8/24/2022 - indiscriminate palate wrote:

Had the hardest time placing this—clearly new world but what are these grapes? Tempranillo and Petit Sirah—I mean, who wouldn’t figure that out??? Way drinking and rich, but without too much extraction or alcohol. Light tannin don’t prevent current enjoyment and good acidity to carry through the finish. An interesting wine, certainly.

11/3/2021 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine:

Retail $40 (3 liter box). The most I could find about this wine was that it is a Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Wahluke Slope in the Columbia Valley, Washington. The nose presents a wheelbarrow-full of fruit along with a bucket-full of earth, and maybe a water bottle-full of intrigue. The palate follows the theme as the fruit is paramount, followed by a bit of gritty determination, and then just enough sophistication to ponder whether your stance on box wines needs a reassessment (it does).

www.thedrunkencyclist.com

7/24/2022 - Swaggering Beaunie Likes this wine:

This was good, but, in contrast to the previous bottle, I think this one was too young. I will probably wait 2 or 3 years before opening the next one.

5/13/2022 - Vino Loco wrote:

Bait and switched at a restaurant - 2018 advertised, 2019 delivered and didn’t have energy to turn it down and start over.

The wine is simply not ready - so it’s likely unfair to judge it too much at this time. It opened as being super juicy, reminded me of Oceanspray Cran-Blackberry. The alcohol was in check, and the oak didn’t stand out in either a good or bad way. Low to mid tannin. While it slightly improved over dinner, it just made no sense to be drinking it at this stage, particularly at its price point.

5/6/2022 - ogres3 Likes this wine:

Drank in San Antonio. Unfiltered. Full bodied. Ripe complex rich fruit. Quite good.

5/5/2022 - Mhbeaune wrote:

I’ve been following this wine ever since buying 6 bottles upon release. Back in the 70’s and early 80’s Barolo was amazing value and generally 10-15 years in the bottle. Today it seems to me a product that is overpriced in the market and modern Barolo’s simply don’t pack the punch. No real body or length.
This is no exception. Pleasant enough but nothing special. I know it is an entry level Barolo from a well renowned producer but really £25 10 years ago from a supposedly very good vintage.
Technically a correct wine But nothing remarkable certainly not to persuade me to part with £100 to buy a top notch example.

5/30/2021 - kevrob822 Does not like this wine:

Wow, I actually think the first bottle may have been better. 😁

2/2/2022 - jeremy_ross wrote:

What I wish my typical $100 Bordeaux purchase tasted like. Has some musty cellar on nose. Rich, tart fruit on palate. Some dark fruit too, maybe black currant. Plenty of structure for you structure whores.

1/6/2022 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

Sort of a cross between the 2010 and the 2011: the intensity of the 2010 coupled with the more Médoc-like nature of the 2011. Great color. Fruit is still reserved, tannins are apparent. If tasted blind, I would not have guessed it was almost 10 years old.

12/5/2021 - Order66 Likes this wine:

Mother of peals; What. A. Wine. This thing is massively thick with a glycerin rich texture that seems to glide. The only drawback is that the fragrance isn’t there that I tend to find in Antonia Ports, alas this is one fine Port. Seamlessly classy, intense tannins, the singe-iest bit of charcoal complimented by velvety date/fig notes. This has all the makings of a great wine. Wouldn’t be surprised to pin this as a 97-98pt wine in some 20-30 years. The waiting game begins.

12/13/2021 - 716_cellar Likes this wine:

Consistent. It'd be tough to find a better 2016 Napa cabernet for the amazing WTSO price point of $20. 4 down, 2 to go...would love to acquire more as this would last for years as well.

10/18/2021 - kevrob822 Does not like this wine:

I’ve now had 3 (of 4 🤦🏼‍♂️) bottles of this wine now, and they have all been terrible! Seriously, Absolutely Awful!

