3/24/2018 - viniferous wrote:

I have a few bottles of this, so I thought I'd come back to it tonight. The brownish, slightly muddy color hasn't changed; it's developing a nice bouquet, the black fruit - almost Merlot-esque - is accented with a fine cave aroma, damp stone and perhaps a hint of mushroom.

The wine is still potently acidic and alcoholic on the tongue; the effect is not unlike a Lemonhead candy, or a Sour Patch kid, although there is no sweetness, just a citric sourness. There is no detectable lactate, and I wonder if maybe the malolactic was omitted. The finish is pleasant, a bit of tannic structure and an unusual minty note.

The wine is not vinified properly, but it has its charms. Too bad!

2/11/2018 - viniferous Likes this wine:

Tolosa's everyday big red doesn't list varietals, but I suspect it's mostly either Syrah or Petite Sirah. It's got a nice enough nose, cassis and stewed plum, but the main attraction here is the giant, mouthfilling tannic structure. It's slightly velvety, but there's so much of it that a large mouthful turns astringent and embitters the tongue and back palate. A wine of monstrous size, fully capable of standing up to heavily spiced grilled or smoked beef, Easter leg of lamb with mint jelly, a long-stewed tagine with ras al hanout, or whatever other boldest and most vibrant flavors you cared to throw at it. I bet it'd go with cioppino too, if the chef didn't spare the red pepper.

2/7/2018 - viniferous wrote:

Corked

11/13/2017 - viniferous Likes this wine:

Picked up a bottle today at Costco for $11.

Out of the bottle, a deep red color and great legs. Nose is pinot fruit, dark cherry but a touch of neroli as well, and with time, a hint of floral perfume. Body is full, almost syrupy, with a calcareous minerality that serves to enhance its weight, and here is where it differs from the Burgundian style; this is a big, hot, slightly sweet wine. Tannins are restrained, only the mildest grit, and with a bitterness that kicks in right around the time the malolactic makes itself known, which softens it. The finish is longer than it has any right to be, the floral hints come up again and all is in balance.

A stunner at this price point - I've had $40 bottles of Oregon pinot I didn't like as well.

10/25/2017 - viniferous wrote:

Deep garnet red, bright and clear. Body full. Nose almost lemony, a touch of hay, the other reviewer who said pomegranate nailed it. Front palate a touch off dry, very restrained acidity, sweet, fills the mouth with rustic tannins and a touch of plum compote, an elegant Burgundian flavor. Long, slightly bitter finish, with candied notes. A touch of lactic acid reads as buttercream on the first mouthful's finish, but quickly fades to unnoticeable.

Just amazing that unnamed/non-AVA Oregon fruit is making this quality of a wine at this price point.

10/16/2017 - viniferous wrote:

Yellow and bright. Nose is sweet lemon, possibly lemon custard. The front palate surprises with a near-total lack of acidity that does not match the nose at all, although I have come to recognize this as typical of the 2014 Willamette vintage in pinot noir at least. Moderate extraction lends nothing, no bitterness to complement the lemon zesty nose; the body is moderate and the palate quickly rounds out to lactic
and butyric flavors, where it remains. I have had real butterbombs, and this is fairly restrained in comparison but there is little else to grab the attention.

Paired nicely with a roast chicken breast.

10/14/2017 - viniferous wrote:

Light purple. Nose elegant: morello cherry, damp cave and a touch of nutmeg/baking spices/myristicin, what another reviewer called Vosne spice. Palate with subdued acidity, large gritty rustic tannins and strong minerality that build an elegant structure; long, winding finish. A lovely bottle of wine that would have cost a lot more had it come from the other side of the Cote de Nuits.

10/4/2017 - viniferous Likes this wine:

Deep reddish purple, bright and clear. Bowl-filling nose, the petit-verdot floral aroma backed by the usual stone fruits, fresh and bright, nothing stewed. On the palate, massive tannins, a wall of syrupy structure, great weight and a not-unpleasant bitterness crashes like a wave and carries one through the long, drawn out finish. Highly extracted - maybe a touch too much so, one glass is plenty. The sweetness of the fruit on the palate is balanced by the cab black pepper and green pepper notes. Nothing delicate about this wine; a sip is as good as a mouthful. Great QPR and a chance to get that characteristic Petit Verdot nose - typical of Margaux - at Paso Robles prices. I'm a fan!

