10/12/2018 - THaas wrote:

Decently balanced, with a nice mix of cassis, green pepper, herb, and a touch of oak.

9/9/2018 - THaas wrote:

Needed about an hour to blow off the alcohol, but once that happened, there was a great volume to the nose and the mouth, lots of raspberry and spice, with a nice hit of pepper and smoke on the finish. So, decant before drinking, and drink before 2022.

8/24/2018 - THaas Likes this wine:

A deliciously balanced wine, with plenty of weight, dark fruit, and velvety texture. Certainly drinking well right now, and should be youthful for the next couple of years.

8/4/2018 - THaas wrote:

Pretty much right at peak. Dark, inky red, bricked rim. Nose of dried cherries, mint, and mushroom. A nice balance between earth and fruit in the mouth, showing some age but not over the hill. Well balanced, 60 sec finish.

6/1/2018 - THaas wrote:

Rich nose of dark fruit (cassis, cherry, plum). The mouth has hints of dark cacao, green pepper, herb, and a touch of wintergreen. Balance is excellent, with enough fruit to match the moderate tannins. Finish is long. Very much an old-school "Napa does Bordeaux-style" cab, not modernist at all. Have with a nice ribeye.

2/14/2018 - THaas Likes this wine:

Lots of passionfruit and lemongrass in the nose. Medium-bodied, lush fruit noted in the mouth, with a nice crisp finish.

1/17/2018 - THaas Likes this wine:

Dark cherry, cassis, and vanilla. Velvety. Decent-length finish.

12/31/2017 - THaas wrote:

Solid bubbly. Mild nose, nice creamy lemon-cake in the mouth, not too yeasty. Crisp without being "bitey."

12/24/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Elegant, delicate Champagne. This is more intellectually satisfying than hedonistic.

12/24/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Elegant Cab, notes of herb and tobacco over restrained red fruit -- cherry and cassis. Very nicely balanced, with just enough tannin to work with the fruit notes. Really good value.

11/23/2017 - THaas wrote:

Off-dry, nice stone fruit and citrus notes. Well-balanced, not too acidic. An easy everyday sipper.

11/23/2017 - THaas wrote:

A little light, but well-enough made to be enjoyable. Notes of tart cherry and spice.

11/23/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Well made Pinot; elegant, with a hint of structure. Notes of cranberry, cherry, and raspberry over spice. Was tasty with Thanksgiving dinner.

9/27/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Big and luxuriant; lots of red fruit, a hint of spice, and vanilla from the oak.

8/13/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Solid Riesling; nose of apples and slate, with a hint of petrol. White grape juice and apple in the mouth, finishing crisp like lime. Well-balanced.

8/10/2017 - THaas wrote:

Big, rich, velvety wine. Dark fruit, notes of herb and olive, some toasty oak, surprisingly gentle finish.

8/9/2017 - THaas wrote:

Very primary; lots of fruit and a little spice. Cherry, raspberry, some plum. A little hot on the finish. Lots of power, but not a lot of direction to it.

8/9/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Dark fruit on the nose -- plum, black cherry, cassis. More of the same in the mouth, with some smoke and a bit of spice, as well as dark toasty oak on the finish. Surprisingly gentle tannins for the weight of the wine -- this is pretty full-bore. Tasty.

8/9/2017 - THaas wrote:

Powerful, full-bodied Chardonnay, done in the classic California "lots of vanilla, butter, and oak" style. Definitely not a wine for fans of Burgundian winemaking, but that's the house style here -- new world all the way.

8/9/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Very much sauvignon blanc in the nose -- grapefruit, some grassiness. In the mouth, it's surprisingly big, with the expected grapefruit, citrus pith, grass, a little mineral, but a surprising vanilla note on the midpalate. 40% barrel fermented, that explains a bit. This is a sauv blanc for people who don't like the fruity New Zealanders or the mineral French.

8/9/2017 - THaas wrote:

Big. Seriously in-your-face, but with subtlety. Dark cherry, spice, a hint of smoke, some black olive, a little earth. Rhone done by California; very much a new world wine.

5/29/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Nice, delicate rose. Nose of strawberries, mineral, and a little zest of lime. Similar in the mouth, with a little pink melon coming to the party. Light and clean, nice wine for lighter fare.

5/24/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Solid modernist Super-Tuscan; dark cherries and raspberries dominate, with just a hint of leather and spice on the finish. Good acidity and tannic structure balance the wine off.

Drink on the short term -- through 2020.

5/20/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Nose shows a nice combination of earth, cherry, raspberry, and spice. The fruit is dominant in the mouth, but in a lean way, not super-juicy. Medium-bodied, with fresh acidity on the finish.

5/17/2017 - THaas wrote:

Lots of tropical fruit on the nose, some tree fruit added in the mouth. Medium-bodied (heavier than the chard), nice finish. Would be good with medium-weight seafood.

5/17/2017 - THaas wrote:

Solid rose, nice hints of strawberry and crisp red apple, medium-bodied.

5/17/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Very nicely done chard in the "crisp and clean" (unoaked?) style. Primary tree fruit -- green apple and pear -- just a hint of mineral on the backside, good acidity, light to medium body. A chard for people who say they don't like chard, but do like crisp whites.

5/17/2017 - THaas wrote:

Solid sparkler, clean (Charmat method), just off-dry, crisp on the finish.

