9/15/2023 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

2 hour decant. Plum colored. Nose has a slight funk, paste, mostly black fruit. Palate is a rich blackberry, raspberry, Coca Cola, anise profile. Robust mouth feel with a nice finish. Reasonably well integrated, very nice drinking experience, but perhaps not profound.

5/29/2023 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

Lost tasting notes when saving...from memory, PnP. Plum color. Nose smelled remarkably like a frozen pizza...tomato, mozzarella, basil. Palate was raspberry, spice, black tea. Smooth mouth feel.

5/26/2023 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

1 hour decant, deep purple in color. Nose is black fruit, a briny green olive element, something like Coca Cola. Palate is more red fruit, same Coca Cola aspect, spice. Slightly tannic/drying. For the brand and vintage, I was expecting more, but a well-made pleasantly robust wine.

5/20/2023 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

PnP, deep purple in color, to plum at the edge. Nose is black fruit, cedar, hint of eucalyptus. Palate is blackberry, spice, anise, same hot note as last time. There is still a tannic aspect to this, which is drying, and seems to clip the finish a bit. Big, complex wine.

4/22/2023 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

Roussanne and Chardonnay. Light yellow in color to clear at the edge. Fragrant floral and citrus nose. Nice mid-weight mouth feel with some finish. Palate is a blend of citrus, honey, maybe some nut. Nice spot between lighter, crisper whites and heavier, more creamy whites. Not my favorite, but very nice bottle.

2/1/2023 - FoinZap wrote:

PnP, dark purple to inky in color. Smoky black fruit and a slight brine to the nose. Palate is a subtly bitter blend of more red than black fruit, black licorice, green olive, hint of Coke Classic on the finish. Full-bodied, tingly/spicy mid-palate, decent length finish, maybe a bit clipped. Interesting wine.

2/1/2023 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

Very pale yellow in color. Nose is pear, lemon peel, honey blossom. Palate is a crisp, citrusy mix of flavors, a bit tart, slightly bitter on the finish, neither unpleasant. On the spectrum of white grapes, perhaps closer to SB in mouth feel, body, acidity than, for instance Chardonnay. Nice refreshing and moderately complex glass of white wine.

1/21/2023 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

PnP, deep purple in color. Nose is black fruit, coffee, earth. Palate initially was a burst of red fruit...raspberry, cranberry, tart, quite different than the nose. Mouth feel slightly chewy/grainy. Reads more like a GSM than a Napa Cab. Decent, if slightly unexpected drinking experience.

1/8/2023 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

This was exceptional. Did not take detailed notes at the time, but wonderful complexity, subtlety, delicious flavor profile, well-integrated, perfect, light, smooth mouth feel. Perhaps the most impressive dessert wine I've tasted.

1/4/2023 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

PnP. Plum colored. Nose is black fruit, wet dirt, whiff of acetone. Palate is black fruit and a strong coffee aspect. Full-bodied, fairly long finish. Nice effort.

12/27/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

PnP, dark purple in color. Nose is black fruit, leather, bay leaf, spice. Palate is blackberry, black cherry, strawberry, spice, pepper, hint of black licorice. Nicely complex and balanced. Full bodied, relatively tannic, slight clip on the finish. Delicious, well-made wine. Likely to improve with age.

12/22/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

didn't take notes at the time, PnP, very nice complex Cab

11/27/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

PnP. Dark red, almost black in the center. Nose is blackberry jam, prune, clove, strong brown sugar initially (faded with time in glass). Palate is blackberry, cookie dough, vanilla, pepper, cinnamon note. Still a bit fruit-forward, but nicely integrated. Full-bodied, slightly silky mouth feel and long finish.

11/27/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

PnP. Blood red color to orange at the edge. Nose is black fruit, cedar, incense, note of bay leaf, NY subway urine (evolved to used diaper, then settled down at the 40-minute point). Palate is black cherry, currant, pencil lead, baking spice, ground pepper. Nicely balanced and integrated. Still moderately tannic. Miles to go till it sleeps.

11/22/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

Citrine in color. Nose is predominantly apple. Palate is toast, almond, citrus notes. Light bubbles, which dissipated quickly. Nice flavor profile, unexceptional.

11/11/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

PnP. Color is deep dark red w orange/brown tint to the edge. Nose is red fruit, licorice, cedar, cinnamon, wet soil. Palate is strawberry, ground pepper, plum, a smoky wood note. Medium- to full-bodied, a bit of a spicy tannic aspect, long finish. Well balanced, classic CdP.

11/6/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

90 minute decant. Reddish-purple in color, maybe a slight brownish tint. Strong ground black pepper nose, black licorice, hint of pine needle. Palate is red and black cherry, marshmallow, cracked pepper, hint of eucalyptus. Silky mouth feel, mid to full-bodied. Long, spicy finish. Nicely integrated experience of fruit and a range of secondary elements.

11/4/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

Deep purple, almost inky in color to blood red at the edge. Nose is blackberry, tobacco, black licorice. Palate is black fruit, Dr. Pepper, caramel note, eucalyptus? Nicely integrated and in balance. Full bodied with a long finish.

