4/7/2024 - deetz Likes this wine:

a bit funky, cranberry, pomegranate, wet earth, minerality, dried flowers.

Good acidity, not much textural tannins but a tiny bit of bitterness on palate.

Fun wine

3/9/2024 - deetz wrote:

Olive tapenade, green notes, sweet black cherry, new car plastic.

Palate is round and well balanced.

Solid bottle.

2/11/2024 - deetz Likes this wine:

cranberry, white flowers, cashew butter, slightly saline/oyster shell minerality, touch of hazelnut.

Very nice overall. Good balance, crisp and lifted but still with decent body (almost a touch of bitter phenolics?). Not lush and creamy on the palate like I typically gravitate toward with sparkling wine, but pretty nonetheless.

1/20/2024 - deetz Likes this wine:

No formal notes. Lemon curd, minerality, slight toastiness. Drinking well, dont see this improving with more age.

1/13/2024 - deetz Likes this wine:

expressive aromatics. Herbs de provence, cranberry to underripe strawberry, granite minerality.

Very lean and ethereal. medium+ to high acid, very fine and subtle tannins.

No “it” factor but very well made wine, clean and pure, and quite burdgundian.

1/7/2024 - deetz Likes this wine:

Great wine here, although still extremely tightly wound even on day two.

Loads of minerality (slate), crunchy red fruit, but also a layer of darker riper fruit as well. Some floral (purple) and herbal top notes as well.

Palate has tightly wound tannins--fine grained but lots of grip. Great acid balance, bright, but not tart. Finish is good, but a touch hallower than the rest of the palate, which is really the only ding I can give this wine.

This has a ton of upside and could gain 1, 2, or even 3 points with a little more development. I love PGC wines, although I've only had a few in the last couple years. However, this is my favorite in recent memory. Bravo!

12/30/2023 - deetz wrote:

It was fine, but unremarkable. Bought this at discount from online retailer. Wish I knew roughly when this was bottled because it’s tasting kind of tired with oxidative notes.

12/30/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

No formal notes but this was an awesome prosecco. outperformed the entry level champagne we drank it with. Very bright, citrus and floral and touch of minerality.

12/30/2023 - deetz wrote:

No formal notes. Popped and poured, wasn’t particularly interesting until 3h mark when I was finishing last glass. Should decant next time.

12/30/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

very tightly wound. lots of green notes and graphite, blackberries.

Pretty lean on the palate. medium+ to high acid, medium tannins. Will be interesting to see how this evolves.

12/29/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Lots of seashells, orange blossom, citrus zest, touch of creamy lees quality.

High acid, very bright.

12/28/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Sour and black cherries, moss, purple flowers, gravel.

Pretty well balanced palate, still has some unresolved tannins. A tiny bit of bitterness on backend.

Good wine, although nothing special. Should continue to drink well through 2026 or so.

12/17/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Drank over two days. Tropical (pineapple) and stone fruit, lemon zest, white flowers, chalk. Also getting a hint of butyric acid, which I am pretty sensitive to, but subtle enough that it doesn't overall detract from the nose.

Palate has a full-bodied, waxy texture, yet puckering acidity (no or partial MLF?). A hint of a leesy quality.

This is a very pleasant wine. Not a typical chardonnay, but showing well nonetheless. I think this will hold for a couple years still, but not necessarily going to improve.

12/16/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Decanted for 2 hours. Lots of licorice, sweet black fruit, clay, touch of graham cracker. A touch hot.

Plush tannins, good balance...Alcohol less pronounced on the palate than the nose.

This is a very pleasant wine and showing well now. I'm also hopeful this will hold up well for some time and I am eager to see how this evolves. Only have one more bottle, so I'll aim to revisit in the second half of the decade. 90-94pts

12/3/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Incredibly tight on day one. Decanted for 5 hours, then rebottled and revisited two days later. Still tight, but much more expressive.

