12/27/2012 - cabdrinker Likes this wine:

Very Good

Not the biggest Zinfandel drinker in the world, probably have 5 or so bottles a year, so I have limited knowledge of this grape. However, this would qualify as one of the best bottles I have had.

First impression that came to mind on the nose was prominent blackberry and eucalyptus. The palate was loaded with more hug black fruit, cigar box and a hint of white pepper. Slight silkiness to this relatively soft wine, tannins were well restrained. Small amount of heat on a very long finish.

This is definitely a wine I would purchase again.

5/24/2012 - cabdrinker wrote:

OUTSTANDING!
Great expression of full bodied California Pinot. Nose of cherry, strawberry and currant. Palate coating flavors include hint of raspberry and spice that leads to a long balanced, juicy acidic finish. I love the overall weight of the wine and look forward to seeing the progression over the next few years.

3/16/2012 - cabdrinker wrote:

Outstanding
P-N-P on the evening of delivery. Wine was in route less than 48 hours and still cold. Great color in the glass, translucent, crystal clear shade of cherry. Little spice on the nose mixed with summer fruits. Flavors and tartness of watermelon candy, yet the body of the wine carried a little weight. Real nice dry finish as the flavors linger. This wine will be a knockout this summer.

3/2/2012 - cabdrinker wrote:

Outstanding
Still room to grow but drinking beautifully now.

2/13/2012 - cabdrinker wrote:

EXTRAORDINARY!!!!!

What a delicious treat this turned out to be. Beautiful color in the glass that is starting to lose its golden hue. Nose was full of apricot, peach and honey. This full bodied wine just laid on the palate with a creamy texture. Hint of acidity accompanied the flavors described on the nose with a little butterscotch on the finish that went on for days.

1/7/2012 - cabdrinker wrote:

Getting better all the time!

12/30/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Excellent - Outstanding
Nice nose of exotic spices, tobacco and dark berry. On the palate, I was expecting the wine to be a little more full bodied than it was but it was still very pleasant. Solid fruit appears along with a hint of licorice and balanced tannins. The finish brought along some smoky tones and lasted a good 30 seconds. Solid wine.

1/2/2012 - cabdrinker wrote:

Excellent
A very solid bottle of Merlot. Deep intoxicating color in the glass that filled the air with plum and dark berries. It carried over to the palate along with a touch of currant and oak. A nice little bite of tannins added to my enjoyment of this wine. Finish was long with a touch of chocolate at the end. I would buy this again

1/1/2012 - cabdrinker wrote:

Very Good
For the pedigree, I was a bit disappointed. The bottle carried all the nuisances of a nicely made Napa cab, cassis, bark berry, currant, leather, toasted oak, but there was no real wow factor. The bottle was had over a 5 hour period and there was no discernible change from beginning to end. Again, it was a good wine, but I was expecting more.

1/15/2012 - cabdrinker wrote:

Very Good
Nose: Honey Roasted Cashews
Palate: Loads of carmel and vanilla, vibrant acidity
Mouth feel: Velvety, coats the palate nicely
Finish: long and carries a bit of charred oak with it.

12/19/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Excellent
Even on a cool early winter, this wine was very refreshing. Hint of melon, apple and a touch of herbs on the nose. Medium bodied with some nice refreshing citrus and pear notes merging together with very balanced acidity. Crisp, clean and long finish.

12/16/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Excellent +
Took a couple hours to open up and smooth out at this point, but I expected that. A little hot and tight in the first few glasses but came with beautiful characteristics of dark berries and overtones of cigar box and cola. Towards the end of the bottle the transition really took hold with ample acidity, moderately dry tannins and a very smooth mouth coating finish.

12/11/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Outstanding
This bottle leaned a little more to the feminine side for a pinot. Big nose of roses, spice, red cherry and raspberry. Light bodied and nose characteristics transfer to the palate. First half of the bottle brought bright acidity with the long finish but mellowed out a little as the bottle was fully consumed.

12/9/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Very Good
A bit of high school wood shop on the nose. Medium bodied with bright sour cherry and spices on the palate. Nice coating lingers with the long finish.

