9/16/2015 - Battleship Likes this wine:

Popped and poured at local Churrascaria and was a perfect pairing for all the Rodixio meats. Initially very intense black plum and other dark berry flavors but in a VERY refined way. As it opened up and paired with food, an amazing balance of fruit and acidity danced on the palate. A great wine for a milestone birthday celebration.

4/8/2014 - Battleship Likes this wine:

This wine is evolving into a very light bodied but full-fruit experience. Lots of initial muted earthiness/mushroom on the nose and palate and as it opened up, light red fruits with some smooth and some tart cranberry. Slight hint of smoke on finish which was initially short but expanded as the wine opened. Not decanted but opened and poured in glasses about 15 minutes before consumption and drank over the next 1.5-2 hours.

2/21/2014 - Battleship Likes this wine:

Good for the price, but very modern and heavily extracted.

11/24/2013 - Battleship wrote:

Needs more cellar time but after a 2 hour decant it had deep red fruit and a long finish but tannins persisted that were still a little rough. I think time will tame them.

8/9/2013 - Battleship Likes this wine:

Has mellowed nicely in the past few years to show excellent blue and red berry fruit without the high octane heat signature of its youth. A very nice oak integration now supports the experience with some sweet vanilla complimenting the fruit. It can last longer but I dont think it will improve and you may risk it becoming too one dimensional.

5/28/2013 - Battleship wrote:

What was a lighter less cloying wine last year has become heavy, chocolate dominated with some booziness. Despite that I cant help sipping it to see the chocolate covered raspberries and cherries come to the front. Interesting, but not great.

5/28/2013 - Battleship Likes this wine:

Wow - this jumped out of the glass with intense red fruit and berries with low intensity oak influence but some of the heat of youth clouding it. It finished with a great combo of spice with structure and elegance. Will hold the other for another year or two to hopefully tame the heat.

5/28/2013 - Battleship Likes this wine:

Initial opening and decant taste test had incredible nose emanating from the glass a a very lush palate of bramble and berries with nicely integrated vanilla oak. Over the next hour it settled noticeably and lost some intensity but drank like a classic aged Ridge zin with more muted fruit and light oak but with elegant structure intact.

4/25/2013 - Battleship wrote:

Served after 2000 Haut Bages Averous with beef, but this one was jumping out of the decanter on initial pour with one of the best Bordeaux noses Ive smelled in a long time. This was much richer than the other and I think a few years will calm the still youthful big fruit down. That said no one would be disappointed now but 5 more years should show more of what you paid for.

4/25/2013 - Battleship Likes this wine:

Last of my purchase and while it could go a few more years, doesnt seem likely to improve and depending on style preference, you should decide. This one had a restrained nose but elegant aspects of mature red fruits combined with interesting lanolin like palate sensation. Served with grilled beef it was a great companion and by the last sip was on the lean side. Decanted and consumed over about a 2 hour period.

4/26/2013 - Battleship wrote:

This one has mellowed since the last but didn't lose its character, wonderful nose and medium finish. The bigger fruit of its youth seems to be converting to more mature impressions.

3/24/2013 - Battleship wrote:

WOW! Picked up for $11.00 in the likely over the hill section. It opened with deeply stewed fruit and the aged nose I expected but as it opened up it was fantastic! The funk blew off and mature but less stewed red fruits and tuscan soil contributions came to the front and it got an interesting lanolin element on the palate. Definitely drink sooner rather than later but those liking a more aged style will not be disappointed.

3/21/2013 - Battleship wrote:

Still too early and seems to be in a dormant phase right now. Amazing nose upon opening which closed up after 10 minutes and never came back over the next hour and a half with dinner. On the palate very velvety but one dimensional in flavor with a modest finish. I will wait another year or 2 before trying another.

3/18/2013 - Battleship Likes this wine:

Decanted from cellar temp and started consumption 15 minutes later with great steaks. Initially similar comments to my last notes but the most interesting herbaciousness and floral elements with not so much smokiness. 3 hours later and last glass has the most chewy tannins and muted stewed red fruits with incredible lingering finish. Food friendly beam of acidity showed up about 30 minutes after decant. Still needs cellar time but I love the uniqueness of Cab from here.

3/8/2013 - Battleship Likes this wine:

Ordered a mag at NYC Del Frisco's last night with some old friends. They decanted it and we started into it after about 20 minutes. The wine is evolving to show some age and gentle red/dark berry with subtle cedar and very light smoke. The finish is not super long but after the silky palate ride, is still rewarding. I disagree with the drinking window estimate ending at 2010! This has at least 3-5 more years in mag size.

