3/3/2022 - scottmlew Does not like this wine:

Very simple, more reminiscent of grape juice than wine. Extremely fruity, but not in a good way. If you are looking for a sweet, simple wine...well I'd be looking at other varietals...but if you want that in a cab you may like this. Definitely not a good "food wine."

11/25/2021 - scottmlew wrote:

I was worried this would be past its prime, but I thought it was beautiful. Lots of fruit and nicely aged with smooth tannins. Enjoyed from an open bottle over the course of 3 hours, it really hit its prime about 2 hours in.

5/6/2018 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

It is almost disturbing how well this wine is STILL drinking. Still very buttery with a little bit of pear and a hint of apple. I'm sad to see my last bottle go.

3/14/2015 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Still drinking well. One of my favorite SB's at any price point. Traditional SB flavors with a hint of melon and a nice finish. Perfect acidity.

3/7/2015 - scottmlew wrote:

Still my favorite chardonnay overall. Very buttery, with nice lemon notes. Long aftertaste. Still drinking nicely, which is somewhat surprising.

1/2/2015 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Decanted based on the advice of another review...that was a good decision. Even better than my previous bottle which was popper and poured. Still prominent fruit and tobacco, but now the individual fruits stand out...strawberry, blackberry are most prominent. Slightly smokey. Well integrated tannins made for easy drinking.

11/21/2014 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Great bottle! Easy drinker, nice mix of fruit with a hint of green pepper. Nice finish and mouthfeel.

11/16/2014 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Very nice wine. Drinking well, although the fruit is a bit muted. Lots of plum. Extremely smooth and enjoyable.

10/18/2014 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Shockingly tasty wine given its age, and even ignoring the age. Beautiful green apple and lemon notes. Light minerals and perfect acidity. Short finish.

7/13/2014 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Still drinking shockingly well. Enjoyed it very cold. Very buttery, lots of pineapple and muddled other citrus.

7/6/2014 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

On the advice of another review, drank this cold...good decision! Still very good...pear, vanilla, lemon, with a little pith. Very long finish. Great to drink alone, or paired with creamy chicken dish.

7/6/2014 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Holding up very well. Lots of citrus fruit on the nose and palate. Long aftertaste. Quite acidic. As in the past, great with seafood.

5/25/2014 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

An excellent wine! Decanted for ~45 mins and then enjoyed the bottle over the course of 2.5 hrs or so. Deep ruby color. Very easy drinker but still has a complex finish. Soft tannis. Beautiful nose, with prominent cherry and cedar. Flavors matched the nose, with the addition of unexpected but welcomed sage.

4/6/2014 - scottmlew wrote:

Surprisingly good given its age. Opened up nicely into a fruity, minerally wine after 45 minutes or so. Very cloudy, but no strainable sediment.

3/30/2014 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

This was surprisingly excellent, and a super QPR. A classic Malbec, with lots of fruit. Very deep purple color, nice nose, and long finish. Some vanilla, a little tobacco, and abundant black cherry. Well integrated tannins. Drank well as soon as the bottle opened and became more fruit froward as the evening progressed.

3/15/2014 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

See previous notes. Popped and poured. Nice easy drinker, lots of muddled fruit, some smoke. Lots of sediment in this bottle.

2/23/2014 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Nice fruity wine. Prominent grapefruit with hints of vanilla and lemon and some minerals as the bottle opened up. Very creamy mouthfeel and a long finish. Good pairing with sushi.

2/22/2014 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Still drinking well. Prominent cherry and spice, backed by red berry flavors. Nice nose, but weak finish.

12/31/2013 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Still drinking well. Prominent bell pepper and smooth tannis and muted fruits. Creamy mouthfeel, some vanilla on the finish. Very dark, mild sediment.

12/29/2013 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Still holding up well. Amazingly pleasant golden hue...a pleasure to admire in the glass. Smokey vanilla, butterscotch, and pear are the prominent flavors, with nice caramel on a very long finish.

12/27/2013 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Easy drinker, lots of fruit and pleasant smokiness.

12/25/2013 - scottmlew wrote:

A very simple Zin. Not bad at the price point, yet I was expecting more based on other tasting notes. Cherry, spice, and blackberry dominated the initial flavors, with a little smoke on the finish.

