3/4/2023 - R2-D2 wrote:

WSET Diploma Class Tasting with Peter Neptune; 2/4/2023-3/31/2023 (Costa Mesa, CA): Pale Lemon

N: Pronounced intensity, youthful aromas of lime, lemon-lime, citrus blossoms, white flowers, apple, stones, petrol, sour lime, mandarin orange.

P: Dry, high acidity, medium alcohol, medium or medium(-) body, pronounced intense flavors of lime, lemon-lime, citrus blossoms, white flowers, apple, stones, petrol, sour lime, mandarin orange. The wine has a medium(+) finish.

Good

Suitable for Bottle Aging; high acidity

6/17/2022 - Margaux Bro wrote:

Double decanted 2 hours before going to a restaurant. Truly should have decanted about 2 hours earlier, as it really hit its stride later in the evening. This wine elevated tremendously once food was incorporated, and continued to develop. Very pleasurable wine. If you're opening now I'd suggest a very long decant. It will still age gracefully for another 20+ years.

2/17/2022 - Portland Seth Likes this wine:

Napa-esque with rich black fruits, baking spice and toasted marshmallows. Plush and round but enough lift and tannins for balance. Hedonistic.

2/19/2022 - MikePemulis wrote:

Nice enough bottle, and I can see how it would have its fans, but not really my jam. Tannins pretty smooth already for such a young wine. Plenty of fruit as you might imagine but I just got so much vanilla on the nose and palate (from the oak I assume), it was hard to notice much else.

4/4/2022 - ellars wrote:

85: According to @R2-D2 in a comment to another tasting note, the winery identified the field blend as Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Petit Verdot, and Syrah. I believe the Zin and Syrah, which are very obvious to me, but the Cab Sauv and PV must be what are making the whole thing difficult to classify. Do I like this? Yes and no. It's drinkable. It paired well with smoked sausage, BBQ pork ribs, and Swiss-grilled potatoes. It has enough body to stand up to heavy food but not so much that it cannot be sipped on its own. Nothing is particularly offensive. And yet... There is an almost overwhelming bouquet of caramel; another review described this as "burnt marshmallow" and that's not far off, though to me the thought of s'mores is more pleasant than this. The palate is super-jammy, as I suppose California reds tend to be, but somehow even more so. Tannins are present for structure but not in a smack-you-in-the-mouth kind of way. The Syrah pepperiness comes through more on the finish, which lingers well enough in an inoffensive way. (The wife suggests it would make a fine Red Sangria.) All in all, not bad for the price, but also not something for which I would make a special trip to Costco.

3/28/2022 - R2-D2 wrote:

I don't know if it was my bottle or just the wine, but it smelled and tasted like my teenage son's soaked, stinky soccer socks. I could not get past that. I'm sorry.

3/28/2022 - R2-D2 wrote:

Tasted blind. Bucket list checked off. For me, this doesn't soar to the heights of the other great wines I have tasted but comes awfully close to the apex. Intense flavors of berries, spice, pepper, and earth to go with American Oak flavors of dill, vanilla bean, and a touch of caramelization. Tannins still quite unrelenting but improves about 2 hours post opening. Despite all this intensity, there is an understated, silky, polished slant to the wine that I admire.

12/6/2021 - Richard123 Likes this wine:

Drinking better than ever right now!

9/13/2021 - DugyDog Likes this wine:

This baby needs years to fully come around and show itself. Poured a glass via Coravin and am glad I didn’t pull the cork. Blackberry, some smokiness and earth but this took time to show. Wait 5 years

9/3/2021 - frontenac Likes this wine:

This bottle still delicious 3 days after opening. Great QPR! I don’t think there is any detectable zin in this blend, but definitely not a Bordeaux varietal, and probably something cheap and plentiful. The winemaker really knew his/her stuff!

