8/14/2023 - PBM wrote:

Smokey on the nose. Medium/silky tannins. Ruby colored. Raspberry, plum, tobacco, and pomegranate all tasted by various drinkers. Went great with pizza after a long day touring Montenegro.

8/9/2023 - PBM wrote:

Impressive wine.

11/23/2021 - PBM wrote:

Rough. Tannic. Earthy. Not much fragrance but some cherry on the palate. If you like Bordeaux, this is a great daily drinker. A wonderful value at $12. If you prefer big Napa cabs, you might want to look elsewhere.

12/22/2020 - PBM Likes this wine:

$30 from Princeton Corkscrew. Might be one of the best values I’ve ever had. Still youthful but drinking so well. Earthy, cherry, kiwi, pomegranate, blackberry preserve but somehow not fruity. Ample tannins just a tad too much alcohol. If I have the discipline I’d love to see how this fared in five years. I’m not disciplined.

10/19/2020 - PBM wrote:

Surprise of the year. Packing up the cellar for a move. Set this and a dozen other bottles aside to open “just in case”. Damn good decision. Great aroma. Good color. Pure cherry. Not many years left if any but this has me intending to purchase more from a winery I hadn’t thought about in a long time.

6/26/2020 - PBM wrote:

Friday evening with no thought given to pairing with smoked Gouda as we sat on the deck and FaceTimed with Bill. Down went Frazier. Second bottle went with seared tuna (horrible), salmon (apparently better), and Helen Mirren (clearly a tasty dish). The second bottle was as good as the first. We ordered another half case before finishing it.

It was red, dry, not too fruity. I think. Need to ask my wife for something helpful to put here.

6/25/2020 - PBM Likes this wine:

Nice nose of mixed fruit. Initial impression was extremely positive. No barnyard or more traditional scents that I associate with Bordeaux.

Impression on the first night was less impressive than the nose had me hoping for. Not as complex or tasty (for lack of a better word). It was fine - not bold, nothing that screamed "keep drinking me". Pleasant.

Second night had more flavors coming through - more of the red fruit and definitely some pepper. I'll up date with third night as there's a glass remaining.

It's a subtle wine but perhaps too subtle for my tastes. To be fair, I opened after it completed a cross country journey so that may have impacted it.

Third Day Update - It delivers. Both my wife and I agreed it was the best glass yet. Still subtle but more complex. The pepper didn’t dominate. Feel much better now.

7/20/2017 - PBM wrote:

Young but promising. Grippy tannins dominate and essentially overwhelm the clear underlying Alexander Valley pedigree. Even after a hour or so in the glass it still felt ungainly. Unripe red fruit, minimal oak, tannins suggest its best days yet to come will be worth the wait. Not sure about the retail QPR as it was a restaurant purchase. But at $90 in midtown Manhatten in 2-3 years I would not hesitate.

6/8/2017 - PBM wrote:

This is a high value Cab. Picked up pitted dark fruit, smoke, tobacco. A nice Thursday night wine that did justice to a high quality filet mignon. It's not as complex as I like in a blend but can't get everything.

1/28/2017 - PBM wrote:

Deep ruby color. Prominent nose upon opening. Taste vegetal, vanilla, cherries, leather. None dominate. A very nice solid bottle of wine. Enjoyed in front of the fire while watching Justified. All very harmonious.

5/25/2013 - PBM Likes this wine:

Thank you J2K. Definitely a major steal from the state-controlled monopoly Soviet Union era wine store in PA. $16 and it drank like twice that or even better. Earthy and real cab...not the over done perfumey fruity juice that too often dominates Napa cabs in this price range. Loved it.

3/16/2013 - PBM wrote:

I like this wine because for me it expresses what I want in a Bordeaux. Some grip, complexity, earth, red fruit, and an increasing desire for more as I make my way through the bottle. Enjoying with some green grapes and Fontina cheese on the deck overlooking the south shore of Bermuda so that doesn't hurt. At $33 from a store on Front Street with questionable storage it's held up well though I don't see it getting better. That may be because of storage. For me, right wine, right time.

