10/1/2020 - JB in SD wrote:

Bought on release, stored well, and drank beautifully. Bravo.

9/14/2020 - JB in SD wrote:

Bought on release, stored in perfect conditions. Decanted 1 hour initially, 3 hours by the end. Advice: drink up. Enjoyable, with all the characteristic notes, but tired and fading. On the down slope, folks.

1/25/2019 - JB in SD Likes this wine:

Cellared well since release. Expressive on open while still cellar temp. Decanted for one hour. Red fruit and a bit of earth on nose. Really beautiful aromatics. Wine is unfined, so quite cloudy. Well balanced, just a slightly tart finish. But still very pleasant and enjoyable.

11/28/2014 - JB in SD wrote:

Did not hold up. Thin, fading flavors, no finish. Major disappointment.

10/31/2014 - JB in SD wrote:

Just a quick word to the wise...do not drink this for at least 2-3 years. This is concentrated and 'desert' dry, and the tannins are still very pronounced. It needs time. This will probably handle a 5 to 7 years easily. If you must dive into a bottle of this in the near term, vigorously decant for at least 2 hours and enjoy with something that can cut the tannins. To be fair, I think this wine has balance, it is just too youthful at the moment.

7/7/2014 - JB in SD wrote:

I wanted to determine firsthand where this was in its evolution. As others have noted, palate is a bit tart and there are grippy tannins on the finish which time in the decanter and glass would not tame. So time in the bottle is required. I will not touch my other bottles for 2-3 years. All the pieces are there for a very, very enjoyable bottle with a little time.

1/26/2014 - JB in SD wrote:

Good producer making solid wines as a rule. This one disappoints. I like Ana fruit, but this wine is disjointed, hollow, and acidic.

12/24/2013 - JB in SD Does not like this wine:

There is a note below that nails this wine: "Oaked grape candy." That is it. The sweet vanilla on the nose gives this wine the bouquet of candy. It is overpowering and offputting. The palate is a little flabby, lacking acid. But I cannot get past the nose. This is my second time tasting this wine with about a year between bottles. The vanilla note has been in both bottles. It is almost like confectioner's sugar.

12/13/2013 - JB in SD wrote:

A vigorous decant and another hour of air failed to coax much of anything from this bottle. It was shut down, and did not open for us. Disappointing.

12/13/2013 - JB in SD wrote:

A wonderful wine. Open, expressive bouquet of rich fruit and earth. Red and black fruit on the palate with spice and complexity. Long finish. Wonderful balance. A treat, enjoyed by all this evening.

12/13/2013 - JB in SD wrote:

From 375ml. I found the nose muted and the mid-palate lacking. The finish was not particularly long, but only then did I get a pleasant hint of red fruit. The wine was underwhelming. A 'dumb phase' maybe? Not sure. Tonight, there was very little to enjoy, regrettably.

11/8/2013 - JB in SD Likes this wine:

Well cellared. Tasted young, fresh, and tannic. Give it time. A vigorous/long decant is in order if drinking in the near term. I will not touch my next bottle for 3 years minimum.

3/18/2013 - JB in SD wrote:

Tar and roses on nose and palate, par for the course. Medium bodied and medium finish. Of note, there is a LOT of sediment in this bottle. If ever a bottle of Barbabesco screamed for a Bordeaux bottle it was this one. Decant and pour carefully. Finally, the tannins are fine, drying, and mouthcoating. I would recommend food with this.

1/20/2013 - JB in SD wrote:

Red fruit, well made. Of note, tannins need time to resolve. Hold a little longer.

12/24/2012 - JB in SD Does not like this wine:

Nice nose, but the palate is lean with tart red fruit, a hefty dose of acidity, and a bitter, astringent finish. Time may smooth the edges here a bit, but I'd suggest this be drunk only with food in the interim. A bit too astringent to just sit and sip.

12/2/2012 - JB in SD wrote:

Nice nose, but palate did not deliver. There was little to no complexity. It was all red fruit, and a bit thin and hollow. Drinkable, but disappointing.

9/17/2012 - JB in SD wrote:

Needed time and air to open. A touch acidic, would suggest others drink it with food.

8/27/2012 - JB in SD wrote:

Complex, balanced, exceptional wine. No real bricking, so looks youthful. Modest nose of fruit and earth. Drinks beautifully, with fine tannins mostly integrated. Medium to full bodied with plush mouthfeel. I'm inclined to say this is at or near peak. A stunner.

