5/4/2016 - Chris K. Likes this wine:

Decanted for several hours. Initial strong cigar notes dissipated with decanting. Fruit body is still strong, but acid is fading, so drink immediately. Beautiful rust color.

4/16/2016 - Chris K. wrote:

Balanced.

4/16/2016 - Chris K. wrote:

Green pepper, strawberry; let breathe

7/3/2015 - Chris K. Likes this wine:

Bright, almost lemony. Light bodied but still with a good finish. Paired well with grilled chicken.

1/24/2010 - Chris K. wrote:

Spectacular. Gorgeous plummy fruit and a silky mouthfeel balanced by just the right amount of acid. About as French as California Bordeaux-style blends get.

1/14/2010 - Chris K. wrote:

Glad we finally opened this one and deeply sad we won't be able to get it again. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Elegantly balanced, with mellow tannins and succulent fruit; unusual and lovely cinnamon-cedar finish.

1/14/2010 - Chris K. wrote:

Pretty subtle. Would have been better enjoyed with a meal.

11/26/2009 - Chris K. wrote:

Great to sip, and fantastic with Thanksgiving dinner! Seems to have improved over the last two years. Luscious, smoky aromas; a smooth, nutty palate. Drink now.

10/12/2009 - Chris K. wrote:

Drink now! A light-bodied, delicate wine with interesting earthy-acidic back mouth notes, but losing it's fruity-floral edge. Maybe better for sipping that for food accompaniment at this point, or with something sweet.

6/6/2009 - Chris K. wrote:

Zippy, light, dry, not at all gimmicky.

6/5/2009 - Chris K. wrote:

Oaky, buttery, but very smooth - not splintery - with brightness and floral qualities.

5/18/2009 - Chris K. wrote:

Sweet -- but not syrupy -- and complex. A rich fruity-floral nose, tasting bright citrus, with a solid under-structure of tropical fruit: guava and papaya. A long, bright finish. Really nice.

3/15/2009 - Chris K. wrote:

Don't serve over-chilled, and allow a little time to breathe.

3/10/2009 - Chris K. wrote:

Needs a couple years more. Pretty chewy right now! Promising fruit and good body.

3/8/2009 - Chris K. wrote:

Heavy, toothsome, oaky, buttery, apple pie a la mode, bread pudding, poached pear.

1/21/2009 - Chris K. wrote:

Gingerbread and clove, cedar, leather, cigar, baking spice... Somehow both fruit and tannins take a back seat to the basic body and structure of the wine, with success. Hot: 15% ABV.

1/11/2009 - Chris K. wrote:

Really enjoyable wine, especially with food. Gorgeous cassis/plum/blackberry nose. Big jammy fruit balanced out by well-integrated tannins and a slightly smoky character on the finish.

1/11/2009 - Chris K. wrote:

For the club price, a nice serviceable wine. Not too oaky, gentle tartness and fruit. Refreshing.

1/11/2009 - Chris K. wrote:

Brought back from Argentina. It opened up a bit and developed some backbone when served with a meal. On its own it was lackluster.

1/6/2009 - Chris K. wrote:

On the hot side (14.5% ABV); very noticeable with food. Good structure, though lighter bodied for a zin, with subtle, back-seat fruit and acidity. We bought this for its chocolate and cigar elements. Our dark chocolate pairing didn't really resonate, however; perhaps our palettes were dulled from drinking the bottle with dinner first? All in all, a nice bottle.

1/4/2009 - Chris K. wrote:

Peppery, not enormously fruity, some heat on the finish. Still a lot of life left in this one.

1/1/2009 - Chris K. wrote:

Lovely, lush nose with notes of quince paste, baking spice and just a hint of berry. Color is warm garnet edging toward rust. Subtle palate, showing age but still with some backbone and a whisper of bright fruit, leading to a soft warmth on the finish.

12/28/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Anise, blackberry, violet and a touch of caraway seed on the nose. The licorice and berry flavors carry over to the palate, which is moderately fruity with firm tannins and bracing acidity. The finish is dry and long with some heat. Not optimally integrated yet - decant if drinking now. It will hold for several years.

11/29/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Our first impression at the tasting room: this is a chocolate wine.

