4/23/2024 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Gorgeous, beautiful, complex, delightful. In a wonderful spot now as the last of four bottles. Loads of richness and cut, tension, mineral, stone fruit… everything is melded together and expressive on nose and palate here.

I had no oxidized bottles fwiw. No reason not to drink now.

4/23/2024 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Drinking well with plenty of air at this point. Perhaps not profound but plenty of stuffing. Meaty rich dark red fruit with plenty of pepper. Tannins are still pronounced and this seems to have a long road ahead. Very nice as always from Sorrel!

4/23/2024 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Crimson color and an overtly earthy and sauvage nose. Palate is also dark with earth and dark red fruit, fair amount of structure and tannin here. Seems to be in an awkward spot so will let the others have a good long rest.

4/9/2024 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Really super example of cerise for me. Nose of dark damp forest, rich earth, and some gentle floral notes. Palate hits the earth and dark red fruit, long in the mid, full of stuffing, bright on the finish.

3/31/2024 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

This bottle was squarely in the beautifully mature sweet spot in terms of bottle variation. A couple have been wound up and tight and one was a bit on the downside of the peak. The remaining majority are just like this one…sublime. Yellow plum and cream and excellent balance. Loads of intensity and freshness. A real treat all around!

3/20/2024 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Glad to have given this time to settle in because this bottle was gorgeous and really delivered. Black raspberry and plums on nose and palate, but there’s also a depth and richness of the flavor that goes beyond the fruit.

While I’m not afraid of acid I’m definitely not a fan of screechy stuff, and I don’t get any “tart” notes on these like a lot of other notes.

3/17/2024 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

A really quality expression here that outclassed the Chanin version of the same side by side. Had pleasant yellow apple fruit and rocks and white florals. Palate is long and sappy in the lemon spectrum with more mineral content here. Very nice.

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

Tasted blind and called it tired and some astringency on the finish. Fruit is all raisins and cooked old fruit with some savory notes.

I rated it 7th of 9 in the blind lineup and the group of eight had it just barely 2nd place. Amazing how different palates can be!

3/1/2024 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Absolute gem here. Happy to have selected it to start off March!

A very cool toned violet and blackberry burst with subtle smoke and pepper on the nose. The palate follows with very pure blackberry coulis, but is not overtly fruity. Instead this is entirely balanced by the rocks and smoke, chewy but not intrusive tannin, and a crescendo of subtle flavors aromas and juicy acid.

Sad to know it’s my only bottle, but all the better that it seems to be as expressive as I could’ve hoped for. Favorite of 2024 easily.

2/25/2024 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

A real beauty here. Wonderful balance of floral, earth and dark berries on the nose. Palate is generous in its red fruit and spice, long and persistent. Finishes with grace and energy.

I’ve been waiting for the day that I’m disappointed by anything from porter creek, but it looks like I’ll be waiting a while longer. Always impressive to have a place that gets pinot and Zin right, let alone Chardonnay and Carignan and Syrah…and viogner!

2/23/2024 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Doods, Datasets, a Dog, and 7 Whites Tasted Blind (Below the Den, AdMo): This was fine and enjoyable amongst a lineup of Chardonnay tasted blind. I didn’t pick up the notes I necessarily expect from viogner here, but others got peaches and cream. I found a distinct bitterness on the palate that probably pushed it down the list for me.

My #6, group #7

2/23/2024 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Doods, Datasets, a Dog, and 7 Whites Tasted Blind (Below the Den, AdMo): Nutty and creamy witha bit of citrus on the nose. Moderate intensity of citrus and apple with a nice finish to it. This was less open and expressive than other bottles I’ve had, but pleasing for sure. Also a silly deal back around Christmas 2022…

My #5, group tied for #5

2/23/2024 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Doods, Datasets, a Dog, and 7 Whites Tasted Blind (Below the Den, AdMo): Saline, mineral, chalk, and white flowers on the nose. Orange blossom and citrus palate on first tasting transitions to a surprisingly tropical mix of fruits as the bottle opens up. Nose pointed clearly to Chablis, but palate would’ve left me confused. Either way a really nice wine.

My #3, group #3

2/23/2024 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Doods, Datasets, a Dog, and 7 Whites Tasted Blind (Below the Den, AdMo): A bit of reduction and butterscotch along with orange custard aromas. Dense and rich ripe apple and lemon curd, sappy and long, loads of tension and wonderfully balanced. Gourmand

My #1, group #1/7

2/23/2024 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Doods, Datasets, a Dog, and 7 Whites Tasted Blind (Below the Den, AdMo): Wildly different than I recall for this wine when purchased several years ago… I remember relatively lean, saline and lemon notes.

On this night, tasted blind, there was ripe orchard fruit on the nose and strong notes of ripe stone fruit on the palate, notably soft and round, and perhaps lacking the energetic finish and tension I’d prefer. Solid wine and very interesting expression.

