8/23/2013 - Disco Stew wrote:

Bottle had been in a wine fridge but was totally corked. Tasted like prune juice. Really pissed as I had waited to open with the people that had given to me as a gift. Have been told this wine is amazing

4/1/2011 - Disco Stew wrote:

Think there is a few dollar surcharge for the name, even if this is the second label fro Duckhorn. I still expected a bit more quality in the wine or a bit more pizazz. Maybe it was premature to pop, but there are plenty of '07s that are drinking fine now. The classic cab nose was faint even after some time out in the open and in the later glasses. To be fair, the tannins were already very smoothed, and there was some good weight to the wine, but again, was hoping for a bit more. Agree with the below comment about grilling companion, as we did have with a mix of grilled meats and it augmented the smokey flavors without contrasting. Wouldn't be unhappy to have again, just not at the $20-$21/bottle that I paid

4/2/2011 - Disco Stew wrote:

This is my wife's new favorite every day cab. Not sure if it is because it is an '07 or if this is actually good, but was very pleased for a $13 bottle to get this level of flavors and structure (relatively speaking!). Have gone back and bought more for the Mrs.

4/8/2011 - Disco Stew wrote:

Pretty much what you would expect. Would let is sit and open a bit, but we unscrewed, poured and drank and it was fine.

3/26/2011 - Disco Stew wrote:

Really not sure why I keep opening these bottles. They are fine to drink now after some air, but def could use some more time in the bottle. Still young and tight

11/20/2010 - Disco Stew wrote:

Was recommendation from shop owner in Riverside, CT (All The Best Spirits) for a dinner party. Served with cheese and meat plate. Was well received by the crowd. Was skeptical at first given this is a blend from 3 diff locations (Napa, Sonoma and ??). Popped before people arrived to test. This is drinking well now. Nice fruit and vanilla on the front. This was a little tight, but I stress little. This is not like a lot o cute mash-ups of flavors that is called a blend. This is a nice well-structured cab for the price. Opened well in the glass. Will def be buying more at this price (<$20). Not sure about the commet of restaurant only.

2/3/2010 - Disco Stew wrote:

I continue to like this wine b/c of the consistancy and the price (@Zachy's). There is nothing about the wine that blows you away, but at the same time, it is a nice alternative to buying a more expensive blend, or a cheaper pure sangiovese. It does tend to mellow a bit after opening but loses some of it's fruit. I am not sure I agree with some of the other that time will change this profile. I think that this will mellow a bit, but I do not think that there will be further complexity or structure that develops. It drinks well now and is great with food.

2/3/2010 - Disco Stew wrote:

Need to find more of this. Was a gift. Had pre-dinner with assorted salumi and cheeses. Was a very complex and unique blend. I agree with other comments that this was very well formed for a young wine. Would love to see this again in a few years (2-3+). Hada nice Merlot backbone, but someting in their provided a bit more lushness on the fruit-side. Feel like a lot of these types of blen try to be too cute and throw 5 grapes in a bottle and jack-up the price as a cult blend, but this was designed to create a signature taste and this worked.

2/3/2010 - Disco Stew wrote:

Typical NZ SVB. Did have a bit more of a mineral / metalic tinge to the aftertaste, but that was not unpleasent.

1/22/2010 - Disco Stew wrote:

Had as part of a tasting menu Blue Hill at Stone Barns. This was paired with a farm-fresh egg that was breaded, and flash-fried that was like a scotch egg. This was on a bed of couscous and mushrooms. This wine despite being more than 10 years old, and open for more than an hour was still tight as if it was 2-3 years old. Not sure that more time in the open would have helped, and not sure what cellering will do. This had slight hints of barnyard gaminess to eat that actually worked well with the earthy flavors of the meal. On its own, it was not a favorite. I am more of a fan of US Pinots, and this was a bit more austere than I was looking for. The fruit was more muted than I would have like. Did have a good strong mouth feel, and was not thin like some other Pommards I have had from same vintage. Enjoyed with the meal, but would not be purchasing on its own.

