4/9/2017 - abqdeb wrote:

Going downhill. Drink up!

11/26/2015 - abqdeb Does not like this wine:

Had this for Thanksgiving and it was quite a disappointment. It was very dark and cloudy. Nose was red fruit mixed with an herbaceous smell. Bottle wasn't corked, but may have had a slight flaw. A little bit bitter and lacking in fruit. Opened up slightly after decanting but still wasn't up to my expectations. Too bad as we were really looking forward to this. Had a 2013 about a month ago that was corked, so this may be the last I order from them.

2/24/2014 - abqdeb wrote:

Full of brett. Never blew off and was not drinkable.

2/24/2014 - abqdeb wrote:

This takes a while to open so give it time! Was very disjointed at first, but delish after a few hours.

12/2/2012 - abqdeb Likes this wine:

Amazing how drinkable this was at such a young age. Really delicious, no heat noticeable, very smooth. lacked the peppery "zinness" I like though. maybe with age?

4/21/2012 - abqdeb wrote:

Was terrific with steamed mussels. Light and refreshing.

3/24/2012 - abqdeb wrote:

Pleasant, very light in color and weight. Nothing serious or complex, but a good quaffer.

3/24/2012 - abqdeb wrote:

Loved this. Complex, medium weight, great nose. Pineapple, melon, good acidity. Terrific long finish. Great with spicy Chinese food.

3/14/2012 - abqdeb wrote:

Left bottle open on the counter for a few hours and then decanted for about 3 hours. Silky smooth and very approachable at this young age although will benefit with age.

1/16/2012 - abqdeb wrote:

Nice minerality and a little bit of spritz. I thought it had a peachy, citrusy flavor. Very nice

1/10/2012 - abqdeb wrote:

a little flat tasting compared to previous vintages and other bottles.

12/26/2011 - abqdeb wrote:

Everyone loved this. The oak is nicely integrated and it's drinking very smooth and silky. Wish I had more!

11/25/2011 - abqdeb wrote:

Decanted. Took a few hours to really open. Silky, cherry fruit, little bit of spiciness. Very nice.

10/10/2011 - abqdeb wrote:

Love this and wish I had more. No notes taken as this was drunk with a large group, but everyone commented on how much they liked it.

10/3/2011 - abqdeb wrote:

Really enjoyed this. Medium bodied, juicy red tart fruit, nice dry finish (but not overly dry). The kind of wine that would appeal to a lot of different palates. Good food wine. Nice acidity.

7/30/2011 - abqdeb wrote:

Ours was bad too. Dark color and bitter with a cough syrup taste.

7/20/2011 - abqdeb wrote:

Liked this a lot and hope they have more at Costco. Citrus, lemon, good acidity and a very good mouth feel. Medium weight and good finish.

6/12/2011 - abqdeb wrote:

tons of sediment. Very muted fruit and we were surprised at how peppery the finish was. Decanted for about 3 hours.

4/18/2011 - abqdeb wrote:

Nice and silky and enjoyed by all at the table , but agree with those that say it doesn't have the wow factor. Just a bit boring unfortunately.

3/25/2011 - abqdeb wrote:

Got a bit of the honeydew melon as someone else noted and a little lemon peel. Really liked the "stoneyness" of this. Just a touch of spice at the finish. Smoothed out more after being opened for an hour. Fabulous QPR. Would buy again.

3/13/2011 - abqdeb wrote:

Very light, but totally enjoyable. Peppery at the finish.

2/23/2011 - abqdeb wrote:

Not as good as the last bottle. Tons of sediment. We decanted and put it through a filter and still had gunk in the glass.

1/23/2011 - abqdeb wrote:

WOTN in our pinot blind tasting

1/1/2011 - abqdeb wrote:

terrific. crisp, acidic, grapefruit, minerality. all of the things we love. buy again!

11/29/2010 - abqdeb wrote:

Really liked this. Bricking at the edges. Smooth tannins and good finish. Decanted for several hours and drank over 3 nights. Best on nights 1 and 2 for me. Raspberry, tart, silky.

11/7/2010 - abqdeb wrote:

Decent, but nothing great. That little bit of bitterness on the finish is offputting to me. Much better with air-- and food.

9/12/2010 - abqdeb wrote:

Light weight compared to the Oregon pinots we were drinking. Needed a long time to open. Would decant next time. This was rather bland for the first hour it was open, but by the end of the night (and the end of the bottle), it really opened and showed a very dry finish, good acidity.

9/12/2010 - abqdeb wrote:

Tasted like cough syrup. Not a good effort. I assume this was caused by the V.A.

