3/2/2024 - NShotkin wrote:

2020 vintage is a blend of 74% Grenache 26% Syrah. Last vintage, 2019, was a blend of 55/45 Grenache/Syrah. Expectedly, the 2020 vintage is lighter bodied and more red fruit driven. Strawberry, red cherry, plum, mint, smoke on the nose. Low acid, med body, high alc. More smoke, liquorice, red fruit, and charred oak on the palate. A casual, fruity, drinkable wine. 2019 was richer and more complex. It would be nice to see a more consistent blend/style one vintage to the next.

2/28/2024 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Blend of Seyval Blanc, Chardonel, and Vignoles varieties. Lovely nose of pear, apricot, lychee, wet stones, lots of minerality. Nice med acid, med alc., full-bodied with lemon, peach, more minerality on the palate. Enjoyable, refreshing, great with food. Great QPR!

2/8/2024 - NShotkin wrote:

Drinking nicely now. Elegant floral nose with some nice raspberry, red cherry, and smoke. Palate is a bit dissappointing with some muted red fruit and earthiness. Really can't tell where this is going with age but I'm not too optimistic about further development.

12/11/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Aromas of strawberry, raspberry, and licorice. Nice bouquet after 7 years in the bottle. Distinct Sonoma character/aromas. Medium body with soft tannins. Really impressed with the development (tasted alongside the 2019 vintage). Wish I had more, this wine has more development ahead!

11/23/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Deep purple appearance. A big wine with dark, earthy aromas of black pepper, dark chocolate, capsicum, mint, and baking spices. It has a dense, intriguing, and unique nose. Cocoa, dark fruit, spice, and tobacco on the palate with big, mouth-coating tannins, med+ acid, and a long finish. Great showing! Could use time in bottle to refine/integrate.

10/18/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Brooding dark fruit, floral notes, charcoal, tobacco, black pepper on the nose. Black cherry, black plum, earth, clove, coffee, cocoa on the palate. High acid, high alc, full bodied. Really impressed by the value this wine offers at its price. Great for a casual weeknight dinner with a red meat dish or meaty stew. Very delious and well made!

9/13/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Medium gold appreanace. Pleasant nose of pear, honey, wet stones, banana, oak is present but well balanced and not overpowering. Rich, buttery, full-bodied mouthfeel with medium acid, medium alc., pineapple, tropical fruit, banana, buttered toast, and a nice mineral finish. Very enjoyable! A restrained and elegant rendition of unmistakable Cali Chard. Highly recommend!

8/27/2023 - NShotkin Does not like this wine:

I did not enjoy this wine. Pronounced notes of balsamic dominate the nose and palate, and not in a good way. Tried multiple times over 24 hr period to see if it would blow off but it didn't.

8/17/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Medium intensity aromas of red cherry, clove, dried fig, chocolate, leather, and pronounced oak. Good amount of tannin, high acid, med alc. Dried red fruit, balsamic, earthiness, smoke on the palate. Needs some time to open up but after 1+ hr shows really nicely!

8/8/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Deep ruby. Aromas of black cherry, cocoa, mint, blackberry, rose, and bordelaise. Dark, earthy, peppery, floral, high acl., full-bodied with soft tannins and a nice acid structure. An engaging and vibrant wine for an unassuming price. Well done!

7/31/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Pronounced aromas of ripe black cherry, blackberry, vanilla, dark chocolate, and tobacco. Old world in style. Medium acid, medium tannin, full-bodied. Dark fruit, tar, black liquorice, molasses, smoky oak on the palate. Long and lingering finish. This wine punches well above its weight! Very impressive, and accessible young.

7/18/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Deep purple appearance. Blackberry, black plum, black cherry, clove, oak, prune. High acid, high tannin, high alc., full-bodied, blueberry pie, black pepper, chocolate, leather, rosemary, earth. Lingering finish. Really nice, big, dark, bold California syrah!

7/16/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Pale lemon appearance. Medium intensity aromas of green apple, lemon, peach, wet stone, cut grass. Med+ acid, full-bodied, very plush rich mouthfeel. Lemon, pear, melon, asparagus, minerality on the palate. Nose is not as pronounced and aromatic as typical French or Australian Sauvignon Blanc but still very nice!

7/12/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Beautiful deep purple hue. Black cherry, black plum, rasberry, tyme, rosemary, smoke. Medium acid, high alc., firm grippy tannins, full bodied. Black cherry, blackcurrant, smoke, earth, vanilla, herbs, oak on the palate. Mouth coating. Medium finish. Big wine. Can definitely benefit from some bottle age.

7/7/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Deep purple appearance. Black cherry, blackberry, chocolate, red cherry, tobacco, pepper on the nose. High acid, high tannin, high alcohol. Full bodied with black fruit, leather, smoke, black pepper on the palate..long finish. Tertiery flavors starting to peek through but just entering its drinking window and has few more years of development ahead. Very nice!!

7/6/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Deep lemon appearance. Pear, lemon, wet stones on the nose. High acid, medium-bodied, pear, honey, lemon, minerality on the palate. Crisp and refreshing. Pear is the dominant note on the nose and palate. Nice with food or as a casual sipper.

