4/6/2012 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

So incredible. Acidity is strong, but balanced. Elegant all over the mouth. Finish timed in minutes, not seconds. In my mouth now, like 5 minutes later. We Americans would immediately think this some sort of Sauv Blanc. So impressed, but so tired as a CPA on April 6

3/9/2012 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Great expression of a white Rhone. Nice round mouthfeel, hint of sweetness I'm guessing from some Viognier, wonderful food wine; paired it with a Costco roasted chicken, green salad, sauteed greens, and pureed cauliflower. Had forgotten what I paid for it, and expected it to be in the $20 range.

2/5/2012 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Has a hint of sweetness like a tinge of late harvest. Juicy plum, tannins soft, and not as spicy as most Zins. Wondering if it's the age. Wonderful with Super Bowl chili; yum! Glad we opened it now cuz think more time will dilute this wine. Peaked right now

1/1/2012 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

No time for details. Wonderful, elegant. Worth the price; superbly enjoyable

11/7/2011 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Fairly straightforward; nice and dry. Fruit is only a hint at this point. Don't know if that's because it's French, or by design. For a 2004, I'm likin' it. Medium acidity on the palate. A nice food wine for the price.

11/1/2011 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Love Siduri. A difficult year in Oregon. So not the most pleasant wine, although great skill in producing. Caveat from a Siduri lover. Nose: red rose petals; chemical like I'm walking thru some 'good' industrial plant [sorry Adam]; and let's go with a spring-time rosemary; and I'll say roofing shigles. Palate: thin, tannic, dry. Let's not break this out with friends that don't appreciate good wines, or we would totally turn them off. But let's break it our when we discuss how a great winemaker worked with something that Mother Nature made to be tough stuff.

10/31/2011 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Contrary to other reviews, found it to have quite strong tannins. Hold that baby in your mouth for a while. Perfect pairing for an Argentinian restaurant - skirt steak & grilled veg. No, not a 90+ pt wine, but would buy again anytime with a red meat. Yum!

10/30/2011 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

I am not familiar with this varietal so hard to judge. Color: like a Chardonnay. Mouthfeel: like a S.B., tart, lemony. Clarity: very, very clear. Nose: muted; at 54 degrees, not like it's too cold; floral hints. Drinking w/o food, Sunday night football. Really needs a hearty white fish with lemon; certainly not a buttery Dover sole; maybe a swordfish or shark; maybe Ahi tuna. As temperature rises, so does the lemony texture. Finish is very long for a white, at the start and as the temperature rose. While I don't know the varietal, you can tell the quality of this wine is good

10/13/2011 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Note much on the nose; held too long. Palate: still some fruit, but finish a bit rough, hot. I think we held this too long?

10/9/2011 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Still lots of fruit. Didn't expect a Zin to last/hold up this well. Tons of fruit; would have made a great late harvest wine. Paired superbly with Santa Maria Tri-Tip; not so odd that it comes from the same geographic region. I forget the Nose, but the palate was juicy dark plum, dark cherry, small amount of smoke, sweetness running from front to back of the palate. I'm not a big sweet fan, but held up to finish the bottle with dessert: chocolate-covered fruits from TJ's. Wine novices even stated: "It was good, and I don't like red wines."

7/16/2011 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Nice expression of a Bordeaux for the price point, and a nice contrast to the common New World fruitiness. Definitely a food wine, had with a ribeye steak, brown rice, broccoli. Balanced tannins & mild fruit, a bit of acidity. Nose has some pencil lead, muted plum; not a lot on the nose. Enjoyed!

6/13/2011 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Wonderful mouth-feel; green apple on nose & palate; some citrus on palate, but not acidy; wonderful expression of a Sauv Blanc!

6/2/2011 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Drank last night, so comments are not detailed. Structure and tannins stil very much intact. Enjoyed with Greek food; not best pairing, but worked well. More character than most Merlots ... one of the better Merlots I've tasted. Held it 3 years, for no particular reason. I'd say it still has years of life left in the bottle, but perfectly enjoyable right now.

6/2/2011 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Awesome wine, but not your typical Grenache. It has so much fruit that it tastes Late Harvest. Difficult to call this a food wine, unless you had a meat with fruit glaze or something like that. We had with Greek food, figuring a grenache would be a nice pairing; NOT. Interesting, powerful wine, but not your typical grenache. When "phlin" says "concentrated", s/he's not kidding!

