8/1/2023 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Predominant Grenache character. Oxidative red fruits - lots of raspberry. Licorice, garrigue and black tea. Lacks some richness and concentration for my liking, but the acidity is well in balance. Would prefer a tad more intensity in the finish. Time to drink up any remaining bottles.

1/22/2023 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Decanted for four hours. Vibrant hues and colors in the rim of the glass. Reduction and coffee ground aromas. Deep, dark fruits and earthy minerals. Intense acidity and structure on the palate. This is wine to age. I drank this too young, and it was still delicious. This team is doing it right and doing it well.

2/1/2023 - DangerMouse81 wrote:

Straw color. Aromas of banana chips, papaya and whipped cream. I left the wine in my glass for an hour, and the fruit faded into alcohol. Lots of oak on the palate and a lingering dryness. Hollow. Not sure if this is wood tannin, or vintage related? Antonio Galloni called this wine "aggressive."

3/9/2023 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Yellow gold color. The color seems to indicate this wine may be nearing its decline but it's not oxidized yet. Candy apple and passionfruit. The oak is showing, but it's playful and fairly well integrated. Very well balanced with acidity and texture. Great concentration of fruit on the palate.

8/17/2021 - DangerMouse81 wrote:

I wanted more from this wine, but it remained linear the entire night. Oyster shell, saline and olive brine. Crisp acid but lacked longevity on the palate.

7/4/2021 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Aromatically this was wonderfully mature. Tobacco, cedar, black olive and dried cherry. Very Bordeaux-like, but the palate was a bit clipped and short in length. Probably best to drink now.

7/3/2021 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Aubert's Fall release was coming up, and I acquired this to try a Pinot before the offering. Lots of blackberries and dark fruit, blueberry, earth and lavender. Great freshness, energy and perfume. Stylistically seems similar to their Chards. Can't wait to try more.

5/29/2021 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Wonderfully evolved at such a young age for a Dunn Cab. Black cherry oil and chocolate with licorice. Broad and rich palate with soft, ripe tannins (likely due to hot vintage). I will probably drink the rest of these over the next two years. Seem perfect right about now.

5/1/2021 - DangerMouse81 wrote:

Possibly sterile filtered. Has a tropical Sav Blanc note. Guava, canned peaches, clipped palate with a strange bitterness in the finish. Not terribly unpleasant, but not memorable either.

5/16/2021 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Perfect bottle. Dark core of fruit, cedar shavings and dusty tannins. Structurally sound and drinking beautifully right now.

6/23/2021 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Fully mature. Oxidative quality of the Grenache seems bolstered by the Syrah at this point. Our last bottle and wouldn't wait any longer if we had more.

5/22/2021 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Peach jelly, lychee, jasmine and herbs. Great acid balance. This wine is delicious.

4/3/2021 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

A nice surprise. Deep color saturation. Cedar, tobacco, dates & olive tapenade. Clean and fresh fruit on the palate. Great length on the palate, and most importantly, kept improving with air.

4/11/2021 - DangerMouse81 Does not like this wine:

Melon, banana chips & oak that consumes the wine with air. The acid is so incredibly sour and sticky it comes across as artificial, like a lemonhead candy. Very disjointed and expensive.

3/31/2021 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

This is easily one of the best Chardonnay's I've ever had. Perfumed citrus, apple powder and chalky mineral notes. Clean, crisp acidity with enveloping mid-palate texture. The finish goes on and on. How does Aubert harmonize elegance AND intensity in the same glass? My mind is blown.

1/1/2021 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

At 11 years old this wine is just starting to blossom. Reduced blackberry jam and black olives. There's a freshness and purity on the palate with minerals and elegant weight. I'm learning these wines have to age a long time...

2/14/2021 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Fully saturated colors, flavors and aromas. Violets, black and blue fruits, and a savory, grilled, peppered meatiness. The palate is luxurious with great structure, and a lengthy, persistent finish. Very well managed ripeness.

2/27/2021 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Perfumed and elegant zin fruit, lavender, pepper and spice. Pretty red fruit on the palate. Interesting Grenache twist. Medium length on palate. Lovely, lovely, lovely.

2/21/2021 - DangerMouse81 wrote:

Pineapple, banana, honey, and butter. A little oaky on the palate. Seems like a classic rendition of Napa Chard.

1/23/2021 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Optimal drinking window. Stone fruit, flowers and minerals. Palate is refreshing but slightly clipped short. A little pricey to lack longevity. Very nice though. Drink now.

2/6/2021 - DangerMouse81 wrote:

Oxidized.

2/20/2021 - DangerMouse81 wrote:

Slightly muted aromatics that were smoky and more savory. Palate was a little lean and lacked persistence. My first Hartford Court and not a great start.

6/19/2020 - DangerMouse81 wrote:

Really not sure what to make of this bottle. It’s my second time drinking this exact wine, and I don’t recall the first being so strange. Candy strawberry, stems and lots of reductive funkiness. However, the palate was quite bitter and metallic (maybe brett?). Left it open for three days and it never resolved. I’ve had much better from this producer, but this was a weird one.

6/12/2020 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Started with savory notes but quickly opened to show more fruit character. Plums, orange peel, black licorice and warm blackberries. Soft palate and remarkably resolved at a young age. I was concerned it would be too young, but very enjoyable.

