4/23/2024 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

Started closed, tight and with a slightly sour finish. Opened nicely over a couple of hours. Very saline. Fennel, a hint curry powder, underripe peach, lime. Very crystalline and stoney. Great focus, drive, energy with an interesting rustic/funky edge. Very promising. Needs 3+ years.

4/23/2024 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

Savory, peppery spice with interesting mushroom, marmalade and caramel aged notes. Perfectly ripe peach, melon, forest floor edge. Beautiful balance. Round but with grip. Lively finish with a touch of balsami and spice. At peak. A late release bottle but great value.

3/25/2024 - pgordon62 Does not like this wine:

Second bottle of this wine in the last two months. Pineapple, over-ripe pear, dusty earth edge, vanilla bean, sesame seed. Round but reasonable structure and balance. There is a fairly high level of phenolics. Fresher, brighter than the last tasting. Lacks a little complexity. Still not my favorite wine but showed better than last time. This bottle benefited from a lower serving temperature.

3/6/2024 - pgordon62 Does not like this wine:

Slight golden color. Caramel, beeswax, bark, pear fruit, stony. Oxidized notes. Toffee pronounced on the round palate. Good length with some RS balanced against acid, noticeable phenolics. I have enjoyed in past but not today. Lacks freshness, clarity. Maybe a slightly off bottle (though cork looked good)?

3/2/2024 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

Very structured and tightly wound. Citrus, aniseed, rock dust, saline. Dense. Powerful, zesty finish. Promising but needs a few years.

2/28/2024 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

Vibrant nose of lemon drop, fennel, wet stone, hay. A little less open, slightly less complex palate of sesame, grapefruit, acid zing. Long, stony finish. Sophisticated but also a little funky. Fresh with great balance. Soften a little over two hours. I think will improve with another 3-4 years but showing very well today.

2/24/2024 - pgordon62 wrote:

Started with dusty red berries, briar, blood sausage. A stemmy green edge on the tight palate, good length, noticeable but fine tannin. Good acid balance. Poised with a Pinot-like weighting. After a night in the fridge, I found an Anderson Valley Pinot – flinty, earthy chocolate coated cherries, some floral notes and a touch of sandalwood. A darker licorice note on the palate. There seems to be considerable oak influence, possibly combined with the stems. Pleasant but not much Mencia character. Really needs 4-5 years.

2/11/2024 - pgordon62 wrote:

I have very much enjoyed the Raul Perez/Castro Ventosa wines from this vintage but this wine is a profound disappointment. A lighter weight, lower extract wine that is joyless, hard and timid. There is smoky, candied black fruits, fudge and a little earthiness. Just not much going on. I bought a number of bottles, so fingers-crossed that age brings some significant improvement.

1/27/2024 - pgordon62 wrote:

A rich golden-green color. I would have guessed a Roussanne from a warm year – pineapple, marmalade, beeswax, a caramel driven oxidative edge. Round and rather ill-defined, simple. Really lacks acid but surprisingly persistent on the (slightly phenolic) finish. A disappointment. Lacks energy and depth. It did improve a little with air, more floral, tightened. Perhaps better with a couple more years?

1/27/2024 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

On day 1, bright spicy, red fruits, sappy blackcurrant, incense, limestone dust. There was a slightly boozy edge particularly noticeable on the nose. Fine grainy tannin that was rather clenching, drying. Very primary (as expected) and a little rustic. Day 2 the fruit was darker with tar, printers’ ink, a touch of molasses. The boozy fumes were more evident than the first day. Tannin much less harsh, more fat, a citric edge. I slightly preferred the more characterful day 1 showing. Really needs another 5-7 years to resolve the tannin but that alcohol level will always be an issue for me.

1/16/2024 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

Grilled herbs, peppery spices, meat juices, incense, sweaty saddle leather, black fruits. Medium bodied, grippy tannin. Lively acids. Juicy fruits and casserole on the palate. Good length. More integrated, less green than a bottle in April – there was a lot of creep on the cork, so maybe a little air may have advanced this bottle. I did miss the previous wildness a little but appreciate the sophisticated style. Amazing value. Really scratches the (quality) Northern Rhone itch at a ¼ of the price.

1/15/2024 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

Refined nose of white peach, apricot, lime peel, allspice, rock dust and a touch of dried flowers. Speaks of a cool climate, Chablis-like. Nice balance of plushness, acid spine and earthy structure. Excellent persistence and authority on the finish. A couple years helped the integration. A top quality wine but not sure worth over 2x the price of the Xisto Ilimitado.

12/18/2023 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

Some oak influence, particularly a spicy oak tannin note on the finish, but carries it well. Refined, fresh. A pleasing green herbal quality. A damp earth note. Lacks a little depth/volume. Sophisticated for the cost (14E) but I prefer a little more rustic character.

