5/9/2021 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Drunk from a half bottle. It was so good that I didn't have time to think about tasting notes. Very harmonious with good structure and resolved tannin. Great with the rib eye cap tonight.

5/9/2021 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Generous on the nose but don't be fooled. It's very focused with good acidity and minerality. Long finish too.

4/17/2021 - eatdrinkrepeat Does not like this wine:

This was the second time I had this wine. Time didn't help. It was just a terribly made wine. It didn't possess any attribute a Grand Cru should have. As a matter of fact, it didn't possess any attribute a good wine should have. I can't even put a score to it.

3/21/2021 - eatdrinkrepeat wrote:

Sour fruits and slight tannic. There were some attractive components but they didn't seem to come together. A little bit more structure would help. Drank it with lamb chops in balsamic sauce. Not a bad pairing but I did expect more from the wine.

3/2/2021 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Decanted for 1.5 hours and had it with steak: Perfumed nose; good structure framed by slight tannic on the palette; I like the finish the most (sour red fruit, a little rounder, and long).

2/25/2021 - eatdrinkrepeat wrote:

Very toasty upon opening. It dissipated a little bit but it was still pretty prominent through dinner. It was not bad with the shiitake cream sauce. A well-built wine. I hope it would tone down the oak a little for my taste.

2/15/2021 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

I typically find LTB a little straightforward. But this mature bottle was more dense, complex, and lush without being heavy. Its sweetness actually overwhelmed the pear tart I made but it was fine as a dessert by itself. :-)

2/16/2021 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Fruity and showy right off the gate just like other KBs. Drinking pleasantly for an hour or so. But it lost its legs and turned strangely rustic. I guess the key is to finish it quickly. :-)

2/13/2021 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Great nose with just the right amount of oak. The palette confirmed that the wine was well balanced with citrus and acidity. The color showed a little age but it was at a great spot. Enjoyed with sole meuniere. Just lovely.

2/6/2021 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Very pretty and expressive nose. Aged beautifully still with red fruits. Nice structure with good acidity and some remaining tannin. Long finish.

1/21/2021 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Fruity and generous from beginning to end. Very smooth with no hard edges. Quite a bit of sediment for such a young wine. Very well made.

1/16/2021 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Fruity (red like cranberries) and smooth. Integrated and soft tannin. Nice mouthfeel. A little bitterness at the end - not distracting but I can do without it. Overall a pleasant wine but nothing super special about it.

1/9/2021 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Dark color with a little bricking. A singular, powerful wine - juicy and meaty. Tannin was integrated even though still showed through at the finish. Good with rack of lamb tonight. I wish it had more complexity.

1/4/2021 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Probably not the best way to review a wine but I was impressed. I opened it with Chinese hot pot but the base was made extremely spicy by accident. I thought the wine would be completely destroyed but it held it own and was fruity and smooth. It turned out to be quite a pleasant drink despite the circumstance.

12/22/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat wrote:

Clean and sharp. Pretty classy juice. The nose, with stone fruits and some pits, was unfortunately a little muted. Not a bad pairing for roasted chicken with lemon, garlic, and thyme tonight.

12/20/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

A big California cab with its juiciness and generosity. No hard edges but there wasn't much depth either.

12/3/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Dark fruits with some minerality. A little more subtle than the other Turley offerings. Drank well with grilled meat. Just like other Turleys, the alcohol content was high but I didn't really feel the heat.

11/27/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Still youthful with good citrus and minerality from nose to a long finish. The wine was balanced with supporting acidity.

11/18/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat wrote:

Bottle was not flawed but the drinking environment was. Pandemic outdoor dinner was too cold for the wine temperature. Note to self: drink white wine next time.

With the little that I gathered - wine was pretty classic for a Silver Oak Napa and it was quite balanced. Probably would be a wonderful drink at normal temperature.

11/16/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

A very pleasant and balanced wine with good fruits and acidity. Could use a little power and complexity but that could just be a style thing. Should be a great food wine.

11/13/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Solid from nose to finish. With a little age, the wine was not very oaky and the citrus came through more cleanly. Nice mouthfeel and not super imposing. Nice finish which lured me to drink more. Great with sauteed scallops tonight. Probably the best Kistler I've had recently. The wine is at a good place. I wouldn't wait to open it.

11/15/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Very young overall! Vibrant nose, juicy and smooth palette, nice mid-finish. Loads of dark fruits and some meatiness, leather and tobacco. I am surprised that it's holding up so well. Nice!

11/7/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Great nose with black plum. Medium-bodied with supporting acidity. The tannin is still present but I like it for framing the palette. I think the wine is at a good spot and probably should be enjoyed before the fruits fade. Excellent with homemade pizza tonight.

11/5/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat wrote:

Funky on the nose. Full bodied with mineralty; round but with underlying acidity. The finish was decent. The funk reminded me of a crazy syrah (!) and the mouthfeel reminded me a cross of Condrieu and Chablis (how weird is that?). I can't decide whether I like it but I do know that I like the palette way more than the nose.

10/29/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Dark color with slight bricking. Black fruits with some wood on the nose. Big on palette with some spiciness and mouth-coating soft tannin that probably needs more time to resolve. Finish was short when compared to the mouthfeel.

10/28/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Two community notes so far! Are people not drinking this wine? I guess that's great for those who love this. Great citrus (with a little melon peel) from nose to long finish without any tartness. The acidity was there but there was also a roundness to the wine. The minerality was there too which was great with the halibut I had tonight.