8/26/2021 - Fractalage Likes this wine:

24 Aug 21
2018 Marsannay, Louis Latour,
Costco $23
6:50pm decanted to very little smoke at the bottom.
Muted classic Pinot with more dry leaves, touches of honey, tart berry, good finish.
Touch of sweet confit, that comes around with essence of bay leaf, meyer rind, subtle, needs time.
7:12pm
More candy comes out: Hard Candied cherry and blackberry with a big floral component.
Palate has a delish fungal/earth length with some stars.
There’s a crunch that shows up after 3 naked sips.
Going to pair with pan seared lamb t-bone, so we’ll see how this changes.
7:24
Still naked palate. More grip and energy coming forward. Getting better and better.
7:43
Fresh pour: Still naked.
Nose of funk, which was shocking. I guess there’s more to reveal! Dry stones, cherry, wet barn with neighboring greenhouse with certain flowers in bloom, strawberry.
On the palate an astringency, dry stones, tart fungal strawberries with a dash of cherry, there’s that bay leaf essence with chalky dryness. Tasted of decomposed limestone.

Pairing with pan seared lamb t-bone:
It did change on the palate, but for the better. Yes, this did pair well and I loved this bottle with the lamb and salad of mix greens and butter leaf.
But I think I preferred it solo better.

3/28/2021 - R2-D2 wrote:

A good representative of NZ style of Sauvignon Blanc. The aromatic nose hits you ripe grapefruit, gooseberry, white flowers, and canned peas. Confirmed on the palate, along with a wet stone/rock inorganic minerality. As others have noted, the sour grapefruit is quite puckery on the palate. So be prepared.

Overall, lacks depth and complexity but is fully enjoyable on an 80 degree sunny afternoon.

7/19/2021 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Leaky, crumbling cork or else I would have held this a bit longer. This is in a good place with gooseberries, lychee, citrus, and high acidity over a moderately sweet core. Endless complexity to the nose and very balanced on the palate, a brilliant wine that seems very young still. Wish I had another bottle tucked away.

5/27/2021 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine:

Retail $135. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot. Big Ass Bottle. Under cork. A touch on the dark side in color, but far from being inky, with luscious aromas of black fruit (blackberry, plum, cassis), vanilla, tobacco leaf, and cedar. Yowza. The palate is quite fruity, complex, and balanced with oodles of fruit, great earthiness, and velvety smooth tannins. Honestly, I thought based on the nose, the price, and the appellation that this was going to be a far bigger wine. There is certainly a lot there, but above all else? Balance, which is somewhat rare in Napa. Fantastic. And Whoa.

http://www.thedrunkencyclist.com

1/4/2021 - Sanlucar Likes this wine:

Phosphorus scents of gun powder and wet leather which transitioned to dramatic flavors of Cajun / Creole black pepper, cayenne pepper, black tea, and Asian spices. T’was a savage little beast for the first couple of hours, then it quickly melted into luxurious CdP opulence. Caveat: I’ve sampled several bottles with mainly positive but varied results. Cheers!

3/2/2021 - srh Likes this wine:

Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage, including acclaim.

≈1:10 hr decant into a plastic, cylindrical pitcher which was then capped; NO sediment; Private Preserve after Day 1.

N: Fairly fragrant red, poss blk rasps, flowers (violets?) with hints of minerals

P: LM, poss Med, body; Nice frt met by an astringent pucker which fairly seamlessly evolves into a LONG, balanced finish with a tangy/swtness to the VERY minimal tannins. At its best solo or 1st sip with the night's Coq Au Vin, more with the entrée bringing out the wine's acidity -- & not to its benefit.

// Day 2: ≈N & P, neither having faded, & showing somewhat better by itself even than it had on Day 1. I *very* much enjoyed it as an accompaniment to the Smkd BBQ Pk Ribs & Smkd BBQ Pulled Pk Butt, the vinegar based BBQ sauce being no problem whatsoever!

// ∑: 11-14% ABV per U.S. Importer; My EXC- (poss EXC for QPR?), likely has not peaked, + should safely drink into '24, quite possibly longer.

3/21/2021 - R2-D2 wrote:

Elements of Wine 2021 - My Class at GnG; 2/7/2021-12/31/2021 (Grapes & Grains, Temecula, CA): Smooth. Plum. Fairly non-descript. Aged 30 months in American Oak, which gives is some sweet vanilla, coconut, and dried dill.

