3/23/2024 - spisakc Likes this wine:

I was honestly shocked this bottle was so good but really that it was still good. Light for a Bordeaux of this age but still had fruit almost like a burgundy. But plenty of structure left. I doubt there are others out there but I wouldn't wait on this.

10/16/2023 - spisakc Likes this wine:

Still drinking beautiful with plenty of fruit and finish.

10/14/2023 - spisakc Likes this wine:

Still needs more time but so much potential.

10/14/2023 - spisakc Likes this wine:

Oak is now very balanced and the cherry vanilla notes are wonderful. Silly smooth finish on the palate.

10/14/2023 - spisakc Likes this wine:

Lots of earthy vegetation notes and decent acidity but definitely getting to the end of its time as the fruit is fading.

10/14/2023 - spisakc Likes this wine:

Still incredible. Beautiful golden color with lemon curd notes and a full creme brule' like finish.

4/28/2023 - spisakc Likes this wine:

Much lighter and delicate than we expected. Tobacco and mineral but a bit astringent. Needs at least 30 minutes to open up and then the hints of berry and fig come through.

3/3/2023 - spisakc wrote:

Intense and bold flavors of plum, leather and tobacco. Fruit is smooth but still there. Really balanced tannins and mouth feel. Drinking superbly now.

3/2/2023 - spisakc Likes this wine:

Fruit forward and well balanced. Drink this vintage now.

10/20/2022 - spisakc Likes this wine:

Drink now

4/2/2022 - spisakc wrote:

Perfectly balanced. Notes of leather and plum. Really great fruit still vibrant. Really can't imagine this getting any better so drink it now. Soft ripe tannins and low acidity.

12/21/2021 - spisakc Likes this wine:

Perfectly balanced. Drink it now. Not sure it will hold up for 2 or 3xmore years. Tightly structured tannins but intense strawberry and cherry with soft mouth feel and finish.

9/1/2021 - spisakc Likes this wine:

The 09 had turned so this vertical side by side tasting didn't turn out. It was good but wasn't overly impressed but might have been thrown off by the 09.....

8/31/2021 - spisakc wrote:

Had started to turn. Was good once.

7/25/2021 - spisakc wrote:

Talk about perfection

4/12/2021 - spisakc wrote:

Earthy nose and immediately supple mouthfeel. This is drinking perfectly now I get a little rhubarb and strawberry with a nice dry finish of just a hint of brown leaf tobacco

9/6/2019 - spisakc wrote:

After many years we finally drank the last bottle tonight I'm tempted to give it a higher score but I may be bias I love this wine.

3/2/2019 - spisakc wrote:

Almost like a Pinot Noir from the Canary Islands buy again

9/22/2018 - spisakc wrote:

This was my one and only bottle and I wish I had dozens more. It was a classic and perfect barolo.

7/21/2018 - spisakc wrote:

I wish i had more.

7/21/2018 - spisakc Likes this wine:

Has really a ton of fruit on the front end. Plenty of tanning still left on this. I got Plum and vanilla with a very soft finish.

7/21/2018 - spisakc Likes this wine:

This was even better than expected at this age. Still incredibly big with lots of pepper and tobacco. This clearly still has a few years left but it won't get better than now.

4/21/2018 - spisakc Likes this wine:

This is still pretty young and can stay in the bottle for another 5 to 8 years. Chocolate and leather on the front end well-balanced tannins. At this age I suggest you decant it for at least half an hour.

3/10/2018 - spisakc wrote:

A really beautiful expression of 100% estate bottled Merlot I definitely think it needs to open 15 to 20 minutes earlier than drinking. Even though it's 100% there's a lot of unique complexity in this wine I'll let you know more after I have more of it.

7/20/2017 - spisakc Likes this wine:

A softer nose with hints of Earth grass and strawberries moderate fruit forward perfectly balanced from the front end to a very smooth finish drinking beautifully right now

2/19/2017 - spisakc Likes this wine:

We were so happy with this. Can't wait to try more vintages.

1/8/2017 - spisakc wrote:

Incredible amount of fruit left on this. Cherry and plum. Great structure and legs. We all thought this would be close to past its prime but it could go for a few more years.

1/1/2017 - spisakc Likes this wine:

Wow

1/1/2017 - spisakc Likes this wine:

This needed a good hour to open up. Still had plenty of fruit and structure. Not quite what I was hoping for.

12/30/2016 - spisakc Likes this wine:

Sean says it's jammy. Not sure anyone else agrees. Aryn says it has depth. It does. Tara likes the alcohol structure on the back end. Rich likes the balance. Plum and tart with complex Stone fruit and blackberry on the finish. A bit of earth and herb. Quite ready now.

