4/22/2017 - rtd3 Likes this wine:

Wow... great Merlot! Drinking great right now

12/7/2014 - rtd3 wrote:

Not sure what happened, but the cork was extremely soft and broke apart upon opening. The wine had turned and was full of sediment.

11/16/2014 - rtd3 Likes this wine:

Deep purple in color with very long legs. First smell is tobacco and menthol with slight dark cherry. Some sandalwood.
First taste i was expecting some heat, but none present. Slight hint of berries with some oak at the end. Was really expecting more from this wine. Will try it with a steak dinner to see if food helps bring out more.

10/26/2014 - rtd3 Likes this wine:

deep ruby red color, smells of leather, cassis, slight menthol and cherries. on first taste, tannins hit you right away, but quickly fade into a mild blackberry. Much better than i remember... will have with a thick steak!

9/29/2014 - rtd3 Likes this wine:

dark ruby color. menthol on initial nose, some tobacco with hints of dark cherry and jam. Wow... no heat at all, with slight taste of dark cherry and cedar. nice finish. nice wine :) too bad only bottle...

6/15/2014 - rtd3 Likes this wine:

Burgundy in color. Smells of leather, cassis, licorice, dark cherries and a little earth. Wow..tannins hit right up front.... a little heat at the finish. Not much fruit... will let decant for an hour. 82 initially.
After 1 hour decant...the wine has mellowed some... only slight tannins up front and no heat at finish now. Fruit a little more noticeable -- jammy. much more enjoyable. 88 now. good QPR, but let it sit after opening.

3/23/2014 - rtd3 Likes this wine:

Dark purple color out of the bottle. Smells of leather, sandalwood and cherries, with hint of licorice. First taste, very fruit forward with cherry. Not much oak left but still very nice finish. A little sweeter than i prefer, but delicious none the less.

12/22/2013 - rtd3 Likes this wine:

Ruby Colored. Smells of menthol, cassis, lavender?, sandalwood or cedar, slight fruit -- cherries.
No decant -- very fruit forward... cheery, raspberry. Slight oakey finish, but overall very nice. Very drinkable. Much better than i remember.

10/13/2013 - rtd3 Likes this wine:

Burgundy/Garnet in color. Smells silky, slight cassis, and boysenberry. Some cedar and moderate earth undertones. Tastes silky on the tongue. Some berries up front. Long finish, with hint of oak. Delicious.

9/8/2013 - rtd3 Likes this wine:

Deep garnet color with nice legs. First smell is strikingly good based on the last time a drank this wine. Smells of cherry and cedar with some earthiness. taste of cherries, cocoa, sandalwood. Much better than i remember.. guess it needed more time in the cellar.

5/1/2013 - rtd3 Likes this wine:

The wine looks Inky colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Black currant (cassis), Raspberry, Blackberry, Black Pepper, Cedar, and Mineral AND Chocolate. It tastes like Black currant (cassis), Blackberry, Prune, Cherry, and Sandalwood. The body is Medium. The wine has Satin-like texture. The wine finishes Medium.
Beautiful wine upon opening... no decant.

4/28/2013 - rtd3 Likes this wine:

The wine looks Inky colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Black currant (cassis), Stoniness, Cedar, Sandalwood, Vanilla, and Cool/Menthol. It tastes like Cherry, Blackberry, Oak, Black Pepper, and Stoniness. The body is Medium. The wine has Satin-like texture. The wine finishes Long.

4/19/2013 - rtd3 wrote:

The wine looks Purple colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Black currant (cassis), Raspberry, Cherry, Flint, and Cedar. It tastes like Blackberry, Black currant (cassis), Mineral, and Sandalwood. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Silky texture. The wine finishes Long.

4/19/2013 - rtd3 Likes this wine:

The wine looks Violet colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Strawberry Jam, Blackberry, Raspberry, and Plum. It tastes like Blueberry, Red Currant, Raspberry, Apricot, and Black Pepper. The body is Light/Medium. The wine has Leathery texture. The wine finishes Short.

4/13/2013 - rtd3 wrote:

The wine looks Purple colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Black Pepper, Cedar, Strawberry Jam, Black currant (cassis), and Cool/Menthol. It tastes like Blackberry, Black currant (cassis), Cedar, and Black Pepper. The body is Light/Medium. The wine has Leathery texture. The wine finishes Medium.

3/31/2013 - rtd3 Likes this wine:

great everyday drinking wine

2/9/2013 - rtd3 Does not like this wine:

Not good...

1/31/2013 - rtd3 Likes this wine:

same as last... good everyday drinking wine...

1/15/2013 - rtd3 Likes this wine:

The wine looks Garnet colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Cherry, Mineral, Cedar, Black Pepper, Tobacco, Eucalyptus, and Cool/Menthol. It tastes like Black currant (cassis), Cherry, Black Pepper, and Chocolate. The body is Medium. The wine has Smooth texture. The wine finishes Short.

1/7/2013 - rtd3 Does not like this wine:

past it's prime... loved it prior....

12/22/2012 - rtd3 Likes this wine:

my last bottle :(

12/22/2012 - rtd3 Likes this wine:

wonderful wine. very crisp.

12/20/2012 - rtd3 Likes this wine:

The wine looks Purple colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Mineral, Petrol, Cedar, Sandalwood, Black Pepper, Black currant (cassis), and Cherry. It tastes like Mineral, Forest floor, Stoniness, Oak, Stoniness, Cherry, and Black currant (cassis). The body is Light/Medium. The wine has Silky texture. The wine finishes Medium.
Not as good as i remember... will let decant and try again...

