4/23/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Not much to add to previous notes, definitely needs a minimum one hour decant. My wife had 'magic marker' on the nose, for me, dark fruit and pepper. Any wine closed for 15 years is going to need to breathe.

I'm tasting an old world type Bordeaux. The acidity is good with the currants and dark fruit taste. As before I'm convinced it's reached its maturity. I cannot see this evolving any further. In fact it might decline if you are holding on to this, expecting it to mature gracefully. Drink now and enjoy.

4/19/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Bought these several years ago(2020) actually forgot we had them and my wife pulled and decanted. Used an aerator and it's decent. Nose of currants and dark fruit; a bit thin and one dimension but there is a nice acidity with black pepper. It's an easy sipper and I bumped a point for QPR. It's a mindset thing 😉

4/13/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Light red color on the decant, almost crimson like cherry color. Refreshing, light hearted Barbaresco that went well with our veal dish and pasta with mushrooms in creamy butter sauce. There's nothing here that makes you say "wow" but at the same time it was a delightful drinking wine, nice acidity, with hints of tart strawberry and tart red raspberry with light oak. I found this wine atypical of other Barbaresco, in a class of its own. Good QPR from WineSlash in my opinion. I have a couple more bottles, interested to see how this might evolve.

4/13/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Outstanding Stagecoach Cabernet, beautiful nose of dark fruit and a hint of moss. Nice acidity with a peppery notes are delightful. Well integrated and a long finish make this a wonderful wine to sip or would pair well with pork or roast beef. Drinking on the PNP.

Be forewarned, the cork is soft and I would recommend removing the wax top prior to cork removal. Simply penetrating the cork screw through the wax top, expecting the cork to be stiff enough to "push" against the wax top, will result in a broken cork. Fortunately it broke cleanly in half so no crumbles in the wine.

4/6/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Black fruit and currants on the nose. Chocolate, vanilla, low acidity which lowers the complexity but adds to the smooth taste. There's a medium finish with low acidity. I must say previous vintages[e.g.,2016] were much more complex with greater depth. Is this a disappointment? No! Just different once you set your expectations. Is this still a Julien Fayard wine? Not sure...

4/4/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Nose of cherry and black fruits. Tasting plums, tart cherry and vanilla on the palate. Light peppery taste medium acidity and good finish. Interesting blend of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah that makes for an easy drinking fireside sipper. For a wine with 15.8% ABV I don't taste the heat, nice blend to subdue alcohol and not be overpowering. This is NOT an in your face bold wine but has a powerful profile to help you appreciate its complexity.

4/2/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

WOW!? Amazing St Helena Petite Verdot, unfined, unfiltered, chalky tannins that are layered in pepper and dark fruit like currants. Drinking on the PNP, betting this opens up in the next hour. Wonderful acidity and lengthy finish. I would put this up against any other PV I've ever had, hands down, elegant!

4/1/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Not your usual Amarone and I like it. The nose is cigar box, but not in the taste profile. The tastes are chocolate with a hint of coffee, complemented by tart fruits. Typically you get a cherry and raisin with the Amarone I've tried, but not here. There is a spicy, peppery note to accommodate a nice finish with good acidity. On the PNP, drinkable, enjoyable, although it did open up as it approached room temps about an hour in (temps 65F<72F).

3/29/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

I'll call this a fun wine. Light hearted fruits, tart cherry, cranberry with an olive hint on the aftertaste. Bought this a year ago and just getting around to it, I'm guessing the description left me thinking a Cali version of Bordeaux? If it were a blind, I don't think I would have guessed a California blend. Nothing complex here, just a good sipper with bright notes and medium acidity.Drinking at 65F on the PNP. We'll see what happens in the next hour...

3/28/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

1.5L Magnum, opening with great anticipation. On the PNP I'm getting the grassy, vegetal notes I often taste in a pinot noir, so it's unusual to find this in a Syrah. I'm wondering how this will develop over the next few hours?

I opened this before my wife announced we were having chicken parm, and now I'm thinking it was a great pair(especially over typical Syrah!)...so we'll see where this goes. It's a light purple color and there are tart cherries and pepper present. I'm sensing a medium finish and the acidity is good. 13.5% ABV, and no heat, very subtle.

