8/21/2009 - aplyley wrote:

Spicy, dark fruit, very good.

2/20/2009 - aplyley wrote:

This wine has benefited from some time. Used the Vinturi and had a couple glasses. Smooth with a dry finish, not a lot of sweetness.

12/6/2008 - aplyley wrote:

I haven't tasted many varieties of mead, but I'd be very surprised to find one I like more than this. It's a dry champagne style that has a lot of complexity and is very food-friendly. I enjoyed this bottle with a Northern Thai style roast chicken and spicy green papaya salad. The starthistle honey doesn't have a lot of distinctive flavors (like the eucalyptus honey version). Its subtle honey character comes through on the palate, along with some yeasty, french bread aromas in the nose. The alcohol content is lower than most wines (12%) which I find makes this exceptionally easy to drink. A bottle disappears between two people in no time at all!

12/5/2008 - aplyley wrote:

Fruity and smooth merlot. Black raspberries, blueberries, a little vanilla. Easy drinking, not complicated. Good buy and pour wine.

12/3/2008 - aplyley wrote:

Nice light-medium bodied red blend. Winemaker doesn't actually call it a Rhone blend, but claims it was made in that tradition using 14 varietals. It's easy drinking and a bit thin, without much tartness or tannins. A good red to pair with lighter dishes if you're not in the mood for a white. I pulled it out to drink with pan seared pork chops with a sweet/tart apple cider glaze and post-Thanksgiving stuffing. The fruity (cherry) and slightly earthy/toasty flavors of the wine played nicely without overpowering the pork chop like a more full-bodied red would have. I enjoyed it and would buy it again in the $12 range.

12/1/2008 - aplyley wrote:

Strawberry aroma and flavors of tart cherries and raspberries. Also maybe something like rose hips that is tangy but not fruity or sweet. Nice lingering slightly sweet finish. Paired nicely with spicy food.

11/10/2008 - aplyley wrote:

I was really impressed with this wine. I've had Southern Oregon tempranillos in the past and this one seems like something special. I don't have any detailed notes from when I drank it but I remember it being exceptionally smooth start to finish. No jarring tart or tannic flavors. I would prefer this to the Abacela 2005 Tempranillo Umpqua Cuvee.

8/14/2008 - aplyley wrote:

Seems like it could benefit from some aging.