This is as flat-footed as any CS I think I’ve ever had. Aroma is “not there” and hot to boot. Flavor has some black fruit, but is just so unbalanced, one-dimensional and flat.

I’m going to repost this review twice more, so that it properly reflects (at least in my opinion!!!) the 3 bottles I’ve had. Honestly, I hadn’t posted any reviews before as I thought, “oh, it’s me”, or “awww, it’s just this bottle”, or “I know the next one will be better”… well, I’m done covering this shiz up. This is horrible! I don’t think 5+ years wil help this swill! It’s not even spaghetti sauce-worthy! More then happy to field any differing opinions on this waste of grapes!

#1 of 3 reviews.

2/3/2021 - VinoHunter wrote:

Been about a year since my last bottle. Similar results, Mild, light and a little sour. Maybe I am missing something here, but not my cup of tea. I see no reason to hang on to my remaining bottles much longer.

9/17/2021 - epiphany Does not like this wine:

Corked - completely oxidized and volatile.

8/26/2021 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:

First of 4 ($25.99@) from online clearinghouse #2 a few months ago. On the nose and palate, spicebox led by sage and baking spices (which manage to be spicy rather than sweet), cherries, which became sweet with air, earth and smoke, with fairly inhospitable tannins on the back end. Dark garnet (great observation on Rhone coloring, as well as tasting notes, as always, PFX!), medium bodied and legs. Intense tannins and only slightly less acidity, no heat. Medium complexity, medium+ intensity and persistence. I take a backseat to no one when it comes to love of Tuscan wines, but the catch is that while this covers BdMs, Super Tuscans and many non-classified sangios, Chiantis are usually a notable exception, despite my efforts to like them (kind of like CA cult cabs). I've found them, with the partial exceptions of of Felsina, Badia, Volpaia, and the complete exception of Sorbo (are we really sure that's even a Chianti?), to be overly driven by intense, unrelenting tannins, wood, earth, pyrazines and non-appealing spices like dill. But while the initial taste of this wine did nothing to disabuse me of my prejudices, this opened up really impressively after 3+ hours of air, similar to (but quantitively well below) the Sammarco, with the tannins pulling back and the fruit intensifying and sweetening. Even after this, this was just a very good standalone wine, but it was outstanding with spaghetti and turkey meatballs, and on the second night, with mixed grill. As Booznooz observes, the fruit didn't hold very well on night 2 (and has continued to drop off on night 3, so it's difficult to place where this is in its drinking window, since on the one hand, it took quite a while to open, but on the other, didn't show great staying power. Very difficult to score, since the wine was all over the place, 88-89 out of the bottle, 91-92 on its own on night one and 94+ with food, a point or 2 lower on both on night 2 and again on night 3. I think if you give this wine a few hours of air on opening, drink it with food and either finish it or cork it immediately after, you'll have a dandy wine at great qpr, but if you're looking for a PnP while you put your feet up on the deck or something to sip at while open for 5 days, this won't be your best choice. 91-92+, with the thought that this could go in either direction at this point. Not enough for me to do a major Chianti reassessment, but a very good bottle for the right spot.

5/15/2021 - kevrob822 wrote:

Wow, pretty darn mediocre. And this is $150 at the winery?!?!? You’d think at that price (which is sadly becoming a pretty common price point for Napa CS!), there’d be something enlightened or elevated, or just special about this wine, but not really. Wow, big disappointment. Giving this 85 Points and a Terrible QPR. Obviously, no need to get more.

6/25/2021 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Finally, down to my last bottle of a Gov Newsome owned winery in the cellar. Now that I've cancelled him, no more Odette, Plumpjack, Cade and Adaptation in my house......this was a nice drinker, but a tad thin and higher red fruited. Nothing to indicate it's worth the pricepoint, IMO........kind of an empty feeling drinking this one and I mean that from the palate and not from the heart. It just didn't have much 'there' there for the price compared to the rest of this evening's wines.

