12/26/2023 - AjitK Likes this wine:

PnP Split 375ml bottle during the holidays 2023. Still drinking well and has aged well. Not too complex on the nose or palette but quite enjoyable with plenty of black and blue ripe fruit and full bodied easy drinking. Will go well with charcuterie and burgers. Great QPR and surprised how well it's held up.

12/20/2023 - AjitK wrote:

PnP. FRUIT BOMB. Simple, crowd pleasing modern American style Red. Nose is pleasing with cigar box and ripe fruit. Length goes on for a minute. Medium bodied. Oak is strong. This will appeal to big red drinkers (think a Cabernet version of Prisoner). Will pair well with hard cheese, well marbled ribeye steaks, burgers. No change or increased complexity/texture after 90 min decant

12/2/2023 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Past its prime now but still enjoyable. Overall wine has muted as compared to the energy it displayed a few years ago. Will not rate

11/27/2023 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Beautiful wine still full of fruit more than a quarter century in (Bravo Paul Hobbs). It’s in a delightful place right now with full resolved tannins, and a plush and soft mouthfeel. On the nose, very expressive with dominant iodine and cherry and some eucalyptus. Full bodied with good acid and a very long finish. On the palette, lush blue and black fruit with some Mediterranean herbs. Drink up now.

11/17/2023 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Excellent wine from a legendary vintage in a great drinking place right now (end of 2023). Got better consistently over 2 hours. Went quickly from dominant tertiary flavors to juicy fruit perfectly balanced with secondary and tertiary notes. Voluptuous nose too with incredible medley dried herbs

11/11/2023 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Really enjoyed this wine. Great integration of oak. Medium-Full body. The wine looks light gold colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like citrus fruits with some floral notes.

8/2/2023 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Really loved the freshness, acidity and nose on this wine. Stone fruits and floral on the nose, light-medium bodied sauv blanc with great acidity and brightness. It's not inexpensive for a domestic (US) Sauv Blanc at $40, but a terrific wine. I believe it is fermented in concrete which really gives it nuanced aromas and real feel for the terroir. Really well made wine.

3/25/2023 - AjitK wrote:

Wow! Just wow! This is in great part of its drinking window right now and still has a decade ahead of it. So much concentration with primary fruit and secondary herbaceous notes. Gorgeous nose, full bodied mouth filling goodness. This is a fantastic, rich Napa wine with plenty of complexity and layers of flavor. Big wine with lots of finesse and grace. Powerful but never feels heavy or syrupy.

3/11/2023 - AjitK wrote:

Decanted for an hour, and drank over the next 3. Decent wine, enjoyable at age 10, but not great and ultimately unmemorable. Not a great QPR at $25/5 oz. glass. Good tertiary flavors but the wine is not really concentrated or balanced. I would not buy it again at this price point, and I have one more bottle in the cellar. It doesn't have more than another 5 years left

1/28/2023 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Cellared for 5 years. Assuming disgorged around 2015. Absolutely fantastic QPR - complexity of some vintage champagnes and the purity is fantastic . Wondering what the dosage is because even though it’s Brut, it has an amazing fruit quality that makes it feel just a trace of delicate sweetness but certainly not sweet. One of the better affordable NV champagnes I’ve enjoyed. Reminded me of a great Billecart or Pol Roger NV bottling.

1/14/2023 - AjitK Likes this wine:

3L Double magnum. 2 hour decant - Still very young. Lots of tannin. Well structured wine with good blue and black fruit but not a fruit bomb. On the nose, appealing without a lot of complexity. Full body with a medium length finish. This double magnum could have been aged for 20 years+ easy. Overall, an enjoyable young Napa red from a terrific vintage

12/27/2022 - AjitK wrote:

PnP at first and then post hour decant - the 2014 wine is nice enough but not a good QPR for $100. Ultimately unmemorable. Oak is well integrated and the bouquet is pleasant with mostly citrus notes. On the palette, grapefruit is pronounced with some traces of melon. I loved the wine’s acidity a lot. This is really designed to be a very good food wine. Deep yellow.

12/15/2022 - AjitK wrote:

PnP. Good, daily drinker. Still has the backbone to coast another couple years with plenty of fruit - cherry/blueberry. Secondary flavors with bitter herbs dominate. No noticeable tertiary flavors/aromas. Long bitter finish. Drinks a little warm. Nice nose and good, assertive use of oak. Slow legs. Deep red color. Full bodied mouthfeel.

