4/7/2023 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Big, bold, spicy, and fruity with solid structure and tannins.

3/3/2023 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Delicious. Five hour decant. Allspice, white pepper, and ripe raspberries on the nose. Dry, spicy and tart on the palate with berries, green pepper, licorice, clay, and tobacco on the palate. Lovely.

10/17/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

An absolutely incredible bottle for its price and age.

10/3/2022 - rbrater wrote:

On the nose, the bottle is very slightly corked. On the palate, still enjoyable but might be missing a bit due to it being slightly flawed.

10/3/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Great bottle, but opened WAY too soon.

10/3/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Unfortunately, past its time. Not corked, just old.

9/19/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Lots of earth and branble. A little tight right now. Needs time to breathe and probably a few years to settle. Will revisit.

9/19/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Absolutely delicious. Wonderfully layered with great complexity. Amazing bottle at this price.

9/19/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

In a really wonderful place right now. Went beautifully with steak and lobster. But very good on its own as well.

8/19/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

This rose packs a punch. Strong, robust flavors of strawberries, white peach, kiwi, and clementines. Really tasty.

8/18/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Wonderful bottle of merlot. Consistent with prior notes. Amazing wine for the price.

7/25/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Great rose sipper for the price.

5/31/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Vanilla and blackberry on the nose. Smooth and balanced between acidity and ripe fruit, which gives way to a bit of green pepper before finishing with hints of ripe plums.

5/25/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Kicks off with aromas of plum, mushrooms, earth. Great complexity with ink and earth at first, then plum and cherry with a follow through of spiciness. Paired perfectly with spare ribs.

5/7/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Mushrooms and bramble on the nose. Attacks the palate with inky mushrooms and cherry with a secondary acidity. Missing a third dimension.

5/7/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Delightful. Well rounded and complex. Decanted for 8 hours and worth the wait. Perfect match for beef tenderloin.

5/8/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Black cherry and cassis on the nose. Bright fruit with hints of bell pepper on the palate with a spicy, acidic finish. Quite good.

4/23/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Wonderful bottle of merlot 80/cab 20 blend. Ripe fruit bursting with berries and hints of eucalyptus on the palate with a notable spice on the back end. A great effort that is super affordable. Best after 8-12 hour decant.

4/15/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Consistent with prior notes.

4/16/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

This took some time to fully develop on the front palate. Initially there was an olive tapenade feel with a great ripe berry finish. With time on air, the balance on the palates developed. A great wine at an amazing price.

4/16/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

A wonderful bouquet upon opening. A really great syrah that is fully developed. Needs time to decant. A fabulous balance of fruit and acid with an amazing consistency throughout.

4/16/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

A wonderful, ethereal syrah. Probably needs a little more time in the bottle to fully develop. Needs a long decant and airtime before it really starts to shine. A great effort.

3/20/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

black cherry and tobacco on the nose. Fruity and spicy. Beautifully crafted with great balance.

3/20/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

ripe raisins and stewed fruit on the nose; burst of plum and berries with just a fabulous garrigue on the palate. a great strawberry, leather finish. Delicious.

3/12/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Beautifully well crafted. Drank a little too soon. Will wait a few years on the other bottle.

2/4/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Wow. Lots of life left in this one. Stewed cranberries, prunes, and still some tannins left.

1/20/2022 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Needs a significant decant. But a really nice bottle.

12/25/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Lovely after a two hour decant. Great balance of fruit, acidity, and tannins.

12/6/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

After a long decant of six hours, the wine was still concentrated a bit tight. Cloudy in color with lots of sediment. Over the course of another hour, the wine had a magical transformation into a beautiful and delicious experience. Incredible balance and residual fruit for a 40 year old bottle of $9 wine.

11/7/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Floral notes, leather and fresh berries on the nose. Raspberries, spice, and a great balance of fruit and acid on the palate. Drink now or save.

10/29/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Plum, blueberry, green pepper. Some smokiness and dried blackberries. Quite good.

10/24/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Plenty of depth and complexity for such a young wine. This wine has wonderful balance and drinks very well right now.

10/24/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Fabulous wine. Strikes all the right notes.

10/23/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

A great, everyday sparkler.

10/22/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Earth, bramble, green pepper, and blueberry compote on the nose. Excellent balance of acidity, fruit, and earth on the palate. Pop and pour and ready to roll.

10/22/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Delicious

10/6/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

A great, affordable every day pinot. Tough to beat for the price.

8/29/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Blueberry compote on the palate at PnP. Definitely needs a few hours to open up. Then, you get a beautiful complexity of a delicious pinot. Could use many more years in the cellar, but tastes great now.

8/29/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Nose of oyster mushroom, water chestnut, and white peach. At PnP tastes of herbal green notes, but opened over time into unctuous deliciousness. Taste of red grapefruit, toasted coconut, butterscotch candy. Layered complexity. Needs time to open up.

8/12/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Delightful, approachable pinot at a reasonable price.

8/12/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

This is a little young and needs some time to breath. This probably needs a few more years.

6/21/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Refreshing, enjoyable, medium bodied white wine with a great QPR. Drinks well on its own and with food. Green apples, medium acidity, a bit of brininess and wet stone, and just a hint of citrus.

5/22/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Consistently fabulous.

5/22/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Classic CA chardonnay without the oakiness. Good balance with flavors that are enhanced with food.

3/26/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Fantastic every day rose.

2/19/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Ripe berry fruit on the nose with hints of caramel. Bright, ripe fruit with a great balance of acidity, tannins, and oak. Amazing QPR.

2/19/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

A bomb of fruit and tart. Not a lot of complexity or depth, but holds up well with rich or spicy food. A decent, everyday bottle.

2/23/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

A great bottle. Deep earth, spice, dark purple, ripe fruit, and hints of oak. Always solid.

1/18/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

This needed a little time to decant and open up. Plum, tobacco, vanilla, and raisins on the nose. A tasty balance of dark berry fruit, oak, and graphite on the palate. Paired extremely well with savory food. Drink now.

1/18/2021 - rbrater Likes this wine:

Coffee, vanilla, plums, raisins on the nose. Light to medium fruit with caramel, coffee, toasted oak, and a hint of tannins on the palate. Nice balance of fruit and spice. Well structured and balanced, but a little thin.