8/26/2012 - JB in SD wrote:

drinks way above the price point. excellent for $21.

7/24/2012 - JB in SD wrote:

Nothing wrong with the wine, but absolutely nothing to recommend it either. No nose of interest, no complexity on the palate. I searched in vain for hours trying to find something to recommend this wine. There was simply "no there there." When I finally confessed as much to guests, they all agreed. A disappointment.

7/15/2012 - JB in SD wrote:

The heat was very evident, so 14.9% seemed low. Still mostly black fruit and oak, with the tannins more integrated since my last bottle in 2010. But the heat was sticking out. We had a Robert Foley next to it listed at 15.5% on the bottle, and the Lonen was far more "hot" than the Foley.

4/28/2012 - JB in SD wrote:

Quite a bit of bricking, raisiny nose, all dried fruit and leather. A little past its prime. Had next to '97 Whitehall Lane Reserve Cab, which tasted youthful by comparison.

4/15/2012 - JB in SD wrote:

Drinking beautifully. Wow. Stunning aromatics. Nothing closed here. Bit of bricking, harmonious palate. I'll write again: Wow. You can enjoy this immensely right now.

4/14/2012 - JB in SD wrote:

The most notable aspect of this wine was a bitter and astrigent finish that, most unfortunately, lingered. Did not finish.

3/20/2012 - JB in SD wrote:

The CT notes here are pretty consistent. Just not much there. Lean, restrained, understated, dull -- all of these work. Perfect cork, a testament to good cellaring. The bottle showed neither bret nor VA, as noted by a couple of tasters. Just smooth, simple and quaffable. Drink up, folks. ( Final thought: my last glass is working well with a little dark chocolate.)

2/28/2012 - JB in SD wrote:

A funky, barnyardy nose with a whiff of bret on open. On initial taste, the tannins are imposing, certainly not integrated. Over an hour, the wine never really came together. Needs a long decant probably to be more enjoyable. On pop and pour, it was disjointed and underwhelming.

2/27/2012 - JB in SD wrote:

Just a wonderful wine. Popped and poured, had with marinara and meetballs, and it was a perfect compliment. Good balance, nice acidity, integrated tannins. Very nice, and worth every dime of $25. My third of three bottles, and each was the same. Wish I had bought more.

12/31/2011 - JB in SD wrote:

Inhaled and thought, "Wow...that nose is a dead ringer for a Left Bank Bordeaux." Had to grin when I read the WS review just now, which opens, "A dead ringer for a Bordeaux..." Wonderful, youthful wine with rich fruits and great complexity on both the nose and palate. Really a treat.

12/30/2011 - JB in SD wrote:

Very pleasant, probably at the end of its drinking window. Light bricking and a touch cloudy. Needed a decant to open. All red fruits and silky smooth, with resolved tannins.

12/30/2011 - JB in SD wrote:

Stunning, young, fresh, vibrant, complex. Enjoyed at dinner with friends, so no detailed notes. When well-cellared, the BV GdL wines are hard to beat. This was drinking beautifully. Of note, resolved tannins, so not sure how much longer I would cellar this before drinking. Very pleased with this bottle tonight.

11/26/2011 - JB in SD wrote:

Wanted to like this, and gave it some air. But it never really evolved. I found this overextracted, one dimensional, and with coarse, drying tannins.

11/26/2011 - JB in SD wrote:

Fantastic. Drank w/ friends this afternoon. Did not make detailed notes, but found this stellar blend to have a rich nose, impeccable balance, and a nice grip at the end. 14.5% and was not hot at all. I thought the grenache was dominant. Finish seemed just a bit short, but then the wine was still evolving (and warming) when we finished it. This is well made. Could easily go another 3 years.

9/2/2011 - JB in SD wrote:

Funky, earthy nose, not entirely pleasant. Wine was highly acidic, fruit was very lean. Finish was short. Could not finish.

9/2/2011 - JB in SD wrote:

This is a big, ripe Napa cab that is a bit hot. Will benefit from a little more time in bottle.

9/2/2011 - JB in SD wrote:

Not decanted. Wonderful right out of the bottle. Drinking beautifully.