6/11/2020 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Slight dark fruits, cassis and loads of dried herbs. Capsicum driving underneath the fruit. Acidity was a little out of balance, but that may resolve with age. Fairly linear but overall not a bad effort.

6/11/2020 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Really pretty. Bright red fruits, cranberries and roses. Underlying spice notes and evolves nicely in the glass. The palate offers perfect texture weight and balance of acidity. Good length. Seems like a perfect drinking spot.

6/11/2020 - DangerMouse81 Does not like this wine:

Good color, but it's downhill from there. Aromas of stewed vegetables. Dill, asparagus and bell peppers. Tart acidity, lacks flavor and has no length on the palate. If you like these things, you will love this wine.

5/30/2020 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Linear but a nice wine. Lemon zest and green apple. Racy and crisp. My first intro to English sparkling. Curious to try more, and enjoy higher quality examples.

5/26/2020 - DangerMouse81 Does not like this wine:

Burnt buttered popcorn, slightly reduced, lactic, buttercream. Slick, leesy palate with a sticky, apple brandy finish. No acidity and lacking freshness.

1/26/2020 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Just wow. Pure honeycomb, sweet peach and honeydew melon. Liquid minerals. Perfect saline richness with fresh acidity. Incredible.

5/26/2020 - DangerMouse81 wrote:

Oxidized. Disappointing.

5/18/2019 - DangerMouse81 Does not like this wine:

At seven years old, I think it's already over the hill. Oxidized, some dried herbs, light and acidic without any stuffing or texture. No contest to Cayuse or Reynvaan in the flight.

5/18/2019 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Much more accessible than the Cayuse. Grilled herbs, smoked meats, blend of dark and red fruits with floral lifts. Sweet cigar tobacco on the palate. Less longevity than the Cayuse, but better to drink now.

5/18/2019 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Aromatically this wine was really backwards and weird. Tire rubber, charred wood, lots of reduction. There was massive power to the palate though. Elegant, slightly floral and Tahitian vanilla in the finish. Great longevity. It has the makings of a solid wine, but needs a lot of air.

1/1/2020 - DangerMouse81 wrote:

Chocolate cherries, espresso and tarmac. Lush, sweet fruit on the mid-palate. Tough tannins. It's good, but lacks character for me. Just seems like Napa Cab.

4/19/2020 - DangerMouse81 wrote:

Heaps of tea, cedar, tobacco and pine. Red cherry, orange zest and potpourri. Broad, round mouthfeel with soft tannins. Very mild bitterness in the finish, or would have rated higher. Great showing from OR.

5/10/2020 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Raspberry tea, cranberry oil, good saturated core of bright fruit. Pretty palate, great acid balance and solid length. Really nice intro wine for Domaine Drouhin.

5/14/2020 - DangerMouse81 Does not like this wine:

Not sure whether or not to mark this flawed, given the overwhelming level of brettanomyces. If you like band-aids, you will love this wine. Short palate, little flavor, moving on...

5/31/2020 - DangerMouse81 wrote:

Good color saturation. Red cherries, plums and spicy, savory notes from the barrel and soil. However, while the wine is aromatically interesting the oak is overwhelming on the palate. Different style for Anderson Valley...

5/30/2020 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

From magnum. Lots of pear pastry and toasty brioche. Lemon meringue palate with creamy mousse. Polished wine and focused. Lovely stuff.

5/30/2020 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

The best domestic sparkling producer, and an excellent entry wine. Red apple, graham crackers, touch of citrus. Elegant and lengthy finish.

5/30/2020 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Linear, but a solid wine. Orchard fruit and baking spices. Crisp and refreshing way to start the evening.

12/24/2019 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Stumbled upon this gem in the cellar. Last bottle and what a treat. Brick color. Loaded with earth tones. Bramble, tobacco, eucalyptus, leather, and savory meats. I wouldn't want to age it any longer, but bravo, Margaret River.

3/17/2020 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Plum sauce, espresso and fig. Hint of graphite. Soft, silky texture. Easy drinking on Saint Patty's day with corned beef.

4/27/2020 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Wonderful energy to this wine. Minerals, oyster shell, white flower and honeysuckle. Stone fruit on the palate with elegant weight. Aging nicely.

5/23/2020 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Show stopper of a wine. Crushed stones, nectarines and lime zest. Bright acidity with classic, voluminous Aubert textures. Grand Cru California.

11/29/2019 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Inky, black core to its color. Licorice incense, black and blue fruits, and a slight leafiness. Crush rock minerals on palate (Graves-like), dense with sweet, well-integrated tannins. This is a wonderful walking of the tightrope...Napa ripeness without becoming too heavy-handed.

2/29/2020 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Slightly effervescent at first but blew off with time. Reduction didn't blow off though. Lots of savory notes, grilled chicken, saline and funk. Persistence to the acid. Interesting wine, but not the best showing.

4/17/2020 - DangerMouse81 Likes this wine:

Lemon perfume, green apple candy and sweet kiss of spice. Touch of richness with racy acidity. Incredible QPR. Need to drink more of this, more frequently.

3/12/2020 - DangerMouse81 wrote:

Light color. Bramble and gamy. Green beans and tobacco ash. Lean, flat and acid is out of balance. Seems over the hill.