7/2/2012 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Drank from a decanter over the course of two hours - very ready on the initial pour. Delicate and refined, shows age, hint of earthiness with modest fruit. Super smooth finish, but not able to detect distinctive varietal notes - very much a blend.

10/25/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Food pairing: charcoal grilled NY strip med-rare. Wine decanted 6hrs before tasting. Look: dark but slightly translucent, purple-brown tinted rose in color. Smell: perfumed and floral, fruity with notes of red plum and cranberry. Even on a deep inhale, it seems only modestly oaked, giving a caramel and butter scent towards the end. Taste: soft and dry on the front of the mouth, with a cranberry sauce flavor and slightly thick texture. On the mid-palate, the acidity comes to the forefront, and the wine is sharper and fruity, almost like grapefruit or lemon. Finish is a little short, some pepper and raspberry, slightly metallic, bit of smoke, but not rich or lasting beyond its initial complexity. The finish and early performance somewhat holds the wine back from the outstanding class, though the nose and mid-palate are quite good. Overall, I think it shows good varietal character (so much as I can tell having had very few 100% Cab Franc), but in some ways I think is must be hard to make a cab franc only wine that is strong in all areas.

10/4/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Paired with a bit of tri-tip roast and lamb sausage. Look: Very dark, with a hint of purple. Smell: Dried fig, cinnamon, red clay, pipe tobacco, mint, oregano. Taste: Jammy but muted fruit on the tip of the tongue, earthy and muddy, soft on the mid-palate with a charred and ashy body. Dark flavors, fruit is a bit stewed, blackberries, and some interesting richness. Finish is nothing to speak of, kind of takes away from it being something excellent, but overall shows some good varietal character if not much else.

10/4/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Decanted one night, tasting note from the next day. Smell: concentrated, dried plum and grape, cloves, roses, some jam, and a woody herb note like rosemary. Taste: Fruity and soft on the tip of the tongue, pepper, spice and earth on the mid-palate, modest tannins that are leathery, beef jerky, smoky bar, jammy dried fruit. Finish is smooth, bringing out the acidity very well, light oakiness, a riper cherry/blackberry, and ends with a nice long linger. Overall good balance, and much better after it had been open for 3+ hours, and hadn't fallen apart ~18 hours after opening.

7/25/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Color: light straw, hint of green. Smell: big salty note, green apple, lemon, grapefruit. Taste: very light and fruity on the tip of the tongue, syrupy and juicy on the midpalate with a mineral water and sea spray backbone, finish is grassy, dry, but juicy and slightly bitter after a nice fruit linger.

7/12/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Look: very light pale straw, light amount of tiny bubbles. Smell: lemon, green apple, honeydew melon, sprite over ice. Taste: lime, lemon, pineapple, mineral water, bubbles on the tip of the tongue. Slightly salty and bitter on the midpalate, nice puckering acidity, unripe pear, granny smith apple. Finish is creamy, smooth, more of the bright citrus, nice and dry and crisp, juicy as if after a bite of pear.

7/8/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Tasted at North Beach Restaurant, San Francisco.
Nice ripe fruit, New World style of 100% Sangiovese grapes from Montalcino, lots of oak, and a decant was reccomended. Selling for $90 a pop at the restaurant, so I had to pass, but a decent offering that reminded me of the Silverado Sangiovese of Napa Valley ($17). Some controversy over the name 'Brunello di Sonoma', but no one at the restaurant could clarify further their stance.

7/8/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Note after opening and then resealing with vacu-vin. Color: dark, more than a typical pinot noir. Smell: cafe latte, cream, smoke, vanilla, white chocolate, blackberry, blueberry jam. Taste: cherry and kiwi on the tip of the tongue, butter, milk chocolate, overripe plum, sage, tobacco, and raspberry syrup on the mid palate. Finish is starts fruity and moves to meaty, some smoke, slightly bitter acidity, fades fast, oak chips and furniture polish. Nothing special here really, not particularly strong in any area.

7/7/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Food pairing: pasta plus sauce made w/ this wine and Parmesan. Color: golden yellow, nice deep color. Smell: crisp bright lemon, hint of oak, caramel, sea water. Taste: sour apple, melon, and grapefruit on the tip of the tongue, mid-palate is acidity and some noticeable oak. Finish is minerals, salt, acidity, kind of fast, ends bitter. Decent value, delivers advertised chard characteristics and oak.

