12/2/2020 - Winebeer wrote:

Popped and poured. Broken cork. Opened up and integrated nicely over a couple hours. Was worried it would be old and decrepit, but she's still got some life left in her. Nice acidity, red fruit, fairly balanced, twinge of funk. Drinking nicely.

3/23/2019 - Winebeer wrote:

Popped and poured. Opened up nicely over the course of an hour. Likely past its peak, but still kicking and nicely balanced. Pleasantly mellowed for someone who likes lighter reds.

10/5/2017 - Winebeer wrote:

Well-balanced with a touch of oak and mineral.

10/5/2017 - Winebeer wrote:

Popped and poured. Rather mute initially. Opened up a bit over two hours, but fear it's on it's way out. Nice on the nose, if a bit weak. Light-med body. Lost a lot of fruit without much secondary dimension. Didn't have much left to give at this point, but still pleasant.

10/5/2017 - Winebeer wrote:

Corked

9/16/2016 - Winebeer wrote:

Very good. Nice balance, but not a lot of complexity. Nice quaffer.

4/12/2015 - Winebeer wrote:

Darker than expected. Still drinking well. Tannic. Fruit has faded a bit. Pretty good, but holding longer probably won't help much.

4/12/2015 - Winebeer wrote:

Wasn't for me, but others enjoyed a lot. Herbal and spiced... a little like mulled wine. Fun after-dinner bottle.

4/11/2015 - Winebeer wrote:

Showing well for a 17 year old CC. Beautiful bricked color. Nice nose of leather and cherry. Good tannins and sharp acidity. Fruit is on the way out the door. Should drink asap.

3/25/2015 - Winebeer wrote:

A little funky. Drank alongside an Oregon pinot of the same year. The contrasting Cali style was apparent (and to me, not flattering). Dark fruit, brooding with a bit of dirt. Nice, but I'll stick with Oregon...

3/25/2015 - Winebeer wrote:

Popped and poured. Developed nicely over the course of an hour. Generous on the nose with wonderful red/pink floral aromatics. Nice soft tannins and hint of blueberry while still remaining nice and 'red.' Drink up.

3/20/2015 - Winebeer wrote:

Popped and poured. Not as perfumed and floral as I had hoped. May be a bit past its prime. Still nice though.

3/20/2015 - Winebeer wrote:

Popped and poured. Still fruity and youthful. Fairly mute on the nose.

10/30/2014 - Winebeer wrote:

Popped and poured. Vibrant and young. Primary, but good balance. Cotton candy and sweet cherry. Pleasantly surprised by WVV this time. Good job guys.

11/2/2013 - Winebeer wrote:

Ho-hum. Nice, but underwhelming given 08 hype. Really makes me wish I had more of the 07. Damn...

11/5/2013 - Winebeer wrote:

Straightforward wine. Still drinking well without much benefit from age. May have actually been a little more fun a couple years ago. Smooth and pleasant, but nothing interesting to pick apart on this one. Simple taste despite varied components.

10/18/2013 - Winebeer wrote:

375ml showing age gracefully. Acquired deeper golden yellow hue. Honeyed green apple and pear. Nice acidity and balance. No specific notes, but a perfect quaffer on a sunny October day in Oregon. Don't hold too much longer- drinking wonderfully now.

12/31/2012 - Winebeer wrote:

Not quite as good as past experiences. Certainly still a well balanced Tuscan red and very much enjoyable, but perhaps past its peak.

11/16/2012 - Winebeer wrote:

Did not decant. Drank over the course of 2 hour dinner. Initially hot. Classic 2005 darkness/raisin-y fruit. Very rich and smooth, but lacking complexity and litheness. Towards the "California" end of the spectrum for Oregon Pinot. Not bad by any means, but did not quite live up to expectations given the winemaker and vineyard. Agree with others- no need to hold onto it longer at this point.

1/5/2010 - Winebeer wrote:

Nice nose of blue fruit and a hint of tar. On the palate it is very acidic with moderate tannins, but light fruit. Smell is the highlight. Got better on day two. Almost had a burnt raisin component like a brunello. Good, but has obvious flaws.

12/28/2009 - Winebeer wrote:

Initially mute nose. With time gained a musty, damp, and... manure-ish aroma. Was also very mute on the palate and lacked much fruit, acid or tannin. It had a very smooth texture though. Although the texture was very nice for a wine of this price, there was not sufficient backbone to it and the poo poo smell was hard to get past. Bottle may have been flawed. Will revisit tomorrow.

