4/2/2022 - Hershey in CA Likes this wine:

Delicious with dinner, especially cucumber salad, this has lots of both acidity in balance with rich buttery fruits. Lovely and worth the $13

2/11/2022 - Hershey in CA Does not like this wine:

Lovely dark cocoa and red berries on the nose but a astringent and acidic on the palate, almost like soured cider. Maybe it got smoke taint from the fires that year? Hoping the 2019 will be better

3/11/2019 - Hershey in CA Likes this wine:

Juicy, with cherry and strawberry on the front, bit of tobacco and tannin on the finish. Simple with enough depth to pair with lots of Italian food. Good for a bargain bottle

2/3/2019 - Hershey in CA Likes this wine:

Dark cherry and prune fruits with a fair amount of mulling spice and stale black pepper. Has a few gaps on the palate, but decent balance of acid tannin, wood from the oak and fruit.

2/1/2019 - Hershey in CA Likes this wine:

Deep dark wild cherry fruit, like an adult wild cherry Luden drop, fruits continue to open up with a hint of balsamic on the finish. Utterly delicious.
Drinking after open for 18 hours, dark cherry candy fruits still strong, tannins were starting to sag a bit, but still very tasty with a andoille lentil stew

8/12/2017 - Hershey in CA Likes this wine:

After breathing a few minutes in the glass, this is a nice crisp rose, with tart yellow plum, strawberry, and a bit of lemony citrus. Nothing spectacular, but very serviceable

1/30/2014 - Hershey in CA Likes this wine:

Rich and complex, with great acidic balance. Theres a lot of great tropical fruit notes to start, and with a little time, secondary notes of funky cheese and petrol start to come into play in a very nice way. Beautiful bottle, and great value for an interesting vintage champagne.

1/23/2014 - Hershey in CA Likes this wine:

Tight and complex out of the bottle, it opens up after about an hour in the glass. Layers of minerality, dark fruits, chocolate to start, with smoke and bacon like flavors filling in with some time. Great value, I imagine this will hold up fine for a couple years in the cellar.

10/31/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

N: cedar, sesame & sumac, maduro cigar, dark cherry brandy
M: fresh, w/ med body, weak entry, slightly sour finish, but good cherry fruit & tannin grip through mid

10/31/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

N: purple ink, herbal black cough drops, menthol, sweet spiced meat.
M: gentle but firm tannins, a tad ripe, but perhaps just old bottle (2nd day?).

10/31/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

N: fresh slate, chocolate nibs, sour cherry, with a touch of alc.
M: Aromatics carry through nicely, with med+ acid, balanced throughout palate. Swecond day, hint of sage, sweet milky coffee comes out, tannins turn more lush and velvety.

10/31/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

N: chocolate raspberry truffle with hint of alcohol. M: black & blue berries, juicy, nice chalky tannins, slightly tart on finish.

10/31/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Deep brown tawny color and aromatics. Dark orange/coffee/caramel, hint of dusky rose, wet hay on nose. Med body, med+ acid, med tannins. Slightly tawny notes on raisny finish. This wine feels tired, maybe falling down on day 2

10/31/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

overripe red & black twizzlers, cheap milk chocolate. sweet and smooth on palate w/ too much alc.

10/31/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Ludens Cherry Cough Drops in aroma and color. Sour strawberry, sage, minty oregeno, allspice on palate. Light-med weight, mildly drying tannins balanced through top & side of palate, med finish

10/30/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

In a vertical along side the 01, 02 & 05, the 03 stood out for its ripe bright fruit that paired spectacularly with a smoked brisket and saurkraut sandwich. The herbal tones complimented the food, while the fruit created a new layer of happiness in my mouth. Would love this again with smoked beef any day.

10/30/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Still in its infancy, this wine has some muscle that will flesh out with time. Bright and nervy, the wine showed bright red fruits on the nose, sweet on the entry, with strong minerality and acid through the center & mid, with a big cigar finish Like biting into a rich maduro. Give it a few years and it'll show its full potential.

10/30/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Nose is dark and tight, with some dark fruit and sweet herbs. Rich red and black current on front, tobacco, cedar, blackberry though mid to finish. Med-full bodied, with elegant leather on the finish. Tannins still firm and tight, and will benefit from a few more years in the cellar, or perhaps a pass through the Vinturi if you only have a short decanting window.

8/24/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

enticing aromatics of andoullie sausage, fennel, licorice. Smooth and seamless on palate, with good fruit, spice and the meaty undertones from the nose. Great value.

7/2/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Rich and lush with white mulberry, nectarine, kiwi and lots of other bright fruits held together in a creamy combo lifted with med+ acid. A hedonistic wine for buttery chard lovers to expand their palate with, as this wine is rich without ever tasting oaky or fake. There's a hint of RS, although I'd be surprised if it was actually much there, with the ripeness of the fruit notes giving the illusion more than actual RS.

7/2/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Deep & sexy with some leather, and very ripe black fruits on the nose. Black current, licorice, herb witha touch of black pepper on palate. This is a wine to make a night out of.

7/2/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Reminded me of St. Joesph, with sweet-tart fruits, sandy tannins and a med+ finish. I thought this was na excellent wine for the price, and took home a bottle to taste with my winemaker friends.

