2/19/2013 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Decanted for approximately 30 minutes. Deep rich flavors of leather, dark berries and floral (tar and roses), smooth and balanced. Good structure with at least 3-5 years of aging potential.

3/31/2012 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Opened and let stand in the bottle for about an hour. Nice bricking on the edge, earthy aroma. Nice balance with spice and earth-tone taste; fruit is there, but settled into the background. Really needed a proper decant as the wine started to open up about 30 minutes after pouring. Can easily go another five years in the cellar, but not necessary.

12/14/2011 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Nice petrol on the nose; medium body. Initial flavors of citrus and light honey, gives way to good mineral structure. Didn't get any of the effervescence others describe. Simple, reliable wine, best to drink now.

10/13/2011 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Decanted for approximately 30 minutes. Still young, but drinking well right now. Tannins are still overtly present, but work well in the overall profile. Good fruit up front, gives way to tobacco and cocoa mid-palate. Lush and silky mouth-feel with a medium finish. Can last another five years easy. Good vintage, wish I had more.

9/30/2011 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Has really come together nicely now. Great structure, not too sweet like other Zins. Good amount of fruit (blueberries) up front, but subtle oak on the back-end ties everything together. Smooth, silky texture, but lacks any real finish. Can hold for another 2-3 years, but drinking very well now.

9/17/2011 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Thin, juicy and best drunk slightly chilled (slightly). Good fruit up front, predominantly strawberries. No finish to speak of; slightly bitter/astringent when warmer.

5/22/2011 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Opened and decanted for approximately 90 minutes, served with a variety of grilled meats. Nice dust and dark berry scents; very balanced wine for the price ($20). Nice palate of earthiness and muted spice flavors followed by berry fruits. Not getting the typical Italian almond/bitter finish associated with most Dolcettos...maybe due to maturity (the wine's, not mine!). Seems to be drinking very well right now with several more years ahead (drink by 2015). Very happy with this one and glad that I have one more bottle laying down. Great QPR, wish I had a few more bottles.

5/6/2011 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Replacement bottle for first one which was badly oxidized (retailer replaced without any drama). Nice floral bouquet on the nose; bright acidity and a slightly oil texture. Very rich tasting wine with good stonefruit profile. Does need to be served colder then most whites I believe; slightly chilled. Doesn't seem like there's much more life left to go on this vintage; I wouldn't wait much longer to drink up. Purchased from North Berkeley Imports.

4/20/2011 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Drank from .375ml bottle (halfwitwines.com). Flat, boring and one dimensional. Seemed watery and too "fruit-juicy." Not getting the high scores on this one; not a flawed bottle, just seems like a typical, mid-range California Pinot.

3/12/2011 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Aired in the glass, no decant. Big bold cherry scents with lots of cocoa too. Lush mouth-feel, dark berries on the palate with carmel/butterscotch mid-palate followed by Stag's Leap dust. Tannins fully resolved, structure is present; a nicely integrated wine. Probably has five more years ahead of it? Enjoyed this wine very much, worth the price ($75.00 at the vineyard).

3/3/2011 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Dark berries, tobacco and cinnamon; tannins are in check. Good mouth-feel with long finish. Paid $46.50 from WTSO, but think it's only a $40 wine at best. Good wine, but not a great wine.

2/14/2011 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Golden amber in color, nice crisp citrus flavors that are integrated well with the yeasty/brioche nose. Supple texture with lot of fine bubbles, good structure; medium to long finish. Has many more years ahead of it, so no need to bring it out of the cellar anytime soon.

2/3/2011 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Double decanted - Dark, murky red, more like mud in the bottle than sediment. Not much on the nose; prunes and plumbs. Medium density with tartness throughout. Digging deep into the flavor, I get dark blueberries and blackberries. Definitely requires food; finish is medium length. Overall, seems delicate for a "Super Tuscan." I believe this wine has evolved in the bottle/cellar as much as it's going to. I don't think this wine has much more to give; better to drink now.

1/9/2011 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Decanted for one hour - Color is brackish red, showing nice age. Bouquet of nice peppery spice box, although fruit is definitely present in the background. Texture is satin-like with no bitterness at all. All components are well integrated a providing a nice drinking experience. The finish is medium in length (about 15 seconds). Will keep for another 2-3 years, but drinking well right now; no need to wait.

1/4/2011 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Rich and tropical, lots of RS and still good acidity. Warm, gold color, texture is very oily (coats the glass beautifully). A very nice balance of mineral versus fruit, nice medium finish. Drank 3/4 of the bottle and put it way for consumption the next day (will report back any significant developments). I'm not very familiar with Alsatian Pinot Gris, but I feel that this particular wine can lay down for another five years easy and probably continue to evolve and refine further. My next bottle is scheduled to drink in 2013. A good buy from Last Call Wines at $36.

12/19/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Popped & poured. Lots of bright cherries and cassis. Tannins not yet resolved and clearly exhibits Stags Leap dusty characteristics. This is a juicy wine; probably needs a few more years to come together better.

