9/2/2023 - phornby wrote:

Huge wine, needed 10 hours of air plus time in glass. But eventually opened up.

7/5/2022 - phornby wrote:

Drank at dinner with Bill, Denise, Lena. Seemed over the hill.

7/20/2021 - phornby wrote:

drank the last of it, another farewell to Pete

3/18/2019 - phornby Does not like this wine:

Not sure whether this was flawed, but there was a very strong diesel nose, reminding me of a German Riesling. I don't expect this on an Alsatian Pinot Gris - quite overwhelmed any fruit there might have been.

12/25/2013 - phornby Likes this wine:

I suspect that we are the only people in the world who drank Esprit Blanc with tandoori guinea fowl for Christmas dinner! The bird was not heavily spiced, and the wine partnered really well with it - the firm structure of the Roussanne held up very nicely. We loved this combination.

11/2/2013 - phornby Likes this wine:

The oldest Napa Cab in my cellar. Delighted, and slightly surprised, to find it in great condition - slightly on the downhill side of fully mature, but delicious.

3/25/2012 - phornby wrote:

Seems to me that this wine either needs three hours of air or three years of bottle age. By the time we finished this, it was absolutely delicious, but it started really tight and closed.

12/25/2011 - phornby wrote:

Somewhat lighter bottle than previous ones. Worked very well with the Beef Wellington after four hours open, but not the intensity I was expecting

4/17/2011 - phornby wrote:

Unpleasant, unbalanced Riesling. Heavy on the petrol notes, light on the sharp, fresh fruit. Not one to repeat.

1/30/2011 - phornby wrote:

This was a gorgeous Pinot. Elegant, smooth, with intoxicating nose, delicious intense fruit on palate with long, balanced finish.

1/28/2011 - phornby wrote:

Beautiful wine. Fully mature, with lovely smooth fruit, great intensity and strong finish

1/15/2011 - phornby wrote:

Spectacular fully mature Bordeaux. Gave it four hours of air, perfect partnership with lamb shanks

5/1/2010 - phornby wrote:

Pleasant an hour after opening, but decaying perceptibly after that.

4/3/2010 - phornby wrote:

For this wine, from our cellar, at this stage, the sweet spot seems to be two hours of air. The wine was mature and delicious, with maybe a little loss of intensity. Going downhill after three hours.

4/2/2010 - phornby wrote:

Slightly reserved nose, sharp red fruit on palate with some complexity. Excellent length.

4/2/2010 - phornby wrote:

Really good Rhone blend. The smoky Syrah comes through strongly, but the extra balance from the Mourvedre gives it something more. Rich, intense fruit, long finish. Well-made wine. Excellent value at $10.

4/2/2010 - phornby wrote:

Good Shiraz. Strong smoky notes on nose and palate. Good intensity and finish. Well-made wine.

4/2/2010 - phornby wrote:

54% Viognier, 40% Grenache Blanc and 6% Roussanne. Really good Rhone-style white, with fine, crisp fruit, some minerality. Smooth mouthfeel. Well made wine. Good value at $9

4/2/2010 - phornby wrote:

Lovely unoaked Sauvignon. Fresh, crisp, fruit forward. Well made wine

1/31/2010 - phornby wrote:

Fully ready, although enough structure to last. Lovely intense dark fruit, luscious mouthfeel and strong finish.

1/3/2010 - phornby wrote:

Really liked this wine. Great Roussanne structure, with some sweetness on nose. Rich mouthfeel with fruit and mineral on palate and good intensity. Liked this a lot.

1/1/2010 - phornby wrote:

Pleasant Rioja. No obvious flaws, but nothing very exciting either.

12/31/2009 - phornby wrote:

Outstanding port. Lighter in colour than I expected when decanted, which gave me a little concern. However, it's rich and smooth, with gorgeous fruit and very muted alcoholic bite. Delicious wine.

12/31/2009 - phornby wrote:

Maybe a problem bottle, but this wine was noticeably pruny and vegetal on noise and palate, with no appreciable Pinot character. Not a wine I'd seek out again, on this showing.

12/26/2009 - phornby wrote:

Now very much a shadow of what it once was. Decanted a few hours before drinking, and the color was much thinner than I expected. The wine's nose passed through a vegetal stage in the decanter, but after three hours, it arrived at a reasonable place. No tannins, fruit pleasant but no longer in balance with the acidity. A pleasant drink, but no more. We'll drink the remaining bottle soon.