3/6/2013 - PBM wrote:

At $25 this was a steal from WTSO. One of the best "value" Napa cabs I've had in a long time. Deep color, leather, tannic, some oak, red fruit, great aroma. All made for a wonderful experience which ended far too quickly. Looks like the bottle is going for $60 on Wine-Searcher and that's not a bad price. Not sure how long it will hold up but it's just drinking great right now.

2/22/2013 - PBM wrote:

"OMG this wines delicious." From my wife. I agree. Classic, classic, classic cali napa cab. NOT over the top...a perfectly balanced wine.

2/22/2013 - PBM wrote:

Lots of barnyard earth funkiness on opening. Still a nice deep color. Aroma faded a perfect amount into black fruit, pepper, and hint of chocolate after about 30 minutes. Really enjoyable bottle of wine. Not sure how long it will keep in the cellar though I could see it improving for six months to a year. It was just what I was looking for to accompany filet, asparagus, and smashed taters. A worthy representative of the region/blend.

2/4/2013 - PBM wrote:

Decanted for seven hours to share at a Super Bowl gathering. We drank after a deliciously creamy 2008 Caymus and it really showed the differences well. I was worried about drinking if after the Caymus but overall it came across as having the potential for being more complex (probably not difficult) and it's clearly more terroir-driven nuanced wine. My bias is that I'm just tired of the perfumey-style Napa cabs.

The Gerlach is not as dark as I recalled but very vibrant. Upon opening it exhibited slight green characteristics that faded over the decant to a strong cherry aroma. From the glass that wasn't quite as pronounced. There's a strong backbone to this wine -- serious tannin and potential for complexity. I'm really excited about watching it evolve over time and am now committed to not touching any of the Gerlach for a year or two at least.

1/26/2013 - PBM wrote:

Had last night at our traditional Friday evening sushi dinner. Yes we violated all known universal law about what to drink with sushi but somehow we survived. To be honest, I typically get a lot of tuna and reds go quite well with it.

Anyway, the wine struck us both as young. Dark red on opening with funk still present it took a long while to open up - at least 45 minutes. During that time it tasted tight but you could sense some depth and complexity underneath. My guess is that with a full hour or two decant you get a solid syrah with more flavorful dark red fruit than we had as by the last glass it was starting to come through. Very earthy as well which I love.

1/22/2013 - PBM wrote:

Not bad but definitely too soon. Going to try and hold these for a bit. Just a bit too mellow for a chianti so I'm hoping they will develop a bit. However, if you must it's a nice bottle of wine even now.

1/19/2013 - PBM wrote:

I would say this is still going strong but have to admit it wasn't quite the experience I had before. Could be the additional age of the wine or simply that we had it at a BYO dinner where the focus really wasn't the wine. I didn't get the cream soda but rather more of a dark cherry taste. Not much of a nose, decent finish. Paired just fine with a chicken oscar but I'm not a stickler on food-wine pairings. Probably will be fine for another year but I wouldn't hold on to it for much longer.

1/12/2013 - PBM wrote:

Done. Finished. Undrinkable.

1/10/2013 - PBM wrote:

This is still unmistakably an Australian wine with a bit too much "petrol" still on the nose. HOWEVER, for my palate this is drinking perfectly right now. Perfect tannins, earthy, hint of mint, and clearly displaying Old World characteristics. Is it an outstanding wine? No. Is it a very enjoyable dinner/after-dinner wine with taste and modest complexity that far surpasses its $15 price point. Yes, without a doubt. It continues to support my hypothesis that the trick to the "value" Aussie wines have a sweet spot that if you can hold on to them for just the right amount of time they really deliver. The challenge for me is finding that right amount of time.

