2/8/2022 - jleg Likes this wine:

Just a casual pop and pour on a weeknight. Seems a little lighter than the first bottle. Nicely balanced but does not have the stuffing to bother with more than a few years of cellar time.

1/24/2022 - jleg Likes this wine:

This is a lighter cabernet but well balanced with a solid finish. Does not really have the stuffing to bother with cellaring. Drink now and enjoy!

1/19/2022 - jleg Likes this wine:

I don't think I enjoyed this as much as the previous bottle but definitely a little better after being opened up for 24 hours. Wonderfully complex nose. More fruit and acidity coming through this time. A little thin.

1/11/2022 - jleg Does not like this wine:

Flabby and just meh. Watered down fruit and very little acidity. This is one of the first cabs from CH that I have instantly disliked. Barely good enough for quaffing with pizza. I opened up the second bottle to see if I had a bad one but received the same results with bottle #2. Very disappointing.

12/28/2021 - jleg Likes this wine:

Opened up last night, took a quick sip and realized this one needs some time to open up, then stopped it back up. This afternoon I let the bottle open up for several hours before sampling tonight. Dark in the glass. Just a lovely savory and leathery nose. In the mouth, perfectly integrated acidity and mouthwatering dark fruit with some savory notes lingering in the background, but.... almost zero tannins for a young Napa cab. It almost comes across as more of an aged cab which I don't think is a bad thing, just unusual. Delicious, but entirely held up by impeccable integration of dark fruit and acidity. Not really sure how well this one will develop with bottle age.

12/25/2021 - jleg Likes this wine:

Drank with the Christmas rib roast. Some funky aromas at first that blew off after a while. Acidity seems to be the winning element here so probably time to drink up. Very enjoyable with the roast.

12/22/2021 - jleg Likes this wine:

A black hole in the glass. Nose is not giving up much at first and not much more on night #2. This stuff is just impenetrable right now with jarring tannins and full bodied but tightly wrapped up fruit and acidity. I'm not sure what to think about this one but it definitely needs more time.

12/20/2021 - jleg Likes this wine:

Popped and poured with about one hour in the glass before tasting. Pretty much a black hole in the glass. Nose is still closed up and takes quite some time for nutmeg and dried herbs to come out. Drank about half the bottle over an hour or two. There seems to be a little less acidity and more fruit coming out than previous bottles. Full bodied and dark, rich fruit but still tightly wrapped up with nice minerality and fine, grippy tannins. Next night: A lot more of a savory profile with a little mocha to the nose. More fruit tonight that is well balanced with a perfect level of acidity. Tannins have not let up at all. Lovely wine that will continue to improve for several years ahead.

12/13/2021 - jleg Likes this wine:

Tasting notes pretty much echo the first bottle but I opened up this one yesterday and let it sit in the bottle for 24 hours. Just an outstanding wine. Well balanced between fine tannins, fruit, acidity and dusty herbal and savory flavors. Has the chops to go the distance and develop more complexity in the bottle. I generally don't like to assign point values to wine but in this case I will go ahead and give this one a 94.

12/8/2021 - jleg Likes this wine:

Popped and poured tonight. Very dark in the glass. Long, stubborn legs. Nose is tightly wrapped up but there is some restrained intensity in there with traces of herbs and other savory notes. Supple and full bodied. Integrated but firm tannins. Low acidity. Still very young, of course. I prefer a little more acidity than what this has to offer but this is still some very good juice. I could easily polish off a bottle of this on my own but will save the other half for tomorrow.

11/28/2021 - jleg Likes this wine:

Just popped open with about an hour in the glass before tasting. Nice ruby color, slightly translucent. Nose is pretty closed up at this point but savory, herbal and mineral notes are there with dark fruit in the background. Becomes more complex as it opens up. Surprisingly light but supple in the mouth. Medium tannins underlying ripe fruit and low acidity. Short, dry finish. Soft and approachable now. I just don't see much improvement with bottle age.

11/24/2021 - jleg wrote:

This one seemed to be a little more open than the last bottle. Still very tightly wound up.

11/22/2021 - jleg Likes this wine:

Popped and poured tonight. Definitely needs a decant. This is a solid, robust and young wine. Very nice and well balanced.