6/14/2021 - kevrob822 wrote:

No Review... opened my last bottle (#3 of 4) and it was the most flawed of all the bottles. I can't help but think these got cooked while traveling across the US.

I updated my review of the one "decent" bottle I had as well. I decided it was also flawed, but just not as badly.

6/9/2021 - kevrob822 Likes this wine:

Much better then the two earlier bottles last night (both flawed 🤦🏼‍♂️). Tonight, after opening and seeing it was good, I decanted for ~2 hours, but even then, it continued to open up over the next 2+ hours of drinking. More time in the bottle would be good though.

Lots of deep dark black/blue fruit, plum, vanilla and oak with some acidity and tannins. Currently it’s a nice, quaffable wine, working best with food. No major liabilities, but nothing outstanding either. I’ve had some pretty exceptional wines lately, so my opinion may be colored by those bottles. I’d give this 89 Points, but that being said, for the price paid, this is still a Good QPR.

4/17/2021 - lovemycab Does not like this wine:

Second bottle and just as bland as the first. This is like drinking water with food coloring. The ages old saying of turning water into wine can be reversed in this case.

4/2/2019 - 3daywinereview.com wrote:

Day 1: I had to try this as Luca Maroni gave this 98 points. Well to no one's surprise this is not even close to 98 points nor did I think it would but if it is a solid 90 win for the price. Nice overall with cherry, spice, floral and dust. A bit sweet on the palate. Certainly drinkable and not bad. 88 points
Day 2: This always exposes these cheap wines. This wine is terrible on day 2. Sweet fruit, dust and some spice. Weak on the palate and finish. Really a wine that should be consumed on the young side. Again 98 points by Luca Maroni is an insult to the great Bordeaux wines from the Left Bank. 80 points
Day 3: Flat and undrinkable.
Recommendation: Drink these on the young side. No upside on this wine and great scam in terms of a 98 point wine. Had to try it just because someone who claims to be a critic gave this 98 points.

2/9/2021 - wino121 wrote:

Vinturied into decant, consumed over several hours.
True Columbia Valley fruit here with a mix of French and American oak giving this a slight herbal note along with tamed tannins helping to round this wine out.
Very flora on the nose and beautiful fruit that jumps out of the glass, med + on the finish.
I can see where a person might get the funkiness from the American oak. Aka Oakville72
This has nothing to do with mechanical or hand picked grapes, technology has overcome any decreeable difference.
A serious bargain and a winner for any weeknight drinker, or weekend drinker for that matter.
Drink now with decant thru 2025.
A rebuy in spades @$15!!

6/27/2020 - VinoHunter Likes this wine:

When I saw the year on this wine, all I could think about is the movie the Jerk:

“ Ah yes, but no more 1966. Lets splurge! Bring us some fresh
wine! The freshest you've got - this year! No more of this old
stuff.”

Just like the 2018, this is cheap drinkable jug wine. No this is not a fine complex California cab. Great for the occasional glass of wine when one doesn’t want to open a bottle...

12/13/2020 - Marais Does not like this wine:

Nasty grapefruit/wet dog taste, when first opened and even after open for awhile. Don’t like; can’t drink. Don’t understand WSpectator rating.
Tried second bottle a few months later with same results.

3/23/2020 - kevrob822 wrote:

Bottle was terribly corked...

1/20/2020 - VinoHunter Likes this wine:

Received my 4 bottle delivery today. Had to drink one bottle as the cork had moved up to the point of almost falling out. Apparently some cold weather between NJ and Oregon. I don’t have a lot of experience with PS. I decanted the bottle for 2 hours and drank the wine over the proceeding hour. Rich, deep and tannic. Good thus far!