8/20/2012 - PBM wrote:

Well I'd never be one, and I say that sincerely, to contradict Jeff but we definitely had a different experience with a '86 Mouton that we opened Saturday night. Before saying anything it's important to note that after quickly opening up this wine was singing. Such a beautiful expression of Bordeaux. A bit off the shoulder on the fill but not much. No decant at all. So vibrant in the glass. Like it had been bottled yesterday. Smoke and earth and dried red fruit and all things one looks for. Kept improving to the point where we set it aside for less than an hour just to make sure we could experience anything it had to offer as it progressed. It was not to be. When we went back to it the nose and taste had faded. Clearly we got the best of it and fortunately only reserved a few glasses. I realize storage and bottle variation counts for a lot with these wines but be careful. We would have been very disappointed if we had decanted for any length of time. Of course, it's possible that it could have reappeared after a spell but we weren't able to find out so we just finished her off.

8/20/2012 - PBM wrote:

I'm surprised this is the first entry for this wine but I'm happy to add it as it was a a great bottle. Probably at the end of its peak but tasting wonderful.... a deep golden color with nutty, butterscotch on the palate. Can't say I got much on the nose but it was a delicious wine. NONE of the oak that one associates with CA. If you have any, drink up.

5/31/2012 - PBM wrote:

Now this is some serious stuff!! Okay, it's young but it's young in that supple, creamy, with just enough of an edge way that makes it known that it's going to be a handful when it grows up. Not a monstrous handful but more a wine that will demand that you pay attention to it as your drinking for all the right reasons - complexity, layers, aroma...Wow. Tannins started coming through toward the end of the first glass. Really grippy. Definitely not too much oak on the nose at all...for me it was all dark red fruit screaming "Taste Me". I LOVE this wine. Fantastic job Dave. Just perfect.

5/8/2012 - PBM wrote:

Found it. The value in burgundy I've been looking for. Tart earth, cherries, a decent finish. Everything one could reasonably hope for in a $20 bottle.

4/24/2012 - PBM wrote:

Great authentic pinot. Tart on the first taste there's great flavor and finish to follow.

4/17/2012 - PBM wrote:

I just had to come back and say that after about a month and more than half a case consumed of this wine that this is just a no-brainer as a daily drinker purchase for those that prefer a more old world style cab. This wine has been amazingly consistent for its price (I tend to find more bottle variation in lower priced wines) and I've purchased two additional cases. If the notes below appeal to you and you're not a big fan of the big, perfume-like Cali-cabs I strongly suggest checking this out. As mentioned below there is MAJOR sediment. I have to run every glass through a strainer. Not sure what this means but somehow I think it must be a good thing.

4/14/2012 - PBM wrote:

Fantastic wine, great value. Smooth, strong wine. Deep color not an overwhelming nose but dark fruit, cherry, some smoke, and vanilla made it a delicious accompaniment to nice grilled Porterhouse steaks. Looking for more.

3/18/2012 - PBM wrote:

Sorry but I found this utterly undrinkable. Stunk like a week old wet rag and didn't taste much different though I have to admit I don't speak from experience relative to the comparator. I let it sit in the decanter for an hour, no change. Let it sit over, no change. It pretty much gave off the same aroma going down the drain.

3/13/2012 - PBM wrote:

Stopped by Wine Library today to pick up some purchases. Walked by a display for this wine. Usually I stay away from that kind of cute marketing/packaging but it was marked down from $20 to $15. I figured my wife would get a kick out of it so I opened up CT on the iPhone to check it out. A 93 avg but based on one score with the following thoroughly unhelpful note: "Amazing little wine." Hmmm. Clicked on mstrickland's profile. Interesting. 778 bottles consumed. 550 rating. Okay, definitely a serious guy. Let's see what cabs he likes. Wow, 55 notes with an average of 84. So he just doesn't throw around 93's. Within 30 seconds I spotted a half dozen wines I knew and liked and that he had rated about what I thought they deserved. Made the purchase. Brought it home. Popped and poured. Very, very, very nice wine for $15. Complex on the nose and palate, some tannins, nice fruit, oak, leather and a bunch of other stuff. Will be ordering a case tomorrow.

3/10/2012 - PBM wrote:

Something of a typical Cali cab I suppose. Aromatic, creamy, suggestion of oak but nothing too overwhelming. Very flavorful and I definitely want more.

