8/12/2010 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Solid, still strong tanins, strong fruit. Reminicent of a fruity cab sauv, more than a Malbec.

8/14/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Dark fruit on the nose with a hint of cinnamon. Flavor is slightly less fruity; still some alcohol heat; and cinnamon appears in taste, too. A bit earthier and tarter than I recall the 2004 being. Still, it is a good drinker.

7/4/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Oaky and tannic, fruity and smooth. Still an easy drinker. Not gonna blow anyone away, but shouldn't scare anyone away either -- this is a red's red and perfect for a large party or drinking allll afternoon long.

7/2/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Still drinking well right out of the bottle. Sour cherryies, balanced by earthy leather. Mouth feel on the thin side, but crisp enough to make this work. Lingering finish begs for another quaff (no sippin' this wine!). Slight alcohol taste detracts a little, but the strong flavor counters this nicely. Still loving this wine!

6/29/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Very good wine! Well balanced, pleasing but not overpowering tanins. Slightly earthy and oaky; green pepper, leather, slight smoke (?). Drinks well right out of the bottle. Highly recommend.

5/25/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Drank over three days -- day two was best. Solid, tasty wine. My still benefit from time in the bottle.

5/25/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

I was recommended this wine by a Wegman's clerk when I asked for a red to go with grilled salmon, but stated that I am not a fan of Pinot Noir. Just as described, this wine is very soft and supple; dark fruit, slight acidity, and very wonderful mouthfeel (full, yet smooth). The wine went VERY well with the salmon (served over salad) and is drinking terrifically on its own.

5/24/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

I really liked this one. At 11 years old it was just starting to get that aged rasiny taste, but only just. Mostly it was smooth, slightly spicy, green peppery, and went well with BBQ ribs. VERY balanced, very easy to drink. Delicious! Only reason I am not scoring it higher is because there wasn't a particular WOW factor to it -- otherwise this is one that will always please and keep me reaching for the next glass.

5/13/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

See full description here: http://wine.woot.com/Forums/ViewPost.aspx?PostID=3190981

Nose: apples. crisp, fresh, slightly tart apples. delicious

Taste: not apples, but hard to say. silky, slight sweet balanced by slight acid. great with slightly sharp cheese. very much liked this wine.

5/11/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Light, refreshing. Hints of cherries and strawberry. Slight acidity keeps it from being too sweet. Easy to drink -- excellent on a warm summer afternoon. Solid enough to pair with food (went well with spaghetti in meat sauce).

5/1/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

I did not like this wine. Thin, slightly sour, and lacking any pleasantness at all. The alcohol was very prominent both on the nose and the taste, even after being open for well over an hour. Flavors did not improve over the course of the evening, nor after a couple of days in the fridge. Very disappointing.

5/3/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Still a favorite of mine. Easy to drink, plenty of flavor, and nicely balanced.

5/9/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Terrific wine! Smooth, balanced, and easy to drink, this bottle disappeared very quickly. No stand out flavors for me; some slight earthiness and hints of fruit from time to time. Tanins and acid very well balanced -- each showing through, but never over powering. Went well with a home grilled burger and on its own.

4/7/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Decent. Drank fine - smooth, balanced. Not my favorite flavor profile: tannic, earthy, woody. But good none-the-less.

4/5/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Mmmm ... lovin' the Monkey Prize. Sadly, my last bottle.

3/30/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

The nose on this one belies a ton of oak, underneath which are dark purple grapes (I know, it's wine, but I smelled grapes this time). The oak comes through on the taste as a woody undercurrent, but is not overpowering. Rather, there is a juicy fruitiness (not the gum) to this wine, with a slight edge of spice to it. This makes for a very interesting and delicious wine. My sense is that this wine is drinking very well right now, and comes off as very balanced.

3/29/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

OK, I know it's Moscato, but it was still sweeter than I was expecting. That said, it was refreshing and quite tasty, with definite citrus and floral scents and flavors. The mouth feel was just a tad thick, giving it a hint of syrupy feeling, but not so much so that it got in the way. The low ABV make this an easy bottle to finish in a single night.

3/26/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Maybe it's me, but everything is tasting acidic this week. Nose is very faint. Flavors of candied cherries; quite tart on the finish, but again like a candy. Much improved after being open for over an hour.