1/22/2010 - Disco Stew wrote:

Had as part of a tasting menu at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. This was served with a flaky white fish in a seafood broth (mussels and shrimp). Clean crisp white burgandy. Straw is probably a good description on the color, but was much lighter. Nice flint and mineral edge to the initial taste, with a clean finish. Not a huge white burgandy fan, but this paired nicely with the meal. The broth had a thicker almost cream base to it, more than a stock base to it, so the acidity of this wine help to cut through the heavier sauce well.

1/22/2010 - Disco Stew wrote:

Had this as part of a tasting menu at Blue Hill at Stone barns. This was paired with some of the tastings, and then the first of four courses, which was beets from the garden with yogurt, pine nuts, and greens. High alcohol on the nose despite that this was poured from an open bottle and was being poured around the restaurant. Masked the true floral and citrus underneath. Did pair nicely with the earthiness of the beets and nuts as well as the acidity of the lemon zest in the yogurt. After about 15-20min in the glass, some of the alcohol did burn off, and this was very pleasant. More akin to a NZ Sauvignon Blanc than anything else. Was an interesting bottle.

1/18/2010 - Disco Stew wrote:

Really nice Syrah with coffee, smoke and toffe flavors that meld well in the mouth. Held-up well with food and neither over-powered nor shied away. Have been nothing but impressed with wines from this winery. The Z Three is also a great wine

1/18/2010 - Disco Stew wrote:

Recomendation from the Reisling expert at Zachy's. Thought this was a very good wine, but was much drier than what I like. I do not like sickly sweet wines, but this was BONE DRY. If you are a fan of dry whites, I would take a try. Was in WS Top 100 in 2009.

1/18/2010 - Disco Stew wrote:

Was not terrible, but really nothing that stood out. Felt "thin"...no punch of fruit on the open, mid pallate or finish. Again, nothing offensive, just really had no personality

1/18/2010 - Disco Stew wrote:

Solid well-constructed Merlot.

1/18/2010 - Disco Stew wrote:

Love this wine. Have been buying lots of this blend especially when we have cassoulet or other rich and smokey foods. Good wine on its own. Tastes like a much more expensive wine given the complexity.

1/18/2010 - Disco Stew wrote:

Really fun wine. The Mourvedre is a bit over the top, but this is none the less a good "new-style" Rhone blend that I would recommend having at least once. Not sure that this would be one that I would keep getting, but it is a good one to bring to a friends house as it is a bit different than the average bear

1/18/2010 - Disco Stew wrote:

Recommedation from Sherry-Lehman in NYC. Was not that impressed for the price point. Thought this was the classic over-oaked chard (which is admittedly not my style) that you expect. Hoping for some additional element that would blow me away, but it never came.

6/20/2009 - Disco Stew wrote:

Really interesting wine. Coffee smell on the nose was intense. Literally smelled like a cup of coffee. Rich coffee, toffee and dark fruit on the pallate. Was given as a gift. Would like to find more. Believe that it would cellar well.

6/20/2009 - Disco Stew wrote:

Good Zin. Had with grilled steak fajitas. Nice compliment. Caymus name adds a few but good solid wine.

6/20/2009 - Disco Stew wrote:

Nice crisp wine in the Marlborough mold of SVBs. Heavy citrus fruit with clean after taste. Serve REALLY cold.

6/20/2009 - Disco Stew wrote:

Was a bit more austere than I had anticipated. We had just finished a bottle of St Ubers-Hoff Reisling, so palate may have been a bit influenced. Nothing particularly offensive or spectacular about this wine. Stick to the cabs from Chimney Rock.

