3/17/2024 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

On opening, absolutely loved it - great dark fruit, not overripe, just a bit of that hermitage funkiness...

When I went back an hour later for a second glass, oddly, notes of asphalt had become much more pronounced -- like the funkiness taking over...I still liked it, just not as much.

Will check back in tomorrow to see how it develops overnight.

1/21/2024 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Unbelievable purity of fruit -- deep concentration without the over-ripeness that afflicts much Napa wine at this point. A reason this has a singular status.

1/17/2024 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

The bottle I drank went through a lot...ordered for a ski weekend 3 years ago, the shipment arrived late and so spent a night outside (presumably freezing) before being brought in and left in a basement for 3 years...so it's hard to judge.

All that said -- still a fascinating drink (perhaps more so because of the above)? The nose was certainly there -- all the earth, savory notes, and smokiness that the other notes capture. Palate was a bit flat and I felt lacking in structure...but really impossible to judge because of the above.

1/4/2024 - Big Dog E wrote:

Tried again 3 years later…really don’t get this wine. Thin, little to no nose, little to no palate…not a 97 pnt

12/27/2022 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Fantastic experience drinking over a few hours for Christmas dinner. Great evolution — initially really concentrated fruit, then notes of olive, then a beautiful game / funk in hour 2.

12/20/2022 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Drank with Naomi, Landon, and natalie

6/2/2021 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Drank with mom and dad at Cafe Adam

6/4/2021 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Superlative experience—completely singular nose of winter spices (dad said cinnamon), berry. As it opened in the glass over an hour, the fruit came through more, so delicate and nuanced. Just a really unique wine.

5/14/2021 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Drank with nay at cafe kush—very fun dinner by the water. Fun Miami wine in nay’s words—not our typical style, medium bodied, almost smelled like a high end fruit plate—lots of raspberry, some mint, acid.

5/7/2021 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Mostly drank by Naomi and friends, but I had a bit—couldn’t drink too critically but definitely lively, enjoyed it. Looking forward to drinking our other bottle.

5/3/2021 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Drank over two days and it evolved a lot. Right when opened, classic Cali chard—very toasted oak, butter vanilla, but really nicely balanced w acid. By day two, totally transformed into tropical fruits, pineapple.

2/24/2021 - Big Dog E wrote:

First rating was probably harsh but it’s definitely not a 97 point wine, at least not yet. Coravin’d another glass. Some tar and flower on the nose, light fruits on the palate.

2/26/2021 - Big Dog E wrote:

Probably way too young, but didn’t do it for me. Tight on the nose, tannic/high acid, raspberry coulis. Maybe in a few years but I wouldn’t go out and buy

1/25/2021 - Big Dog E wrote:

Maybe this is just super tight, but this was one of my bigger recent wine disappointments. Coravin’d a big glass and drank over 90 min. On opening, the nose was...nothing? Really—just not fragrant at all. Body was a perfectly fine light to medium bodied wine. Over the hour I started to get a bit of flower perfume, but could have just been wishful thinking. Will check back in in a year but disappointing for now.

1/8/2021 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

A little one note, but love the one note—asphalt, deep smoke, and fruit. Would be curious to try the their labels.

1/19/2021 - Big Dog E wrote:

Fine daily drinker

12/31/2020 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Drank on New Years in Miami with davey, Reese, mike, nay, and stone crab. I don’t really know anything about champagne so bought this to see if there was anything revelatory, but didn’t get there. It was quite nice—not too sweet, opened up to some more interesting notes—but for me, champagne is still champagne. Will keep looking for something that changes that for me!

1/2/2021 - Big Dog E wrote:

Fine for watching TV but wouldn’t drink this and pay attention to it

1/2/2021 - Big Dog E Does not like this wine:

Poured this down the drain. Not turned, but smelled like it. 10$ flyer from garagiste, won’t do it again.

1/2/2021 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Beautiful cab drank with Davey in Miami. We pulled it bc he had had another he’d thought had turned—this was anything but. Had another decade or two. Dark stone fruit when poured, then opened up into berries and underbrush. Nice viscosity and tannins on the finish.