10/28/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

PnP. Dark purple in color, to red at the edge. Nose is black fruit, coffee, crushed rock. Palate is blueberry, cherry, milk chocolate, leather, wet dirt, maybe caramel. Full-bodied, smooth/silky mouth feel, long finish. Very fine tannins, already well-integrated. Complex and in balance, very nice!

10/23/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

PnP, purple in color. Nose is black fruit, hints of leather, tobacco. Palate of blackberry, anise, tobacco leaf, wet earth, eucalyptus. Full bodied, tannic, slightly clipped finish. Seems likely to improve with age.

10/14/2022 - FoinZap wrote:

PnP. Deep purple in color. Nose is black fruit, leather, oak, a sour note. Palate is black fruit, sun-dried tomato, spice. Relatively full-bodied, but mouth feel is grainy, dusty, which kind of clips the finish and leaves a gritty tannic, slightly bitter aftertaste. May need more time, but doesn’t feel particularly well-integrated and may just be a miss.

10/12/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

Decanted and poured. Deep blood-red color. Nose is black and red fruit, oak, gasoline. Palate is a big, relatively-complex burst of blackberry, black cherry, sun-dried tomato, pepper, milk chocolate. Full-bodied, long finish. A little hot and oddly spicy, but overall very nice.

9/10/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

2 hour decant. Color is a deep purple/plum. Nose is a rich black fruit and milk chocolate, a hint of spice. Palate is big, in-your-face, blast of blackberry, black cherry, followed by aspects of herbs, eucalyptus, cedar, something like coconut oil. Full-bodied, long, slightly-hot finish, still fairly tannic. Actually quite nicely balanced and integrated, after the initial blast. Complex and delicious.

8/27/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

2.5 hour decant. Dark purple/plum colored. Nose is black fruit, cedar, a green note. Palate is blackberry, black cherry, chai tea latte, dry salami, subtle spice. Smooth mid-weight mouth feel, fine tannins, lengthy finish. Nicely complex and balanced. Wonderful and only improves from here.

8/23/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

PnP. Color is golden yellow. Nose is apple juice, macadamia, a green note. Palate is butterscotch, honeysuckle, apple, melon, with some orange-y citrus on the finish. Slightly oily, mid-weight mouth feel in a well-integrated, structured presentation. Long finish featuring a slightly spicy aspect. Very nice.

8/15/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

PnP, color is a deep, almost inky purple. Nose is a spicy red fruit, hint of earth. Palate is red fruit, raisin, plum sauce, sweet tobacco leaf, pepper. Pleasantly mid-weight mouth feel and medium-length finish.

8/15/2022 - FoinZap wrote:

This was not my favorite. I’m starting to find Semillon-blended SB wines add several elements, a bit heavier mouth feel, a musty/paste-y flavor profile, and a bit of a bitter finish, none of which are improvements over straight SB in my opinion.

7/26/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

PnP. Pale yellow in color, slightly greenish hue. Nose is honeysuckle and citrus. I do detect the very subtle gasoline people referenced. Palate is tart, key lime pie, lemon peel, green apple, honey, aspects of crushed rock and dust. Light- to medium-bodied, slightly vibrating, with a crisp, slightly sour finish. Very nicely balanced and integrated. I suspect there is upside here.

6/26/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

Decanted and poured. Plum colored to blood red at edge. Nose is a robust mix of red fruit, black olive, wet dirt. Palate is raspberry, blackberry, black olive, Dr. Pepper, hint of hard-boiled egg, something earthy. Medium- to full-bodied, mouth feel is both silky and spicy, vibrating a bit. Reasonably well integrated, medium finish.

5/23/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

One hour decant. Deep purple in color, almost a bit of a brownish hue. Nose is black fruit, tobacco, black licorice. Palate initially had a briny aspect, almost green olive (like a Rhone/GSM), strawberry, red and black currant, leather, tobacco, black pepper, bay leaf...nice balance between fruit and secondary elements. Mid- to full-bodied, with a medium- to longish finish. I loved the 1990, and this is showing very nicely.

5/19/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

Pale yellow in color, nose features pear, maybe paste, palate is nicely complex, with grapefruit, lemon peel, tangerine, maybe eucalyptus. Light to medium body, a bit of a bitter element through to the finish.

4/19/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

Golden color. High volume of fine to medium bubbles. Nose is nutty, citrus. Palate is lemon peel, green apple, a bit of brioche. Refreshing and interesting, but not super-well integrated at this point.

4/15/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

90 minute decant. Deep purple color, to red at the edge. Decadent nose of black fruit, coffee, Slim Jim. Palate is in intriguing mix of briny olive, milk chocolate, raspberry coulis, black pepper, breakfast sausage. Mid- to full-bodied, smooth, a slight bite mid-palate, decent finish. Nicely complex wine, well-balanced. May be a bit early in the drinking window in terms of integration.

3/26/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

Still very nice, but not as exceptional as my prior experience. Less breadth and complexity.