3/25/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Don't you love when you stumble across wine in your cellar you forgot about? I bought this in 2019, I won't tell you what I paid for it but WOW, what QPR!? We all know Atlas Peak is known for their Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and this does not disappoint. On the nose, black fruit, with hints of pepper. The blackberry, currants, vanilla hit mid palate and even though it's 15.8 ABV you wouldn't know it. Nice complexity and long finish with medium acidity.

3/18/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Nose of black berries, pepper. Opened for 30 minutes, nice balance, good acidity, tart cherries and currants. Good finish that lingers on the back edges of your mouth. I do enjoy Black Stallion wines and this limited release does not disappoint. Thanks to Vivino 30% discount, no complaints here! Cheers!

3/17/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

I enjoy Belle Glos PNs and the Las Alturas doesn't disappoint. I'm more a fan of the Balade, just for the record. I digress...BG PNs are atypical of most Pinot Noir grapes in my opinion, perhaps that's why I enjoy this vintner. True there are Pinot characteristics like blackberry, currant, cassis, yet there is a certain boldness compared to other Pinot, many of which seem thinner. I'm a cab, amarone, brunello kind of guy, so I'm looking for a bold taste in my 'juice'.

Nice acidity, that green hint that comes from Pinot and a smokiness with a long finish. I would recommend a decant. While it's drinkable on the PNP, it mellows out a bit after an hour. Best served around 65F, ever so slight chill.

3/16/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

This vintage is very tart, it may need more time to lay down. My first impression is not great, especially compared to previous vintages. It's missing some of the refinement I've come to expect from Stag's Leap District. There's a yeasty nose, and some rather strong leathery notes. Perhaps it's an off bottle? I'll add more notes after some air time, drinking at 68F, perhaps I should chill it off a bit?

2 days later, I am amending my score to 90(from 88). I pumped it down and chilled it to 60F and it improved. I honestly think this wine needs to lay down a year or two so I'll revisit in the future and drink slightly chilled.

3/11/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Solid 90 and I am not a big fan of Chianti. Nose of vanilla and cherry. I do like the chalky notes and the acidity. At 14.5 ABV it doesn't exhibit the heat one might expect. I opened for an hour and it's an easy sipping wine around the fire on a cool evening. Good finish and kinda reminds me of some Black Stallion wines I've enjoyed (at a fraction of the cost). This is not your ordinary Chianti!

3/7/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

I'm only going to add to previous tasting, very classy, high end wine. Decant, as this evolves and gets better with an hour of air time!

3/6/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Love this Rhone wine! Balanced with notes of tart cherries, currants and a hint of pepper. Good acidity lending to a medium finish. I would love to wait on this wine and cellar it for another year or two, but I predict I won't make it that far.

Drink now, PNP was fine, it didn't last an hour between my wife and me. 😉

3/4/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Bottle #2 of this vintage. We finished the bottle from the other night, pumped down in vacuum. I believe nothing "evolved" after the decant. In fact it seems like it lost some intensity. While it was fresh on our minds, PNP the second bottle, definitely more going on right out of the bottle!

Perhaps this is due to its youthfulness? I bought a case, so I'll continue to update over the next few years with subsequent bottles. I still have a few 2016 and one 2014, so one night we will do a side by side with company and report their tasting experiences. Until then, get your mitts on this vintage, you won't be disappointed.

Cherry, vanilla, toasted marshmallows, good acidity, ever so slight pepper notes and good acidity. There is a nice lingering finish. For 17% ABV, you would expect to taste the "heat" but not here. I'm tempted to give this another bump in points but I'm being reserved.

3/2/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

I'm conservative on my rating, due to the vintage being in its infancy. On the PNP, it does not disappoint! Garnet color, beautiful nose of cherries, with floral notes and a hint of almonds. Drinking at 68F, seems to be a perfect temp.

I'll admit, I'm a big fan of Mazzi Amarone, having tasted several vintages dating back to 2013. This might very well be the best. Mazzi Amarone is difficult to source in the USA. My first experience was at La Cena Italian Restaurant in Jacksonville, thanks to the sommelier who introduced me to this beauty.

