3/8/2024 - camdawg Likes this wine:

If you're really spending serious money on Sangiovese based wines from Tuscany, why do you go for Brunello over Chianti Classico? Usually it's because you want that very tart acidity. You're looking for that structure. You want that restraint and elegance. You're looking for the highest quality expression of Sangiovese.

Perhaps this isn't it when you get darker fruit notes to go with the front of mouth tartness? Meaning this wine engages your palate completely? It might not reach the heights of the best Brunellos, Chianti Classicos, or other Toscanas. But it was very food friendly with a nice sirloin steak with green vegetables and sauteed onions. I'll happily buy this again as a Tuscan that goes well with food.

2/17/2024 - camdawg Likes this wine:

(2016 base, 35 percent reserve wines)

As of February 2024, Wine Slash has some bottles at a discount. The discount is what encouraged me to purchase a few. I was so pleased that even if the regular price is a bit high, I'd like to buy more bottles at whatever price I can find. They'll please a crowd, while the wine's quality will make serious enthusiasts happy.

Upon pouring, the bubbles weren't especially small. So the delicate and balanced nature of the wine on my palate was encouraging and surprising. The classic rose Champagne notes of strawberry and raspberry are there, but they don't overpower the rest of the wine. The overall mouthfeel is very harmonious through the finish.

2/14/2024 - camdawg Likes this wine:

I recently bought two bottles through Wine Spies. I'll be keeping the second bottle for a few more years before opening. I think this has great potential, but the extended aging in new French oak has this very structured and tannic in early 2024. I needed to have it open for several hours before it was enjoyable. It should be great a few years from now.

2/7/2024 - camdawg Likes this wine:

I usually enjoy Crus Bourgeois level Bordeaux, although that doesn't apply as much to Right Bank wines.

Why do I seek them out? I like to have something different, maybe something rough and tumble about them, compared to California or Washington Cabernet and Merlot based wines.

What does this wine present that's different than smoother North American wines? On the nose, as I transitioned from red to black fruit, I got some hints of eucalyptus and forest floor to go along with the hints of oak.

On the palate, the tannins seemed more substantial, and harder to cut through than West Coast American Bordeaux varietals. You still get good fruit, but the tannic finish is more palate drying than what you'd expect from the majority of modern day Napa.

If you want a red wine with your steak or lamb that will have a memorable presence, you should give this one a chance.

2/6/2024 - camdawg Likes this wine:

After having Lauren Ashton's red wines a few times, I've felt they're like a "baby DeLille". The Cuvee Estelle reminded me a lot of DeLille's D2. DeLille's wine is a little better, but the Estelle was a good ringer at a cheaper price.

Here we have a White Bordeaux blend that reminds me a lot of Chaleur Blanc. The DeLille wine is better, but at a higher price. The Lauren Ashton wine is a very nice value at a cheaper price

This Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon blend is soft and expansive on the palate. I definitely didn't pucker at the acidity. That said, the tartness built slowly over time on my palate. The flavors were dry melon, with some lemon and minerality. It paired very nicely with some halibut with beurre blanc sauce. I'd gladly buy it again. If you're in the Northwest, look for it at your local Total Wine location.

1/15/2024 - camdawg Likes this wine:

I felt like this was a classic and honest expression of Bandol. Why would you seek out a Bandol wine instead of a blend from the Rhone? With Mourvedre playing a stronger role, you get a wine that's perhaps more earthy and balanced than some Rhones that give you tart Grenache and heavy Syrah, with not much in between.

There's nice fruit here, but there's good minerality to go with it. With the fruit, it's the plum notes that take the lead. Not surprising that a wine with a high percentage of Mourvedre would present that way.

I'd like to have this again.

11/26/2023 - camdawg wrote:

This wine might not be as available at Total Wine locations across the country, but is probably available at all locations in the Pacific Northwest.

In the United States-non Bordeaux Merlot section, they had the 2019 Januik alongside several famous Napa vintners at the sub $50 level.

I bought the Stags' Leap (not the generally better and more expensive Stag's Leap Wine Cellars), and I felt that wine tasted as if it were watered down and lacked focus.

The Stags' Leap was just under $40. This Januik Washington-Columbia Valley was $10 cheaper. But was more concentrated in flavor, with much better aromatics. The flavor was nice blue, red, and black fruits, wrapped in some oak.

If you can get this for $30 or less, it's tough to imagine a better American made Merlot value.

10/30/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

It's a shame that 2018 might've been the last vintage of Beekeeper zins. This is fantastic, and it's hard to imagine a better expression of the varietal.