12/14/2019 - DesMarteau wrote:

Not sure I want to rate ...I can’t agree with vinohunter more....my additions ...disjointed. Has plenty of power and fruit...but is out of balance and the carmelized edge is concerning. I also have 1 more of 6 so I’ll wait a bit and see how it changes. put 1/2 bottle in a clean 375ml, vacuum pumped and stored overnight in the fridge. Greatly improved the next day...much more integrated and harmonious. funny a Carmel edge still is integrated in with the fruit core....which doesn't make it seem like an oxidation flaw :). My assessment is this needs more time and I drank most of them too fast.

12/11/2019 - Rosebud-OH Likes this wine:

Wish I had bought a case or two from WTSO. Performance to price is off the charts.

8/3/2019 - Bsharmastl wrote:

Hot wine. Alcohol almost kills other smells. Very dark candied fruit on the palate, with an alcohol aftershock.
Second pour after 3 hours was a little better but not mind blowing.

1/3/2019 - VinoHunter wrote:

Not a champagne person. This bottle was good, but not good enough to justify its price. The wife loved it so it was worth every penny. 🤷‍♂️💸

10/28/2017 - BBinSC wrote:

Vintner Intl/Jonathan Newman wine.

4/3/2018 - MrOctoberfest wrote:

Luca Moroni rated this wine a 98, and while his rating system is as moronic as his last name, he’s on point with this wine. It is a sloppy mess from a region that will never produce a great wine, and made from a grape that could never produce a wine of distinction. This wine pretty much hit it’s very low ceiling by being drinkable and having a pleasant bouquet.

I spent three months in the Marche region, and I love the area very much. Urbino is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but they should stick to Renaissance art and Verdicchio, because Lacrima tastes like table grapes mixed with arugula and garlic.

12/6/2018 - redmancge Likes this wine:

Took to family Thanksgiving and it was the groups favorite. Nice deep red color and fruit. Some blackberry bit of smoke and a smooth drinker with nice finish. Only had a small taste since there were 6 of us with one bottle of this. My son especially liked as this is Merlot dominate and that's his favorite. Nice to have gotten these bottles with some decent age on them for sale price at $15. Think the current drinking window is about right but would probably err on sooner than later like over the next year.

5/24/2018 - VinoHunter Likes this wine:

WTSO wine. I have a theory and maybe I am not the only to have this theory. I enjoy sites like WTSO and Last Bottle. But I have noticed that wines offered by WTSO that don’t have a winery website are hit and miss. This is one of those wines. For $20 this wine checks all the boxes. Decent fruits, minimal tannins, easy drinking. This wine is a wine that you take to your friends that don’t know any better and your tell them, “This is a cab from California and its $20.” It does have some classic Alexander Valley flavors, but at every sip you just want more. Decent stuff, but better wine out there for the price. I don’t see it getting any better so I will put the other three bottles ahead in the rotation...

5/19/2018 - kevrob822 Likes this wine:

Upon opening, lots of really juicy red fruit with bright acidity. Decanting the rest of the bottle. Will update my notes later with more details if things change. Have to say, at this time, this seems like this is not my type of wine. I’m not seeing what the others CT Fans are seeing in this though. Maybe too early... we’ll see.

To be completely transparent, I also didn’t realize this was primarily a Merlot and Cabernet Franc blend, with 84% split evenly between the two varietals, and while not typically a Merlot fan, I love CF.

10/11/2017 - BBinSC wrote:

Vintner Into/Jonathan Newman wine.

11/5/2016 - epiphany Likes this wine:

Just fantastic and only $15 on WTSO

9/25/2017 - dman7 wrote:

Bought from WTSO. Big Napa Cab blend - I presume some merlot/cab franc/petiteverdot. Super tight initially. Lots of dark fruit and oak but its fairly soft and very well balanced. Needs a few years. Much more open on day 2. Really loved the mouthfeel and texture.

8/13/2017 - elevwine Likes this wine:

Fruit forward with strong blackberry/boysenberry notes. Dark and powerful, but lacks complexity. Still very good on day 2, suggesting several more years of cellar life. Great wine with steak and a remarkable value. Wish I had bought more than 4 for the price.

