4/20/2024 - ajrez Likes this wine:

Had an opportunity to bottle taste at the 4/20 Pott Party which was the first time the wine had ever been poured (it's getting bottled in June). Really outstanding wine from Stags Leap (the vineyard sits right next to Shafer Hillside Select vineyards) that attacks with a beautifully expressive nose of blue fruit and cassis. Very dark core and although quite young, the tannins are soft and refined keeping the wine quite light on its feet. Kind of an iron fist in a velvet glove. This is a beautiful effort from a new producer with Aaron Pott as winemaker. Really, really well done...

4/13/2024 - ajrez wrote:

Too young… night 1 was very tight, tannic. Re-corked and on day 2 it had lost some life. A better approach would be 2027+ with a decant. A lot of potential…

4/7/2024 - ajrez Likes this wine:

Seemingly the best MM wine of 2017. Drinking great now with minimal decant. An hour of air does it well… not much upside, it’s in a good spot.

4/7/2024 - ajrez Likes this wine:

In a good spot now… primary and secondary flavors weaving together for a beautiful nose and initial palate. Not a huge mid palate and finish, thus the score is impacted but a really nice expression that won’t disappoint

4/7/2024 - ajrez Likes this wine:

It’s a unique, terrior driven wine. Perhaps not for everyone but I quite appreciated the divergence from the typical Napa cab and gave me a look at a different, uniquely compelling approach. It has some flaws but worth seeking out to provide a reference point compared to other, more mainstream producers. Candidly, I enjoyed it for what it wanted to bring to the conversation.

4/2/2024 - ajrez Likes this wine:

drank over 2 nights from bottle at cellar temp. No decant. Not blowing me away yet... will check in again in a few years...

3/21/2024 - ajrez wrote:

Not the best expression of LPV but ok as a daily drinker.

3/15/2024 - ajrez Does not like this wine:

out of a half bottle.... pretty flat, I would imagine a 750ml or large format would be in a better place right now. On the nose it's pretty classic but the mid palate and finish and underwhelming.

2/15/2024 - ajrez Does not like this wine:

90 minute decant, then back into bottle for a wine tasting with the fellas this evening. Too much oak for me... needs a few more years. vanilla is dominant at the moment for my palate. could be pleasing to others but needs more age for me.

2/10/2024 - ajrez Likes this wine:

delicious now, long life ahead. Familiar Spring mountain notes... very blue and sweet. No decant, day 2 better than day 1.

1/14/2024 - ajrez wrote:

TWFE auction lot

1/14/2024 - ajrez wrote:

TWFE auction lot

1/9/2024 - ajrez Likes this wine:

Perfect spot, needs about 60-90 minutes of air then it’s beautiful

1/9/2024 - ajrez wrote:

In a great spot! Give it an hour of air

12/26/2023 - ajrez wrote:

Still alot of oak on it… needs more time to mellow.

11/17/2023 - ajrez Likes this wine:

Solid.

11/6/2023 - ajrez wrote:

Secondary and tertiary flavors at this point. Still drinking well but not going to improve. Maybe a couple years left of drinking window. Smells and tastes like an old Cab. If you appreciate that profile you’ll like this… was expecting more freshness from the vintage. Nothing wrong just closing in on being over the hill.

10/19/2023 - ajrez wrote:

Mixed feelings here… definitely needs air still and a lot of it. Drank over 2 nights at cellar temp. Night 1 - yeesh, very rough, drank a half glass and put the cork back in. 85 at best. Night 2 - much better but still didn’t blow me away. I won’t hold night 1 against it, it’s a solid bottle but from an epic vintage I’d expect more mid-palate complexity and length on the finish.

10/4/2023 - ajrez Likes this wine:

Wine night wine with the felllas…
Give it an hour of air and it hits the sweet spot. Not gonna blow your mind but a beautiful rendition of classic Napa Cabernet. Lovely to drink, still a bit of grip to it with maybe 5 years left?

10/1/2023 - ajrez Does not like this wine:

Earthy, a bit awkward. Not much freshness left… Definitely on the down slope…

9/18/2023 - ajrez Does not like this wine:

Massive fan of Aaron, sadly not a fan of this.

9/4/2023 - ajrez wrote:

Good, not great. No decant needed and tannins have fully integrated at this point. Probably best to drink up.

8/1/2023 - ajrez Does not like this wine:

Love Memento Mori and the crew there but this vintage of the flagship (or possibly just this bottle) are not on par with every other MM bottle I’ve had. Felt disjointed, acid seemed out of balance and the tannins were awfully prevalent…. The harmony just wasn’t there. I will say, in spite of all that, still had a long finish! Might just be the vintage, I’ll keep buying more MM of course but this bottle didn’t perform.

