12/14/2011 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Rivals the Point Rouge...likely the best La Carriere to date.

1/26/2010 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Superb bottle of wine. Extraordinarily smooth with a slighly crisp finish so the buttery taste doesn't linger too long. Drank it for my birthday.

5/31/2008 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Definitely needs to be decanted prior to drinking. It is a big cab but unfortunately has a tart after-taste.

4/24/2008 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Extremely fruity initially...softens over time. It was very similar to Sea Smoke in its fullness and aromas.

4/5/2008 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Very crisp and not too much grapefruit.

3/9/2008 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Really nice sauvignon blanc...hints of green apple and grapefruit. It has a darker yellow hue and a little heavier than a traditional sauvignon blanc.

1/21/2008 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

A nice zinfandel blend but a little tart even after decanting for 30+ minutes.

1/20/2008 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

not sure if it was a bad bottle or not...but this wine was terrible. My wife told me of a similar experience she had with the same bottle but I had chalked it up to being a bad bottle at the time.

1/1/2008 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

I continue to enjoy these Linne Calodo blends. I've found that all wine sophistications from novice to expert enjoy these at dinner. The Rising Tides seem much closer to a syrah in how heavy it pours but it has a spicy complexity that creates a lively set of tastes on the palette. I always look forward to my mailing list shipment.

1/1/2008 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Definitely takes a while to open up. It is a little tart on the palette even after decanting.

12/30/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Definitely big, fruity and smooth as others have noted. The bouquet reminds me of driving into Napa Valley during the crush with the fresh aroma of newly picked (and crushed) grapes resonates throughout the valley. It starts tangy/fresh and finishes smooth with no real lingering aftertaste. I'm disappointed that I only have one more bottle.

12/27/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

The wine was ok...a bit too heavy on the tannins initially and after decanting. It was very similar to a Merlot in its bouquet and taste on the palette. It finished with a slightly tart after taste.

12/20/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

The wines starts like a very refined voigner...soft with a touch of sweetness. However, it ends with a tangy sensation in the mid-to-back palette.

12/13/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

The wine pours on the lighter side like some of the Chasseur's that I'm fond of. However, it is a little heavier with not too much. They've definitely achieved more of a Burgundian style on this one. The main drawback is the wine finishes with a fair amount of acidity that lingers. We enjoyed the wine two nights in a row (half the bottle the first night and the other half the second night) and that same acidity showed both times.

11/28/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Wow...this is a really BIG wine. I could only drink one glass before it got the better of me. I didn't have it with food, so hard to tell if that was the issue. To be clear, it is NOT a bad wine, it is just not for the faint of heart.

11/26/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Had to follow up a great experience with another bottle two nights later...just as good and I had the same experience of needing it to warm up and open up for the wine to really shine.

11/26/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Enjoyed this bottle at the Stanford/Notre Dame tailgate party. Remarkably smooth and went well with beef jerky and a horseradish cheddar. The bottle started a little cold and tight but as it warmed up and opened it, the wine really blossomed. It was smooth more like a blend rather than its cabernet roots.

11/23/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

It took a little while to open up, but we shared this bottle over Thanksgiving dinner and it blended well with all courses.

11/4/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Fruity and smooth cab with some good structure. The wine exhibited few if any tannins will little time to decant...a great choice with filet mignon.

11/4/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

It is incredible how smooth this chardonnay can be...a truly remarkable wine that we were able to enjoy with friends that appreciate great wines.

10/31/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

The wine is a little sour and heavy on the palette. That being said, this is the kind of quality wine that has kept us coming back to Pride over the years. Notwithstanding the conventional wisdom in "Sideways", I would never turn down a Pride Merlot. We enjoyed the wine over chocolate (which is always a great call), but my guess is a nice porterhouse with sauteed mushrooms would make this a knock out. Given the tartness of the wine, I look for sweeter/smoother salad dressing (like a ranch or blue cheese) over a vinaigrette.

10/15/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

The thing that throws you off on this wine is it is not light nor dry like a sauvignon blanc. It's got a great nose and rich golden color. However, it is crisp with citrus-type flavors...green apple definitely shines through. I had it with chicken kabobs braised with a garlic sauce and brown-buttered rice. In hindsight the stark flavors were probably not the best pairing, but I'm learning and getting better at my food pairing attempts.

9/22/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Initially pretty bland and non-descript but it opened up as it warmed up. Less of a fruit bomb as many syrahs are becoming...much more akin to a bordeaux in structure.

9/21/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

I know this sounds crazy, but I opened the bottle and had a glass immediately and it wasn't that remarkable. I was then out of town for the next 3 days, leaving the bottle (corked) on the counter in our kitchen (not great oenophile form...I know). I decided to try a glass upon my return and it was fantastic. It was a superb fully bodied syrah-like experience. I've heard the Petite Syrahs need to sit for 5-7 years, but maybe that's the case for all the Scholium Reds.

9/5/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

on the buttery side of a sauvignon blanc...admittedly better when chilled below the 55 degrees that it is stored at (although it was pretty hot today, so that might be a mitigating factor)

5/27/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Pretty interesting...the wine had some hints of grapefruit but it was heavier in more of the chardonnay camp than a sauvignon blanc. Pretty smooth and very drinkable. We had is with salmon and asparagus which was a pretty good match.

