4/20/2024 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Minerally and fresh like cold spring water full of muddled lemony citrus under some smoky reduction. Elevated acidity and medium bodied with a slightly cloudy appearance.

4/15/2024 - poppacork Likes this wine:

This presents as very ripe, bordering on lush, with dark macerated cherry and plum accented with clove and Chinese five spice on a palate that seems initially soft, but there is persistent acidity that lingers through the finish to clean up a wine that might otherwise come across as flabby.

3/13/2024 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Ripe and purfumed with lush dark ripe cherry and hints of almond paste balanced by vibrant acidity and good structure. Very enjoyable and slightly hedonistic, but not the most complex wine at this stage.

3/8/2024 - poppacork wrote:

Ripe with a brûlée note adding to the heady raspberry and macerated strawberry aromas leading to a full palate which adds pink peppercorn and hints of marzipan to the lush red fruit. Acidity is just enough to balance the fruit, alcohol is somewhat elevated, and structure lingers softly through the finish.

3/5/2024 - poppacork Likes this wine:

A slightly lifted and robust Pinot full of ripe bing cherry and red apple skin with accents of hoisin and five spice on a well structured frame with medium plus body and well balanced acidity. Excellent.

3/2/2024 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Elegant with flavors of blackberry, cassis, bell pepper, and coffee. Fine tannins, good acidity, and medium bodied. Enjoyable.

3/1/2024 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Cranberries, pyrazines, violets, and black truffles emerge from this proper old world Cabernet Franc. Medium bodied with elevated acidity and firm tannins.

2/27/2024 - poppacork Likes this wine:

This has always struck me as a rather stern wine with promising aromas of dark cherry and plum skin leading to earthy notes of dried leaves and light nutmeg with hints of cured meats. The medium bodied palate teeters on the edge of ripeness but ultimately leans towards structure with finely grained tannins carrying through the finish.

2/24/2024 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Still lots of intensity driving the ripe cassis and vanillin oak with accents of pencil shavings, plum and maybe even prune emerging since our last bottle a few years ago. Full bodied and aromatic with abundant fine tannic structure deliver a lingering finish.

2/23/2024 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Really nice in the clean and fresh style while retaining all the typicity of Cabernet franc with its cassis and bell pepper pyrazine flavors. Great density of just ripe flavors without any heaviness. Medium plus body with acidity befitting the variety and chalky tannins. Softens nicely with time in the glass.

2/16/2024 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Elevated acidity, somewhat stemmy, and candied cherry reminds me of a cru Beaujolais. Well structured, but I’d like to see more depth for a pinot noir.

2/12/2024 - poppacork Likes this wine:

A light and airy wine yet retaining good concentration of just ripe Anjou pears with a spritz of lemon and a touch of reduction. Medium-light body and fresh with good acidity. No obvious oak.

2/11/2024 - poppacork Likes this wine:

High density and somewhat unyielding today with classic Napa Cabernet markers of cassis and fire roasted red pepper. Good acidity and body. These may need more time than I recall of earlier vintages. 93+

2/10/2024 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Great balance of fruit and earth with a generous palate backed by good structure. Classic 2019 markers of ripe and healthy fruit. Bottled under DIAM.

Delayed note, but this has been a consistently great wine across three bottles consumed on recent occasions. Not sure about the negativity shown by the earlier posters.

2/10/2024 - poppacork wrote:

Sweet and lightly effervescent with a profile of white grape juice and peach. Juicy flavors and low alcohol makes this popular as a casual apéritif.

2/7/2024 - poppacork wrote:

Leaner and more herbal than the lovely 2022 which had a slightly softer palate with honeyed notes to balance the grapefruit and citrus pith which more strongly marks this wine. Still very fresh and delicious like a new zeland Sauvignon Blanc, but without the bell pepper.

1/22/2024 - poppacork wrote:

Ripe fruit heavily influenced by oak which lends overtones of dill and vanilla to the profile of this richly textured Tempranillo.

1/20/2024 - poppacork Likes this wine:

A great bottle full of slightly lifted dark fruits, briny black olives, and capers with subtle accents of game and dried herbs on a medium body with a lingering finish.

1/9/2024 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Some PYCM like reduction on the first glass but the wine gradually reveals a profile that deftly balances citrus and pears with good texture and structure on the palate.

Good value in white burgundy these days.

12/27/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

A fairly robust wine featuring dark cherry, cinnamon spice, nougat, and damp earth. Aromatic with a stern palate. Lots of potential, but needs time.

12/24/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Dried cranberries, plum skin, and singed herbs with hints of something darker like a sweet balsamic glaze. Lifted with a touch of VA on the nose and robust tannins on the full bodied palate.

12/24/2023 - poppacork wrote:

Starts with a bit of reduction, but opens up to a nice straightforward Chardonnay with underripe orchard fruit and citrus with some light pithy bitterness lingering through the finish.

12/17/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

An excellent Barolo with the classic markers of sour cherry and dried roses with accents of black licorice and dried herbs. Tongue coating texture cleansed by natural acidity and firm tannins which linger persistently through the long finish.

12/6/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Starts out a bit disjointed, but settles into a rather rich profile of ripe apples, almond paste, and butterscotch with a slightly bitter finish. Really interesting to smell and taste.