It's heavy on the palate, but it's not "jammy" - meaning too heavy oak, or too much in the way of sweeter fruit tastes. It's more a textural sense. You'll probably need some serious food to go with it. Taste wise, it would be a good match for many salmon preparations. But the weight of the wine, and length of the finish, would be too much for a delicate dinner.

That said, the fruit is dry and savory. Plenty of dark fruit here like blackberries. But it seamlessly works with your palate from first sip to finish.

9/27/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

We're all just receiving our allocations of the 2020 Galitzine, and I know it's too early to have one, but......I couldn't help myself. I had to see what we're all in for.

And we're in for one heck of a wine, whenever we decide to open it.

The tannins are definitely big at this early stage, you'll need to have it with very hearty food. But, if you have the bottle open for two hours before serving, the tannins will become much more finely grained, and you'll be able to enjoy the wine.

Professional reviewers have mentioned the big, complex nose. And I'm not sure even they do it justice. You get very strong red, blue, and black fruit. And some pencil shavings and crushed wet rock. It's coming in a bit hot - wrapped in some alcohol and very elegant oak.

Given enough time after opening, this has elegance on the palate though. But, you have to be a fan of larger wines to open this now. That said, it's worth what I paid, and then some. I know I'll completely enjoy my other bottles in the years to come. The score of 96 is kinda for drinking now. I'm sure in several years, it will fully deserve the high 90's scores the pros are giving it.

8/21/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

I like Italian wine quite a bit - it's the right level of tartness for me. But Iberian wine? For my palate, it's often too tart, and I don't enjoy the heavy oak treatment that wines like Rioja get, where they're trying to balance out the acidity.

I got this at a sale price from Wine Slash. I'm happy to take a chance on something if I get it for a discount. And I really enjoyed this!

I think that giving this wine some air is essential. Upon popping and pouring, it had that super sharp acidity that I don't care for from Spanish and Portuguese wines. But after being open for awhile, the acidity decreased a little, which helped the midpalate to open up and express itself.

I tasted a nice mix of blueberries, blackberries, dark cherries, mint, and maybe some flint on the finish? The fruit character tends towards the front of the mouth with it's tartness, but the midpalate and finish are very smooth. I really welcomed the lack of heavy oak treatment here - it helped the wine glide across my palate nicely.

It seems like the original suggested retail price was $30? I don't know that I'd pay that. But I'd happily pay $20 to $22 to have this again. It paired nicely with a steak and vegetables.

We're now ten years from vintage. Even though this doesn't have the big oak treatment that a lot of Rioja gets, don't worry about this being tired. It was well balanced and ready to go. With careful storage, I bet this will still be as good in five years from now.

7/18/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

Nine years from vintage, this is still pretty good.

I bought a couple of bottles of this from Wine Spies as a special, and had them add it to a "locker'. I then forgot about that locker for almost 18 months. Assuming Wine Spies and their partners kept this well, this is a good example of the wine.

What does that time in bottle mean? It's definitely a bit softer on the palate. But the aromatics are good. I got softer blue fruit on the nose without having to vigorously swirl. Persistent swirling introduced softer oak and spice notes. Maybe some purple fruit notes also?

On my palate, it seemed like the wine first went to the back of my palate, before introducing itself to the front. Perhaps this has softened a little bit after nine years from vintage? This Merlot would probably still be a nice pairing for anything that's not a heavily sauced steak or lamb.

7/16/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

Petit Verdot can be a dark fruited, tannic monster. Which is why it's usually just a small blending portion of a wine, rather than bottled as it's own single varietal.

Can PV by itself be drinkable? Can it even be excellent? I think this wine answers Yes to both questions.

It helps that this comes from Napa. I'm not sure a Washington single varietal PV would be that drinkable, let alone one from Bordeaux. The polished sense of the mouthfeel and tannins definitely help here.

If you've enjoyed Sullivan's Cab Sauv single varietal, or the Cab-led blend "Couer de Vigne" - this is definitely a sister wine and you'll recognize their style on your palate. It's Napa, so definitely easier drinking than Bordeaux. But restrained and balanced for being a modern Napa wine - this isn't Caymus or The Prisoner.

How does this differ from their Cab? On your palate, the fruit will mostly be black fruit. With their Cab, I've had dark red fruit to go with the black. Maybe a pinch of blue fruit as well?

Make sure to give this a good whirl or two, and sniffs. You get some tarty black fruit aromas. The oak is expressed through sandalwood aromas. You also get a sense of something brighter than black fruit.

And I think that expresses itself in tasting through having clean acidity. This isn't all blackberries and oak towards the back of your throat as you drink it. The finish is long, warming, and elegant.

Maybe a single varietal Petit Verdot won't be as complex as their Cab? But they've done right by this grape. If you're enjoying a steak with a spicy preparation like Au Poivre or Chimichurri - or maybe with a demi glace, have this with it as a nice changeup to your favorite Cabs.