12/5/2012 - Battleship Likes this wine:

Brought to wine club holiday party and tried to open and let air out but it was found and consumption began within 30 minutes. WOW - even with its youth and minimal air it is one complex beast. Hedonistic nose of dark fruit and liquor and more of the same on the palate with slight heat and great length on the finish. I found the bottle about 3 hours later with a little left in the bottom and many more layers of complexity had formed adding chocolate and eucalyptus to the mix. 5 more sleeping for later.

2/21/2013 - Battleship Likes this wine:

Popped and started drinking about 15 minutes later. OMG this wine has come a long way since the last bottle and was putting out the most hallmark Bordeaux nose and great burnt cherry, cedar and light oak touches. All in the group were exclaiming its greatness over the course of the meal. This was the 3rd of a 6 pack consumed and I wish it was the first as this is the ideal starting point.

12/23/2012 - Battleship Likes this wine:

Chilled and pop/poured for fear too much air would blow all goodness off. Really nice initial bacon nose and some light funk which quickly blew off converting the initial mineral/tight finish to a lengthy viscous palate coater that kept hanging on delivering slightly tart light citrus and bacon on finish. I dont think it will improve so drink it if you have it. Was my last and it was a good ride.

11/23/2012 - Battleship wrote:

Outstanding with subdued pineapple and other exotic light fruits with great viscosity and long finish. Was a great wine for TG dinner

11/23/2012 - Battleship wrote:

Decanted for more than an hour and this wine is in a very closed place at this time. Very slight hints of cherry, loam, slight piney forest floor, but not well aligned and finish was slightly medicinal. I hope time improves the rest.

10/8/2012 - Battleship wrote:

Decanted about 1 hour before tasting and the nose was classic top tier Rioja with an elegant structure and clean slightly acidic finish that went so well with the meal. Not the best of vintages for Rioja, but this house is one of the best producers and the wine should be consumed sooner rather than later.

10/6/2012 - Battleship wrote:

Seemed to be faded more than the last but still a wonderful ride of mineral sharpness polished with exotic fruit elements and a crisp acidic finish.

10/6/2012 - Battleship wrote:

My last one and I disagree with the CT user derived drinking window as this one showed only slight oxidation that actually made it richer than prior bottles that were very mineral and austere. Had with oysters and the pairing was perfection with the salinity of the Wellfleet oysters playing with the mineral and smoke with great tartness to complete the dance. I would say drink sooner rather than later, but no need to open all today.

10/6/2012 - Battleship wrote:

While still early in its evolution, decided to try one. Decanted for 1 hour and while a very big, multi-dimentional wine it was surprisingly approachable. Polished dark and light red fruits moving to interesting smokiness and even a faint hint of caramel, ending with some spice and heft with tannins present, but polished in my opinion. There was a faint alcohol heat that indicated youth versus overkill. The backbone and structure surely indicate many great years ahead.

9/28/2012 - Battleship wrote:

Great minerality and viscocity with hints of kiwi and melon with a nicely evolving finish and was likely consumed before it fully opened. It was a shell of its original youthful self.

9/26/2012 - Battleship wrote:

Reading the reviews below had me expecting something bigger. I agree the nose is almost absent, but its hard to detect Cabernet Franc or Italy/Umbria in this wine. Decanted, but started drinking right away and there is some aged and candied dark fruit fruit and a very smooth mouthfeel with slight acidity. As it opened over the next hour or 2 it was relaxing some tension and getting smoother with more stewed plum emerging. Overall decent and good with food, but nothing special.

9/23/2012 - Battleship wrote:

I agree its a good Cabernet Franc and I admit I like Loire styles of this grape better, it did begin to evolve as it passed the 1.5 hour mark in the decanter. Nice stewed dark fruit and root vegetable aroma and palate with evolving earth and smoke on the finish. Still fairly primary in palate, it worked well with mixed smoked/grilled meats.

9/23/2012 - Battleship wrote:

After 2 hours decanted and paired with a great steak, this wine was classic Bordeaux. As it evolved in decanter and glass it got richer and had an incredible spicy finish that hasn't been there before. Great mature fruit with leather and cigar box with a rich evolving spicy finish. One left and I will wait longer as now the 2000 vintage is showing how great it had the potential to be.