Better after a 45 minute decant. Purer fruit and better integrated oak

12/12/2022 - AjitK Does not like this wine:

Just a rough fruit bomb with oh so forced taste of oak. I can understand why this is a good catering kind of wine when you need to cater to dozens of casual drinkers - it’s big sweet fruit, loud oak, and full bodied mouthfeel. But it is so lacking in impact or character and just tastes structureless and woody. Not for me

12/8/2022 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Terrific weeknight sipper. At 45 minute decant in glass, it has beautiful oak integration with solid fruit but some umami Savoriness with a slightly bitter lingering finish. Nose is just gorgeous and has some complexity - raspberries with some smoked meat. Light-Medium body, medium finish. Tannins have softened out leaving a smooth mouth feel. Still has enough backbone to last another 3 years. It’s pretty open now and I can’t expect it to improve with any more bottle time and fruit will start to fade in 3 years. This Burgundian Old Vine Pinot would go incredibly well with duck or herbed roasted Turkey. Good QPR

11/26/2022 - AjitK Likes this wine:

PnP at thanksgiving. Surprisingly good and balanced Chardonnay. I was expecting a lash you on the tongue with oak and over extracted fruit with Prisoner but this was a huge surprise. Oak is present but perfectly integrated - not offensive . The acidity is just right. There was weight yet crispness to this wine. Excellent. Hope they keep this style of Chardonnay going over the coming years.

10/15/2022 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Oct 14 2022 - It’s a nice big wine but I felt it was over extracted - a little too tannic for almost 10 years old. Decanted for 2+ hours, dark fruit and coffee on the nose. MASSIVE wine almost 15% ABV. Drinks hot. Wish it was more complex for the price point. I have a case of these so hope it develops more over the next 5 years

8/14/2022 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Terrific Napa cab. 2 hour decant. Classic CA cab with great structure and length (45+ seconds). Medium full body. Plenty of life ahead of it. Another 7+ years easily. Not a complicated wine at this stage but downright delicious with beautiful dark fruit and nice heft. On the nose, blue and black berries, coffee, and a sharp alcohol edge (big boy at 14-5-15% ABV). This is warm climate, American hedonism at its finest. Paired it with a rustic ribeye and milk brined sweetbreads.

6/17/2022 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Crisp, uncomplicated, well priced patio pounder and summer sipper. Always fun to discover a new expression from Rhône, made well in the traditional champagne method

6/12/2022 - AjitK Likes this wine:

1 hour decant. Terrific and EXPLOSIVE. It is a rich, powerful Zin blend that has come together in a beautiful harmonious, balanced way 9 years after harvest. It gives you everything from the flavor to the texture you want from a high quality Zin - hot sun ripened massive black/blue fruit with a mouth filling big body. The nose is spectacular with wafts of mocha. Unsurprisingly, this big boy has Long legs owing to the high ABV. Lots of life ahead of it, this wine overdelivers in the way that only Ridge can. Outstanding QPR

3/4/2022 - AjitK wrote:

This was a terrific bottle of wine. First and foremost, it is in a really good place right now (March 2022). Plenty of primary (deep, rich black and blue concentrated, ripe fruit), secondary (delightful bitter herbaceous notes like organo and marjoram), and some tertiary notes (emerging after 3 hours of decant with musky forest floor and leather). The nose was just WOW / Intense and rich. what stood out even more than the gorgeous bouquet was the mouthfeel - unctuous full, thick body. To me, this was a delightful wine and the Wine of the night (with other heavy hitters like 2001 Yalumba Octavius and 2009 Duhart Milon to compete with). I didn’t start of in a Parker or Robinson Court before enjoying this wine, but am squarely in the RP/WS (JS reviewed) perspective of this being a terrific wine, worthy of the flagship effort by a cherished st. Emilion winery. I can’t believe JR would give this a 12/20. That’s just nonsensical. Now, at $400 it’s not a value wine by any stretch but a very strong, elite offering. The tanin levels indicate another 10 years ahead of it, easily.

2/7/2022 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Loved this wine. It was bold and complex with a nice dose of beautifully integrated American oak. Still youthful despite its 19 year age. What a remarkable value (paid $110 at a steakhouse) and available for $50 online retail. Had enough Tanin to last and grow for another 5 years. Tons of blue and black fruit on the palette, a hint or earthiness. Get nice and structured, not flabby. Paired amazingly well with 12 Day dry aged ribeye.

