3/4/2010 - Terran23 wrote:

Deep, dark fruit nose, dark cherry flavors. I enjoyed this very much. 13.5% so expect a softer experience. This bottle was a gift, but after further research, the $19 price point...I approve.

7/30/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Was a bit disappointed with this. Did not represent Flowers as I know it. I'll take this as a one off and still consider Flowers as a solid Pinot house.

6/4/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

From memory, a week and a half ago, this blew me away. So good. Wine displayed excellent structure and balance. Tickles your tongue to start, explodes into sweet fruit, then into a long complex finish. One of the best wines I've had.

5/15/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Pungent, earthy, spicy, dark fruits, more of a classic style wine. This had what I like to call the "tongue tickler" its a sweet and sour effect that tingles. Every wine that demonstrates this, I like. This was no exception. Not as good as the 2001, in my opinion, but definitely something to mark an occasion with. This bottle fortifies my love of Special Selection as one of my Top 3 wines. Grab your 2 closest wine buddies, crack this open, and enjoy the moment.

5/22/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Started out tight, but then opened up with a big pastry nose. Subtle hints of Oakville pungency. Smooth and inky in color. Blueberries on the mid palette. Reminds me of Mondavi's Oakville Cab (sourced 70% Tokalon). Girard is definitely on my list.

5/15/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Had to wait a bit as the wine was tight. Opened up a little with hints of cinnamon. Unfortunately, I don't recall much more than that. Others described a floral nose, but I missed that one entirely.

5/10/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Mother's Day wine. It's the juice that keeps on giving. So good.

4/22/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Opened up a 375 bottle and this was not as silky as the last time I tasted (which was 6 months ago). Interestingly, this bottle was pungent and leathery, almost Mt. Veeder like. Was still a good experience.

4/22/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Went mano a mano with an 06 Capiaux Pinot from Gary's Vineyard and lost. Nose was great, but the rest didn't hold up. Hollow flavors. Probably not a fair comparison as this Pey seemed to be going with a Burgundian style wheras Capiaux is a big California Pinot. However, the Capiaux wasn't showing well, but this Pey didn't take advantage.

4/22/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Has the smoky, burnt attribute which I've become accustomed to with Pisoni grapes, but I wasn't impressed. Probably, the weakest effort of all Pisoni Pinots I've had. For the cost, Roar or Siduri are much better. Would rather have a Brewer Clifton as well.

4/1/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Brother in law left this at my house. He was afraid to bring it along as there was a formidable lineup in tow. He forgot to take it home and well...I was thirsty today. If I recall correctly, Wine Spectator rated this a "Best Buy" with a high 80's score. Its not bad at all. Actually, it is quite good. Doesn't bring it home like a Jordan Cab, but then again, its a lot easier on the wallet. Nice dark fruits and is pretty smooth at this point. Has a good feel to it.

2/28/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Really enjoyed this, but I'm a BIG Pinot style person. This is a steroid version of Siduri's Gary's Vineyard. You don't think a Pinot can get bigger, but this one gets bigger.

3/30/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

This was excellent. Super smooth and elegant. Lower alcohol content, 13.5%, but still delivered a full body. In my opinion, edged out an 05 Pahlmeyer Cab for best of the day.

3/29/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Second time drinking this. It wasn't as good as the first. Drank this initially at the 2008 Wine and Spirits Top 100 event and it blew all of us away. This time around, however, it fell short of our expectations. A few hours later, the wine showed some brilliance, but it wasn't the same experience. Slow starter, so make sure this is properly decanted. Seemed to have a nutty flavor, mouthfeel was nice, but remained tight. Bottle just didn't open up like I expected.

3/12/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Not bad for the price point. Spicy nose, with a green apple start. Structure is not there, but its an easy drinker. Not as good as Justin's Cab in the $20 range, but something worth while for an easy night of drinkage. Was on sale at Safeway for $21.30, but something tells me this should be the regular price.

2/13/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Wow, this is why I enjoyed Hall so much. Reminded me of a lower priced (not by much) Far Niente. Sacrashe is a hillside vineyard which shows the expression of place well. Current versions are no longer 100% Sacrashe, this one is.

2/28/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Can't go wrong with Isosceles. Well balanced, silky mouthfeel, and an elegant finish.

