5/23/2011 - Ynelover wrote:

PnP'd. nose dominated by meat, spice & dark fruits. dark in color. good balance & a pretty polished wine with spice, earth, pepper & chocolate. really good.

4/29/2011 - Ynelover wrote:

Stunning. Popped and put thru vinturi and decanted for 2.5hrs. A tremendously big & impeccably balanced brunello. Deep purple in color. Nose of anise, licorice, leather, earth & spice. Silky mouthfeel dominated by dark fruits, anise, hint of wood & spice. Chewy tannins carry you thru the enormous finish. This baby brings the goods. Can't wait to see where this one goes.....but absolutely delicious right now!

3/5/2011 - Ynelover wrote:

my 1st try with a straight cab franc & i am a fan. popped & left uncorked for 3hrs. had a nice color and nose of red fruit, herbs & spice. easy mouthfeel with a cedar component. good balance of fruit & acidity. some lingering tannin. a nice bottle of wine.

2/12/2011 - Ynelover wrote:

on point with my note from 10/30/2010. 3hr decant. just a well made, fruit forward big cali wine. very good.

1/30/2011 - Ynelover wrote:

i thought this was disappointing on all phases....nose, taste & finish. really funky nose which didnt get better at all from the pop to thru vinturi into decanter for a few hours. this was extremely thin & watered down. very little blackfruit, mild oak, no tannin, no acidity. this wine did not finish, just quickly faded away. simply put, this wine is not good right now & will not get any better.

1/21/2011 - Ynelover wrote:

very good on the pop & pour. after a few swirls, the nose opened to monster red fruit.. cherry & raspberry. rather dark in color. nice balance with a soft mouthfeel which transitioned to chocolate covered cherries & sweet cigar box. velvety, strong finish with lingering tannin. really come to like this blend, especially when paired with a rich italian meal! extraordinary QPR here. this can definitely be layed down for 3-5yrs.

1/17/2011 - Ynelover wrote:

decided to pop my last bottle of this guy & this was very different from my previous bottles consumed 2yrs ago. cork was in perfect shape. color was extremely dark. had a classic zin nose: raspberry, rhubarb, blackberry & some spice. nice mouthfeel...dominating dark fruits & pomegranite on attack. got better with some air but had a harshness to it midway thru. seemed to me this was out of balance with acidity lacking & noticeable heat on the back end. simply not as pleasing as my other experiences with this producer.

1/1/2011 - Ynelover wrote:

right now this wine is a baby and not well integrated. decanted 6hrs and consumed throughout....the best glass was the last, which was somewhat mellow. at the pop, it wasnt giving off much of a nose, then it slowly began to open up to black currants, blackberry, cherry and oak. very dark: in taste & color....cherry, blackberry, pomegranate and oak. firm, gripping tannins and mild heat. hopefully this will grow up & come together with some cellaring. i will not be popping another for a while.

12/25/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

popped and left in bottle for 2hrs. this wine had a nose of loads of black fruit and raisins. thought this was surprising well polished & balanced but had a tad of a smokey taste midway through. some nice chocolate and tobacco mixed in. decent finish. went well with filet"s.

12/22/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

3hr decant. nose and tastes of anise and licorice. had some tart cherries and nice acidty. prevalent tannins. long finish. very good.

12/10/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

Wow! Sensational. 3hr decant prior to bringing to restaurant. This had the perfect bouquet nose with some caramelized oak. This wine was medium bodied, had loads of red fruit with a touch of oak , leather and black trumpet mushrooms. Maybe a little more acidity that I am used to, but definitely not enough to displease. The finish was short to medium and still had some lingering tannin. Very sad this was my last bottle. This was better than some +$100per bottles I have had recently.

11/25/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

really enjoyed & was pleasantly surprised is showed so well for a young syrah. nice meaty nose with spicey beef jerky. tastes of bell pepper, dark fruits and had a clove-like component which was sneaky. nice acidity and firm tannins. was slightly on the lighter side. i am hoping this comes together nicely in a few years.

10/30/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

popped and decanted for 3hrs. just a delicious, lushy wine. heavy on the fruit....still. full of blackberry & blueberries. nice chocolate component in there. got some heat and tannins on the end, which im happy about!