2/11/2021 - Charlie C wrote:

A lovely yellow gold in color. Not much on the nose, but there is a hint of pretty floral and citrus aromas. It’s on the palate that this wine falls apart – or more accurately never comes together. Faint lemon and pear fruit and some nice minerality, but nothing that attractive. There’s nothing wrong here, just nothing all that particularly right. Decent acidity and balance. The finish lingers very lightly, but not pleasantly, with lemons and pears, a touch too much minerality. This tastes like a wine made from grapes that were harvested under ripe. Tasted three separate times with one at cellar temp and the last at close to room temp. It performed best at room temp, but not enough better to change these notes. 12.1% ABV.

9/17/2020 - billwine5 Does not like this wine:

Super disappointed ☹️ Held the bottle for a few years opened up like a high alcohol wine or spoiled. So either corked or mislabeled. Couldn’t taste the Mourvèdre through the alcohol. Didn’t even save for cooking.

1/22/2021 - billwine5 Likes this wine:

Pale lemon color with light aromas of blossom honeysuckle and apricot on the nose. On the palate the stone fruit returns with low acidity and medium alcohol.

6/5/2018 - MikeATL Likes this wine:

Not terribly complex, but a solid, well-aged Bordeaux, a little pyrazine bell pepper and leather over a core of currants with fine tannin and a touch of freshening acidity. It makes me happy.

1/17/2021 - srh Likes this wine:

Wines GRACIOUSLY Shared by Friends (San Diego, CA): Carefully decanted by the host

N: Cherries with notes of toast & some unparsables, smoke coming on with swirling, & a VERY slight bit of mustiness, which I believe all felt to be a positive rather than negative

P: LM body; Rndish entry with NICE, almost swtish frt met by an acidity which never even remotely loses contact with the frt as it SEAMLESSLY transitions into an incredibly LONG, impeccably BALANCED finish. Tannins are TOTALLY resolved, the wine's acidity allowing it to still work with food. (I tried it with Mashed Potatoes, Sauteed Mushrooms, & Sauteed Spinach, it being somewhat better with the Mashed Potatoes than the other 2.) Drinking PERFECTLY right now, & since I'd doubt improvement, no need to hold, though the consensus seemed to be it would probably last into '25. 12% ABV; My Exceptional- (96,97/100 using that metric), & that MAY be conservative! 😉 92+ pts RJonWine, 92 John Gilman (4x, Sep/Oct '17 the most recent), & 19.5/20 Jancis Robinson (Hunt, 10/31/12), the highest scoring wine from that publication I've ever actually TASTED.

Note: First tasted on 10/30/19

1/16/2021 - Vino Me wrote:

Purchased at auction for $13. 100% Nebbiolo. Aged 4 years. Normally sells for $30. Brick red. Dry and rather upfront. Notes of black cherries and leather. Shorter finish. 85 points

8/15/2020 - jwilkey Likes this wine:

This wonderful bargain, a blend of 45% Tinta Roriz, 30% Tourica Franca and 25% Tourica National grapes, from the Douro region of Portugal and Fifth Empire Wines has a deep, dark, crimson purple color and a beautiful nose of blackberry, black currant, raisin, cherry, oak, tobacco and lavender. The legs are slow and there was moderate sediment in the bottle. When first opened, the 14% alcohol and high levels of tannin were noticeable and required about 45 minutes of decanting. When drunk, the tannin moderated substantially and the wine mellowed out to an extremely pleasant drink with hints of strawberry, blackberry, black currant, raisin, cherry, oak, and tobacco. It is a full bodied wine with a rich, round texture and a medium finish and acidity. A 2015 vintage, this wine is just now beginning to come into its own.

10/25/2020 - forceberry wrote:

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), Merlot (25%) and Cabernet Franc (5%). Aged for 18 months in barriques (60% new). 13% alcohol.

