11/21/2012 - Birch wrote:

Great little wine, easily accessible now.

5/6/2012 - Birch wrote:

Medium to deep ruby color, medium plus intensity with black fruit dominated by blueberry, white pepper and vanilla. Medium plus acidity and intensity on the palate, with medium to medium plus alcohol and tannin. Blueberry, vanilla and pepper on the palate. Oak is well integrated; balanced with a long finish.

3/17/2012 - Birch wrote:

On day one this was largely overpowered by an intense perfume (cinsault?) that really overwhelmed the wine's other components. On day two it was much more approachable and really a lovely wine. Resolved tannins with light red fruit.

1/11/2012 - Birch wrote:

Horribly corked.

12/11/2011 - Birch wrote:

This is the second bottle that was totally dominated by brett. I enjoy a little brett, but the fruit was completely overwhelmed in this bottle.

12/3/2011 - Birch wrote:

I always love this wine. Right now its shows lots of potential, but it's a bit more muted than it has been in the past. The nose shows quite a bit of vanilla and cassis, with good structure and smooth tannins.

12/1/2011 - Birch wrote:

Really interesting wine at a good price. Lots of dried fruit and spice on the nose and palate, but definitely more restrained than your typical cali zin. B+

12/1/2011 - Birch wrote:

Bottle variation was mentioned below - could be why I disagree with many of the comments. This shows no typicity for me - in fact most in our group thought it something other than syrah. It's definitely drinkable, but for me lack of typicity is inexcusable at any price point. C-

12/1/2011 - Birch wrote:

Agree with prior comments, not a fan of this effort. Light red fruit on the nose, but I get nothing from the palate.

12/1/2011 - Birch wrote:

Interesting oaked Sauv Blanc here. Definite tropical notes with a light toastiness; perhaps could use more acidity but quite pleasing. B

12/1/2011 - Birch wrote:

No one in our group particularly cared for this - the floral aromatics really overpowered all other aspects of the wine. Like chewing on flowers. C

12/1/2011 - Birch wrote:

Rather regular, lacking character. Not offensive, but not much going on. C+

12/1/2011 - Birch wrote:

No formal note, but a great cali cab. Very balanced with restrained fruit and silky tannins. A

11/25/2011 - Birch wrote:

Really great cab here. No decant, so it's a bit tight, but nice herbal notes on the nose without being too vegetal, definately not overripe but intense fruit. Delicious, nicely balanced and soft tannins. A

11/24/2011 - Birch wrote:

Ruby color, intense nose with herbal characteristics. Tannins seem angular and rough and not exactly integrated on the palate right now. B-

11/14/2011 - Birch wrote:

Starting to brown up a bit but still quite dark, and developing some light tertiary scents on the nose with limted primary or secondary notes. Lots of acidity and low/med tannin, but perhaps not quite enough fruit to round things out at this point. A-

3/18/2011 - Birch wrote:

Very forgetable, little distinction. Reminds me of a big shiraz without any flavor.

9/15/2010 - Birch wrote:

Not at all impressed with this. As someone else noted, it certainly doesn't seem to show like it did at the cellar door. For $100 AUD, but something else.

6/18/2010 - Birch wrote:

This is ok, but not nearly worth the price. The alcohol is somewhat noticeable, and the fruit doesn't seem ripe enough to cover it. I find it odd that the alcohol is so high with this level of ripeness.

6/12/2010 - Birch wrote:

Tons of brett on this. Palate is a little thin as well.

Day 2: Much better on day 2, the brett seems to have subsided and reveals lots of prune, pretty nice balance and a decent finish.

5/21/2010 - Birch wrote:

Significant volatile acidity initially killed the nose on this, but it started to come around after an hour in the decanter. Seems to exhibit a northern syrah type of profile on the nose and palate. Lots of tannin and decent length, but feels like it's lacking a little something mid palate. A little disappointing after having looked at prior reviews.

4/10/2010 - Birch wrote:

A lot less balanced than I remember. The acholol seems to overpower the wine quite a bit, and the fruit is definitely lacking.

4/10/2010 - Birch wrote:

This nose is not very revealing. Surprisingly high acidity and very hollow mid-palate despite the vintage. Disappointing even at this price point.

3/17/2010 - Birch wrote:

Over extracted oak bomb, quite undrinkable for my palate. Doesn't show as varietally correct.

3/10/2010 - Birch wrote:

At the price I paid (half price), this is a steal. Apart from the somewhat dominent aroma on the nose (which I can't quite describe), the wine is well balanced with great acidity and decent fruit. Not overripe at all. That said, I would be a little less impressed at full price.

2/10/2010 - Birch wrote:

This bottle was really quite terrible. I don't recall it tasting like this at the winery, so I can only assume it's flawed. The intense chocolate aroma and flavour a recall is still present, but disjointed and gloppy at this point. The acidity and alcohol are out of balance. Undrinkable, poured out.

1/15/2010 - Birch wrote:

Opened and decanted immediately, consumed over 2 hours. Doesn't reveal much in the way of bouquet. Seems to have good acidity and tannic content, but lacking a bit on the concentration of fruit. Overall, disappointing at this price.

1/8/2010 - Birch wrote:

I'm not sure if there's a flaw here or what, but I'm definitely not getting what previous notes have indicated. No creamy, nutty, yeasty flavor. The profile seems quite straight-forward, if not very much citrus based. Very nice indeed and well balanced with very small bubbles and a nice deep gold color, but I probably wouldn't have purchased it had I known it was lacking the characteristics listed in previous notes.

12/20/2009 - Birch wrote:

Corked.

