6/23/2023 - Jimdish25 Likes this wine:

Such a small amount of Cabernet with mostly Tempranillo really balances this wine out to make it very versatile with different kinds of food. Purchased at Costco at a bargain price and I think I will be back to see if there are any left while I wait for the 2019 Reservas 😇

1/25/2023 - Jimdish25 wrote:

So this is my first time trying this wine and I'm happy with the purchase. It has a nice nose and the bouquet of oak and fruit matches up pretty closely with the palate profile. Apricot and Granny Smith with a smooth almost oily attack. Not overly complex or sharp but balanced with an illusion of greater maturity than it's age would assume. I'm actually a bit high after 1.5 glasses and that's unusual for me. It's an easy drinking Chardonnay with a sunny disposition but feels like it has some pedigree and terroir of either place or vintage. This is nice. Maybe not for aging but I'd go back for for another 6 bottles as I purchased 3. The last on the shelf and 2 from a case on the cart we cracked open. Is it Wednesday night? Well this is a pretty solid Wednesday night Chablis. On to the North Coast Pinot!

1/7/2019 - Jimdish25 wrote:

It's almost undrinkable on day one. Has some interesting fruit but comes in hot with an astringent harsh aftertaste. That said, on day 2 is a much improved wine showing some potential for integration. If you have the 2012 vintage hold for another 2-3 years and give it a shot. That's what I'll do with mine hoping for a good turn and thinking it will certainly improve to some degree.

4/22/2017 - Jimdish25 wrote:

I've drank 6 or 7 from the original WineLibrary case I bought through various progressions of maturity. I have to say that it's been an exercise in patience until the past 18 months when this wine has smoothed out, opened up and maintained a terrific balance between the 3 varietals. With the Beef Stroganoff (NY Strip) made at home tonight it was a no-brainer to go with this wine and it didn't disappoint. Wife popped and poured with her favorite Vietnamese fare and was very pleased with the wine though not willing to guess the grapes (too serious!). I got to it 90 minutes later when I could wait no longer for my daughter and it was in a great place. Down to the sediment this is a fine Bordeaux blend and worth twice what I paid. For me it's finally pulling it's weight at 92-93 points.

3/5/2016 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Not overly complex but in beautiful balance right now. Juicy and delicious ready to stand up to a savory dish. Drink now.

1/22/2016 - Jimdish25 wrote:

An interesting divergence on this wine recently. Just finished the last of mine and while it opened up thin, recorking (air expelled) and holding for a few days proved extremely beneficial to this wine. It was delicious and held up very well to a seasoned Turkey and grass fed Beef Meat Loaf. Couldn't ask for more. 85 points after popping the cork but 91-92 Points after a few days open.

10/17/2015 - Jimdish25 Likes this wine:

I should have opened this morning for sure but popped and poured. Alluring nose of blackcurrant boysenberry and cigar box with a whiff of alcohol. Dark garnet hued and full bodied on entry. Somewhat extracted and sharp under an blanket of dry somewhat tart berry and tar flavors. Alcohol slightly more prominent than acids. Overall needs some time and certainly some air. Looking for some dried plum and floral notes to emerge.

Good to very good and may appreciate with air and the steak that is upcoming in about an hour. Will update on the progress of this bottle.

8/16/2015 - Jimdish25 wrote:

I'm shocked at how well this has held up given the price and the fact that it was drinkable upon release. Clearly the .375's haven't fared as well but this still has balance and depth through the finish and the emergence of juicy secondary flavors. One bottle left of 6 but drink soon.

6/12/2014 - Jimdish25 Likes this wine:

Have to agree with the previous reviewer. This is a vital wine whose tannins have smoothed considerably and created a savory ripeness with good balance. It's opened to the point where the aromas jump from the bottle with stewed dark fruit and underbrush. The wine has a solid midpalate and a consistent finish with a bit of heat on the back end. This was tamed by a good steak, eggplant or goat cheese app. A lot of fruit but enough complexity and balance to handle it. Not over the top and a great value for those who had the patience to wait. Drink now.