5/7/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Really big and chewy...it look a long time for it to open up. The interesting part was that it was like drinking two different wines from the same bottle: one upon first pouring and the second after it opened up considerably. I liked it (since I'm into big syrah's recently), but my wife didn't (she is more of smooth meritage, pinot, dare I say merlot kind of wine drinker).

4/26/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Comes off as a "heavy" sauvignon blanc...lots of grapefruit overtones with a tangy finish

3/31/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

What can I say...this is a good every day drinking wine...great price/value. It is a little acidic to start but mellows over the palate. It strikes the right balance of not being too crisp like a sauvignon blanc or too buttery like many chardonnays these days.

3/21/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Really well-balance zinfandel...not too fruity or over the top.

3/11/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Drank this bottle at a dinner party we hosted. It was a great pairing with pork tenderloin with a pomegranite sauce. The Wahle is fruity in the traditional Ken Wright sense but with a little tangy overtone.

2/17/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Maybe my expectations were set too high, since everything I've ever had from DuMol has been spectacular (primarily Pinot Noir), however, this wine was kind of dull. It didn't have any distinctive qualities. It was heavy like a typical syrah but the fruit was not very noticeable and there was a filmy after taste. Don't get me wrong, we still drank the whole bottle, but I think I'll save my dollars for more Pinots from DuMol versus this syrah.

2/4/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Started pretty oaky but rounded out well after the bottle has some time to open up. Definitely went better with food (halibut and marinated asparagus).

1/28/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Drank this bottle as the second in a vertical tasting (1991-1996). It was clearly a more fruit forward wine than the 1991. It was also much smoother to the palate. It was one of those classic Silver Oak bottles that originally gave the winery its good name.

1/28/2007 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Extremely oaky even after decanting for 1 hour prior to serving.

12/27/2006 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

OK...so I'm convinced the 2002 is at its perfect drinking window right now (December 2006). You would be hard pressed to believe it is a pinot in a blind test. It is smooth like the Les Pavots meritage with just a little more fruit forward nose (that is the only thing that gives it away). It reminded me of a 1997 Araujo that I had last year. It was my last bottle of the 2002, so anyone who still has some...ENJOY!

12/27/2006 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

So my wife's been on this white burgundy and voigner kick, so I've been off of the Peter Michael sauce for a while...coming home is oh so sweet! Perfect wine that opened up quickly and was so smooth it was hard to believe we drank it in no time flat. We also paired it with a cheese plate appetizer which was a knock out (especially the Spanish monchego (sp?)). The sweetness and oakiness of the wine with the complexity of a variety of lighter cheeses was awesome. Unfortunately, I've only got 2 bottles left of the 2002...so I will have to pick my spots wisely.

12/27/2006 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Pretty bland as far as syrah's go...it wasn't over the top with a fruit bomb, but it wasn't so earthy as to attempt a distinction as a new age bordeaux. I bought 2 bottles, so I'm going to give it another try. We had it with salmon in a lemon butter sauce which may not have been the best pairing (and fair to the wine). It noticeably opened up after 30 minutes, so I strongly recommend decanting if you're going to drink it early.

12/23/2006 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

What is it about Russian River Valley Pinot Noir that makes the wines so good? We enjoyed 2 bottles with friends and we drank the wine like it was water. The color is a bit opaque (similar to a Chasseur or Ken Wright) and has a bit of a fruit forward bouquet but it is a little tart to the palate. The flavors are very complex and every sip leaves dying for another...maybe that's why we went through 2 bottles in no time flat. In any case, Darioush may be one of the better price/values out there on the high end of the quality scale and this pinot is an unbelievable find!

12/20/2006 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Nice blend...a not too sweet voignier...great change of pace from the traditional chardonnay scene.

12/18/2006 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Heavy on the tannins with a lot of sediment upon corkage. We decanted the wine which helped things quite a bit. Admittedly, it would have been better with a better food pairing (we had cracked crab), but my father-in-law got to choose the wine and this was the one he wanted.

12/16/2006 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

big and jammy

12/10/2006 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Starts with a fruit-forward nose and taste...yet finishes with a crispness (no residual fruit) that you don't find in pinots too often. Compared to the 2003, this is a much better wine, although the "Ten" still takes the cake. We had this wine with goat cheese and marmalade jam hors d'ouevres and it was a great pairing with or without food.

11/26/2006 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Best price/value in my cellar

11/25/2006 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Big fruit and smooth to the palate. Admittedly, the wine was more drinkable while still cool from the wine cellar before opening up to room temperature. It is a heavier pinot than most and compared favorably to a Chehalem Pinot Noir that we drank earlier in the evening.

11/11/2006 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Crisp but somewhat tart...better if paired with food as opposed to drinking it stand alone

11/11/2006 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Tried it with chocolate and it was just too much sweetness. I should have had more of a berry pie or something like that to add some tart to the mix.

10/30/2006 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Crisp chardonnay is a burgundian style...not too acid or too much citrus like a sauvignon blanc...pretty outstanding price/value in my opinion

10/22/2006 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Drank it a little late in its life and it showed. I'm certain in its younger days this wine would have put up a better showing...time to get to 2004s and 2005s

10/18/2006 - BlakeWarnerWine wrote:

Really nice bottle of wine. It starts kind of fresh and lively with good fruit (probably the zin/mouvedre combo) but the syrah blend adds some richness and finish so its a well rounded zin...not a run of the mill zin. We had it with a bolonegnse (sp?) pasta (which was a great combo) but it could probably match up nicely with a steak if you're game to try it.