6/29/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

1 hr decant before tasting. Color: nice ruby red, dark and mostly opaque. Smell: big fruit, blackberry and cherry, ripe, sweet, fragrant, juicy, some floral notes, white pepper, concord grape jelly. Taste: big fruit on the tip of the tongue, blueberry, blackberry, papaya, smooth and juicy. Mid-palate is some bitterness, hint of jam, smoke, oak chips, cigar butt, roasted almonds, very interesting contrast to the fruit. Finish is a little tannic, the ripe fruit giving way to the darker notes. Acidity lingers for a bit after the fruit wears off, like biting into a fresh cranberry and/or a bitter olive. As an 8 varietal blend, it is really hard to nail down the different contributors to the flavors. I sense a little pinot noir on the nose, more cab and zin for the fruit, and some jammy, darker notes from the blending grapes. Good value, interesting and balanced.

6/27/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

2 hr decant before tasting. Food pairing: grilled steak and smoked short rib. Color: dark red, quite opaque. Smell: raisins, prunes, tawny port, pineapple, mango, cinnamon spice cake. Taste: cherry and raspberry on the tip of the tongue, modest bitterness through the mouth aeration, some smoke. Big fruit on the mid-palate, chewy and soft, mint, raisins, dried cherry, candy apple, raspberry smoothie. Finish is simple, more of the dried fruit, tawny port, shoe leather, hint of oak. Decent value.

6/26/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

2 hr decant before tasting. Food pairing: salmon sushi. Color: soft violet, medium dark. Smell: roses, citrus, intense perfume, raspberry, tapioca, cream. Taste: cherry and cinnamon on the tip of the tongue, lightly structured and smooth on the mid-palate, raspberry and blackberry, potent acidity brings lime flavor. Finish is big to start, ripe fruit, mesquite smoke, seawater, more of the citrus and acidity, leaves the mouth slightly dry.

6/25/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Color: very black, very dark. Smell: spicy, perfume, oak, butter, ripe cherry, grapefruit, strong incense, hint of brett. Taste: lemony on the tip of the tongue, nicely soft and pleasant on the mid palate, hint of black pepper, oregano, vanilla extract, cranberry cocktail, smoky bourbon, sour pickled plum. Finish is woody, lip smacking acidity, lemons and limes, celery, raisins, very long.

6/24/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Color: Mostly ruby red with a bit of purple, not too dark, somewhat viscous. Smell: Big, bold fruit, spicy, noticeable heat, toasted oak, smoke, clove cigarette, cherry, hint of vanilla, the fuzzy skin of a ripe peach (no, I'm not crazy, another person found the same thing). Taste: Big acidity start to finish, fruit muted and hard to find in the oak, ash, smoke, and spice. Some nice velvety mouthfeel during mid-palate swish, some pistachio and mint. Finish is long and complex, starting with the spice and heat, moving to some nice fruit of blackberry and cranberry, and ending with vanilla and oak notes that are very pleasant. Maybe some years to mellow it, but reasonable drink now.

6/17/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Decanted and drank over the course of the night. Very enjoyable, consistent with previous note, but enjoyed a tad more.

6/22/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Paired with a steak over dinner, notes are from memory. Very intense, rich, spicy, and concentrated. Flavors of raisins and dried fruit, like a Ripassa, nice oak and ash, bold on the nose and on the mid-palate. Very spicy on the finish, pairs just right with intensely flavored beef, could easily age and mellow yet still be very powerful.

6/21/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

yellow-golden in color, quite light and glass clear. Smell: very intense nose, pear, powerful fruit, minerals, salt-water, wheatgrass, granny smith apples. Salty and intense on the tip of the tongue, rich and woody on the mid-palate, thick and syrupy, quite acidic here, moves fast from one flavor to another. Finish is dominated by that intense acidity, grapefruit and lemon, very long lasting, nicely fruity, well balanced blend.

6/2/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

served at 45F. Color: light yellow with a hint of brown. Smell: lots of vanilla and oak, marshmallows, clementine orange, lemon, sea surf. Taste: Very juicy and fruity, sour apple, unripe pear, lychee, honeydew melon, syrupy mouthfeel, finish is dry, crisp acidity, oaky toasted bit, tiny bit of spice, mellows nicely out after a decent linger. Nice value, could pair well with lots of foods.