9/30/2017 - viniferous Likes this wine:

Bright garnet-red, clear on the pour, though a good deal of harmless tartaric sediment came out with the last half-inch of wine. Nose restrained, mostly red pinot fruit. Front palate with substantial acidity, food-friendly; great body, almost a syrupy mouthfeel, but just a touch of sweetness; tannins were present as bitterness but not as weight or grit. Palate rounded out to a creamy lactic finish. If there was oak, it was very subtle.

I liked it very well.

9/4/2017 - viniferous Does not like this wine:

Bright and clear, deep red color. Nose has a touch of vinegar or other volatile acidity, mostly secondary aromas - oak toast, sawdust, cooperage aromas. Palate hits with acidity that is unpleasant, backed by bitter tannin. This opens to lactic acid, far too abundant, that gives the effect of butter, with a touch of salinity. Tannins do not evolve a structure, and the finish is long and unpleasantly bitter, without astringency.

Surprising how after drinking a lot of good wine one like this just smacks you in the face. I almost wonder if this bottle was flawed, as others seemed to like theirs a lot better.

8/28/2017 - viniferous wrote:

Purplish red color, medium body. Nose restrained, usual pinot fruit. Palate mild acidity, sweetness, velvety tannins and almost syrupy/fruit salad. Short bitter finish. A California style from the Willamette - what can't they do?

8/25/2017 - viniferous Does not like this wine:

Brownish-eggplant color, slightly muddy. Nose quite closed/weak; herbaceous note, opening after splash decant to elegant, deep purple plum jam/cave aroma, but nothing strong - had to strain to detect anything. Body medium. Front palate a torrent of unyielding acidity; an hour in the decanter opens the tannins up but even their pleasant structure cannot overcome the incredible acidity that washes away anything else.

Pair with orange juice - I don't see anything else standing up to this. I ate it with a rare steak and it definitely cleared the palate - it's like a chemical peel on your tongue.

8/20/2017 - viniferous wrote:

Deep reddish-purple, bright and clear. Nose is closed, not intense: a muddle of hay, green sappy aromas, and a bit of secondary aromas from oak. Blue fruit, esters and alcohol are there too - I suspect 14.1 is an understatement. Palate is pleasant, dry, little acidity, a near-syrupy body with substantial structure, salinity and again vanillins and cocoa, oaky flavors. Finish is long and dusty with powdery tannin.

A well made wine, apparently the first effort from Drouhin's Oregon venture. I don't think it's ready to drink yet, I'd give the next bottle a few more years.

8/18/2017 - viniferous Likes this wine:

Medium red in the glass, no detectable bricking, bright and clear. Black pepper and cola on the nose give way after swirling to greenish stemmy aromas. On the palate, a splash of bright acidity, then, in order, a strawberry-like citric sweetness that transitions to an unctuous, creamy sweetness. Tannins develop slightly but soft; no stiff structure. The finish is medium-long, unobjectionable and here mostly rancio: lactic and wood vanillins.

A well made wine; at under $30 the QPR holds up. A bit less complex or nuanced than the best from the appellation, but everything I wanted in a Pinot today.

8/16/2017 - viniferous wrote:

Ruby color, bright and clear. Nose weak, very restrained, pinot fruit, a baking spices note quickly vanishes. Palate has cherry flavor, a hint of sweetness; moderate acidity, quite a bit of supple tannins and a touch of bitterness, a tea/Angostura note. Finish is long but astringent.

8/13/2017 - viniferous wrote:

Dark garnet, a bit muddy looking, touch of orange at the edge. Nose was closed, not very giving: cherry syrup, caramel, curing hay, root beer. On the palate: massive body with calcareous minerality - as advertised. Tannins very soft, slightly powdery; the syrupy note was confirmed. On the palate the flavor is like the syrupy insides of a cherry danish minus the tartness, almost off-dry. Careful insufflation reveals a touch of green stem to the tannins, it is not very prominent. Finish is short and, paradoxically, is the only place the malic acid can be detected.

Very reserved and balanced; an excellently-made wine. A bit too sweet for my tastes, but that's what the hot summer of the RR Valley does to Pinot, I guess.