12/14/2013 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Had my first bottle of this a few of years ago and was very disappointed. Seemed too sweet, flat and oaky. Seemed unstructured and unbalanced. Avoided the next one until my wife asked for a bottle tonight. Well after tasting I may have misjudged this wine having no future. Still very fruity, dark berries and oak but the years have settled the wine a bit and brought it more into balance. Not your typical cabernet but drinking nicely as long as you aren't expecting a lot of structure. A little like an aussie shiraz and a nice nose makes it a pleasant approach. I'd drink now but I was already wrong about this once.

11/24/2013 - Jimdish25 wrote:

I think something was wrong with this bottle. Probably should have consumed a few years ago but would be curious as to whether anyone has has had a decent bottle recently. Couldn't drink this one. Tried twice in one hour.

3/17/2013 - Jimdish25 wrote:

This really shocked me. The initial nose was somewhat awkward and tasted dry and gritty. After about 30 minutes it opened up further to a deep aromatic, still dry but slightly dusty mouthfeel that was balanced, rich and unique in it's blend of Cab Franc, Cab Sauv and Merlot. This bottle was a delicious and classy accompaniment to steak and salmon. Had only intended a glass or so but we couldn't put it down. Bravo to the winemakers here.

7/24/2012 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Drinking like the fine wine it is. On the week of Ernie's British Open win, an unlikely feat is shared by this fruit driven and smoky wine holding on bravely to it's structure and balance. It's perfect right now as a delicious summer cab. And Ernie's not doing too badly either.

3/29/2012 - Jimdish25 wrote:

This is a magnificent wine. Nothing has changed and I think the bottles are at their peak as they open during 2-3 hours of air. However this wine will last a few more years. I've had it with chicken, pasta, lamb, chocolate (right now it's incredible with dark and almonds). It's been to parties and dinners and everyone is impressed. So am I, especially for $22 or so.

2/22/2012 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Some nice fruit, a hint of chocolate. Decent balance but a tad light on the acids. I like this a lot better than the Bakery Hill Cab that I just tried to drink. Time for the steaks!

2/22/2012 - Jimdish25 wrote:

I didn't like this. The nose was nice and up front showed some interest, but from the midpalate on I was looking for the spit bucket. Way too sappy and little structure. Hopefully my wife will like the rest. Might be useful in the soup pot as the ripeness and fruit are evident. Should have drank this way sooner, but there's still one bottle left! Will spring it on the family this weekend (haha). I'm running back downstairs for some Shiraz. If that doesn't work a young Bordeaux might clean my palate. UGGHH!

2/9/2012 - Jimdish25 wrote:

This wine excites me and confuses me. Is it bordeaux? Cali-cab? Barolo? To me it has elements of all. A beautiful forward nose carried by alcohol from the glass with matching lovely color. Then things change. This is a minerally dry wine with good supporting acids. There is some sweetness there but overshadowed by a menthol and slightly bitter but chewy dry finish. I didn't like it much until I paired it with some really left-over beef short-ribs over pasta. It helped quite a bit and almost reminded me of my usual Barolo match with this dish.

This is my first of 6 bottles purchased and I'm really curious to see how the wine tastes tomorrow then in the next few years. It's not a great wine at the moment, but could turn out to be lovely if the palate begins to follow the nose and holds onto much of the structure. Wish I knew more about Bordeaux.

1/31/2012 - Jimdish25 wrote:

What did I pay for this? My last bottle from what must have been an extroadinary lot. Beautiful nose and palate, sharp and lively with good balance acids not astringent but smoooth and some alcohol warming through a 20+ second finish. Crazy!

10/25/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Way better then I had hoped for. On day one struck me as almost Rioja Alta type spice and sour cherry character, well balanced but also the funk and leather undertones of a Barolo with some age. Medium bodied at first, balanced and very smooth. Didn't like it much as a match for the parmesan reggiano before dinner.

I poured from bottle and drank from a massive Burgundier glass which turned out to be a great decision, as it let the wine open up gradually and gave me the full treatment after each swirl. Beautiful rusty red giving off great reflections. The wine got much better over the first 30 minutes to where a sense of Barolo terroir took over and became more dominant and complex while retaining that great balance. As it deepened adding some tar and ripe berry and plum it was obvious that it would complement and stand up to the Lamb Shank Osso Bucco perfectly.

On day 3 I went back for a final glass, and although a bit too chilled it was holding it's own. This wine has really come around and has some old world charm and delicious fruit to be enjoyed.