7/14/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

I don't want to be too critical of my fellow wine enthusiasts, who so far are scoring this wine below 90 points. I was going to score it 90 points because it's tasty. But then I thought about it some more, and felt a score slightly below 90 was appropriate. Upper 80's is fair.

Here's the tough thing: Because of the varietal and where it's made, a decent Napa Cab should score fairly high. If it's well made, it shouldn't feel out of balance on your palate, nothing should seem out of place, and it should be a pretty tasty accompaniment to your dinner.

But....nothing really stands out in the flavor as being memorable, or an insightful insight into where it's made. It's solid, crowd pleasing Napa Cab. If there's a criticism that sticks, the finish is pretty short. You get the classic red and black fruit aromas and tastes, but the finish leaves you wanting more.

As a wine buyer, the question comes down to how much you're paying? If you're getting this on sale from Wine Spies, Wine Text, Last Bottle, or Wines Till Sold Out, the sale price is probably fair. But don't pay more than $45 per bottle for this.

7/10/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

I've really enjoyed the more affordable Guarachi Cabs before, especially the Atlas Peak.

What do you get when you pay for the Beckstoffer To Kalon? Power and precision, while maintaining a smooth mouthfeel.

The attack is pretty fruity, with strong red and blue fruit tastes. But the finish is rather dry, which you'd expect from a top Napa Cab that's still pretty young. The tannins are fine grained, but quite present. The finish has all the classic notes of espresso, chocolate, vanilla, and toasted oak. But all are in balance, and not overpowering or sweet.

You can definitely enjoy this now if you like bigger wines and have some red meat to have with it. But it will easily keep for several years.

6/23/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

This is a very well made Napa red, with the extra precision you get from coming from one of the high elevation sub-appelations (Spring Mountain).

I recently enjoyed their 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon as well, also from Spring Mountain. That wine still had very prominent tannins, albeit the powdery fine-grained type you get from Napa wines.

By adding Merlot and Cabernet Franc to this wine, the tannins are considerably softened. I maybe only got a hint of Cabernet Franc flavors like bell pepper, but the inclusion of that grape along with the Merlot introduced acidity while cutting through the Cab Sauv tannins.

So I don't think the wine is too soft. Rather, it's pretty well balanced for drinking now with substantial main courses like steak. This will let you rest the Juslyn 2018 Cab Sauv's for another three to five years, since this will provide what you're looking for in a bottle meant to drink now.

6/16/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

I'd never had Italian Syrah before. While I feel like Washington and Oregon Syrahs are a sister to Rhone Syrah, the Shafer Relentless I had felt like something else. Like Napa wine that was led by purple fruit, instead of red and black like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tuscany can have some of the same weather as Napa, so I wondered if this would be similar. It was in some ways. Yes, I did notice some purple fruit, that led it's way to some red and black.

But while the Shafer Relentless was a very tasty wine, this was at least a couple of steps above in class. The aromatics were beautiful, and the mouthfeel was so silky and graceful. The tannins are so fine grained, they weren't noticeable at first. Over time, they will build a little bit on your palate.

Because the tannins are already so fine, I'm not sure this is a long ager? So enjoy it with a great meal now.

6/1/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

The regular La Crema Pinot that you might find at a grocery store is nothing special. But this Sealift Vineyard offering is very nice!

Because of Pinot Noir's light, delicate nature as compared to other reds, any flaws can be difficult to hide. But I didn't notice any flaws here. This was a graceful, well-balanced wine. Nice fruit that introduced tartness initially, with some dark fruit and cola notes present on the finish. The silky mouthfeel added to my enjoyment.

3/31/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

As a wine lover in Washington state, I hadn't heard of Stellareese before. WineBerserker Day was a great chance to get an introduction to a smaller family owned winery from Napa.

I really enjoyed the purity of the fruit from this 2016 Cabernet bottling. The common complaints about Napa wine about being too oaky or too boozy at times, definitely did not apply to this. The wine had a very silky mouthfeel.

The purity of the fruit helped maintain the very long finish that added a lot to the complexity.

I look forward to enjoying more Stellareese wines in the future!

3/24/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

This note is for enjoying now. I'm sure the wine will score better in three to five years from now.

This is a great example of beautiful, but intense and structured Atlas Peak Cabernet. If you take a whiff without swirling, you're probably going to get a good amount of red fruit. Swirl it around some, you'll get the dark fruit, along with the oak, tannins, and menthol that wrap around it as the wine's structure.

To enjoy now, you'll need a substantial meal. This paired wonderfully with a Top Sirloin steak, and some green beans and asparagus. But a few more years in bottle will surely help this open up and reveal its true potential.

