4/10/2024 - bcg14 wrote:

Sweet and sour fighting each other

3/26/2024 - bcg14 wrote:

Elegant, flavorful and balanced. A tad oaky, but high-class oak at that.

3/1/2024 - bcg14 wrote:

Powerful stuff, without the acid to bring it in balance. Much better the 2nd day and at fridge temp.

2/23/2024 - bcg14 wrote:

Still a very good wine, but the young, lush veneer is starting to fade.

12/13/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Smooth, good, nondescript

11/16/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Appealing cherry and brown sugar on the nose, and beautiful fruit up front, but lacks a little in the midpalate to make it really special.

10/23/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Looking back at Mar 2023 note, this has put on weight. Aromas of gooseberry at the top of the glass and pear at the bottom, however it lacks the focused flavor characteristics found in the best Bedrock SB's.

10/6/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Took a flyer on a mixed case, which included this older Rhone white blend. Lime and peah aromas. Round on the midpalate and zippy on the back end, this seems younger than it is. Impressed.

9/16/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Fruit has faded quite a bit and alcohol is sticking out

8/10/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Lush and a little heavy-handed for my taste.

8/9/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

50% Picpoul Blanc, 30% Viognier and 20% Malvasia Bianca. 12.7% alcohol. Beautifully floral and delicate, but good midpalate weight with pear and apricot finish. Well done students!

8/7/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Crystalline presentation of Gewurz, much like a Köfererhof from Alto Adige. Solid midpalate, and as it warmed it gave off a beautiful scent of white flowers.

6/27/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Acid a little low, and aromas/flavors are non-descript stone fruit, but a solid showing for a 20 year old white wine. Falls apart with air, so drink quickly.

6/8/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Expect a better showing in a few years, if the acid integrates a little more.

5/24/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Lower acid and took a long time after opening to become somewhat harmonious.

5/17/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Shy nose, but mouth filling raspberry flavors with tea-like bitterness that complements the fruit. Amazing how full-bodied and balanced the wine is at 12.3% alcohol and 10 years in.

5/12/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Pumped and chilled a few days ago, but is now more open and integrated. Still shy, faint raspberry aromas and indistinct yet savory flavors. Harmonious fruit and acid balance, and very fine tannins, but not fruity - it's all about the texture.

5/2/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Lush. A good drink, but lacked cut.

5/2/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Really solid white field blend, along the lines of Bedrock's Compagni Portis. Slightly floral, then light pear flavor on a somewhat viscous, medium-bodied finish. A great Berserker Day XIV find.

4/23/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Super interesting plum and herbal aromas that repeat on the palate, with better density than the 2011. Fascinating to follow as it puts on weight over several hours - a really contemplative wine that is the antithesis of most modern-day Napa cabs.

4/22/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Ever so slightly corked, which added complexity

4/16/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Boring, and low acid. Poured it out.

4/11/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Well made, but in a thick, creamy style I'm not a big fan of.

4/6/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Lots of life left. Best after 2 hrs slow Ox.

4/3/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Fleshed out after bottle was open for 2 hrs. Delicious but straightforward.

3/31/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

First one of these with perceptible sweetness, but that's not a bad thing.

3/30/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

The v10.1 Gewurz was generally more consistent than the 2012, but this final bottle of a mixed case was definitely the best. Blind I would have said an aged Viognier, with delicate and exotic apricot notes, while the somewhat weightier but balanced palate trailed off with faint apricot and lychee. Glad Fred was able to help a friend out, and we got to try something out of the ordinary and contemplative.

3/24/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Just delivered, and tastes young. Bedrock SBs usually have a crystalline quality to them, so hopefully will put on some weight and flavors become less muddy with time.

3/16/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Dark plum and light oak aromas, with similar taste and resolved tannins after several hour slow ox. Slightly overextracted, but the mild spiciness would go great with dry rub ribs.

3/14/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Not fruity, but light pear aroma and taste with exceptional balance.

2/8/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Non-distinct red and black fruit blend. Fruity and fairly dry, went well with a variety of foods, but lacked structure.

1/3/2023 - bcg14 wrote:

Thin midpalate

12/14/2022 - bcg14 wrote:

Slightly reduced, and then low acid, so not doing any favors for the Sancerre appellation.

12/1/2022 - bcg14 wrote:

90 on PnP - quite oaky. Held under vacuum for 2 days and revisited - after a few hours the oak receded, and aromas became much more interesting

11/11/2022 - bcg14 wrote:

Too oaky now

11/8/2022 - bcg14 wrote:

Interesting to look back 4+ years and think about the "late bloomer" comment. This is certainly not fading, which bodes well for the next few bottles. While I don't agree completely with the Wine Access hyperbole from (I think) 2014 --"A long graceful finish that argues elegantly for a decade of slumber in a cool cellar" -- I never found this wine to be elegant. This bottle was almost more Russian River than Willamette Valley, but nevertheless balances the dark cherry fruit and earthiness components beautifully. If this is what Shea shows at 10 years, I need more of it.

11/8/2022 - bcg14 wrote:

Midweight and balanced, with a pronounced expression of almost ripe pineapple. Great with roast chicken.

10/21/2022 - bcg14 wrote:

Day 1 - 87, day 2 - 89

10/6/2022 - bcg14 wrote:

Nondescript, and with air is low acid. Their Italian whites are the bomb.

8/1/2022 - bcg14 wrote:

A bit of a mess. Secondary fermentation in bottle and it fell apart after being pumped and stored overnight in fridge.

7/9/2022 - bcg14 wrote:

Don't know what happened within the past year, but opened 4 bottles with significant variation. One was undrinkable, with a very green-like streak, and 2 others weren't worth having a glass of. The last one was the best, but just a shadow of how it was drinking when I received a case in 2020.

7/1/2022 - bcg14 wrote:

Interesting blend of 65% Gruner Veltliner and 35% Riesling that works just fine.

6/20/2022 - bcg14 wrote:

Very pure chocolate covered cherry aromas, but unfortunately midpalate is a little thin and slightly past peak maturity. Better with food.

5/16/2022 - bcg14 wrote:

Unfortunately the last one of these I'll likely ever see. In the sweet spot, with everything in balance - Clos Pepe dark cherries expressing the power of SRH with Joe's outstanding winemaking.

5/6/2022 - bcg14 wrote:

Beautiful fruit, but lacking cut.

4/29/2022 - bcg14 wrote:

Shy on the nose, but beautiful acidity and balance.

4/25/2022 - bcg14 wrote:

Once the significant tannins subside, pleasant cherries, balsam and herbs come together in a middleweight, seamless way.

4/6/2022 - bcg14 wrote:

Floral and crisp. Paired beautifully with vegetable dishes at FnB.

3/28/2022 - bcg14 wrote:

Better the 2nd day

3/13/2022 - bcg14 wrote:

Got very astringent over a few hours of an open bottle. Won't be a long ager.