4/9/2022 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

Aroma of ripe dark fruit (blackberries, black currants, and baked blueberries), allspice, new leather, dried mint, fresh leaves, and cigar box. Palate very closely tracks the bouquet, but the fruit wasn't quite as present. A bit hot, but nothing unusual for a Napa Cab. Medium acidity... maybe a notch too low for such a huge wine.

Tannin is still intense leading me to believe that this can age for quite a while longer, but this is right around the sweet spot for me. Very well integrated and complex while still displaying those dark fruits. I opened this one thinking I may have missed the peak based on other tasting notes available, but this was thoroughly enjoyable, and I predict it has several years to go before decline.

6/26/2020 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

Pontifax's note below is spot on for me. Nothing to add to that, but I'll say that this was my last bottle of 2017, and I've already tried a couple 2018s. I prefer this wine younger due to the more pronounced minerality. It veers more into honeyed, baked fruit as it ages, but the minerality and intense ripe/fresh fruit really pop when this wine is young.

I love this wine and buy it every year. I should've added a note last year... would've been 94+.

6/21/2020 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

Showed well immediately, but really started to sing after a 3+ hour decant. Herbaceous bouquet with menthol, dried mushrooms, sour cherry, and tart red currant. Similar flavor profile, but cherry notes amplify along with leather and forest floor. The herb and menthol combine to give a eucalyptus impression and turn the leather to fresh suede.

I loved sipping this on its own, but it was even better paired with food (NY cut steak with Bordelaise sauce for me).

Now is a great time to enjoy this wine, but the tannin is still pronounced on the finish. I'm sure this will continue to please for years (decades?).

6/14/2020 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

Consumed over two days. Day 1 carried a theme of cassis, fresh cedar box, and a hint of wild brush. Day 2 transformed into oolong tea with vanilla inside an old, dusty cedar closet. It's hard to say which day was "better", but it was certainly more interesting on day 2. One thing that was consistent was the balance. Seamless integration of acid, tannin, alcohol, and a combo of primary and secondary flavor profiles. If I'm being honest, I probably would've rated 92 on day 1 and 94 on day 2. Final score is kicked up because of the evolution and complexity over the 30 hrs or so.

I've had the pleasure of enjoying this wine a few times since 2015, and it's been pleasantly and intriguingly different each time. Fascinating and enjoyable wine! I can't wait to see what it does in another year or two.

With all of the hype and promise of the past handful of vintages, it's easy to forget about the brilliance of 2010. Don't make that mistake! This wine is a thrill!

5/29/2020 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

Medium+ body, medium acid, dry. 3-hr decant and sipped as a nightcap w/o food.

Nose of dried flowers, dusty cigar box, river rocks, and some subtle notes of orange rind and jerked beef.

On the palate, there's still a shadow of what must have been intense ripe blackberry and overripe raspberry in its youth (closer to stewed plum at this point), but I'm drawn more towards the dried tobacco leaf and old leather notes. Finish is fairly long and drifts into dried fruits, but the drying tannin is the final impression for me.

Very enjoyable and complex with great QPR (paid <$60 in 2020). Opened very nicely after a few hours. I have one more bottle that I'm excited about trying in 2+ yrs to see if the tannins have softened. Potential for 95 pts if the tannin can mellow out.

3/28/2019 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

Bold, heavy take on rose. I have minimal experience with Italian rosato and am, perhaps unfairly, using my experience with French and American rose as a rubric.

Medium+ body by rose standards, medium alcohol, and medium acidity. Enjoyable nose and palate of ripe wild strawberries and red currants. The lack of minerality or floral notes leaves this feeling a bit heavy and higher in alcohol than the 13% on the label would leave you to believe. A very good rose wine and a reasonable value at this price point, but Luca Maroni is on crack if he thinks this is 99 points and possibly the best rose ever.

8/23/2018 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

My take on this is very much in line with Royaltycoins' review below.

Medium- body, medium to medium+ acidity.

Nose: this is like sticking your face in a rabbit cage. Wet, funky hey and brettanomyces bandaids dominate, but dried flowers, dried cherries, and cedar box make this very complex and enjoyable.

Palate: still a brett impression first and foremost, but sour cherry and prune come through.

Finish: long finish of dried cherry, stewed lamb, and a hint of tar. Slightly drying tannins.

If I had read this review before buying, I may have passed since I'm too sensitive to brett, but surprisingly, I really enjoyed this wine. Tons of complexity. This is definitely the ultimate pizza wine.