10/1/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Direct fronm the store to my cellar sitting there patiently. Resolved but in great shape. Improved in the carafe and over dinner (lamb) and totally held it's own with the lamb but just a dream with imported parmesan reggiano. Can't put it down and the last glass will be my dessert for the night. Delicious factor all over from nose to palate. Some need to store their stuff better methinks.

9/14/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Over the past 5 or 6 years this has been one of the few case purchase recommendations I did not regret. The last bottle still has that tremendous sour cherry but has smoothed out and was appropriately the last of 12 bottles consumed. Not as tannic or sharp as early bottles somewhat like an medium bodied aged Pommard in texture and elegance. Great fruit and abundant acids every time. Really a pleasure and not a bad bottle in the bunch. Score is an average of the case. Not really done because I only drank half and hoping for it to hold for 24 more hours.

3/21/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Delicious wine drank over 2 days.

4/21/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Found this to be a very solid wine with some ageing potential. Would buy more at the price I paid.

7/20/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Holy .....! Caught this wine after wife opened it and rescrewed (!) in fridge. It's not the first of the six I purchased but it is really delicious. I never got the acidity that some have referred to but it must be somewhere because there is an element of balance in this complex ripe Riesling. I've gone from liking to loving this wine after tasting this bottle. Honey and melon dominate but there are undercurrents of other spices and a long delicious finish. A great sipper but lite fare if you must eat.

7/20/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Biased towards this producer. This was delicious with my pizza tonight. Not yet fully evolved but a terriffic smooth wine with fine dry tannins and balanced not overwhelming fruit. It will be at or near it's peak a year from now and the change may be dramatically better based on may experiences with some of their wines. Need to explore some of the Rancia and Fontalloro bottlings in this vintage.

7/8/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Should have reviewed this earlier. Really liked it though but can't remember the details.

7/8/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

There is nothing "wrong" with this wine. Perhaps should have drank earlier. Maybe chicken instead of ribeye? It's not my style. Had thinned out, little structure left. Sweet but simple plum and cherry with a short unpleasing finish. Never made the sauce pot. Some may like this.

6/7/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Been waiting for this to come around because my first 2 bottles were tannic and harsh. This has been a brooding wine and my 3rd still IMHO isn't ready to show all it's stiff. Rustic and deep red, concentrated with good acidic backbone and lots of sediment. Still somewhat muted but coming into balance. Better on day 2, still drinking on day 3. Could make a big jump in a year or 2 but still a little rough around the edges. Could be great but I'll hold my last bottle 2 years to find out.

What a vintage this was!

5/10/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Very impressed by the evolution of this bottle over 45 minutes. Deep medium tannins medium dryness with a nose and finish that improved over time. A nice accompaniment to the mushroom encrusted filets we had. VG

2/14/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Delicious now. No reason to hold.

2/12/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Just delicious. Not much alcohol, or acids (but enough) to balance out some delicious berries. Fruit of rasberry, watermelon, dark plums. Almost candied but with enough depth to pair with light/medium fare as we had tonight. Would make a great hit with a group or reception. Drink now because it may not improve from here.

2/12/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Agree with previous review. At first I couldn't tell if I liked it or not. Some nice earthy aromas but a bit sour and odd flavor combination. Settled in better given some time, but I got a bit tired of it on the second glass. Second day fading but drinkable. Won't improve from here. Decent overall but I had hoped for more.

2/7/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Becoming a very nice wine for it's level. Stood up to some rich food with a developed earthy nose, medium bodied with oak in balance and a nice fruit profile extending into 10+ second finish. Coming into it's own and will drink in a 1-2 year window to be safe.

Cork showed some migration of liquid almost half way on one side but in decent shape.

2/7/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Fruit bomb now. Not much structure left, acid, tannin or pepper to stand up to the spicy beef tacos on Super Sunday. 2 years ago would have been better.

2/5/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Wife still likes it after 5 days in the fridge. Nice nose but didn't drink this one. 5 left for midweek dinners or sipping.

2/1/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

This wine has come together nicely, second of two bottles consumed. I'm finding a real benefit to mid-term ageing of quality SA wines as it lets the fruits balance out some of the characteristic sharpness. Perfect with the seasoned NY Strip cooked outside in 22 deg freezing mist.