Almost fully opaque black ruby color with a somewhat translucent cherry-red rim. Layered, sweet-toned and quite seductive nose with aromas of noticeably ripe blackcurrants and strawberries, some lush toasty oak tones, light floral notes of violets, a little bit of plum compote and blueberry juice, lifted liqueur-ish hints of kirsch and a touch of baked clay. Contrasting the quite sumptuous nose, the wine is surprisingly dense, sinewy and even quite tough on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and intense flavors of ripe blackcurrants, fresh dark plums, some ferrous notes of blood, light woody notes of pencil shavings, a little bit of cigar smoke, a hint of gravelly minerality and a touch of graphite. The overall feel is still remarkably youthful - even slightly backward - and very muscular with its high acidity and assertive, grippy tannins. The finish is remarkably long, quite noticeably grippy and dry yet very juicy with intense flavors of fresh blackcurrants, sweeter red plums, some woody notes of cigar box and pencil shavings, light bloody notes of rare meat, a hint of sous-bois and a touch of gravelly minerality. The aftertaste segues slowly towards more toasty oak tones while the assertive tannins make the wine end on a rather grippy note.

An extraordinary, very structured and surprisingly youthful - even somewhat backward - Pauillac red, where the sweet crowdpleaser nose and very tough, powerful and structure-driven taste stand in stark contrast to each other. Although the wine is very powerful and muscular in style, it nevertheless isn't particularly big or weighty - on the contrary, there is quite a bit of finesse and elegance to this powerhouse. Seeing how very structured and youthful the wine is even at the age of 20 years, the wine seems to offer only glimpses of its full potential now. Definitely no need to open this now; the wine is yet to arrive in its drinking window. To me, this was the most impressive effort in our tasting of fourteen 2000 Bordeaux reds. Very highly recommended.

11/6/2020 - Vino Me wrote:

This normally sells for $60. I bought this at auction for $35. 100% Sangiovese from Panzano aged for 12 months on it's skins in orci (clay amphora). The orci are made in the families terracotta factory. This is one of the newer wines made by the estate having been first released in the 2009 vintage. This had a funky nose and I would have been well advised to decant it. Sweet cherries and lavenders on a soft palate. An earthy wine with moderate tannins. I would wait to open this wine and give it more time in bottle. 88 points.

6/16/2020 - WineCenturyAZ Likes this wine:

Delicious. Medium lemon in the glass, expressive nose of tropical fruit and citrus blossom, palate is dry and pronounced, fruits are ripe, balanced and integrated, stone fruit, nectarine, pineapple,acidity is medium, full bodied round mouthfeel, long finish.

10/22/2020 - R2-D2 wrote:

One of the best mass produced, high availability wines on the market. Crisp acidity and bright fresh fruit defines this blend of Chenin Blanc and Viognier. Peach, apricot, apple, honey, and fresh flowers shine throughout.

11/5/2020 - R2-D2 wrote:

Randomly inserted into a trade tasting. Solid Syrah from the Rhone Valley. Previous notes hold true.

4/6/2020 - R2-D2 wrote:

Mostly used for cooking. Enjoyable and softer palate than most NZ SB.

9/8/2020 - forceberry wrote:

A blend of Nerello Mascalese (90%) and Nerello Cappuccio (10%) from a 39 yo vineyard located at 450 to 550 m above sea level. Aged in stainless steel and French tonneaux. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Pale, luminous and fully translucent rose hip color with a thin, pinkish rim. Very youthful, fragrant and moderately sweet-toned nose with aromas of marmaladey red fruits, black cherries and dark plums, some brambly black raspberries, light smoky notes of gunpowder reduction, a little bit of stony minerality, a hint of licorice and a touch of raw meat. The wine is youthful, dry and rich yet rather tightly-knit on the palate with intense flavors of raspberries, pronounced stony minerality, some sweet strawberries, a little it of marmaladey cherry-driven fruit, light licorice tones, a hint of smoky volcanic character and a touch of arctic bramble. Although the overall feel is very ripe and sunny, the wine doesn't come across as heavy or particularly sweet-toned on the palate. The structure relies on both high acidity and powdery yet quite grippy tannins. The finish is rich, juicy and moderately grippy with lengthy flavors of black cherries, some ripe strawberries and plums, a little bit of marmaladey strawberry, light smoky tones, a hint of stony minerality and a touch of licorice.