8/7/2017 - viniferous Likes this wine:

Having just disposed of a bottle of Jean Tardy's 2007 Grand Maupertuis - the last Grand Cru to bear the Tardy name - I was rather pleased to encounter this bottling, made by one Jacques Tardy (his son, I think?) on my supermarket shelf. I brought it home, brought it to temperature and opened it immediately.

On pouring it I noted a dusty pink color and for a moment was worried I'd brought home a bottle of rosé. In glass, the healthy body is indeed a very light orange-red, suggestive of the briefest of cuvaisons.

Nose is large, rushes right out of the glass: candied cherries; a slight cooked aroma, opening to a savor reminiscent of lamb, venison or other sweet game, the aroma of the reddish crust that kind of meat develops when lightly broiled. The scent is clear and strong. A greenish/stemmy note disappears after a few minutes.

The palate is a surprise because nothing stands out; indeed, there is little acidity, little tannic structure, little alcohol, little minerality, and what there is, is all quite balanced and harmonious. The effect of the first swallow was that of a refreshing draught of cool spring water. The tannins are quite soft but eventually make their presence known as a warmth, a mild astringency on the roof of the mouth; the finish has just a touch of butter, no rancio or oak spice, and I cannot distinguish the malolactic from the wood. Subsequent sips discern a mildish citric acidity, but we are turning over rocks in our quest here - like the Grand Maupertuis, the wine is completely in balance.

Unlike the Grand Cru, there is nothing particularly stunning about this wine, but it is an excellent example of winemaking. I shall be curious to taste through some more recent vintages.

8/5/2017 - viniferous Likes this wine:

Since I wrote my first note, I have been through 2 more bottles of this, and here is what I forgot to mention: this wine is fabulous. There is nothing balanced about it - the torrent of acidity and the battering ram of big, rough tannins still combine to produce a sense of great heat. But there is something cravable about it - your palate wants to do battle again and again. Paired with anything that isn't dried out, it will make the food taste better; it will make you eat more, want more. This is really not a wine for degustation; it is a gourmand's wine - dare I say a trencherman's - and I find I am very pleased I invested in the whole case.

8/5/2017 - viniferous Likes this wine:

East of Salinas, along the mostly-dry Thompson Creek, you will find the Enz Winery, site of this old-vine Mourvedre planting. Pigeon's blood ruby color, star bright, medium body, nice legs. The nose is immediately recognizable - blueberries, the center of a rare filet mignon, a touch of chocolate and a bit of new rubber. On the palate, minerality and bright acidity collide; a touch of tannins, but the peppery heat of Syrah goes missing here and frankly would have been welcome. The fruit comes forward again on the finish; this is a light-hearted wine, it has a gaiety about it, not for quiet contemplation. Not a vin de garde; pair with red meat.

7/31/2017 - viniferous wrote:

Light reddish-orange hue, star bright. Medium body. Nose has a green, stemmy note, cedar wood, a bit of ester-y/inflatable plastic note. Scrubland spice bush. Palate is surprisingly refined, barely any acidity, no detectable oak, just a trace of late, slow tannin and malolactic to keep the body. Finish is short and leaves almost a mint note on the tongue, refreshing.

As close to Burgundy as I've had from the US. I may have to try a few more of these Oregon Pinots. Label indicated clones Dijon 667, 777; Pommard; Wadenswil; 113; 114.

7/30/2017 - viniferous Likes this wine:

This basic standby from one of my fave local wineries has a nose of the usual Chard tropical fruits, plus a little bit of something dusty like hay, or straw - another reviewer said gingerbread, I could make this a ginger tone. It's star-bright, bright golden, has a medium body. A touch of acidity on the front palate is accompanied by slight petillance. The palate expands to creamy butter/lactate - every year there is more malolactic - and then contracts to a surprisingly long finish that has some of the bitter quality of lime peel. The wine pairs excellently with any of the usual white wine foods - pate, fish, shellfish, chicken - and I usually have a bottle or two around, though the QPR has also decayed over the years and there are actually better offerings from France below the pricepoint at my local grocer.

7/28/2017 - viniferous wrote:

Deep ruby color, typical of Cab Sauv. Medium body, clear but not starbright. Slight edge bricking.