9/17/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

popped & poured. nose full of red fruit. tastes of sour cherry, chocolate, some cedar and smoke. nicely balanced. this was pretty soft and a bit thin in the beginning, but gained some weight with air. was even better on day 2. a great buy @ $18per.

8/9/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

solid. great producer & maker. popped and poured. nice perfume & strawberry laced nose. very polished and balanced, but mild tannins are present. red fruit jubilee. some bitter sweet chocolate in there. nice effort.

7/23/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

Awesome! An outstanding old world style wine. Popped and left open for 3hrs. Earthy, tobacco, pencil shavings, chocolate undertones, slight oak and a ton of leather. Elegant. A real treat right now. Beautifiully balanced and a memorable finish.

7/17/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

wow. just ate a 2x4! yes. popped and decanted 3 hrs. nose of oak, raisins & bittersweet chocolate. color is eggplant. tastes of oak, chocolate with maybe a sprinkle of sour cherries. but the dominating taste is oak. some hints of a musty room, sorta like the smell u get from a room in your house where the door has been shut for weeks on end in 90 degree heat, and then one day u open that baby up and bam....musty. was completely shocked this finished strong.

7/17/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

awesome. light golden in color. somewhat closed nose, but boy this delivers peach, apricot and citrus. slight sweetness, but wonderfully balanced. perfect. an absolute steal @ $9. back the truck up.

7/9/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

my 3rd crack at this one and by far, this was the best. outstanding. this wine has really come into its own. similar flavor profile as my 1st & 2nd try, but is now much more balanced & tame. popped and left in btl for 3hrs. still a tad bit thin with red fruit, terroir and acidity. the heat has burned off. tremendous qpr here. $20.

6/21/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

really good & exactly what i expected.

6/14/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

very primitive & just an ok nz sav blanc. thats pretty much putting it politely. muted nose, some lemon & grapefruit. this just never gets there. much rather have brancott, the crossings or kim c at this level.

6/5/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

light golden in color. nose of peach, lemon and ripe pear. light, crisp & a little on the sweeter side, but really enjoyed.

5/29/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

had this after an awesome btl of '07 The Treat. popped and poured. for a $12 cheapie, this delivers. bouquet nose with some strawberry/cherry notes coming through. nice fruit and very smooth. a very well rounded and balanced wine for $12. decent finish. a great everyday drinker.

5/29/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

pale yellow color. somewhat muted nose. tast of pineapple, apple and peach. nice acidity, but not the mouthwatering kind. a slightly sweeter sav blanc that i am used to, but very pleasing & delicious.

5/30/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

raisins, prunes and whole lot of dark fruit. nice tannin grip but kind of short on the finish.

5/22/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

opened and left in bottle for 3hrs. nose of sour cherry. tastes of vanilla, creme brulee, tart red fruits and some oak with prevalent tannins and heat on the end. strong finish. a very nice wine. hard to see this as WS '09 wine of the year, but good nonetheless.

5/21/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

nose of grapefruit and lemon rind. taste of citrus & granny smith apple. crisp and acidic. pretty good.

5/16/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

a very good riesling. nice color. dominating peach and citrus fruit. balanced, crisp and very enjoyable. agree with point about similar finds at lower levels.

5/11/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

enjoyed with 1/2 lb grilled burgers..this wine has come into its own since my 1st try since 11/09. deep purple color and nose of smokey blackfruit & cassis hops out of the glass. loads of deep & rich concentrated fruit, velvety tannins and well balanced but a tad hot on the end. a nice everyday drinker.

5/8/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

had wit a textbook italian meal....clams, sausage, broccoli rabe, longhots, pasta..etc. this wine is good & for $14, its outstanding. decanted for 1hr prior to bringin to restuarant. light in color that sort of resembled a pinot. nose of dominating red fruits, strawberry & raspberries. had a nice herb element with hints of green bell pepper. the finish was lacking, but wine is a treat @ $14 and another crowd pleaser!

4/30/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

all around good pinot. balanced & fruity. $20. simple.

4/25/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

6 hr decant. nose of mushrooms, earthiness and smoke. very complex & firm tannins with layers of leather, licorice & dark chocolate. strong finish. a big crowd pleaser. this definitely fits in with kelham's wines, which we've come to love. just an excellent made wine. probably will lay the rest down for a few yrs.