As I mentioned, it's young (comparatively) when you think about some Amarones. I have every reason to believe this vintage will continue to evolve and increase in complexity. I can hardly wait. 17% ABV, but you'd never know it, there is absolutely no heat in the taste. It's so well integrated this vintage will continue to improve, I'd stake a bet on it! Any takers? 😉🍷 Cheers!

3/2/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

On the nose, what you might expect from a Brunello, dark fruit, mushrooms, forest floor. Drinks much better on day 2. I did pump it down overnight so it was not heavily oxidized, but that did level out some of the 7 year old funk on opening. Drinks easy, not very complex, yet nice acidity lending to a good finish. Tasting currants and black pepper.

2/23/2024 - SawgrassSteve wrote:

bottle was flawed, bummer...not at all what I remembered. I think the bottle may have been damaged in transit. UPS has been know to travel all day only to reschedule for the next day and last summer was a scorcher here in Texas. I remember this shipment fell victim to the two travel days, no ice packs will last 7 days.

2/20/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Reserve blend of 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. I'm picking up the Merlot and believe Scott used the Cab Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon to add a richness and depth of dark fruit for complexity. Decent finish and nice acidity. I taste the hints of pencil lead, espresso behind the dark fruit, that makes me think of blackberries, accompanied by a hint of plum.

2/21/2024 additional note; as the night was winding to a close, this wine began to remind me of a pinot noir in its characteristics. Definitely evolved with air time.

2/19/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

I'm acknowledging the two most recent notes, when I say this vintage may be at its peak. I expected more from this grand cru. I detect the mustiness, but I attribute that to a 15 year old vintage. It needs to breathe and I suspect it will dissipate.

There is a decent acidity and there are still nice floral and red fruits mid palate. The finish is good, although I had anticipated the long lasting finish, typical of a grand cru. This wine is NOT flawed in my opinion, although if not properly cellared pre delivery, anything is possible. Again, I am not disappointed, just expected more. I would drink now or no later than 2024.

2/17/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Excellent paired with grilled pork tenderloins (with Ginger, Cinnamon Shallot Butter, Zested Honey Mustard) and quail stuffed with shredded pork, wrapped in bacon. We enjoyed a glass each, brought home and it improved dramatically by the following day. Medium tannins, nice acidity, vanilla, toasted marshmallows and dark fruit. This is a blend of Malbec(50%), Mourvèdre and Petit Verdot. They sprinkled in some cab franc and tannat for fun? A great Texas grape sourced wine!

2/13/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Nothing has changed since my last review. Long lasting finish, sophisticated taste, nose of dark fruit and forest floor. The balance of acidity is spot on with the bold, blackberry, cassis taste. There is a hint of marzipan and cherry, ever so slight.

I cannot say enough good things about this. If you can get your mitts on this, DO IT!! I believe this continues to evolve for years to come.

2/5/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Opened a bottle tonight, just beautiful! When I see "drink by" I'm assuming folks did not sit on this? Nice tight cork, no crumble, dark stain at base.

Smooth, no oak, fruit is well integrated. Enjoying the plum and smoke. No heavy alcohol taste, just silkiness. I have several more bottles and will continue to enjoy. May still have another year, maybe two?

2/2/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

They say, good things come to those who wait. I've waited since April 2016 when I purchased this bottle from Woot.wine, boy do I miss those days! Clark Smith regularly offered up his wines with CrAzY discounts. This was one of those purchases. I see it sells for over $250 currently, WOW?!

Wax top seal, tight cork, decanted for over an hour. Inky dark juice, no brown rim, outstanding aroma on the nose; blueberry and truffle are dominant. This Cabernet is so well integrated, atypical California Cabernet, rich in tannins, no oak and a lengthy finish. I rarely rate wines higher than 92, you just don't come across profiles that check all the boxes. My only regret, it's my only bottle! Cheers Clark, excellent wine. 🍷🍷🍷

2/2/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Taste test of 2 vintages side by side. I found the 2015 to be more complex, with a hint of vanilla, toasted marshmallow, while both have the tart cherry and red raspberry mid palate. Both exhibit a beautiful finish, while the 2017 had a taste of cranberries, absent from the 2015. Both have nice acidity and I expect both will mature further and develop more complexity with time.