3/10/2012 - PBM wrote:

Another - but not often enough - Friday football planning session with Matt. Very mellow wine. Almost a merlot soft velvety feel to it. Yet, didn't seem past it's prime at all. Not much of nose but the fruit was there, some tannins came through after a while (it had been decanted about two hours), and I eventually picked up some moss and very brief passing taste of mint. We drank the bottle over an hour and it was a delight. I think if we could have stretched it out more would have shown through. Color was deep, no bricking.

3/2/2012 - PBM wrote:

I love this...old world taste from us newbies. Cherry, leather, earth. Gripping tannins that probably are a bit too strong for where the flavor profile is but I don't care. This is why I like M-M and why I like Carneros.

1/3/2012 - PBM wrote:

Just an update. After the first bottle every single one was burnt. Last Bottle provided a full credit for the purchase so I can't be too upset but my advice is stay away.

12/28/2011 - PBM wrote:

Enjoyed before dinner then with some pork chops then with after dinner chocolate. Popped and poured. Little bit of a bite to it out of the bottle. Immediate funk on nose. Fruit was somewhat overwhelmed by it until having it with food. Seemed to hit its stride with the food with cherry and boysenberry coming out some carmel as well. Very smooth with few tannins ultimately it's an easy drinking wine, earthy, but not particularly complex or memorable. Still, a nice change of pace.

12/15/2011 - PBM wrote:

So I have to say while the bottle went down verrry easy but I was not blown away. Not much in way of tannins, there was nothing on the nose that grabbed me. However, I'd describe it as having a very smooth almost creamy taste. Not enough terroir for me but a very enjoyable wine nonetheless. I'm wondering if I should have let it decant and evolve?

.........just checked the CT notes. Clearly some in favor of decanting and I do agree with the descriptions of balance. This may be a good example of a well made "new world" wine that I have less of an appreciation for because of my "old world" preferences at times.

I think I'll be another bottle just to be sure.

10/21/2011 - PBM wrote:

Well, with the last three bottles being corked or badly flawed I'm less happy at this point. Think this is one deal I should have passed on.

10/16/2011 - PBM wrote:

This is very good stuff. I love the nose of cedar/cigar box (depending on what your cigar box is made of I suppose) and it's an easy drinking wine. Still some tannins, nice finish, and basically just makes me want more. I intended on just one glass tonight but I see more in my future. If this is representative of a good QPR WA cab I'm going to be expanding my experience with that region.

10/12/2011 - PBM wrote:

Finally found my Bordeaux daily drinker.Just $13 at the PA state store ($16-$24 elsewhere) this is unmistakably Bordeaux. Earth, barnyard, tannins, more subtle red fruit and definitely got some of the bacon/charcoal mentioned by others. It evolved over the evening the way you hope for and strikes me as a steal at $13, a good value at $18, and worth it in the low $20's. I fully intended to see how it did on day two but it was not to be. Case purchase here we come. The avg score does not do it justice in my opinion and though I rarely score wines this gets a solid 89 from me to help boost its rating. Thank you to my cousin for the discovery!

9/28/2011 - PBM wrote:

Damn do I love a good Rhone. Had to try the 2008 La Garrigue Vacqueyras that I picked up tonight. Very unimpressive on opening (as expected) it has literally blossomed in the glass over the last couple of hours. Dark cherry...still a little sour but I'm loving it. Thought I'd have half the bottle left to try tomorrow but that may not be the way this evening works out...

9/13/2011 - PBM wrote:

Case of half bottles arrived today. CT reviews say to drink up and who am I to argue with the expert reviewers of CT. I'd say it was good advice. Wine is still showing well though with very slight bricking. Nose is pure Bordeaux which for me means earth, cherries, and some green on the finish. Had my first glass around 5:30 then popped the cork back in, went to a meeting and came back around 8:30. It had opened up a bit with all the same flavors smoother and drinking nicely. I'm not going to hesitate to just blow through these bottles as I don't see it getting better and it's drinking well. At $6.80/half it's a steal if you like Bordeaux.

