12/26/2017 - lopaka Likes this wine:

This is a big, dark, juicy wine from a vintage that wasn't supposed to last this long. Everything was well integrated and the age has added complexity that wasn't there before including just enough acidity to keep it from tipping into fruit juice. This bottle seemed at its apex and I plan to drink the rest of mine soon.

11/8/2017 - lopaka Likes this wine:

The tasting notes are similar to my previous on this wine but everything has been amped up a bit and the finish is even longer. A beautiful, complex wine and close to its peak I think.

10/23/2017 - lopaka wrote:

This bottle was really nice without decanting. Black Cherry, cola and a bit of forest floor earth. Nice medium long finish and the tannins were well integrated.

7/31/2017 - lopaka Likes this wine:

Gave this a 2 hour decant and it made all the difference. I will hold the rest for at least another year and then savor them. Nose of ripe dark berries and some chocolate notes. Still a little hot on the palate with some gripping tannins but the fruit and spice are a delicious counterpoint.

6/30/2017 - lopaka wrote:

I think I waited too long to drink this. Dark purple in the glass but the nose is lacking and much of the fruit I remember has dissipated to be replaced by acidity and none of the secondary flavors that are typical in a Northern Rhone Syrah which is what the label said they were trying to recreate. Unfortunate...

11/14/2016 - lopaka Likes this wine:

Opened this for my 50th birthday. Nice dark color with some bricking around the edge, good dark fruit on the nose and the palate upon opening, tasted much younger than a 50 year old bottle. At the half hour mark it started to get raisiny and almost port like but without the alcohol or heat. It was amazing tasting the transformation and enjoyable with a perfectly prepared ribeye. I would caution against holding this wine for much longer if you still want to taste the fruit of Napa in the 60's.

7/25/2016 - lopaka Likes this wine:

Decanted for 5 hours. Upon initial decanting it smelled like I was sitting in the middle of an over-ripe blackberry patch, after 5 hours there was a wonderful meaty, gamy character covered with blueberries. Silky tannins, tastes of dark fruit and menthol, just enough acidity to keep it from tipping over and a nice long finish made this a great wine for a summer BBQ party.

5/17/2016 - lopaka Likes this wine:

A one hour decant and this wine is fantastic. Nose of deep dark fruits and gamy burnt fat. The flavor is pure blackberry and leather with some nice funk at the end. Still has some good tannic structure along with just enough acidity so that the fruit doesn't overpower the other elements.

4/5/2016 - lopaka Likes this wine:

I think with a little more age this wine will be spectacular but I couldn't wait. Nice bright notes of lemon curd and zest with some nice but not overpowering acidity. There was also a hint of oak which really rounded out the wine. I think with another 6 - 12 months in the bottle some more fruit will come forward making this a potential 92+

3/28/2016 - lopaka Likes this wine:

Wow, this is still really tight and needs another few years before I open the next bottle. Ran through a Vinturi but probably could have used a long decant. Lot's of bright, ripe fruits lurking in the background and looking forward to another bottle in a few years.

12/29/2015 - lopaka wrote:

I found this to be a very interesting wine that evolved over the course of two hours. We decanted about a half hour before drinking and throughout the evening the dominating aroma was beeswax. The first tastes started with a distinct papaya and guava flavor which faded as the evening wore on and was replaced with more and more tart passion fruit, acidity and citrus (definitely tropical). Throughout the evening this was a thick, oily wine that you could almost feel sliding down your throat and acidity towards the end helped balance it out. I still don't know if it was worth the price but it made for some fun conversation during dinner.

11/9/2015 - lopaka wrote:

Decanted for three hours prior to dinner. Dark wine with an enveloping nose of dark brambly fruits and garrigue. Dark ripe fruit such as blackberry, leather and sweetness balanced with acidity and tannins though still a bit of alcohol. This needs a few more years and it will be a powerhouse.

10/30/2015 - lopaka wrote:

A beautiful Grenache with juicy berry and red fruits and still some good tannic structure with just enough acidity. Almost floral in its presentation with a nice long finish, I think this could improve with a couple more years but it is really good now.

10/19/2015 - lopaka Likes this wine:

This was a big, bold wine for Winderlea, over 14% alcohol and dark ripe fruit, almost Rhone like. It was big without being over-extracted. Just a bit of spritz in the beginning but that settled down pretty quickly. I enjoyed this wine.