Nose was blue cheese all the way, a touch of cherry and cedar underpinning it maybe, but there was no mistaking it - imagine putting your nose into a bowl of just-dressed iceberg salad. I believe this was a flaw. Palate was quite refined, low acidity, dry, substantial structural tannins, an oniony note. Back palate led into a nice finish, led by buttered toast, cocoa, a typical malolactic-rancio driven departure. Not quite as peppery or spicy as I was hoping for with the barbecued baby backs, but quite pleasant after the bottle of spoof it replaced.

7/28/2017 - viniferous wrote:

Very straightforward wine. Deep, dark garnet color, you see why it's named Nero. Bright and clear; medium body, nice legs. Nose is large, red fruit - cherry cough syrup might be overdoing it, I think raspberry sorbet - with a touch of ethanol/pepper. I also smelled the sulfur that another taster noted, a defect that dissipated after a few minutes. Palate was pleasant; leathery and oaky flavors over a sweetish background. The finish was quite long and disagreeably oaky.

The definition of spoof, I guess, but at $11 a bottle hard to complain much.

7/27/2017 - viniferous Does not like this wine:

Reddish brown, slightly muddy. Medium body. Nose of cherries, plum, flowers; whiff of alcohol lends the effect of perfume. Palate explodes with heat, touch of oak: green-stemmy, bitter tannins are predominant and unpleasant. Acidity is substantial, not excessive. The back palate is off-dry with a sticky, cola-like sweetness; finish is not long, basically the tannins subside somewhat.

7/20/2017 - viniferous Likes this wine:

Pale ruby with a thin brick edge. Medium body. Bouquet almost resembled old Bordeaux, an elegant perfume of oak, damp cave, and subdued esters somewhere between plum jam and forest floor. Tannins were light, subdued and the back palate had a touch of oak and rancio.

7/18/2017 - viniferous Likes this wine:

If I were confined to one wine for the rest of my life, this might be the one. Very consistent from vintage to vintage, this light golden white Burgundy offers an expansive nose of primary tropical fruits and a hint of nutmeg, with mild acidity, pleasant but not overpowering malolactic, slight damp stone and a touch of minerality on the back palate. Tiny bit of new French oak on the short, crisp finish. It is deceptively well integrated and pairs well with nearly anything. I am sure a few corners were cut at this price point, but no glaring defects stand out and I'm sure I've been into more than a dozen of these bottles in the past few years - it's my go-to white.

7/10/2017 - viniferous Likes this wine:

Pale yellow with a hint of green, star-bright, medium body. Nose is chalk, flint, stone, with an underlying fruit zest, maybe lime. Civetty note, might have mistaken this for an NZ SB, never a Sancerre. Pet-nat on the front palate, lithe acidity and a mild astringency that fades to malic acid on the tongue. Subtle, balanced, paired well with a salmon salad sandwich

7/10/2017 - viniferous Does not like this wine:

Typical Sonoma merlot blackcurrant nose, quite expansive and pleasant. Purple, star-bright, medium body, quite dry. Substantial acidity, little tannic structure, palate was a little thin.

Drank over 2 nights, the main problem was that it triggered a migraine both times. Probably high in sulfites.

7/8/2017 - viniferous Likes this wine:

Star bright, lovely ruby red color, medium body. Initial nose is strong, lovely and fragrant: cherries, blackberries; cola on the third sniff, whiff of neroli oil. There is a floral note waiting in the background. Nearly bone-dry on the front palate, with surprising acidity; the mid-palate expands into a tannic structure, very primitive, gritty and untamed but not unpleasant; with the acidity, the effect is heat, dryness, astringency. This fought with the dried-out chicken breast a bit; worked better with a mayonnaise-based vegetable salad.

The nose then opens, and with a splash decant opens fully: roasted wild game, the floral note is still present. No perceptible ML or oak (stainless steel.) Overall a very clean, clearly developed young wine and I wonder what 4-5 years of bottle age might evolve these tannins into, and if the florality might express itself in the bouquet.

7/3/2017 - viniferous wrote:

Very light purple, medium body. Nose dominated by a pleasant mushroom aroma, touch of spice box behind. Dry, but not bone-dry; low but present acidity, cheerful red fruit on palate, not much tannin extraction, finish brief and unobjectionable. Suffered from being poured next to an '03 1er Cru Chambolle, next to which both the nose and the palate seemed boisterous. But held its own, both bottles were consumed with a dinner of roasted chicken over quinoa and wild rice.