5/25/2018 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

The wine I'm drinking doesn't at all resemble the recent reviews below. Maybe it was in a closed phase last year. This wine is dry, and it's surprisingly youthful for an 11-year-old CA Syrah. There's still a ton of overripe or baked dark fruit with wild flowers, cedar box, and granite rounding out the nose. There's even significant olive and meaty aromas that would almost convince you that this is a St. Joseph or Hermitage if it didn't have so much overipe dark fruit that could only come from CA. Aromas are reiterated on the palate which is anchored by rounded, well-integrated tannin. There's enough acidity to give it life and balance the tannin. A joy to drink now, but there's enough structure and youthful energy to carry this peak at least another 5+ years, and it'll probably still be drinkable in 2027+.

5/24/2018 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

Medium body and acidity. Bouquet of sour cherry and lavender with subtle notes of river rock and brie. Palate: stewed blueberry, cassis, and baked blackberry with tobacco and old leather. The light brie nose blew off after an hour of air and wasn't detectable on the palate. Not a corked bottle. Long finish of red and black fruit and drying but well-integrated tannin. Drinking beautifully now, but tannin and acidity could support more cellaring if you can't find a reason to enjoy sooner

2/15/2018 - Vino Nomad wrote:

Medium body and acidity. Heavy menthol nose with hints of eucalyptus and integrated wood. Menthol on the palate, too, but ripe raspberry comes through to subdue some of the menthol. Enjoyable, but the menthol is too imposing for me. Mellowed and rounded out nicely after a couple of hours of air.

2/15/2018 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

Full bodied with medium acid. The nose is full of olive and dark chocolate covered black currants. Dark, stewed fruit and earthy, olive compote continues on the palate. Very earthy and meaty. One of the most tannic syrahs I've had. Really nice wine that's bold enough to hold for a few more years, but for my taste, I wish I had opened it a couple of years ago when it was a little livelier.

11/23/2017 - Vino Nomad wrote:

Medium body, medium+ acidity, garnet color with brick red rim. Bouquet is dominated by brettanomyces (barnyard, menthol, and bandaid), but there's still a lot of pleasure with red fruit (raspberries, cherries, and wild strawberries), cigar box cedar, and garrigue. Palate focuses on the cherries and cigar box, but also hints of wild herbs (sage and thyme) and licorice. Enjoyable now, but I'll hold my other bottle for another year or two.

6/30/2017 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

This is a top tier rosé . Medium bodied, medium+ acidity. Dry. Nose of intense watermelon, wild strawberry, white peach, white flowers, and maybe even some passion fruit. Palate maintains the watermelon and strawberry, but Rainier cherry is in charge. Finish is long and tart... grapefruit pith. As the wine opened, the fruit subsided slightly, and notes of white flowers and river rocks became more imposing. If you think rosé is boring, this wine will change your mind. Drink now.

6/30/2017 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

This is a top tier rosé . Medium bodied, medium+ acidity. Dry. Nose of intense watermelon, wild strawberry, white peach, white flowers, and maybe even some passion fruit. Palate maintains the watermelon and strawberry, but Rainier cherry is in charge. Finish is long and tart... grapefruit pith. As the wine opened, the fruit subsided slightly, and notes of white flowers and river rocks became more imposing. If you think rosé is boring, this wine will change your mind. Drink now.

3/19/2017 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

Very balanced and full-bodied pinot. Intense red fruits on the nose: wild strawberries, dried cranberries, and red currant. Sagebrush and wildflowers give the red fruit a distinct wild character. Long, creamy finish with some roasted wood and subtle clove notes. Nice level of acidity adds life to the full-bodied, creamy mouthfeel. Highly enjoyable wine!

10/31/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

This wine was stunning! It takes your senses on a rollercoaster ride. It has the nutty, rich oxidative bouquet of a sherry, but as soon as you take a sip, you realize that you're in for something unusual. Light bodied with minimal residual sugar, the initial impression was of a watered down sherry with a strangely high level of acidity. Then... nothing. The mid-palate almost completely drops off for a few seconds before coming back with a roaring and shockingly long finish of butterscotch covered raisins. By "long finish", I mean you can take a sip, have a conversation, and still taste evolving nuance 60 seconds later. You. Must. Try. This. Wine.