3/21/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

Like several of my fellow CellarTracker posters, you might be getting your WineBerserker sample shipments around this time. I just got my W.T. Vintners three bottle sampler.

I've had one of their Syrahs before, so I wasn't surprised the 2017 Syrah from Les Collines was good. But I thought the Mourvedre might be their most stern test of their Rhone style winemaking abilities.

I don't know about you, but I've had some BAD American Mourvedres before. Since it's the Rhone varietal that often has the strongest midpalate, any flaws get easily revealed. Some are very sweet fruity - like it's Crush Grape Soda from back in the day, with booze. Or they're just out of balance or off-putting somehow. Like the grape should just be left to the experts in Bandol.

But this was really nice. There's nice fruit, but it's on the dry and savory side. Good dark red and purple fruit. There's also some nice spice and acidity. The mouthfeel is very smooth. Like the Les Collines Syrah, it easily and gracefully coates the palate.

It's a well balanced wine that should pair nicely with a wide range of food. A great effort here!

3/18/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

I like Argentine Malbec. For $25 or less, you can buy some pretty tasty wines from makers like Tapiz. And the Zapata family wines at that price have always seemed pretty good to me.

This of course is a big step up. It's not 100 percent Malbec - it's a Bordeaux style blend with Malbec leading the way at 50 percent. If there's a usual knock on Malbec, it's that it's big and dark fruited. You need to have it with a serious meat dish in order for it not to overwhelm your palate.

The nose on this wine suggests you're in for something much better. You get the classic purple and dark fruit first, but then you get warmer and brighter fruit like cranberry cutting through. That suggests you'll have good acidity to balance out the dark fruit.

And that's exactly what I got on the palate. It's the acidity that carries the wine throughout my palate. The mouthfeel is also very smooth.

It's a well balanced, beautiful wine that would cost $50 to $75 more if it were from Napa Valley. For those who enjoy pricy Napa reds, give this a chance!

3/11/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

At the time of writing this tasting note, the average score for this wine and vintage is only 85.2 points. This might not be a wine that changes your life, but I think that average score is far too low.

Catena/El Enemigo wines to me are graceful and easy drinking at their respective price ranges. And this wine was no different to me. I think it helped that I used a wider glass. To me, it helped the wine open up.

The nose had a nice blend of fruit, a blend of red, purple, black and blue. Along with a note of vanilla on the back end, suggesting the oak treatment.

And yes, there is some oak on the palate. But it's very smooth and fine. It doesn't taste "woody". Rather, it's a thin wrapping of the wine on your palate, that might introduce hints of vanilla and espresso on the finish.

The fruit on the palate is elegant, if not super intense. The mouthfeel is wet. This is Malbec, so it's darker fruited. But a little bit of blue fruit intensity shows up to help spread the wine throughout the palate.

This is very nice at the $25 and under price point.

3/7/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

Looks like I'll be one of the few to score this under 90 points. But please don't take that as me not enjoying the wine! I thought it delivered well at the price point I bought it at - under $30 from the Vaynerchuk family shop Wine Library.

What differentiates this from more expensive Cabs? Intensity and length. That said, the classic Tuscan tartness was there. Because of that, the fruit character included a hint of cranberry for me, along with the classic big red fruit you'd get from Napa or Washington Cab.

The finish wasn't especially big or lengthy for me. But it was refreshing. There was a sense of crushed, wet rock. Similar to what I've experienced from Graves Bordeaux.

Maybe this isn't a mind blowing wine. But I think it's tasty, refreshing, and food friendly.

3/7/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

This is in that level of Napa Cabs where the wine is delicious, polished, tasty, well made, with nothing out of place. But at the full retail asking price, you wonder if it should be just a little more complex on your palate?

The nose is clean and pleasant. Bright red fruit suggests the flavors you'll taste on the tip of your tongue. That's followed up with a bit of dark fruit, along with oak, vanilla, and dark chocolate.

When I poured, I enjoyed the super smooth mouthfeel. On the finish, I experienced the fine grained tannins. You don't notice the acidity as easily as you would from a Super Tuscan at the same price range, but it builds a little on the palate. Some of what I noted on the nose - the cacao and oak, present just a little on the finish.

This is definitely a crowd pleaser that will pair wonderfully with red meat and other hearty dinners. If you can buy this for under $100, you're doing well. I only grade this 92 because at the full retail price of $125, there's strong competition.

2/14/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

The Too Long, Didn't Read version of this tasting note? WOW. It's worth whatever you need to pay.

