4/1/2024 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Deep red color, pulled the cork and instantly smelled saddle leather and potpourri. Rich and concentrated, with still gritty tannins, this feels like it’s not yet at peak. A bit short on the finish, the rest of it works quite well.

3/25/2024 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Medium bodied and showing more fruit than previously, this is a pleasant drinking wine that has perhaps lost a bit of character but is well rounded and flavorful.

3/14/2024 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Unmistakable Chinon nose, entry is very dry, lip puckering sour cherry, medium bodied with cranberry and wet rock. Short finish. Not bad for a relatively young wine, I’d like to follow this over the coming 2-3 years, seems like it will improve.

3/12/2024 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Similar to last note, but it has rounded out a bit more and come together. Pretty good now, for a “bad” year.

2/16/2024 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Similar tasting notes to one year ago but is getting just a bit better. Went very well with grilled strip and roasted asparagus. Good on its own as well, but better with rich food.

12/25/2023 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

While the other 2023 reviewers reported bottle variation, I guess I got lucky. PNP and this was nice from the start. Medium bodied, no baby fat, everything in its place. Very nice, but alas my last bottle so will have to move on.

11/9/2023 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

PnP with no decant. Closed at first, with a lot of dusty tannin and leather predominating. After 20-30 minutes it opened up, resulting in a somewhat thin but medium bodied drink. Not bad at all, but nothing particularly interesting or memorable.

10/23/2023 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Light red in color, almost rose in hue. Bright flavors but a bit thin, in line with the vintage. This lacks any “heft” or complexity, it’s not bad but just dull. Maybe wait a year and see if things change?

9/10/2023 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

PnP, my first of a case. Within 5 minutes this is rocking. Light, pleasant nose and medium bodied with a good fruit core and smooth tannins. Great value, drinks like double the price.

8/3/2023 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Zweder hit it - good, accurate note. Nice out of the gate as a PnP.

8/2/2023 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Definitely improved over previous tastings, it still has rustic elements (in a good way, to give it personality) but the harsh edges have started to smooth out. Medium-full bodied, a bit of clarity at the edges but doesn’t taste like it’s petering out. In a good spot with at least a couple of years left to enjoy it.

7/17/2023 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Tasted this a few times 2 years ago and was in the camp of prior reviews - 88-89. Seemed like an OK value play but nothing special. Fast forward to today and this has evolved very nicely. PNP and within 10 minutes this was smoothed out and silky. Drank half a bottle over 2 hours and was thoroughly impressed with each sip. I’m glad I held onto 3 bottles when I’d been tempted to give up. Drink now through 2025.

5/17/2023 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

After nobody reviewed this for 3 years (and I’m sitting on a case), I decided to gamble and opened. Very closed initially, after 30 minutes of air it started to open. Alcohol prominent on entry (actually made my tongue “fizz”). Meaty and brambley Syrah, definitely a meeting of old and new style. Interesting and seems to be still quite youthful, no signs of age. Drink with a long decant or hold for 1-2 more years and see what happens.

Note: no discernible change on day 2 with Vacuvin.

5/8/2023 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Deep, concentrated fruit core with spice and herbs. A solid, if nondescript effort from an excellent vintage so you pretty much can’t go wrong. For $30 recently on WTSO an absolute steal.

5/5/2023 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

ZPEARSON has it pretty spot on. Lots of olive on the nose and dusty tannins on the finish. Fruit is quite muted. Forest floor, game, mushroom. Definitely old world in style. Seems to have shed the vegetal elements I noted a few years ago. This is settling in nicely if you like the style.

4/30/2023 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

PnP through VinAire, drank nicely right out of the gate. Nicely concentrated, medium bodied, spicy and fruit-forward but not jammy. Drinks above its price point and no sign of stopping any time soon. Should drink well for at least the next 2 years and maybe more.

Day 2 update: fruit receded leaving a more “old world” style, with glycerine and earth. Delicious.

1/1/2023 - Dale Rattles wrote:

Agree with Sebastian80, very plush and rich right out of the gate, but well balanced and not over the top. Really good effort. Update:still good 3 days later, which means it has a lot more gas left, probably can go 2-3 more years.

