7/8/2023 - Mike Stoneking Likes this wine:

Solid sparkling from across the channel. In our Champagne/Sparking tasting, this got a lot of attention. Everyone really enjoyed this, and I tell you all to seek out a bottle to see how things are changing. Or ask Taittinger why they are buying property near this place.

9/10/2022 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

oxidized

5/8/2022 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Solid showing and paired well with a Morgan Ranch Wagyu Strip Sirloin.

5/6/2022 - Mike Stoneking Likes this wine:

PnP bottle and it didn't disappoint. Much softer than expected with great aromatics and finish. Solid all around and another gem from the past.

8/7/2021 - Mike Stoneking Likes this wine:

Was given this from a friend that got it from an abandoned cellar. Came in to this with very low expectations and boy was I surprised. Vibrant nose of red fruits and leather. The palate was lively with cherry and tea flavors and was drinking remarkably well for the age. Enjoyed by all.

2/20/2021 - Mike Stoneking Likes this wine:

All I can say is this was drinking great. PnP, with a great nose of bright dark cherry and plum that defied this wines age. On the palate the wine delivered smooth tannins, dark plum and leather, with surprising freshness. Paired with a Flannery Hanger Steak and the match was perfect. One more bottle left from the Joel Peterson library release of this.

5/19/2018 - Mike Stoneking Likes this wine:

Purchased on Wineberserkers annual Berserkerday event. This wine was paired with a Flannery Beef T-Bone and the combo was out of this world. The wine drank well from the first pour with wonderful aromas and smooth tannins and a nice finish. Outstanding!

1/17/2016 - Mike Stoneking Likes this wine:

PnP and the wine was tasting great right out of the bottle. The nose was very expressive with notes of dark fruit and earthy notes. Open on the palate, but gave it a toss in the decanter and the wine was just awesome. This wine was in a good spot and got better over the next couple of hours. Dana called dibs on the remaining third of the bottle and enjoyed this a lot.

12/31/2014 - Mike Stoneking Likes this wine:

Paired with shrimp and lobster. First time to have this wine and it was delicious. Citrus and minerality were integrated just right. Have 3 more and will be sourcing some more.

3/9/2014 - Mike Stoneking Likes this wine:

First time trying this beer and I really liked it. Imperial IPA with the hops to back it up. Big frothy head and a killer aroma and citrus notes on the palate. 10.2% ABV. Not a beer for the hop averse, but if you like a hoppy beer this is one to seek out.

3/9/2014 - Mike Stoneking Likes this wine:

Brewed with Yakima #291 Hops. Crisp and fresh on the palate, this is a smooth drinking IPA that is not over the top with hops. Drank great on a warm afternoon. Would buy again.

3/7/2014 - Mike Stoneking Likes this wine:

Served in a pint glass with subtle aroma of coffee. Smooth drinking with a slight smoky finish. As the beer warmed up the coffee notes became more pronounced with cocoa also coming into play. Really enjoyed this and will seek out in the futures. The 8% ABV was not noticeable at all as opposed to other strong ales I have had.

2/2/2014 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Brought out for the Super Bowl, but this one was corked.

12/31/2010 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

P&P this on New Years Eve with a nice steak. Great nose of bright red fruit in the glass that was fresh even a couple of hours being open. The wine was smooth on the palate with the fruit coming through and a great, long finish. Perfection out of the bottle tonight. A great way to top off a rough year.

12/18/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Needless to say, the wine was drinking great, with a smokey nose and loads of dark, fresh fruit. The finish in my glass Friday was a bit tight, but after resting overnight, the rest of the bottle had a smooth, full finish with great body and nice notes of the fruit and smoke. I have 2 more of these in the cellar to enjoy down the road. These should easily go for a few more years.

12/2/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Full nose of plum, leather and a touch of spice. The palate was alive with plum and dark fruit, light, soft tannins and a smokey leather finish. The bottle went well with cuts of filet mignon. Bought this years ago for $17, and it is drinking well above that price. One more in the cellar to enjoy soon.

11/20/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Found buried in the cellar. This was doing surprisingly well for being lost for so long. Nice dark fruit on the nose and palate. Finish was a bit short, but the wine was enjoyable.

10/23/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Tasted over 2 days. The first day the wine was closed and a funky nose and palate were all to come out. Thought the wine was past it's prime, so put away for the night and revisited the next night. The wine had opened up and was drinking quite well. This was my last bottle of this and was a nice look back on the begining of my wine collecting days.

10/24/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Wonderful fruit on the nose and palate, with the unmistakable traces of the stem inclusion. The wine was drinking wonderfully smooth and was promptly singled out as Dana's WOTN. We have one more in the cellar and will check on that next year.

9/28/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Nice wine for the price. Bright fruit and a nice finish.

10/5/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Pulled this from the cellar to get a read on additional purchases. The wine has rich dark fruit that is pronounced on the nose, as well as the palate. The tannins were approachable for such a young wine and will surely soften outm over the coming years. The wines has a nice finish with a good acid balance. Sounds like I will be picking up afew more.

10/4/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

These Reserve Cabs are my favorite bottling from Justin and this did not disappoint. This bottle still had the big black fruit on the nose and palate. The tannins were silky smooth and the wine was drinking great from start to finish. Sadly, my last bottle of this vintage.