I'll admit, I bought this on a sale price from Wine Library. The $200 retail would normally be out of my price range. After drinking this, I'll just say: $200 plus might still be out of my normal price range, but I wouldn't question anyone who did pay the full asking price.

My first encounter with the nose of the wine featured the classic big, dark red fruit, along with a strong oak note that had a slight mushroomy sense.

But if I swirled it around and sniffed again, I got some peppery black fruit , spice, and maybe even a pinch of blue fruit?

The clear oak on the nose suggested I'd get a good amount of structure on the palate, and I did. The tannins are definitely there, but they're powdery and fine grained. Maybe not as dusty as a top notch Rutherford, or lingering on your palate as long.

The fruit? Clean, pure, and insightful.

If you like high quality, big wines with red meat or other hearty dishes? You can enjoy this now. That said, I'm waiting at least another two to three years before thinking of opening my other bottles. I'm sure I'd score this even higher then. This is a terrific expression of Napa Cabernet from Stags Leap.

2/11/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

I think this is definitely a wine that Bordeaux lovers can respect and enjoy.

Upon popping the cork and immediately pouring, I noticed red fruit that finished with a too heavy medicinal touch. As if it were cherry cough syrup.

Waiting another half hour to pour another taste showed the true quality of this wine. It still has some rustic, old school elements. You might notice slight tastes of cedar and mushroom along with the dry red fruit on the midpalate. But that extra time open after popping the cork revealed the clean, excellent quality of that fruit.

The finish might not have lasted very long, but introduced additional complexity with a sense of pepper and mint.

The wine was very smooth on the palate, with a wet, crushed rock feel to it.

If you leave it open long enough before serving, this should prove to be very food friendly.

2/11/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

I got this as a Wine Library/WineText special. I like Brunello; and love Chianti Classico, especially at the Gran Selezione level. So when I saw this 100 percent Sangiovese wine, I had to try it.

Maybe this doesn't have the full weight or complexity of a Gran Selezione Chianti, but it easily competes with Riservas I've had. It starts off in your palate with bright, tart fruit. Maybe some blue fruit sneaks through on the nose and midpalate, before leading to a nice finish. The tannins are there. They feel dusty, but fine grained. Similar to Rutherford Cabernet from Napa in that respect. The medium weight helps make this wine very food friendly.

This is $20 per bottle at Wine Library at the time of this writing. It's tough for me to imagine other $20 bottles that are much better than this. I'll be buying some more.

2/10/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

Rose isn't usually in my wheelhouse, so it has to be good to impress me. I really enjoyed this one.

You first taste some bright strawberry and raspberry fruit while the slight touch of carbonation helps spread the wine throughout the palate.

It leads to a smooth, dry midpalate and a very long, refreshing, wet stone finish.

1/26/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

Just like me, several of you have probably been introduced to this Champagne from a sale put on by Wine Library. At the $40-$50 range, I'm glad I've had the chance to buy it and enjoy.

The previous tasting note mentioned the balance this provides. I definitely agree. When I sip, I first get the fruit. A mixture of lemon and green apple. But the flavor is rounded out right away with the classic toast and graham cracker flavors.

The mouthfeel is very smooth on the palate. The fizz is there, but it's very fine, and does a nice job of carrying the flavors to all parts of the palate.

The balance makes this a winner in the $40 to $50 price category. What makes a more expensive Champagne better? A longer finish. This tastes great, but the finish is short in my opinion.

1/20/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

The questions everyone will always ask about 2020 Napa Valley red wines: Are they any good? Are they smoke tainted? This wine suggested that some reds from the 2020 can be quite good.

When you first pop and pour, you get the classic Napa tastes of red and dark fruit, without the savory elements that would distinguish a Bordeaux or some Washington Cabs from one made in Napa. But it wasn't an oaky, jammy fruit bomb. The mouthfeel was pretty smooth and elegant.

I wasn't having this with food initially, and the tannins started to build. Not surprising for a wine this young. What this did to my palate was to make it so that I could only taste the darkest fruit, along with chocolate, peppery, oaky, and even some smoky notes on the finish.

But....that doesn't mean this wine is smoke tainted! Once I had some food, the wine was in balance again. And the nice, smooth acidity displayed itself.

I'd be afraid to pay a very high price for 2020 Napa reds. But I wouldn't hesitate to drink them if I found a good deal. Some of these wines deliver the goods as if there were no fires during this vintage. And this is one of them. A tasty, well balanced Cab that is worth seeking out.

1/4/2023 - camdawg Likes this wine:

First, I want to clarify that my score of 92 is for drinking now in 2023. If you can keep this wine for awhile, letting the tannins and oak unfurl and relax, you might have a wine that can score much higher. So it's unfortunate this will be tough to obtain in the future, given the fiery weather conditions that Northern California faced during this troublesome vintage.

