12/21/2023 - MTC2 wrote:

Perhaps I'm not as experienced with Barbaresco as I might be, but this was pretty rough for my palate. Very little fruit. All secondaries, and pretty tannic.

7/24/2023 - MTC2 Does not like this wine:

The rare disappointment from Gary Farrell.

7/1/2023 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Really nice Chard from one of my favorite wineries and my favorite vineyard.

7/1/2023 - MTC2 wrote:

A bit "big" for my taste in Pinot.

12/31/2022 - MTC2 wrote:

Third time’s the charm! Bricking a bit, with secondaries starting to show, but fruit of cherry and cranberry is still prominant. Refer to my note of 2019. Even better. Perfect drinking window!

5/17/2022 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Perhaps I’m off, but I found this to be one of the best bottles of “Bergundian” Pinot Noir I’ve had in the past year. Everything I hope for from a storied winery like Littorai.

3/29/2022 - MTC2 wrote:

This wine is really coming along. Much better than expected, given previous reviews.

2/22/2022 - MTC2 wrote:

Not their best.

2/5/2022 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Improved since my last bottle.

2/8/2022 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Drinking really well.

11/7/2021 - MTC2 wrote:

Tasted, then after reading previous tasting notes here, I had to check the bottle twice to make sure I was drinking the same wine as described.

Color is a light, translucent ruby. Initial nose somewhat muted. Eventually some baking spices came through, but the floral notes mentioned by others escaped me. Not much showing on the palate, either. Some sour cherry. Much more tannin than I expected. Medium acid. In a dead spot?

10/1/2021 - MTC2 wrote:

Was expecting more. Lots of tongue-coating black and blue fruit, with medium+ tannin, but nothing else to speak of.

7/29/2021 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Smoke, meat, violets; strangely lacking in fruit. Tannins softening and a spicy finish.

7/17/2021 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Still young. Medium, opaque ruby color. Nose is a bit closed. Smells of dusty underbrush and rose petals. Some smokiness and just a hint of cherry. Sour cherry on the palate, with soft but healthy amounts of tannin. Medium spicy finish that lasts for minutes. Alc. is listed as 13.4%, but seems a bit higher.

7/9/2021 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Drinking beautifully right now.

6/9/2021 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

If you haven’t seen the common thread among reviews, this wine is BIG. Big fruit, big spice, big tannin, big alcohol, big acid, big thumbs up. This has all the complexity you normally find in a lower alcohol wine, but on steroids. Not my usual preferred style, but very enjoyable, nonetheless.

5/7/2021 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Better than the last bottle, but still say this would have been better 5 years ago. To each their own.

4/20/2021 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Okay, as noted by Ben, this doesn’t suck. In fact, at the $25 price point, it’s really quite good. Very mineral; lemon and a bit of brioche. Why can the French make a “throwaway” Bourgogne taste so good, when so many California versions of Chardonnay that cost 2-3x the price taste so disjointed?

4/13/2021 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Always fresh and satisfying. Bright cherry and raspberry with a touch of baking spices.

3/16/2021 - MTC2 wrote:

Lovely nose of lemon zest, melon, herbs and lees. Flavors are similar. Nice acidity, but the herbs turn a bit bitter on the somewhat unpleasant finish. I’ll wait until well into the summer before opening another.

3/7/2021 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Much improved since my last bottle 2 years ago. Still a murky garnet color, but the strawberry fruit comes through on the nose. Palate is dramatically improved. Strawberry, but with light cherry nuances that remind me of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. The funk is still there with the herbal notes, but the gritty tanins have faded. This is really starting to show well.

3/5/2021 - MTC2 wrote:

Perhaps I was expecting more, given how fantastic the Alesia Anderson Valley Chardonnay is. This wine was a straw color with green and silver highlights, and a somewhat cloudy appearance. Very aromatic. Lovely nose, with baked apple, jasmine and wet stone among the highlights. Unfortunately, the palate is marred (in my opinion) with a phenolic bitterness that is the lasting impression. Hopefully, time will help, because I have lots more in the cellar.

3/4/2021 - MTC2 wrote:

Damn...Corked.

3/3/2021 - MTC2 wrote:

Very light body. Melon and honeysuckle. Can't say I miss the lanolin that keeps me from enjoying Loire versions. Not a wine I'll recall in 6 months.

3/2/2021 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Much improved since my last bottle 18 months ago. Lees dominates the nose. Green apple and lemon rind kick in on the palate. Chalk and citrus finish. Acidity is finally in balance. Very enjoyable with pan-seared scallops.

2/20/2021 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Drinking well. Dark ruby color. Lots going on here...old leather, tobacco leaf, red cherry and black plum. Very "old world". Drinks like a 2010, meaning it's more developed that I was expecting. Just as good on day two. Grippy tannin mid-palate and an almost tart acidity on the long finish. Enjoy now.

2/18/2021 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

My last bottle of this, and I wish I had another case. An amazing Riesling with no end in sight. Pairing with pork chops and saeurkraut was perfect.

2/14/2021 - MTC2 wrote:

As you’d probably expect, this Pinot Noir from Paso is pretty big. Color is ruby with the beginnings of a garnet hue at the rim. Some dark cherry and lots of vanilla on the nose. Vibrant cherry fruit, but with a spicy, herbal backbeat. Lots of acidity on the finish. Almost an alcohol burn, but at a surprising 13.9% abv. My rating might have been higher, but had to temper it given the higher price point.

2/3/2021 - MTC2 Does not like this wine:

Nothing against the winemaker, but just not my style. Caramel and oaky notes that I find off-putting, as they tend to mask other flavors.