10/10/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Brought this to a dinner and was the WOTN. Lots of fruit and excellent acid balance. Most people had never had a KB, and everyone wanted to try some. Drinking well at this time.

10/10/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Brought to a dinner and was well recieved. Big notes of bright red fruit and a smooth finish. The bottle did not last long after a few people tasted and word got out.

10/15/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Popped and poured. Big fruit and excellent structure with approachable tannins. This was drinking well and should be even better down the road. Glad to have a bunch more to enjoy in the future.

9/18/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Drinking well right now, but could easily last another 5 years. Fresh notes on the nose and a wonderful, full finish. Love these wines and have been a fan since 2000.

9/18/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Drinking very nicely at this stage. Fresh nose and smooth tannins withnotes of black fruit and leather. Justification is my favorite blend from this winery. Sadly, my last bottle.

8/22/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Nice fruit and crisp edge and finish. Needs food to hold off the high acidity.

8/21/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Big, big wine that could use more bottle time to soften and to lose a bit of the heat. Much better on the second taste an hour later. Revisited on night 2 and some of the heat had disapated, but still a powerhouse wine. Will leave a bit in the bottle for a day 3 impression. Nice tannins that were not overpwering, with nice fruit and good acidity.

8/14/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Nice wine, with great aromas and a nice finish. The mix of the red and black fruits along with a nice spicy character round out a nice mouthfeel. One of my favorite V. C. wines to date.

8/7/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Same notes as 6/21/09 bottle. One more in the cellar, and looking forward to this wine. Fruit is still strong but not overpowering.

8/14/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Has the parts to be a good wine, but this was hot and disjointed. Not what I remembered from this in prior tastings. Perhaps the timing of this was bad.

6/25/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

As a big fan of MM wines, I have enjoyed this wine many times and the full aromas and palate continue to draw me back. Inky dark in the glass and rich dark fruit lead to a nice finish. I am trying to not drink my last 2, but the urge is there to pop another.

6/25/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Nice crisp wine with good light fruit and good acidity. Nice summer wine.

7/4/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Had to try one of these as a youngster as the previous Sonoma Zins have been great. This one lived up to my expectations, with nice full fruit and a pepper/spice touch. The wine was a little over the top on opening, but by the second glass, all had settled down to a fine bottle. Glad I loaded up on this wine as it is a great QPR value.

7/2/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Off tasting bottle, what I was tasting was not close to the notes posted. Will try another soon.

7/2/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

This QPR wine has loads of black fruit and pepper that you will see in many good cool climate Syrahs. This wine is one that you can share without worry, as the friut and pepper notes along with the nice finish and acidity are sure to please.

7/30/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Still a fine showing wine, and my wine shop just got some more in stock. Perhaps another restocking of the cabinet is in order.

7/17/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

This has been one of my favorite American Bourdeaux blends available. Big red plum and raspberry notes and a smooth mouthfeel with little tannins to over-shadow the fresh notes on the palate. Nice bottle, and there is one more in the cellar to open soon.

7/21/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

When I opened this I was not expecting much as I thought this was well past it's prime. Oh well, open it up to clear the cellar space.... Wrong. This was actually quite nice, with subdued notes of dark cherry and plum. The wine had a nice finish that we enjoyed over 2 days. The wine was more subtle on day 2, with les fruit on the palate. Nice surprise.

7/6/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Great Zin based expression of dark fruits and a full pepper and spice backbone to round out a full wine. The wine improved with a little air to blow off the touch of alcohol to leave a great bottle of wine.

6/9/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Good full dark fruit aromas and a rich dark color in the glass. The fruit is paired with a nice hint of spice and a touch of pepper on the palate and a nice finish with enough tannins to allow a few more years to develop. Nice low price means plenty more to be consumed over the next few years.

6/16/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Nice QPR sparkler.

7/25/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Small private producer from the Paso Robles area. Big full fruit, but surprisingly smooth on the palate for such a young Tempranillo. This wine won a gold medal at the 2008 Paso Robles Mid-State Fair wine ccompetition. Not sure if this is available, but I will be asking my friend if they can get a couple of bottles.

7/25/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

This wine has big aromas of cherry fruit and strawberries. The cherry fruit continues on the palate, with notes of spice and light smoke. There is a wonderful mix of fruit and acidity that lends a crisp, full finish and the fruit lingers well after the wine is consumed. I got this for $35 from my wine shop and will clear the shelves. A great wine and my WOTY so far.

7/25/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Bright color and big aromas and notes of black cherry and raspberry, with a hint of spice, pepper and earth on the finish. The wine has a wonderful balance of acidity that leaves the palate wanting more. I am becoming a fan of Herman Story wines, especially the 2007's.

7/25/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Raspberry and bing cherry notes with a nice finish and good acidity. Nice Anderson Valley Pinot.

7/25/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Strawberry and cherry aromas and and nice bright color in the glass. On the palate, notes of cherry and red plum. The wine has a nice balance of acidity and fruit with a nice finish where the fruit lingers. This is a nice Pinot and a good buy in the low $30 range.

7/25/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

The wine was ok, but I would spend the extra couple dollars to move up to the next level.

7/25/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:

Good wine with dark fruit notes and hints of leather on the palate. Smooth tannins and a nice finish. Nice wine if found under $20.