12/29/2020 - Zhart Does not like this wine:

Possibly a bad bottle or very much over the hill.
No signs of leakage, level cork and the cork was stained only ~40% up the cork. No decant other than in the glass. Nose muted.

11/25/2020 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Young. Not overly oaked. Nice tropically balanced chard with a bit of acid to carry. Overall, I like the QPR and serves purpose of a everyday drinking white.

11/7/2020 - Zhart wrote:

1.5 he decant. Dark blue fruit with lively tannins that overpowered the fruit. Not as much nose as I would have expected for an 887, which is one of our favorite wines.

10/25/2020 - Zhart wrote:

~2 hour decant but still was a bit muted. Good wine, just was wishing for more at this price point. Would revisit in a few years.

10/17/2020 - Zhart Does not like this wine:

Felt like it was one dimensional and a bit boring. Maybe it needs a lot of time. Gave it a 5 hour decant.

5/29/2020 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Dark golden in color, looks extremely interesting. Great aromatic nose. Peach, flashed orange peel, granite on the palette. Really nice acidity and structure. Super interesting all the away around. Won’t drink every night but this is one to keep on hand to open with wine geek friends or just to mix things up. Really enjoyed this one.

5/26/2020 - Zhart wrote:

Drank the last bottle of this wine about 16 months ago. Prior tasting note still holds. Very complex, huge teeth ripping tannins, long finish that goes on and on and the wine was much better the second day.

5/10/2020 - Zhart Likes this wine:

First day was tightly wound. Much better 2nd day. Age will do this wine wonders.

5/9/2020 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Stunning. Great wine.

4/4/2020 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Great balanced wine that has backbone brought by the mountain fruit and the finesse of the valley fruit. Still drinking young - would benefit from more time but this is a great drinking wine today.

2/16/2020 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Really a great wine today. Big mouthy tannins that you’d expect from this wine. Complex and long’ish finish with loads of uber dark fruit, in typical Del Dotto style. Decanted for about an hour and drank over the next 2 hours. Could have decanted for many more hours. Needs fatty food to go with it, like a ribeye. Will be an absolutely fantastic wine in another 10 years, if you can hold off that long.

2/4/2020 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Fantastic wine. Still lots of dark red fruit, which is amazing after 28 years. Wrapped in leather and hints of tobacco. Purchased from Once&Futures library release and bottle showed to have been pristinely cellared.

12/27/2019 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Loads of dark fruit with complementary acid and tannins. 2+ hours of decant was needed. A fantastic wine.

12/22/2019 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Great for a second wine.

11/30/2019 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Dark ripe blue fruit. Nice tannins and a good finish. Very nice Pinot for the price.

11/24/2019 - Zhart wrote:

Definitely over the hill. Not much fruit left. Lots of musty leather.

8/25/2019 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Better than a year ago. Needs 1+ hours of decant.

8/18/2019 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Nose of barnyard floor, strawberries and licorice. Decanted for about an hour, which helped tame the alcohol. Medium finish and tasted pretty much as it smelled. Great value for a CdP.

8/3/2019 - Zhart Likes this wine:

P&P at a restaurant. Fantastic wine and typical Del Dotto style of wine; big and opulent. Big nose of smoked pepper and very dark fruit. Extremely dark in color. Well structured and put together wine. Fruit and spicy on the palate with a nice finish. Went very well with the wild game dinner it was paired with.

7/29/2019 - Zhart wrote:

Upon initial taste, the wine was over top tannic, to the point that I thought the bottle was bad. Crystal tartlets covered the cork, but there was no signs of leakage. Bottles were purchased thru my winery allocation and stored in my 55 degree cellar. After a number of hours of decanting, the wine began to change and the tannins calmed down. Nose of baking spices and sweet dark cocoa. Finish is long and very structured.

7/27/2019 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Great wine for the price.

7/23/2019 - Zhart Does not like this wine:

Nice nose, slightly floral with earthy notes. Very tart, dry. Typical pinot notes on the front of the tongue but immediately goes away. No finish what so ever.

7/5/2019 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Decanted for almost an hour, but needed more. Lots of dark fruit. Well integrated oak. Tannins fit very well. Wine hits on all notes. I’d recommend a decant of 2+ hours, as it seemed to really come together over a couple hours after pouring. Will be an exciting wine to drink again in a year or two.

6/2/2019 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Short 10 minute decant. Initially very dry and acidic, but quickly mellowed out. Thick dark red fruit, leather, and still very youthful.

4/29/2019 - Zhart Likes this wine:

I thought this wine was a fantastic value! Floral and meaty on the nose with a spicy and earthy finish.

4/20/2019 - Zhart Does not like this wine:

Admittedly drank very young, so not putting a score. A bit tart, not much structure, overall a little disappointing for a Cru Morgan. Maybe time will help...

4/19/2019 - Zhart wrote:

WINE G and MSUWRIGHT hit the nail on the head with their notes. Wine is made without any flaws. More gravel than fruit, old world style over new world. Great wine, but was hoping for more.

4/18/2019 - Zhart wrote:

Light, floral, slightly dusty, moderately long finish. Tannins are still lingering. Age will moderate tannins but unsure how flavor will develop. Overall, a pretty good value and representative of a Fleurie in Beaujolais.

3/30/2019 - Zhart wrote:

Decanted at a restaurant for about 30 minutes before beginning to drink. Very youthful, given the age. Floral, light and well rounded. Long finish that starts right in the middle of the young and lasts for a good 30 seconds. Overall, this wine was on the lighter bodied side, but drinking fantastic and well put together.