I like to taste a bottle of my higher end deliveries after receiving them. It might not reveal the wine's full potential if you gave it time to age, but it can let you know if the wine is even worthy of the effort.

When I got my three pack of 2020 Expidition, I knew of the questionable and risky nature of this vintage. Especially since Seven Apart chose to jack up the price after the small yield.

What I initially tasted several months ago was heavy oak, and maybe some smoke? Or just a peppery feel? Anyway, not precise and in balance. I felt a bit screwed, like this vintage wasn't close to the quality of 2019.. But after a few months, I drank my last bottle of my three bottle allocation. I thought I was over subscribed on Cabs, and should make room for better Washington and California Cab vintages.

But a few months of storage have really helped this. You still get a good amount of oak and tightness on the palate. But now you get a wonderfully smooth mouthfeel. And you can tell the quality of the dark fruit that wants to unfurl itself free from the structured wrapping this wine is possessing now.

If you can get this wine for around the $200-ish release price, then it's probably worth some cellar space and time. While I'm drinking my third and last bottle of my allocation, I'm not getting a sense of smoke taint. So I think you can buy with confidence, as long as you're not having to pay an obscene price.

11/5/2022 - camdawg Likes this wine:

Basalt Cellars might be a bit under the radar when it comes to Washington wines, but they do Merlot right. This 2016 vintage is in a nice spot now, and ready to drink.

When taking a sip, I got dark purple and black fruit, and some black or chai tea flavors, that coated the edges of my tongue. Hints of clove and cinnamon suggested themselves on the finish. I enjoyed the silky mouthfeel.

The midpalate wasn't super expressive or lengthy - but maybe that's okay. Maybe someone who wants that should buy a Cabernet Sauvignon? I think this will be a good food wine that will pair well with a lot of what you might like to eat for dinner, whereas a wine with a very lengthy midpalate would need red meat or a heavy sauce to match it.

10/27/2022 - camdawg Likes this wine:

A recent sale on WineSpies.com helped me afford and get access to this great wine.

It's 75 percent Cabernet Franc, and a wonderful expression of the grape. Nice tart fruit, along with the classic herbal qualities that good Cab Franc offers. Like my comments about the Contrarian bottling I'd had some time before, Cab Franc from Blackbird doesn't mean you're drinking vegetable juice, although there might be just a slight hint of bell pepper.

Overall a graceful wine that's pure and full of flavor.

2/26/2022 - camdawg Likes this wine:

If you enjoy the Super Tuscan style, this will be right up your alley. Very clean with nothing out of place. Precise red fruit. Strong acidity that drives a long finish that emphasizes sharp taste on the front of your palate.

You can drink this now if you like. The tannins are fine grained, and not thick, chalky, or powdery. And it's so smooth! But the intensity of the wine will linger, so many people may only enjoy having a glass or two if opening now. It's very enjoyable now, but will benefit from aging at least a couple more years.

2/12/2022 - camdawg Likes this wine:

I got this as a special from WineSpies.com, and it was worth every penny. I'm seriously thinking about getting some at the fuller triple digit price.

At five years from vintage, this is still a very young wine. Very nice primary fruit, mainly red fruit. Perhaps the small bit of Merlot is helping fill out the red fruit profile here? This will make you work for it by swirling it in your glass to reveal the nose, but it's starting to come out. You can kind of tell this is still hiding behind its structure. Leaving this open for an hour or so will help it soften some.

The tannins are kinda thick and chalky at this point. The finish is very long. The Petit Verdot is probably playing a role here.

I'm surprised the drinking windows from the reviewers are only through 2027 or so. I think there's definitely enough structure here to last a good deal longer than just five more years. I find it hard to believe that James Suckling apparently only gave this a 90 point score. I'm only scoring it 93 points because of its youth. This can easily be a 94-95 point wine in a few years.

1/2/2022 - camdawg Likes this wine:

If you like Napa Bordeaux style blends that aren't jammy, have elegance, and provide good acidity, this will be right up your alley!

The 29 percent Cab Franc is providing a good amount of acidity and savory notes, but they aren't overpowering. If you're afraid of drinking vegetable juice when you hear Cabernet Franc, don't fear!

By not having any Petit Verdot or Syrah, there is a dark fruit and heavy savory element that might be missing. This is definitely a front and midpalate wine. The benefit is the precision - it's laserlike. But if you're afraid the wine wouldn't be tasty, it definitely is.

1/1/2022 - camdawg Likes this wine:

This was pretty muted upon opening, but really grew after being open for 20 to 30 minutes. Nice tart, savory raspberry/strawberry fruit from the Grenache. The finish was long and savory, with good minerality. The weight was medium - this wasn't a jammy Chateauneuf. This should pair well with a lot of food!