2/3/2022 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Very enjoyable, hedonistic wine. Supple and full bodied with plenty of fruit and well integrated oak. After 3 hours of decant more herbaceous notes emerge with bay leaf and cigar box. Not too much complexity but plenty to enjoy.

1/23/2022 - AjitK wrote:

90 min decant started to show more (compared to a year ago) on the nose. Still a tightly wound wine at 11 years old, but you can immediately appreciate the incredible balance and structure (14.5% ABV but drinks so remarkably soft). Feels so well put together with its mouthfeel and tannin, with aromas of Indian spices like fennel on the nose. You have to work hard to coax them out of the glass with air though. Finish is super long and goes on for over a minute. On the palette, lots of pepper and Mediterranean herbs to tie in with the black and blue fruit. Medium-Full body without ever feeling heavy - all that intensity and concentration and yet so effortless on the palette. Really worthy of a flagship wine. I wish I had another bottle tucked away to open 5 years later. I think this wine is capable of evolving about 4-5 years and holding up another 8 years or so.

1/11/2022 - AjitK wrote:

Cellared for 3 years. PnP - served cool around 65 degrees. The nose is beautiful - leather and black/blue fruit in perfect ripeness, vanilla, and just the right amount of forest floor and wood. But on the palette it does feel heavy weighty and the oak is way overdone. There is a long finish with a bitter aftertaste that hints at artificially Oakiness. It’s drinkable and the nose is lovely but overall, I would not buy this again but wouldn’t turn it away at a dinner party. It has tannins so would be nice with some burgers or such but it does fight with the flavors and coats your tongue . Not subtle for sure

1/8/2022 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Nice, uncomplicated wine that is a smooth weeknight drinker. I was very curious about my first taste of Austrian Zweigelt, and expected it to drink like a pinot and it sure did. Purchase in 2017 and cellared for 5 years before uncorking. My wife pointed out that it really drinks like a new world pinot (like Sonoma Coast), not Burgundian. Light-Medium body. PnP at first, and didn't get much other than cherry and dried strawberries on the nose or palette. After 2 hours in glass, some secondary dried Mediterranean herbs and very light oak. Enjoyable but unmemorable. Quite a bit of fruit, and still has some tannin on it. Should drink well for another couple years.

1/6/2022 - AjitK wrote:

Alas, I learned my lesson that you can’t really coravin too many times. It’s been 9 months since my first poke at this bottle’s cork, and 6 months since my last. You can definitely smell the strong oxidation all over with this third extraction. Can’t really judge this wine at this point.

1/4/2022 - AjitK wrote:

This is a BIG wine!!! Not just in body and mouth feel, but in alcohol too (15.5% ABV) . And unfortunately it shows it too.. it drinks hot. Less so after a full 3 hour decant but certainly chest burning in the first hour. Tongue coating syrupy style, lots of fruit and classic Napa fennel/anise flavor and aroma. I didn’t get too much wood as the oak was well integrated. Finish lasts for a minute +. Overall, I found this to be a big fruit bomb, uncomplicated wine to drink. I question it’s price point though at almost $100 retail.

12/30/2021 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Classic GSM blend notes. Lafage wines always overdeliver for the price. Their offerings are arguably the single best value out of France when looked upon from a family winery perspective. The Old Vines GSM blend has good concentration and is an easy drinking wine for the first hour - expectedly you get notes on ripe strawberries, red cherries, and pepper. After 75-90 minutes, the wood starts to present itself beautifully on the nose (very well integrated) and we get herbaceous bitter notes on the finish to add complexity. Plenty of earth on the nose the whole time. The weight is medium-full and the finish is long. Great QPR for $15

12/28/2021 - AjitK wrote:

Still a great showing 6 months after my first glass (Coravined). Bone dry and the fruit has wholly dissipated after 17 years. All the complexity comes from the secondary notes - plenty of herbaceous tones. An hour decant did it show more fruit. Overall, a very enjoyable wine but not stellar or memorable.

