7/23/2023 - gondrik wrote:

Vinegar upon opening and little positive development. Bland but drinkable on the second day. I don't know if this qualifies as "flawed". It was not corked. I have one more bottle which I will drink shortly.

6/25/2023 - gondrik Likes this wine:

This very favorable wine but not jammy or hot. It is drinking well now and will last in the cellar for quite a while. It needed decanting to eliminate the sludge. I did not perceive any fabulous olfactory accents but it could just be my nose was on vacation.

6/25/2023 - gondrik Likes this wine:

This is really good Chardonnay. Full bodied, favorable, an crisp enough to make it interesting.

10/4/2022 - gondrik Likes this wine:

What a nice bottle of Pinot! Abundant flavors with well balanced acidity complement a full body. Over the course of dinner there was not much change in the experience and it was great immediately after opening.

1/31/2021 - gondrik Does not like this wine:

After an hour it opened and was very full flavored but very tannic.

1/10/2021 - gondrik Likes this wine:

This wine has been drinking well for a decade but is now getting more refined without any evidence of decline. In the past I have decanted for four to six hours. This bottle only required an hour to fully open. It was smooth, very full flavored, but light. At 13% alcohol it has perfect balance

12/4/2020 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Very full and smooth. Good balance between tannins and sweetness.

10/3/2020 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Superb Cabernet! Full, rich, and flawless. May get better but it's so good now.

8/6/2020 - gondrik Likes this wine:

When I bought this I was warned that it would take time, and indeed it has! I bought a case and have tried it over the years. This is the first bottle that I love. The tight tannins have softened and the fruit has surfaced. It is medium bodied and flavorful. I think it has many years ahead of it. Patience is a wonderful thing as any Bordeaux lover will appreciate.

7/8/2020 - gondrik Likes this wine:

A wonderful wine with lot of character.

4/11/2020 - gondrik Likes this wine:

I completely agree with Jeff Leve's 4/3/2020 note. This is wonderful wine!

4/11/2020 - gondrik Likes this wine:

What a great bottle of wine! California cabernet is often too sweet and gets the prune descriptor as a major note. Dominus has the Bordeaux like backbone that I prefer.

4/11/2020 - gondrik Likes this wine:

This vintage may be the best they have produced. The balance between lushness and backbone is very good. I opened an hour before drinking and had with dinner over the next hour. There was not much development over that span, but consistent nose and mouth experiences.

12/26/2019 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Wonderful wine with or without the fine bubbles. It is ready now. The wine pours into the flute exhibiting a yellow color. The spice tones are forceful yet subtle. The acidity to sweetness balance is superb. Flavors abound and remind one of a walk in a late summer garden, late in the day. Like the day, the wine is gone, a testament to the attention devoted to it. Both the wine and the day are memorable.

9/24/2019 - gondrik Likes this wine:

This wine is spot on at present! It has balance, depth, and robust flavor.

2/15/2019 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Beautiful fruit flowing out of a solid structure.

5/29/2018 - gondrik wrote:

The Kosta Browne RRV and Sonoma Coast Pinot Noirs are consistently great. The 2012 bottlings are especially good. It takes an hour plus for the wine to develop to its full potential in the glass. Lucky the one who gets the last pour.

5/29/2018 - gondrik Likes this wine:

This wine has everything lined up perfectly. It unfolds in an hour to deliver a velvety finish and copious flavors.

5/29/2018 - gondrik wrote:

This bottle was not at its prime; seemed tired. It had all the usual attributes of its family but not shining.

12/9/2017 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Delicious, clean and well structured. The backbone has moderate acid that balances well with the fruit. The tannins have evolved and are perfect for this wine.

11/29/2017 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Smooth and delicious. Long finish.

11/11/2017 - gondrik Likes this wine:

A perfectly finished California Cabernet in its prime. Everything is in balance and no rough edges. It does not display the nuances of a great Bordeaux but every sip start to finish is delicious.

10/19/2017 - gondrik Likes this wine:

I have very limited experience with Petite Sirah. I enjoyed this as a beverage to drink with a spicy pizza. The flavors were very dark fruit with perhaps too little acidity. I was apprehensive that the high alcohol level would be unpleasant but that was not the case.

8/22/2017 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Double decanted and served after 3 hours; definitely need to extract sludge. Developed superb richness over time. Have had a number of bottles over 20 some years and this was the best showing. Last glass, at five hours, was the best.

3/8/2017 - gondrik Likes this wine:

If you like full bodied Pinot Noir, this is a good one!

3/8/2017 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Drinking our third case and every bottle is amazing. Needs to breathe for an hour to develop full intensity. It has the fullness of a high end oaked Chardonnay but enough acidity to make it interesting.