3/30/2019 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Poured and decanted for about 45 minutes at a restaurant before dinner. Deep concentrated blue fruits. Long finish. Tannins really mellowed out as the wine evolved. I thought this wine drank beautifully, but will continue to get better with age.

3/30/2019 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Musty, wet bar wood, meaty. Pairs really well with dry aged steaks.

P&P, no decant. Really a great wine and a fantastic price. Served at a dinner with 3 couples and this wine was a crowd pleaser, even though it was up against 2 other classics that had 10 and 20 years of age.

2/17/2019 - Zhart wrote:

Opened and poured with no decant at a concert. Initially very acidic. Over the next hour really mellowed out. Nose didn’t seem to develop as much as I would have thought. Flavor of medium red berries, earthy cedar and a very nice smooth medium-long finish. If this would have been a blind taste would have guessed classic Bordeaux and not a Napa cab. Fantastic wine in a great spot right now - just decant for about an hour.

2/16/2019 - Zhart wrote:

Needs a solid hour + decant, or more age. Should be fantastic in a few years, which is when I’ll plan to open the next bottle. Tannins really mellowed out after an hour. Jammy, over ripe plum and hints of cocoa. I expect my rating to increase as the wine ages.

1 day later: saved a glass worth in the bottle, left corked in the fridge overnight. Wine is really good. Tastes of dark purple jammy fruit, as if it could be spread with a knife. Tannins are still a little too grippy, which will help the wine age very gracefully for the foreseeable future. Overall a really great wine.

2/7/2019 - Zhart wrote:

20% merlot really shows thru. Dark fruit, ripe cherries and hints of chocolate and cinnamon. Drank over 3 days (bottle corked and put back in fridge) and was actually best on the 3rd day. Really needs some time to mellow out.

1/31/2019 - Zhart wrote:

Big nose, typical of CDP, with added floral notes and hints of vanilla. Tastes about how it smells. Overall a good CDP, but needs age. Should be much better in a few years. I’d expect my rating to go up with age.

1/31/2019 - Zhart wrote:

Typical CDP nose. Was just okay for the price.

1/30/2019 - Zhart wrote:

Nose of melting tire rubber, burning clutch, carburetor cleaner and medium dark fruit. Taste of slight leather and dry dirt mixed with a slightly smoky strawberry jam. Light and quick finish. Friends left the bottle at our house, so the price was right.

1/26/2019 - Zhart wrote:

Nose of sweet vibrant medium to dark red fruit. Tastes of medium red fruit and slightly spicy jam. Firm tannins. Quick finish. Will benefit from a few more years of age.

1/26/2019 - Zhart Likes this wine:

P&P with no decant. Earty, mushrooms, damp leather on the nose. Red fruit, licorice, peppery and sweet on the palate. Lingering finish.

1/12/2019 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Double decant and began drinking. Deep dark purple and ruby in color. Big nose of dark ripe fruit, slight pine and cedar. Hits on all cylinders of the palate, but hits a bit too much in some instances (as expected as it’s a big wine that’s still young). Tannins that grip you from every direction. Blueberry crumble, casis, crem brûlée’ and minerals. Long finish that lingers thru the palate for a long time. Definitely needs at least a few hours of decant. Will open next bottle in a few years (which should be fantastic). I’d expect my score to go up upon tasting again in a few years.

Day 2 update: saved a small glass worth in the bottle, sat in the fridge with cork in for 24 hours. Wine mellowed our quite a bit. Great overall.

1/19/2017 - Zhart wrote:

Restaurant purchase with ~15 minute decant. Leathery, mushroom nose at first. Nose drastically changed over the first 15 minutes. Surprising amount of fruit still left. Fruit was mostly very dark and overripe. Quite a bit of earthy forest floor. Great wine that evolved over 2 hours. Decanting not needed.

1/2/2019 - Zhart wrote:

Loved the wine.

5/4/2018 - Zhart Does not like this wine:

Lots of tannins and a bit of heat. Not well put together. Purchased at a restaurant, might have been better with an extended decant.

1/2/2019 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Light to medium bodied. Bright red fruit, floral and fresh.

12/28/2017 - Zhart Does not like this wine:

Somewhat underwhelming.

1/1/2019 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Great wine for the price.

1/1/2019 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Very young wine that was fantastic at 4 years old and will get better each year. Long finish, classic Rutherford dust, extremely balanced wine that hit all the sensors. Could tell this was a great wine just based off the nose.

Had at a restaurant where we had it decanted about 20 minutes before we were seated at our table. Continued to open up thru the evening.

Side comment - I’d probably give this wine more points if/when i have it again in 3 or 4 more years.

1/1/2019 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Very much a Bordeaux style wine. Opened, poured into a decanter and immediately began drinking at a restaurant. Earthy, forest floor, cedar and leather. A very interesting wine but styled much different that the current Cardinale. 2001 was also the last year that fruit from Sonoma was incorporated.

12/31/2018 - Zhart Does not like this wine:

Lots of fruit and seemingly high alcohol upon opening. Better the next day. Very fruit forward with lots of fresh bright red fruit.

11/5/2018 - Zhart Likes this wine:

Wet leather, creame, dark over ripe fruit, hint of bell pepper. Tannins are still very pronounced. Definitely needs a good decant. Even better the 2nd day as the tannins had mellowed out a bit.