12/31/2020 - Big Dog E wrote:

Another insane wine for NYE. Decanted for 90min. Dark, dark red. Incredible pine, eraser, and berries, the latter especially as it opened up in the glass. Silky, thick mouthfeel, much more fruit on the palate but still balanced, minute finish. Epic

Edit: keeps evolving an hour later. Pear and mint now layered on. Unreal!

12/31/2020 - Big Dog E wrote:

One of those revelatory wine tasting experiences. Been wanting to drink this for ages, and pops opened it for New Years in Miami w nay, mikey, and Reese. Beautiful pure ruby. The nose is insane right after opening—cedar, smoke, charcuterie, dark fruit, some must, minty/basil according to nay—just an insane, nuanced nose. And just gets better on the palate—mid to full bodied with all the nose accentuated. It’s just so awesome and balanced.

12/29/2020 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Not that it’s a bad wine, but Disappointed with this one. Huge fruit, super tannic...this will live for a while...but none of the nuance I remember from the tasting a couple months ago. Did open up a bit to raspberry coulis and a quick whiff of shortbread, but overwhelming fruit and oak.

12/23/2020 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Awesome, unique wine. Beautiful amber color, nose that was a little hesitent / strange at first (almost an orange liquor) that opened into lovely blood orange and fresh apricot. Would never guess it’s so high alcohol—lovely balance.

12/12/2020 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

I drank another year in the berks earlier this year and didn’t care for it...this is really fantastic for such a mass produced wine. Red fruit, tar, and nice tannins. Drank w mama papa and Mikey in Miami

12/12/2020 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

You could have told me this was a 2019 and I would have believed you—Pretty crazy. Giving it a 91 but with a lot of potential in 15 more years! Plenty of fruit, some olive, very tannic...surprised it’s only 14% alcohol. Drank with the family except Ian in Miami, second night of Hanukkah

11/28/2020 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Not the most distinctive nose right when it’s opened—the merlot is most immediately evident—but as it opens up, a really nice, not overly crazy cab franc comes through. As others said nice purple fruit/berries on the palette. Has a lot of life! Drank w fam minus Mikey in Miami.

11/27/2020 - Big Dog E Does not like this wine:

Mediocre house wine, don’t see it getting any better. An overpay at 40. Zins much better

11/26/2020 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Huge olive nose (Naomi got clove, davey got some strawberry), full body, still a ton of tannin, will last for a while. Not my style but appreciate it. DrAnk w fam minus Mikey in Miami at tgiving

11/26/2020 - Big Dog E wrote:

Crazy extracted, really pretty toasted butterscotch nose but the alcohol is overwhelming on the palette (and starts to dominate the nose as it opens up). Maybe great style for some but not for us!! Drank w the fam minus Mikey for tgiving in Miami!

11/24/2020 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Awesomely crisp, still great. Don’t know my whites but good to me!!

11/23/2020 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Incredible qpr. Berries, flowers, pretty full bodied. Drank w fam - Mikey first day they visited in Miami—very fun!

11/21/2020 - Big Dog E wrote:

Nice pepper nose, surprisingly medium bodied

11/16/2020 - Big Dog E wrote:

Actually a nice nose—peppery dominant with some dark stewed fruit. But an astringent taste accentuated on the finish. As some suggested maybe better after a few years but the potential doesn’t excite me enough to buy more to find out. Only close to a 90 bc the nose is interesting.

11/1/2020 - Big Dog E wrote:

Pretty mediocre cdp that makes me wonder if the pour was bad. A pretty mediocre nose, very thin with almost a paint smell, and the palate didn’t improve the impression—thin is the word I’d use.