10/30/2009 - Birch wrote:

Tannins are still biting hard. Feels a bit disjointed at this point, with the tannin and fruit fighting each other. This needs a few more years to come together.

10/17/2009 - Birch wrote:

Coming along nicely. I decanted this for an hour, and consumed over the following 3. It progressed nicely throughout the night, but desperately requires the decanting at this point. Still very tannic, but beautiful aromas and flavours developed throughout the evening - chocolate, plum, and a nice port-like character.

7/31/2009 - Birch wrote:

I only paid $10 for this through my wine club. Shockingly good for that price. Deep red in color to the rim. Ripe plum and cherry on the nose. Tannins are nicely in check, and went wonderfully with burgers on the bbq.

4/3/2009 - Birch wrote:

An austere wine that got significantly better with food. A bit of spice and red fruit on the nose, red fruit and pepper in the mouth. It's not quite balanced; seems to be missing some tannin. Decent for the price I suppose, and interesting to try a Madrid AOC.

3/29/2009 - Birch wrote:

This is a huge wine that needs much more time in the cellar. I decanted for 2 hours, then double decanted and consumed an hour later. The wine is very concentrated with plenty of ripe fruit. The tannins are gripping, and the finish is long. The high alchohol (this is 15.1%) is not evident, at least until you get light-headed. This has abundent balance to go the distance, and should be stunning in 5 years.

3/23/2009 - Birch wrote:

Drank this from a 375ml just to try it out. Boy this stuff is bad. Strong vegetal notes on the nose kills all fruit, and I just can't seem to pin down a flavor....due to a general lack thereof. The acidity and tannin level seems nice, though. Avoid.

12/27/2008 - Birch wrote:

Nice little pinot. Very light color in the glass. Nose and flavor seem to be dominated by strawberry. Nothing complex, but fun nontheless.

12/25/2008 - Birch wrote:

This is a hidden gem. Consistent with my previous note, it's beautifully concentrated and aromatic. The tannins could use a little time to calm down, but it's very drinkable right now.

12/11/2008 - Birch wrote:

Cabernet Sauvignon based claret. Quite light in color, and the nose is giving away very little, other than vague red berries. Cassis, currant, and blackberry are evident in the mouth. For $10, not bad.

12/7/2008 - Birch wrote:

Day 1

Popped and poured. Very dark, rich colour. Very closed up right now. Tannins are still a bit harsh. Could use some more time in the bottle to come together, but definitely not in for the long run. 50/4/11/16/6

Day 2
Very nice ruby red color. Muted nose with earth and spice showing through. Obvious taste of licorice, fig, and red fruit. It's a pretty tannic wine with strong acidity and a short finish. May benefit from some short term aging, but should be consumed soon.50/4/11/14/7

11/29/2008 - Birch wrote:

Wow, seems much different than my last bottle. Very typical burgundian flavors of forest floor, mushrooms, etc and a nice long finish. I will still complain of the acidity, but it seems to calm down relatively quickly.

11/26/2008 - Birch wrote:

I wouldn't buy this, but received as a gift from a friend. Should have stuck to my instincts and dumped it down the drain. Pure plonk. Couldn't even finish a glass. Nothing else to say.

11/14/2008 - Birch wrote:

Very disappointed. Too acidic, and very simplistic. Definitely overrated.

10/29/2008 - Birch wrote:

ALthough not my style at all, I'm trying to be objective. Nose of dark fruit, especially cherry. Flavors of black cherry and plum dominate. The alcohol is too intense, and burns all the way down. I feel like I'm drinking cherry flavored whiskey. 15.5% alcohol is very evident.

10/24/2008 - Birch wrote:

50% Chardonnay / 50% Pinot Bianco. Very nice clean, light golden appearance. Aromas seem to be dominated by apple, with some light citrus and mineral undertones. The wine is quite high in acidity. Slightly creamy texture, with apricot, apple, lemon and a touch of minerality in the flavor. The finish is disappointing - the acidity leaves you with a parched mouth, the flavors lingering for a limited time. Definitely a wine made to be consumed with a meal.

10/22/2008 - Birch wrote:

Decanted for 1.5 hours. The wine is a red cherry color, with a nose dominated by black cherry and a small whiff of plum. The cherry is overpowering, even on the palate, and reminds me of cherry cough syrup. The wine is in good balance, with a noticable hit of licorice on the medium length. Not much complexity here. Drink now.

1/20/2007 - Birch wrote:

Earthy nose, with a bit of smoke. Very easy drinking. Light flavours of red fruit. A touch disappointing on the finish.

10/22/2008 - Birch wrote:

Actually smelled like vinegar - tried to revive by decanting for 2.5 hours, but to no avail.

10/19/2008 - Birch wrote:

This wine is cherry red with aromas of herb and cherry on the nose. The tannins are lots soft now, and the wine is in decent balance. The spice seems to initially overpower most everything else in the mouth, although I get some earthiness and there is some definite cherry and vanilla on the end, with limited length.

10/16/2008 - Birch wrote:

Color is purple with aromas of raspberry, pepper, spice, licorice, and even a bit of vanilla protruding from the bouquet. In the mouth I get black cherry and red fruit (primarily raspberry). Finding it a bit bitter, could use more time as the tannins are still slapping me around a bit.

10/10/2008 - Birch wrote:

Day 1: Dark, deep cherry colour - almost purple in the glass. Lots of sweet red fruit and spice on the nose. Well balanced with medium-smooth tannins. Flavour primarily dominated by red fruit. Seems short, but my cold is interfering. No rating because I was getting over a bad cold and nose/palate is off.

Day 2: Fabulous nose of ripe fruit. Definite flavours of black cherry, plum, and currant. Finish is decent today. Overall, an elegant, concentrated wine.