10/13/2015 - lopaka wrote:

Decanted an hour prior to drinking, this made a big difference and the wine got even better through the evening. Sour cherry, tobacco and leather with a dusty nose. It is in a pretty good spot now but could easily improve a bit over the next couple years. No need to drink soon and make sure it is drunk with food, it went very nice with a lasagna bolognese.

9/28/2015 - lopaka wrote:

Nice wine, sweeter than expected with notes of honeyed apple. Had some nice acidity to counter the sweetness but with the meal I was hoping for something a bit more on the dry side.

9/15/2015 - lopaka Likes this wine:

This bottle was better than the previous that was consumed a couple years back. Lots of ripe black fruit, tobacco and leather still but not much tannic structure and the alcohol still comes on strong.

7/27/2015 - lopaka Likes this wine:

I was surprised how well this wine is holding up given the 2009 season. Rich and dark to be sure but still nice tannic structure and just enough acidity to keep it in check and pair up well with a rich pork roast. I believe this could go for another couple of years but if drinking now give it a quick decant to really open up the aromas.

6/22/2015 - lopaka wrote:

Popped and poured, big mistake. This needed an hour of decanting at least to reach its potential. Even at this age there is still primary brambly dark fruits, a massive dark core and well integrated alcohol with little heat.

5/11/2015 - lopaka Likes this wine:

A little past its prime I believe though very smooth and easy to drink. Muted, soft fruit and just a hint of tannins left.

4/20/2015 - lopaka Likes this wine:

Beautiful nose of concentrated fruit with no apparent "funk" that was expected. It was both light and full flavored with an outstanding mid-palate and long finish with very silky tannins. A pleasure with dinner.

4/6/2015 - lopaka Likes this wine:

This wine really benefited from some aging compared to my previous bottles. It has gained depth and has intensified with more dark fruits coming through than before and the tannins really smoothing out. Wish I had saved my previous bottles.

3/9/2015 - lopaka Likes this wine:

Didn't get the chance to decant this bottle and it really needed it. Dark in color and taste with ripe fruit that was very forward and concentrated but not yet fully integrated with the other parts. This needs more time in the cellar in my opinion and most likely has upside with another five years.

1/5/2015 - lopaka wrote:

This is ready to drink. Nice ripe darker fruit and it still had some acidity and soft tannins. Glad it lasted so long and much preferred it to the 2001 of the same wine we also drank this evening.

1/5/2015 - lopaka wrote:

Very light and surprisingly took a bit of time to "open up". A little too much acidity and not enough fruit to round it out. I think this wine is a bit past its prime.

1/2/2015 - lopaka wrote:

This was a beautiful wine that I feel is hitting its peak. Dark, ripe fruit nose with just a touch of earth. Spice, cola and fruit forward but still enough acidity to balance everything out. I would suggest drinking now.

12/29/2014 - lopaka wrote:

Decanted through an aerator and let sit for two hours prior to drinking. The nose is both bright red fruit and also deep dark earth and the flavor is wonderful with deep ripe fruit and very nice acidity with still a bit of tannins. This is drinking great now but I will wait at least a year before opening another bottle as I think it has some more up-side potential...

11/24/2014 - lopaka wrote:

Still a bit tight out of the bottle but a 1 hour decant really allowed the wine to open up. Some nice leather and a bit of funk on the nose and then a mouth full of dark fruit with some acidity and tannins to balance it out. This wine probably could go another 5 years to hit its peak but it is quite good now.

6/30/2014 - lopaka Likes this wine:

Drank from a magnum with a 2 hour decant, this is a beautiful, well made wine with a nose of crushed blackberries, olives and tobacco with layers of dark fruit washing over the palate but still has the necessary acidity to balance it out. The alcohol is well hidden and the tannins have softened up. Wonderful wine.

6/5/2014 - lopaka Likes this wine:

This is in a great place right now. Beautiful nose of earth, dark fruit and a touch of menthol. The wine is very dark, fruity and brambly in the glass and shows much bigger than the 12.9% alcohol would have you believe yet still has nice acidity and is what I would call a finesse wine. I really enjoyed it.

4/23/2014 - lopaka Likes this wine:

This was one of the darker, richer Pinots from Winderlea in 2011 that I have tasted so far and has been my most enjoyable Winderlea 2011 to date.

