4/14/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Notes of Mandarin orange, nectarine, and Crenshaw melon coalesce throughout while enrobed in a beam of intense minerality. Great density and length too, without becoming cloying. Delicious.

4/13/2024 - ziavino wrote:

PnP, and singing right out of the gate. Notes of ripe black plum, black currant, and dark chocolate coalesce throughout, with hints of tannin emerging late and lingering on the medium-long finish. One of the best vintages of this blend I can recall.

4/12/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Ripe and generous, with notes of Meyer lemon, Fuji apple, and peach coalescing on a bed of lively acidity. Loads of minerality too. Utterly delicious.

4/9/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Pleasantly surprising, and a nice qpr. Notes of blackberry, black currant, and black pepper coalesce throughout, with a tannic bite emerging late and lingering on the medium-long finish. Tasty now, and should improve further over the next few years.

4/9/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Loads of oak and tropical fruits lead the way, with notes of mango, pineapple, coconut, and vanilla coalescing throughout. There's an interesting green streak here, and enough acidity to keep it honest. Could use a few more years for the oak to settle and integrate.

4/6/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Outrageously good for the price, with notes of ripe peach, Fuji apple, and sea salt commingling throughout. Features electric acidity, with hints of minerality weaving in. Stinky nose too, with loads of diesel funk.

4/6/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Off-dry, with hints of honey, lemon oil, crabapple, and mango commingling throughout. There's good purity of fruit here and a luxurious richness to boot, but as others have noted I was begging for more acidity by the third sip.

4/4/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Very good and very interesting. Intense wet rock minerality is pervasive throughout, with notes of black plum, black licorice, and baking chocolate weaving in. Mouthwatering acidity too, and a finish that sails on.

4/4/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Notes of candied apricot, golden raisins, and honey coalesce throughout. Unctuous, with enough acidity to keep it from being cloying. Good entry-level icewine.

4/4/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Crabapple notes quickly blow off to reveal a melange of Meyer lemon, Gala apple, and brioche. Hints of almond weave in, and the creamy texture is countered by lively acidity. Very nice.

3/31/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Tasted first at the winery, then a week later in a Bdx Blanc blind tasting from around the world. The Semillon stands out here, with notes of Gala apple and hay leading the way. Lower acidity than I'd prefer and generically tasty, yet there's quite a bit of winemaking skill on display considering the terroir of West Texas.

3/31/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Elegant, if not a tad simple. Light notes of peach, gooseberry, and sea salt coalesce throughout, with a graceful skosh of oak emerging on the back end.

3/31/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Simple and puckery, with notes of grapefruit and lime dominating throughout. Good enough as a patio pounder, but could've benefited from a higher percentage of Semillon.

3/29/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Ripe (nearly off-dry) notes of Bartlett pear and nectarine lead the way, with a faint vegetal hint weaving in. Lively acidity keeps this moving.

3/26/2024 - ziavino wrote:

This needed a couple of hours to start showing off, as the first glass was lacking. Settles in though with notes of raspberry, strawberry, and allspice, with a hint of tar emerging late and lingering on the medium finish.

3/26/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Simple and tasty, bursting with notes of Meyer lemon and clementine throughout. Lively acidity keeps it honest, and a skosh of minerality adds depth. Terrific value.

3/22/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Nice, with notes of pineapple and candied orange peel leading the way. Medium acidity keeps it moving, with hints of mixed herbs below the surface.

3/22/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Classic notes of pineapple upside down cake, honey, and Mandarin orange lead the way, with hints of coconut and mango weaving in. Electric acidity throughout, and hints of tobacco dance along. Love this.

3/22/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Fruit forward, with notes of ripe blackberry and black raspberry leading the way. Hints of black licorice abound, with a faint tar note weaving in late.

3/19/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Still a nice enough value, but keeps ticking down a bit with recent vintages. Tangy, with all things lemon dominating the palate and hints of Bartlett pear weaving in late. Oak is well integrated, and there's just enough acidity to keep it feeling fresh.

3/18/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Fun pairing with corned beef and cabbage, served from a "bagnum". Plenty of ripe fruit, with notes of black raspberry and red currant leading the way, and hints of mixed spices lingering in the background.

3/17/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Dialed in, with loads of ripe fruit balanced by lively acidity and hints of sea salt. Meyer lemon, pineapple, and Bartlett pear notes coalesce, and a skosh of oak rounds it out. Another winning Chardonnay from Ramey.

3/17/2024 - ziavino wrote:

This needed a few hours to open up, eventually revealing notes of black currant, black raspberry, black pepper, and lilac. Hints of bacon fat and tar weave in and linger on the medium finish. There's a lot to like here, and it should improve further over the next few years.

3/16/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Notes of Mandarin orange, Honeydew melon, and quince coalesce throughout, with hints of minerality weaving in. Weighty, but with enough acidity to keep it moving. Straightforward and tasty.

3/10/2024 - ziavino wrote:

PnP, and tasted over the course of four hours. Surprisingly fresh and mouthwatering with more pronounced acidity than expected, and notes of black currant, blackberry, and plum leading the way on the palate. Hints of oak idle in the background, with emerging notes of tobacco lingering on the mildly tannic finish. A bit on the simple side, looking forward to seeing if this develops further over the next few years.

3/9/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Opulent without being conspicuous. Notes of ripe Bartlett pear, peach, and Meyer lemon commingle throughout, with plentiful minerality weaving in. Round and rich without being overweight, and enough acidity to keep it feeling fresh. Delicious.

3/6/2024 - ziavino wrote:

A Southern Rhone vibe, with notes of black raspberry, black licorice, and black pepper commingling throughout. Simple yet tasty, although not a profile I typically expect from Barbera.