6/26/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Very nice pronounced aromas of ripe strawberry, blackberry, black liquorice, blueberry gam. Med+ body with med acidity and high alcohol. Very nice dark fruit, earth, pepper, chocolate, tobacco on the palate. I like the teriaty flavors coming through at this point and its drinking beautifully now. The new Tribe label is straight Cab, and hasnt been great for 19 and 22 vintages, so unless they're an anomaly, this seems to me to be the end of an era for Tribe label as being a good mevushal option with good QPR.

6/14/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Pale gold appreanace. Green apple, citrus, and blossom aromas with subtle notes of strawberry and red cherry. Dry (brut) with high acidity, yeast, bread notes and a healthy amount of CO2/bubbles on palate. Crisp and refreshing!

6/7/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Pale pink-orange appearance. Strawberry, melon, and crisp peach aromas. Nice mouth watering adicity with a citrus notes of grapefruit and blood orange. Very refreshing and enjoyable rose!

4/29/2023 - NShotkin Does not like this wine:

Very different from previous vintages when the Tribe was a prop blend. The straight cab is a fruit bomb.

3/31/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Sour cherry, plum, raspberry, strawberry on the nose. Bursting with fruit. Light to medium body with cranberry and pineapple notes on palate. Drinks and feels almost like a Pinot. Very different from the 2017 Besomim. Interested to see where this will go with some age but drinking nicely now!

3/31/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Blueberry, blackberry, floral notes, oakiness, venilla, earthiness, great prefume. Very nice aromatics on this full-bodied wine. Grippy tannins. Long finish. Still has plenty of life ahead. So good!

3/27/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Honeysuckle, lemon, papaya, melon on the nose. There's a tangy, mild acidity on the palate. Suprisingly long lingering notes of apricot and tropical fruit on the finish. Light, fruity, and refreshing. Nice!

3/23/2023 - NShotkin wrote:

Sweet, ripe, dark fruit, jammy, oaky, high alcohol coming through on the nose and palate. This wine lacks the balance and finesse that was present in earlier vintages. Used to be a great QPR monster wine along with the Yiron blend but I find that they haven't been delivering the same way in recent years.

3/17/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Green apple, caramel, toffee, honeysuckle. Well balanced. Long finish. Very nice!!

3/12/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Blend of Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Barbera. Brick red hue. Cherry-cola, tobacco, plum, red fruit, and oak on the nose. Light to medium body with very soft, delicate tannins. Drinking well now.

2/23/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Dark fruit, chocolate, cherry, perfume on the nose. Smoky, spicy, earthy. Firm draping tannins and good acidity give structure to this big wine. Very enjoyable!

2/17/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Aromas of cherry, earth, and smoke. Full-bodied with soft, mouth draping tannins, blackberry, oak, and cranberry with plenty of acidity on the palate. Long finish. Age-worthy wine with good potential for further development in the bottle!

2/12/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Wet slate, lots of minerality, pear, and apricot on the nose. The palate has a tart and tangy dryness with a good amount of acidity and yeasty elements, gooseberry, green appple, and honeydew melon. Very unique and enjoyable wine!

2/10/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Pleasant aromas of dark fruit, strawberry, menthol, and oak. Medium bodied, silky tannins, with earthiness, blueberry, and toasty notes on the palate. Medium finish. A fun and enjoyable wine with a great QPR! Some mildly abrasive acidity on the palate which may subside with another year or two of cellaring if you can hold onto it for that long ‐ this wine is a real crowd-pleaser!

2/4/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Pear, apricot, slate on the nose. Nice. Good acidity, tart rhubarb, and metalic notes on the palate. Great QPR!

2/3/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Pleasant aromas of dark fruit, cherry, and tobacco. Medium-plus body with firm tannins. Cocoa, black pepper, smokiness on the palate. This wine has a lot to offer at its price point!

2/1/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Aromas of strawberry, raspberry, and licorice. Nice bouquet after 7 years in the bottle. Distinct Sonoma character/aromas. Medium body with soft tannins. Really impressed with the development (tasted alongside the 2019 vintage). Wish I had more, this wine has more development ahead!

1/29/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Citrus, guava, buttery oak on the nose which is quite pleasant but lots of phenolic bitterness on the palate and finish which I'm not a fan of. Overall, decently enjoyable.

1/15/2023 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

This is an extraordinary wine! It embodies the Napa Valley terroir on steroids. The nose is an explosion of elegant, floral, fruity perfume with blackberry, blueberry, earth. The palate on this full-bodied wine is inky, mouth coating, with loads of dark fruit, leather, earthiness. Destinct Napa Valley terroir coming through at the fore. The finish is long and lingering. Wow!

1/13/2023 - NShotkin Does not like this wine:

I find this wine destinctly unenjoyable. There is a flawed, almost spoiled, taint to it. The first time I had it I thought it was just a corked bottle, but after several tastings on various occasions, I can confidently say it's not for me.

11/9/2022 - NShotkin Likes this wine:

Oak, vanilla, and pineapple on the nose. The palate is earthy and musty with moss, forest floor, citrus, passion fruit, wet rock, more oak, and an oily viscous mouthfeel. This wine is rich and delicious! Very enjoyable California style chardonnay!