4/18/2012 - Winebof wrote:

Very impressive - are we sure this isn't a Bordeaux? :)

Deep and dark, got better on days 2-4 vacu-pumped and refrigerated. Should have many years ahead if properly stored. Great value.

4/18/2012 - Winebof wrote:

Quite good. Deep and brooding, with classic Bdx dustiness. Very enjoyable would love to find more.

12/26/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Deep violets,earth,cedar. Really interesting

12/26/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Awesome value

12/26/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Thin and uninspiring

12/5/2011 - Winebof wrote:

good, grounded wine. Can age some. Good with food

10/27/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Timber, this one's thinning-out, quickly. Not as impressive as over the summer.

10/27/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Nice stuff - old world character mixed with modern Napa

10/27/2011 - Winebof wrote:

sleeper of the 2007 vintage - certainly not perfect, but best $20 or under Napa cab I've had.

10/13/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Wow - deep and dark for a pinot. This starts out dark, and at finish, there is another leg down toward more tannins and bite.

9/12/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Weird. It is silky-smooth but the fruit was absolutely in hiding. This has the stuff to one day be singing, but when I don't know. Not much acidity at all, so I find it tough to believe this is a 10-year wine.

8/23/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Quality grapes but seemingly in a dumb phase, currently. There appears to be some Napa berry/choco fruit in hiding. Wait a few months at a minimum, to try the next one.

8/18/2011 - Winebof wrote:

REALLY tight and tannic - should have saved this for at least 5 years. It has the stuff to be really nice once it mellows out, but at this point so tight that it's tough to envision how it will be. 95 point score on the potential, but a 92 on how it tastes today.

8/16/2011 - Winebof wrote:

a little more acidity than my priors but to be honest I was already quite tipsy at the time. Great wine

8/1/2011 - Winebof wrote:

delicious, and everything one could want in a Spanish. Dark, brooding flavors. A spanish wine for napa cab drinkers.

7/29/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Uber-jammy. I'm guessing a flaw given a number of other good bottles.

7/11/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Very pleasant. Good fruit, ample acidity so it wasn't overbearing. Just as good on day 2.

6/20/2011 - Winebof wrote:

could be better described as syrup than wine. by pure taste an 82. on the value spectrum it's a 50.

6/7/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Some liked it. Full, round fruit flavors, but little depth. Doesn't touch the back of the tongue.

5/20/2011 - Winebof wrote:

muddled flavor, not at all reminiscent of SB. With so many good SB's from New Zealand around $10. I don't understand why anybody would even consider this.

4/26/2011 - Winebof wrote:

awesome wine, this has evolved into a really silky and relaxed texture. In a good place right now. Not as robust as one would expect, from a Priorato, but still has the berry/slate/floral flavor profile without the acidic bite of a young wine.

4/26/2011 - Winebof wrote:

good grapes but no character. no defining characteristics to even explain.

4/18/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Not as much character as I was hoping for. Acceptable but nothing too interesting, here.

4/11/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Very good. I like to continually push lower on price, and see how cheap one can get classic Napa cab profiles. This fits the bill, at anywhere in the low $20s is a decent value. This could proudly be served at a dinner party.

3/30/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Nice single vineyard merlot. Don't remember much, other than there was quite a bit of deep complexity for a merlot. Well made.

3/29/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Well made wine, quality juice. Like it better than the 96 point 2007 by a good margin.

3/18/2011 - Winebof wrote:

poor value. not BAD, but tastes like a $12 spanish grenache

3/7/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Still very good but not as robust as I remember in the winery. Bordering on a sweetness. Of course, the zins are where it's at.

2/24/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Very nice under $20 thanks to the fine folks at THEwinechateau.com (but quite suspect QPR at $30). It's got the traditional Napa dark berry fruits and cocoa, and actually more acid than I was expecting. Should legitimately be better over the next 1-2 years, I'd imagine. I've had the 2007 Reserve ($100) and this isn't too far off.