3/25/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

It's sangiovese -- sour cherries and lightly acidic. Pleasant drinker.

3/8/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Thoroughly enjoyed this wine. Did not decant, but did let it breathe over the two - three hours over which it was consumed; I also kept the bottle slightly chilled (sitting in just a little ice) as it was warm in the house. Nose hinted at lush fruit, very slight heat. Initial taste was similar to the nose, though blackberries and pepper were present, too. The pepper became a bit spicier over the next 30 minutes, and the fruit became darker. After about 60 - 90 minutes a sudden appearance of chocolate on both the nose and the flavor was very surprising and pleasant. The chocolate faded after a bit, and the fruit re-emerged.

Interesting progression of flavors in this excellent wine.

3/3/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Excellent drinking cab sauv. Decanted for about 20 - 30 minutes. This was delicious on its own, not paired with anything. Very smooth, drinks more like juice than wine. Slight heat on the nose, but absolutely no detectable heat in the taste. Red fruit flavors (strawberry?) with a bit of green pepper, and the slightest hint of licorice and leather.

Second night was still quite enjoyable, though a bit more subdued.

3/1/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Solid, Italian drinker. First night paired well with homemade meatballs and red sauce. Smooth, slightly acidic. Dark berries on the finish with a hint of spice (not quite black pepper). Second night was a little softer, but the finish was much richer; almost thick finish with a spicy fruit tone. I like this better on night two, but it was good both nights.

2/21/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

To date this is the only dessert wine I can actually say I like. Very fresh floral and and hints of citrus on the nose. The mouthfeel is a bit heavy (borders on syrupy, but does not offend) but very smooth (like glass) and pleasing. Strong citrus flavors. VERY refreshing chilled and very easy to drink. Went well with sweet foods (particularly fruit) as well as completely on its own.

2/25/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Not liking this one. Popped and poured and took well over two hours to consume a single glass. While the nose was fruity and promising (despite a fair bit of heat), the taste was very acidic the entire time and never really came together. I ended up putting it in the fridge for tomorrow night and will see how it is after 24 hours.

2/20/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Still lovin' this Zin! Very fruit forward, some black pepper this time, too.

2/22/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

This wine is still young. Decanted for 90 minutes and drank throughout that time. Slight heat and acidity upon opening, faded quickly with decant (30 - 45 minutes). Very drying tannins at about 60 minutes, but those disappeared after another 15 - 30 minutes as well. Throughout there was dark fruit and very pleasant balance of fruit and acid. Went well with a grilled steak and drank very well on its own.

It's hard to put a rating on this as it is still young, but I am rating a 90 for the fact that it was very pleasant throughout the entire evening and that it left me continually wanting the next drink. I expect this will have much more "Wow!" factor in a few years, but even now it is can't lose drinker.

2/1/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Opened on a Friday night, but it was very acidic and unpleasant, even after long decant. Put back in the bottle and kept in the fridge until Sunday night. It had softened and was much more drinkable by then, but far from special. Acid was still a little high, but tannins were softer. Fruit was masked on the first night, and disappearing on the third.

1/26/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Quite acidic and sharp when cool, but mellowed out a good bit as it warmed to room temp. Pleasant, easy to drink. Nothing fancy or worth getting excited about, but nothing to complain about either. Good QPR!

1/27/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Enjoyed this bottle MUCH more than the first. Very smooth, slightly tannic. Decanted and drank over course of the evening. Started off with very strong fruit on the nose (plum? blueberry?). Much less fruit when drinking, at first, but it developed over the evening.

After this bottle, I would highly recommend this wine.

1/9/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Love this wine. This bottle was a bit more tannic than I recalled from the past, but the balance with the fruit made it work very well.

1/12/2009 - jwhite6114 wrote:

still easy to drink, especially after it has breathed for a bit. Flavor seems to dissipate quickly though -- it's as if there is a promise of something in the taste, but it never quite materializes. Still a good daily drinker.

12/2/2008 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Straight out of the bottle this wine is superb! Eminently drinkable on its own or with food (spaghetti with meat sauce tonight), very smooth, well balanced and delicious. Tanins are firm but far from overpowering, and the fruit is fully there but neither cloy nor, well, fruity. Balanced is the definitely right word for this one. This is not a wine to open if you're not prepared to drink the whole bottle at once because I, at least, cannot put this one down.