I still favor the 2015 ahead of the 2017, but only by two points due to difference in evolution.

2/2/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Taste test of 2 vintages side by side. I found the 2015 to be more complex, with a hint of vanilla, toasted marshmallow, while both have the tart cherry and red raspberry mid palate. Both exhibit a beautiful finish, while the 2017 had a taste of cranberries, absent from the 2015. Both have nice acidity and I expect both will mature further and develop more complexity with time.

I still favor the 2015 ahead of the 2017, but only by two points due to difference in evolution.

2/1/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Tart cherries, cranberry with nice acidity. Has that Bordeaux-esque taste to it. Yeah, yeah, I know, it's a Tuscan but still... Good finish, plum color in the glass, nice legs. This should hold up for several more years. Short decant, opening up glass after glass. Yummmm

1/30/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Well, well, well... here we are some 16 years later. Another one of those bottles that "slips" through the cracks. Purchased years ago and just getting around to the pop. Decanted for an hour, for obvious reason. No funk, tight plastic cork, well sealed. Nothing special happening here but it's not all bad considering the age. Nose of muted fruit, the first taste is plum, not much acidity. Almost no alcohol heat, which I find interesting. Some bricking around edges with that orange brown color that you might expect.

This is not an expensive wine, but all things considered it's showing well for its age. DRINK NOW

1/29/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Here we are a year later, last bottle in the cellar! My, oh my, it does not disappoint. So glad I hung on to this wine until now. Kudos to Clark Smith for building a wine with depth and personality. The wine has a beautiful nose of dark berries and smoke. Perfect acidity and as before, demonstrates a CDP quality not so fruit forward as many California Cabernets. If you have a bottle, do yourself a favor and allow a decant of at least an hour. When I pull from my cellar 55F is too cool for this wine. Allowing the wine to come to room temp brings out its full flavor profile.

It's a shame it's my last bottle. When I think about what I paid for this, I'm tempted to bump the score higher, but I did not. Solid 92 and a rival to wines 2x to 3x more $$$.

1/29/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Bouquet is somewhat muted, detecting an earthy tone. I'm guessing this blend may be nearing it's life expectancy. Decanted for over an hour, simply due to age. That said, nice acidity, tart cherries, black currant. There is still a hint of oak with a medium finish. Enjoying this wine, wish I had recorded where and when I purchased. My best guess is some time around 2016. Been laid down since, cork had a nice stain and the wax top seems to have insured a good seal.

I noticed the winery sells a similar wine named Experimentum? Hard to find if that was the Euro label and could not tell if it was the similar blend. 🤔

1/26/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

This wine continues to improve with age, nice tart cherries, cranberry and acidity adding to a long finish. The nose is mushroom and forest floor with a mossy hint. Its not off putting, but definitely needs some airtime. This does not surprise me at 14 years old. Nice legs on the swirl, no heat from alcohol thanks to a superb winemaker. No doubt this is lending itself to the longevity. I bought remaining bottles from WineSlash for a ridiculously low price as they were clearing out. I'm so thankful I did!

I'm now holding remaining bottles for another year... maybe😉

1/25/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

The cork came out in one piece this time, whew! Note to self: takes a good two hour decant and this brunello is singing like Pavarotti! Nice acidity on the tongue, currants, tart cherry, some smoke, mushroom. The finish gets longer with airtime and the oak disappears. Just a beautiful Brunello.

1/22/2024 - SawgrassSteve wrote:

Nothing new to add, drinks lovely from the pop n pour at room temps. If you drink from a cellar or wine cooler let it rise to room temp to get the full bouquet.

1/19/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Of the Becker wines I've enjoyed, this has been one of my favorites. Excellent blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Hint of raspberry on the nose. The currant and winter spice hit mid palate with an exceptional finish. I will be getting more for the cellar on my next trip to Texas Hill Country!

1/18/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Perhaps the last bottle was off? This tasting is showing a much improved nose and complexity. This bottle was shipped from winery so its potentially a different barrel is all I can imagine? I'm not a big "When Wine" guy, but this a fruit day. Maybe that is having some affect on the results, too. Much more fruit forward, distinctive cherry notes and some hints of floral.