10/15/2016 - Vino Nomad wrote:

Medium body, low acid. Black and dark purple fruit of ripe currant and blackberry, dusty earth, and some tar on the nose. Great balance. I didn't find the oak to be as overwhelming as others have stated, and I'm not an over-oak lover. This won't blow away your wine snob friends, but it's a great midweek wine and an excellent value.

9/26/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

Intense yet well-rounded pinot. Clear Russian River garrigue of sagebrush and dried wild flowers on the nose with ripe red currants, ripe raspberries, and seude. Balanced with just enough wet hay pinot funk to keep it interesting.

Medium body with velvety mouthfeel, medium+ acidity brightens up the ripe red fruit and earthiness. Getting to the secondary flavors of age, but still lively. This could age another 10+ years, but it's delicious and nuanced already.

9/3/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

Very complex Riesling. Yellow color with some rim variation, full bodied with significant residual sugar, medium acidity. Nose of wet cement, canned peaches, buttery white bread toast, pencil shavings, honey, and some typical riesling petrol. Long finish. I can see this evolving in a positive way for another few years, but for me, it's perfectly aged right now.

Several older comments focused on pineapple notes. I didn't get that at all. So, it must have evolved past that.

9/2/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

This was the best single variety Terret Noir I've ever had. Lol! Light bodied and medium+ acidity. Light red tart fruit on the nose (wild strawberries, rhubard, sour cherry, and unripe raspberries). Medium finish. Tartness and acidity make it a good food wine, but the novelty makes it a fun wine on its own.

9/1/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

What an amazing value! Vibrant wine... crisp acidity and fresh minerality. River rocks, honeysuckle, and under-ripe white peach on the nose... maybe some lemongrass. Nice balance. I feel like I stole this wine at this price!

8/28/2016 - Vino Nomad wrote:

Heavy brie nose. Must have been corked. I've had bad luck with Laetitia. Close to half of the bottles I've opened have been inconsistent with what I experienced in their tasting room. Bottles were properly stored in my cellar. Anyone else having bad luck with Laetitia?

8/23/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

This is close to my ideal of what a rose should be. Dry, crisp, medium to medium+ acidity, and intensely fragrant. Complex bouquet of stone fruit (white peach and under-ripe apricot), watermelon, strawberry, tropical fruit (papaya, under-ripe pineapple, passion fruit) and maybe even a hint of tangerine plus white flowers and wet concrete. The acidity makes it a good pairing with light food (citrusy salad, fish, chicken), but we love sipping it on its own on warm summer evenings. Ok, now I've crossed the line into sappy territory... Bring me a bucket!

8/20/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

Excellent typicity here. Classic old world pinot character. Wild strawberry stands out on the nose with gravel and subtle forest floor earthiness. This wine is like a hike through a German forest. I would have given an extra point or two for a longer finish, but then again, this is only two years old. I hope to track down another bottle to cellar for a couple of years. Great value... a village Burgundy of this caliber would cost at least twice as much.

8/19/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

This is not your jammy CA fruit bomb of a Zinfandel. There's finesse here. Dry, medium- to medium body, low acidity. This smelled hot at first, but the alcohol nose blew off after 30 mins. Crushed rock is a good call in the previous note. Red fruit including dried cranberry and ripe strawberry. A little bit of sweet vanilla on the nose... think vanilla sponge cake. Great balance overall.

8/16/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

Medium- to medium body, medium+ acid, straw color with no rim variation. Tropical fruit profile of unripe pineapple and some guava funk. Nice minerality of wet stones. I didn't detect any oak (stainless steel?). Excellent value and great Chablis typicity. I wouldn't cellar this because the crisp/fresh character is thoroughly enjoyable now.

8/16/2016 - Vino Nomad wrote:

Not a complex wine, and as others have noted, no typicity. The overwhelming character of this wine is cream... too much MF. After a couple hours of air, it developed a gamey nose that was at least noteworthy, but it lacked the tobacco, leather, and savory character that I was hoping to see.

8/12/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

Medium body, medium+ acid, medium alcohol (13.5%), low RS. Good balance between earthy and fruity. Very aromatic... Bouquet of dusty rock, dry soil, ripe red fruit (bing cherry, stewed raspberry, ripe plum) and stewed blueberry, and red flowers. Enough complexity and soft tannin to enjoy this one on its own (watch out for the acidity, though), but bold flavors and high acid would pair well with food.

8/11/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

Balanced and complex. Medium- body, medium+ acid. Tart red fruits... red currant, dried cranberry, ripe raspberry. Slight white pepper or green peppercorn on the nose. Silky mouthfeel. I usually drink CA pinot younger than this, so I was pleasantly surprised at how well this is holding up after 5 years.