My #4, group #2/7

2/23/2024 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Doods, Datasets, a Dog, and 7 Whites Tasted Blind (Below the Den, AdMo): Flint, white florals, and cream on the nose. Long and sappy through the mid palate, rich citrus trending toward orange, faint floral, long and bright finish.

My #2, group #5/7

2/11/2024 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Please do yourself a service and stand this wine up to settle the fine sediments, then double decant off of said sludge. If you do you will love this wine. If you don’t, you may be sorely disappointed

2/9/2024 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Loved this bottle of Cerise. Definitely a dark and inky aromatic profile with lots of iron and meat to the dark red fruit. Palate reflects some of that but adds a nice core of red fruits and impeccable balance. My favorite of three Cerise wines recently in a single blind comparison!

As with other cerise bottlings this had a fair amount of fine sediments, so decant the wine off of them!

2/9/2024 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

See previous note as this isn’t changing much since a year ago. In a blind retrospective of 2012s it was the groups winner… Earth and dark red fruit with savory notes, decent amount of structure and chewy tannin remains. Bright and lively on the palate!

It is critical to decant these off the fine sediments. There was a lot of cloudy mess at the bottom of the bottle, and the fineness of the sediment means that it readily suspends if not properly removed. Dramatically affects the perception of this and other Knez wines and is almost surely the source of “sour” and “cloudy” notes

2/9/2024 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Beautiful aromatics with violet and berry on the nose. Deep and full on the palate, with excellent forest berry fruit and resolved tannins. Favorite amongst recent 2012s

As usual it is critical to decant these off the fine sediments. There was no less than two ounces of pure sludge at the bottom, and the fineness of the sediment means that it readily suspends if not properly removed. Dramatically affects the perception of this and other Knez wines.

2/9/2024 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Overall impression is similar, but this bottle shows loads of damp soil along with darker red fruit. The palate still leaves me wanting more depth in the middle and finish, but it is certainly a well composed wine and a very good example for the village to me

1/27/2024 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Big and brooding with inky black fruit and a lively inviting palate. Freshness and bright finish to balance the journey. A delightful sojourn from the day to day and refreshing to try something so different!

1/6/2024 - CPSchoeff wrote:

Bad closure and poorly stored it seems. Not totally shot but tired..elevated cork that disintegrated even with an ahso

12/31/2023 - CPSchoeff wrote:

Sadly moderately corked. However the underlying material is good enough that I am still enjoying it through the wall of musty cardboard! A real shame…

12/31/2023 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

This is oozing all of the lovely things from mature champagne that I love. It has biscuity yeasty and nutty aromas, plenty of creamy citrus and stone fruit, then a long and balanced and bright finish. Hard to slow down and appreciate as it begs you to come back and get another sip. WOTY and not a moment too soon.

Champagne steal of my lifetime as a $20 from WineBid ($27 to my door) about 6 years ago.

12/31/2023 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Translucent orange tinged ruby. Everything I’ve come to expect here with red flowers and bright red fruits with something akin to faint smokiness on the nose. Palate reflects the nose with a thread of mineral structure ever present. Fresh strawberry and florals abound, and the finish is quite persistent. Why not drink these now??

11/5/2023 - CPSchoeff wrote:

I must imagine this was an early maturing bottle. Nose shows evolved and almost nothing beyond the wet leaves and earth. However, what started as a very tired and drying palate evolved to become fresher on days two and three. It added a nice core of red fruit but retained the drying palate. None of the other 13s I’ve drunk in the past five years have come off this advanced, so must’ve been bottle variation.

10/7/2023 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Absolutely loved this bottle. Poured almost orange and translucent. The color belies the depth and complexity of the wine… bursting floral, smoky, and wild strawberry nose and a palate to match. Both subtle and dramatic simultaneously. I have really liked this wine over the years, but this is my favorite bottle so far.

10/7/2023 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Wonderful, fully mature and integrated. Dried cherry, earth, good richness and depth of fruit. Persistent and plenty of freshness on the finish

9/21/2023 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Ruby. Floral and red berry fruit on the nose. Plenty of quite ripe red fruit that is lush at times but well balanced and bright on the finish

9/11/2023 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

DP Barcode #s, Pinot Noir, and Sweeties (DeeCee): Another beautiful bottle of this. Amber colored and full of apricot and grilled peaches, some nutty and creamy notes, and some orange rind to round it out.

9/11/2023 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

DP Barcode #s, Pinot Noir, and Sweeties (DeeCee): Ruby. Some tart cherry on the nose with a little bit of barrel spice note. The palate is relatively one dimensional, with ripe red cherry that could trend slightly toward candied. Lowering the serving temperature improved the perceived balance, as it was first tasted too warm.

Tasted blind. My 4th, group tied for 5th.

9/11/2023 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

DP Barcode #s, Pinot Noir, and Sweeties (DeeCee): Ruby and transparent. Violets and dark red/black fruit on the nose. Deep, rich, long, bright on the palate. Complementary floral and fruit notes weave in and out, really impressive.