12/16/2023 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

Citrus (mainly lime), white flowers, limestone earth, a lactic edge and a hint of dried leaf. A crisp finish. Complex, energetic. A slight rustic element that is a plus. Over 4 hrs (in the fridge) moved more to tropical fruit particularly a pleasing overripe pineapple. Will age well.

12/7/2023 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

A great showing - flinty reduction that is in perfect balance with the stone fruits, quince, bark and a marmalade/butterscotch botrytis note. Nice volume, a talc-like minerality and acid driven tension. A complex, high quality wine punching way above its 23E price.

9/21/2023 - pgordon62 wrote:

Corked

6/19/2023 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

I expected something close to a Canary Island style wine but instead found a rounder, lower acid wine. Not overblown but lacks tension. Enjoyable for its generous ripe melon and peach fruit but straightforward, lacking much in way of minerality. Better on day 2 with more structure and interesting development.

6/16/2023 - pgordon62 Does not like this wine:

Not my cup of port. Very raisiny and overripe. Coarse, clunky tannin. A miss from a great vintage.

5/18/2023 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

Blind I would have guessed Gruner - it has that white pepper and savory earthiness. A notable salinity. Good acid balance. A mix of tropical and stone fruits. Enough complexity and development in the glass to keep the interest. Really an amazing value - it costs under 14E in Porto!

5/16/2023 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

Great balance and value (16E delivered) here. Stony fruits, savory edge, pleasing salinity. Ripe melon on the palate then citrus on the finish. Excellent length.

5/16/2023 - pgordon62 Does not like this wine:

Overripe melon fruit and very flowery. Lacks acid. Very much in the Viognier mold. Not my thing. Poor value.

5/16/2023 - pgordon62 Does not like this wine:

Very dense and ponderous. Some resinous oak. Chalky tannin. Monolithic dark fruits with some pepper. Almost Shiraz-like.

5/6/2023 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

There is a sense of quality. Seabreeze, earthy, a little spicy pepper, stone fruits. Nice density/texture. Maybe a touch of oak but not distracting. Adds an interesting struck match note. Competent, good depth but lacks any excitement.

5/3/2023 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

Spicy red fruits, minty herbs, flinty, fatty meat note - rather N. Rhone. Very spicy in the mouth, acid tingle, clay note, same thru the long finish with spiky tannin. Floral and citrus qualities emerge. More integrated the next day with lots of meaty savoriness. So like an old school Cote-Rotie. Excellent value.

5/3/2023 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

Nice (Loire-like) weighting, texture, good complexity. Peppery, brambly nose. Hi tone, red fruit. Salty wet stone, minerally, grippy finish. A little rustic at first. A little lighter but better integrated the next day. Floral, minty (almost pickle juicy) stemmy notes. More (stemmy) Pinot-like on the second day. Interesting, high QPR wine.

4/28/2023 - pgordon62 wrote:

Amazing visual brightness. Very reductive to start - struck match, sulfur with just hints of fruit and savory. Strong salinity. Gushing with bright energy. After 24hrs a little more lemony fruit emerged but still highly reductive. I felt it lost energy and became a little muddled. Maybe needed 48hrs+? I want to like this but cannot fully embrace the extreme reduction. Have stated that, I do appreciate the quality.

4/17/2023 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

There is a real depth here. Complex stone fruits, that Godello savory, herbal quality, a wonderful structure and notable salinity. I found the oak influence to be subtle. Will age nicely. Excellent.

4/13/2023 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

A St. Joseph nose with a touch of Loire - dark funky fruit, incense, floral notes. Tighter on the palate, more red fruited with a light herbaceous streak. The finish started rather harsh and bitter but did soften over a couple of hours. I think this wine will improve over the next 4-5 years. An amazing value at just under 11E (inc tax and shipping).

1/23/2023 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

Dark, slightly glossy berry, bloody meat, grilled herbs, a dusty note. Open on the nose but much tighter on the palate, which has a ferrous quality. The tannin is slightly gritty. Good length and overall balance. Enjoyable now but 8-10 years from peak window.

12/29/2022 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

One of the very best white wines I have experienced. A wonderfully integrated nose of Gruner savory goodness (roasted herbs, pepper, spices) plus aged dusty, earthy and honeyed notes. Harmonious on the palate which was round but with good acid balance. A persistent, complex finish. I think Gruner matches better with the funky, oxidative Nikolaihof house style than Riesling.