12/28/2016 - spisakc Likes this wine:

A soft nose of strawberries and cinnamon. Modest fruit with more strawberry, herbs, vanilla tea and a touch of cherry. Really smooth ru of the back end. I think this is one of our favorite Oregon pinots.

12/17/2016 - spisakc Likes this wine:

Think this needs more time.

12/5/2016 - spisakc wrote:

We drank the last two of these bottles and frankly they were a bit different. Clearly these are at the end of their life. One was fairly decent but both were one note and flat. They lacked complexity. should have drank them sooner.

11/22/2016 - spisakc wrote:

This resembles an old world cab. Earthy and well balanced. Raspberry fruit and vanilla. Drank side by side with the 10 vintage. Both are great.

11/20/2016 - spisakc wrote:

Super dark ruby in color. There's lots of darkness here: fruit, cherry, chocolate, woodsy... The recommended drinking window was by 2014 but this is still fantastic. There's no hint from this bottle of over the hill so I'm guessing others had different storage provenance than our cellar. But given the variance, suggest you drink any of this that you have left now.

11/18/2016 - spisakc wrote:

drinking wonderfully. Incredibly deep purple in color. Front end fruit is subtle, there but not over the top. Rhubarb, some strawberry/plum, tobacco and licorice. Many complex notes with strong tannin structure but the balance is still there. This is a really big wine that can stay in the cellar for years. This is a highly unique wine unlike anything we've had.

11/12/2016 - spisakc Likes this wine:

Full body and structure. A bit bigger than I suspected. The fruit was present but subtle (stone) and probably wouldn't last much longer in the bottle. Great now but don't wait.

11/13/2016 - spisakc wrote:

a bit too much melon/sweetness for my taste

11/13/2016 - spisakc wrote:

classic sangiovese, easy to drink.

9/30/2016 - spisakc wrote:

Still the same beautiful characteristics as the previous rating. I think its better now though and hope it keeps going.

7/6/2016 - spisakc wrote:

We all found it quite tasty. Very nicely structured and complex flavors of plum/strawberry/leather. Fairly fruit forward but got no sweetness from this top of the line Corvina.

7/6/2016 - spisakc wrote:

Had a taste immediately after opening but let the rest open up for 90 minutes and it was fantastic. Dark fruit, deep body and color. Really perfect right now.

1/18/2016 - spisakc wrote:

Great structure to this wine. The balance would suggest a blend. Plenty of cherry and blackberry notes with some back end of cedar and leather. Really nice right now but will last for a few more years easily.

1/18/2016 - spisakc wrote:

Exactly as it tasted at the vineyard. complex and luscious with hints of stone fruit. Drinking great now !

11/24/2014 - spisakc wrote:

Not sure I have anything to add to the previous note other than it's still showing exceptionally well.

4/15/2014 - spisakc wrote:

We drank this over three settings using our Coravin "wine thief". I have to say that although the Argon gas that replaces the extracted volume is inert and odorless, I believe a liittle oxygen got in. Not much though because in this case, i thought it was a good thing. The wine seemed to take on a bit more character with each sampling and we liked the last the best. I believe this is probably similar to decanting so I would suggest an hour. As to the flavors, soft fruit and tannins and simultaneously earthy with a nice balance. Even though it has high alcohol, it tastes to us more like an old world wine.

12/31/2013 - spisakc wrote:

This wine is absolutely a fantastic Cab blend. So well balanced and blended and it's immediately drinkable after opening. We had it with roasted chicken and french lentils (awesome). Not too spicy but a hint of herb/earth and predominately mixed berry fruit. It hits the pallate with immediate enjoyment and lingers with a nice cocoa finish. Low acid and moderate tannins. Drink it now.

12/31/2013 - spisakc wrote:

Full inky color and full chocalate/cherry notes in this great vintage/wine. Frankly, I'm bias as I first tasted it on the mountain where the grapes are grown overlooking La Garda. So, every time I drink this wine I'm taken back to that spot. But, I'm getting some plum flavors now that I didn't before and I think the wine has balanced and softened up a bit. I think it's prime drinking time now so I recommend doing so over the next year or two if you have any.

11/20/2013 - spisakc wrote:

I read the two previous reviews on the site and can't say they are off or wrong. For my taste, I thought the wine was well worth the $30 or so from a value perspective. It definitely is a strong cherr Pinot and I did let it open up for 30-40 minutes prior to drinking. Since I had never had it before, I was interested in trying it and glad I did. I would buy again but I agree with Not647f, you can find a few others that will suit your personal tastes for a bit less in price. A solid wine but not earth shattering.

9/9/2013 - spisakc wrote:

Drank this with friends about 2 months ago. Everyone loved it but I honestly can't remember the details. I have one left so we'll see next time.