11/9/2008 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Nice fruit with decent acid to keep it from getting cloy. Love this Merlot (but then I love most Sonoma Valley wines, it seems). Drank well over the course of three nights.

11/4/2008 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Quite a surprise -- this was a very fruity merlot with solid tannins and well balanced acids. Tart red fruits (sour cherries?) on the mouth. I opened this because it was late and I didn't want to open something I'd regret not finishing, and this turned out to be something I'll look forward to drinking again.

10/28/2008 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Delicious! Nose had a strong blue floral/fruit character that I could not quite place, but was very unique. Smooth drinking, opened well over the course of the evening. Wish I had more of this!

10/25/2008 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Fruity, smooth, and fun. Not a terribly complex zin, but very easy to drink (no rough tannins, high acid, or heat) on its own.

10/17/2008 - jwhite6114 wrote:

easy to drink, but may be early

10/17/2008 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Drinking very well -- has that slight rasiny / port character of older wines. Smooth, very flavorful. Bordering sweet, but not at all sugary or syrupy; did not note any spice / pepper typical with zin.

10/9/2008 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Smooth, light mouthfeel, fruit and tannins well balanced; went well with food (pork roast and potatoes). Finished the whole bottle before I realized it (and it felt no where near 14.7% ABV).

As the wine reached the low 70's in temp it became very acidic, but still very drinkable.

9/27/2008 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Solid green pepper on the nose and flavor right after opening. Very earthy and vegetable tones. After about 1 - 2 hours breathing, though (no decant), it really opened up. Acids tuned up and everything came into balance. The green pepper and earth were completely replaced by fruit (red fruits). All along this was smooth and drinkable, but especially enjoyable once it opened up. Still drinking very well on day 2.

9/29/2008 - jwhite6114 wrote:

I really like this Zin. A little hot after first opening, but the heat blew off quickly. Solid fruit on the nose and the taste that lasted long after the bottle was open and all the way into 73° room temp. Well balanced and flavorful wine! Wish I had more.

9/26/2008 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Good. Not phenomenal, but light fruit, mild tannin and medium acid (especially as it reaches room temp). After open for a few hours it came together rather nicely, with a soft, smooth fruity flavor. Nose is quite fruity throughout.

9/18/2008 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Very good! It was a bit tart on the finish upon opening the bottle, but after about an hour that went away and this opened up beautifully with lots of fruit (nose and taste). Smooth feel, and just enough finish to make me reach for that next drink. Not quite a knock-out, but easily worth the ~$23. (I did not detect the "heat" others have referenced in their reviews)

9/12/2008 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Decent Cab Sauv -- very smooth, slightly high tannins. Solid, easy to recommend, while nothing particularly stand out it is a great QPR.

9/7/2008 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Paired decently well with meatloaf. Tannin and acid balanced the food very well. On its own it became quite oaky. Decent fruit as you would expect from a Washington Merlot, but either not quite right for my palate or my mood this evening.

9/3/2008 - jwhite6114 wrote:

A little heat immediately upon opening, but this fades quickly. Very smooth, drinkable, fruit-forward wine.

7/27/2008 - jwhite6114 wrote:

I really think Sonoma Valley is the AVA for me. Was really digging the fruit on this one before I even realized it was Sonoma Valley. Started it with the pasta with tomato sauce and ground beef, melted cheddar on top, and it went well. Then on its own and almost done with the bottle. Tasty, tasty!

8/6/2008 - jwhite6114 wrote:

I love this Chard. Amazing floral and citrus on the nose that both carry over very strongly on the taste (along with some very faint oak -- adds some slight creaminess, but no furniture here). Went very well with the artichokes, too. Crisp, but smooth, with lots of complex flavors and aromas, all of which are refreshing and feel like a warm summer vacation day. Looking for more of this wine!

8/3/2008 - jwhite6114 wrote:

Drank over two nights -- better the second night (even though I decanted for ~1hour on the first night).

First night: quite a bit of heat on the nose and initial taste. Neither overly acidic nor fruity; mild tannins.

Second night: mellowed out on the heat, and firmer flavors, though I found it lacking in fruit. Almost like it had been watered down (though it was not watery).

Overvall: smooth, very drinkable, but nothing remarkable.

7/27/2008 - jwhite6114 wrote:

still drinking well. tannic, but good.