8/20/2020 - TheRikker wrote:

After reading the previous notes, I popped this figuring it wouldn't be any good or past it's prime. Not the case at all! It still had a few years to go. Stone fruit with a hint of grass. Still some nice fruit, great acidity, and really nice minerality, with a longish finish. I thought it was great.

6/7/2019 - TheRikker Likes this wine:

Picked this up at a shop in Cape Town since my wife had never had a Riesling before. I probably shouldn't have set such a high bar because this wine was stunning. We drank it over 3 nights and it never dropped off a bit. Wonderful nose of petrol, guava, flowers, and stone fruit. Perfectly balanced between the bit of sweetness and the vibrant acidity. It had a nice, long finish to it and it even felt like it picked up a bit of tannic grip on the 2nd and 3rd nights. This was amazing but has a very long life ahead of it.

6/4/2019 - TheRikker Likes this wine:

Drank this in Cape Town last week with my wife. I can't remember many details but it still had a ton of acidity left and the wine was much darker than a 2005 Auslese we also opened. Really nice nose of black tea and a medium finish.

7/5/2018 - TheRikker wrote:

Needs time. Much better on the 2nd day.

2/17/2017 - TheRikker Likes this wine:

Bright citrus notes with some floral aromas. Even at 6 years old the acidity is still lively. Great citrus, almond, and tons of minerality on the palate. Very long finish. This wine barely needs a chill. Serve it too cold and the complexity is muted.

6/10/2014 - TheRikker Likes this wine:

Cherries, cola, cedar with a touch of mocha. Smooth tannins and long finish. I think this will improve over the next few years. Paloma always delivers.

12/30/2013 - TheRikker wrote:

HOLD!!!
I opened this on Christmas day and finally drank it 3 days later. I'd wait at least 3-5 years at least before opening.

12/23/2013 - TheRikker wrote:

Outstanding wine! This offers you a glimpse of what the Hermitage is like but without the intensity or concentration. I tasted this about two years ago and it was pretty good. Now it is a special bottle. Another year or two and it might be even better but this is drinking fantastic right now.

9/13/2013 - TheRikker wrote:

Like a white Rhone but with viognier standing at the forefront.

9/13/2013 - TheRikker wrote:

This was amazing but it still had a bit of grip that could use another 2+ years of aging. Ridiculously good with steak and chimichurri sauce. This wine lived up to its hype, and then some. It almost seems like a hybrid Right-Bank Bordeaux and S. American wine at this point. So sad this was my last one.

9/13/2013 - TheRikker wrote:

Way past prime but held up surprisingly well. Classic aged Bordeaux but 10 years past its window.

9/13/2013 - TheRikker wrote:

Needs time!

6/8/2013 - TheRikker wrote:

This is by far the biggest Pouilly Fuissé I've ever had. A bit heavy on the oak but that smoothed out on the second day. I would advise to let these sit for another year.

6/13/2013 - TheRikker Likes this wine:

Wow, this wine was outstanding and had amazing balance. It was everything I'd expect from a Bob Foley wine. Cherry, cola, chocolate, and cedar on the nose as well as on the palate. Integrated tannins but could easily go another 5 years. I really wish I had more of this wine.

5/10/2013 - TheRikker wrote:

Smells of diesel, red apples, & a bit of spice. Over the hill but still has fruit, acid, and a bit of sugar. Almost full bodied on the palate. This would have been amazing 10 years ago but at 30 it still has some life to it.

2/17/2013 - TheRikker Likes this wine:

Got a tiny sip of this at a trade show today and it was fantastic. This still has a long, long life ahead of it. Great fruit and lots of tannins left. This is built for the long haul.

1/28/2013 - TheRikker Likes this wine:

This bubbly is all berries and biscuits. An in your face, fruity, yeasty champagne. If you like the style, you'll love this wine.

1/28/2013 - TheRikker wrote:

On day 1 it was very lean and acidic with lots of tangerine. Not what I was expecting at all. By day 3 it had fleshed out and gained weight on the palate. The viognier was more apparent on the nose and it was a much improved wine. Cellar this for a few more years and you will be rewarded for your patience.

9/21/2012 - TheRikker wrote:

Very nice and opened up over several hours.

12/21/2012 - TheRikker wrote:

This finally became a pop and pour and was delicious.

5/5/2012 - TheRikker Likes this wine:

This was nice but will improve with an additional 5-10 years. It'll never be great but it will be solid.

1/1/2010 - TheRikker Likes this wine:

Was still drinking great with tons of bramble, pepper and spice. Lots of fruit and acid left.

1/1/2011 - TheRikker Likes this wine:

Shows more like a right bank Bordeaux than a Cali Merlot.

6/11/2011 - TheRikker Likes this wine:

Still showing a vibrant streak of acidity along with peach, white flowers, pepper, and minerality.

10/5/2012 - TheRikker Likes this wine:

Sad that this was my last one. This was great on opening which never happens with this wine. it usually needs a day to open up properly. Well rounded with a beautiful streak of acidity. Too bad that they seem to be adding more and more chardonnay to this wonderful grape each year. Still a steal at this price.

12/4/2012 - TheRikker Likes this wine:

This is finally starting to show its stuff but still needs another year or so because it was definitely showing better on the second day. 88 on day one.

12/8/2011 - TheRikker wrote:

This didn't deserve the big rating it got from WA but was still a solid wine. It just needed a couple hours to open up.

5/8/2012 - TheRikker Likes this wine:

A good solid win that just needed some time in the bottle to settle down.

9/3/2012 - TheRikker Likes this wine:

A steal at $15 and a great value at $20+.