Aromas of exotic flowers, crunchy red fruit (pomegranate, raspberry)--which I typically associate with lighter, more ethereal pinots, but make no mistake that this is a dark, bold pinot despite these notes. Chalky to granitic minerality, touch of herbs.

Bright acidity, youthful fine-grained tannins.

Compared to other vintages of this bottling (2015-2017) that I've also tasted in their infancy, this bottle is more aromatically restrained but also better balanced. I found some of those earlier vintages coming across over-extracted when young. Pleased with how this wine is showing and excited to revisit in 2-4 years. Should hold for a decade.

11/26/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Aromas of blueberry pie upon first opening and checking bottle. After 5 hours decanting, nose evolves into tightly wound notes of creme de cassis, licorice, kirsch, pencil shavings, and Asian spices. Comes across just a tad hot on the nose, even at cellar temp...not a big knock, just has a touch of a tincture alcohol extract quality.

Very plush palate, round supple and mouthcoating tannins.

11/22/2023 - deetz wrote:

drank a few weeks ago, just removing from cellar. Recall enjoying this, but felt it was in a slightly awkward intermediate stage without its juicy youthfulness, nor fully developed with mature aromatics. Not a fault of the wine, just think it’s in a little bit of a lull. At this point, I would hold another couple years.

11/19/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Fun, rustic, lighthearted wine. On the nose, got a bit of funk (brett?), tart red fruit (pomegranate/cranberry/raspberry), minerality, a touch of an herbal quality as well. Good acidity, lean tannins, palate is very burgundian.

Definitely showed better on day 2…upon first opening it was hard to get much beyond the funky nose. Not especially complex or expressive overall, but the lifted and bright aromatics that come through on the second day elevate this wine to something that I’d seek out again. If you told me this was 1er cru burgundy, I would believe it. Day 1: 87, Day 2: 91+

11/17/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Lots of dark fruit: cassis, plum, fig; orangey chocolate (like the christmas classic), pencil shavings, a touch of sanguine minerality.

Grippy yet plush tannins, lots of body, very good balance. Just a touch hollow on the finish away from perfection.

Very well made wine overall, but as I find with much of Napa, poor QPR if that is a major decision factor for you. 93-94 pts, now-2035.

10/23/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Nice nose of pomegranate, cherry, flowers, and minerality.

Well balanced, bright acidity. Drinking well now and should hold well for at least a few years.

10/23/2023 - deetz wrote:

Not a “bad” wine by any means, but also the opposite of what I would call a crowd pleaser. Massive austere tannins, didn’t really soften even after 24h decanting. Glad I tried this, especially because I picked it up at the Athens airport, but not something I would seek out again.

10/23/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Great wine and showing quite well.

Very expressive nose, lots of dried red fruit, and some underbrush.

Tannins starting to resolve, although still grippy. Vibrant acidity, and overall good balance. This may show even better once the tannins fully resolve. Drink or hold 2030+.

10/15/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

pencil shavings, black currant, black cherry, clove, gravel dust, blackberry pie. Very fresh.

Good acid, plush, silky tannins, very well rounded.

7/28/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Pretty, yet restrained notes of wilted flowers, asphalt, and cranberry, but not especially expressive otherwise.

Palate has a nice balance of acidity and still firm tannins.

Good wine, but lacks much distinction. This bottle is much better than the previous one that I opened, which was completely gone. Given these two experiences, I suspect this is an early drinker with little to gain so suggest drinking up!

7/10/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

dried cherries, tootsie roll, sandalwood, menthol, leather, wet tobacco, charcoal. Fantastic aromatic complexity.

Palate is sumptuous…elegant, refined tannins but still with plenty of grip.

7/8/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Dark blue/purple fruit, very gamey with a touch of a smokiness. Consistent with prior notes, this has progressed nicely with lots of life still ahead.

6/25/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Definitely showing its age and potentially starting down a slow decline, but still drinking beautifully. Needed 15-20 minutes in glass to wake up.