A very harmonious, juicy and delicious Etna Rosso. Although very ripe and sunny in style, this wine doesn't suffer from the elevated levels of alcohol that can go up to 15% in many modern Etna reds. Instead this is very well-proportioned, balanced and more dry than sweet despite all the marmaladey undertones. The overall feel is maybe a bit too youthful, primary and tightly-knit for my taste and I guess I should hold on to my single remaining bottle as long as I can. Very good value at 17€.

9/7/2020 - geoffreychambertin Likes this wine:

The nose is reminiscent of decent Bordeaux, but the palate falls short. It's Cab Franc, and I want a little more pyrazine action. Ultimately this is a $20 bottle that drinks like $12 cru bourgeois Bordeaux.

8/12/2020 - adon Likes this wine:

I'm sorry I have an attitude about Lorenzi but they simply over rate their product. I didn't dislike this wine. There were no glaring flaws. But there was no fruit on the nose. There was some leather, tobacco, fig, and prune in the mouth. Higher acid than I like; I'm saying not rounded in the mouth. And the finish was all acid. My apologies to the French style aficionados who think acid is the bomb but I like what I call a drinking wine. One that can stand alone. I live in Frederick Maryland; I have been to wine country in Temecula on 5-6 different visits for the purpose of tasting wine. I can only give it an 88-89 rating and not worth the asking price.

1/21/2020 - Stephen.Somm Does not like this wine:

I agree wholeheartedly with R2-D2's notes below.

Generally speaking, my palate tends to jibe more with Wine Enthusiast than other wine mags...particularly the reviews of Kerin O'Keefe, Virginie Boone, and Matt Kettmann...but here, Jim Gordon has seemingly lost his mind. No way is this the #1 Best Buy of 2019, and a 91 point rating? What has he been smoking? I mean, this wine is utter garbage. And I bought 6 bottles of it. On the bright side, I have a couple sangria recipes I've been meaning to try out. But I will never buy this wine again. Ever.

12/24/2019 - R2-D2 wrote:

Pale lemon; med+ intensity, youthful aroma. Primary aromas of citrus fruit (lemon, lime, lemon zest, grapefruit), floral (white blossoms, honeysuckle, jasmine), green fruit (pear, apple, guince), pungent spice (black liquorice, white pepper), and soap, limestone, minerals and salt. Dry, med+ acidity, med body, med alcohol, med intensity and med finish. Primary flavors of citrus fruit (grapefruit, lemon zest, orange peel), floral (honeysuckle, blossoms, jasmine) and limestone, minerals, brine and salt. There is perhaps an ever so slight secondary flavor from lees (bitter almond, biscuit, dough) present in the aftertaste. This is a good wine. Drink now, not suitable for aging.

Very fresh, quite quaffable Torrontes that finishes a touch bitter. Always aromatic and I could even go pronounced with its distinct highly soapy aroma.

7/27/2020 - R2-D2 wrote:

Grown in the 400m high hills in Campania; fermented in Stainless Steel and aged on its lees for two months.

Medium lemon (from skins); Medium+ complex aromas of acacia, honeysuckle, jasmine, lemon zest, nectarine, pineapple, yogurt, and stale beer. The few years of bottle age have provided some tertiary notes of dried banana chips, dried pear, orange peel, and hazelnut. Dry, with a slight viscosity from the grape skins, this higher acid white shows zesty minerality and bitter pistachios on a medium+ length, lively finish. The best example of Fiano I have found. VERY GOOD

2/28/2020 - adon Likes this wine:

Lorenzi in Tumecula is guilty of believing their own press. No big flaw, just uninteresting.

12/17/2002 - R2-D2 wrote:

I was really excited when Tastewine2 emailed me about this wine. I've never had an aged white wine, so this was a first. 1983 was a great, not outstanding, year for Bordeaux whites and Laville is among the best producers. Unfortunately, I don't think there was much fruit left in the wine. My overall impression was greasy butter with grassy notes. Also, this was very delicate, by the end of the night, it was undrinkable.