11/22/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Out of the 6 bottle I had, this one showed the best. Really came around with big watermelon rind and wild strawberries. A little creaminess developed in the texture but the acidity held true. I still detected a little green tea on the finish that I really enjoyed.

11/22/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Good.
Found it to be a little bit thin and green. Towards the end, it seemed to open up a little more and fruit begin to shine, but not enough to save the experience.

11/22/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Excellent.
A couple years laying down did some good for this wine. Nose and palate exhibited blackberries, cherries and cocoa while the overall structure and finish came with firm tannins and acids and lingering spice and cedar.

11/5/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Lovely bottle of wine. Nice mixture of bright black fruit, currant, fig and toasted oak. Had an edge of greenbellpepper at first but blew off quickly.

11/5/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Outstanding.
Took a couple hours to open up but one it did, it was hitting on all cylinders. Dark inky purple in the glass. Big blackberry fruit and white pepper on the nose. On the palate the big blackberry carried over along with vanilla. Full bodied yet some softness to the mouth feel with firm tannins. On the back end, the red berries sneak in with a little heat from the pepper notes. Finish is long and strong. Drinking real well now.

11/1/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Excellent
Very nice nose of plum, tea, eucalyptus and leather. Light mouthfeel but comes with bright acidity. On the palate I also noted some fresh herbs and floral components. Long finish that leave the moth watering.

11/1/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Good value but nothing spectacular... Wine was a bit thin on the nose and palate. Carried a lot of the normal pinot tones, but just didn't linger around as long as I would have hoped. Decent finish... Good wine to serve for Thanksgiving.

11/1/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Very Good
Needs a little more time to settle. Big bold wine right now and it exhibits a lot of oak influences in caramel, cream, smoke, spice and vanilla. Great mouth feel and long lingering finish, but I feel this is just the beginning of where it’s going. Will revisit in a few years.

10/30/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Very Good.
The wine leaned a little towards the green side at first but exhibited some bright cherry by the end of the evening. Hint of smoke and spice linger on tha palate.

10/21/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

My second and last bottle is just about done. This is hitting every sensory this evening. Wine exhibits a bit more 'flintiness' than the prior bottle which elevates my overall enjoyment of this wine. All other flavor profiles listed earlier still apply. Again, I wish it was a little cheaper, but for me it’s worth another purchase of 2 bottles which I just did to store away for next summer.

10/18/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

This is my 7th bottle of this wine over the course of 3 1/2 years and his was by far the best of the bunch. Much different than my first few bottles. Black, full bodied with a nose of blackfruit, plum, cedar, mocha and creamy vanilla, well structured, good balance, complex, sweet, silky smooth on the palate with terrific length, outstanding!

10/16/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Again, very much alive and kicking... All my prior note still apply but it came with a little bit more tartness and the alcohol with this bottle was much more controlled. Wish I had more.

10/11/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

BORING!
A lifeless pile of crap in a bottle. I have had $10 Castle Rock pinots that blow this away.

10/18/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Incredibly supple, lush, rich and hedonistic all in one. The tannins are becoming a little sweeter IMO but it only enhances the overall impressions I have of this wine.

10/8/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

OUTSTANDING!
Lots of finesse in this bottle of wine. Rich, creamy layers of vanilla, currant, dark berries with hints of oak, espresso and spices. Full-bodied that really coats the palate from beginning to end. Finish is long and leaves you wanting more.

10/7/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Very nice bottle of wine. Took a few hours of decanting for it to open up and throughout the evening is showed better with every glass. Very deep/dark wine. Intense nose of cedar, dark berries, bacon and wet forest. Wine coats the palate with a well balanced layer of luscious fruit and that carries right on through to a sweet finish.

9/30/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Not really my cup of 'chardonnay'. Big heavy glass of oak. Some pear and honeysuckle make an appearance, but it really is overwhelmed by the oak. As the wine warmed in the glass, it subsided slightly.

9/23/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Color: On the lighter side wih a hint of cloudiness
Nose: Huge strawberry, allspice and a touch of sage.
Palate: Intense and spicy. Showing lots of pepper and cranberry flavors. Almost Zin like characteristics IMO.
Finish: Carries on for a good 30+ seconds but a bit on the hot side.
Overall: an in your face pinot that probably needs a few more years to settle daon but if you like this style, it's drinking really good now. I could see myself scoring this higher on a cold winter evening.