12/12/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Worried that this might be past its' prime; pleasantly surprised. Still maintains some good, subtle fruit notes, but has become more of a European style Pinot with good earthiness and spice, mint and raspberry too. Texture is smooth and velvety; no obvious tannins or bitterness. Drinking just fine right now, and maybe for another couple of years?

11/2/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Patience has rewarded nicely on this one. Nice notes of earth and pepper. Taste is bursting with juicy and ripe tart cherries with a plum chaser. Coming together now, but can probably take another 1-2 years in the cellar.

10/17/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Opened and let breathe for 90 minutrs. Lots of dark berries and curant. Tanins are still present and dominant; finish is medium in length. Still needs a few more years to come to together in a seamless way.

10/16/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Lots of bright, tart cherries; good acidity and structure. Tannins have seemed to settle in now with a harmonious integration. Don't believe this will improve with additional cellar time -- good wine for the $18 price-tag.

10/6/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Decanted for one hour - Lots of tart cherries and berries. Very juicy wine right now, with tannins still very present, but balanced. Drinks velvety smooth, but probably needs another few years in the cellar.

9/29/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Drank from 375ml bottle- Popped and poured. Musty, funky smell that blew off after about ten minutes in the glass. Nice buttery and tropical fruit as the primary flavors. Citrus and good, balanced acidity also present. Nicely integrated all around; drinking well now.

9/1/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Popped and poured - Lots of black currant/cassis on the nose. Taste is full of dark cherries, chocolate and iodine (herbal notes). Texture and mouth-feel is very smooth, with all components nicely integrated; good structure all around. Is drinking well now and should continue to do so over the next 3-5 years.

8/14/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Decanted for 30 minutes - Good scent of oak, leather and cocoa. Nice rich berry flavors; great structure. Mid-palate has lots of herb and spice. Texture is rich and velvet like; tannins are well integrated. Several more years of life left in this one -- no rush to drink.

8/12/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Opened and poured (sat in the bottle for about 30 minutes; no decant). Good dusty/dirty scent on the nose with lush dark cherries, cocoa and spice. Oak is present on the mid-palate as is some spice. Texture is lush and velvety with a medium finish. Not too complex, but it did continue to open up and evlove as it sat longer in the glass. Tannins are present but not overwhelming. May not evolve more with cellar time, but may become even smoother. Has another 3-5 years of cellar life in it, but drinking quite nice now.

7/20/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Great little wine. Nice color and scent; dark berry and cherry on the nose. Taste is full of bright fruit, mostly cherries with some blackberry. Very well balanced with good secondary notes of some spice. Average finish and a good silky mouth-feel. Drinking very well right now, but could last another few years.

7/15/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Very disappointing - had expected much more from this wine. Not really corked or severely heat damaged, but possibly improper storage conditions by the wine shop (picked out of their clearance bin for half price - $45). Opened 2 hours prior to drinking and decanted as well. Medium body with lots of tart cherries. Good amount of acidity and once the tartness subsides, there is some complexity, you just have to search for it. Some good earth and spice on the back side with a nice silky smooth mouth-feel. Something tells me that this bottle suffered improper handling/storage in its' history, a shame too, I was really looking forward to this.

7/9/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Opened and decanted one hour before drinking. Aromas of dark berries, cherries, spice and chocolate. Taste dominated by dark blackberries and chocolate. Smooth mouth-feel, nicely balanced but still possesses tannins. Very nice Italian Cab with lots of life left in it.

6/20/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Wonderfully good wine, perfumed with lots of pepper, spice and cranberries. Taste mirrors scent with the addition of strawberries and tart cherries. Mouth-feel is silky smooth with perfectly balanced tannins. Drank over the course of an hour, the last glass was really starting to impress, so I will decant the next bottle. Paid $25 (half off sale) and worth every penny.

6/9/2010 - Fozziedoggie Likes this wine:

Opened and double-decanted for 45 minutes. Initially on the nose: meaty with iodine and dark fruit and some cocoa. Decanting helped smooth out the mouth-feel; medium bodied and lush. Taste was dark fruit, leather and spice in that order. For the price paid ($25) a good solid Bordeaux. Plenty of cellar life to go, but drinking quite nicely now.

6/4/2010 - Fozziedoggie Likes this wine:

Decanted for approximately one hour. Nice deep purple color, deep rich berry scent. Taste was very smooth with lots of chocolate, dark cherry and earth. Finish was medium; drank over 90 minutes and remained robust throughout. Has several more cellar years left to go.

5/28/2010 - Fozziedoggie Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Green peppers, petrol and rubber on the nose. Tart cherries predominate on taste; very juicy/fruity wine. Found this wine definitely requires food with it to temper the tartness.

4/30/2010 - Fozziedoggie Likes this wine:

Drank over two days; day two, wine became smoother and less tanic. Nose has lots of spice and dust. Taste is full of dark fruit followed by notes of vanilla. Medium finish; overall, nicely balanced wine. Probably needs another couple of years in the cellar.