8/28/2011 - JB in SD wrote:

Solid. Drying tannins still present, less noticeable with dinner. Almost no bricking. All the many notes one would expect from a well-aged '95 Spring Mountain Cabernet. Very enjoyable.

8/7/2011 - JB in SD wrote:

Popped and poured. Cork in perfect condition. Initial vanilla note, decided to give it a rough decant, let it sit for 1 hour. On return, vanilla note was gone. Cigar box, plum, black fruits, hint of tar on the nose. Ripe fruits on the palate, but not overripe, no prune/raisin notes, which I was glad to see. Fully integrated tannins. Drinking beautifully. Extracted, mind you. Not a lot of grip left at the end. Definitely in the drinking window now. Very much enjoyed with filet mignon off my backyard grill.

7/30/2011 - JB in SD wrote:

Bought on release and stored in good conditions, but cork was stained through to the top.

2/4/2011 - JB in SD wrote:

Very expressive right after uncorking, certainly not closed. First glass had a earthy element on the nose. After an hour plus, the nose was all cracked pepper, and the earth note had unfortunately receded. Palate is black fruit, maybe a bit of anise. Fruit is ripe, but not overripe. Wine has great balance, not flabby at all. I liked the wine alot. There was just a hint of heat on the nose, but not offputting. All in, a really nice bottle of wine.

1/6/2011 - JB in SD wrote:

Past its prime. My previous bottles had that initial spritz that others have noted. This one had less of that, but some fizziness still there in the first glass. Lots of bricking. Fruit is fading. Prune is predominant. No rating.

11/27/2010 - JB in SD wrote:

drinking beautifully.

11/28/2010 - JB in SD wrote:

Very youthful wine for 14 years old. Cork in great shape. Took an hour in the decanter for it to open up. Not all that complex, which is to say it was somewhat one dimensional. Just a pleasant, elegant Napa cabernet. Tannins are not fully resolved. I was amazed at how fresh this wine was.

11/27/2010 - JB in SD wrote:

This bottle was completely closed. Plan to decant if drinking in the near term. It was consumed before it was really showing well. I need more decanters for the holidays! No score.

11/26/2010 - JB in SD wrote:

Great wine which is in a perfect place right now. Expressive, complex nose. I caught leather, plums, cracked pepper, a hint of smoke (in a good way), a little blue fruit, maybe a note of cloves, and raisins. Brick red color. Medium+ body. Complexity on the palate matches the aromatics, most noticeably black cherry and plums. Wine is in perfect balance, with nice acidity and fully integrated tannins. Not a lot of grip left. Time and air both coaxed more from this wine. This is drinking beautifully right now. A wonderful expression of Valpolicella Classico Superiore.

7/16/2010 - JB in SD wrote:

Lean and underwhelming. Lacked fruit, weight, mid palate. Drank over 2 hours. Improved over time, but still lacking.

7/4/2010 - JB in SD wrote:

Decanted for one hour. Aromatic with cigar box and dried red fruits. Palate is medium bodied with some grip still in place at the end, dried red and black fruits consistent with the nose. Wine was underwhelming, seemed a little tired to me. Just okay, but then only paid $32 for this '03 Left Bank.

4/10/2010 - JB in SD wrote:

From 375ml, good bit of earth and a hint of meat too on the nose, really interesting. A touch lean on the fruit. Plush mouthfeel, enjoyable. Frankly, I was expecting less, considering the vintage, so surprise to the upside. Worked well with wood-fired sausage pizza.

2/2/2010 - JB in SD wrote:

Clear light red appearance, restrained nose, with the subtlest floral, fruit and earth notes. Tart red fruit on the palate, did not get much more than that. Good acidity, medium finish. Fine tannins are fully integrated to the point of being hardly noticeable. Pleasant, but not exactly inspiring Pinot Noir, especially for the price. Ridiculously heavy bottle!

1/22/2010 - JB in SD wrote:

Too young right now. Barnyard and black fruit on the nose. A massive wine, with a lot of dark fruit and a healthy dose of non-fruit characteristics coming together on the palate. Very dry finish. Needs time in the bottle for everything to integrate and mellow a touch. Nice.

1/5/2010 - JB in SD wrote:

Popped and poured. Very tart dark cherry, short finish with grainy tannins. rhit (below) is on target. Decanting probably would have smoothed this out a bit.