11/21/2023 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Unlike the 2 bottles that I tried Jun 2, 2023, this bottle is still good. Kept in the same cellar.

6/11/2023 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Even better than when I reviewed in 2019. Still delicious. Not turning at all. Only difference is that it was great without decanting. Decanted anyway based on my previous note. So good!

6/2/2023 - Josephd Does not like this wine:

Something appears to have gone wrong with the 2017 vintage in my cellar where it has been gently stored. I loved it in 21, 22. It is no longer delicious. Opened 2 bottles to be sure and they are indistinguishable when I close my eyes. The color is becoming orange at the rim, more astringent. When there are other vintages of poet in my cellar that I like, I’m going to reach for the good ones. I was relying upon the CT drinking window which says 21-26. It is mid 24 now. I’m going to adjust my other poet drinking windows accordingly.

4/21/2023 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Delicious

1/1/2023 - Josephd Does not like this wine:

Strawberry nose, astringent, high tannin. This could be too young. Will wait until 2026 for 2nd bottle.

1/22/2022 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Delicious. Pair with paella. But good with anything.

12/14/2021 - Josephd Likes this wine:

On 6/5/21: Consumed 1/2 bottle, used Coravin and returned remaining 1/2 bottle to cellar.
On 12/14/21: This is more a personal test of Coravin than anything else for me. I could not detect any deterioration in the wine from 6 months ago.
My notes from the bottle tasted April 2020 still seem appropriate to me.

11/5/2021 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Different golden color. Nice. Special. Peachy. Not your typical champagne. Serve a little warmer, 50F to really taste the difference. The 30% Chardonnay.

5/27/2020 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Good, but color is brown at the rim. I will have my other bottle soon.

4/24/2020 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Improved since I rated in 2018. This was my last bottle. If you still have some, there is no rush to drink up, other than it is such a nice merlot right now.

4/16/2020 - Josephd Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this wine - not as much as the 2015, but I like it. Many describe it as “jammy”, but I think that is a little harsh. It is sweet, no doubt, but there is medium astringency in the finish. The fruit is ripe and strong, with chocolate and vanilla mixed in. Medium body. It does, indeed, remind me of Caymus. I enjoy it more after it has at least 2 hours to decant. I agree this is a crowd pleaser, but, like the 2015, this wine shows off for the patient. And I want to note for myself: don’t serve it, or even sniff the cork, until it warms up. It becomes a different wine entirely. I agree that this wine should be enjoyed before the end of 2023.

12/4/2019 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Delicious. Bottle was resting in the kitchen rack at room temperature for few days after years in the cellar. Pop and pour with Vinturi. Beautiful merlot nose, berries and chocolate palate. Light silky tannins.

9/5/2019 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Medium body. Bluish magenta color. Strawberry nose. Tart cherry palate. Long finish. Nice, balanced acidity that does not distract or overwhelm. Did not notice tannin, can someone else leave a note? I’m wondering how long this will stay nice in the cellar. I really enjoyed this wine.

8/17/2019 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Full body, nice, fruity on the nose, like a merlot to me, tastes fruity but not sweet, light tannins, a little alcohol heat at the finish. I really enjoyed this wine on a warm Michigan evening in the back yard as the cruisers showed off their cars nearby. I waited to open based on another tasting note, I would say it is ready now. I only have one more bottle, which I will probably open before mid 2020.

5/21/2019 - Josephd Likes this wine:

This homemade Apple wine is dry. Alcohol seems fairly high, though I do not have a way to measure. The wine maker recommends serving it chilled, and I agree. It reminds me of Lairds Apple Brandy. So far, I have most enjoyed it making a wine cocktail similar to Monks in the Orchard, but use wine instead of brandy: 6 oz wine, 1 Tbsp Yellow Chartreuse, 1 Tbsp Benedictine, 2 dashes bitters, lemon peel garnish or a little lemon juice. pour over ice.