11/5/2016 - foobarski Likes this wine:

Still wonderful. Definitely mellowed, but still not meek. A earthy, green peppery nose now, backed up by rich cherry cola, vanilla and pepper, and a smooth solid finish.

1/9/2016 - Parnelli Likes this wine:

I'm not sure of what the blend is, but I'm thinking it is primarily cab based as it poured that color and had that cab nose and tasted like a cab. Nice balance and went very well with the left over filet.

9/28/2015 - Castle Peak wrote:

PNP and was impressed with how approachable this youngster was. Deep red/purple color with ripe blackberries on the nose and discernible alcohol heat, which I atrributed to the PNP. Ripe and remarkably soft, with blackberries, currants, violets and toasty oak. Plenty of tannins to insure some aging potential.

10/3/2015 - ROrmand Does not like this wine:

Blah X 2. Major disappointment. Touted as Chimney Rock juice. Does not even taste like Cabernet. Minor flavor interest. Way overpriced @ $25. Who is Robert Storey and why did he rip me off?

10/10/2015 - Ideasthatstick Likes this wine:

I was expecting so much more clarity and profundity from this bottle. I was expecting to kiss the sky. But the whole affair, while revealing super hints of promise, - complexity on the nose and palate, a deep well of promise and a great provenance, this bottle reminded me of a relationship that starts off great but kind of runs out of gas or loses its magic after 6 months or a year. It may need more time but there was no single component that alluded to that. It may be integrated but just needs more time to be ready for the prom. After an hour of air it wasn't bad or even a disappointment, it just was muted and indifferent. Maybe the 2011 Colli Tortonesi Barbera that preceded it stole the show (Now that was an amazing bottle of wine - but then I had low to no expectations of it) Maybe my dream of the Tassinaia was over reaching - like the french girl who faded after 6 months.

9/5/2015 - kingboo wrote:

Great juice.

3/24/2015 - VinoHunter Likes this wine:

Was able to get another case of this through LB @ less than $17 a bottle and I am glad I did. A wonderful fruit foreword smooth bottle of wine. I emailed the winery and they suggested to drink this within 2 years and I will be happy to oblige them...

1/14/2015 - pkbowen Likes this wine:

WTSO bottle three. We were spurred to drink another bottle by a recent note that was quite critical.

Aerated into a decanter and poured into Burgundy stems. First glass was light-bodied, fairly tannic, but well-perfumed. After about half an hour in the decanter it really blossomed into a medium-bodied pleaser (if not exactly a "stunner"). Our tasting notes from before hold true. A dark and brooding Old World character and "fuzzy" tannins give this a very enjoyable flavor profile and mouthfeel. The flavors are still a bit muddled, indicative of this wine's youth. It is a 2011, after all. We haven't seen much change since October so the other bottle will stay in the thermoelectric cellar for a while.

If you drink this and conclude that it's "thin," you're not letting it open up properly. If we have the means to cellar this for another 3-4 years we will; it could be quite good when it matures, perhaps around 2018. We'll call it "very good," 88/100, now, but that could improve significantly with a little patience.

12/27/2014 - MC2 Wines wrote:

The NV surprised me. Wine is more dark fruits, prunes, annise. It's drinking very well right now although not sure of release year. Wine was enjoyable. Very easy drinking.

1/3/2014 - H*3 wrote:

1st experiment with our new Coravin. Drank over two nights and 2nd night was indistinguishable from 1st night. Great bottle and still in prime drinking form. Lots of dark fruit with enough structure to balance. Drinking great.

11/12/2014 - Ideasthatstick Likes this wine:

This was superb. Deep earthy great fruit, yielding tannins and just enough of everything else to make me believe the Medaille d'Or Pris 2010.

I had pasta Alla nonna. (Tomatoes, eggplant, ricotta salata) and Fiorello's fennel sausage. This wine killed it. I have only two more, damn! A great value and a memorable wine. Big big recommendation.