5/31/2011 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Typical Calif Chardonnay. Lots of Oak, fruit forward. Oak prevelant on nose and palate. Pear & red apple on the palate. Not so much to my liking, as I prefer less oak. But good for those who like this style. Paired well with Costco roasted chicken!

4/30/2011 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Decanted for an hour; had with lamb osso bucco. Was great. Soft tannins; not as barnyardie as most CDPs. I think at or near its prime, and wouldn't look at this bottle for long-term holding. Maybe another couple of years. Restaurant had great food, but lousy wine glasses so very difficult to work the nose on this wine.

4/30/2011 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Great wine. No time to describe in detail, and drank last night. A bit pricey, but the marriage of Sauv Blanc, Semillion, Tocai, & R??? [Italian varietal] were great. Clean, minerally, super pleasant.

2/17/2011 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Drank last night, and don't have specifics except, Wow! A lovely wine; juicy, but not sweet or overly fruity. Elegant. Sorry for no better description.

1/20/2011 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Still great price/quality ratio. We drink it like a dry Riesling, and have it with mildly spicy Asian food. What's not to love about a solid quality wine for $10 or less????

1/20/2011 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Very fruit forward. Really enjoyed it, but not a lot of depth. Lively fruit on the mouth, not so much on the nose. Light ruby color. Italian restaurant and paired well with a light marinara sauce. Red fruit tones, very fresh. Not my style of Pinot, but still enjoyed it for what it was. Drink within next 24 months as I doubt it has staying power.

1/16/2011 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Drank a week ago. More tart than I expected. Great texture and balance, just surprised me. Better with food than alone

1/16/2011 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Drank it a week ago on vacation; liked a lot; fruit forward, but not overly; well structured. Would work well with food [big steak, or BBQ] or on its own. We had "apres ski" with no food

1/2/2011 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Decanted for 90 minutes, then enjoyed over the next hour. Really changed over that period from tannic at start, a bit gripping ... to mellow red fruit and red roses on the palate, even juicy at the end. Barnyard nose was very muted, and got sage & leather on the nose. Color was dark, not super dark, but could start seeing its age. Beautiful expression of a CdP, and will be nice over the next 5 years. Wish I had more. There was a fair amount of sediment, so standing bottle up for a couple of hours, then decanting slowly paid off!

12/27/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Fruit has started to go, but wine is still delightful. Spice on the nose-white pepper, dusty rose petals. On the mouth, tannins almost gone but good aciidity.

11/22/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Mediocre typical Calif Chardonnay. I'll admit my bias against this type of wine. Was not 'bad', just not m style. Unremarkable. Would not buy again. If I were a fan of this syle, probably a good price-to-quality buy.

11/19/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Nice fruit on nose and palate. Great price/value. Enjoyed w/ Chicken dish. Don't try to compare with an elegant Pinot. For $10-12, can't be beat. Good year for Pinots in Monterey, I think. Would buy again

11/3/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Great cab for the price. Tannins present but soft. Nice dark fruits on nose and palate. Consistent mouthfeel front-to-finish. Loved it with a filet, sweet potato fries & brocolli. Best to drink now! Wish we had more.

10/26/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Great value; good minerality and acidity. Paired with a stir-fry chicken & veggies in a semi-sweet simmering Chinese simmering sauce, and wine's medium texture, acidity and minerals paired perfectly. Would be great with olives, too, say with apetizers. I think this is very versatile, and for $10, party on! Will buy more!

10/26/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Drank last night, so don't have a lot of specifics. Wonderful nose & palate. Interesting, balanced fruit, even taste thru the mouth, start-to-finish. Need to go back to the winery and buy some more, but I suppose this vintage is long gone. Elegant wine

9/19/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

A bit passed its prime. Wish we had drunk a year ago. Muted fruit on the nose; blue berries and some cedar. Palate had nice fruit, but likewise muted compared to a newer Zin. Laked freshness and acidity. I feel that it would have been very enjoyable 12-24 months ago. Paired well with short ribs.

9/19/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Pulled to use bottel to cook with. Obliged to taste it! Lots of ripe, red fruit o n the nose. On the mouth, no structure. No tannins, finish is a weird after-taste. Sweet and fruity mid-palate. Gift from parents who live in Texas so obilgated to try. Worth a try for amusement purposes only. Now for the short ribs we are cooking in it ...