5/30/2009 - Disco Stew wrote:

Opened past drinking window. Took 3 sips and chucked

5/14/2009 - Disco Stew wrote:

Very happy with this bottle. Needed about 30-60min of breathing; did not decant. Beautiful ruby color under light. Swirl it like its your job, because this has a great nose. Cherry, Vanilla, Cassis and faint hints oleather on tge nose all blended nicely. Still fairly tanic, but lice mouth-feel from a firm fruit-forward cab. Think that this would cellar well. Was worried when I first opened and tasted, as it tasted like I was licking the inside of an oak barrel. Went awat very quickly. Only bad note is that you are paying for the price. Good complexity, but there are other "big name" california cab houses that have better bargins (Montelena, Caymus, etc.)

5/9/2009 - Disco Stew wrote:

Poured-out after a few sips. Was not to my liking. Wasn't flawed or corked, just tasted like cough syrup, but without the fun

2/27/2009 - Disco Stew wrote:

Holy F! Where did this come from? I received this as part of a "wine of the month club" and while most have been servicable/drinkable, this was down right tasty. If my local store has this, I am grabbing by the case-load, especially at this price. Does not have the synthetic cherry and cola that is expected from Pinot's in this price point. Much more elegant in flavor. Persistent nose. Lush mouthfeel that is velvety on the palate through the finish. Strong presence that did not wilt, even on day 2. If you are looking for a good solid Pinot Noir that exhibits qualities of an expensive CA/WA/OR Pinot, but at a fraction of the cost, track this bad-boy down.

2/21/2009 - Disco Stew wrote:

This was a good solid Pinot Noir that exhibits all of the classic tendencies that you would expect. Rather than "cola", I would say that this smells like a really nice black cherry soda (think Dr. Brown’s or Boylan's). I would agree with others, that this nose lasts. Cedar, cherry, pomegranate and even some slight undertones of vanilla filter in on the nid palate. Nice structure throughout. The vanilla was really accentuated with the aged gouda and hard pecorino cheeses that I had. Also had with dinner, which a great combo of was brown rice, avocado, shrimp and snow peas with a ginger soy sauce. This held-up and aided, not hindered the food.

This is a much stronger wine than some of the Oregon / Washington Pinots that can get to “thin”. I still hold the Goldeneye Pinot Noir (Duckhorn) to be my gold standard for US Pinot Noirs, and this is tracking in that same direction.

Had this originally at the vineyard tasting room in 2007. If you have a chance to go, it is one of the best tasting deals. Have an upstairs "reserve section" with food pairing that is nice.

2/20/2009 - Disco Stew wrote:

Wet stone, chalk, faint citrus and gooseberry on the nose. Not as minerally (flint) as other Sancerre’s, almost with a hint of oak that mutes the fruit. Alcohol is persistent throughout the finish. Enjoyed, but not enough to purchase again.

2/19/2009 - Disco Stew wrote:

Past the drinking window (assuming there was one). We used this to braise some sirloin for a really good Beef Stroganoff, knowing that we were going to chuck. Recipe has a touch of dill in it, which sounds bizarre, but is really good (thank you to MetFan's wife!). Tasted this to see if it was drinkable, and it was not. I also had this a bout a year ago with a venison stew, and it was tough to get through as well. No words can describe, but think moldy wood with unpleasant mouth-feel. If you have, use for cooking, otherwise, pour-out.

2/14/2009 - Disco Stew wrote:

Solid. Decanted for 2+ hours. Opened very well in the glass. Solid wine. Exhibits good balance throughout with well integrated tannins. We did have sediment at the bottom. Well-folded dark fruit, toasted vanilla, and cigar box. You pay so feakin' much for this label that the expectations are always high. They make a very good product, but I think you can get better value out there. Have another bottle and will be holding. This is drinking well now, but you should save for a special occasion.

2/14/2009 - Disco Stew wrote:

WTF. That is a good way to start the review. This is definitley past it's prime, bu the issue didn't all fall into that bucket. For starters, this is 14.2% achohol by volume for a white. Felt like we should have had a brown paper bag on this. Secondly, despite being labled as a Sauvignon Blanc, this tasted like an over-oaked Napa Chardonnay. It was just plain bizzare. When the alchohol finally blew-off, there was some semblance of structure, but all you could really taste was the barrel. We had with a homemade jumbalaya (hot sausage, sweet sausage, chicken & shrimp) and were told to try a US Sauvignon Blanc or a Riesling. We also had a Gewürztraminer that was amazing. If you have this, drink now (if you have to) or use for cooking.