12/22/2009 - Winebeer wrote:

While the 2007 was smooth, earthy and subtle, this is more primary. I would describe the fruit as lush, purple, and ripe. It was a little frizzy on the palate. Definitely reflects the characteristics of the 08 vintage. So far not as good as the 07 and clearly needs time to even out, but I expect it to be very good in 6 months to a year.

12/8/2009 - Winebeer wrote:

Most people wouldn't like this. It's acidic, rustic, and biting. I might even call it overly rough. I personally enjoy it because it reminds me of good times past, but to your everyday wine drinker it's just a stubborn Tuscan red. It's a stodgy old bastard that is tough to like, but given the right time and place, it may just be your cup of tea.

12/6/2009 - Winebeer wrote:

Popped and poured. Nice dark red fruit. Made in a new world style and clearly low end of the spectrum. It had good acidity and was quite a pleasant quaffer. Good for everyday consumption.

11/29/2009 - Winebeer wrote:

Unscrewed and poured. Light in the glass and faint nose of dark fruit. A little boisenberry on the palate with an odd toothpaste note. This one reflects the rainy weather of 2007. Not overtly bad, but does not offer enough to make me want to buy more- even at $12. Fine daily drinker, but holds no fun for me.

11/26/2009 - Winebeer wrote:

Popped and poured. Faint nose. Heavy acid on the palate. Sour dark cherry. No complexity to speak of, but pleasant.

11/22/2009 - Winebeer wrote:

Tasted at L&E. Beautiful rich dark nose, but not too ripe or extracted. Silk on the palate. Great complexity with a little purple fruit, leather, and more- tastes like autumn. Acid and tannin were balanced beautifully. Pedigree, quality, and potential are all evident in this wine. Sublime.

11/22/2009 - Winebeer wrote:

Pleasant nose of cranberry, dirt, and some floral notes. Light red color- very light. Light bodied and thin on the palate. Red fruit and a little vegetal and VERY ACIDIC! While there are some things to like about this wine, the acid overwhelms everything. Might use the rest as salad dressing.

Day 3- retried and found it to have balanced out a bit. Acid is still dominating, but pair it with food and it makes for a decent quaffer. 80pts

11/17/2009 - Winebeer wrote:

Rich dark red in glass. Initial nose was hard to discern- feared corked, but after 30 minutes of air it started to come out. Took another 60 minutes to really start showing. Nice dark cherry and tobacco notes with an abundance of chewy tannins and full body. Day 2- Vibrant nose of sour black cherry. Tannins settled down just a tad.

11/16/2009 - Winebeer wrote:

Popped and poured. Nice smooth oak and red fruit on the nose. Same on the palate. Did not improve a whole lot with air, but was nice to begin with. Not very complex, but nice texture and balance. One to the top sub-$20 Oregon pinots I've had... actually probably one of the better $15 bottles of wine you can buy. A true value. I like.

Day 2: Continues to show nicely. Acid shines, but has lost some texture. Still good, but better on day 1.

11/8/2009 - Winebeer wrote:

Very dark and concentrated. I imagine this would be well suited to a fan of Bordeaux varietals. I prefer lighter and brighter acidic chianti. This was not my cup of tea, but I can see others liking it.

8/23/2009 - Winebeer wrote:

Lovely nose of leather, dark cherry, and tobacco. Wonderful dark ruby with a tinge of brown color. Was slightly mute at first, but after an hour the fruit really came out nicely. Nice chewy tannins and decent acid. Continues to be one of my favorites. The quintessential Tuscan red in my mind. Feared it may be over the hill, but it is still drinking well right now and probably will for at least another year or two. Glad I have a couple more.

2/18/2009 - Winebeer wrote:

Popped an poured. Wine a dark, blue-ish red. Nose was a bit of sweet dark fruit with a touch of rose petals. Seemed rather concentrated and dark on the palate with lighter body. A little cola and dark fruit came through with some time. Was hoping for more floral aromatics which I've loved about this in the past, but it just wasn't there. Not as good as I remembered/hoped.

2/18/2009 - Winebeer wrote:

Popped and poured. Great dark ruby color. Little bit of leather, dirt and cherry on the nose. Same on the palate. Was lighter in body than I remembered. Smooth. Nice tannins. Balanced out over the hour as it was consumed. Nothing special, but beautiful in its simplicity. This has everything I want and expect from a Tuscan sangiovese.

2/15/2009 - Winebeer wrote:

Tasted at winery today. Had medium, dark red color- almost a tinge of violet. On the nose wine was rich with dark fruit and some earthiness. Wine had medium body and silky, velvet texture. Dark red fruit, oak, with some depth. Wine was very refined and smooth. Was difficult to pick up on complexity (after drinking a lot of wine), but feel the complexity will be there in a few years if isn't already. Excellent quality Oregon pinot. This wine has a lot of strength without being in the over-the-top California style pinot. Look forward to consuming this a few years down the road, but will be difficult to wait because it is so good now. Probably one of the top ten Oregon pinots I've tasted.