11/19/2021 - jleg Likes this wine:

Popped and poured tonight. Dark and opaque in the glass. Sharp and peppery nose. Extracted dark fruit in the mouth. Mouthwatering fruit and acidity. Well balanced but young wine that could improve with some bottle age. Outstanding.

11/17/2021 - jleg Likes this wine:

Popped and poured tonight. Dark with some elegant translucence around the edges. Wonderfully complex nose that I do not have the vocabulary for. Seems to be pretty tightly wound up. Gobs of creamy fruit in the mouth. Nice balance with acidity and fine tannins hovering in the background. This one has a little stuffing that will allow for improvement with age.

11/15/2021 - jleg Likes this wine:

Dark garnet in color with a hint of translucence. Wonderfully complex nose. Coffee beans among other things I can't place. Depth of fruit well balanced with acidity. Tannins in the background. Very nice. Should improve with some age.

11/14/2021 - jleg Likes this wine:

Opened up a couple days after delivery to get a feel for this Syrah that was so heralded by Cameron Hughes in his tasting notes for this wine.

I can't believe how clear and translucent this stuff is in the glass for a Syrah. Cherry and earthy forest notes. Palate echoes the nose with black cherry and a little dark chocolate. Fairly acidic with some fine tannins that contribute to a dry and decent finish. Nice wine but I could swear this is a Pinot Noir. Not what I was expecting. Hard to evaluate because this is not at all like a Syrah.

Quite a change after 24 hours. Earth and spices are most prominent in the nose. Mellower cherry flavors, milder acid. Very nice, complex and dry finish. Still seems like a Pinot, but a nice one at that.

11/14/2021 - jleg wrote:

Opened up a couple days after delivery and left out for a a few hours before tasting. Shifting dark core in the glass but fairly translucent throughout. Sage, minerality and creamy fruit in the nose. Light and supple. Medium body. Right now this is all about very fine, almost nonexistent tannins, minerality, some savory notes with some light rasberry. Low acidity. Fairly short finish. This is for short term consumption but that's about it. Quality components but seems light and watered down. I am more than a little disappointed with this one from de Negoce. Not much room for improvement. Drink now through 2025.

11/8/2021 - jleg wrote:

Opened a couple days after delivery and decanted into glass for about an hour before tasting. Just a black hole in the glass. Dusty and savory nose with an interesting bit of funk that blows off after a while. Has some characteristics of a heavier cab but remains light on its feet. Very fine tannins. Acidity and fruit are crisp and perfectly balanced. Dry and slightly grippy finish. Approachable now but should be a little more interesting with a few more years of cellar time.

Night #2: Things have really come together and even tightened up a bit. This one has really doubled down on the savory and olive notes in the mouth. Has more potential than I thought last night. Upgrade to 92 points.

11/5/2021 - jleg wrote:

Popped and poured day after delivery. Slightly translucent ruby core. Nose is locked up at first then slowly opens up, but not by much. Savory herbs and dark fruits with some minerality coming through. Fine, dusty tannins. Fruit and acidity are pretty soft and restrained though there is still some stuffing and balance here but still very young at this point. A little flabby on the back end. This is probably for more near term consumption but might get a little more interesting with a few more years of age.

11/3/2021 - jleg Likes this wine:

Popped open on day of delivery, let sit for about an hour, then poured. Dark ruby core with slight translucence around the edges. Kind of a reticent nose at first. Blueberry and raspberry mixed in with some earthy and savory notes? Some minerality coming out with a little more time. This is definitely a more fruit forward cab with fine, grippy tannins kicking in mid-palate that contribute to a fairly lengthy finish. Still pretty tightly wound up but this is a nicely balanced cab that continues to evolve in the glass. Will settle down and improve with some age.

10/30/2021 - jleg Likes this wine:

Sacrifice bottle opened up on day of delivery. Uncorked for about an hour and poured into glass an hour before tasting. Dark ruby, just barely translucent core. Nose is kind of subdued. Minerality. Wet rocks and earth? Any fruit is very much in the background right now. Quite tannic at first. Fruit and acidity are present but holding back. Finish is dry and grippy. I think there is a lot of potential here but this one definitely needs some time to calm down and come together.

