1/28/2024 - Brix wrote:

Has perhaps lost a bit of verve, but still kicking. Moderate sediment and a subdued nose are the main signs of age, but on the tongue this wine still has lots of offer. Juicy Bojo goodness coupled with the silky texture of a decade-plus of age. Foillard is one of my favorite producers, and the Cote du Puy is always a pleasure.

11/10/2023 - Brix wrote:

Despite sideways storage at cellar temperature this wine was undrinkable. Cork completely crumbled, wine flat and flavorless. In general I've been disappointed with how Seven of Hearts wines have aged.

9/21/2023 - Brix wrote:

Pulled out at random to accompany a mushroom risotto, a task for which it was reasonably well suited. Consistent with my previous notes, although it's perfectly adequate this particular bottling is just not one of my favorites - partly due to vintage conditions and partly I think to stylistic winemaker choices. Cameron is usually my favorite OR pinot but the Reserve cuvees always seem less distinctive.

12/27/2022 - Brix wrote:

Still singing after all these years - love the staying power of Cameron wines, and the CT drinking window for this bottle (and many others) is criminally truncated. This entry level cuvée was less than $20 and has held up beautifully. If properly stored this wine is not remotely over the hill - it’s got lots of fruit, ample acidity, and lovely secondary sous bois notes.

5/12/2022 - Brix Does not like this wine:

Not especially impressed by this wine. It seems to lack identity - it's not extravagantly rich and yeasty, nor does it have the laser-like minerality of some champagnes. Rather, it sits somewhere in between and doesn't really provide much interest. The wine gains a bit more character when it's had a chance to breathe a bit, but it's still rather lackluster.

5/10/2022 - Brix Likes this wine:

It's been a while since we tried one of these. Still not really doing it for me, but the added time has improved the wine somewhat - nicely balanced darkish fruit coupled with some mushroomy notes. Despite over a decade sideways, there's not much sign of age in this bottle, so I'm going to leave my remaining bottles to see what a few more years does for them. I've never enjoyed Cameron's Reserve wines as much as his other bottlings - they seem more generic, tailored to a broader audience. This is a perfectly good wine, but for me it lacks the funky soul of some of John Paul's other wines.

3/7/2022 - Brix Likes this wine:

From the list at Le Récamier, Paris. The restaurant specializes in soufflés, savory and sweet, so we ordered this to accompany a classic cheese soufflé (Emmanthaler) and a mushroom soufflé. This isn't a lean, subtle champagne - the aroma explodes from the glass, all baked bread and white flowers. Equally generous on the palate, beautifully rich but balanced, with a lingering finish. Lovely.

3/1/2022 - Brix Likes this wine:

At Willi's Wine Bar, Paris, for our wedding anniversary. Willi's list is Rhone-centric, and Jamay is featured across a number of vintages. We selected this '06 for its Burgundian character and it did not disappoint. Silky texture combined with classic northern Rhone smoke, herbs, red fruit, all in exquisite balance. A really memorable bottle of wine.

1/26/2022 - Brix Likes this wine:

Juicy! Lip smacking acidity and bright fruit make the taste buds stand up and pay attention - vaguely Beaujolais-like. Pale garnet, 12.5 abv, enticing nose, moderate complexity, very food friendly (and likely not too pleasant without). Not for everyone, but a pleasant accompaniment for weeknight dinners.

1/18/2022 - Brix Likes this wine:

Agree with other recent tasters - this wine is in solid 90 point territory these days, and likely to get better. Still grippy with tannins, but rounding out and showing great midpalate balance. Leather and red fruits, nothing wrong with that. Plenty of structure, looking forward to further improvement.

12/31/2021 - Brix Likes this wine:

New Year's Eve 2021, good riddance to this awful year. We celebrated by day drinking a bottle of this to accompany some homemade gougeres. Pretty pale gold in the glass, nice persistent mousse. Hay and mineral nose, balanced on the palate. Lots of lees-driven depth, medium acidity. Not the most profound champagne I've ever had, but certainly well made and quite enjoyable.