12/16/2012 - rtd3 Likes this wine:

(first try with the tasting note assistant).

The wine looks Ruby colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Blackberry, Black currant (cassis), Strawberry Jam, Cherry and licorice. It tastes like Strawberry, Blackberry, Black currant (cassis), Cherry, and Chocolate. The body is Medium. The wine has Leathery texture. The wine finishes Short.

12/15/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

Smells slightly astringent with some cherry and cedar. First taste you notice the tannins up front, then some fruit. Tannins not overpowering, but leaves mouth dry. Will decant and try again.

12/9/2012 - rtd3 Likes this wine:

seems to be getting better...

12/9/2012 - rtd3 Does not like this wine:

a little on the sweet side for me, but nice pinot none the less... berry/cherry flavors.

10/28/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

past its prime.

8/29/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

dark purple in color. slight fruit scent, cedar. slight tannins upfront, not much fruit, earthy flavors on the finish.
Edit: Originally gave this an 85, good but not great. However, changed to an 88 after letting it sit out for an hour. Had this wine with crab cakes and a spicy remoulade sauce... delicious combination!

7/16/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

Deep rich ruby red in color. Smells of cherries and cedar. Bright fruit flavor on first taste (no decanting) no tannins to speak of. Very smooth and drinkable, but a little sweet for my tastes.

7/16/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

maybe i had a bad bottle.. will have to try again when i get home... this had a a beautiful maroon color, with hints of cheery and earth on the nose. The first taste was delicious, with sweet cheery and almost no tannins... but alas, it started to give an "off" flavor like the wine had gone bad.

6/29/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

Same as last time, maybe a little better... deep ruby red in color. smells of cassis, licorice, cherries and cedar. very bold up front with slight tannins.

5/5/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

The 3rd bottle of the evening and by far the best... silky smooth. slight tannins, great fruit. A wonderful bottle of wine.

5/5/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

Great white wine... not like a cali Chardonnay, more like a Suavignon Blanc with more fruit. Awesome summer wine.

5/5/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

some sediment on first pour. light burgundy in color. Smells of fruit/cherries/licorice with some spice. Wow... big fruit taste on first taste, but not sweet. slight tannins, but overall very smooth. Not big on Pinot Noir but this is very drinkable, very enjoyable.

5/3/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

deep ruby red in color. smells of cassis, licorice, cherries and cedar. very bold up front with lots of tannins. slight sweetness. Will decant and check back.
Much smoother after decanting. tannins have mellowed and fruit is more up front. Very nice!

4/29/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

my last bottle... very smooth. not much oak left, but delicious. i was surprised how well it help up.

4/29/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

Fabulous!

4/28/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

Deep ruby red in color. Smells wonderful :) spicy hints of licorices/cassis, mild earthiness, chocolate, and lavender? Very mild up front taste with short tannins on the finish. Sweet fruit/cherries up front, but not overpowering. Tannins smoothed out after decanting. Very drinkable.

4/20/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

my last bottle: Dark ruby color, smells of licorice and earth, hints of blackcurrant with a little spice. Very nice flavor. Bold upfront with short lived oak/tannin aftertaste. Not much fruit left, but overall very smooth. Will decant and try again.
Even smoother after decanting, but still not much fruit. Some earthiness.

4/8/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

same as last...and last bottle...

3/20/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

Same as last bottle...dark plum in color. same smells as last time...blackberries/currents with hints of spice/pepper, licorice and cedar. Slight cherry/berry flavor on first taste. No oak this time... some slight tannin on first taste. After decanting almost no tannins...slightly sweet fruit flavor. Very drinkable...

3/17/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

nice burgundy color. smells of slate?, licorice, cherries, and sea salt?? very interesting on first taste...i am getting the cherry flavor, but also the sea salt with hints of cedar. Will decant 1 hour and try again.

3/15/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

From the cave collection: My last bottle :( Deep ruby purple color, Smells of earth, casis, lavender? A little oak left, but very soft. Slight fruit, with hints of cherries. Past it's prime, but it brings back memories of how good this once was.

3/3/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

same as before (10/12/2011)

2/14/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

smells like cassis, licorice, some earthiness. very fruity upon first taste, with a bit of an aftertaste (bad bottle?) Some dryness on the tongue. A little flat after decanting with some of the fruits muted, with the dryness still present. Very drinkable, but not memorable... but then, i am more of a cab fan so your mileage may vary...

2/4/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

same as before... great with rib eye... last two bottles :(

1/15/2012 - rtd3 wrote:

same as last time... much better after decanting... but not much oak left...

12/11/2011 - rtd3 wrote:

My last bottle :( - very strong black cheery and licorice smell with hints of pepper. WOW -- Tannins still going strong and overwhelm on first taste... will decant for an hour and come back. After decanting, the tannins are much more muted, slight fruit up front and then fades quickly.. but VERY enjoyable with a big rib-eye steak.

12/3/2011 - rtd3 wrote:

very dark purple in color. Blackberry/Cherry on the nose with some pepper/spice. slight lavender/vanilla. Very fruity flavor. some tannins/dryness on the tongue. Will decant and try again. After decanting, much better... very enjoyable. Still on the sweeter side for me, but very enjoyable!