2/1/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Super Bowl and beer? Not when I have a Justin Cab nearby. Solid as usual.

11/14/2008 - Terran23 wrote:

Smooth, spicy, pepper, and earthy. A jazzier version of Leviathan. Ghost Block hasn't disappointed yet.

11/27/2008 - Terran23 wrote:

I was expecting more out of this, but was sadly disappointed. My notes state this has descended into mediocrity. For the cost, its better to go down the road to Provenance, and pick up the $28 Rutherford Cab.

11/18/2008 - Terran23 wrote:

Nothing distinguished about this bottle. I was disappointed.

11/21/2008 - Terran23 wrote:

Seemed like a standard, everyday drinker. Light, slight cinnamon start, no heat out of the bottle. Reminded me of Calera's Pinot in this price range. After 2 hours, the wine dropped off like a cliff.

10/5/2008 - Terran23 wrote:

Drank one six months ago and it was tight. This one came out gracefully, drank incredibly well. Medium bodied, showed great characteristics of dark fruit, mocha and vanilla.

3/21/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Not my style, but if you're looking for lighter fare, at 13% by volume, this could work. Real thin, seemed almost like kool aid. Slight smoky taste, but doesn't seem polished, in my opinion.

3/21/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Still the best $20 cab I've had. Never disappoints. Justin is a solid winery.

1/23/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Gorgeous. My wine mates had to restrain me from the bottle, this was so good. Elegant, sweet and spicy up front with the smoothness to kill for. Winner of the night.

11/27/2008 - Terran23 wrote:

Glorious. Lots going on here, but at this price, there better be tons to experience. Started off sweet and spicy then evolved into super smooth dark fruit. The mouthfeel...extraordinary. Lonnngggg finish. You feel like royalty drinking this guy. So far, Caymus Special Selection has been the best I've had.

11/8/2008 - Terran23 wrote:

To Kalon for the win. Really enjoyed this bottle. Writing from memory. Paired with a nice Kobe Beef Burger at the Boon Fly Cafe (Carneros). Was a great lunch. Decanted for a bit, wine was super silky with hints of pepper. Can't wait to try this in a few years.

2/1/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Tastes like a Howell Mountain. I haven't enjoyed wines from this area much and this seems to be a chink in the Turley armor...at least for me. I thought, minerals and meat, from this offering.

2/20/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Luscious. You'll ask yourself, "This is a Pinot?". Probably the best Pinot I've had since Roar's 05 Gary's Vineyard. Super, silky, smooth. This is not BIG, it's elegant. Mocha goodness, inky color, just plain good. Stood up to a bunch of nice Napa cabs and blew the other Pinot that showed up out of the water.

3/20/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

My second bottle and it is showing nicely. Crystal on the cork, thought that was interesting. Tons of sediment. After an hour, drinking well. Nutty to start, definitely an earthy wine, a little rough on the finish, but not something that's going to stop me from drinking the rest of the bottle...tonight. Dark fruits, middle of the road finish, but much smoother than the last time. The winemakers have done some work with Jus Soli, which is Detert's Sonoma Zin house. They've got some pedigree.

3/10/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

My brother in law's last remaining bottle from our one and only Kermit Lynch run (vendor in Berkeley). I'm not a dessert wine guy, but thought this was refreshing. Wasn't overly sweet. I enjoyed this.

3/9/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Haven't had a bad Justin up to this point. This Isosceles drank extremely well, silky mouthfeel, dusty up front, smooth dark fruit on the finish. Inky color. My fave cab outside of Napa.

3/9/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Big wine, but something that's expected from Gary's Vineyard. Very comparable to a Siduri Gary's Vineyard, but slightly rougher, probably due to the age. Also present was an 06 Brewer Clifton Rio Vista which was even bigger. Doing the compare may have had an influence as the Brewer Clifton was excellent. However, if AP were the only Pinot on the table, it would make a favorable impression.

3/9/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Slight licorice hint on the finish. Reminded me of Mt. Veeder wines. Was happy to drink it, but not my cup of tea.

1/16/2009 - Terran23 wrote:

Decided to give this a shot as it is on a wine e-mail newsletter I receive. This particular establishment considered this a "value play" for 2008. The finish is rough and the flavor drops off after the initial palate. Starts off with some showing of fruit, but rapidly turns meaty. Hints of smoke lingers. Can't say that I'd buy this again.