7/15/2023 - ajrez Likes this wine:

Outstanding

7/15/2023 - ajrez wrote:

On the back end of its career… still some life but not much left.

7/15/2023 - ajrez Does not like this wine:

Very jammy, quite alcoholic. Needs more time

5/18/2023 - ajrez Likes this wine:

In a really nice window. Tannins still have some grip (as you'd expect) but they're nicely integrated and secondary and tertiary flavors are starting to show through. Got the pedigree to last a while longer but beautiful to drink now with 30 minute decant to blow off the initial awkwardness

5/9/2023 - ajrez Does not like this wine:

seems to be falling out of a drinking window... somewhat muted, finish getting a little flat. I don't see upside

4/23/2023 - ajrez Likes this wine:

Outstanding. Complete wine in a great drinking window now with a couple hours of air. Complex nose and consistency throughout to a great extended finish. Dark core of fruit with earthy and floral notes on the nose, brooding minerality of the palate and a 60+ second finish. Checks all the boxes. High caliber wine from a high caliber vintage — minimal complaints or criticisms. 97+ with a little upside.

3/18/2023 - ajrez Does not like this wine:

Could have been an off bottle

3/13/2023 - ajrez wrote:

Decanted 3 hours, drank over the preceding 3. Nose is beautiful but mid palate and finish are starting to wane. Would suggest drinking now… don’t think there’s much further upside. Very solid, well made wine just not in it for the long haul, 94+

2/26/2023 - ajrez wrote:

In a really good spot, I more than 5 years left IMO

2/21/2023 - ajrez Likes this wine:

quite the surprise, drinking very well right now and in a perfect window. I expected it to show more age....

12/25/2022 - ajrez Does not like this wine:

Not wowed. Low energy, could be a bad bottle so no rating

12/24/2022 - ajrez wrote:

Just not my style of Pinot. It’s unique and has character for the right palate

12/17/2022 - ajrez wrote:

Withholding a rating as I think this was a bad bottle.

12/9/2022 - ajrez Likes this wine:

With an hour of air, in a great spot. Nose is very expressive and reveals baking spices, leather, blue fruit, earthiness and some funk. Tannins still very much present and finish goes on for days. No rush here drinking great now but could easily sit another 5-10 years.
Easily mistaken for a Napa Bordeaux blend

11/29/2022 - ajrez Does not like this wine:

still too much oak on it for my taste.... like most 16's still quite young and tight. Could improve after 2025

10/26/2022 - ajrez Likes this wine:

Barely showing it’s age… no rush

10/26/2022 - ajrez Likes this wine:

Phenomenal

10/19/2022 - ajrez wrote:

A lot of oak, was better on day 2. 5 years from now will likely be a much better window. 94+

10/7/2022 - ajrez Likes this wine:

Ready to drink, could have up to 5 years. First time having Cemetery vineyard, I’m pretty impressed. Nice effort, I’ll seek out more

9/24/2022 - ajrez Does not like this wine:

red/ blue fruit, pretty linear, not a lot of complexity and medium finish. Expected more from the vintage. Just ok.

9/2/2022 - ajrez wrote:

Losing steam. Probably was better 2 years ago, a few years left but losing depth and complexity. Still drinkable and enjoyable but illustrative of the vintage. 92 with downside after 2023.

8/30/2022 - ajrez Does not like this wine:

Just doesn’t have that complexity and length. Good enough for daily drinking but feels a bit thin to me.

7/13/2022 - ajrez Does not like this wine:

Think it's moving out of it's drinking window... still fine now, nothing special.

7/5/2022 - ajrez Likes this wine:

Day 1 better than day 2 at this point. On day 1, still a lively mountain cab with a beautiful nose and grippy tannins. This has a solid life left in it and bit of a surprise for a 12. Don’t put this down forever but no need to rush it either

7/3/2022 - ajrez Likes this wine:

if you got em, drink em. Drinking well now but lifetime is limited here. Losing freshness and energy, maybe 12-18 months

4/22/2022 - ajrez Likes this wine:

No decant, tasted after 30 minutes open and it’s ready to go. Big blue and black fruit, not heavy, beautifully balanced with graphite and chocolate notes. 2015 so tannins are moderate and well integrated. Nothing that completely blows me away but everything is perfectly balance and refined.

3/13/2022 - ajrez wrote:

Daily drinker. Nothing special, a bit disjointed mid palate, good amount of oak and heavy fruit on the nose, especially on Day 1. Day 2 becomes more integrated but also lacked depth and complexity. Short finish. Peter other acceptable but not memorable