3/2/2024 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Very good. Aromas of red berry cola and a vibrant palate with tart cherries and a bit of leather. The flavors linger in the mouth for awhile.

2/16/2024 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Good un-oaked Chardonnay. A fruit salad aroma with a strong citrus palate and a nice kiss of acid. A good everyday drinker if you want something light and crisp.

2/9/2024 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Very good! Dark fruit, very powerful and yet smooth. This opened up well and feels like it has several more years to mature.

2/4/2024 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Not much aroma. I pick up the alcohol and a smokiness. Very muted though. It is a light wine but there is pleasant red berry flavors. I did not feel this was over the top like I was expecting so I was pleased. Overall a good budget wine with decent flavors but definitely light and subtle.

2/2/2024 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

A dark wine with notes of carmel and vanilla on the nose with a hint of veggies. Powerful fruit flavors giving me a literal fruit punch. Smooth but quick finish.

1/28/2024 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

A very good wine. Bold flavors with dark berry fruit. I pick up a little heat on the backend, but I am sure it would subside if I allowed into breath but I drank it too fast.

1/28/2024 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Good budget Chardonnay. I love Arroyo Seco Chardonnays. Buttery lemon aromas with some vanilla hints. Same on the pallate, lemon, oak and some soft acid. Easy drinking and affordable, a great combo.

1/28/2024 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Aromas of Cherry cola with a hint of vanilla. Bright fruit, again with the cherry cola and a smooth finish on the palate. Really good wine.

1/26/2024 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Good Arroyo Secco Chardonnay. Creamy, lemon with some oak.

1/24/2024 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Still holds up. A brood of dark berry flavors and an earthy finish.

1/19/2024 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Wow. Just Wow. Wish I had several more bottles. Still drinking with prime flavors and aromas.

1/14/2024 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Slight aroma, maybe pepper and cherries. A little disjointed, with the alcohol front and center. Flavors are there so maybe a little more time in the glass will help. I get pepper and a heavy dose of tannins. The red fruit follows behind. It works for a wine fix on a Sunday night while watching shows with the wife, but I won’t likely stock up.

1/13/2024 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Bold. I started smelling this wine the minute I poured. Very bright red fruit on the nose. Definitely a fruit bomb. Overall a great wine, and would have rated higher if I didn’t still pick up a little too much alcohol on the finish.

1/12/2024 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Good wine. Bold flavors. I wasn’t able to pick much up on the nose. Feels like a muted aroma, maybe pepper and berries. The wine was smooth with bright fruit flavors and a nice finish.

1/6/2024 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

According to the drinking window this is at the end, but I feel it hasn’t lost anything. On the nose I get cherries resting in a wooden tobacco box. It is smooth with a hint of dryness. Very flavorful. Mouthful of dark cherry and pomegranate and a hint of pepper.

1/5/2024 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Another great Prisoner Chardonnay. Balanced with a little acid and a nice level of oakiness. I am reminded of vanilla and melons on the nose. Mostly lemons on the palate. Still holds up.

11/26/2022 - rjrausch wrote:

Tart red fruit and pepper. Strong flavors. Good wine.

11/24/2022 - rjrausch wrote:

Pretty good sparkling wine. Lemony bread aroma with a crisp lemon-lime flavor.

11/24/2022 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

A low cost zin and it drinks like it. Fortunately it has some complexity to make it a good option. I get a spicy red berry aroma. A sweeter palate with some pepper and berry flavors.

11/24/2022 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Drank this a little too fast for a proper review. I got some cedar box filled with dirt on the nose. A tannic bite on the palate with sweet dark berry flavors. Good wine but maybe at the end of its drinking window.

11/23/2022 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

This has always been a perfect daily drinker for me. Pineapple aromas with a hint of the alcohol peaking through. A lemon-pineapple Chardonnay flavor with some sweet vanilla at the end.

11/22/2022 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Really good Sauvignon Blanc. I get a sweet grapefruit aroma. It has a mild acidity but a nice crisp mouthfeel. Also grapefruit notes on the palate with a medium finish. At the end of the drinking window but still holds up.

11/21/2022 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Smooth wine. Not much aroma. Earthy with a candy like finish of purple berries. Definitely at the end of the drinking window but enjoyable non the less.

11/19/2022 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Was surprised by how well this held up. 5 years old and still has a crisp mouthfeel with a lemon-pear-nutty palate. I think the age lends to the lighter acidic mouthfeel and the lack of aroma but I was thrilled this held up.

11/23/2021 - rjrausch wrote:

I am always pleased with Black Kite Pinot Noir. This is a good representation. I get a cherry and forest floor aroma and a hint of pepper. Pretty smooth with a hint of tannins. I get a cranberry and cherry cola palate. It has a long gripping finish.

11/23/2021 - rjrausch wrote:

Tried to decant but really needs more time in the bottle. I pick up some plum and blueberry aromas. I feel the palate is “hot” with the alcohol pushing through. The bite makes it hard to evaluate. I get some pepper and dark fruit. Need to give this a few years but I can sense the potential.

11/23/2021 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

A Burgundian nose. I get some apple with citrus on the nose but I do not get the traditional flabby palate with a french Chardonnay. There is a dollop of acidity. On the palate I get more of a pear flavor.

11/22/2021 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Nice Chardonnay. Crisp fruit flavor. A little tap of acidity on the tongue. I pick up a white floral aroma, maybe a lilac or honeysuckle. I feel there is a profile mix of honey dew and lemon on the palate. No oak.