1/15/2021 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Rating based on 2nd half of bottle consumed on day 2. After a 4 hour decant on day one, I would have rated this a 90. This wine requires a lengthy decant (12+ hours) and you will be amply rewarded!

12/23/2020 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Couldn’t wait until the 25th. After a lengthy (2 hour) decant, enjoyed this even more than my last bottle. If you love secondary flavors and aromas, this is a phenomenal wine!

12/16/2020 - MTC2 wrote:

Very nice Northern Rhone. Lots of barnyard funk that blew off (mostly) after 2 hours. Very earthy. Palate hits big with perfectly ripe fruit: blueberry, blackberry, black raspberry. Nice, full mouthfeel, with prominant but smooth tannins. Good acidity on the medium long finish.

12/15/2020 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

All the Chablis comparisons are warranted. A really lovely wine.

12/5/2020 - MTC2 wrote:

This was part of a Thanksgiving vertical (2012, 2013, 2014) Estate Chardonnay library offering made at the end of October. Waste of money. Like the 2012 I opened a couple weeks ago, this bottle is well past it’s prime.

Oak is still evident on the nose, but nothing else. No fruit left on the nose or palate, and the mid-palate is completely dead. A touch of acid on the finish is all that tells me I’m not drinking stale water from a wooden bucket. Very disappointed that Peay is still offering this wine (at a premium, no less) to the public. I hope the ‘14 is palatable.

11/20/2020 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Not surprising for a 50/50 Cab Franc/Merlot blend, but big, and bold with tons of black and blue fruit--blackberry, boysenberry, plum. Surprisingly minimal tannin. Smooth finish.

11/19/2020 - MTC2 wrote:

I had a 2010 Peay Chardonnay at this time last year that was really special, so I had high hopes for this. Unfortunately, it was showing quite a bit of oxidation, with hazelnuts and tons of caramel. Not much fruit left, and the "Grandma's basement" was pretty overwhelming. Day 2 and I had to pour the remainder down the sink.

11/17/2020 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

My tasting note of 2/23/2020 sums it up pretty well. So nice to check Cellar Tracker and realize I still have a few more bottles. Good wine, solid value.

11/12/2020 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Benefits from an hour decant. Dark ruby color with a pretty deep magenta rim. Aromas of dark cherry, cranberry and baking spices (clove and allspice). The palate shows earthy undertones along with dusty cherry, raspberry, cranberry, and cola. Very smooth tanin settles like fog on the tongue. It also balances the tart acidic finish.

11/10/2020 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Surprisingly good Pinot Noir from a Paso Robles producer, although grapes came from Solomon Hills Vineyard in Santa Maria.

First impression is about the bottle. Good God, this thing looks and feels like a magnum! This is honestly the largest/heaviest bottle I’ve ever seen for a standard 750 ml measure of wine. Color is a darker ruby. Not sure of the Pinot clone, but think Pommard. Floral nose. Palate shows raspberry, black cherry, and baking spices. Nice mouthfeel with a touch of spice on the finish. Well balanced. Never thought I’d say this about a Paso Pinot Noir, but I’d buy this again.

11/5/2020 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Very impressive appellation wine. lots of yellow apple, pineapple and peach on the nose. Very smooth, soft mouthfeel, with the fruit very distinctive mid-palate. Lemon and acidity really explode on the back palate, with a wonderful mineral kick. Surprisingly lengthy finish reminding me of Chablis. Wish I had bought more of this!

11/4/2020 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Opened this last evening and after one taste, passed it on to my wife and opened something else. I was about to post a poor review, but decided to give it another try, and good thing I did!

Upon opening, this was just a fruit bomb. Today, it is so much more complex, with cherry and raspberry, dusty underbrush and pleasant spiceiness. Very nice wine on day two.

10/30/2020 - MTC2 Does not like this wine:

A pale imitation of a dry Alsace Riesling. Extremely thin mouthfeel, with a finish that lasts about 3 seconds. Maybe in a dead spot. I'll try another in 6 months to see if there's any improvement.

11/4/2020 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Even with a 7 hour decant, this wine is painfully young. Deep, dark, almost black color with just a hint of crimson at the rim. Lots of glycerin tears. Aromas overwhelming vanilla, with some pyrazine "greenness". Vanilla continues to dominate the palate, with just a hint of blackberry and cassis. Beautifully smooth mouthfeel. Nice acid, and surprisingly mellow tannin. This should surely improve, but I'll wait 3-4 years before opening another bottle.

10/23/2020 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Drank over two days...developing nicely. More floral aromas than last bottle. Earthy palate. Great wine.

10/16/2020 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Still enjoyed this, but a big drop off from last bottle. Despite filtering, a lot of gritty sediment.

10/10/2020 - MTC2 wrote:

Maybe I drank this too young, but the generous rating is based on how it's drinking right now. Very muddled flavors. Virtually no fruit to be found. The finish is all rough tannin. If you want Malbec, stick to Argentinian.

10/10/2020 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Drank immediately following a 2018 Bedrock Gambrels of the Sky Grenache, and I much preferred this. Depth of flavor was greater, as was complexity. This small label is well worth searching out.

10/10/2020 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Pretty wine. Bright fruit. Perhaps a bit young. Not a wine that stays with you for long.

10/7/2020 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Pretty wine. Bright fruit. Perhaps a bit young. Not a wine that stays with you for long.

9/29/2020 - MTC2 Likes this wine:

Last bottle. Drank with pan-seared scallops in a pesto sauce. Wish I had more of this.