9/21/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Basic but good... Smooth wine from beginning to end, nice vibrant fruit, little acidity, slightly above average finish.

9/11/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

In remembrance.
Color is deep and dark plum. Aromatics out of the decanter is a bit floral with lots of spice. In the glass there is a mix of dark fruit (plum, blackberry), spices and licorice that fills the nose. On the palate it was a little green at hour 2 but its really opening up to a full bodied wine seems to go on for days with cassis, vanilla, tobacco. Finish is LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG and brings a subtle coco tones. This wine is still a baby IMO.

9/5/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Getting better all the time!

8/12/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Continues to hit on all cylinders...

7/24/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Not going to change your life but a very respectable wine. Deep luscious color in the glass. Nose is fairly tame after hour one, but the oak becomes a little bit more pronounced after that along with tobacco notes. On the palate a full force attack of dark berries shows up with more of the tobacco cabinet, black currant and spices. Still a bit tannic on the back end, but I’m not put off buy that. Finish last a good 30 seconds plus and carries a little acidity.

7/15/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Good... Nothing spectacular but drinkable

7/9/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Outstanding
First few glasses the raspberry was ripe and loaded with nice spices rounding out with a juicy finish. But towards the end of the bottle, the flavor profile leaned more towards a dark berry and plum. Nicely layered, rich, deep and concentrated. Full bodied on the back end with a long finish.

6/24/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Outstanding!
Clean, crisp and incredibly fresh. Citrus for days on the nose with just a hint of fresh cut flowers. Really light bodied and dry. Tart green apple and minerals on the palate. Bright acidity follows on the finish. One of the better California rieslings out there.

5/20/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

My first bottle was a pop and pour less than a week after purchase and I wasn't impressed. Have the rest of my bottles sideways now for a few months and popping the first one and it is remarkabLy better. Big black fruit up front through the finish along with toasty oak, cassis, and a little sage. Nice texture with a hint of acidity. Will revisit in about a year.

5/13/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Outstanding.
Ran through the Vinturi and decanter for an hour prior to the first glass. Nice nose of bell pepper over campfire. At first the wine was really green with a dusty tannic backbone, but as it opened up a little more, the ripe black fruit started to shine. also noticed some vanilla notes and wet stone. Texture was pleasant on the palate and the finish left me wanting more. Very enjoyable bottle of old school Napa.

5/8/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Mother's Day wine served with a fist sized Filet Mignon and paired rather nicely. This little brother to the Mise en Place is a nice compliment for Textbook. Though it’s a little more subtle on the nose, palate and finish it still has lively fruit, hint of cassis, vanilla, toasted oak Not as tannic as the MeP, so while I think it could benefit from a little more time sideways, it’s drinking well now.

5/6/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Outstanding and young. Full bodied wine that exhibits powerful Black currants, Black cherry and dried herbs (sage and bay leaf). Nice mouth coating texture that leaves licorice and vanilla on the back of the palate. Finish is long but a bit tannic. Needs time to open up right now, but that's expected. Plenty more in the cellar to revisit over the years.

5/1/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Paired perfectly with the news of Osama being killed!
100 pts.

4/22/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

OutstandingReally nice, almost pink rose pedal in color. The floral color also jump out onto the nose along with melon. I like the mineral aspect this wine hits on the palate. I also pick up some red cherries and white pepper to go with the summer melons. Texture has a little creaminess to it and the lively acidity flows straight through the finish. Great summer wine in every sense of the word.

4/17/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

big black fruit on the nose and palate. Still a bit on the chewy side but mellowed out with air time. Though I enjoyed the wine, I too have had much better for and less than the price.

4/16/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Still a lot of life left in this vintage. Continues to shine with every glass.

4/10/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:

Excellent
Little perfume on the nose along with candied cranberry and strawberry. Mouth-coating feel, juicy acidity, nice citrus notes along with summer melon fruit adds to this very nice drinking wine. Crisp finish leaves you wanting another sip/glass.

3/26/2011 - cabdrinker Likes this wine:

It was time to drink this. Dark, dark berry and loaded with spice and pepper. Found this leaning towards a meaty style of wine.