5/25/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Put into the decanter and drank over 5 hours. At about 2 hours decanted, I paired with a ribeye steak. At that time, wine was very closed, ash and some slightly bitter acidity, not much else. After about 3.5 hours, was noticeably more open, more fruit and some spice, earthy and some structure, pleasant to drink. At 5 hours, had fallen apart some, down to just some simple grape juice and fruit. Maybe peaked at about 88, but mostly 85 or less. Nice Bordeaux for the price, but not a fantastic example. Roller coaster as the wine decanted, must drink at the right time to get the best from it.

5/19/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

3 hr decant before tasting. Food pairing: spicy chili. Color: dark but still transparent far from the edge, red-purple. Smell: Big banana note right out of the gate, pine tree, toasted vanilla scone, mango, orange, thai tea, only a hint of oak, edible tropical flower. Taste: very light on the tip of the tongue, tropical fruits from the nose become flavors here, some coffee, hint of spice (not from the chili), delicate and velvety. Mid-palate brings red bell pepper, jewish rye bread, hint of bitterness and acid, cinnamon, smoke, spice, blackberries, sour plum, tannins quite noticeable here, a little chewy, but generally soft. Finish is cranberry, nice acidity, very nice balance, mint/basil greenness, little metallic note like rust, solid linger after a good swish. Losing some fruit as the night wears on, still enjoyable as the acidity is more the star. Acidity and tannins suggest more ageability and softening, but complex esters bringing the myriad of fruit flavors on the nose may be lost.

5/16/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

2.5 hr decant before tasting. Food pairing: smoked tenderloin. Color: purple-red and dark, opaque. Smell: Sweet vanilla, some perfume and flowers, cranberry, banana, creamy milk chocolate, interesting complex nose, but light and delicate. Taste: Peppery and blackberries on the tip of the tongue, woody tannins, green bell pepper, ash, oak, and prune on the mid-palate, creamy and slightly jammy mouthfeel, dont really notice the acidity here. Finish is intense and bold to start with cashew and red pepper, but fades quickly into a pickle juice and ash note. Taste not living up to strong nose, maybe needs more time due to tannins and acidity.

5/14/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Consistent with previous review. Will buy more as it is a great value

5/10/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

2 hour decant before tasting. Color: Dark, inky, black-purple. Smell: blackberry, plum, sour cherry, floral notes, like a hawaiian lay. Taste: sour cherry on the tip of the tongue, burnt match. spicy, woody, green bell-pepper, somewhat rich, slightly bitter, some structure and tannins on the mid-palate. finish is acidity, smoke, and earth, very textured and muddy. Flavors are interesting, but not intense, and a little out of balance. too much oak and acidity, not enough of much else.

5/7/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Tasting note lost in browser crash. Recall reasonable Rioja style, improvement after decent decant. Pretty sure I gave it an 85.

5/7/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Food Pairing: Pesto Pasta. Color: Light straw, hint of greenness. Smell: peaches, wheatgrass, sea surf, honey, orange marmalade. Taste: lychee, oatmeal, mineral fizzy water, oaky, little buttery, seasalt, green apple. Smooth finish, toasty bread, light acidity. Not complex, but somewhat tasty.

5/1/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

2 hr decant before drinking. Color: deep rich red-purple, inky, ruby. Smell: Strong coffee, strawberry, guava, smoke, lit cigar, oak, spice, chocolate. Taste: juicy and smooth on the tip of the tongue, overripe plum, some spice, wood backbone, moist earth, medium body. Finish is juicy, dry, toasted hickory, slightly bitter, solid linger. Good wine, well put together, good value. Drinking well now, but some tannins and acidity to give it lasting power. Very tasty and the decanter emptied quickly once ready.

4/26/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

4hr decant before tasting. Food Pairing: Ribeye steak, char-grilled to crispy black on the outside, yet med-rare doneness. Deep red-purple like a very ripe red cherry. Intense nose of bright ripe cherry fruit, a spicy peppery element, a buttery vanilla marble loaf poundcake note, a very pleasant hint of the heat of the wine, and just a tad of toasted oak. Very fruity on the tip of the tongue, and a very pleasurable wine to savor over a good long aeration. It changes from one note to another as it shows some nice spice and acidity as well. The mid-palate brings out the oak and acidity, very rich and modestly chewy, and the youth of the wine and accompanying powerful tannins are noticeable here. Really big on the mid-palate, intense flavor that needs the stronger pairings for food. Finish is more fruit, a nice acidity note that starts really strong then backs off quickly, nice lingering of the pepper and fruit notes, leaving the mouth slightly dry after even a slight swish. Really good example of the Crianza style, but young and very big. With a cellaring a few years, could be quite outstanding, yet still pretty delicious now.