1/31/2009 - Winebeer wrote:

Popped and poured. Initial overwhelming nose of dark cherry candy and cola. Same on the palate- a little biting. Day 3 was better. Candy and cola notes subsided a bit and let a little of that floral goodness come through. Better integrated and not as hot, but don't see it improving much more than this. Pleasant, but was only a shadow of what good Lacrima can be.

12/12/2008 - Winebeer wrote:

Did not decant. Initially worried about odd smell, but it quickly faded and gave way to bright red sour nose. Color was rich, deep red and surprisingly dark for an old pinot (but I guess Brickhouse fruit makes for dense, dark wines). Initial taste was a bit rough- tannic and overly acidic. As the meal progressed wine evolved beautifully. Nose became reminiscent of pink cotton candy with background of red fruit and toasted oak. On palate wine was medium body with a velvety texture. Acid and fruit took a step back and earthy wood/tobacco notes stepped up for a well balanced flavor profile. With more time/decanting bottle could be a 90+. Was worried about it being over the hill, but this has a lot of backbone for a pinot and could keep for several more years easily. Wish I had more.

11/20/2008 - Winebeer wrote:

Popped and poured. Good bright, acidic nose off the bat. Initial taste was sweet and closed on the palate. With time warmed up and showed healthy acid and complexity. Was well balanced and pleasant. Could have given it more time to breathe, but it drank well right away. Potentially better if "consumed correctly."

9/24/2008 - Winebeer wrote:

Sweet pear/apricot nose. Hot even after leaving open for a few days. Some nice fruit, but fear it will never be balanced. Can find better for price. Based on other notes, may have had a weird bottle.

7/21/2008 - Winebeer wrote:

Popped and poured. Great slightly golden color. Not much of a nose. Still had strong acidity though. Maybe starting to decline, but still awesome. Better on day two. Great example of a NW chardonnay and continues to be one of my favorite Oregon whites.

3/10/2008 - Winebeer wrote:

Typical Rioja. Dark fruit and a bit of mustiness. Smooth drinking and developed well over a few days, but nothing to write home about. Decent value.

2/12/2008 - Winebeer wrote:

Initial nose of blueberry pie. Dark fruit and med to full body. Great texture. Hint of something unfamiliar- maybe the blaufrankisch. Interesting but, like the sharecropper's, not my style.

2/12/2008 - Winebeer wrote:

Very light golden color. Pineapple front and center with honey, a little lemon and peach (according to Tom). Sweetness was a little much for me, but nothing unmanageable. Ate with an orange and chocolate dessert- went better with the orange than the chocolate. Enjoyable first experience with Sauternes, but not rushing out to buy more.

1/14/2008 - Winebeer wrote:

Light ruby color. Didn't decant. Pretty muted nose. A little red fruit with a decent amount of acid and tannin. Not much of a finish. Overall a good, but not memorable Italian red. Hard to appreciate as a "Barbaresco," but still a decent wine.

12/29/2007 - Winebeer wrote:

First night didn't decant. Subdued nose. Very acidic on the palate. Little structure and no standout flavors. Somewhat unpleasant.
Second night was better. Some bitter cherry came through although still not much going on. Still unbalanced. Overall drinkable, but nothing special at $10. Can find better for less at Trader Joe's.

12/18/2007 - Winebeer wrote:

Decanted 1 hour. Initial nose was overwhelming black fruit. Color- darker than expected. Initial taste was dominated by blackberries. Also a layer of earthiness and tobacco. It was medium-bodied (heavier than most pinots) with firm tannins. Finish felt a little short and disjointed. Definitely a lot of heat as well. First impression was that this wine was very intense with heavily extracted flavors. Different from most pinots I've tasted. Not sure if I could have recognized this one as pinot noir at first. 2-3 hours later the alcohol and tannins had subsided and the flavors were integrated better. The texture became silky and the wine was simply more balanced. Overall I liked this pinot, but it simply wasn't my style. Could be an 89 or 90 for some. The quality is definitely there and it is better than many $30 pinots I've tried.

12/16/2007 - Winebeer wrote:

Didn't keep notes when tasting this earlier today, but remembering it now. Well-structured tannins and red fruit. The acidity showed really nicely with a long finish. Can't say this wine was exceptionally complex, but it did have a good mouthfeel and gorgeous finish and was quite a pleasure to taste.