11/1/2020 - Big Dog E wrote:

Highlight of the tasting for me—others liked Origin and les deux freres. Super interesting drinking these after Guillames clos solene wines. These were much more delicate, lighter, more medium bodied—even the bigger cab/syrahs were lighter (though still plenty of spice, texture, and nuance). We learned this is large part due to picking grapes from colder climates. I preferred the clos solene wines, but I really think in large part it’s a matter of preference (I preferred the richness, spice, incredible mouthfeel of the clos solenes to the delicate Benoms, but again, preference!). Really nice wines that i will happily drink again.

11/1/2020 - Big Dog E wrote:

Did a tasting here today. This was probably the highlight—also liked the G2 and the Clause—I may have even more preferred the Clause, more of an old world style. The wines here were all clearly very well made (though we didn’t love the willow red, extremely cherry forward). But after a full two days of tasting a bunch of other Rhône blends, was clear these wines are made in an extremely fruit forward California style that I think paled vs some of the more restrained / nuanced producers.

10/30/2020 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

We drank the 2018. Probably the highlight from a tasting we did at the winery in PR. A bit more freshness and character than the other wines which were a bit too big and oaked for my taste generally (but I loved the labels!!).

10/30/2020 - Big Dog E wrote:

Have to disagree with a lot of the notes here—certainly an interesting wine, but I was not a fan. There was an acidity here (I think from the counoise?) that was borderline unpleasant, and it did not get much better with air in our experience. I would almost think it might make a nice chilled red on a hot day, but wasn’t a fan as a dinner wine

10/27/2020 - Big Dog E wrote:

I liked it, and this rating might be too low, especially in a few years. But I don’t quite think it merits some of the scores from the pros. A lot of fruit and not a lot of subtlety right out of the bottle. Definitely improved in the glass over ~90min. Some of the cab franc notes came out, and some peppery/smoky/earthy nuance emerged on top of the berries. Definitely a very nice wine.

9/12/2020 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Really nice, definitely fruit forward (dark fruit) but mellowed with its age. Can get pepper from the petite syrah, some smoked meats under the fruit.

8/2/2020 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Really really solid blend—not sure what’s in there exactly, but really full, rich wine. Very well balanced, nice tannins, great texture—stays on the teeth, good finish. Good dark fruit but not overly so—black pepper, annis. Not sure it’s available in the states, brought back from BA, but would absolutely drink again!

7/30/2020 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

A bit disappointing—pretty overwhelmingly jammy for a Malbec (imported by Paul Hobbs!). Dark fruit leather, blackberry/raspberry jam, a hint of smoked meat—but really over the top jam. Don’t see this improving with age.

6/26/2020 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Not a Pinot guy but a really great wine. Not overly delicate—nice fresh fruit, almost floral on the end with a bit of tartness. Wonderful nose too.

6/3/2020 - Big Dog E wrote:

Not very impressed, but in fairness, drank this wine probably 20 years earlier than I should have! Out of the bottle, extremely tight--you get the Napa jamminess, but as Naomi said, it's more "fruity"--lacks the depth / nuance beyond fruit, both on the nose and in the mouth. I will say that after being open for a couple hours, a bit more depth came out, but still not much beyond overwhelming fruitiness. As another reviewer said, not worth the $ (even though I got it through Last Bottle), esp. for this vintage. Drank with Naomi our second night in Miami!

5/22/2020 - Big Dog E wrote:

Nice viscosity, but otherwise completely average Cali cab

5/22/2020 - Big Dog E wrote:

Thin, simple blend—not bad, but wouldn’t go out of the way for it

4/13/2020 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Pretty classic california wine—all blackberry and raspberry notes on the nose and a mid viscosity—but nothing super exciting. Naomi found it cloying. Drank w family during corona

4/8/2020 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Spectacular—drank w the family on Passover. Right out of the bottle, overwhelming olive and undercurrent of fruit..let it decant for an hour and poured, and still great olive smell, but became more well rounded—dried herbs, fresh fruit, undercurrent of licorice, and just a hint of brightness. Really spectacular, and very fun to drink with the family

4/6/2020 - Big Dog E Likes this wine:

Really delightful, crisp white—fresh apple and citrus.