4/22/2014 - lopaka Likes this wine:

Wonderful floral nose and definitly a wine on the lighter side with a strong acidic backbone to it and tart red fruits. This is a wine that needs food to go with it, not for drinking on its own. While my preference goes to the darker, bigger wines this was enjoyable with dinner and the company.

4/16/2014 - lopaka wrote:

Wonderful nose of cranberry and wet stone. On the palate it was pretty thin and tart and rather one dimensional. This was a challenging year so I will hold off drinking more to see if there is an evolution in the wine.

2/18/2014 - lopaka Likes this wine:

Decanted 2 hours prior to dinner of grilled ribeyes. Dark in the glass with a nose of black fruit, meat and menthol. The flavor was strong and cassis, cigar and a little sweetness. Corked it back up and finished the next day and it was just as strong.

12/26/2013 - lopaka Likes this wine:

Decanted for 4 hours and ate with prime rib dinner. Beautiful wine with depth but also a "softness" about it. This wine was not in your face and big but rather one that envelops with pleasure.

12/6/2013 - lopaka Likes this wine:

Decanted and then drank a 375 just to see how it was. It was good but needed a longer decant or better yet a couple more years in the cellar and will be great. Dark with a nose of black fruit, dusty herbs and a bit of smoky fat but upon tasting the fruit, tannins and other parts haven't yet come together.

12/2/2013 - lopaka Likes this wine:

Wanted to give these a try right away to see if I wanted more. Yes I do! Given this is a 2011 I was expecting a far lighter wine but this wine was dark and smoky with some excellent fruit and depth. But, it has some nice tannins and acidity too which gives it some nice complexity. A bit more time in the bottle should only help and I prefer this to many of the upper end CDR's I have tasted over the past year.

11/29/2013 - lopaka Likes this wine:

Decanted for 2 hours prior to drinking. The wine had a nose of white pepper, leather, cranberry and tobacco. It started out extremely spicy but during the course of the evening the fruit came on full bore, black cherry and black cap raspberry with a nice smoky finish and still a bit of acidity to balance it out. I think this was at it's peak and the winemaker also said it was time to drink the 2006's.

11/18/2013 - lopaka Likes this wine:

Great nose followed by lots of tart fruit and some nice acidity that left me smacking my lips. This is in the lighter vein to me and went well with dinner. Not sure if I would drink it on it's own as it compliments food so well.

9/17/2013 - lopaka wrote:

Beautiful nose but I found this bottle to be overly acidic and rather thin tasting without much depth. Not as I remembered from the release, perhaps it is at an akward age.

8/9/2013 - lopaka Likes this wine:

Hands down the best rose I have tasted and is actually getting better with some age.

7/8/2013 - lopaka Likes this wine:

A voluptuous wine which all the many parts are perfectly integrated.

6/20/2013 - lopaka Likes this wine:

With another year this got even better with a depth and richness that wasn't there before. Wish I had more of this.

5/13/2013 - lopaka Likes this wine:

Really nice blend and the syrah stnds out nicely. I think this will continue to evolve for the better in the bottle but I can't wait.

5/13/2013 - lopaka Likes this wine:

Deep dark and brooding with a wonderful mouthfeel and a long finish. The tannins are still a bit sharp but otherwise really nice.

4/1/2013 - lopaka Likes this wine:

1 hour decant, still vibrant in color with a nice earthy, spicy nose along with pomegranite. The flavor is still very fresh with ripe cherries and mellow acidity.

3/4/2013 - lopaka wrote:

Fresh and fruity with a beautiful light cranberry color, I feel this is a wine to drink on the younger side. It had nice acidity with very smooth tannins and the fruit is just shy of cuasing my lips to pucker.

2/27/2013 - lopaka Likes this wine:

My first '08 DDO from my cellar. Nice fruit, a bit forward but with good acidity and silky tannins supporting the fruit. Still needs some time and I am looking forward to following the evolution of this wine.

2/25/2013 - lopaka Likes this wine:

Really needs more age but the black fruit was there along with some menthol and leather and some nice almost garrigue notes (dusty lavendar).

2/25/2013 - lopaka Likes this wine:

My last bottle of this and it was still holding up well. The color is bricking and the nose is pure earth, loam & mushroom. The fruit is now secondary but still present with tobacco, anise and a bit of acidity. This was a really nicely aged Pinot.