12/28/2022 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Wow, much different than the last time I tried 12-18 months ago. Now has shed its olive and bramble notes, glycerin predominates and the tannins have softened. Still on the rustic side, but more rounded and coming together nicely.

12/5/2022 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Day 1 even through VinAire this was pretty tightly wound. It started to mellow out after 1 hour. On day 2, after Vacuvin it was really nice. It became more loose, and is a restrained yet very drinkable Syrah with pleasant notes throughout. Clearly several years left in the tank.

12/4/2022 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Agree with 2th-N-Face’s review. Decanted through VinAire and this was singing in 30 minutes Very good with NY Strip.

11/26/2022 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

PnP with no air. Drank nice out of the gate, medium-full bodied with definitely a bit of heat and drying tannins. Day 2 after Vacuvin it was silky smooth, indicating this has plenty in the tank for 3-5 years. Delicious

11/9/2022 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Wow, tons better than a couple of years ago! Smooth and silky right out of the gate. Plush but not overly extravagant this has a nice subtle balance and is very drinkable.

10/12/2022 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Nice nose of tar and fruit, medium-full bodied but slightly thin on the mid-palate and finish. Pretty good QPR and should get better in another year.

10/12/2022 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Still young, with gritty and unresolved tannins, this could stand a couple more years. By day 4 (!) it was drinking better, the rough edges starting to smooth.

9/11/2022 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

PnP through VinAire and took a good 30 minutes to open up. A bit of acid, slightly thin but tasty. Seems like it needs another 6-12 months to put on more weight but pretty good now.

9/11/2022 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

PnP and open for business right away. More full bodied and fruit forward than typical CDP but smooth and silky tannins and pretty well rounded. Held up over three days.

9/9/2022 - Dale Rattles wrote:

PnP and consumed over 2 hours. Sour cherry predominated with a bit of mustiness and grit, tannins are high and not yet integrated. Got a bit better with air but I’d like to see this come together a bit more. Hold for a year.

3/12/2022 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

PnP almost brick in color on opening and I was alarmed. No worries though, as it turned ruby soon enough and was a smooooooth nice drink. Mid-weight and not too complex but hit the spot nicely.

1/26/2022 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Nice light to medium bodied Pinot with tart cherry and a long finish relative to the price point. Tried on day 2 with Vacuvin , no notes for day 1.

1/23/2022 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Day 1, upon opening this was thin and rather flat, even after 45 minutes. Recorked with Vacuvin and set aside. On day 3 this was nice, with much more body, the tannins and American oak more pronounced, with vanilla notes and some leather, with grainy tannins. Threw a lot of sediment, the last glass was undrinkable. Definitely needs time, decant for at least 4 hours.

12/22/2021 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Opened over several hours. Iron gave way to smoother minerality over the time. Open for business and ready to go in 60 minutes

7/16/2021 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

PnP first pour through VinAire then out of the bottle. Started a bit thin and acidic but quickly gained weight in the glass to yield a medium-bodied, subtle but quite tasty and quaffable PN. Bottle was gone in 45 minutes. Nice value and I would buy again.

7/14/2021 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Has mellowed from my last note, this bottle was much lighter on its feet and the candied cherry has gone away (thankfully). Quite a nice summertime Cabernet as a change of pace from Pinot, Pinot, Pinot….

5/19/2021 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

A really nice, easy drinking Pinot in a good spot right now. Fairly light to medium bodied and colored, this has nice fruit and balanced acidity. I could enjoy this all summer!

5/12/2021 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Given the CH "low end" offerings, I was somewhat hesitant to pull the trigger, even though all the reviews were positive. So, with a nod to George Michael, I "Tasted Without Prejudice" - and I was very surprised at how delicious this wine was! I've been through roughly 18 bottles in the past few months, with very consistent notes. Medium bodied, full flavored and pretty much goes with anything (or on its own), it has a nice purity of fruit and doesn't seem to have been "played with" a lot. I'm going to continue buying for the near future, as it seems to be in a perfect spot and not budging for at least a year.