11/9/2021 - camdawg Likes this wine:

2015 was a challenging year in Washington, due to the heat spikes. 2013 was the same story. I feel like many 2013's are a bit flabby, and not as precise as 2012 and 2014 vintages of the same wines.

I sometimes feel like 2015s went too far in the opposite direction. In order to be better than 2013s, 2015's are sometimes "too structured", if that's possible.

In the case of this wine, it seemed massively oaky to me in it's youth. Going by the page on the Ste. Michelle site, seems this was put into 61 percent new French oak.

So when I'd had this in years past, my palate was dominated by toasted oak flavors. Finally, that's subsiding. I'd still suggest having this open for an hour before you pour. And pouring into a glass that has a wider top to allow more air to come into contact with the wine will help.

But it's now a pretty well balanced, darker fruit wine. If you can wait another year or two, this should be even better.

10/22/2021 - camdawg Does not like this wine:

Maybe I opened this too young, or perhaps I just had a bad bottle or two. But I bought a pair from Wine.com. I liked the bright red and blue fruit at the tip of my tongue, but it quickly turned into a burnt rubber taste that overpowered my palate.

Having the wine open for awhile helped decrease the overwhelming nature of it, but the burnt rubber sense never really went away. I usually like Rocks District Syrah which can have some funkiness to it, but I find that to be far more pleasant than what I got from this wine.

10/7/2021 - camdawg Likes this wine:

This score is for enjoying now, I think the potential is there for a higher score in years to come.

If you love Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, I think this checks a lot of the boxes you're looking for. Dark red fruit, leading to a black fruit finish. Since this is still so young, you'll taste just a little bit of oak on the finish, along with chocolate and espresso.

The nose is a bit closed at this early stage. You'll need to vigorously swirl to reveal some brighter fruit aromas that just barely escape the wine's structure.

This is solidly made, and enjoyable. It should open up and be better in a few years. At the $125 retail price point, competition is very tough. I'm not sure it's worth that price, but was well worth the sale price I paid. If it were possible to reduce the price to $100 or less, it would be a strong contender at that price point.

8/27/2021 - camdawg Likes this wine:

Nice tastes of dry red berry fruit, followed by a lengthy, tangy, mineral driven finish. A very clean, well balanced Oregon Pinot Noir with nothing out of place.

8/19/2021 - camdawg Likes this wine:

The score of 94 is for drinking now. I'm sure I'd score it higher after five years of aging.

Some Quilceda Creek wines are absolute beasts if you open them young. In 2020, I opened one of my 2014 Palengats. It was a 'Spinal Tap' wine, everything was dialed up to "11". Huge fruit, big tannin, big oak, high alcohol. I had to sip it slowly as if I were drinking Scotch!

This 2018 flagship Cabernet isn't like that at all. It's definitely not wimpy. There's good fruit. You'll feel some heat from the alcohol, but not much. It melds into the overall experience so cleanly. Is there some oak? Sure, but the treatment is so fine and gentle.

Why should you be patient with this wine? You get the very clean and elegant fruit, but it gets taken away from you after awhile by the clean, refined structure. The way the wine grew in the glass for me, hinted at what's to come. With increasing time after opening, the fruit got darker and more savory. Rutherford style dust developed on the finish. For those who also love Bordeaux, an iron/iodine like minerality also developed on the finish.

Everything is in such fine, elegant balance here. The flavor will merely please you a lot at this point, it won't blow you away. This wine is a tribute to the craft of the Golitzin family and their winemaking team. A beautiful achievement in this Washington vintage!

8/6/2021 - camdawg Likes this wine:

This is a really nice Napa Cabernet blend made in an old-school way, that's definitely not a jammy fruit bomb!

If you're enjoying now, you'll get that dark red Cab Sauv fruit, but it will only last for a little while before it gets taken away by the wine's structure.

You can definitely age this for a few years if you'd like the fruit to be more expressive and longer lasting. If you like Bordeaux or other "Old World" Cab, you'll probably enjoy this now.

7/23/2021 - camdawg Likes this wine:

Very solid Cabernet Franc that will please a lot of wine drinkers, although it may not thrill people who really nerd out about this grape.

Nice aromatics invite you to take a sip. When the wine greets your tongue, you'll taste herbs and tart purple fruit. That leads to a black fruit finish with some notes of charred espresso coffee.