11/20/2009 - phornby wrote:

Lovely Muscat-style white. Floral, aromatic nose and clean, dry palate. Very nice wine.

10/6/2009 - phornby wrote:

Outstanding wine. Beautiful Muscat-style nose, but much more structured on palate. Gorgeous sharp, fresh fruit and long, balanced finish. Costco bargain.

9/25/2009 - phornby wrote:

Well-enough made, but I'm not a great fan of vanilla and butter in Chardonnay. Good food wine, I suspect, but not a refreshing summer evening drink.

9/18/2009 - phornby wrote:

Drunk at Sunset Serenade with crab cakes and spicy mango sauce. Perfect wine for outdoor summer evening. Delicious fruit, with some strength and structure. Great value.

9/19/2009 - phornby wrote:

Lovely, toasty, rich nose and delicious crisp palate. Serious step up from the normal NV fizz we drink.

9/20/2009 - phornby wrote:

Little disappointing. We opened and decanted four hours before dinner. There was a slight vegetal hint on the nose, but the palate was better. The fruit was more in the background, and while there was good balance, there wasn't the complexity and structure I was hoping for. We left the last glass for another two hours, by which time it had gone. Next time, we'll give it only an hour of air and see how that works. The 1989's and 1990's (Pichon-Baron, Pavie, Ducru-Beaucaillou) have benefited from 4-6 hours of air, but not this wine.

8/23/2009 - phornby wrote:

Delightful - luscious honeyed fruit, great intensity and mouthfeel. Excellent value

5/31/2009 - phornby wrote:

Excellent fresh, crisp Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, and great value for $10

5/1/2009 - phornby wrote:

Fine fresh New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Crisp, apply and delicious. Good value for $10.

5/12/2009 - phornby wrote:

Beautiful rich California Cab nose. Delicious, but losing intensity and getting short on finish. I think this is on its way down now.

5/1/2009 - phornby wrote:

Good, full-bodied Chardonnay. Pleasant and reasonable value.

5/23/2009 - phornby wrote:

Unremarkable but pleasant Cab

4/21/2009 - phornby wrote:

Delightful fresh Chardonnay.

4/18/2009 - phornby wrote:

Outstanding mature wine. Beautiful ripe fruit on the nose, with great intensity and richness on palate. Decanted four hours.

4/5/2009 - phornby wrote:

Gorgeous wine. Beautiful balance of sweet fruit and aciity - pears and other fruits were reported. Rich, viscous texture and lovely honeyed mouthfeel. This is an outstanding dessert wne.

3/29/2009 - phornby wrote:

Erich & Vivisne with bouillabaisse - lovely intense wine

3/21/2009 - phornby wrote:

Sweet red fruit on nose and palate - reminiscent of a good Beaujolais. Nice uncomplicated wine.

2/27/2009 - phornby wrote:

Excellent wine. Gorgeous, involving nose and beautiful intense fruit on the palate. This is a really good Zin.

2/25/2009 - phornby wrote:

Drunk with 2001 Justin Isosceles to accompany rack of lamb dinner with Bill & Denise. Given an hour or so of air, the wine was delicious, with lovely ripe fruit, great mouthfeel and a long finish. I like this wine a lot.

1/31/2009 - phornby wrote:

Excellent, well-made wine. Served with a strongly flavoured fish dish, and matched the food perfectly. Strong, muscular white with great intensity and long finish. Has a kind of Chablis feel to it - minerally is a word which comes to mind - but the flavour profile is different. Loved the wine, but it's now sold out at the winery.

1/24/2009 - phornby wrote:

First of four bottles bought on release and cellared correctly since then. Paired with 1997 Cos D'Estournel for dinner. Opened and decanted at 2:30pm and drunk with the meal starting around 9:00pm. The wine was a little disappointing at first, seeming short on the mid-palate and with a less intense mouth-feel than I was expecting. Nose and finish were classic, and tannins were still there in the background. Both this wine and the Cos were changing in the glass, and eventually the Leoville started showing up to expectations, but only as we approached nine hours after the bottle was opened. Seems to me that thiis wine still needs a couple of years.