3/18/2022 - FoinZap Does not like this wine:

Strong, sweet apple cider taste. It actually wasn’t bad as a cider, but as a $100+ bottle of champagne it was a head-scratcher.

3/15/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

Didn’t take detailed tasting notes, but wow! This was really great!

3/14/2022 - FoinZap Does not like this wine:

Almost an orange cough syrup color. Palate lacked depth and was sweeter than optimal. We loved the Ruinart NV Blanc de blancs, which punched well above its weight, but I literally poured this out. Disappointed.

3/14/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

Very pale yellow, classic "champagne" in color. Somewhat sparse, fine/medium bubbles (although tingling at a level that suggested a much higher rate) in a slightly creamy mouth feel. Nicely balanced blend of toast/brioche and citrus on the palate, tangy finish. Drinking nicely, and although I don't have much experience here, I suspect it may still be a bit young. Celebrating Monday night w a caviar delivery from Caviar Russe!

3/10/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

PnP. Dark purple in color, all the way to the edge. Nose is interesting and complex, featuring black fruit, spice, cedar. Palate is very different from the nose with a prominent almost salty/briny aspect wrapped around maybe a blackberry core, hint of milk chocolate, leather. Big wine, but not a typical Napa Cab profile. Almost like a bigger version of a CdP. Full bodied, medium tannic, fairly long finish. I wouldn't call this outstanding, as it doesn't feel particularly integrated, but on the other hand, this is a very interesting, complex wine and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.

3/4/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

PnP, plum in color. A bit of a gamey, briny nose, with black fruit. Palate is black cherry, tobacco, tar, oak. Full bodied, medium, slightly clipped finish. Touch of a bitter aspect, and moderately tannic. Decent complexity and profile, but I would wait.

3/4/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

Pretty very pale yellow in color. Fine bubbles and relatively light, slightly silky mouth feel. Nose features buttered popcorn, pear, maybe a little crushed rock. Palate is pear, hint of grapefruit, possibly also that same buttered popcorn note. This is lovely and exceptional for a non-vintage champagne, punches way above its weight.

3/3/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

Started taking notes and didn’t come back to it. Delightful wine, consistent with earlier vintages.

2/23/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

Vibrant yellow, with almost a hint of green in color. Nose is light citrus, pear, maybe a hint of pine needle. Palate is lemon peel, something a bit like butterscotch, maybe a hint of cannabis? Tangy with some interesting secondary aspects. Light bodied, smooth, not overly acidic mouth feel. Nice crisp way to start the evening.

2/22/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

Dark purple in color. Nose is black fruit, black olive, cedar, none particularly prominent. Palate initially has a strong black olive theme. Blackberry, leather, bell pepper, cherry. A bit of grip to the mouth feel, full-bodied, moderate finish. Not unpleasant, but I guess I would have expected a more robust fruit profile, or more terrior-driven subtlety and layers, but didn't really get either. Probably needs more time in the bottle.

2/22/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

Pale yellow, almost champagne in color. Nose is citrus, almost like Lemonheads candy. Palate is a very fruity citrus-y blend, orange, lemon, lime, also almost candy-like, not so much sweet, but the flavors you get in citrus candy (Mike & Ike, Skittles?). More sediment than I've ever seen in a white wine, resulting in a more full-bodied and slightly grainy mouth feel than I would expect from SB. Had to filter as we got lower in the bottle and the last glass was very cloudy. Kind of an unusual drinking experience, but not unenjoyable.

1/26/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

PnP, color is plum. Nose is black fruit, a woody element, dust. Palate is black fruit, tomato soup, wet fence rail, hint of spice. Full bodied, slightly chewy, moderate tannins. All reasonably well in balance. Moderate finish. Not exceptional, but very nicely done.

1/25/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

PnP, color is a medium-dark purple to blood red at the edge. Nose is a robust blend of black fruit, charcoal, leather, hint of gasoline. Palate is blackberry, blueberry, tobacco, spice, hint of milk chocolate, maybe a little crushed rock dust. Nicely complex and well-integrated, tannic without feeling like we’re here too soon. Full-bodied, with a pleasantly long finish.

1/13/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

PnP, plum colored to blood red at the edge. Nose is wet earth, eucalyptus, black fruit, a green note. Palate is black cherry, chocolate, blackberry, spice, something hot, almost ginger? Full-bodied, well-integrated, nicely complex. Well-crafted, drinking well, with upside as it further integrates. Very nice.

1/13/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

Very pale yellow color, to almost clear. Nose is a fresh, crisp, green apple, pear, and lemon peel. Palate is a somewhat pucker-y citrus profile, lemon, grapefruit. Light-bodied, and a bit one-dimensional. Refreshing and crisp, but lacking depth and complexity.

1/12/2022 - FoinZap Likes this wine:

PnP, dark purple, black cherry colored to the edge. Nose is gasoline, black fruit, cedar. Palate is asphalt, blackberry, oak. Full-bodied, slightly tannic. This is fine and has a somewhat pleasant overall impact, but not sure what all the fuss is about.