12/25/2021 - Brix wrote:

Fell below expectations. Not bad by any means, but a little bit meh - possibly in a relatively mute midlife stage. Some leathery fruit on the nose, good balance on the palate but lacking the energy or personality I expected to get (based on the bottle we opened three years ago). I'll leave my remaining bottles alone and hope for more development and interest

12/22/2021 - Brix Does not like this wine:

This blend of equal parts merlot, sangiovese, syrah, and petite verdot somehow manages to effectively suppress the varietal characteristics that define each of its components. The result is a perfectly innocuous red wine with no character at all.

My wife put it best: she declared that if this were the $12 "house red" at a restaurant she would not complain, because honestly, what's to complain about?

This wine is very inoffensive, but sadly, that's the best thing I can say about it.

12/20/2021 - Brix wrote:

Not sure how how rate this. Lovely texture, good tension, slight but not distracting tropical flavors, long finish. Also rich and powerfully alcoholic - not something I typically notice all that much, but this seems a bit unbalanced at 14.5% abv.

12/20/2021 - Brix wrote:

DOA

12/17/2021 - Brix Likes this wine:

Love so many of these Italian mountain wines. Clean, fresh nose, clear garnet in the glass, bright and lively on the palate. Sappy, with good acidity and a faint hint of smoke. The Vernatsch grape - also known as Trollinger or Sciava, but which has literally dozens of other names - is grown in the South Tyrol region and also in nearby Württemberg region of Austria.

12/2/2021 - Brix Likes this wine:

Weeknight nebbiolo, displaying classic flavors in a dialed-back, informal frame. Medium red in the glass with a pleasant, slightly floral nose. Well balanced on the palate, integrated fine tannins, roses, red fruits. Easy drinking and very enjoyable.

11/25/2021 - Brix Likes this wine:

Consistent with others here. Decanted for a couple of hours, very little sediment. Still youthful in appearance, with just a faint rim of amber. Nice nose of wood smoke and flowers. Definitely open for business, tannins present but playing a supporting role. Balanced, silky, pure earthy CdP goodness.

10/17/2021 - Brix wrote:

Had this with a splurge meal of fresh Alba truffle and home made egg pasta. Upon opening the wine was extremely tight and shut down. Double decanted and held for 24 hours, at which time the wine was far more approachable. Wine has been stored in cellar conditions, throwing moderate sediment and showing burnished amber at the edge of the glass. On the nose and the palate, definitely more tar and dark fruit, not much floral character. I don't know if it's got enough stuffing to benefit from further aging. Enjoyable but not memorable.

10/6/2021 - Brix Likes this wine:

Just impeccable. Fully soaked cork loaded with tartrate crystals. Right out of the chute, a powerful noise of citrus and slate. Bright gold in the glass. Zippy acidity arm in arm with a silky, unctuous mouthfeeL. On the tongue, minerals, pear, grapefruit, seamless and lingering. Riesling is such a treat.

9/5/2021 - Brix wrote:

Alas, corked.

5/16/2021 - Brix Likes this wine:

Featherweight but beautifully balanced. Surprisingly burnished for its age, expressive nose, hoisin and spice on the palate. Subtle and charming.

5/10/2021 - Brix wrote:

Just not feeling it with this. Love Cameron wines, but this Reserve bottling seems too polished, too rich, and lacks the funky, earthy, saline-inflected edge I associate with John Paul's other cuvees. Make no mistake, it's good wine, but one that could have been made by anyone.

3/11/2021 - Brix Likes this wine:

Lovely mature auslese, with a quietly beautiful balance of fruit, acidity, and tertiary flavors. Silky on the tongue, refreshing, restrained but endlessly intriguing. Long finish invites just one more sip. And then another.

3/2/2021 - Brix Likes this wine:

Pulled almost at random for a weeknight meal of tikka masala and some sides. The screwcap closure is a little misleading: this is seriously good juice. Zippy acidity, waxy white flowers, and lashings of stony minerality - basically everything that makes Riesling so awesome. Fabulous with food, and I'm looking forward to finishing this bottle off all on its own.

2/6/2021 - Brix wrote:

Different strokes... We enjoyed this elegant expression of the challenging 2011 vintage. Light garnet in the glass, some amber at the rim. Delicate, autumnal nose - smoke, sous bois, faint red fruit. Light and nimble on the palate, a subtle but evocative OR pinot. Not a powerhouse, and more enjoyable for its restraint.

