4/19/2024 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

This was amazing still for an 11 year old wine. Quintessential WA State Cab Sauv at its finest at an amazing price point.

4/18/2024 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Paired with Ham and Spinach Quiche. Needs a good 30 mins of air still to open up.

4/12/2024 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Last of two bottles. Did not seem to be over the hill or even peaked IMHO. Needed 40min of air and then it was fully open and an amazing QPR wine. Stored at 58F in my cellar since receiving from the winery.

4/11/2024 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Best wine in the tasting lineup at the winery and still excellent after 4+ years in the cellar. 5 Star QPR for sure.

3/28/2024 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Gave it a good 45min decant and it was flat out amazing for the price. 5 Star QPR for sure.

3/22/2024 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Cabernet Sauvignon (62%) takes the lead in this wine, followed by Merlot (24%), Cabernet Franc (12%) and Petit Verdot. Earth, fresh tobacco, dark chocolate, herbs and barrel spice aromas are followed by a full-flavored palate, mixing fruit and savory flavors.

3/2/2024 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Very nice pairing with an oven roasted Asian inspired pork tenderloin.

3/1/2024 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Flat, freaking amazing juice. What every Syrah grape dreams of becoming someday.

2/29/2024 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Still needs a good 40 mins of airtime to open and soften up a bit. No complaints for a wine of this quality at this price point that can lay down for years in the cellar and is still this amazing.

1/28/2024 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

There's just a tinge of color to this wine, so little that some might mistake it for a white wine. The aromas offer pleasing notes of strawberry and rhubarb alongside a whiff of bubblegum. The palate is bone-dry and richly flavored, with a blast of puckering acidity tying it all together.

1/25/2024 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

This wine is near equal parts Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre from Elephant Mountain, Boushey and Sugarloaf vineyards. The black pepper, white pepper, garrigue, blueberry, cassis, dark strawberry and smoked meat aromas show a lot of complexity. Smoked meat, orange peel, strawberry and plum flavors follow, showing mesmerizing purity and verticality. An extended finish caps it off. It's a complete knockout.

1/19/2024 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Has the floral notes you want from a "Gruvee" but not the acid or zing you want from this varietal. Still pretty decent and fun to note the grapes are grown in WA State. Paired pretty well with a quiche with ham and spinach.

1/19/2024 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Paired well with baked ham, scalloped potatoes, haricots verts. 2nd bottle with dinner and was maybe even better than the 1st that was 2X the price (Central Coast CA Pinot). 5 Star QPR for sure. Did not taste like a lot of Oregon Pinots (cherry cola). Very much enjoyed.

1/11/2024 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Composed of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc which spent 18 months in French and American oak barrels, 34% new. It begins with inviting aromas of red and dark currants, which combine with spices, tobacco and forest herbs. Medium to full-bodied with a wonder velvety texture and nicely polished tannins framing the red and dark fruits.

1/1/2024 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Still crazy good 5 Star QPR!

12/31/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

1st of two bottles purchased in 2014. Stored at 57F in my cellar. Needed an hour still to open and was a perfect pairing with beef short ribs for NYE. An amazing bottle of wine still after all these years. Red Mountain fruit at its finest.

12/29/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

This was really tight and closed at first. Gave it a couple hours of air and it opened up and came around very nicely. Perfect pairing with short ribs.

12/29/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Decanted for 2 hours but needed about 3 for the rocks funk to fade back and allow the grenache notes to come out and play. These are built to last.

12/26/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

This is a heavy-duty Cabernet, big in every way, with rich black cherry and cassis fruit, and dense, dark tannins. The long, slightly grainy finish reinforces the impression of raw power, yet the wine retains perfect proportion over the course of the evening. Definitely worth the price of admission.

12/14/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Definitely needs air to open and soften a bit.

11/23/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

"Now in its seventh vintage, this latest release shows a strong streak of citrus along with juicy blueberry- and blueberry-pie-fruit flavors. There's a light vein of tanned leather and a finish with lemon verbena and herbal tea highlights. Roughly one-third new French oak was used to age the wine."

11/10/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Found this on the racks at K&L Wine in Hollywood. What a wonderful French GSM blend for $17. Needed about 30 mins of air to soften the edges a bit but then it was perfectly quaffable with tonights pizza. Grenache stands out nicely here. Pretty decent finish as well.