11/21/2021 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Good but nothing soecial. I felt it was weak and lacked a clearly defined aroma and palate. General red fruit and general pinot like notes but nothing stood out.

11/20/2021 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Crisp and oaky. More tropical fruit. Some acidity. Would rather pay less for JAM cellars Butter which has a similar profile.

11/19/2021 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

For $36 this won’t be an everyday drinker but it gives other similarly priced red blends a run for their money. Smooth with just a hint of tannins. Some decent fruit but a little too quick a finish. For around $5 more I still would prefer The Prisoner which provides a little more gusto.

2/8/2020 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Good wine. Wife was impressed.

1/5/2020 - rjrausch wrote:

Either this was a bad bottle or this is a very sour wine.

11/28/2019 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Not the best Arroyo Secco Chard from CH but it still has a profile I enjoy. I usually drink my Chardonnays lightly chilled, but I feel this one shows better colder. A light nose with some floral and apple notes. Gripping acid on the tongue with a light citrus and green apple flavor.

7/24/2019 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

This has always been a go to wine for me. It is always a crowd pleaser. I admit that I liked it better in the mid 2000's when it was made by Dave Phinney/Orin Swift, but I feel The Prisoner Wine Company has kept the recipe consistent. It has great aromas and strong fruit flavors but it isn't a sweet fruit bomb. At an average of $40 it isn't a daily drinker, but it is my favorite red that is widely available. It can be popped and poured, but it is best after sitting a bit.

7/23/2019 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Great value, worth stocking up on for a weekly white. On the nose, I pick up some oaky wood scents and some tropical aromas. Not able to identify the fruit, but reminds me of a general tropical meets floral nose. It has good fruit flavors. Again, I can't identify the fruit, but feels like a tropical blend. Not much acid. I get a bit of a flabby finish with the lingering fruit still covering my palate.

7/23/2019 - rjrausch wrote:

First tasting note in awhile. This wine was a bit of a let down. No Curfew appeals to me but the wine left me calling it a night early. I get pepper corn and light fruit on the nose with maybe some sweet cherry aroma. I felt the alcohol was the predominant taste. I pictured vodka martini with some cherry juice added. It did get better with time, but the heat was still there. Some sour cherry and some redeeming tannins to bite the tongue made it drinkable.

12/27/2013 - rjrausch wrote:

Bottle went fast. Too busy enjoying to take notes. Need to buy more because it ranks up with my favorite chards. Feels like it has a little sample of all my favorite characteristics in one chard.

12/24/2013 - rjrausch wrote:

Dark color. I get a sour vegetable and a after scent of cedar and tobacco. Every smell cycles through a range, I can even still get some mint. Still has some tannic grip to it but not the heat I remember. Feels like I swallowed cotton. Tarry blackberries and the "dryness" lets the flavor linger for awhile. Still really good.

11/27/2012 - rjrausch wrote:

A little light but overall it was good.

11/24/2012 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

dark cherry nose and palate. nice mouthfeel with a hefty level on tannins. I feel it needs more time in the bottle. I'm sticking with my 08 and 09 vintages for now and will try again in a year or so.

11/22/2012 - rjrausch wrote:

ACID. A nice Riesling with a lot of acid. Much better warm/room temp. Not much fruit but a little citrus and maybe some pineapple. I also get petro. I prefer Mosel kabinett but this was a nice change of pace.

11/20/2012 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

Definitely needs to open up. Suggest at least 1 to 2 hours of decanting. Once open I get a nice red berry cream aroma. On the palate I pick up some strawberry tart and earthy notes. It was really good. Unfortunately the bottle went quick. The first try of the 2010 Black Kite round up so looking forward to comparing this to the others.

10/27/2012 - rjrausch wrote:

My highest rating. According to cellar tracker this is my 500th bottle consumed so I wanted to pick a good one, and I did. The wine is so good right now. Great berry flavors a smooth mouthfeel and a long lasting finish. Awesome!

10/20/2012 - rjrausch wrote:

On the nose I get a strong cherry cough syrup aroma. Fortunately it doesn't taste like cough syrup. I do pick up cherries and dirt on the palate. Ok as a change of pace wine.

10/20/2012 - rjrausch wrote:

I really think The Prisoner hits it's stride 1 to 2 years after release. I think the 08 is awesome now. A fun aroma of a cassis dessert and a smooth palate of blackberry, pepper and a hint of tar. To top it off, once I popped it open the Ohio State Buckeyes drove down to tie and win in overtime their game. MAGIC!

10/20/2012 - rjrausch wrote:

Really good fruit. Always has been a pop and pour delicious wine and the new vintage doesn't disappoint. Good wine to stock up on and enjoy after a hectic day.

7/8/2012 - rjrausch wrote:

Good zin. A peppery blackberry aroma. Good fruit flavor also with a small pepper kick at the end. Definitely worth a try.

7/8/2012 - rjrausch wrote:

I think I waited too long to drink this. A strange aroma. I don't think it is corked, just old. Old rotten apples is what comes to mind. Not rating it because I can't do it justice.

1/22/2012 - rjrausch Likes this wine:

I have turned many friends on to this wine. I think this region is keeping Bricco in business. For those that are unsure what wine to try this is an easy choice. Very crisp, sweet and the bubbles make it's finish pleasant. I get green apple syrup/candy on the palate. The nose is very floral. Always a crowd pleaser.