4/3/2019 - Josephd wrote:

My wife liked this wine, I did not. Pretty purple color. Nose, my daughter says it smells like dirt. I couldn’t really pick up much of anything. What I don’t like about it is the green pepper taste. I think this comes from having too many leaves on the vine or something. The last time I had a wine with this style was also from South America. It could be a wonderful example of Venezuelan Malbec, I just don’t care for it. My wife really likes it.

3/30/2019 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Inky purple, blueberry and brown sugar nose, medium tannins and acidity. Blueberry pallet. Nice balance. Even though I mentioned brown sugar and n the nose, this is not sweet on the pallet. Decant and serve close to room temperature to let it show off for you. I enjoyed this wine very much.

3/4/2019 - Josephd wrote:

Delicious. Well balanced. I did not find the dryness of comment from 6 years ago. Low tannins now. Nice hint of acidity in the finish. My first Barolo, so I can’t say how it compares, but I found it to feel very soft in my mouth and each taste made me want more. This was a gift bottle, and I am delighted by it.

2/8/2019 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Garnet medium body
Cherry strawberry nose and pallet. Mildly acidic with medium tannins. More than 30 seconds finish. Delicious. Used Vinturi. Best about 2 hours at room temp after being in 54 degree F cellar.

12/15/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Bluish red, full body. Oak and strawberry nose that reaches more than a foot away from the glass. Still significant tannins that indicate the wine will continue to age. Strawberry and chocolate palate and a long, delicious finish. I wish I had more of this. A nice wine for a special occasion.

10/27/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Slight tingle of effervescence. Deep color. Somewhat sweet. Screw Top.

8/15/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Light body, tight, almost no nose, nice acid light tannins, medium finish. If you want a cab, this is not for you. I like this Pinot because it isn’t masquerading as a cab. It is a light, joyful wine that I enjoyed with some nicely prepared domestic lamb chops. I will buy more. I wouldn’t keep it too long, I plan on having my last bottle by 2021.

7/27/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Nice wine. Balanced, but still plenty of tannins to let it age well in the cellar for awhile. Somalier at Morton’s gave me a taste of 2013 bottle, then brought out the 2015 without pointing out the switch. I noticed the more pronounced tannins, but I enjoyed the newer wine too. I will buy more, but not at restaurant price. 50-60 seems fair.

7/18/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Nice Merlot.

7/14/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

This note is the first in CT regarding the 2013 vintage of this nice wine? The 2012 notes remarked on the importance of air to appreciating this wine. I poured a taste before I poured about 1/3 of the bottle into a small carafe. My immediate impression was that the Wine was closed, with a relatively thin mouth feel, but the finish was long with a nice balance of acidity and fruit that told me a little patience would be rewarded. After an hour, the nose was beginning to open, with cherry/strawberry. The wine now seems to have medium body, and the palate is similar to the nose. A lovely, long finish. I think this wine has more to it, but for today, I rate it 90. I sealed the bottle, applied vacuum, and expect that Day 2 will be even more enjoyable.
I want to point out that part of enjoying this wine is giving it air. I encourage others that use CT to enter tasting notes. I trust the notes from CT more than notes from the professionals.

7/6/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Had this bottle at JR Marriott in Grand Rapids. Delicious with a duck, lamb, sausage stew. The waiter knocked the bottle over and 1/4 of the bottle poured on the floor. We enjoyed the rest of the bottle, and had a laugh with the waiter. This Bordeaux is mostly merlot, but finely crafted. Nice balance of fruit, tannins, and fresh acidity. They were very gracious and presented us with a gift bag with an unopened bottle to put in our cellar. Our family enjoyed the dinner. Fabulous deserts too - smoked chocolate soufflé.

7/2/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Decided to try a bottle ahead of schedule. After my first bottle of this 2016, I had decided to wait till 2019. So this is 5 months early and the wine was disappointing. The over sweetness has, indeed, calmed down, but now there is a bitter finish. Not tart. Like the taste of stems and seeds, maybe alcohol. This was a pop and pour. Will try tomorrow.