8/10/2016 - Vino Nomad wrote:

Unusual wine... at least for me. This has the most intense tar nose I've ever encountered (grapes grown in volcanic soil). For the first hour, I could've sworn the street in front of my house was being repaved. This dissipated slightly into a sort of uncooked bacon character (smoky cured raw meat), but yes, the tar stood strong.

The palate shows some dark chocolate covered rum cherries and maybe some sour cherry. Medium body and medium to medium+ acidity. There are enough bold flavors and acidity to cellar, but this could also work well with food right now (no joke, this would work with steak tar tar... ha!). Sipping this on its own is like sticking your head in a barrel of wet tar.

8/9/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

Cedar box, hint of allspice, dusty gravel, and ripe black and blue fruit on the nose. Maybe even some pencil shavings and grafite. Great balance... enough fruit to balance the oak without being jammy, and enough acidity and minerality to work with the alcohol for a medium+ body. Delicious paired with red meat or savored on its own. I've had a few bottles of this vintage over the past 2 years, and it's showing no sign of regression. Could cellar for up to 5 more years, but it's great right now.

8/7/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

Intense lychee and white peach on the nose with white flowers and a hint of wet rocks. I've been drinking down a case of this over the past 12 months, and I can see a downward trend. Would've rated this a 90 or 91 last year. The fruit is becoming more stewed without the acidity necessary to maintain some life. Very good value and an enjoyable wine, but not something to cellar. Drink now.

8/6/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

Classic Russian River nose of sagebrush and a hint of eucalyptus. Ripe red fruits leaning more towards cranberry, red currant, and sour cherry because of the high acidity. The nose had more barnyard earthiness than I remember in other vintages of this wine. Maybe some brettanomyces?

Enjoyable wine, but not the showstopper that I've found in other Dutton Pinot Noir offerings. Probably better a couple of years ago when the fruit palate was fresher. At this point, I'd hold this for a couple of years to hope for a transformation as the acidity carries this into its old age.

7/29/2016 - Vino Nomad wrote:

There's nothing delicate about this wine. Big, bold flavors of ripe, stewed fruit (black currant, blueberry compote, overripe cherry) and baking spices. There's also a savory mutton thing going on here. A little earthy with musty forest floor and pencil shavings/graphite in the back of the nose. Good complexity. Medium body, low acid. I knew this wouldn't have the finesse to be in the top tier of CA zin, but it exceeded my expectations.

7/4/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

Ripe blackberry and black currant, slight notes of old leather and cigar box, very savory. Beautiful mouthfeel... velvety. Tannins are ripe and have softened. Great balance of fruit, earth, oak, and tannin. I would have guessed the price point to be double or triple what it really is.

I'm happy that we opened this in 2016, but if I stumble across this vintage again in 3 to 5 years, I'm picking up more.

7/29/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

The previous note from Karl_Ek was spot on. I agree on all counts. So, my notes are mostly an update of how this wine has evolved over the past 18 months.

Similar fruit profile as noted in Jan 2015, but baked/stewed now. Think lemon curd and key lime pie as opposed to fresh/ripe fruit. There's a petrol nose initially, but with air, that dissipates and gives way to wet stones. It's medium to medium+ in body with an oily mouthfeel and some residual sugar, but that's beautifully balanced with the face puckering, teeth shattering acidity. For my palate, this is drinking perfectly right now, but the high acid and moderate residual sugar will carry this nicely for several more years... maybe even 10+.

7/29/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

What a great chardonnay, and what a great value! Fruit profile is tropical... dried pineapple, papaya, passion fruit. There's some oak here, but just enough to give that satisfying richness that you hope for in a CA chardonnay, and just enough to balance out the acidity and play off of the minerality. Finesse and balance at this price point are hard to come by, but Qupe nailed it here.

There's a small amount of Roussanne blended in, and it's very nicely done. It rounds off the edges without making this wine flabby or dull.

7/25/2016 - Vino Nomad wrote:

Good value and an enjoyable chardonnay, but this is not what I was expecting with a label that says "Chablis Premier Cru". There's a lot of wood and apple going on here. If I had tasted this blindly, I would have thought it's a well balanced New World chardonnay in the $25 to $35 range. As a Chablis, though, this is a little heavy-handed. It's the most Californian Chablis that I've come across, but there's no denying the value here. At this price point, this is a great midweek wine, and you might as well pick up a few extras to see how it ages. The high acid should carry it long enough for the wood and apple to mellow out.