2/15/2011 - Winebof wrote:

So close to perfect. This has the fruit to appease the cali pinot lovers and the dark undercore and complexity to please the Burg Hounds. Not only both sides, but A TON on both sides. This destroyed one of the vaunted '07s (95 points WS) we had around the holidays, which was surprisingly bordering on sour.

2/14/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Another solid bottle. Deep and dark (but not overly-dark), and should hold up nicely over the long haul, certainly better than most of the 2007s I've experienced.

2/7/2011 - Winebof wrote:

After having in back-to-back weekends vs. the 2006 Modus, I clearly prefer that one. This is quality juice and nothing wrong with it, but the '06 seems to be made much better. This is more a modern style, up front fruit, not much interesting underneath. Not a good value in the high $20s.

1/31/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Clearly this is made with quality fruit, but at this stage it seems like you can taste each component separately. Hasn't quite melted into something coherent. I'll give it a couple months before the next one.

1/31/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Great smooth texture, but no fruit to back it up. Still good, but far from great.

1/22/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Outstanding, my kind of pinot - best of both worlds. Plenty of taste yet plenty of subtleties, just enough of the cherry cola without too much, a little dust, and a long finish. bravo. Destroyed a 95-point '07 Kosta Browne from a couple weeks ago.

1/19/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Very enjoyable. Nice blend of old world dust and new world fruit.

1/17/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Shockingly, WOTN, eclipsing some 95 RP Napa cabs. When tasted next to the silky cabs, this one stood out as having nice structure.

1/17/2011 - Winebof wrote:

Nice round flavor.....true Napa cab but just a touch of hollow on the finish, which prevented a higher score. Still, at a couple bucks cheaper than the Waterstone this is a nice deal. At $30 I would be happy with the value, but certainly not thrilled.

1/10/2011 - Winebof wrote:

good structure as anticipated, but unremarkable.

12/26/2010 - Winebof wrote:

Underwhelming - nothing there. Extra dissapointing because this was super-impressive, upon the May 2009 release.

12/23/2010 - Winebof wrote:

Not overly impressive, but pure flavors, violets and herbs. Structure has relaxed a bit over the last year.

12/21/2010 - Winebof wrote:

Less than impressed. Nothing lush, plenty of structure. Hold, maybe it will improve.

11/29/2010 - Winebof wrote:

Terrific - the new Waterstone. Dark and brooding, can't find a comparable cab at this price. Tastes like it's from the heart of Rutherford (but really from Paso Robles)

11/15/2010 - Winebof wrote:

This has developed some nice secondaries (more earth notes than fruit notes, which is a welcome change). Nicely integrated. I was fearing being over-the-hill, but it remained relatively tight for the night, and was silky smooth on day 2 after an overnight vacu-pump and refrigeration. This was an impressive wine at release, but I"m glad I drank one with a few years on it.

10/30/2010 - Winebof wrote:

Thin, acidic, tart, and an unbelievable waste of money. Rated the wine an 83...but would be a 50 on the QPR scale.

10/22/2010 - Winebof wrote:

Much better than my first - very dark, brooding fruits. Nice full mouthfeel.

10/17/2010 - Winebof wrote:

Nice, it's got the luxurious Napa mouthcoating, but a touch lighter than I was expecting. Tastes like a super-luxurious Napa cab with some water added, if that makes sense.

10/15/2010 - Winebof wrote:

Nice spice - huge character for a $13 wine. Would rather drink this any day than the typical mass produced cali cabs in this price range. Affordable Dry Creek.

10/10/2010 - Winebof wrote:

Not impressive, but very nice. First thing it hits you with a zing of tart acidity, but after getting some air the mountain fruits begin to shine through, almost similar to the Chappellet Mountain cuvee. Needs a breathe at this point, and likely has a decent shelf life given the acidity. For $40 at a restaurant, a bargain.

10/3/2010 - Winebof wrote:

Drink now - ample acidity and no fruit, which I know some pinot lovers like and some don't like. The Walnut City is a good accompaniment with food, definitely not a wine for cocktail hour due to the acidity and astringency, which is the defining characteristic. The polar opposite of a Kosta Browne, but enjoyable in its own way.