11/28/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

The honey notes and luscious mouthfeel are what sold us on this one.

11/28/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Oak is very well integrated into a lush, fruity palate.

12/25/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Our favorite rosé! This vintage just keeps getting better. Lots of crisp red and green bell pepper brightness to the palate. Balances the sweetness of seafood very nicely and can also cut right through the acidity of a tomato-based pasta dish.

12/25/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Great cherry Jolly Rancher flavors that mellowed out with some air. Quite tasty with a seafood dinner.

12/14/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Spicy chocolate nose. Palate is dark fruit with spice on the finish. Some pleasant acidity and moderate structure.

10/18/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Smoky, oaky, smooth tannins, rich fruit.

9/23/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

The bloom is definitely off the rose. We remember this being much fruitier and more alive in the tasting room (November 2007).

9/6/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

drink now or forever hold your peace. starting to lose some fruit but still pretty well rounded.

9/3/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Smooth, lush and fruity. Complemented a salumi plate, spinach salad and lasagna equally well.

8/26/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Drinking very well. Lush fruit and bright acidity, but ABV is a little much.

7/26/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Let it breathe a bit and drink NOW. Apple pie nose, good body yet light on the palate, but just starting to show its age.

7/16/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Very smooth beginning, developing nicely over the course of our meal, exposing bright acidity and structural depth. Blueberry pie! Tannins are in here but take a back seat to the ripe fruit.

6/25/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Still lush and fruity, but may not hold up much longer. Not quite as sweet as it was 2 years ago (a good thing!).

6/10/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Nice and crisp - stood up well to the too-cold temp we served it at. Light-bodied but fairly oaky. Pretty good for the price.

5/26/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Tasting room sample -- dense berry fruit, mellowing tannins. Time to drink this one!

4/19/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Big cab, suprisingly fruit-forward. Tannin & oak present but not overwhelming.

4/4/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Definitely decant this one for an hour or more - it helped the initially medicinal/eucalyptus/barnyard nose mellow out into a smoky plum-and-violet, and brought out the jammy flavors. Big oaky wine, but well balanced with lush fruit and finish to spare.

3/30/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Medium-bodied with hazelnut overtones and bright acidity. Hints of tropical fruit.

3/25/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Drinking very well now, but could hold for a couple of years. Beautifully layered and complex with a nice long finish and good structure. Toasty/oaky nose with spice, sawdust and violets. Dark berries and sour-cherry pie on the front of the palate with a dry bite at the back. Paired well with our house-specialty osso buco.

3/24/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Pretty good, especially at 2 for $12. We should have let it sit for a while after it came out of the fridge; some nice tart apple-y flavors and a good, medium-long finish developed toward the end of the bottle when it had warmed up some.

3/16/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Lovely, charming, food-friendly pinot. Candy-apple red in the glass, nose of dried cherry, caramel and sherry, light body with some oak and a touch of bright acidity on the finish. 14.3% ABV. Good pairing with braised pork shoulder but would probably go well with fowl.

3/4/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Bright acid with green apple and an oaky-bitter mid-taste, tropical fruit on the nose. Light bodied, very light color. Tasty accompaniment to sauteed green beans.

3/1/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Had a glass of this (slightly chilled) with dessert the other night and decided to take a bottle home. The nose is redolent of rum-soaked cake with raisins; these notes also showed up on the palate, along with maple syrup and stone fruit. The glass sniffing at the end was almost the best part - holding the bowl in both hands to warm it up and evaporate off the last of the alcohol, then enjoying the caramel/dried apricot/raisin aromas that were left.

2/26/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

For a 16.7% this didn't throw huge heat - more like a smooth fire on the back of the palate. Lots and lots of bramble fruit, softening to raspberry jam as the wine breathed, and a good amount of baking spice. Big, ballsy Zin.

2/24/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Honeydew, orange blossom, pear on the nose; citrus and mineral on the palate with green apple and a hint of oak on the nice, long finish. Beautiful mouthfeel. We drank this with dinner, and it was a perfect complement to our choucroute.

2/18/2008 - Chris K. wrote:

Huge oaky Zin. 16.3% ABV