7/22/2016 - Vino Nomad wrote:

Good value. Cassis and slightly under-ripe plum, cocoa nibs, tobacco leaf. Interesting for the price point. A good bottle to open when you have guests that won't be savoring and focusing on every sip... without making them think that you're clearing an unwanted bottle.

7/21/2016 - Vino Nomad wrote:

Very aromatic wine, but the palate doesn't live up to the bouquet. On the nose, tons of stone fruit (lychee, ripe apricot, white peach) with honeysuckle and white flowers. Clean and refreshing. The ripe apricot holds on the palate, but there's also a strong petrol cloud hanging over each sip. And not in that charming, Riesling sort of way. Good finish... stone fruits linger for 15 seconds or so. Medium acid. I wouldn't age this much longer, but it's a good wine now... not a show-stopper, but solid.

1/25/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

My 95 rating is based on expectations in 5+ years. The sub-90s that others gave are probably fair for what it is now... TOO YOUNG! I opened a 375 ml bottle, and even the little guy is still in diapers. Tons of structure here that needs to relax for at least 3 to 5 years. Very powerful with strong earthy, cigar, and ripe red fruit palate. When all of this mellows out and the tannin softens, this will be a winner. I may open another half bottle in 6 to 12 months to check progress, but the full bottles are staying closed at least until 2018... more likely 2020.

11/21/2015 - Vino Nomad wrote:

Drink this now, or better yet, drink it yesterday. Having had several other vintages, this was the most yawn inducing. I'm withholding a numeric rating because I share some blame... opened it and then my guests and I got sidetracked with another bottle. By the time we poured it a couple of hours later, it was dead. No nose, thin mouthfeel, no fruit, and little secondary and tertiary flavor that I'd expect from a bottle of this age. The only thing noteworthy was a bit of some brettanomyces funk... which isn't always a good thing. If you're considering a purchase, go with a younger bottle. If you already have it, buy a rack of lamb tonight, and open your bottle.

6/10/2015 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

I usually add an extra level of scrutiny with famous or cult wines. I pride myself in finding little-known, small production wineries that offer great value. Having said that, this wine floored me. I can't find any criticism other than I wish it cost less so I could drink it everyday. This wine defines the term "velvety". Complexity is off the charts: ripe red and purple fruits, hints of earth and dark chocolate, smooth tannin, and well-integrated oak and acidity... and much, much more. Drinking this wine is an event... each sip evolves into something slightly different than the last. If someone can't find something to love about this wine, then maybe wine isn't your beverage, and stop drinking bottles away from the rest of us.

7/21/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

Very curious reviews on this wine... community and pro. I think this wine is grossly underestimated. After popping corks on several occasions, I love this chard! Very balanced, intense tropical fruit, rounded out with just enough acid and a hint of oak. Very finessed in my opinion for such a high production wine. None of the things I hate about CA chardonnay (flabby, too much oak, too much malo). The other reviews I've read make me wonder if others had the same wine that I did. So, I keep revisiting, and my impression is reaffirmed each time. At this price point and level of availability, this is the best CA chard that I've found.

7/16/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

This may have been the best CdP that I've had to date. So good that I immediately regretted that it's no longer in my cellar... so I already bought more. Incredibly complex with a finish that lasts at least 45 seconds. This wine is drinking perfectly for my tastes... balanced with softened tannin, enough earth and game to hold interest and pair beautifully with lamb, while still having good fruit character and vibrancy. After every sip, I couldn't help but shout out "Mmmm....Damn, that's good!" I'm sure this can age another 10 to 15 years, but I'm going to enjoy the new purchases between now and 2020.

7/16/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine:

Hold this one for another couple of years. Intense and enjoyable savory and tobacco character. This is like drinking a medium rare steak. Will be better after it's had a chance to mellow out and integrate a little more, but if you can't wait, it's still drinkable now.

7/17/2016 - Vino Nomad wrote:

Decent wine, but almost nothing "cabby" about this Cabernet. I suspect it was blended to the maximum legal limit with other varieties. Medium-bodied and juicy for a cab. Also a bit inky. It drinks like a Petite Sirah. If these grapes came from Napa, it's a crime that more varietal character wasn't coaxed out of this fruit. As a Petite Sirah, I'd rate it 91 or 92 pts. As a Napa cab, much lower due to the lack of body, tannin, earth/savory and peppery notes.