9/25/2008 - Terran23 wrote:

Probably my third bottle and hasn't disappointed yet. Fruit forward, great nose, generally a smart play for those who enjoy bursting flavors.

9/15/2008 - Terran23 wrote:

Promotes a more classic style wine. Subtle hints of smoke and earth. A good wine for the price point, $28. Definitely drank better than the $40-$60 Lynmar Pinots I sampled earlier in the day. This bottle gets my "easy drinker" call.

9/13/2008 - Terran23 wrote:

Had the chance to sample this at Siduri and was impressed. Solid wine for the cost. Obviously lacks character since it is not a vineyard designate, but for fans of blends, you can't lose here. Does carry the signature big and bold Siduri style, but also shows a subtle presence. Very enjoyable.

9/13/2008 - Terran23 wrote:

Third time I've had this bottle and this was definitely the best showing. Very smooth and spicy. Hint of dust. Soft mouth feel. No heat.

9/9/2008 - Terran23 wrote:

I'm going to have to downgrade this. I suspected this fooled me the first time around when I proclaimed this a "surprise of the night" call. After considerably hitting the sauce, I thought I enjoyed this more than I should have. Beer goggles anyone? Had the chance to revisit this without any distractions and my suspicions were correct. The oak comes out and dominates, short finish, with a nose of vanilla. Not bad for a Costco, general table wine run, but not much more after that.

8/28/2008 - Terran23 wrote:

This is a great "expression of place" wine. Definitely exhibits Mt. Veeder AVA characteristics. A pungent nose of chocolate with an earthy taste is shown here. I've had Mt. Veeder Cabs which have shown the same details...fun to see this with a Zin. Also present, was a Turley Juvenile. Contrast in styles here, as the Sky demonstrated a seemingly more "classic" type of experience. Tannins to start, but does fade after a bit. From what I understand, these cellar well.

8/28/2008 - Terran23 wrote:

For the price point you can't go wrong. This gives a Flowers blend a run for its money. Nose is very good, fruitful. Have had the chance to drink a Roar Pinot from Gary's Vineyard and this has hints of it.

8/28/2008 - Terran23 wrote:

This is a winner. If you can get a bottle, don't hesitate. Decanted for an hour and opened up nicely. Super smooth, coats your mouth like a blanket. Notes of vanilla and spice. Wine is well built, tannins fade after awhile. Screaming Eagle winemaker does not lead you astray.

8/27/2008 - Terran23 wrote:

Opened up after about an hour, but was struggling to provide details. Slight pungent nose, not much flavor, tannins noticeable. Not much more to say except there wasn't much heat. Marginally good at best.

8/23/2008 - Terran23 wrote:

Pungent, leathery nose, blueberry hints at the finish with a bite. After an hour, nose became sweet and oaky, finish still a bit rough. Seemed to break down after 2 hours, not much there anymore.

8/20/2008 - Terran23 wrote:

This offering from a large Napa vineyard management company had me intrigued. This goes down as a "Solid Performer" on my scale. Its much like a baseball team on a losing streak. They turn to their one ace pitcher who gives them the best chance to win. When the chips are down, reach into your cellar and pull out the solid performer. I enjoyed this bottle very much. Well built, approachable now, but also a candidate to evolve with some cellar action. Just a solid Napa cab.

8/9/2008 - Terran23 wrote:

Chocolate, pastry like nose. Sensed plum and raspberry. Classic style wine, subtle, light body. The finish was surprisingly short, like it drops off a cliff. Decanted for 40 minutes and paired it with thin slices of steak, can't say if this enhanced the flavor or not. I just don't have much experience with French wine. It was enjoyable, however, and I had a pleasant evening sharing the bottle with my wine buds.

8/15/2008 - Terran23 wrote:

From memory, pungent, tar nose, much like something from the Mount Veeder area. Tasted a bit earthy, there was some spice, smooth finish. Approachable, but seems built to lay down for a few more years.

8/16/2008 - Terran23 wrote:

Vineyards are sloped on 3 million tons of limestone in a remote area. Wanted to see what this was like. Interesting vino glass seal came with the bottle. Meaty nose. Taste seemed warm, subtle, and sweet. Light body, medium finish. Not bad, but for the price point, I've had better wines.