3/3/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Showing well right now, with notes of black cherry, black currant, milk chocolate, and tobacco commingling throughout. There's a healthy dose of oak too that straddles the line but never quite takes over. Surprising freshness, with welcome acidity. This is solid.

3/2/2024 - ziavino wrote:

PnP, and the first few sips came across like drinking Pineapple cider. Needed some air, and revealed more over the course of a few hours. Loads of fruit here, with notes of pineapple, nectarine, and Meyer lemon prevailing, with a honeysuckle streak and just enough acidity to keep it from becoming cloying.

2/28/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Squarely in its drinking window, with notes of black currant, blackberry, and cigar box commingling throughout. There's a welcome freshness here, sporting juicy acidity and hints of minerality. Could use a bit more stuffing mid-palate and overall complexity, but this is solid.

2/26/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Not certain if it's just in a down phase or it's heading into the twilight, but the fruit was muted and acidity is fleeting. And yet, this still came across as a stunning white wine; viscous and oily, with light notes of white peach and Canary melon leading the way. Nutty and smoky as well, with hints of white pepper weaving in and a skosh of minerality emerging. Seriously long finish.

2/23/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Simple and linear, with puckery notes of white grapefruit and Granny Smith apple throughout. Medium-high acid, and almost spritzy. This has patio pounder written all over it.

2/19/2024 - ziavino wrote:

There's still a freshness to this 19 years in, as lively acidity buoys notes of black currant and cigar box throughout. Fruit is fading/drying, and tannins are somewhat resolved, but this has held up really well overall.

2/19/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Fantastic as per usual, although I find this vintage to show a bit of sweetness on the palate. Notes of strawberry, raspberry, and clementine lead the way, with an underpinning of hard candy. The calling card is the minerality, with ample notes of wet stone weaving in.

2/15/2024 - ziavino wrote:

PnP, with serious barnyard notes dominating the nose. Hints of barnyard continue on to the palate, with soft notes of strawberry and black raspberry weaving in. A skosh of baking spice hangs around too, and medium acidity keeps it moving. A lot to like here, and a nice match with Steak au Poivre.

2/12/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Seriously good. Notes of Bosc pear and Meyer lemon commingle, with perfectly integrated oak and hints of peach and sea salt weaving in. Acidity and minerality are both on point, and an innate roundness to the body never feels dull or heavy. One of the most harmonious bottles of Chardonnay I've had in a very long time and an absolute pleasure to drink. Considerable length too. More complexity would've had this flirting with perfection.

2/10/2024 - ziavino wrote:

When I think about a core vanilla flavor in oak I consider what types of fruits it matches up with - apple, pear, lemon, and orange/clementine come to mind. Maybe peach/nectarine/apricot too. But what about grapefruit? And that's the question I kept asking myself while drinking this. Bright and green, with medium/high acid and notes of white grapefruit dominating. Maybe a hint of lime and unripe peach in there too. Better at cellar temperature, it's like a glass of grapefruit juice with a pinch of lime and a dollop of half and half. Hard to rate.

2/10/2024 - ziavino wrote:

PnP, and mostly unrevealing. Hints of boysenberry and black currant weave in behind a wall of tannins, and acidity pops too. Saved a glass for day two with similar results. Great structure here, if not needing some character. It's going to be a few years before this sings. 52% CS, 23% Malbec, 19% CF, 6% PV.

2/7/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Off-dry, and much more unctuous than I'd expected. Notes of peach syrup, Gala apple, and honey coalesce throughout, with hints of tropical fruits weaving in. Acidity is also livelier than expected, and there's an almost Briess malt "huskiness" here that I can't quite describe. Loads of minerality too. Interesting and great.

2/4/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Went the decanter route here, and it started to liven up after a few hours. Plum and black cherry lead the way, with notes of espresso, dark chocolate and tar weaving in and lingering on the medium finish. As the previous review noted, there was sediment in every glass, which was off-putting. Still, this was tasty throughout, and the tannins suggest it's got at least a few years ahead of it.

2/3/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Love the flavor profile here, with notes of black cherry, dark chocolate, and tar coalescing throughout. Hints of mixed herbs and a pile of leaves weave in too. Delicious and foreboding.

2/3/2024 - ziavino wrote:

A standout Chard at a walk-around tasting, with notes of Meyer lemon and Honeycrisp apple supported by flinty notes throughout. The purity of fruit is excellent, and medium acidity keeps it moving.

2/2/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Notes of black cherry, cracked pepper, and bramble coalesce throughout, with a pinch of tannins emerging late. Great structure here.

2/2/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Showing well already, with notes of ripe black cherry, blackberry, and mixed herbs supplanted by emerging tannins. Hints of tar and oak linger on the medium finish. Tasty now, should only improve further in the next few years.

2/2/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Lovely, with notes of Fuji apple, Mandarin orange and brioche leading the way. Acidity is on point, cutting through the creaminess. Delicious.

2/2/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Linear, yet tasty, with notes of Meyer lemon and peach throughout. Acid could be a touch higher - as is, a decent enough patio wine.

2/2/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Exceeded expectations, with notes of Jonathan apple, clementine, toast points, and crabapple leading the way. Creamy and rich, yet lively acidity cuts through it all. Fantastic.

2/2/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Notes of lemon oil and Bartlett pear lead the way, with hints of oak weaving in. Lively acidity and a saline note add lift. Terrific.

2/2/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Notes of Gala apple, lemon, and crabapple lead the way, with emerging minerality and medium acidity.

2/2/2024 - ziavino wrote:

Steely and bright, with notes of lemon, Bartlett pear and Jonathan apple leading the way. Minerality builds, and a slight herbal note adds complexity.