12/24/2013 - scottmlew wrote:

This was a decent Shiraz for the price point, with fruit and subtle black pepper on the palate. There was an obnoxious amount of sediment, which made the last 1/4 of the bottle a challenge to enjoy,

11/28/2013 - scottmlew wrote:

This is a great wine for what it is...a simple, pleasant, approachable (and affordable) sipper. Not particularly complex, it does present flavors of pear, citrus, vanilla, and nectarine. Was thoroughly enjoyed by several drinkers who do not normally prefer whites.

11/29/2013 - scottmlew wrote:

Was pleasant to sip on its own. Finish was a bit more bitter than I would have liked, but citrus fruits still dominate the taste.

11/28/2013 - scottmlew wrote:

Just as good as I remember the 2007 being. A bold, fruity wine. Well integrated tannins, and just the right amount of heat.

11/28/2013 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Still drinking well. Fruit is intense and dominate the smooth tannins.

8/16/2013 - scottmlew wrote:

Very muddled flavors. Not much fruit. Weak tannins. Weird burnt wood flavor. Short finish. Good mouthfeel, though.

8/10/2013 - scottmlew wrote:

Very disappointed. Probably past its prime, but I was still expecting a lot more from this bottle. Lots of vegetable flavors with very little fruit. Leather became more apparent as the bottle breathed. Very muted tannins. Nicely acidic.

7/6/2013 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Much better than the last bottle. Some butter, vanilla, melon and subdued acidity. Glad my last bottle of this left me with a positive impression.

7/4/2013 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Cocoa and smoke augments an abundance of cherry. Mellow tannins. A great wine either standalone or paired with a well-marbled ribeye.

6/30/2013 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Held up quite well. Deep gold color. Flavor dominated by melon but also had some vanilla, fig, and peach.

6/28/2013 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Standard Primitivo, some tannin, nice fruit, and a little green pepper. Went well with pizza.

6/22/2013 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Probably past its prime but still very nice. Apricot, pear, apple complemented by minerals. Not getting the citrus other reviewers cited. Quite acidic, possibly due to age, but not to the extent it detracts from the wine.

6/2/2013 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Holding up very well. Butterscotch, smoke, vanilla, and misc fruits present themselves on a surprisingly long finish.

5/27/2013 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Very fruity. Lots of blueberry, some strawberry; also smoke and mild tannins. We had this with porterhouse and lobster ravioli and it was a good pairing. Fairly mellow.

5/27/2013 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Very nice for drinking without food. Nice fruit, well balanced. Mellowed with time.

5/25/2013 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Still good, but drink soon. Easy to drink, nice balance of sweetness and acidity. Primary fruit flavors are peach and apple.

5/11/2013 - scottmlew wrote:

This bottle is definitely past its prime, but still OK. Very acidic, not buttery or creamy like it used to me. Prominent flavors are lemon and vanilla.

5/4/2013 - scottmlew wrote:

Again, a great wine to pair with pizza. Let bottle breathe for 20 mins or so, but did not do any additional aeration. Nice pepper and fruit. Long finish.

1/20/2013 - scottmlew wrote:

Very flat. Well past its prime...my fault. But a little citrus, and topical fruit and grapefruit. If you still have this pop it now and it might be OK.

1/20/2013 - scottmlew wrote:

Definitely past its prime, but still a nice SB. Prominent grapefruit and a bit of melon, with a muddle "tropical fruit" taste complemented takeout Chinese well. Rather acidic. After breathing for many hours, mineral became prominent.

1/12/2013 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

A little past its prime, but drinking surprisingly well. Citrus and grass are still prominent. Somewhat sharp finish.

1/8/2013 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. This continues to be a great cab, very versatile. Nice fruit and some tobacco.

10/31/2012 - scottmlew wrote:

Good pizza pairing as always...nice green pepper.

12/25/2012 - scottmlew Likes this wine:

Great wine, very smooth with lots of fruit, some vanilla, and a little oak. Long, perfect finish.

12/22/2012 - scottmlew wrote:

Well past its prime. Muddled fruit flavors and some mineral.

10/21/2012 - scottmlew wrote:

Very light, lots of fruit. Heat has mellowed significantly since the last bottle.

10/19/2012 - scottmlew wrote:

I"m not a huge merlot fan, but this was OK with pizza. Lots of green pepper, but not much else...a very simple wine.

10/4/2012 - scottmlew wrote:

Still my go-to pizza wine. Nice green bell pepper on the palate. See other notes.