3/8/2017 - gondrik wrote:

2009 is the first Calera Jensen vintage I have purchased. I have had a bottle per year since release and this is the first time it has performed at this level. It has put on weight and displaying more complexity. It is flawless and has a great finish. May be the best Pinot Noir I have had this year.

11/16/2016 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Rich and smooth with black fruit and spice flavors. Still youthful.

11/16/2016 - gondrik wrote:

Great Shiraz in perfect balance. Have had a number over the years and have never been disappointed, but this is the best bottle to date.

3/14/2016 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Really delicious but not the best vintage of this classic.

1/27/2016 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Nice chard. Not too buttery nor too mineral. My wife loved it so I didn't get much of the bottle.

1/27/2016 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Kosta Browne consistently makes a great pinot. I liked the 2011 for its balance. The 2012 was more intense. This is between the two and a luscious wine for many culinary possibilities.

1/27/2016 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Opened four hours before dinner. Rich intense red color but not too much on the nose. Silky textures and an bold but balanced fruit prevailed. Very harmonious and without flaws.

9/28/2015 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Beautiful compelling fruit. Tanins were a bit harsh. Decanted for four hours; should have done six.

9/28/2015 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Nice fruity Syrah. Has not really developed much since release. Well made and enjoyable.

7/12/2015 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Smooth, full, and delicious. More dark fruit and less cherry than other Dumol vintages. Well balanced.

7/12/2015 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Very full of life and aging beautifully. Lots of fine bubbles, robust toasted nut nuances.

4/13/2015 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Always a pleasure to drink Bryant Family. The 2005 is very good and very typical of BF. It is not a stellar wine like the 1997.

4/13/2015 - gondrik Likes this wine:

I think we had this too young. Decanted for 4 hours and the nose developed nicely with some eucalyptus nuances. The massive juice on the palate mask any multi-dimensioned taste offerings. The last Harlans we have had were 1990-1993s and this seemed like a different style; more of a Parkerized heavyweight and not as pleasant.

4/13/2015 - gondrik Likes this wine:

This bottle didn't fully developed over the course of 5 hours. It was not flawed but it never sang. Good wine, but not what is expected of a Latour.

4/13/2015 - gondrik Likes this wine:

This is a review of a dozen bottles of this wine consumed over the past few years. I was not the greatest vintage, but Kosta Browne made a superbly balanced Pinot that has been enjoyable every experience. The wine is getting fuller and more velvety with time. The essence of Pinot Noir comes through without being masked with too much fruit and intensity.

3/4/2015 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Have waited a year to try it, but with 2013s coming in it seems like the time is due. It is a 2012, so as expected it is a big fruity wine. It is a Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast, so as expected it is a well crafted wine. I loved the 2011 for its balance. The 2012 is much bigger and balanced in a different way. The complexity is not eclipsed by the fruit and I expect further development with time.

3/4/2015 - gondrik wrote:

I will assume that this wine has a bright future ahead of it, but it is the only Lewelling I have had that was not in its drinking window. It is too intense and unevolved at this time. The regular 2007 bottling is superb. No score for now.

1/26/2015 - gondrik Likes this wine:

From my cellar. The cork was deteriorating but only wet on the bottom. The fill level was down to the top of the neck. Let it breath for two hours before dinner. Ruby red with little sediment. Passed through a short dumb period and then a tannic phase. At two and a half to 3 hours it morphed into an amazing lush flavorful wine. The best Caymus I have had and not past its prime. If I had ordered this at a restaurant, I believe the magic would have been missed. Timing of the table evolution was most important.

11/19/2014 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Nice dark fruit flavors and modest tannins. The alcohol level is high but does not overpower the wine at this point. It does not appear to have aged much. I can't figure out the life cycle of the B&H wines. I have never had one that is over the hill and have not had one that felt like it was at its pinacle. The sediment content was very low. Drank over two days and it did not change much from day one to day two.

11/17/2014 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Very approachable and succulent. It is young and gorgeous, but will get better in the next ten years.

8/25/2014 - gondrik Likes this wine:

Beautiful, rich, and jammy with serious dark flavors. I was afraid this would be too old, but it is just in its prime. I will wait several more years before giving it another go.

8/12/2014 - gondrik Likes this wine:

We have had several bottles with same wonderful experience. I agree with ONTHELEES elegant review but would add pineapple as a tasting element.

8/12/2014 - gondrik wrote:

Decanted and let open for three hours. Nice wine but too acidic.

5/15/2014 - gondrik Likes this wine:

The most balanced wine we have ever had
Abundant and gorgeous fruit
No tar and cigar, no barnyard and creosote, no pencil lead, but soft herbal nuances
Lots of life remaining
Not to be compared as another Bordeaux or Cali Cab challenger