1/21/2021 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

I’ve not read a professional review that hit a wine like the WE has here (except for the point level), the tasting notes are pretty spot on: “ A stout nose is ripe and a touch jammy. Fittingly, this Cab Franc-led blend (with 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère) is full bodied—a clear reflection of a warm year in Chile’s Central Valley. Cassis, sweet berry-fruit, spiced plum, tomato and herbal flavors finish with a touch of heat.” The “touch jammy” is a bit much right now, maybe this will mellow with age and deserve the higher score?

1/13/2021 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

My notes from last year remain true, sadly this is my last bottle. A Merlot that’s right up there with some of the best US versions I’ve had.

12/31/2020 - Dale Rattles wrote:

Admittedly, I was a little foggy on this one but it was easily the WOTN against good competition. Very smooth and silky, well integrated, medium-full bodied with resolved tannins. Very good juice drinking in its prime.

12/25/2020 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

PnP no decant. Light, ruby red, great balance with acidity and minerality, a straight-up, down the middle SRH Pinot that makes you realize why you love SRH pinots, especially at this price point. A wonderful find, I just bought more.

12/9/2020 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Light bodied and a bit too tart for my taste, I prefer the Yates Conwill for essentially the same price. Pretty good for a weeknight quaffer but not much more.

12/9/2020 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

A light bodied, ready-to-drink, fruit forward Grenache that should be a crowd pleaser. Not terribly complex, for sure, but really nice to drink for happy hour, with a bit of cheese.

Update: day 2 was delicious, with more body coming in, lavender and herb notes, much more classy.

12/6/2020 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Similar to prior note, but has settled down and is less jammy and therefore worthy of an additional point. Good QPR and seems like it will continue to be a good drink for 2+ years.

12/3/2020 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Upon opening, an unmistakable green, leafy element abounds. After an hour or so, this fades and leaves a wonderfully textured, full-bodied mourvedre that is really pleasant and easy to drink, yet complex at the same time. Another really nice job by this creative winemaker.

11/28/2020 - Dale Rattles Does not like this wine:

Not at all an experience like other reviewers. Full bodied with a decent entry and mid-palate flavor but then finishes with an overly aggressive oaky note that really distracts and disappoints, leaving this a bit of a disjointed mess as of now. Drank over 2 hours with no noticeable change, maybe a couple of years will soften the harsh wood? Try again in 2022 or maybe even 2023.

11/25/2020 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

PnP with no decant or aeration needed, this is a light bodied but flavorful PN with good mouthfeel that is drinking very well right now. Perfect TG wine for the WL price of about $20, drinks better than that price.

11/17/2020 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

On night 1, a bit hot and overly acidic. On night 2 after Vacuvin an outstanding transformation with ripe cola and soft tannins, acidity in check. Hold if you can, or decant for a long time if drinking now. Potential 93+ if it can last until ‘22 and beyond. Rating for night 2.

11/10/2020 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

First review although I’ve had some bottles previously that were not quite ready. This has evolved nicely, I’m reviewing based on day 2. Lots of depth and a playful “fizz” on the tongue that some might say means sub-par vinification, but here it’s subtle enough that in my opinion it adds a bit of cheeky fun. Some candied bacon underlying the sweet, tart fruit core. Light medium bodied. Good stuff just starting to enter it’s prime.

11/6/2020 - Dale Rattles wrote:

Not bad, but not great. A bit dusty, and the tannins were gritty and unresolved. Not disjointed, so much as just flat. Although it seems to have good potential, everything felt a bit muted on this wine. Maybe it needed more air - or, more likely, more time. Try again in 2022.

Update: had a PnP at a friend’s house, from the same case, and it showed much better. Strange. Maybe mine was just in a dumb phase?

11/4/2020 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine:

Totally different experience than last note, this has either turned a corner for the better or the previous bottle was off. Medium full bodied, with a very approachable core of fruit, no trace of the cough syrup astringency of past bottles. Crowd pleasing and easy to drink.

11/4/2020 - Dale Rattles wrote:

PnP through VinAire, nice nose and entry, medium bodied and ruby red. Just a bit too grapey and one dimensional at this point, hopefully will settle down and get more structure with age. Try again in 12-18 months.