hour or so. When we did come back the fruit had rounded out a bit with pretty lush black and blue berries, spice box, and pencil lead. Pretty angular tannins weren't giving up much ground, but they never really get in the way of the flavors. Very tasty, but really needs to sleep for 5-10 years before it will begin to really show what it has to offer. An insane value at $35.

11/4/2010 - jhannah27 wrote:

Woah mamma! Right from the pop the aromatics were bursting out of the glass full of florals, funky earth, spice, and stewed black fruits. Well balanced, with dusty, funky earth flavors, herbs, blackberries and cassis and a touch of cedar. Still very youthful, but the flavors are maturing nicely. Should go for quite a few more years, but it is showing insanely well right now.

10/28/2010 - jhannah27 wrote:

Wow! What a great surprise. I was recommended this by Jeff at K&L and I will definitely be going back for more. Great balance of dark fruits with some very complex and enjoyable earthy funk and herbs. It was a little tight at first, but the longer it was in the air the more it continued to blossom until the very last drop. Could be one of the best quality for the price ratio I have come across this year.

10/28/2010 - jhannah27 wrote:

Flowers, red and blue berries, tobacco and spice flavors. It has a dense and rich mouthfeel, but all the flavors are well balanced with everything in it's place. Not as deep or lively as the 07, but for $20 on sale at K&L, it's a no brainer.

10/28/2010 - jhannah27 wrote:

Pretty opaque black purple with the beginnings of bricking around the edges. Dense black currant, plum, pencil lead and tar on the nose. Flavors mirror the nose with dense tannin still hanging around, but it resolves with with some air. Bright acid as well. I like it, but I wonder if it will improve anymore with more time in the bottle. I say drink up woth a couple hour decant.

10/23/2010 - jhannah27 wrote:

Infinitely better than the 2006, light aromas of citrus, melon, peach, and white flowers. Crisp, clean, and smooth mouth feel with flavors that mirror the aromas. Layers of flavors, but very easy to drink and not overly complex (but not in a bad way). Will definitely go back for more