4/21/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

3 hr decant before tasting. Color: Very dark and opaque, red fading quickly to black. Smell: spicy and potent, raisins, wet red earth, cigar tobacco, roasted red bell pepper. Taste: explosive and bitter on the tip of the tongue, bold acidity on the mid palate, powerfully intense, yet without too heavy of mouthfeel. Fruit is blackberry and cherry, but covered more with spice, oak, and charcoal notes. Finish is lingering acidity, concentrated flavors of pepper, basil, wood, toasted oak. Modest tannins and potent acidity make me think this is too young and out of balance, but it is 5 years post vintage and I might hope it would mellow more. A 93 in 2015? I could see it, but drinking more like an 88 now.

4/14/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Rich chewy fruit, acidity is nice, chocolate, cherry, very ripe new-world style sangiovese with nice balance. Love it with strong italian cheeses. Family favorite whenever served.

4/14/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Quick decant before tasting. Color: Dark purple-red, very vicious. Smell: Little barnyard, cherry, smoke, oaky. Taste: cherry juice and acidity, short finish, minimal tannins, very boring, but not unpleasant. Has no varietal character, really could be anything.

4/5/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Quick spin in the turn decanter before tasting. Color: dark red, hint of purple, very opaque. Smell: Hint of barnyard that quickly went away, typical cab notes of cherry and chocolate, some leather, stiff oakiness. Taste: Very soft on the tip of the tongue, midpalate has noticeable acidity, fruit is not big and ripe, ash and smoke, light oaky tannins are there for dryness, overall somewhat out of balance. Finish is pleasant and simple, revealing the fruit, but nothing special.

4/5/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

2 hr decant before tasting. Food pairing: ribeye steak charcoal grilled. Color: Nice deep purple-red. Smell: Textbook cab notes of cherry, chocolate, coffee, vanilla, modest oak. Taste: Much better than the previous bottle I rated, for whatever reason. Good balance to the wine, creamy mouthfeel, solid flavors of raspberry and dark chocolate, smooth finish. Lacking punch of an outstanding wine, but fine value.

3/29/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

3 hr decant, only got a quick taste. Color: deep dark red, very opaque. Smell: cherry, chocolate, lots of oak. Taste: same as the nose would suggest, simple, pleasant, lots of oak and fruit, lingering finish, but no complexity.

3/26/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Color: very pale, lots of carbonation. Smell: little funky or moldy, nutty, no fruit. Taste: sour grape juice, very mild acidity, noticeable sweetness, some kind of blue-cheese off flavor that I am not into. Not much finish.

3/23/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Color: pale straw yellow. Smell: Lime and kiwi, some minerals. Taste: big acidity greets the tongue, just a hint of sweetness, fruit is very bright, lemony,green apple, finish is toasty and warm. excellent value, pairs well with food for a great appetizer.

3/23/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Consistent with my previous note, but more prune, port, and Madeira flavors and I enjoyed it less.

3/23/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

quick taste before dinner, cherry and chocolate, fruit bomb, not complex, moderate oak, simple finish, good rich mouthfeel.

3/19/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

bottle decant before tasting. Color: deep dark red purple. Smell: rich, intense, raisins, spicy, leather, tobacco, strawberry ice cream (yeah, really). Taste: very jammy and rich, tooth-staining chewiness, blueberry and cherry fruit, smooth tannins, modest acidity. Some anise, clove, licorice, good old-vine character. Finish is stewed fruit, spicy and lingering, some ash and smoke, good intensity.

3/15/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Crisp, refreshing, not remarkable, but still very good

3/9/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

4 hour decant. Food pairing: porterhouse steak. Color: bright ruby complexion, hint of purple. Smell: raisins, oak, apricot, cherry syrup, Taste: spice, mint, plum, and cinnamon on the tip of the tongue with a nod to a modest acidity, rich fruit on the mid palate of cherry and guava, layered flavors of mint, fruit, spicy pepper, jam, tannins are noticeable but very soft, swishes around very syrup like. Finish is dark roast coffee, some nice spiciness, and cherry cordial, a perfect balance of acidity, smoky oak flavors, dry tannins, with good layered length. Pairs well with the most intensely flavored foods.