1/21/2003 - R2-D2 wrote:

2000 Bordeaux Tasting (Chicago, IL): My second favorite wine of the tasting! Knockout nose of super-concentrated raspberries! It literally blew me away! Super quantities of jammy blackberries with smoke, oak, leafy tobacco and earth. The tannins are amazingly sweet here! I'm salivating over my futures!

4/3/2003 - R2-D2 wrote:

A wall of tannins block everything! 89+

2/16/2020 - WetRock wrote:

Very dense and tannic still. Fleshy and somewhat closed-ish on the first night. More interesting on night two when some complexities unfold. The fill wasn't fantastic being just above the shoulder but this seemed the youngest I've had of this wine. This bottle probably wanted more time. still comes off like something from a completely different era. Not sure I could blind this as not being Cab.

1/23/2020 - TannicBeast Likes this wine:

Clear, bright, med ruby. Clean, med + intensity nose of red cherry, strawberry, aromatic herbs and spice. Dry but fruit forward palate, consistent with the nose. There's a hint of bitter rhubarb and cola on the finish. The acidity and tannins are medium; the alcohol is a little warm at 13.9%. Well-balanced, pleasant, med (+) bodied with med flavor intensity and length. Drinking well now and for the next several years. Solid QPR.

12/17/2003 - R2-D2 wrote:

Really, really bitter. This was the first wine tasted at the event and it has the associated misfortune of that status. Plum, currants, minerals, herbs, and cigarette ash

1/4/2020 - srh Likes this wine:

Winebar [4 Whites, 8 Reds, & 6 *shared* bottles] from 01/03/19 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Dr. John, it was indeed MOST gracious of you to share this with me! :)

N: RIPE berries with notes of flowers & hints of minerals? Intensity lurking?

P: LM body; RNDISH entry with very NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which stays within hailing distance of the init frt as it fairly seamlessly works its way into & through a LONG, BALANCED finish with a TANGY/swtness (60:40) to the firming, but relatively innocuous, dusty tannins. For now with food, will likely improve for 6-12 mos, then drink into '24? My EXC... easily. 96-98 pts Dunnuck (10/31/19), 94-96 Vinous (Galloni, 9/1/19) & 92-94 WA (Brooks, 9/12/19)! [Check with this vendor if interested in their very COMPETITIVE price.]

Note: Also tasted on 10/5/ & 10/19/19.

11/23/2019 - srh Likes this wine:

TOP 100 Tasting ['19 Wine Spectator, various selected] (San Diego Wine Co.): WAY too cold

“The majority of the S.B. is planted (2004-2006) on the most N part of the vyd which is cooler. Clones are a mix of UC Davis (UCD) 1 & Mass selection (MS) on a mix of 101-14, 3309 & Schwarzmann rootstock, with 1/4 of the vines Bordeaux clones BDX 316 & BDX 317, on Riparia Gloire rootstock. Made from the best of the best blocks, this wine is chiefly from the lower yielding sites of the vyd with crops as low as 3.3 tons/acre. The wine was mostly fermented cool with long slow fermentations to retain aroma & fruitiness. A proportion of the blend was aged on yeast lees for an extended period of time to bring texture & creaminess. Another small component of wine was fermented in older barrels. The wine was blended in Oct & bottled in Dec, 9 mos after harvest. 14.0% ABV, 2.8 g/L R.S., 7.5 g/L T.A., & 3.27 pH;” 14,800 cases made & bottled Dec ‘18, 10,000 cases imported.

N: Grass slightly atop tropical frts, with notes of toast?

P: Med body; Very RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) nicely counterbalanced by an acidity which subtly, yet decisively, serves as the face of this into & through the LONG, BALANCED, tangy/swt finish. VERY nicely done for now & through '22? My EXC-/EXC, & I'D certainly listen to pleas for the higher based upon QPR. 92 pts ea The Tasting Panel & Bob Campbell, and 90 ea (@ $17) WE (Pickard, 9/1/19) & WS (Worobiec, 9/30/19) + their #60/Top 100 for '19. [This vendor's $15.99 puts it in the TOP 1/2 of wine-searcher's fairly small # of postings.]