9/17/2012 - Battleship wrote:

2 hours decanted and that might have been to long. Had with great NY Strips from the grill and it seems to have lost much of its velvety fruit but still maintained lots of earthy, tobacco and leather with some good spice on the finish. the fruit was there, but not in center stage like in the past. Less decant next time.

9/17/2012 - Battleship wrote:

Fruit was present upon initial opening and disappeared quickly with exposure and settled into a wood dominated wine but not in an oppressive way, just past its fruity prime.

9/17/2012 - Battleship wrote:

Same as below

9/17/2012 - Battleship wrote:

just had to try one of the 6 pack and it was more ready than I thought it might be since many SP Rosso;s like to age more than most. Great tart cherry, smoke and violets with some fine tannins to round it out

9/17/2012 - Battleship wrote:

Amazing QPR for an very unique interpretation of Viognier from a high altitude. Quite plush with a good balance a big fruit and acidity with a velvety palate. Great to sip alone or aligned to anything from fish to salad. Try it if you can find it.

9/17/2012 - Battleship wrote:

Same review as below. Amazing for the price!

9/17/2012 - Battleship wrote:

Good QPR for a big Grenache but tough tho ID as Spanish if tasted blind

9/17/2012 - Battleship wrote:

Agree with FLWINO comments below, but feel the overall effort warranted a slightly higher score for caliber/QPR

9/17/2012 - Battleship wrote:

Same as below

9/17/2012 - Battleship wrote:

All consistent with last note. Meant to put one away to see what some cellar time might do, but forgot.

9/17/2012 - Battleship wrote:

These are improving rapidly and starting to align the fruits for an interesting food friendly experience. Great QPR

9/14/2012 - Battleship wrote:

Same as below

9/7/2012 - Battleship wrote:

similar to last note

9/3/2012 - Battleship wrote:

Lighter than my last tasting note but still with a great combination of sophistication from the tartness to minerality to pale red fruit with a nice biscuit finish. I'd buy more if I could find it because while fading it has a few more years left.

9/3/2012 - Battleship wrote:

While my past reviews on this and other MD's have praised the blueberry/dark berry hedonism and complain about the high heat of alcohol, this one was consumed with a wine club friend at a Brazilian/Portuguese place and from PnP to the last sip it was drop -dead gorgeous! It needed some air in the beginning, but the incredible nose had toned down to hedonistic light/sophistication lite and the great fruit was also on a slimmer scale with a great structure and some cigar box and some eucalyptus mixing in. While I have said in the past that I treat MD's like "port" as I thought they could crush a bloody steak, but this was consumed with a great mixed seafood/meat meal and was PERFECT!

8/19/2012 - Battleship wrote:

reliable and pleasant with a mid weight but large flavor profile and mellow finish. Variety of red fruits present and I think will evolve with time.

7/17/2012 - Battleship wrote:

Outstanding! Drinking very well after 30 minutes open and also has many years of cellar aging left.

6/11/2012 - Battleship wrote:

Probably opened a year or two too soon, but it got at a least and hour of decanting before tasting. Wow how it evolved over the next hour finishing while still evolving. Early it had a massive classic cab nose and slight heat on the finish with great mid palate of dark fruit. Later it started to evolve a great menthol characteristic and a beam of mineral and acidity that really took it in a different direction. A few years before opening others. Now to sample the 08 Quarry!

6/11/2012 - Battleship wrote:

Opened alongside 07 Lytton Springs and this one took a little longer to open and really blossomed into a very high class Zin showing with great berry and spice and an added element of smokiness that finished like a long streak of velvet.

6/11/2012 - Battleship wrote:

Decanted for 30 minutes at first taste and it was already opened up then paired with BBQ smoked ribs over the next hour and it was great with them. Deep nose of dark red fruit and spice and a palate with enough strength and finesse to stand up to the BBQ but still break through.

6/9/2012 - Battleship wrote:

I can't believe how much this wine has aged in the year and a half since my last one. Maybe it was a mistake to decant for about 1.5 hours, but when I got to drinking it all it was on the nose a palate was oak - mellow but predominant. Very little fruit on the palate indicating the style of a much older wine. The tannins are like velvet and the finish is medium. I have one left and think I will pop/pour the next since to much air didn't help this one.

5/29/2012 - Battleship wrote:

Beautiful nose of classic Rhone earthiness and mature fruits. On the palate slightly stewed fruits moving into minerals, blood and iron/rust with some leather. The weight was medium and the finish initially short but came back around with some floral mixed with blood.