1/19/2021 - Brix Likes this wine:

It's been several years since we last had this wine, and it's benefitted from the time sideways. An elegant example of Côte Rôtie, displaying maturity and balance. Lovely texture, subtle but beguiling nose, and a pleasure to drink. Held well over three days under a Vacuvin cork, throwing only a small amount of sediment. Well stored bottles should be in prime drinking window, with years to go.

1/13/2021 - Brix Likes this wine:

See DrWine2001's note - spot on. This wine was ponderous and fatiguing early on, but a decade sideways has transformed it into a really stellar example of how serious Beaujolais can be. I was originally disappointed by it - now I'm delighted to have a few more bottles to enjoy.

1/5/2021 - Brix Likes this wine:

Second of these in the past few weeks. I'm feeling pretty good about holding these for the past decade or so - CdP really isn't my jam these days, but this was quite an enjoyable bottle. Good tension, with fruit, tannins, and secondary flavors in good balance. Throwing medium sediment, definitely better on night 1, but not over the hill yet.

12/30/2020 - Brix Likes this wine:

Cheerful kabinett with not a lot to say, but nevertheless pleasant. Green apple, some minerality, and just-enough acidity made this a good match with a weeknight dinner of Indian food. Easygoing quality and 8.5% ABV made it a simple matter to finish the bottle with our meal.

12/30/2020 - Brix Likes this wine:

A delicious weeknight quaffer. Vibrant Loire blend of cab franc, gamay, and malbec, brightly acidic, food friendly, easygoing without being simple.

12/27/2020 - Brix Likes this wine:

Rich, well balanced, but lacking the funky notes that I enjoy so much in most Cameron pinots. Nothing wrong with this wine, and probably more appealing to fans of Cali-styled pinot noir.

12/27/2020 - Brix wrote:

Selected to accompany sous vide filet mignon with bearnaise sauce - a suitable pairing. Originally purchased at the winery and held at cellar temps since release. Still in fine condition and good for what it is. Nice balance and structure in a full-bodied wine. Well stored bottles still have plenty of life ahead.

12/18/2020 - Brix Likes this wine:

Stored in cellar conditions since release, this bottle showed no evidence of being on the downhill. Considerable sediment in still-purple juice with a thin garnet rim. Pleasing, if somewhat reticent nose. Tannins still much in evidence, but nicely balanced with considerable forest and berry flavors. Nice tension and energy, enjoyable to drink. This wine may not show further improvement, but properly stored bottles still have plenty of life in them.

12/9/2020 - Brix wrote:

Not rating this because I think my ho-hum impression of it may be based more on my own evolving preferences, and less on the merits of the wine itself. That said, I think this is a rather mediocre choice even for hard core Bdx fans. Awkward structure, grippy tannins and minerality, but lacking cohesion. I've had other vintages of C-S that I've enjoyed but this wasn't one of them. Disappointing.

12/8/2020 - Brix Likes this wine:

Cameron sets the standard for Oregon pinot noir, and Arley's is consistently the most enjoyable in the winery's lineup. This wine, from the once-maligned 2007 vintage, has been a complete joy every time we've tried it. Lovely, compelling nose, and a burnished, mahogany-tinged garnet in the glass. On the palate, a tightrope balancing act: sweet bottle age, earthy undertones, and just-right acidity make this wine a delight in its own or with food. We drank several highly regarded wines over the holidays, but none provided more sheer pleasure than this one. In the over 400 notes I've posted on this site, this wine is among the top five.

12/7/2020 - Brix wrote:

Did not get much from this. Deeply pigmented, but one dimensional and not very interesting.

10/30/2020 - Brix wrote:

I'm a big Cameron wine fan, but not a fan of big Cameron wines. This bottle was funk-free and definitely benefited from some air, but still wasn't really what I love in John Paul's wines. Too rich, too sweet, too much. Others obviously feel differently, and I'm clearly in the minority here.