If there's anything that some people won't enjoy, there's a dark coffee note that comes from of oak. If you cellar this for longer, maybe that oak will subside. And it's definitely NOT an "oak monster". It's just that it's noticeable on the finish. Those who enjoy California and Washington wines probably won't be bothered by this at all. Those who mainly enjoy old world wines may find it a bit obtrusive at this stage.

if you enjoy herbal tastes when drinking Cabernet Franc, you'll get them here. But you won't get green pepper or other vegetal notes that you might get with some Cab Francs.

Overall, this was a nice, tasty example of the grape. And you can age it a few years if you like.

5/26/2021 - camdawg Likes this wine:

This is in a very nice spot now. 2014 in Washington was a great vintage. You got the powerful depth from the heat, but still had wines with balance if they were well made.

You might taste the dry, dark, sour cherry and blackberry fruit from the Cabernet Sauvignon first. But the Cabernet Franc is such a great partner here. Nice herbs, spices, and pepper at the front of the palate. I didn't notice any heavy vegetal notes if that scares you away from drinking Cab Franc.

This still has heat, but a few years of aging has given the wine a nice mouthfeel that easily coates your tongue in a relaxed way. The texture doesn't feel heavy.

A great choice for your favorite cut of red meat!

4/28/2021 - camdawg Likes this wine:

This is a high quality Napa Cab for those who like wines that are somewhat fruit forward, but not over extracted ooze monsters.

We have a nice mix of dark cherry and blackberry, lifted a bit by some cranberry as well. Tannins are dusty, peppery, and smoky. On the finish, I got a little bit of graphite and mint.

I got this on sale, but would pay the $65 retail to get another bottle to go with a great steak.

4/25/2021 - camdawg Likes this wine:

With other great Cabernets/Bordeaux style blends, I've been blown away by something. Maybe it was the fruit from Napa, or the structure and savory elements of Bordeaux. This was different; but in it's own way, was one of the best wines I've ever had.

This had a nice juicy medium weight on the palate that easily coated my mouth, but didn't blow it away. Nice cherry and blackberry fruit was there, but it wasn't dialed up to 11 like Napa, Sonoma, and some Washington state wines. It was polished, restrained, refined, perhaps slightly muted.

If you enjoy savory tastes in red wine, this fits the bill. But it's not quite the same as younger Bordeaux - I didn't taste flint/graphite or forest floor. There must be some Cabernet Franc in the blend that's introducing herbal, savory tastes at the front of my palate, but they're so polished.

This isn't quite Bordeaux, Washington State, or California, but is incredibly well made. What food would pair well with this? I kinda feel like a rich steak might be a bit too much for this. If you're having chicken or pork, this would probably be a wonderful pairing. If you enjoy a white fish with a more robust sauce or topping, like a mango salsa - something you'd enjoy Pinot Noir with - this might be a great pairing for that also.

If you're aging Napa Cab or Bordeaux for 20 years because you want to drink a super polished and refined wine, give this a shot.

4/25/2021 - camdawg Likes this wine:

I just opened another bottle of the 2005 Gardet Champagne. I stand by the comments I made earlier. But I actually liked this second bottle slightly better than the 2008 Drappier Grande Sendree that I also recently enjoyed. So I think a 93 point score is justified. If you can can find this, buy it and enjoy!

4/18/2021 - camdawg Likes this wine:

I bought a bottle of this three to four years ago, during a Drappier tasting at my local wine shop in Seattle, McCarthy & Schiering. I was in the mood for a nice Champagne, and decided this was the time to open it up.

This is in a great place. First, let's talk about the mouthfeel. Nice and smooth, the bubbles are persistent but small if you're drinking the same day you open the bottle. The wine glides onto your tongue so smoothly!

The flavor is a bit on the tart, dry side. Precise lemon acidity that lingers for a long time, along with strong minerality. Some hints of toast and sweetness, like graham cracker, sneak their way in.

If you don't finish the bottle on the first night, and keep it in your fridge, you might find on the next day that toasty, sweeter flavors become just a bit more prominent.

I enjoyed this a lot! Is it worth the $100 or more that you'll have to pay to get a bottle? That's a tough call. If you really know Champagne well, maybe you can get a $70 to $85 bottle that will equal this, or come close? But if I can find another 2008 bottle that's close to the release price I paid a few years ago, I'd gladly buy another bottle.

4/16/2021 - camdawg Likes this wine:

This wine is flat out delicious, and makes it impossible to avoid pouring a second, or even third glass in an evening.

It definitely features fruit, but it's not sweet or jammy. There's plentiful dark red fruit, along with some blue fruit that reveals itself. Dark cocoa and spice, along with some small hints of oak, carry the wine towards a lengthy finish. The tannin structure is there, but very fine grained and smooth. Not chalky like some Napa wines from some locations like Rutherford.

I got this on sale from Wine Library. I wouldn't mind paying full price in the future, now that I know how good this is.