12/28/2021 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Purchased around Xmas 2016 and cellared for 5 years in bottle (label tells me that it was bottled summer 2015 so total 6.5 years of bottle aging). Nice, light, fruity, uncomplicated weeknight supper. Earth tones on the nose but mostly very ripe strawberry and some cherry. Good time to drink at age 7. I suspect it won’t improve with time but will hold up well for another 3 years or so. Smooth and soft on the palette with silky tannins.

12/25/2021 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Purchased this bottle in Dec 2016 and cellared patiently for 5 years. Finally opened Xmas 2021 and so glad I waited. Outstanding QPR for a $15 bottle. This wine has good structure, still rich with fruit (cherry, strawberry), good acidity for food, and beautiful oak integration (reveals beautifully on the nose and palette after a 90 minute decant). Enjoyed with homemade spaghetti and meatballs in a rich slow cooked tomato sauce and the wine held up beautifully against the intense herbaceous flavors. Portuguese table dry wines offer some tremendous value. Still some tannin left so should drink well for another year or 2. In it’s peak right now.

12/13/2021 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Excellent Pinot noir that is really thriving in its 10th year. Incredibly well preserved at this stage with plenty of fruit and complex earth notes. It still has another couple years of gas left in the tank and will drink beautifully through 2023 I suspect. Light-medium body, Classically styled but still has the new world Pinot cherry on the nose. After an hour of decant, you can smell and savor the beautifully integrated oak. Short finish at this stage, it is not overly complex but just a delight to sip through an evening. I paired it with clue Stilton and the contrast of the aged intensity of the moldy cheese goes beautifully with the sophisticated smoothness of this decade old New Zealand pinot. Excellently made wine. Light reddish brown color. Quick legs

12/5/2021 - AjitK wrote:

Enjoyable medium bodied Cabernet. Drinking in its prime. Super approachable, easy drinking with a nice amount of fruit. Uncomplicated style, still has a couple years life in it but will likely not improve.

11/13/2020 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Outstanding Portuguese red blend from the Douro valley. Such great balance with fruit and earthiness. Good tannin so should last another 6-7 years. Extremely well crafted wine, especially considering the price point of $25. Wow!

7/17/2021 - AjitK wrote:

Powerful, intense nose of ripe, ripe fruit with stewed plums and deep, rich red fruit. Tons of fruit still showing, but not fruity. I would call it bone dry and savory. Menthol and bay leaf secondary notes. Unbelievably long finish - lasts for 2 minutes+ Medium bodied but fleshy, supple mouthfeel - classic merlot. Tertiary, earthy notes have developed beautifully. Still grippy and has a good 7-10 years ahead.

7/11/2021 - AjitK Likes this wine:

PnP - this bold, mouth filling, concentrated single vineyard Napa beauty is Drinking so well right now. This is a BIG BOY and you smell it - 15.3% ABV. But it’s well integrated and the bottle aging time has allowed it to mellow so it doesn’t drink offensively hot. I suspect with that ABV, it would have been a hot vintage and/or late harvest. Lush dark fruit with aromas of cassis on the nose. Not too complex (at least in the first hour+) but it’s got plenty of primary, secondary (touch of vegetal/herbs aromas and Indian spices) and tertiary notes to enjoy on the nose and the palette. Still plenty of tannins and life on this. I would drink this through 2026.

6/30/2021 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Amazing wine but very very young. Gave it 3 hour decant. Very tannic and great acidity. New oak pops through nicely. Plenty of fruit and savory Mediterranean herbs. Layers or flavor. Will open next bottle in 10 years

6/24/2021 - AjitK wrote:

Wow! So surprised at how good this wine from India is. Just excellent. It is surely at its peak right now in 2021, and has aged beautifully. What a delightful nose. Showing good primary fruit (cherries/dark fruits), beautiful integration of the French oak, and hints of tertiary aromas are emerging. Short length on the finish, medium bodied, soft tannins (I would drink in the next 2-3 years for prime drinking window). Really an excellent effort made with pride from an emerging wine region. Bravo!

6/16/2021 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Drank cool this time at 65 degrees. Heat had dissipated, which is good. Showed more medium body this time around but I’m still fishing for complexity. Lots of big fruit as it’s signature for Napa red blends at a premium price point. For the retail price, it’s not a good QPR. Hedonistic! Had with Allen Bros bone in rib-eye and bone in filet mignon. Paired well with the steak.