10/3/2020 - Brix Likes this wine:

Seems like a 16 year old wine shouldn't be too young, but have to agree with other reviews - this wine has years to go before it hits its sweet spot. That said, it's in an entirely pleasant place now, but substantially less than it will ultimately be. Slippery pale gold, reticent nose, rather straightforward green apple and slate flavors. Beautiful balance of fruit and acidity. Gulpable.

9/24/2020 - Brix Likes this wine:

Quite lovely, in a refined, not in your face way. PnP, a clear medium garnet with amber rim. Sweet earth and black olives on the nose, carrying through on the palate. Equal parts Grenache vitality and Syrah heft. Sweet resolved tannins, balance, harmony. Consistent through the evening, but substantially deteriorated on Day 3.

8/4/2020 - Brix Likes this wine:

Five years since the last time we tried this, and it's only gotten better. An unapologetic purplish hue with a faint amber rim the only signs of age. Restrained but expressive nose. I love the silky texture that Gamay gets with time, and its subtle but vibrant grapey profile. At 12 years old this wine still has upside.

6/11/2020 - Brix wrote:

Meh in a glass. Attractive, burnished copper, but giving little on the nose and lacking that saline, sun-dried laundry aroma that makes Bandol rosés so compelling. Likewise on the palate: nothing overtly wrong, but lacking any real sense of place. This is decent, inexpensive rosé that could have come from almost anywhere.

5/2/2020 - Brix Likes this wine:

What HillbillyWE said. Did not have high expectations for a bottle of generic looking Spanish table wine with a wacky label, but damn, this was good stuff. Definitely not playing to dumbed-down tastes, either: this is focused, distinctive wine that reflects an appealing winemaker vision.

4/17/2020 - Brix Likes this wine:

In a fit of socially-distanced fatalism, we opened this bottle on a Tuesday evening to accompany home made pizza, because what the hell. Bottle has been stored in cool cellar conditions since its release. As expected, this isn't a blockbuster wine: its charms are understated but considerable. Nose was arguably its best feature: deep, earthy fruit and a trace of smoked meat, seamless and beguiling. Medium garnet in the glass with a narrow amber rim, visibly middle-aged, with only a trace of sediment. On the palate the wine is light and beautifully balanced, with smooth tannins, gentle but firm acidity, and layers of well-integrated flavors, from high-toned cherry/berry to savory woodsy notes. In all, a still-lively wine that displays the subtle polish of some age. Years to go.

2/13/2020 - Brix Likes this wine:

Solid performance. Darker and richer than I expected, possibly a distinction between M-à-V and the Morgon wines we more often drink? Well integrated, balanced, and showing no evidence of decline.

2/9/2020 - Brix Likes this wine:

A $15 whim from the remainders bin at K&L. Intoxicating plummy nose with spices and earth. Darker than I expected, deep mahogany with an amber rim. On the palate, hoisin and soy sauce, well integrated tannins, and a lingering hint of sweet tobacco. A very pleasant surprise.

1/12/2020 - Brix Does not like this wine:

Inoffensive, generic red wine, not recognizable as pinot or anything else.

11/18/2019 - Brix Likes this wine:

Not quite infanticide, but certainly opened early for this vintage. That said, the wine was quite pleasant. Right out of the chute, a generous nose of flowers and funk. Initial tannin resolved after an hour or so, revealing a medium-bodied, well balanced wine with lashings of orange peel, sweet fruit, and nice acidity. Surprisingly, not a trace of sediment. This wine should be in its early drinking window, with years of development ahead.

11/3/2019 - Brix Likes this wine:

Oh my, this was even better than anticipated. The Arley's is always my favorite among Cameron's cuvees, and this was no exception. Reflects the warm 2006 vintage, still lush and rich, but with ample acidity and structure. Explosive on the nose: raspberry, soil, a hint of flowers and sea breeze. Stored at cellar temp since release, this is throwing quite a bit of fine sediment, but still has years of life ahead. Quintessentially OR pinot, just delicious.

6/17/2019 - Brix wrote:

Call it bottle variation (or more likely my own inconsistency), but this seems marginally better than the last time I tried it a couple of years ago. Still hanging together, a richer and flashier version of the standard cuvee. Good for what it is, but not especially my thing. I don't think this has evolved or particularly benefitted from a dozen years of age, whereas the cheaper standard cuvee has gained texture and complexity.