1/18/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

This is a delicious Texas Cabernet. Nice acidity, cherries and pepper accompanied by soft tannins. Delivers a decent finish. I continue to be impressed with Texas wines. Most of these cabernet grapes come from the high plains of west Texas. If you haven't tried a Texas red, don't let it scare you away.

1/16/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Easy Bordeaux to sip. Nothing complex here, still nice fruit combination of cab and merlot, slight acidity, dry. Considering the price point I think it's better than most sub $20 blends.

1/12/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Yet another delicious bottle. Well-integrated drinking lovely after one hour decant. Currant, black pepper, nice acidity lending to a good finish.

1/12/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Cork crumbled, appeared to be good seal. I posted the pic of sediment after straining the cork through cheesecloth. There was quite a bit of sediment which looked promising. No brownish rim, garnet colored wine on the decant.

There is an unusual smell on the nose. So I tried the saran wrap (can be any cling wrap) application to bind any 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) molecules. It seemed to help some but alas the wine, while now drinkable, is past it's prime. Muted fruit, forest floor, decent finish. Its got that old world funk so I'm not giving up on it. Hey, it's 20 years old, still young by some standards. 😉

1/11/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

NOTE: two labels, my purchases are black label 2020

Young and more fruity than previous Hero blends. A little disappointed by comparison to previous vintages. May need more time to develop? Tasting blueberry and some chalky notes. It did improve after an hour. Making a note to revisit in a year. Good QPR.

1/10/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

This is what Amarone is all about! First introduced to the 2014 and since have had several vintages. In my opinion this one is exceeding my expectations. Beautiful nose of dried raisins, the fruit showing mid palate is blackberry, cherry, vanilla and a hint of chocolate, maybe more creme de cassis. Nice finish and definitely needs a good hour+ decant to expose the integrated berries. Long finish that makes you forget it's 16.5% abv! Good acidity that is well balanced.

1/8/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Nice CDP, floral nose with raspberry, cherry mid palate. Good acidity and well balanced. It benefits from some air time. Paired with Chicken Tikka Marsala.

12/23/2019 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Enjoyed while traveling in Paris over Christmas holiday. I recall the waiter repeatedly sniffing the cork😉. I assured him it needed a decant after being closed up for so many years. After the funk blew off it was an old world experience. I'm certain the waiter thought we were crazy for ordering a bottle this aged. When and where was I going to enjoy a Rothschild like this in the states for under $40? Fruit had faded yet the balance was still there. Sure it was at the end of it's drinkable life, but "when in Rome"... or rather when in Paris...cheers to Bordeaux!

1/5/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Did a taste test between the 2018 and 2020. The 2020 has a more fruit forward taste and in a good way. Not that the 2018 is bad, just different. Tasting more boysenberry and plum with a nice balance of acidity. I'm guessing this will age well and has a more traditional CDP backbone than the 2018. Nice finish, too.

1/1/2024 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

My first experience with FF cabernet was in Arkansas as I was approaching retirement and a table of friends next to us bought our table a bottle for celebration. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I bought this 2018 shortly after and just getting around to opening it. The alcohol shows through early, burning off about 45 minutes into the decant. Definitely decant so the alcohol won't mask the dark fruit and cocoa/chocolate. Atypical of most Cali Cabs, powerful fruit but not "in your face" as so many other California Cabs. Also best at room temp, my wine cooler is set to 55F and it's too cool to drink at the PNP.

12/30/2023 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Nice cabernet with a well rounded mouth feel, dark inky purple. It's a full bodied California cabernet and deserves a good 2 hour decant to get the benefit of the bouquet. I was first touted this wine as a good alternative to Caymus at Mickey Mantles in Oklahoma City. Wrong... it's far better and given the QPR, you'll get "twice" the mileage. 😉 Been hooked ever since. I have quite a few of these in the cellar and it's always a crowd pleaser for the bold at heart. I do believe the 2012 is better.

12/30/2023 - SawgrassSteve Likes this wine:

Lovely nose of blueberries and chalk. Decanted and it improved tremendously overnight. A bit tight upon opening, now it's complexity is showing through. Good acidity and a long finish and what you'd expect from a well crafted PN. Blackberries, cranberries, smoke and lavender on the palate.