The natural cork was perfect.

12/3/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Ruby colored with some browning around the edges. Gains body in the glass until eventually settling into a robust profile of raspberry and macerated strawberry with accents of a young tawny port. Moderate tannins keep the finish interesting.

11/30/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

This bottle has less pyrazine and more cassis than my last note. Lands somewhere between Napa and Bordeaux with more structure and earth than Napa while having more fruit than Bordeaux. A good bottle.

11/24/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Aromatic and bright candied cherry accented by hints of cinnamon with good depth on the palate and fine tannin structure. Reminds me a bit of a Foillard Beaujolais. Excellent with thanksgiving dinner.

11/15/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Really delicious elegant wine. Sam Adams note below captures the profile, but I’d rank it a bit higher today.

11/7/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Lean, pithy, and reduced at initial pour, but opens up with underripe kiwi, citrus, and chalk on a medium body with elevated acidity and a lingering tart finish.

11/2/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Aromatic pomegranate and raspberry jam accented by violets and wilted roses. Medium bodied and nice depth of flavor with proper acid to keep the wine fresh. Good tannins for a gamay with a pleasantly lingering finish. A very enjoyable wine.

10/15/2023 - poppacork wrote:

The warm vintage stands out at pop an pour with apparent alcohol and some dried cranberry notes, but the proper tannic structure eventually comes forward with nice purfume and the body lightens up with time in the glass.

10/11/2023 - poppacork wrote:

Light golden hue leads to a slightly nutty nose of grapefruit and brine with hints of dried apricot. Highly acidic palate with a touch of softly coating texture on the finish. Interesting dichotomy of oxidative notes and high acidity, but it’s not quite cohesive today.

Edit: this seemed to be improving with air to add a subtle caramel apple note, but by day two it strikes me more as a very dry apple cider flavor.

10/7/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

A pale straw colored wine made in the clean and crisp style of Chenin Blanc with notes of slightly unripe orchid fruit and citrus pith. Could be mistaken for a lean Chardonnay, but for a touch of bitterness and extra texture on the finish that sets it apart. Good concentration of flavor relative to the medium-light body.

10/3/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

The wine has a strong profile of bright and fresh kiwi fruit with accents of strawberry on a medium body with excellent acidity. A great and unique wine.

9/30/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

This is solid and avoids the overripe overextraction of so many CNDPs. I think the Syrah and Mourvèdre saves the Grenache which adds just a bit of macerated strawberries to the firm plum and gamey blackberry profile. Medium bodied with well managed tannins.

9/26/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Great body and pinosity for the reputedly light vintage. Nicely aromatic. Perhaps a bit of firmness on the finish yet still very enjoyable today.

9/21/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Cinnamon spiced pears with a spritz of lemon are presented with good intensity and accented with white button mushrooms. The wine is bright and the finish is long, chalky, and spice inflected.

Over time, the wine softened a bit and developed a silky texture across the front of the palate with a touch of sweetness on the back end while maintaining the profile described above. Excellent quality here.

9/18/2023 - poppacork wrote:

Plummy, sweet, and alcoholic with accents of dried cranberry.

9/13/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

A very classy purfume of deep cherry and plum skin accented by autumn spices and cured meats touched by woodsmoke leads to a medium bodied, silky palate supported by fine tannins which linger pleasantly through the finish.

9/5/2023 - poppacork wrote:

This takes a while to open up. Starts with a profile of plum and dark bing cherry which initially seems to fall off on the finish, but the back end firms up with air and the tannins really come forward to carry the wine through a nice woodsy finish.

8/31/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

An interesting wine, seemingly of the natural wine vein. Light gold in color with some turbidity. There’s a light bit of funk on the nose which gives way to something like a quince cider. This is fresh on the palate and seems to be slightly off-dry with a good full texture and flavors of ripe stone fruit, grape soda, and sweet grains. Lingers pleasantly through the finish.

8/27/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Purfumed black cherry and plum, borderline cassis, accented by oak spice making for a fairly robust pinot. Still fresh with proper balance and moderate tannins. Paired well with grilled lamb chops.

Edit: this freshened up over the course of the evening and also added that nougat accent I found in my original note.

8/27/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

An excellent rose with fresh and fine pinot flavors, lively acidity, and great texture. My kind of rose.

8/24/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Second bottle is consistent with my first tasting note. The texture and balance of this wine is excellent. Old world profile with velvety tannins.

8/23/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Caramel sweetness accented with a touch of toffee adding interest. Botrytis was not apparent. Good, but relatively simple.

8/20/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

This strikes me as a bit firm with the fruit subdued and the oak poking out a bit. I think my palate is off tonight.

8/15/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Bold and savory with a profile of tobacco and cassis lifted by a touch of violet on the nose. Abundant tannins provide a firm finish, but there’s enough fruit to keep this gliding along.

8/13/2023 - poppacork wrote:

Lean and pithy with a distinct leesy quality that veers towards soft cheese. A bit too astringent for my palate.

8/11/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

A succulent wine with lush yet vibrant flavors of lifted ripe cherry backed great acidity and fine tannins to keep this from going over the edge.

8/6/2023 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Fresh and minerally on the nose with good phenolic ripeness featuring a profile of bright lemon and pineapple on the palate.