3/7/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

90 min decant before tasting. Color: slightly clear red-purple. Smell: big cherry fruit, fresh and juicy, only a hint of oak and spice. Taste: walnuts, spinach, lemon on the tip of the tongue, blackberry, chocolate, hint of ash, not much fruit or spice on the midpalate, finish is heavy on the acidity and light on tannins, some cilantro/basil notes, ends quickly. Mouthfeel is light and dilute, with some slight earthiness, balance is tilted a little too far towards acidity.

3/2/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

3 hour decant. Consistent with my previous note, with more fruit but still the watery mouthfeel. Enjoyed it more this time, thus the slight bump in score.

2/28/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Extended disgorge version, a party treat. Color was reddish-pink and straw-yellow. Very rich, yeasty, nutty, creamy flavor, crisp, bright, potent acidity, bottle was consumed with a vengeance as soon as everyone had a taste, quite a favorite of all.

2/28/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Quick note the day after: chocolate and fruit on the nose, cherry, coffee and oak stand out on the tongue, finish was quite smooth. Mouthfeel of earthy structure, modest acidity. Very typical napa-style cab, pleasantly drinkable, good but not great.

2/21/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

3 hr decant before tasting. Color: cognac brown and red, not too dark. Smell: Very floral, kiwi and pineapple, pomegranate, vanilla extract, hint of smoke. Taste: tart and smooth on the tip of the tongue, little spicy, feeling oak and raspberry on the mid-palate, vinegary acidity, finish has no fruit and is somewhat dead. Mouthfeel is on the watery side, delicate at first but harsh at the end. Nose and early impression was good, mid-to-late peformance in the mouth was poor.

2/20/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

2 hour decant before tasting. Color: very dark red-brown. Smell: raisins, overripe red plum, cinnamon, anise, green bell pepper, cilantro, little chocolate, fruitier than my last note's impression. Taste: Chocolately, with a smoky tinge, boytrized late-harvest flavors, raisins, and blackberry. Finish is vegetable, light oakiness, mild acidity, little jammy. Body is light, but not watery, little to no spice, good balance.

2/15/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Color: Light golden yellow. Smell: Nice minerals and ocean surf, fresh apple, cantaloupe, pear. Honey, wheat, pineapple, apricot. Big huge nose, intense, complex, fruit plus friends. Taste: All of the great fruit of the nose is here, but subdued and subtle, blended with nice acidity, a rich mouthfeel, changes from light flavors on the tip of the tongue like orange and pineapple, with the mid palate is more acidic with kiwi and lemon. Finish is a little short, very crisp and dry, begs for a food pairing. Edit: After two days in the fridge with a vacu-vin cork, it is possibly better, with a more buttery nose, more fruit throughout, less acidity. Bumped a point up.

2/17/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

Seepage around the cork, not sure about condition of wine. Oaky, not much fruit, little vinegary. Was going to return to winery tasting room, but felt too lazy and wanted something I didn't need to think about.

2/16/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

3 hour decant before tasting. Food pairing: ribeye steak, med-rare. Color: Deep black-purple. Smell: Huge fruit, blueberries, blackberries, hint of jam, bit of heat, jalapenos, buttery oak, chocolate, hint of ash, espresso shot, cilantro, leather boot. Taste: light and fruity on the tip of the tongue, very earthy and structured on the mid-palate, fruit is ripe blackberries, raspberries, complemented nicely with the darker notes of coffee, pepper, and smoke. Oak is noticeable but not too much, first on the mid palate and then moving nicely into the finish. There is a nice creaminess to this wine, would likely go well with cheese. Finish carries the fruit through, here the acidity is seen more, little bit of toast and butter, fades into gentle oakiness and vegetable/herb flavors.

2/13/2009 - winesteaksushi wrote:

5 hour decant at ~55F. Color: Opaque purple-black with a hint of ruby around the edges. Smell: First pass is chocolate and vanilla, second is layered spice over a ripe red plum, and the third deep sniff reveals a green bell pepper, hint of smoke, and more of the buttery chocolate note. Some floral notes as well, giving a nice perfume. Taste: dark fruit on the tip of the tongue, getting more tannins and dryness in the front of the mouth that I would expect. Mid-palate brings a nice chewy richness, ash and spice, some fruit of an overly ripe cherry, unripe papaya, and something that reminds me of maybe artificial pineapple flavor, and some woody bamboo shoot. Finish starts out noticeably bitter and peppery, not too dry, fades slowly into acidity, little to no fruit throughout the finish, almost a mint. After the finish subsides, there is a ashy charred flavor that lingers. Love the nose, mouthfeel, front of the mouth, but finish and mid-palate knock it down from an overall outstanding.