10/25/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

A straightforward offering but it was alright for the price - good red fruits with moderate acidity, chalky tannin, and a slightly drying finish.

10/23/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Very fruity through and through - prunes and plum skin. Some spiciness and a little toasted oak on the palette. Very long finish. (I didn't finish the bottle on day 1. The wine seemed to tame itself and was even better on day 2 for my taste).

10/24/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat wrote:

Smoke dominated everything. Salinity was trying to come through while fruits completely failed (maybe it's all gone). Decent acidity framed the palette. Overall I would call this an uninteresting wine.

10/20/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

A little lighter in style than the 2015 Russian River (which I had a few weeks ago). Good red fruits supported by moderate acidity. Overall it feels lean which is not a bad thing if you are tired of fruit bomb after fruit bomb and prefer something more (may I say) Burgundian.

10/18/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

The wine has taken on a much darker color. It was sweet, dense, and got loads of caramel. Drinking very well.

10/17/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

OK. I love numbers. 16% is the number here. The nose was big with a tickling feeling (yes, from that 16%). The palette was fruity and broad with a tiny bit of burn (yes, from that 16%). There was no accompanying acidity or tannin (at least not at the same level). It's as hedonistic as it gets. If you are in the mood for that, this will not disappoint.

10/14/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Fruity (dark cherries) and floral on the nose. Full-flavored but so light on the feet with great balancing acidity. The wine kept changing through the night. Really fun to taste and drink!

10/13/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat wrote:

A friend brought this over. It was surprisingly drinkable given how old it was - not much fruit, leathery nose, and very dry. Wonder what it was like when it was young.

10/6/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat wrote:

Oxidized

10/4/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Cork totally crumbled on me but the wine was fine. Tropical fruits and citrus rind. Very easy drinking with a lingering finish too.

10/3/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

I think this was my first 2015 KB. As usual, good fruits but a little more restrained (which probably isn't saying much) and some graphite. Easy-going palette with a fruity and spicy finish. Acidity was slightly less than moderate. Overall, another solid KB.

10/1/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

A very pleasant wine. The nose led with black and red fruits and some secondary notes (underbrush). The palette was smooth with integrated tannin but lacked power. The finish was medium with a little spice. The wine did evolve a little bit through the night especially the middle palette which seemed hollow at the beginning.

9/29/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat wrote:

Strong and funky nose with a mix of meat, salinity, dark sour cherries which carried through the palette. The wine finished with moderate acidity and resolved tannin. It was almost like a crazy mix of Pinot Noir and CdP and then cranked up to the next level of intensity. The wine didn't really evolve through the night. It was more "intellectual" than enjoyable. At first I thought it was an off bottle but members like hiker_guy assured me that was typical of Cayuse.

(This note was originally posted incorrectly under Armada. I had the bottles side by side and opened the Cailloux thinking that I opened the other.)

9/26/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

The wine is at a very good place now - classic nose, elegant mouthfeel, and long finish. I noticed a little tannin and spice at the finish which added some vigor despite its age. Great by itself and awesome with the wagyu striploin at dinner tonight.

9/25/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Red fruits with some earthiness. Got more plum and prune after a couple of hours. Integrated tannin which turned a little firm on the finish. An easy-going wine overall. Went well with lamb chops tonight. Not a big fan of this wine but this bottle was drinking better than the others I had.

9/21/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Classic red fruits on the nose and palette. Balanced and very drinkable. The finish was longer than I expected even though it turned a little dry. Actually I got some of that on the palette too.

9/22/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat wrote:

Fruity nose and vibrant upon open. Full mouthfeel with some good spiciness and acidity. Some tannin still needed to be resolved. Over an hour or so, the fruitiness faded and the wine turned quite uninteresting. It was good with braised short ribs while it lasted.

9/21/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Grapefruits and citrus peel framed by good acidity. A little straightforward but really well made. My records showed that I purchased it for $22. That's an unbelievable deal!

9/19/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Fruity and round on the nose and palette. So youthful for a 12-year-old bottle. A big wine with alcohol peeking through as the night went on. Structured and well supported by soft tannin. Very enjoyable (if one finds that 15.1% alcohol agreeable).

9/14/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Sour red fruits with good acidity. Oak was noticeable on the nose. Structured but felt a little lean (which was more Burgurdian than Californian). A little spicy on the palette and finish.

9/7/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Very balanced and structured. The wine definitely shed its youth as the (sour) fruits were fading but it took on more earthiness (leather, mushrooms). The full-bodied wine had a great mouthfeel. I think it's at a good place right now.

8/30/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat wrote:

Creamy nose with sweetness (showing a little bit of wood). The palette had faded fruits and tasted a little tired. The tannin was not fully resolved yet. Overall the wine was a little awkward. I expect more from a 17-year-old Paulliac, especially a Lynch-Bages.

8/30/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

Deep nose with a lot going on (dark fruits, leather, a little floral). Same with the palette with good acidity. The tannin was soft and mouth-coating. The wine had a big presence and was very enjoyable. I was having a 2000 Cos d'Estournel side-by-side. It just couldn't beat out the really well-made St-Estèphe but it was a close fight.

8/30/2020 - eatdrinkrepeat Likes this wine:

The nose was super weak upon open. The bricking made me wonder whether the wine was over the hill. But then the wine just improved through the evening. Drinking well now but the medium-bodied wine had the structure and tannin to evolve.