10/26/2021 - jleg Likes this wine:

Tasted shortly after opening. Dark, just barely translucent core. There is nothing subtle about the nose. It is upfront and in your face with quite a bit of oak and dark fruit. Pungent, but in a good way. Palate: Wow! Confirms the initial sniff test. Tart, creamy fruit, acidity and tannins are all there competing for attention. Well balanced but just firing on all cylinders. Just a perfect contrast between the tart and creamy fruit compote and a dry finish. This one should be interesting with 2-3 years of bottle age, with the hope for mellowing complexity in the cellar. Fantastic and in your face right now. This could go either way and fall apart or coalesce nicely with age.

10/23/2021 - jleg Likes this wine:

Opened on day of delivery. I cannot really add anything more about this wine than the review provided by CHATEAUSHINY whose impression of this wine is almost identical to mine.

Semi-translucent core. Alternating earthy, herbal and cherry notes with the medicinal, cough syrup notes coming out shortly after opening. Medium body. Cherry notes fairly well balanced with fine tannins. Almost like a heavier Pinot Noir.

I saved half the bottle for day 2 after dinner and it has really come together and coalesced nicely, without the previously mentioned medicinal notes. Nice combo of cherry and herbs in the finish. For now, a year or two of bottle age should be interesting and should be opened up and decanted 24 hours prior to drinking.

9/30/2021 - jleg Likes this wine:

Well made Zin but a little on the lighter side. Woodsy barrel notes coming through in the nose. Mouthwatering fruit and acidity with a slight savory and tannic punch at the end.

3/19/2021 - jleg Likes this wine:

Opened up on day of delivery. Dark and dense throughout. Incredibly stubborn legs cling to inside of glass. I don't have the vocabulary but nose is barely restrained intensity. Dark, rich and herbal. You just know this is going to be a savory kind of wine. Palate: Wow! Closed up and intense with dusty tannins. Wrapped up very tightly, but still some balance coming through. Nice acidity and hidden fruit. Blackberry. Fantastic stuff that has a long life ahead of it. Maybe a little mocha on the back end. Next night: More blackberry and sweeter blueberry coming through. Tannins are still very dusty and grippy. A little more to the nose, more herbal complexity? This is some top notch juice. 11 more bottles. Next one to be opened around Christmas time.

1/9/2019 - jleg Likes this wine:

Let this open up in the bottle for a day and you will be surprised with how good this wine is.

12/27/2018 - jleg Does not like this wine:

Below average red blend. Alcoholic nose. Stewed fruits. Depressing. This wine will suck the life out of your soul and quite possibly send you into a downward spiral of despair and hopelessness. Not very good at all. Avoid.

4/1/2018 - jleg Likes this wine:

A soft and round style of Zinfandel that seems a little thin at first but develops nicely in the glass. Spicy, complex and changing aromas. Has a really nice structure with well integrated tannins in the background. Elegant. Plenty of fruit. Savory after taste. Alcohol is a little warm. Very well made and well balanced. This will benefit from decanting.

7/15/2011 - jleg wrote:

I'm kind of disappointed with this wine. Aroma is much more impressive than the palate which has turned out to be somewhat thin and acidic. But even the nose evolves to be thin and alcoholic after a short time in the glass. Could it be a dumb phase being that it is only two years old? This is my only bottle so I will never know. Oh well. It is a clean wine, but so far, the most disappointing Pinot Noir from Babcock I've had. Not worth the $35 bucks I paid for it.

5/29/2011 - jleg wrote:

Not too much going on with this wine. A $60.00 wine at about $10.00 quality. Wet hay on the nose. Thin but strangely cloying fruit and light bodied. Another overpriced, underwhelming wine from the Temecula Valley. I'm glad I didn't buy this bottle.

3/31/2011 - jleg wrote:

Getting spring break off to an early start with my last bottle of Williams-Selyem. Bright cherry nose with some sweet barrel notes coming out with some time in the glass. Not too complex, though. Incredibly smooth wine; flavors meld perfectly with tri tip, ranch style beans, and cole slaw. No alcoholic heat whatsoever. Finish is a little short but the cleanliness, penetration and explosiveness of this wine make up for this. Absolutely delicious wine. I'm still hesitant to give a numerical rating being that I have never tasted a "100 point" wine, but I have to say that this probably merits a 91-92 rating.

3/27/2011 - jleg wrote:

Concentrated and tight nose of blueberries. Mellows out with more barrel notes coming out as it opens up in the glass. Very nice balance between dark fruit flavors and tannin. Slight alcohol heat (14.7% alc.). Nice acidity. Velvety finish that balances nicely with acidity. Nice and gentle tannic grip at the end. Still fairly wound up and young at this stage. This could go for at least a couple more years, probably more.