2/1/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Fantastic and perect drinking window. Wish I had more.

2/1/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Was lovely but waited too long on this one. Some seepage noted.

1/21/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Had this about a year ago. It was holding on with great fruit after a decant. Suspect it just past it's prime and glad I drank it. Kept the bottle from a great vintage.

1/21/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Waited too long on this one. Fruit fading, but still interesting. Darn.

1/21/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Past it's prime but still enjoyable. Drink now.

1/15/2011 - Jimdish25 wrote:

I stay away from 90 point scores but I felt this wine was good, not great. After 30 minutes the sour plum and cherry were met by some added depth and berry fruits and some nice herbaceous undertones. Not overly complex or any wow factor to speak of. I don't have the luxury of drinking a lot of Red Burgs, but this wine was a nice match for the Veal Francaise made tonight, though not any revelation. Bsalanced and silky now with some depth. Glad I bought it and held for tonight.

12/17/2010 - Jimdish25 wrote:

I don't get it. This wine has terriffic apple pear and citrus fruit and off dry with a red grapefruit finish, but mine really lacks the acidity other reviewers have noted. Could be a great wine with that, but the low alcohol and complete lack of acids kills it's potential. Hope this was an off bottle but if the other 5 turn out to be similar I will be very disappointed with bottle variation or suspect some other issue with the retailer. Still has an undeniable delicious factor.

12/12/2010 - Jimdish25 wrote:

I like where this wine is going. Poured from bottle 1/2 hr into a large drinking vessel. The nose was of cedar, dark fruits and floral overtones. Balanced, meaty with juicy and still dusty tannins, the wine is somewhat dry on the palate but clearly has the potential to evolve further in bottle. I'm glad I bought 6, sad I didn't grab a case. Paired with seasoned, grilled NY Strip Steaks at home. Great value but expecting much more in the next 5 years. I liked the 2000, and maybe just like the overall flavor profile of this wine. 91-93 potential.

4 Days later - the wine still holding up very well. Dark and rich, brooding with dry and dusty but fine tannins. Minerals and acid backbone evident but in balance. Give it 3 years to try next bottle. Nice.

11/14/2010 - Jimdish25 wrote:

I found this difficult to score possibly because we drank it immediately after 2000 LaTour Figeac or because my reference points were 1994-96 Caymus with a few years in bottle and haven't had since. In any case tannins and fruit are evident but the oak was out of balance for me and packed a real aftertaste which overpowered the finesse and quality of the fruit and the vintage. Right now they're fighting for control but hopefully will resolve differences because the wine seems to have the potential to be delicious. This bottle needed 2-3 years minimum but maybe there is some variation in certain barrels based on CT reviews.

11/14/2010 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Popped and poured (ouch!) at a friends just before dinner. Dark and chocolatey nose with some dark berries in reserve. The wine strikes you as very silky and balanced at the outset. Medium plus body throughout and delicious slightly dusty fruit beginning to evolve with a pleasant 15-20 second finish. This was better than expected based on current CT reviews but trending upward. I like it now or in the next 3-5 years but don't claim to be an expert on aging Bordeaux. Lovely vintage.

11/7/2010 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Earthy, sour cherry, a little mint and wet earth stewed tomatoes. Some acid in the end. DBP hit it pretty well with the last description. I liked it quite a bit and the acidity did not overwhelm with the Lamb Shank and Pasta served tonight. 90+ and drinking nicely still.

6/10/2010 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Guessing as to exactly when we drank this. This wine just starting to show some aromatics and a little depth. Sooo disappointed with the first few bottles of this case purchase, but maybe it has a future - finally. And improved through the meal so there is hope. Will try another soon. Not headed for the sauce pot yet!

8/25/2010 - Jimdish25 wrote:

A nice wine for midweek dinner. Versatile and ready now.

7/18/2010 - Jimdish25 wrote:

Am I crazy? The nose still shows ample fruit, cigar and berry balanced by oak. The palate was dominated by oak. Almost as though they dropped toasted chips into a new barrel. I have 2 more and will let sit for 2-4 years to see if this was an anomaly, or subsides. I hope it does because there's some nice fruit in there, just overwhelmed.