Expressive nose is a dead ringer for key lime pie with the perfect balance of bright citrus and and slightly tangy creaminess, almost like crème fraîche. Butterscotch, hazelnut, some baking spice that come through on the palate as well.

Typically my favorite vineyard designate of RM and this bottle doesn't disappoint

6/18/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

explosive strawberries, still very primary.

6/16/2023 - deetz wrote:

tasted stewed (both bottles), concerned for light damage from inadvertent exposure of my K Vintners portion of my cellar. Huge bummer….

6/16/2023 - deetz wrote:

tasted stewed, concerned for light damage from inadvertent exposure of my K Vintners portion of my cellar. Huge bummer…

6/16/2023 - deetz wrote:

tasted stewed, concerned for light damage from inadvertent exposure of my K Vintners portion of my cellar. Huge bummer…

4/28/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Zero, and I mean ZERO tannins in this wine.

Lots of funky aromatics dominate at first, then reveals some cherry and underripe berry notes.

Extremely elegant and feminine. Fun to try, and I enjoyed it a lot, but there are many other pinots I would typically choose over this at a comparable price point

3/24/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

So much energy in this bottle! A bit of effervescence here that helps make this so bright.

Pears, ocean spray, lime. A touch of lees contact it seems?

3/24/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Excellent wine just starting to take form.

Cedar, dill seed, coconut, moss, black raspberry, fig paste, graphite. If I didn't know any better, I would have said this had at least a portion of American oak treatment, but I double checked the tech sheet...100% french (40% new).

Elegant, plush, starting to open up from how tightly wound this was on release, but still has the structure to last at least until the end of the decade and probably beyond. Wish I had more.

3/19/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Very good Napa cab. Inky purple color with the faintest tint of bricking on the rim...otherwise, still opaque.

Unctuous black fruit, luscious oak, and herbal undertones.

Still massive tannins, but with that plush, voluptuous texture characteristic of modern high-end Napa Cab.

Not quite as aromatic expressive and youthful as this was 5 years ago, but still showing no evidence of maturity, either. This should continue to evolve for the rest of the decade or longer, depending on how you enjoy your Napa wines.

3/12/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Opened this to celebrate a friend's milestone, so no formal notes.

At first was pretty closed and had a touch of a stewed fruit quality, but opened up after 30-60 minutes. Nice red fruit and minerality.

I enjoyed this wine, but I will admit that it felt on the decline, which inspired me to also open up a bottle of 2013 Occidental SWK Vyd., fearing that my handful of remaining bottles may be starting to go to waste. The SWK was a completely different animal and had so much more life to it. My reason to include this anecdote is that perhaps my experience with this specific bottle of 2012 Cuvee Catherine was a bit of a fluke, or perhaps this bottling just reached maturity much faster. I will leave that judgment call up to you, but me personally, if I had any remaining bottles of 2012 Catherine, I would drink up sooner rather than later.

3/12/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Absolutely superb PN. I wouldn't expect any less from the venerable Steve Kistler, but this bottle in particular is spectacular, and far outperforming the 2012 Occidental Cuvee Catherine that I opened last weekend.

Bright red fruit...cranberry-esque high-toned acidity and tension, with softer notes of (black) raspberry. Exotic purple wild flowers, and stony slate rock minerality. A touch of savory charcoal, bordering on a smoked meat quality.

The purity here is exceptional. While I can only assume this has softened since bottling, the chiseled tannins and searing, bright acidity make this bottle feel still infantile. So, so glad I still have another bottle of this.

I think this has at least 5+ years of life ahead (in contrast to the 2012 Cuvee Catherine that was stiil good, but passing its prime, in my opinion). However, this is in such a good place that I highly recommend opening because how this bottle is showing right now is something you *deserve* to experience and do not want to miss out on.

2/27/2023 - deetz wrote:

Notes consistent with previous bottle. Sea spray, bruised apple, pear, wax.