3/28/2011 - jleg wrote:

Cheap, everyday, working class Chardonnay. Cheaper (by the case) than Charles Flaw, but better. No pretensions of oak in this wine. Just straight, fairly high acid fruit. Clean finish. No hard edges. $1.67 per bottle case price at Fresh & Easy.

3/21/2011 - jleg wrote:

Very nice. Excellent Pinot Noir for the money.

3/12/2011 - jleg wrote:

Dark and dense. Solid ruby color. This is a very aromatic wine that mellows with time in the glass and gains complexity. Medium-full body and fairly concentrated. This wine seems to be really well balanced right now between fruit and barrel influence, although I am an oak and tannin fan so for some it may have a bit too much in those areas. Oaky and savory finish with a little too much heat that I could do without, due to the 14.9% alcohol content no doubt. Just enough acidity to keep it from being too much of a fruit bomb. Nice tannic grip at the end. Very pleasurable wine. I believe that this will keep for quite some time but probably won't get much better.

2/26/2011 - jleg wrote:

Kind of underwhelming at first but I then realized that this wine had more of an old school profile, something I don't get very often. Nice for a change and was good stuff but probably should have decanted.

12/31/2010 - jleg wrote:

This was the most comprehensively corked bottle of wine that I have ever had the displeasure of opening.

11/27/2010 - jleg wrote:

Popped and poured. Dark and velvety color. Some ripeness to the nose but seems to be taken over by strong oak after a couple of minutes in the glass. Pretty high acidity right off the bat. This also subsides after the first couple of minutes in the glass with more creamy fruit coming out but keeps a nice acidic kick at the back of the tongue. I am an oak person so this is my kind of wine. Drying finish with very subtle tannins. Fairly high alcohol content at 14.9% but no alcohol heat which is a big plus. -- 2nd night: Still going strong but fruit and oak are much more integrated. Nose has taken on more complexity. Very well balanced wine. Lengthy finish. Absolutely delicious stuff! Decanting and/or more cellar time recommended. 93 points.

1/1/2011 - jleg wrote:

Very rich stuff. Almost drinks like a red wine.

12/31/2010 - jleg wrote:

Almost thought this bottle was slightly corked upon pouring but it seemed to blow off with some time. Didn't seem to be as good as the last bottle. Should have decanted.

12/31/2010 - jleg wrote:

Notes from memory: Delicious stuff. Continues to be a pretty soft wine compared to other vintages of the Montelena Estate.

11/25/2010 - jleg wrote:

Not a bad Pinot but not great either. Plenty of years left with this one, though. Once again, Babcock Pinots at half the price have been better. Drank this bottle under hectic, full house conditions with decoy bottles deployed. Should have waited for another occasion to open.

10/3/2010 - jleg wrote:

Delicious stuff. Tons of sediment but was decanted through filter so this was not an issue with the end product. Still young tasting. Hard to believe this stuff is 40 years old.

5/6/2010 - jleg wrote:

Big and peppery. It would almost be too sweet and overpowering but the finish is super clean with subtle acidity and lingering savoriness. A good bbq wine. Tri tip would go great with this wine or just on its own is fine, too.

7/27/2010 - jleg wrote:

Excellent wine. Immaculate condition all around.

6/17/2010 - jleg wrote:

Good, but seemed to go downhill pretty quickly.

5/16/2010 - jleg wrote:

Dark and dense in the glass. Evolving nose begins with a burst of fruit as bottle is opened, to pleasantly sour Cabernet characteristics to creamy fruit, dust, and oak. Just a fabulous nose. Well balanced with tons of flavor but restrained at the same time. Slight alcohol heat. Light on its feet but concentrated at the same time. Subtle, drying tannins. Wonderful wine!!! Still has plenty of life. Wish I had more, too bad I'm broke.

3/14/2010 - jleg wrote:

Dark and dense in the glass. Nose is rich and ripe but not overdone or over ripe. Kind of a minerally tang. Full body. Savory finish with nicely integrated tannin. Delicious creamy fruit.

3/28/2010 - jleg wrote:

Good, although not as tannic as the first bottle. May not have as long of a shelf life as I thought upon tasting this wine previously this past Christmas.