6/20/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Inky, purple, full bodied. PNP, right out of the cellar at 54 degrees. Let it rest in glass for 20 minutes. Nose was fragrant blueberry, though very light, probably due to low temperature. The taste was nice, plenty of tannins, but tannins seemed balanced with the flavor of the grape, light acidity. I would buy more if I can get it, though 2014 probably not very available.

6/17/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Color dark blue. Nose: apple pie. Taste, balanced tannins and acidity, medium, pleasant finish. My wife doesn't think this is very special, and not worth the price we paid ($80). I think it is very good. So, buy more if can get it at closer to community price of $55. I opened the bottle 2 hours before tasting, then poured through Vinturi because the best reviews were from people that gave it a long decant.
Day 2, NOW I UNDERSTAND why the reviews are all over the map. This wine needs air and time to open up and show off. Today this wine is GREAT. Yesterday, I pumped the air out and stored it in the fridge. Today, I poured it into my glass and let it sit for 1 hour before I tasted it. The fruit arrived! Nice red fruit, balanced tannins and acidity. Good finish. I raised my original 90 to a 92! And I would be willing to pay more than $55 for my next bottles. I'd like to see what 3-5 more years in the cellar will do for this wine.

6/15/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Purple, full bodied. Nose: barely perceptible, tobacco, cinnamon. Taste: savory, light acidity, tannins absent when cold 60F but showed up closer to room temp. prunes, raisins. Medium long finish. Don’t serve too cold. I increased the rating 2 points by going from 60 to 70 degrees. Buy more at 27.

6/9/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Nice garnet color, medium body. I left the bottle undisturbed for about 1 hour after uncorking. When I poured the first glass, a nice fruity nose was detected from several feet away. There was strawberry and cherry candy on the nose. The taste was acidic, but not unusually so for a wine that is mostly Sangiovese. The tannins and acid had a drying effect on the mouth, and the alcohol gave some warmth to the finish. After another hour, the drying effect was less noticeable, and the wine seemed less tart and just right. I would recommend having a little patience to decant or vinturi to bring out the best in this wine. I will buy more.

5/26/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Full body, purple color. Blueberry, blackberry nose. Somewhat sweet, no noticeable tannins, very weak acidity. Overall tastes ok, but I have other cabs that I enjoy more at the 20 dollar price point. But my wife likes it a lot.

5/13/2018 - Josephd wrote:

Sweet blueberry. No bad tastes, but nothing to really like about it. Not undrinkable, but I like ménage a trios better. Not on my buy more list.

3/29/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Color beginning to fade, slightly orange at the edges. Wonderful blueberry dark cherry on the nose. First sip was too cold. Had just removed from 54 degree cellar. But there was a flood of intense flavor, black cherry. This is a relatively high value wine for me, so I am waiting for the temperature of my glass to come up to 60 degrees to get all of the enjoyment this wine has to offer. Oh! This is nice! Balanced fruit, tannins and acid. My daughter said she could smell the fragrance of this wine in the next room. I see on CT that most of this wine is being held. I would say it is ready. Mine might be a little ahead in age because it was not in a cool cellar until recently. Too bad this is my only bottle.

3/16/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

I like this. Simple, fruity, light tannins. Got it for 12.99.

3/7/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Light to medium body. Garnet color. Nose: oak, raspberry. P: medium tannins, light-medium acid, tart cherry, long finish. I think balance will improve with some time in the cellar. Buy more, but drink beginning in 2018.

3/4/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Medium body, color beginning to weaken at the rim. I liked it better than The Prisoner, which I also like. The price is 10% lower for this one, so I think I would rather pay less for a very comparable wine. Drink soon though. Or try a newer vintage if you plan to cellar this for more than a year.