This bottle felt a touch more tired than the last. Definitely recommend drinking up soon.

2/23/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Over delivers for their entry level bottle. Jammy red fruits, herbs, and a layer of oaky undertones.

Palate is balanced and doesn't feel too weighty (especially at cellar temp) despite the alc content.

While I'm not sure this is going to improve with more age, I don't see this fading away anytime soon so no rush on this bottle.

2/17/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Dried rose petals, raspberry, asphalt, chalk.

Classic nebbiolo. Very nice, clean, and aging gracefully. Not a ton of aromatic complexity, but a very pretty wine overall. Should show well for a number of years, although not sure whether it will improve. Time will tell!

2/6/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Orange peel, potpourri, cranberry, underripe pomegranate, carbon dust. A bit green in my opinion.

Really bright acidity, almost sour. Lean, tight-knit tannins, great tension. Medium finish.

Upon first whiff, I was a bit skeptical but the more I came back to the glass, the more I appreciated the charm of the bottle and in the end, I’m actually really impressed by this wine.

2/5/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Drank a few days ago so no formal notes. Classic Turley, ripe fruits and oak. Still drinking nicely, but I don't see any upside here.

2/3/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Brambleberry, slate rock, olive tapenade, a touch of brett (subtle bandaid).

Palate is elegant and refined.

2/3/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Drank a few days ago so no formal notes. Meaty, refined, understanded, and well made.

1/22/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Dried cherries, worn books, wool, restrained dried flowers, leather, sandalwood.

Tannins are resolved and palate is pleasant, if a little thin.

Drink up!

1/21/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Heaps of grapefruit with hints of minerality and lychee.

1/6/2023 - deetz wrote:

Candied pear, honey, and butter. Nose was pleasant but not particularly complex or expressive.

Palate matches the nose with an additional oaky, nuttiness.

This is a technically well-made wine and is indeed pleasant to drink. That being said, I have to be honest that this wine falls a little flat for my expectations based on my other Rivers-Marie bottles and more broadly, Chardonnays at this price point. This would be rockin’ for a $20 bottle, but at $60+ (I forget exactly at this point), there are definitely more interesting options.

1/3/2023 - deetz Likes this wine:

Opened this to celebrate submitting my phd dissertation, and to help decide whether to purchase this years allocation.

Upon first opening had a barnyard/animalistic quality (although not brett) that morphed into a nose of exotic spices and flowers, gamey meat, raspberries, blueberries, iodine, tobacco, and crushed rock. Almost a subtle bubble gum quality that I would typically associate with semi-carbonic maceration.

First time I recall having WA Tempranillo, but aromatically, there is some remarkable similarities between this and some higher end WA syrahs that I’ve had, indicating some combination of terroir and stylistic tendencies in winemaking.

Palate matches the nose, especially with some of the more savory elements really coming through. Vibrant and lifted acidity, medium ultra-fine tannins, picked up weight and drank fleshier on the second day.

Not sure what I expected, but I’ve certainly enjoyed this bottle and will be purchasing my next allocation. Aromatic complexity really kept me coming back to the glass and the palate was just so elegant and well balanced. This is fantastic now, but I suspect it will develop nicely and hold well for at least a decade+.

12/31/2022 - deetz Likes this wine:

Really pretty nose. Dried apricots, macadamia nuts, chalk, strawberries & cream, brioche.

Palate is a touch angular in the mid palate, hint of bitterness. But otherwise has nice balance and is drinking really well right now.

12/31/2022 - deetz Likes this wine:

Very pretty wine. Much better and more expressive on day 2 so I would recommend a substantial decant. Bummed I opened my only bottle thinking this should be drunk in its infancy. I suspect this continue to improve over the next few years and will hold well for the rest of the decade.

Initially a bit grapey with a slight metallic quality, but opened up with a really pretty nose of black and red fruit, garrigue-like herbalness, bitter chocolate.

Palate has great tension. Fine grain tannins and bright acidity, really elegant overall.