12/14/2019 - Nanda wrote:

Decanted ~8 hours. This threw off A TON of sediment. Awesome nose of balsamico, black cherry and dried florals. Good freshness on the palate. Classic in flavor and proportion. An overachiever, for sure.

12/12/2019 - R2-D2 wrote:

Medium ruby; Med intensity aromatics, developed red fruit (cherry, strawberry, rhubarb), bottle age (mushroom, earthy, game), herbal (medicinal, liquorice), mineral (stones). Dry, low tannin, med body, med acidity, med alc, med intensity, med finish; flavors of tart red fruit (tart cherry, rhubarb), minerals (flint, stones), white pepper, bottle age (green olive, brine, tea, dry wood). Good, drink now, not suitable for aging.

11/25/2019 - srh Likes this wine:

Popped 'n poured from a 375 ml bottle stored @ room temp, UPRIGHT, for > yrs than anyone can remember. :( Private Preserve after Day 1

Stats from the bottle: 12.4% ABV, 4.2% R.S., & 0.68 g/100ml T.A.; A silver sticker on the bottle says, "Los Angeles County Fair."

N: Something medicinal I can't parse; RIPE berries with hints of jam definitely coming forward with increased air; Something "green"/herbaceous, but NOT tradt'l pyrazines

P: Med, poss LM, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, SWTISH frt off-set by an acidity which fairly seamlessly evolves into a fairly LONG finish with a pleasant, bitter/swtness to the HINTS of firming, very, VERY fine tannins. My VG+ as is, arguably even EXC- for being both conceptually "unusual"™ *&* not treated "properly", poss ever since its purchase from the winery's tasting room. :( // Day 4: Held up REMARKABLY well. Also, large CHUNKS of sediment ensconced in the recesses of its punt bottom.

™As this winery was purchased some time ago, I'm putting the purchaser's URL as the link for the "Producer's Website", PARTICULARLY since, SHOULD anyone be interested, the current winery apparently still makes a LH P.S.!

10/30/2019 - srh Likes this wine:

Special Wines with some SPECIAL Friends :) (Host's House): Decanted by the host after having been set upright for ≈1 wk

N: INITIAL funk but with notes of blood & earth underneath, ripe berries & definitely pyrazines (bell peppers?) also underneath; Over time, hints of bacon also emerg. The funk popped in & out with addt'l swirling/air, & was for me likely a +.

P: LM, poss Med, body; VERY *nice*, ALMOST swtish frt met by just a BIT of astringent pucker, though that bit IS initially (& but briefly) on the PUCKERISH side. The process stays within hailing distance of the init frt as it SEAMLESSLY evolves into a VERY LONG, BALANCED finish that is not at ALL "tired", & could EASILY accompany entrees. Consensus was that this SHOULD make its 50th without difficulty, & there was some speculation it will still be alive 'n kickin' ALL the way through the 2020s! [1 of the tasters had this previously, feeling his bottle was > swt & < "vegetal" than this one. The host later opined this bottle MAY have been somewhat < advanced, & that, in time, WOULD show > swtness.] Also, towards the very end there were multiple opinions that this bottle eventually showed a "mature", well integrated (unobjectionable) Brett on the N, which would explain the touch 'n go funkiness I described above. 12% ABV; My Exceptional-/Full Exceptional (96-100/100 using that metric). 92+ pts RJonWine, 92 John Gilman (4x, Sep/Oct '17 the most recent), & 19.5/20 Jancis Robinson (Hunt, 10/31/12), the highest scoring wine from that publication I've ever actually TASTED.

8/29/2019 - kfrench150 Likes this wine:

Redemption bottle for the last one that was weirdly off. Dark cherry red with a dark ruby rim. Super dark fruits on the nose: blackberry, blueberry, blue plum, cocoa powder, light sandalwood, eucalyptus and a hint of black licorice. First impression on the palate is medium weight with brisk acidity and crisp black fruit. Quite tight with astringent tannins that are nevertheless fine grained. Good dark fruits as well on the palate. Definitely needs a few more years to mellow out. 92 points right now.