2/27/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

I liked this wine. Nice purple color to the rim. Popped and poured. N: Strong oak at the outset gave way to black cherry and blueberry. P: black cherry, medium finish. Mouth drying tannin fairly strong. More time in the bottle might lead to better balanced tannins. But this is enjoyable as it is. I will buy more if I see it for sale.

2/16/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

I liked it. I have a cold, so I can’t really get into fine detail on nose and palate. The color is deep and purple. Tannins feel strong. Could probably improve with more time in the bottle. wish my taste wasn’t so dulled by my sinus/cold because I think my tastebuds are having a party and I wasn’t invited. I will buy more if I can get it.

2/5/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Deep blue red color. Sweet cherry and blueberry with graphite on the nose. Sweet at first with some acidity in the finish. I hope the unbalanced sweetness is because of the youth of this Wine. I had actually ordered the 2015, but there was a mixup with delivery. I like the 2015 right now. I will cellar the remaining bottles of 2016. Since the 2015 was good after 2-3 years, I will taste the 2016 again in early 2019. I might buy more if the 2017 is available in 2019 and the wine improves with age.

1/29/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

I like this wine. Nice medium body, deep purple-red. Although I thought the 2015 vintage was a little better a few months ago, I am not able to predict how well this Wine will age. I detected a little heat at the finish that I think might be alcohol that could diminish over time. But this is minor, and I really enjoyed the Wine overall. I will buy more, but I’m looking for a deal. Paid 46 at Whole Foods for this bottle, but I see from CT that 36-38 would not be unrealistic.

1/25/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

I like this. Nose: blueberry and cherry pie. Some tannins, medium acidity. Taste nice balance of flavors, blueberry, blackberry, cherry, but not too sweet. The tannins make it seem like this should last at least 3 more years. I will buy more if there is a price break, this is not a 40 dollar Wine, but around 30 would be fair.

1/20/2018 - Josephd wrote:

The cork was brittle, leaving little cork dust in the wine. First taste immediately after pour was sour and had a medicinal, eucalyptus smell. But wait! Give it a chance. Poured through vinturi, and it calmed down a lot. Still more acidic than I prefer. Nothing really to like about it. My wife poured her glass down the drain. I enjoy ménage e trois a lot more for even a dollar less. I will cook with this, but I see no reason to buy another bottle.

After reading notes of other reviewers, I agree that bell pepper stands out. I suppose the bell pepper is what does not appeal to me about this wine.

1/17/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Nice red color with purple tint. An invisible cloud of grape jelly rose to my nose as I poured the first glass while standing. Blueberry, a little vanilla, then raspberry and black cherry on the nose. Nice acid, not too much though. Taste of berries, and bing cherry. I like it now. I want to buy more. I will leave it to the experts to determine how long the window stays open - I’ll probably have mine before 2020.

1/5/2018 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Deep purple. Nice fruit. Blueberry pie nose. Light tannins, not very acidic. Soft mouth feel. Taste of blueberry, peach. Enjoy it now. Don’t wait too long.

12/8/2017 - Josephd wrote:

Brown, smelled like shoe polish. I poured it down the drain. Would not even cook with it.

12/2/2017 - Josephd Likes this wine:

Nice wine. Deep garnet. Strawberry, blueberry then tobacco after taking a sip. Some acidity and tannins. Should be nice for at least a few more years. I will buy more.

11/30/2017 - Josephd wrote:

Ok, some fruit, Oak. Not bad, but I like 8 dollar red blends better.

11/28/2017 - Josephd Does not like this wine:

Cork smelled lightly like vinegar after removal. Color was browning. Wine smelled like shoe polish. After using Vinturi and decanting for 1/2 hour shoe polish calmed a little and smelled like old socks. This wine is clearly out of the drinkability window. There was some chocolate on the finish. Mainly a colossal disappointment.

11/24/2017 - Josephd wrote:

Still too young. Wait till 2019.