7/3/2010 - abqdeb wrote:

Loved my last bottle of this, but was really disappointed this time. Way too much heat and the pepper was not very prevalent on this bottle. Seemed out of balance. Bad bottle or bad timing.. I don't know. Had it with BBQ ribs and the spice on the ribs just clashed with the alcohol.

6/12/2010 - abqdeb wrote:

opened for about 2 hours in the bottle. Delicious. Drink now IMHO. Terrific fruit with just enough syrah to give it a bit of spice. Had it with buffalo burgers and was everybody's favorite. Wish I had more.

6/5/2010 - abqdeb wrote:

too sweet for me, but everyone else loved it. Great for a summer night. A little fizzy and an easy quaffer. Very low alcohol. Good party wine.

5/21/2010 - abqdeb wrote:

Decanted for 3 hours. A little heat at first, but this blew off as it opened further. Better on the 2nd night and still great on day 3! Blackberry, raspberry, earthy tones. Very smooth after many hours opened. Was fabulous with chocolate.

4/1/2010 - abqdeb wrote:

Clean and refreshing without being overly acidic. It's not razor sharp, but is very pleasant. Easy drinking. Good patio wine for $10. Flavors of peach or apricot?

2/28/2010 - abqdeb wrote:

WOTN - tapas party. Everyone loved this one. Decanted for 5-6 hours and showed beautifully. Deep black cherry, some smoke (tobacco?). Full flavor all the way through. Good finish. Would buy again.

2/22/2010 - abqdeb wrote:

Mine needed a decant to blow off the alcohol, but once it opened it was very good and fairly well balanced. Good dark fruit and licorice. 2nd night more oak came through (i'm very sensitive to oak, but still liked this one). held up even through the last glass on night 3. Decent. Drink now with a decant.

2/16/2010 - abqdeb wrote:

just stony and minerals all the way. Really liked it with crab legs. Good acidity and delicious finish.

2/8/2010 - abqdeb wrote:

Doesn't have the pizzazz of the High Ranch, but nice bright cherry at the mid palate. Nothing terribly complex, but a pleasant zin. Drink now.

1/28/2010 - abqdeb wrote:

took this to "pinot Noir from around the world" wine class with Megan. Thought it was disjointed and overoaked. Maybe it'll come together with time? Bitter tannins on the finish.

1/10/2010 - abqdeb wrote:

Believe it or not, this still had some life left in it. It had crystals on the cork though. Kind of "raiseny", but not bad. Drank a glass and cooked with the rest.

1/1/2010 - abqdeb wrote:

Love this. I get grapefruit and maybe some other tropical fruit and a lot of stones/slate/minerality on the nose and also on the palate. Great long finish. Crisp and clean. Paired very well with our seafood paella. $13!

12/25/2009 - abqdeb wrote:

Very pleasant rose and did take a while to open. Herbal and strawberry notes and very dry, but still refreshing. Went very well with all appetizers from stuffed mushrooms, to cheese and prosciutto wrapped figs. Even had it with our salad first cours and found it wonderful.

12/22/2009 - abqdeb wrote:

Nice structure and still kicking, but wouldn't hold any longer.

12/5/2009 - abqdeb wrote:

Wow! Wish I could get some more of this. Much different than a year ago. The pepper is much softer now and the flavors are much silkier. The fruit is perfect and complex.. not over the top. Decanted for about 2 hours. Drink now.

11/26/2009 - abqdeb wrote:

Agree with the cherry and cola notes, but found it a bit disjointed and didn't really care for the finish. Certainly not a "silky" pinot.

11/11/2009 - abqdeb wrote:

Good red fruit, but had a funny spicy-herbal note at the finish that was a bit awkward and offputting. Better on the second day.

10/24/2009 - abqdeb wrote:

Not bad. A bit of oak at the mid palate, but fairly well integrated and went really well with a grilled New York steak. I especially liked the fruit at the finish. Others thought this had more complexity than the Novy Rosella's. Could have been a bit drier for me.

10/11/2009 - abqdeb wrote:

Thought this was very light and sort of thin at first, but after 2 hours this really opened up and the fruit came through. Delicious and smooth. Decant! Went well with chicken cacciatore, but was easy to drink on it's own after it opened. Buy again.

9/30/2009 - abqdeb wrote:

Pretty good and ready to go with a decent decant or vinturi. Better the second day. Nice finish.

8/26/2009 - abqdeb wrote:

not too viscous or cloying. Fairly light and enjoyable, but not extremely complex. Typical honey and floral notes.

8/22/2009 - abqdeb wrote:

Liked it, but not worth the $20 we paid. Tropical nose. Maybe a little melon on the finish? Easy patio wine, but went well with salad and light fare, especially good with tomatoes.