12/19/2022 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

A high tone nose of white pepper, violets and a touch of resinous oak. Dark fruits with a pleasing sweet edge, coal dust and a touch of bacon fat. Tight but very balanced on the palate. Just a touch of fine grain tannin, good acids. I did wish for a little more savory character and could do without the oak. Really needs another decade to relax, broaden and show its full potential.

5/13/2022 - pgordon62 wrote:

Corked

12/24/2021 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

An excellent showing - classic old wine leathery plum fruit, bright cherry, a very pleasing smokiness, earth and a floral freshness. No sign of the heat of the vintage. As a complete oakaphobe I was worried about the 100% new oak but is full integrated with just a touch of appealing woodiness. Ready to go with just a touch of tannin remaining to frame the wine

7/12/2021 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

Winemaker Note - my first chance to taste this wine in 4 or 5 months. I really liked this wine as a pop'n'pour. The tannin was present but nicely integrated. Lots of savory character. After 24 hrs there was more focused fruit intensity and pepper. Needs a year or two to hit the start of the peak window but very enjoyable now. Paul

3/12/2021 - pgordon62 wrote:

Winemaker note - with all our wines, within the first year or so in bottle there is a slight spritz from trapped CO2. This is a great preservative and allows for a low SO2 regime. If sensitive to this I suggest an aggressive decant or better, wait until 2022 to open. This wine, and all the 2019s, have tightening up the last few weeks and would really benefit from air or a little age. Paul

1/28/2021 - pgordon62 Does not like this wine:

I had three bottles of this wine and all very disappointing. Musty, oxidized, muted. Something went very wrong especially compared to the positive Gilman/Vinous reviews.

12/7/2020 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

Winemaker note - this wine went thru a closed period in the fall but is now starting to open up. Can be enjoyed now (especially if you have multiple bottles) but best to wait until the spring 2021 for more optimal drinking. Paul

12/7/2020 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

Winemaker note - opened this wine over the weekend (a simple pop and pour) and it was open and enjoyable. There is a little fine grain tannin but I find it contributes to an excellent texture. It will improve over the next 2-4 years (at least) but can be appreciated now. Paul

6/10/2020 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

Winemaker note - this wine is starting to sing. Previously there was a richness on the nose but very taut and acid driven on the palate. More integrated now with a more open, richer palate. Should continue to improve for another year or two at least but drinks well now. Paul

6/8/2020 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

Winemaker note - starting to open a little but still rather reticent. Promising complexity and lovely balance. Suggest sample the 2018 Alturas first and wait until the fall to try this wine. Paul

5/21/2020 - pgordon62 Likes this wine:

Winemaker note - we opened a bottle yesterday. It showed more open than earlier in the year. Drank two glasses. Going back to the remaining wine after 3hrs showed much improvement. I think the 2016 vintage is the closest analogy. If you have a few bottles it may be worth trying one in June/July 2020. Otherwise, best to wait until fall 2020. Paul

4/4/2020 - pgordon62 wrote:

Winemaker note - starting to drink well from a pop'n'pour. Complexity emerges from a little time in the decanter and/or glass. Paul

4/4/2020 - pgordon62 wrote:

Winemaker note - Starting to drink well (in advance of the 2015 Alturas). A little time in the decanter is good and then enjoy over a few hours. Paul

2/18/2020 - pgordon62 wrote:

Winemaker note - this wine has shut-down the last month or so (was bottled mid-November) though a little more open than Alturas from the same vintage. Recommend wait at least until mid-year or give it a double decant 12hrs ahead. Paul

2/18/2020 - pgordon62 wrote:

Winemaker note - the 2018 Alturas has really shut-down the last month or so (was bottled mid-November). Recommend wait at least until June or give it considerable air. Will be much better in two years - the 2016 is just starting to show its full potential. Paul

10/18/2019 - pgordon62 wrote:

Winemaker note - opened a bottle last night. Very tight with lots of white pepper, bay leaf, coal dust. Needs another year at least or give it a long decant. Paul

5/31/2019 - pgordon62 wrote:

Winemaker note - starting to open up and drink reasonably well as a pop and pour. A half consumed bottle, corked and stored in the fridge overnight was even better, showing some beautiful intense red fruit.

10/30/2018 - pgordon62 wrote:

Winemaker note - this was one of the most open of our wines straight out of the gate but I found two bottles over last couple weeks to be a little tighter. Suggest decant an hour ahead of drinking or wait until spring 2019. Paul

6/26/2018 - pgordon62 wrote:

Winemaker note - hitting its stride. Enjoy after pulling the cork but try after 24hrs. Paul

6/26/2018 - pgordon62 wrote:

Winemaker note - this is a more open vintage that drinks well now. I find best as a pop'n'pour or give it a couple days of air. A mix of the exotic character of 2013 Alturas and the structure of the 2014. Paul