4/6/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Started off with lots of earth tones (sandalwood and spices), giving way to more fruit notes the longer the wine sat in the glass. Fruit is definitely dark berries and tart cherries with back notes of vanilla and leather. Not as balanced as I would have liked; probably could stand another 1-2 years in the cellar.

4/3/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Decanted for approximately two hours. Lots of tart cherries. Tannins are definitely present, but well integrated. Mouth-feel is thin and juicy. Secondary notes of smoke , cedar and spice. Probably has another 3 - 5 years of cellar life left in it.

3/29/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Nice and crisp with good balance. Tasted hay/straw and honey. Mouth-feel and texture is silky. Lots of floral perfume as it opened up. Will probably cellar for another 3-5 years easily.

3/26/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Not sure how this wine warranted a 92 point score from Stephen Tanzer. Lots of berries and funk on the nose; cedar and eucalyptus. Biggest problem for me: wine was overpowered by the alcohol and never came together. Drank over the course of 90 minutes, but the wine never fully integrated. Definitely not worth the $50 retail price, since there are much better offerings out there from the likes of Ridge and Seghesio. Data says drink by 2012, but I don't think the wine will ever improve.

3/24/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Light golden yellow in color; lots of mineral and stone. Predominate fruit is grapefruit with honey on the back end. No hint of petrolium (too young?). Mouth-feel is medium with a silky texture. Overall, a good wine for the price ($22).

3/19/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Decanter for two hours. Color is dark purple with no hint of bricking yet. Lots of dark cherries on the nose with leather and dust too. Beautiful satin texture; nicely balanced fruit and earth elements. This wine still has another five+ years of life ahead of it. No need to drink anytime soon.

3/16/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Popped and poured-- Bright fruit scent on the nose, lots of berries and cherries. Picked up some anise and cocoa on the back-end. Medium body with good acidity and overall balance. Don't think it's worth the $45 premium though. Not a lot of structure to carry this through in the cellar for much longer.

2/14/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Decanted for one hour; nice brickish red color. Nose displayed subtle scents of deep dark cherries and cocoa. Texture was smooth, with an earthy taste, but fruit is still present. Drank this against a 2003, the 1998 has lost much of it's oak. Overall, a very well balanced wine with several more years of life left in it.

2/10/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Decanted for 30 minutes - Good scent of oak, leather and cocoa. Nice rich berry flavors; great structure. Mid-palate has lots of herb and spice. Texture is rich and velvet like; tannins are well integrated. Several more years of life left in this one -- no rush to drink.

2/1/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Popped and poured. Nice nose of strawberry and earth. Taste is delicate, mostly strawberry with secondary notes of (hint of) licorice. This is a very juicy wine (some similarities to a Beaujolais), not a very long finish. Some mild acidity that should integrate better with another few years in the cellar. A nice little wine that pairs well with many dishes. Easy to drink, but not a show stopper; a respectable showing none the less.

1/28/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Great wine for the price ($20). Wonderful smells of bright cherry and strawberry; secondary scents of spice such as nutmeg. Taste was bright and somewhat lively, although fruit is muted. Mouth-feel is satin-like with a short finish. Overall, this wine has come together quite nicely; well balanced. Cellar time has rewarded this wine. I suspect this can lay down for a few more years, but drinking well now...wish I had more.

1/22/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Popped and poured; lots of dark cherry, vegetable and cocoa on the nose. Taste definitely exhibits lots of oak. Good mouth-feel but a bit chewy. Tannins are still present and need to mellow and integrate more. Balance is still a bit "clunky." Give this another few years of cellar time; good wine, but not great.

1/14/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

375ml bottle - Drank over the course of 1 hour. Aromas of deep, dark cherries. Taste was sweet cherry and butterscotch predominantly. Mouthfeel was smooth and silky, but alcohol (and tanins) seem out of balance; I suggest another few years in the cellar to help integrate components.

1/8/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Opened for about an hour. Great berry smells; strawberries most. Texture is silky, but weight and mouth-feel is light. A very smooth drinker with great value for the price paid ($20). No need to hold on to this in the cellar any longer.

1/6/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

375ml bottle - Popped and poured. Scents of tobacco and dust/flint. Taste was somewhat restrained; lots of dark cherry and black currants. Alcohol was present, but fairly well balanced (same with the tannins). Finish was short to medium. Overall, a pleasant wine,representative from Haut Medoc region.

1/5/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Upon opening, strong scents of mineral and dust. Nice flavors of stone fruit such as peach. Secondary tastes of butter (mild oak) and hay. Nice acidity and silky mouth-feel; medium finish. Can handle several more years of cellaring, and may benefit from it.

12/27/2009 - Fozziedoggie wrote:

Nice round tannins, smooth, smoky and satiny profile. Lots of dark cherries and black berries on the nose. Continued to integrate over a 90 minute drinking window, becoming richer and smoother. Finish is respectable, but not too long. Drinking well now, but still has up to five more years cellar life.