7/2/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

40% Grenache, 40% Mouvedre 20% Syrah, this wine was deep dark and brooding on the nose, with lots of black cherry and black berries, but surprised my palate with high acid on the front of the palate that lifted the fruit much higher than i expected. The acid was fine grained and not at all harsh, but a little too bright at this still young stage. I think a few years in the cellar will let this one come together brilliantly. Lots of red-purple fruits, good minerality.

7/2/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Rich and lush cherry sauce (like a cherry reduction for duck), with some herb and minerals hiding underneath. Med acid, med body, med+ length. There might be much more lurking under all the fruit, but too early to taste it yet.

7/2/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Light but ripe strawberries and a lime-bay leaf component that makes this wine quite delicious and refreshing. Med-light bodied, med acid, although sadly the finish doesn't hang around as long as i'd like, but I guess its just its way of inviting you back for another drink.

7/2/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

deep sour cherries, tea, spice. Rich without ever feeling overripe, med++ acid will allow this wine to improve gracefully with age. I'm guessing this will be significantly more elegant in 1-4 years.

7/2/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Delicate cinnamon and spice marinated fruits, with a hint of tawny caramel, and great acidity enrobed beneath its light silky sheath of juice.

7/2/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Slightly underripe pineapple, wiht hints of peach & nectarine, a decent sptriz of perfume (which was a tad hot on the finish) for a nice wine.

5/28/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Toasty oak, black cherry, baking spice and earth on nose. Big fruit tannins dry to front of the palate, lots fo black cherry, cola, earth and spice. Med oak, and just a touch hot for me, but a solid Napa Cab for the price.

5/28/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

N: Deep, dark, ripe red & black berries, with a touch of leather & baking spice
M: Red berries on front of palate, deeper on mid, touch of leather and dusty tannins on a light and bright acidic finish.
A little short, but very well made wine from good fruit.

5/28/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Beautiful french apple tart, with plump raisins and a golden crust... significant butter, baked apple and golden raisin, with some green fruit on the edge. Soft on entrance, with med+ acid, touch of banana, baked apple, bright finish. Well balanced, and a yummy wine.

5/28/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

V: pale yellow, med intensity
N: moderate to full aromatics, hay, grass, flowers, lime, green apple, honeydew
M: sour green apple, lime, med body doesn't fully hold the high acid, med alc, med length
I thought this was a Sauv Blanc in a blind tasting, and was impressed, but less so as a riesling.

5/21/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Deep and rich, with lots of black cherry, lime, some Dr. Pepper, peat, and just a hint of greens, on top of delicious pastry on the nose. Sweet, smooth fruit tannins on the front of the palate mask the med+ acid that washes over the palate on the finish, with a touch of the typical gamay green astringency that I like, but some new world drinkers might not. Med body, with good minerality, this wine is outstanding beaujolais. Only disappointment is the lack of structure on the finish, but I may be asking too much of gamay to deliver there.

5/21/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Deep dark cherry juice, touch of strawberry, currents, soft tannins and med- acid make this wine easy to drink with lots of foods, although nothing so stunning.

5/19/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

A bit tight at the tasting, this wine needs a few hours decanting or a few years to cellar. Some raspberry, barnyard, hint of herbs and licorice, red cherry, Big tannins still gripping this wine tightly.

5/19/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Raspberry & herb de provence, some licorice, hint of game and light masichino cherry. Med to light bodied, delicate and very quaffable.

5/19/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Lots of bosc pear, unripe pineapple, some lemon, pepper and hint of oyster shell. Bright high acid, med bubbles

5/19/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Light on palate, with strawberries and rosehips. Med bubbles and med+ acid

5/19/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Slate, lime leaf, mulberry, hint of mushroom and sweet strawberry on finish
Fine bubble structure, med + acid

5/19/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

pineapple, lots of granny smith apple & creme brulee
bright bubbles, and slightly harsh acid

5/18/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Cranberry, generic strawberry, wtih some earth, cinnamon & nutmeg. Med acid, med tannins for an average Sangiovese blend. Overpriced

5/18/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Bright, intense color, syrupy boysenberry and blackberry fruits, very smooth tannins, and holds the tannins well. Sweet for my palate.

5/18/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Some melon, flint and smoke on this wine, but hot on the finish at around 14%. Med ++ acid

5/18/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Huge oak bomb, with loads of concentrated black berries, currents, on top of tons of carmelized oak. Clearly a big parker scorer, but the last thing any burgundy fan should drink. Completely blasts the palate, and I think the tasting guy just wanted to piss me off with this wine. If you're into big, then you'll like this, but not me.

5/18/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

dark red plums, with earth, cherry, strawberry jam and a finish like the sugar at the bottom of a tea cup.

5/18/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Lots of french oak, with creamy lemon custard feel

5/18/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

N: butter, honeysuckle, floral
M: creamy, like an oaked chard, hot finish

5/18/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

N: pineapple, kiwi, med complexity
M: clove, perfume, touch hot on back

5/14/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Rich and intense, with lots of black fruit, oak, earth. Still tight after being open and poured all day, this was hot on the finish for my palate and felt to be over 15%.

5/14/2009 - Hershey in CA wrote:

Loads of red cherry, touch of licorice, chocolate and gravel. Med + acid could make this food friendly, but it is a big Napa Cab. Very smooth tannins on an obviously well crafted wine.