11/5/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

"This is all Dijon clone, with the fruit coming from a single block at this vineyard on the recently designated Royal Slope. The aromas draw you into the glass, with notes of toasty spices, stone fruit, pear, mineral and flower, showing nuance and detail. The stone fruit and vanilla flavors are restrained and juicy, dipping slightly in the middle before ramping up on the finish. It's a fascinating expression of the variety, equal parts hedonistic and intellectual pleasure. — Sean P. Sullivan"

10/15/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

73% of the blend is comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, it gets wacky after that, including smaller portions of Touriga Nacional and Grenache, Merlot and Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. It’s a fruit-driven blend to be sure, a mix of Cab cassis and Syrah berry mostly, with notable depth and intensity and palate-staining impact for the modest price point. But of course this is Billo, so there are subtleties – mineral and garrigue and earl gray tea – and there is also carefully-managed texture, with dusty-fine tannins and wonderful propulsive energy.

10/5/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

One of the better bottles of Ferguson I have had in quite a while (and I have quite the vertical going on this wine). Many have not held up and faded faster than I would have thought. Not this vintage. It's holding up really well and actually lives up to the its hype. Really nice bouquet and still plenty of acid and tannin to create a nice long finish. This is drinking lovely ATM.

9/30/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Always one of my favorite Tolosa Pinot's. Needed about 30 mins of air to open. Not even close to being over the hill or "old" in any way. Plenty of red fruit that explodes as it hits your palette and a nice long finish to boot. Just an amazing Pinot experience from start to finish.

9/16/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Wowser. Perfect amount of Funk that it did not overpower the Syrah. Did not need more than 30min of air really. Right in the sweet spot right now. Stored at 58F since received from the winery. Kudos to Rich!

9/14/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Kitchen sink blend to die for. Amazing 5 Star QPR for sure.

9/1/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Great wine but still seems heavy on the oak. Better actually on the second day.

8/27/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

This was an excellent WA Cab Sauv with no flaws that I could detect. It reminded my very much of another quintessential WA Cab (Sparkman Holler) so much that it was hard for me to not think of it with each sip with dinner. That said the Holler can be had for only $30 so while this was good it was seriously overpriced IMHO.

8/18/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

OMG, anyone who says this is a "bland" Zin has no taste buds or palette. This is a Zin on steroids. Could have laid down for another 5 years in the cellar. Can't say that for many Cali-Zins that are already fading out after this amount of time. This has plenty of mouthfeel to go the distance. Serve cool so the ABV is kept in check/balance but it does get even better with 30-50mins of air time. Would buy a case if I had known it was this good. 5 Star QPR for sure. Well done Morgan Lee!

8/11/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

2 hour decant. Plenty of rocks funk and life still. You either like rocks wines or you don't.

8/5/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

5 Star QPR for sure.

8/3/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Very worthy effort and definitely deserving of the accolades. Had many versions of this wine and this is one of the better ones for sure.

7/28/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Seemed a tad heavy on oak other than that perfect.

6/25/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Last of 3 bottles and definitely not on its last legs.........

6/22/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Still a 5 Star QPR!

6/16/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Plenty of life in this bottle. Purchased from Full Pull and stored at 58F since receiving. The cork still looked like it was brand new except for the end which was inky purple. Plenty of dark berry, blueberry, black pepper, and cedar notes. The edges have been sanded down to perfection with time in the bottle. Wonderful finish and a perfect example of the finest in H3 Cabernet.

6/9/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Dark cherry and earthy, damp campfire aromas meet with wet gravel and savory teriyaki touches on the nose of this bottling. There is plenty of sizzle to the sip, where bright acid frames the smoked cherry and strawberry flavors.

6/2/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Strikes a nice balance between rich cherry, red plum and pear skin flavors, accented by savory notes of tobacco, tea leaf and black olive. Comes together seamlessly on a deftly built, velvety frame.

5/26/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

5 Star QPR. Should have bought more for this price. Crazy good juice.

5/23/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Amazing Cabernet blend. Tasted at the winery and bought 2 right off the bat. This is fantastic now with a decant but will lay down for some time to come as well.

5/13/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

You run into blends like this in Paso Robles only they are selling for 3-4X the price. Great wine drinking really well now. 5 Star QPR for sure.

5/5/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Always a winner and a 5 Star QPR wine.

5/4/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

A well-rounded white with exciting aromatics and a clean yet full mouthfeel. The initial aromas of honeysuckle and freshly baked bread jump out of the glass. The palate shows a different side with clean and bright flavors of green apple and lemon zest.

4/28/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Freaking amazing wine. 5 Star QPR. Goes with just about anything from steak to Italian with the heavy merlot presence. One sip and you will swoon...........

4/27/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

One would be hard-pressed to find a more impressive Syrah from WA state at this price.

4/13/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Needs about 40min of airtime to open up still!

4/9/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Still crazy good even at this date. Perfect example of Boushey Vineyard syrah.

4/8/2023 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Still insanely good juice. Not even close to over the hill. Not flabby in the least.