4/25/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

this wine is absolutely delicious & one of the most balanced wines i've had. 3hr decant. had the classic pinot nose...loads of darkfruit, cherry, blueberry & a touch of wax. very soft & elegant mouthfeel. a frontend full of sweet prunes, almost honeylike, & then transitioned to a backend of a savory and spicy component of thyme & rosemary... awesome. this finished after almost a full minute! wow. this wine has got the goods.

4/10/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

popped and left in btl for 3hrs. crimson color. nose of a sweet cigar box. to me this is a thin wine, but has some red fruit, terroir and acidity. has some heat to it with pencil lead & tar on the end. not bad for a $20 cheapie. got some tannins in their & the necessary fruit to age....maybe quattro years!

4/8/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

popped a decanted for 2hrs, then drank over a 3hr period & had at room temp. this is exactly what i expect from a chase zin. classic. color was deep burgundy. nose of jam & raisins with some prune juice. silky & soft mouthfeel and then a health dose of dark fruit &spice. some earthiness as well. ok finish. this def got better as time went on.

4/6/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

great. clear, pale gold color. got some coconut, peach & granny smith apple on the nose. nice acidity with great depth. nice citrus fruit. a steal of a wine @ $8.

4/2/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

had to get into this wine before my red wine summer shutdown period. ok. this was popped an left in btl for 19hrs. my first try at popping = wine had nice clear ruby color, with absolutely no nose other than a dusty and musty basement. the taste was borderline moldy vinegar. after 19hrs, same result but now getting some oak with a weird kerosene type flavor. the wine is balanced, but is weak on nose, taste and fruit. try another next yr.

4/1/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

popped and left in bottle for 3hrs. then consumed over a 24hr period. surprisingly, this wine has really changed after my last btl a yr ago. still opens up to jammy sweet nose and now beginning to show some burnt orange/rust rim color. this wine has moved quickly from bold fruit bomb to a soft, supple and mellow wine. nice prevalent tannins, with dark fruit and nice hersey chocolate. the finish was a tad short. this wine has really thinned out and might be aging a bit too fast even with proper storage. we'll see where this one goes!

3/20/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

popped and decanted 3 hrs. nice cedar nose. very mellow and soft with typical sangiovese character. some chocolate and oak wit hint of bell pepper. balanced. the decant really helped based on my last 2 tries with this wine. was a crowd pleaser especially wit nice italian dinner!

3/19/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

popped and put thru vinturi into decanter for 2 hrs. wow. nose of dirt that jumped outta glass. inky inky deep purple color. taste of in ur face dark fruit, blackberry with boatloads of chocolate and spice. real nice. definitely got some strong tannins, which caight me off guard. decent but not great finish. good for a cheapie.

3/14/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

Popped and ran through vinturi into decanter. First taste was nothing but massive, gripping tannins and a muted nose. After a 6hr decant and tastings along the way, the nose grew into a cool bouquet with hints of licorice. The tannins remained firm, but this wine was great with the introduction of food. Sour/tart cherry, a bit of leather and cedar, and pencil lead. Also got a tad of sweetness...like strawberrys. A nice lingering finish to this. Ths is a very young wine. Old world for sure, but very nice. Cellar for a few years, or have with food and a proper decant.

3/6/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

popped and decanted 3hrs. really opened up to a pleasant nose of some sweetness, raisins, slightly jammy with hint of anise. perhaps some barnyard? this wine has a great mouthfeel and is very soft. nice balance with well integrated tannins. has a bit of spice, green bell pepper and whole lotta blackfruit & some sour cherry sprinkled in. a decent finish but expected a bit more. a nice btl nonetheless.

1/22/2010 - Ynelover wrote:

ok people. listen up. you cannot pop this for another 5 years. AT LEAST. had 4, so popped 1. had after 1989 paolo scavino cannubi barolo, 1995 paolo scavino barolo (single vineyard), 2001 damilano cannubi barolo. this simply was NOT ready. INFANT! muted nose after a 3hr decant! definitely had the tannins and some fruit to age, BUT is not balanced and well integrated right now. this is not built to go 20 yrs, BUT give it 5 more years and i think it will come together. hopefully. mushrooms, very spicey, tar and a nice nice long finish. got good general qualities for a few years to come, but not too many. 2015. max.