7/24/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Drank over course of two days. Wonderful expression of a Calif Zin. Big, jammy fruit on the nose like blackberry preserves. Mouthfeel was great; balanced fruit front-to-back. Buy again? Answer: ?Porque no?, or even "certainly".

7/2/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

One of best values out there!!! Fruit forward on nose and palate, consistent palate front-to-back. Great with a juicy steak.

5/16/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Light scents of strawberry, yeast, and lavander; very dry and acidic, which is to our liking. Pairing with a Tuna Nicoise Burgers [Food & Wine 2010]. If you are looking for fruit, look elsewhere. Typical provencal rose. Yum!

5/11/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Nose: typical Calif Central Coast Pinot with bright fruit on the nose: strawberry & some blueberry. Light in color, again typical; nice clarity; a pretty wine! Was surprised that the taste was not so fruity; some mineral quality but not so much that you'd call it a Burgundy very balanced, light acidity front to finish. Finished the next evening: pulled out of refrigerator, so pretty cool - and a nice, but different flavor sensation. Lot more bright cherry when it's cool. Now, to cook the steak and move to a Cab!!

5/9/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Drank last week, so no specifics. Was a great wine; ate with spanish-roiented meal. Cool weather Syrah, very balanced betwwen fruit & tannin. Excellent wine. [Anything Joe makes is pretty darn good!!]

5/2/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

A bit too sweet for our liking. But was great pairing with spicy Thai food. Crisp and balanced acidity. Was about a week ago, so don't have much on specifics. But what Arch57 wrote rings true!

5/2/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Continue to love this wine. Drank on a cruise about 2 weeks ago. Continues to impress. Light in color and mouthfeel compared to most Petite Sirahs. Opens it up to more food types. Had with lamb shanks; wonderful.

5/2/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Drank this on a cruise about 2 weeks ago, so don't have a lot of specifics. When first opened, it seemed very tight. Almost tasted like a Cab Franc. Had it decanted and had a white w/ first two courses. Came back to it for the main course [Filet] and it was marvelous. Opened up nicely, was smooth and delightful. Everyone at table agreed with the improvement via decanting. Would probably hold another 5 years in the bottle.

5/2/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Drank 2 weeks ago on a cruise, so working from memory. Would have still lasted many years in bottle! Fairly tannic; had it decanted for about an hour, then opened up nicely. Loved it with a big steak!

5/2/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Drank 2 weeks ago while on a cruise, so relying on memory. Light in alcohol; balanced and fair acidity. Had with white fish, and enjoyed it. Not complex, as I recall

4/5/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

I am not experienced with sparkling wines, but really enjoyed this. Much more complex than the Proseco we had earlier, before dinner. Full mouthfeel and some complexity I can't describe. Others got a fair amount of citrus, but I didn't.

4/5/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Second time we've had this wine & loved it. Paired with Lamb Shanks and was fine. Unfortunately, had a phenomenal CdP at same dinner that overshadowed it. Still, great fruit and mild tannins. Nose of blueberries and licorice; mouth of black cherry and a bit of pepper.

4/5/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Paired with lamb shanks and was great! This is a food wine, for sure. Nose had typical CdP earth to it and mildly barnyard. Decanted for 2 hours, and mouth had mild but distinctive fruit, mild tannins, dark cherry, earth and herbs. Bought 3 years ago, and this is the 4th bottle we've had. Has significantly improved with age, plus pairing with the right food. All at dinner agreed this was a winner, from sophisticated to novice palates.

2/20/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Good body and acidity

2/19/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

this baby's turning, consistent with all we've bought. Bought a case at the Winery ~8 mos. ago, and they told us it was "drink now". Have kept refrigerated, but barely drinkable. I would not share with a friend. Color: burnt red, not light; I'll call the nose 'slightly cooked fruit' . . . certainly not the bright Pinot fruit you'd expect, esp. from Santa Barbara County. Ahh . . . I will stop the criticism, after all, it is a wine and I have a certain respect for that . . .

1/20/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

A bit harsh or acidic first night. Finished 2 mights later, and softened up. Very pleasant.

1/17/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Past prime; drinking remaining bottles ASAP

1/17/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

Consistently one of our favoirte Petite Sirahs. Well balanced, nice dark fruit. Pairs well with food, or can be drunk alone.

1/17/2010 - MarkPTheCFP wrote:

A bit past its prime. Not as much fruit as I like from a Ravenswood Zin. Too soft; not enough structure or tannins