5/18/2012 - TheRikker wrote:

Drank a few months ago but remember it needed a few hours of air to really show its stuff.

2/24/2012 - TheRikker wrote:

Drank a couple months ago. Many other peoples notes are accurate with dark fruit, cocoa,meat,tea, iron, but I can't believe nobody else is picking up sauerkraut. This is the 2nd vintage that I've tried of this vineyard and both times sauerkraut was distinctly noticeable. Super velvety and has a long life ahead of it. I won't touch my other on for at least 5 - 7 years.

12/21/2011 - TheRikker wrote:

My last bottle of my favorite Rosé of the year. Went great with a hoisin glazed brussel sprouts & tuna steak.
Strawberry & watermelon on the nose and palate with great acidity. Reminds me of a Tavel but w/ more acid.

12/4/2011 - TheRikker wrote:

Great nose of sweet raspberry and garrigue but a bit of heat too. Still a ton of fruit but the tannins are still kicking and strong. The oak is a bit too much and I'm hoping that this will be a little better tomorrow.

10/16/2011 - TheRikker wrote:

Best description is that this is a baby Châteauneuf du Pape. Amazing QPR.

10/16/2011 - TheRikker wrote:

WA wines are a steal compared to CA. This would cost $50 - 75 if it was from Cali.Great QPR.

8/28/2011 - TheRikker wrote:

This was great on the 1st night but a really big drop off on the 2nd. I guess I should have finished it last night. This should hold up okay for a couple more years but really no sense in waiting.

7/24/2011 - TheRikker wrote:

Nice nose of petrol, apple, and wet stone. Laser like acidity, minerality, and red apple on the palate. Great acid, fruit, and a long finish. Was even better on the 2nd day.

7/4/2011 - TheRikker wrote:

This is drinking great with lots of black fruit, garrigue, beef jerky, french funk, minerality and a nice floral aspect to it. Flavors were similar to the nose with a nice acidic backbone and soft tannins. Nicely balanced with a medium finish. QPR!! This should hold up for a few more years before it starts to head downhill.

7/4/2011 - TheRikker wrote:

Nice, easy drinking viognier. Varietally correct and well balanced but not very complex. A steal at the $7 close-out price.

7/4/2011 - TheRikker wrote:

Drank on a camping and kayak trip and had w/ a couple of grilled steaks. A nice 10 year old Cali cab that seems to be drinking at it's peak now. I was expecting this to be more advanced and perhaps on it's way down due to some previous reviews. Still plenty of fruit and the tannins seem to be integrated now. Silky smooth with a 10-15 second finish. I would have bumped it up a point or 2 if the finish were longer.This should hold up for a few more years but I'm not sure it will get any better at this point.

6/11/2011 - TheRikker wrote:

Surprised this is still drinking well. It actually took awhile to open up. Lime, pear, white flowers, and sea salt on the nose. Same on the palate with a nice mineral and acid backbone. Short finish though. Did not hold up very well on the 2nd day so I suggest drinking up if you have any.

6/4/2011 - TheRikker wrote:

Outstanding nose. Brambly, peppery, spicy dark fruit. Great acidity for a zin. Long finish.

5/22/2011 - TheRikker wrote:

Decanted for 5 hrs and drank over the next 3. Silky smooth tannins and chocolate, cedar, and cherries on the nose. Same on the palate. This is your typical Paloma but maybe a bit lighter than usual. It's still a great wine but doesn't quite have the depth of the 02 or 03. It paired ridiculously well with Barely Buzzed cheese.

5/17/2011 - TheRikker wrote:

At first this seemed completely gone. This had just a hint of fruit left and was all acid and alcohol. After an hour of air the fruit actually came back a bit. There was still a lot of heat on the nose but it was was accompanied by raspberry, spice, and some earthiness. This still has a nice acidic backbone and a hint of tannins but the fruit is just about gone. Drink'em if you've got them. This wine is just about gone. Glad I only paid $2.99 for it.

4/30/2011 - TheRikker wrote:

This really took a while to open up. After about 2+ hours the nose was absolutely fantastic. Very smooth and friendly right now but don't see it improving too much from here.

4/30/2011 - TheRikker wrote:

This is a stunning wine and while it's the 2nd best Cristal I've had, it has so much time to improve. The 1990 is still my favorite. This is starting to pick up some of the depth and complexity that these gain with age but isn't quite there yet. Nutty, floral, and creamy. This is both elegant and structured. Made for the long haul.

4/30/2011 - TheRikker wrote:

An amazing wine with a tremendous future ahead of it. This is the youngest Cristal that I've had to date and while it was a fantastic wine, I've found that I prefer them with 15+ years of cellaring. Has the potential to add 2 to 7 points with additional aging.

4/30/2011 - TheRikker wrote:

I have only tasted the regular Dom before and while i thought it was a very nice wine, it didn't blow me away. This on the other hand, is an amazing wine. Superfine mousse, tremendous depth and complexity. This is a wine that you want to spend a lot of time with, but unfortunately there were so many more amazing wines being opened that I sadly had to hurry through this.

4/3/2011 - TheRikker wrote:

This wine was pretty tight at first but really opened up after a few hours. It really needs several hours of decanting or to be Vinturied at the very least. Lime, chalk, stone, and a nice floral aspect to the nose. Similar on the palate with great acidity and a finish that got longer as time went by. Looking forward to finishing the rest tomorrow.

3/27/2011 - TheRikker wrote:

Completely shocked that this bottle is still drinking okay b/c the last one we drank was way over the hill. Bought both from the same place so must just be bottle variation. This one seems to be okay but drink'em if you got'em.