2/15/2009 - Disco Stew wrote:

Purchased this on our honeymoon in Italy in 2007 at the vineyard. Let us tour the Balsamaria on grounds (i.e. a cave where they make Balsamic Vinegar in oak casks -- very cool). The Rosso is not just the little brother of the Brunello, but it is the can be the red-headed step-child. This wine just had no strong charachter to it. It was extremely pleasent, smooth and drinkable, but completly unmemorable. There is wiff of barnyard on the nose, that subsidees. Red berry fruit supported by clean greenish accents and some spice. On the palate it's medium to light bodied, with some ripe cherry fruit and smooth, slightly dusky tannins. We had with homemade chicken parm with a putenessca and fresh mozzerella. Wine got lost. There is a nice restrained flavor, but you literaly could chug this and not find strong defining flavor. Rosso di Multepulciano is way better.

2/13/2009 - Disco Stew wrote:

Beautiful garnet color. Not a very powerful nose; slight hint of leather. Nice mouth feel. Subtle dark cherries and tea leaves persist throughout. Smooth finish with tannins that are starting to calm down. Not sure if there is much that would come out from cellering this wine, as all of the tastes were so mellow/subtle now. Solid wine, but think you can find better for the price-point

2/9/2009 - Disco Stew wrote:

Wish I drank this earlier. Golden, chard-like color. Much deeper than typical Marlborough SBs. Honey and slight hint of pineapple on the nose. As noted, it has lost some of the citrus, but vinegar? Think that is a bit review is a bit much. Still has a nice balance citrus and mineral, but was more mellow than expected. Could be the age. Still drinkabable, but would chill it well, and take it down if you have a bottle in your cellar.

1/31/2009 - Disco Stew wrote:

Gourgeous golden color. Was initially concerned that it would be too "syrupy" like come Chards can be when the are "past their prime". Was not the case here at all. If you have, drink with confidence. We had with Red Snapper and polenta and was a wonderful compliment. Good structure and clean tatse with a hint of oak. This is the embodiment of a "buttery" Chardonnay. Other comments are a a bit harsh b/c of what is expected from Cakebread. It's not the best, but it's a good wine.

1/18/2009 - Disco Stew wrote:

Just shy of Outstanding. It is a very solid Brunello from the "Mondavi" of the region. These days, you know what you are getting from Banfi. Solid, well-made wines that in less noteworthy vintage years that just don't "wow" you. This has the solid structure you would expect and the muted fruit, cedar, and spice that you would expect, but it fails to be memorable. There is not that "omph" that you would expect. We had this on the heels of a solid 1998 Vietti Barbaressco Masseria, and it was a bit of a let down after the Vietti. We were expecting a progression up the Italian food chain, and felt there was none.

1/18/2009 - Disco Stew wrote:

Rating is based on potential. Stong blueberry on the nose with a bit of the bacon fat that you will read about. Wine is very tight and young, but was still drinkable. Did not decant, but was clear that with some opening, this quickly became a crowd pleaser. Very complex and velvety on the pallate. Less "spicey" than a traditional Shiraz. The blueberry held throughout and there were muted spices (pepper and nutmeg) that did not overpower. Heavy sediment at the end of the bottle, even for a wine this young. Feel that this would be a 95+ with some time. Will be buying more for the cellar.

1/18/2009 - Disco Stew wrote:

Strong cherry and leather on the nose. Opens well without decanting. Has classic Barbaresco feel on the pallate. Dark cherry persists throughout with a pleasent ceder edge to it. A bit tannic on the finish, but they have mellowed enough at this age not to detract. Very solid, but not as strong as the 2000 Masseria.