Tasted blind. My 1st, group 2nd place.

9/11/2023 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

DP Barcode #s, Pinot Noir, and Sweeties (DeeCee): Garnet. Floral and baking spice on the nose, spice and rich red fruit on the palate. Great length and persistence, beautifully balanced pinot. Excellent!

Tasted Blind. My 3rd, group's tied for 3rd.

9/11/2023 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

DP Barcode #s, Pinot Noir, and Sweeties (DeeCee): Purplish red. Explosive nose with violets, potpourri and blackberries. Palate follows with floral and rich black fruits. While it was balanced, it needs just a bit more spine or acid for me. Very nice wine!

Tasted Blind. My 2nd, Group's 1st place.

9/11/2023 - CPSchoeff wrote:

DP Barcode #s, Pinot Noir, and Sweeties (DeeCee): Slight orange edge to the otherwise garnet color. Abysmal rotten egg sulfur aromas that just wouldn't blow off. Rating here based on my final tastes nearly 4 full days after opening. The palate finally emerged with a mix of red fruit and mineral notes and a stern collection of chewy tannin. Sulfur nose did not subside for days! Off bottle??

Tasted blind. My 7th place, group's 7th.

9/11/2023 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

DP Barcode #s, Pinot Noir, and Sweeties (DeeCee): Garnet and transparent. Starts off with some funk and yields to floral and red fruit. Sweet red fruits complemented by bright acidity. Decent length and concentration, nice wine.

Tasted blind, improved with additional time in glass. My 5th place, group's tied for 3rd.

9/11/2023 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

DP Barcode #s, Pinot Noir, and Sweeties (DeeCee): Purple red, a bit opaque. Closed aromatically to start, but over time yielded some earth and mushroom. Dark red fruit, somewhat hollow in the middle, and some heat on the finish. As air was added, the fruit gained definition although it retained the sense of heat.

Tasted blind and then followed up one and two days later. Definitely at its best at cellar temp and with days of air. My 6th, group tied for 5th.

8/24/2023 - CPSchoeff wrote:

Two bottles of good provenance bought on auction. Both were dead as a door nail. Dried out, tart on palate and all oxidized on the nose. Ugh

8/14/2023 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Ruby garnet. On the prettier side of Cornas, with more n the way f florals and fruit on the nose. The palate has pepper and spice to complement the dark red fruit. Cool and relatively easy going here too with mostly resolves tannins.

8/11/2023 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Less evolution than my last bottle and showed maximal tension and energy to counter the concentrated fruit. Loads of complexity here too and a finishing note that tended towards orange. Absolutely thrilling. Sad to know the vineyard was ripped out only a couple years later!

8/11/2023 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Another unfair comparison but informative nonetheless! Perfectly enjoyable sweet and tart cherry fruit that is surely lacking the depth and complexity of the Volnay Santenots served along with it. Following without the competition the next evening it had added a bit more depth and was a perfectly enjoyable and balanced Pinot. Silly close out price of $15 a few years back.

8/11/2023 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Transparent ruby. Red fruit and earth and a bit of black tea on the nose. Started off a bit tart from a pnp, but rapidly put on class and depth to the dark red fruit and savory characteristics. Packed a fair amount of power while maintaining finesse. A beauty!

8/8/2023 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Light gold. Lovely sight after the last one that was oxidized. This one is resolved and has lovely richness and creamy texture to the apple and lemon curd flavors. Very long and balanced finish.

8/6/2023 - CPSchoeff wrote:

Bright red fruited with high acid and a nice mineral structure theoughout. Not profound but really very good and an excellent value.

8/4/2023 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Opaque ruby purple. Smoky olive and green peppercorns with cool black fruit. Palate follows with terrific spice of peppercorns present start to finish. Moody dark red fruits sneak through here and there, it is an absolutely delightful Syrah in the cool climate camp.

Pretty sure Drew is the only one still getting Syrah from Valenti. Having had the Pinots from many producers over the years, I am finally settling into the opinion that syrah is the best fit for that spot. I’m sure no one cares about this opinion!

7/18/2023 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Ruby and transparent. Slowly opened with air into a gorgeous collection of floral, spice, and red fruit along with laurel. The palate likewise started out of the gate a bit crunchy and cranberry oriented. An hour later, the fruit has filled out into a deep dark red with a rich and mouth filling mid palate. Wonderful persistence and silkiness as it finishes with more floral and spice notes. Bright and long, everything Pinot should be!

7/18/2023 - CPSchoeff wrote:

This one was oxidized enough to mask the underlying material but not hide it entirely. A real shame!

5/29/2023 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Agreeing with myself and aravind on this wine yet again. Just shouldn’t be as good as it is! A fantastic example of young burgundy that is still showing wide open.

5/29/2023 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine:

Color starting to show a bit of age, but opens up quite quickly. Nose is almost entirely damp earth and forest floor. Palate shows a nice core of red fruit and a generous mid palate depth. Shows now as a nicely resolved and mature wine.