7/2/2017 - viniferous Likes this wine:

Deep ruby color with a brick edge. Medium body. Nose is quiet, elegant; cherries, primary aromas, opens up to a touch of Worcestershire. Forward palate is pleasantly fruity, substantial body, silky tannins that are really at the heart of the palate but go unnoticed unless you are analyzing; very little acidity, no notable astringency; the finish is a masterful balance with all elements in perfect harmony, the oak is there as a touch of cocoa, perhaps, but you have to think about it, there are none of the usual jarring notes of torrefaction, rancio or vanilla. I suspect another taster who found a cooked flavor may have fallen victim to poor storage as there was none of that in this bottle.

Won't stop any shows, but a wine in perfect balance in all elements. Was fantastic with roast chicken over quinoa.

6/30/2017 - viniferous Likes this wine:

Light golden yellow, medium-full body. Immense nose: sea brine, cashew box, dried yellow currants, freshly sawn oak. Bone dry, with sharp, strong, non-volatile acidity that is very refreshing, reminiscent on the palate of lemons, though no such aroma is present. A surprisingly strong, but not unbalanced and very smooth tannic structure and a slightly intrusive, bitter flavor of American oak on the mid to back palate is again immense; this is not a wine for the weak. Bitter tannins, and possibly a touch of brett or some other musty, corkish taint - not TCA - dominate the long finish; it's the same stiff bitterness you get out of a young, strongly cured green olive and it is so strong it is felt on the middle back of the tongue. A very pleasant marine salinity is present throughout and it is after it dissipates that the bitterness becomes most pronounced.

Held up to a Cuban cigar, HdM Epicure No. 2; the pairing may be a bit surprising, though the lady on the label is a cigar salesperson, but the strength and acidity were enough to fully refresh the palate between puffs, while pairing nicely with the somewhat sauvage flavors of the young Cuban tobacco.

6/27/2017 - viniferous wrote:

Corked.

6/25/2017 - viniferous Likes this wine:

The final vintage of Larry Brooks' single-vineyard Pinot, named for owner Jim Efird's daughter. Nose is the classic Edna Valley terroir, which I wish everyone reading this note could sample: spice box, warm cedar, tobacco, sagebrush, a waft of cooked tri-tip. Plum purple, no brickage; body medium-firm, candied cherry, cooked meat again, a bit of residual sweetness. Hot for the style. Mild tannic structure, nothing astringent or powdery, a touch of velvet. Moderate malolactic and buttered toast notes on the finish.

6/25/2017 - viniferous wrote:

Tasted at winery. Deep purple color, medium-heavy body. Nose slightly reductive: spices - sage, fennel, our local 'garrigue'; hay. Great body, massive structure slightly sharp and astringent; candied cherries. 30% new French oak evident on long finish

6/24/2017 - viniferous Likes this wine:

@Les Marchands. Nose of classic Bordeaux esters: new rubber, new inflatable swimming pool, with an undertone of spices - sage, cinnamon, cedar. Body medium to medium light, color an unsaturated reddish with good orange bricking, a thick margin. Palate remained with fresh acidity, structure was present but gentle, the veriest tiny hint of oak toast on the back palate. Balance was perfect, absolutely could not have been better - paired wonderfully with shakshuka, a spicy egg dish. After a splash decant and an hour in the sun, the back palate was giving an unmistakeable note of green bell pepper, a pleasant parting gift.

6/15/2017 - viniferous wrote:

Light purple color, barely any brick. Medium-full body. Nose is blackcurrant - was surprised, thought this was a Cab, turns out it's 12% Merlot (mentioned nowhere on the label) and you can smell it. But there's something else, and to me it's elephant manure - a very particular barnyard aroma, not unpleasant. Sweet, almost off-dry but typical for Napa cab; tannins start firm, build a massive structure on the mid-palate, which tastes a little hot - cigar notes - before syrupy French toast enters on a long finish. Reasonably well integrated, I don't know that I'd put too much more age on it.