5/17/2017 - THaas wrote:

Solid Tempranillo. Very varietally-correct notes of red fruit, spice, and a hint of smoke. Well-balanced in the mouth, not too heavy but not wimpy. Finishes with fine-grained tannins. Drink on the short term.

5/17/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

More serious wine than the 2015 Cotes du Rhone that we tasted next to it. Much darker notes on the nose, more spice and smoke and earth, although it still showed red fruit. Substantial in the mouth without being overbearing, with good tannic structure.

5/17/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Very pleasant. Primary notes of red fruit and a hint of spice, carried through into the mouth, finishes with a touch of tannin and present acidity.

5/13/2017 - THaas wrote:

Solid merlot, varietally correct, if not overwhelmingly big in the nose or mouth. Nice hint of cocoa on the finish.

4/30/2017 - THaas wrote:

Drinking pretty perfectly right now; cork broke on removal, but the wine was fine. A little bricking on the rim, but dark red in the center. Core of cherry/raspberry in the nose, a touch of earth and spice. Nicely balanced in the mouth, cherry/cassis and plum overlaying French oak. Really enjoyable.

Did not throw any sediment, despite it's age, which surprised me.

4/24/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Needed about an hour to work it's way out of the bottle. Seriously surprising cabernet for under $30 -- Opaque red-garnet. Nose shows dark cherry, plum, a hint of herbes de provence, and a hint of vegetal. Velvety in the mouth -- the mouthfeel is really nice. Again, dark cherry, cassis, cedar, spice, and a slightly more pronounced vegetal note (like fresh green pepper) and a hint of leather. Tannins are present, but not over-pronounced. Balance is 5/5, really nice right now.

Could it age? I suppose so (say through 2027), but it's really tempting to drink right now.

4/21/2017 - THaas wrote:

Very fruit-primary, but not jammy or unctuous. Well-balanced, not too tannic but with enough grip to stand up to some ribeyes. Could age a bit, but really tempting to drink right now.

4/21/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Solid and dependable cab. Medium-bodied, balance of fruit and tannin and acidity, classic cabernet profile with cassis, cherry, and a hint of herb.

4/11/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Classic big-n-bold California cab. Cassis and dark cherry over toasty oak and vanilla. Velvety mouthfeel, full bodied. Long finish.

4/11/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Excellent. Cork broke on removal, but the wine was just right. Velvety, dark, with spicy dark cherry and raspberry notes, rich mouthfeel, long finish.

4/9/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Very primary wine -- rich dark fruit on the nose, plenty of the same -- cassis, black cherry and plum -- on the mouth, with a nice kiss of oak on the finish. Tannins are present and velvety. This is probably not an ager, but it's pretty nice right now anyhow.

4/5/2017 - THaas wrote:

Nice nose, plenty of Gamay notes -- red berries, cranberry, some tropical hints. Good acidity in the mouth, not too intense but pleasant. Light to medium bodied. Finish is reasonable, but not terribly long (no surprise).

Certainly a decent Cru Beaujolais.

3/11/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Deep black/red color, delicious dark cherry and plum notes over spice and toasty oak. Excellent balance between fruit weight and tannins, long finish.

3/1/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

A nice, solid Margaux. A little floral on the nose, with underlying dark fruit. Elegant in the mouth, but with backbone, well-balanced, long finish. Drinking well right now, should be good for another 7 or so years.

3/8/2017 - THaas wrote:

Dark cherry and spice on the nose. More of the same in the mouth, medium bodied, a decent balance of acidity and tannin at the end, where a hint of vanilla oak comes through. Solid effort, although pricier than I would like for the quality.

2/22/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Nicely done, with typical South African gaminess in the nose and mouth, showcasing cassis and boysenberry, smoke, leather, and a touch of tobacco.

Really nice with some protein (we had it with ribs, but I'd happily serve this with steak or lamb).

2/8/2017 - THaas wrote:

Well-balanced, dark plum and black cherry on the front, cocoa on the finish. Not as much of a "dusty" note as I tend to find in Rutherford, but it's certainly approachable.

2/1/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Not consistant with other Morelleneos that I've had, but a tasty wine nonetheless. Big cherry fruit with some vanilla, a hint of raspberry and acidity on the finish. Probably not an ager, but it's pretty darn tasty right now.

1/25/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Nicely balanced. Nose of apple and a hint of oak. Crisp in the mouth, tree fruit and a hint of vanilla. Elegant. Good white for food. Drink through 2022.

1/25/2017 - THaas wrote:

Way young. Closed-in nose, mouth is a ball of tannins and dark fruit. Shows promise, but this is certainly something that should sit and think about things for a while in the cellar. Drink 2020-2030

1/20/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Tremendously tasty, even this young. Literally popped and poured in front of me, there was no decanting or aeration, but the wine's rich cassis and dark cherry stood out over the underlying oak and earth. The flavor set up camp in my mouth and stayed there for quite some time. I know Leoville is a wine that usually needs some time to come together, but this was something I wanted to have with a steak right now; drink through 2035.

1/18/2017 - THaas Likes this wine:

Started out rather fruity (tart cherry and strawberry), as the wine opened up it showed more earthiness and minerality. Balance was nice, finish reasonably long. Nice introductory Burgundy, it makes me want to try the more site-specific offerings from this producer.