8/20/2011 - PBM wrote:

Not sure if it's just because I've had four different vintages of this over the last year but I think this is rapidly becoming one of my favorite Bordeaux's. Friend brought this over for a late Friday afternoon discussion about our high school football booster club finances. We discovered we both are into wine a few weeks ago and this is starting to become a regularly scheduled meeting but he really upped the stakes by popping this one.

It was open but not decanted for an hour or so before he arrived then we decanted for less than an hour. Immediate earth and barn upon opening but still needed time to open up. Beautiful color out of the bottle. Over the course of an hour it began to drink perfectly. I kept getting some caramel with the sour red fruit, and earth. I loved it and would say the vintage is safe to start drinking with a bit of decanting. It's true that it's not going to blow your socks off like a 2000 or 2005 but it's unmistakeably good Bordeaux and that's what matters.

7/25/2011 - PBM wrote:

Enjoyed another bottle of this almost a year after the first. Still drinking quite nicely. Seems like it could hold up for a few more years. Based on my previous note I'd say it's evolved somewhat. A little more complex though still a straight-forward daily drinker when you get down to it. I'd like to think I'd recognize as being from down under but without knowing the label I could see it being mistook for a South African wine. Thicker and heavier than a typical Cali cab but still very enjoyable.

5/26/2011 - PBM wrote:

Burst of cherry on the nose. Definitely some strong tannins left. Also got a bit of oak and smoke. A really nice wine that's got some years left.

2/11/2011 - PBM wrote:

A nice bottle of wine. Drank like the Bordeaux blend it was supposed to. Some earth, decent tannins, nice fruit. Probably wouldn't cellar it long but if you prefer "typical" Bordeaux over typical cab this is a good daily drinker.

1/15/2011 - PBM wrote:

What I said before with the added note that I realize this kind of wine is not for everyone - or for every day. It's teeth staining, gum numbing, over kill. It's a hooker dressed for the ball -- dessert wine hidden in the wrong bottle essentially. No complexity in the least. But damn is it good.

12/28/2010 - PBM wrote:

Enjoyed with porterhouse, baked potato, salad, and steamed broccoli. I found the nose somewhat muted initially but after about an hour or so of decanting it opened up somewhat to plum and dark fruit. Not much tannin and didn't evolve much but I think my appreciation stemmed from it not being the same old cab or shiraz. It was a nice if unremarkable bottle of wine that should probably be drunk now if you have any.

12/25/2010 - PBM wrote:

Not bad. If you're in the mood for an inexpensive Bordeaux blend this will do. It paired well with a pork tenderloin. More fruit than earth. more smooth than tannic. It even had some life left on Day 2.

11/28/2010 - PBM wrote:

Knew I had to open this after detecting minor seepage. What a great night. Served a complete dinner in the wine cellar - fall salad with apple slices, garlic mashed sweet potatoes, and seared lamb chops plus dessert. Astride it all was the Lafite. It was a special bottle...from a good friend, from our anniversary year, served on my wife's birthday. The wine was fine despite the clear seepage - I don't think it had been going on that long. Beautiful deep color, no bricking at all. Muted aroma even after an hour long decant gave way to smoke, wood, and dried cherries. A musty earthiness was there initially that marked it as Bordeaux for me. It opened up beautifully over the course of the evening and was still evolving as we finished it with the mustiness receding and dark cherry coming to the fore. It was all things Bordeaux has come to mean to me and it did nothing to alter my belief that properly aged good Bordeaux is the most consistently special wine experience. Was it the best wine I had ever had? No. Would I pay $888 for another bottle (the current CT auction price)? No. Was it perfect? Yes.

11/14/2010 - PBM wrote:

Enjoyed two bottles at Anton's that went well with the variety of entrees we had at the table. I love this kind of pinot - not big or fruity but earthy, complex - real. Just a very tasty bottle of wine that for me had a sense of place not just grape.