5/27/2021 - AjitK wrote:

Decent wine, but very vegetal and green. Wondering if this was a cool season or especially early harvest for this vineyard in Alexander valley or if they simply chose to not de-stem. It’s pronounced with a grassy aroma (with some sweet spices) on the nose and grainy texture on the tongue. Medium bodied, long finish. Fruit shows better after an hour of in-glass decant. Overall, a Decent weeknight wine but didn’t come off as cohesive or balanced with the primary and secondary flavors.

5/16/2021 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Black label with yellow print (not to be confused the Napa bottling of the same winery) Wow! Gorgeous wine, especially considering the QPR ($20). Good acidity, big tannic structure. medium-full body. On the nose, Indian spices, black fruit, cloves. On the palette, tons of fruit but good firm, tannins and it doesn’t taste flabby at all. Generously oaked (I’m thinking American or Hungarian oak - not new) but not offensive or overdone. Medium length on the finish and good grip so still a lot of years of life in this vintage.

5/14/2021 - AjitK Likes this wine:

PnP - LM’s Gnarly Vines was the first mountain wine I fell in love with, back in 2010. This monte Rosso Zin is Always a great showing. 2015 wasn’t a blockbuster year from any measure, but this is a lovey wine with power and concentration. On the nose, Indian spices and cinnamon. On the palette, mostly primary flavors with cherry, ripe red and blue fruit jump out at you. I love the finesse in that the wine does not drink hot despite is MASSIVE ABV pushing the scale at 16.2%. The tannins have softened a fair amount 6 years after harvest but still enough spine to give it another 6 easily. Moderate acidity and plenty of bug fruit right now. Medium length on the finish and some savory herbs in the lingering taste. rich, full body.

5/5/2021 - AjitK wrote:

Surprisingly good QPR. I feel it’s much better than prisoner because it’s not so heavily oaked to the point of artificial and one note. Voluptuous, rich fruit, with anise and sweet spicy aromas. Full bodied, silky lushness on the palette. Fine tannins and slightly dusty. Unpretentious and uncomplicated, and an excellent sipper. Low acidity and moderate tannin.

5/4/2021 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Slight cork taint on this 11 year old bottle. Still delicious. Medium bodied. on the nose - plenty of primary and secondary aromas. bright Cherries and light (neutral) oak. Uncomplicated but still pleasantly layered. Some pleasant vegetal notes as well. Pepper finish. Medium length on the finish. Lovely. Day 2 - some earthy, tertiary notes start to show. More medium-full body. Rest of the flavor profile is the same. Slightly better than day 1. Still a little bit or cork taint unfortunately.

5/1/2021 - AjitK Likes this wine:

Solid QPR at $14. Uncomplicated sparkler with crisp acidity and generous dosage to pair perfectly with spicy fare. PnP - enjoyed chilled with spicy South Indian curries during a BYOB Al Fresco dining experience. Great patio pounder.

4/29/2021 - AjitK Likes this wine:

90 minute decant. Huge, mouth coating, jammy wine that is very uncomplicated and primary right now. High acid and plenty of tannins - could last another 7 years and improve to hopefully show more complexity for another 3-4 or so. On the nose, a lot of concentrated dark fruit, plum and some botanical notes (violet). Some pepper (Malbec) on the finish. Not getting any herbaceous or tertiary notes, maybe with time. Medium finish. Very new world styling. Almost 15% ABV and drinks a little hot. I would serve cool

4/28/2021 - AjitK Likes this wine:

3 hour decant - still muted on the nose and the palette but good spicy finish with some eucalyptus and clove. Medium-Full body. Super long finish. Still drinks a bit warm. But ultimately complexity and layers are still undeveloped. Plenty of tannin so has another 10 years of evolution ahead. Bottom line: It’s just so young and muted at this stage that hard to give it a high score.

4/27/2021 - AjitK wrote:

I suspect this is using Lewelling Vineyard fruit

4/20/2021 - AjitK wrote:

TCWC tasting with Pontet-Canet 2015. Terrific wine with power, concentration, and massive potential. Yes, it’s fruity now but will soften, show tertiary character, and come into balance in time. Amazingly it’s still approachable even knowing how much it will improve with time. On the nose, CLOVES, sweet spices melange, Chinese peppercorn, and a lot of black fruit. Drinks warm and Ripe right now, for sure, but not overly so. Huge full body mouth coating long, long finish. This has the potential to be a perfect 100 point wine in 15+ years.