6/11/2017 - viniferous wrote:

Nose starts with lemon butter, gone in a few seconds, then moves promptly to tropical fruits - grapefruit, mango, Bubble Yum grape, touch of civet too. Pale yellow color with a touch of green; body medium-light, but further lightened by a vinho-verde-like petillance; this and the really boundary-pushing levels of VA on the palate actually make me wonder if this bottle is flawed, though I know it is the style. Finish is long, lime sorbet made with fresh strips of zest.

I'm kind of hoping the next bottle isn't fizzed out like this, there's a nice wine under here.

6/10/2017 - viniferous wrote:

Cork had vague Worcestershire aroma, soon dissipated. Bricked all the way in, orange to a center of weakened plum purple. Notable body, coated the inside of the glass like silk, medium-full body on the palate, best thing about this wine. Nose initially a touch of green pepper and maybe a candied cherry or two, opening up to the huge, full Bordeaux aroma of new plastic inflatable swimming pool - total esterification. That note also dominated the palate wholly; the promise of pepper and cherry was not kept, there was nothing else but austere tannin that went from firm astringency to a flabby presence without any kind of evolved structure. The very long finish of just-rancid butter and a trace of lemon curd reminds that malolactic was employed.

Just what you'd expect from a mean, austere old Pomerol. I was unsure; but then I paired him with a rare beefsteak, cast-iron sear; onions and peppers caramelized with vinegar and confectioner's sugar; and romaine salad with liberal bleu cheese dressing; and in that holy company he became everything he was vinted to be.

6/6/2017 - viniferous wrote:

Cedar/spice nose, not too strong. Medium ruby color, just the touch of brickage on the very edge, medium body. Forward blue fruit, great elegant structure with big velvety tannins, finishes up with toast/oak. A very Sonoma-typical and well made wine at the price points - nothing exotic, nothing particularly evocative, but one of my favorite wines, especially with steak, and very consistent for over 15 years, since the vines were owned by Davis Bynum.

6/4/2017 - viniferous wrote:

A forgettable, mildly civetty nose gives way to butter on the forward palate, insouciant acidity on the mid-palate, and then butter, torrefacted oak and vanilla on the long finish. Nothing mineral or saline, only a touch of damp stone. A butterbomb

5/29/2017 - viniferous wrote:

Closed in May 2017 - the KandL review lady who called it 'juicy' with a roast chicken last month was on crack. Barely any nose, mild spice box. Structure of stiff tannins, very austere, didn't open up at all during dinner, probably could have used a 5 hour decant. I'm not touching another bottle till 2020 at the soonest

5/29/2017 - viniferous Likes this wine:

Drinking lovely. Something spice on the nose - nutmeg? cinnamon? - with the usual Chard fruitiness and a bit of austere flint, quite welcome. Malo on the heavy side, but not out of balance. Acidity well tamed but enough for seafood, well extracted, light gold, medium body, finish hits the vanilla note and cuts off abruptly. I loved it

5/26/2017 - viniferous Likes this wine:

Nose opens with citrus peel, petroleum seep, volatile alcohols, settles down to citrus peel and toast. Medium-light body, not highly extracted, no minerality or salinity, forward acidity with a touch of red fruit dominates the palate. Heavy butter, light vanilla on the back palate; mild soft tannins - less than expected - and there is that raw crude oil note on the finish again. Approachable, not juicy; a little hot; ready now, I don't see much further cellar potential

5/22/2017 - viniferous wrote:

Deep purple color, medium body. Nose weak, leather, red fruit. Palate dominated by huge tannins, soft but not powdery. Acidity mild. Almost off-dry. Good deal of torrefaction, vanilla, long sweet finish with cocoa, chocolate, jammy flavors. Drinking well now, but more about the oak and tannins than anything else - sort of one dimensional

5/13/2017 - viniferous Likes this wine:

Young in 2017, massive tannins with leathery nose dominate the profile, the petit verdot violets are there with plush juicy fruit on the mid palate, the finish is austere with some new rubber, that will round out nicely with time. There is dried orange peel, oak toast, other hints of flavors - this wine will be fun in 3-5 years

5/5/2017 - viniferous Likes this wine:

Drinks very well in 2017. Immense nose, a fantasy of truffles and dark roses. Red fruit with light acidity on the tongue, very little astringency or structure, vanishes all too soon, a stunner for a villages wine