4/25/2024 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

Stupidly delicious
Enjoy.

12/3/2023 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

Surprised by this bottle.

Solid nose.
Still amazing structure to it.
Balanced fruit profile.

Enjoy,

7/23/2023 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

OMG
DELICIOUS

7/8/2023 - dbermanmd wrote:

Decanted
Needs 10 minutes to open
Never really opened up
Interesting experience

Wishes for a great day

6/6/2023 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

Had it since release.
Cellared.
Intact cork. Low shoulder fill

Decanted.

Crazy nose.
Took 10 to 15 minutes to fully open up.
Faded after 45 minutes or so.

If you appreciate well made old Bordeaux, this is what you will find in Websters Dictionary - it is the definition of a greatly constructed wine built to age and reveal the beauty and gift of the human drinking experience.

It still has time left on its clock.
I still have one left and will let it celebrate its 40th birthday with us….
Praying I am around then too :-)
That said, feel free to partake now.

Wishes for a great day to all.
David

4/11/2023 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

There are few if any better value wines.
You are getting far more value for your dollar.
Let this age for a few years and omg.
Really good wine
Have been following Mollydooker for over 15 vintages

Make sure you do the shake and double decant.
Buckle up
And brush your teeth,,,, you are going to have the biggest smile on your face.

2/10/2023 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

Had this along side an '04 La Mission Haut Brion.
Beautiful pairing.

You need to decant this for at least one hour (ditto its partner) and then the world becomes an amazing place.

Really good wine.

Wishes for a great day to all,
David/

2/10/2023 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

You need to decant this wine for at least 30 minutes, one hour is best.
Completely changed the game.

Just a beautiful elegant Bordeaux.
What you expected when you acquired the bottle.

Wishes for a great day,
David/

1/22/2023 - dbermanmd wrote:

Delicious
Drink now
Still has strong tannin backbone so can have another several years left.
No need to wait.
Drinking perfectly now.
Wishes for a great day,

1/12/2023 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

Beautiful wine.
Very feminine.
Great nose, well balanced.
Fruit, acidity, tannins all playing nice together.
Dark fruits predominate.
Sleek body that does not quit.
Full palate, great finish.
Enjoy and give thanks,
David/

12/31/2022 - dbermanmd Does not like this wine:

Managing expectations is not easy for most humans, including me. When the manager of the wine store said I should try this bottle - I stopped buying Caymus several years ago when the price point saddled it next to some Napa greats - and that if I did not like it he would refund me my money.

Heading back there next week to get my money back.

Maybe a few years in the bottle will help?

You can get at total wine 1858 past Robles for the same price from caymus and enjoy that bottle. This bottle is a hot mess. No balance, no identity , no finish , just a mess.

12/31/2022 - dbermanmd wrote:

The Prisoner and I go back almost 20 years. It has changed hands several times and has gone from cult wine to almost a Coca Cola of wines now.

That sais, and this remains true today that if you can buy this wine and put it away until it has 5 years of age on it.

We are just finishing our 2016 vintage and going to start opening the ‘17’s.

This wine is not drinkable now. It is cloyingly sweet. No balance. Too much fruit and not enough structure. It is too heavy body wise. It is a mess.

Trust me, give this bottle another few years and it will be worth the weight. No, it is not going to be a Chateau Montelena estate level wine, it is going to be a real solid bottle of good wine, fun to drink. It will bring you back close to what Dave had and wanted you to enjoy a long while ago.

Wishes for a great New Year to all.

11/6/2022 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

Delicious
Agree with recent reviews
Dark fruit and spices
Beautiful balance and finish.
Enjoy now

10/12/2022 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

OMG.
Agree, a muscular beast.
Full profile, great nose, fruit, tannin backbone intact.
Great finish.
Lasts forever.
Truly an old world Napa red.
Brings tears to my eyes.
They don't make them like this anymore.
Will last another 5 to 10 years.

10/3/2022 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

Wow.
Delicious.
Special.

9/20/2022 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

OMG, last time I tasted this was very UNimpressed.
Tonight, buckle up.
Completely different wine.
Earthy, balanced, great finish.
Color me shocked.

9/15/2022 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

Amazing wine
Enjoy

7/17/2022 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

Absolutely delicious.
Perfectly balanced from the nose to the finish on the palate.
Lasts forever, just a great finish.

1/11/2022 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

Agree with previous note(s).
Amazing wine, lip smacking good. Delicious. What a PN should be.
Made by an amazing human being who invests himself into each and every bottle.
David/

12/19/2021 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

OMG delicious.
Get a straw.
Or two, if you choose to share.

7/16/2021 - dbermanmd wrote:

Absolutely delicious

4/9/2021 - dbermanmd wrote:

Don't hold this against me,
Important to manage expectations,
Really delicious for what it is
Hugs,

4/4/2021 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

A, there is a God in heaven bottle.
And still is the early innings of its life.
Thank you Team Moone Tsai
Warm hugs,
David

2/23/2021 - dbermanmd wrote:

Currently a hot mess.
Would hold for several years and see if it evens out.

2/14/2021 - dbermanmd wrote:

Amazing wine.
Great nose.
Delicious fruit.
Strong backbone.
Drinking perfectly now, and no doubt for years to come.
Enjoy.

2/9/2021 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

Opened this tonight for my "baby's" birthday; same birth year.

Beautiful wine.
Great color.
Great nose.
Earthy.
Well preserved fruit profile
Dang,,,, just another great wine from Jeff.

2/4/2021 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

Solid bottle of wine.
Great taste profile,,,, fruity, balanced, integrated.
Drinking perfectly.
In fact, better the second day.

2/4/2021 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

All I can saw is WOW.
Golden color, amazing taste profile. Lasts forever on the palate.
Agree it needs about 30-60 minutes to wake up.
Worth the wait.

1/20/2021 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

Warning - potential user bias.
I am a huge fan of ACVV.

We opened this following a 1984 Laurel Glen that was also an amazing bottle of wine.

The surprise was how much substance this still had left. It could have lasted another several years in the bottle.
Tannins were still there and provided a perfect backbone to the experience.
Color is beautiful, and the nose - very expressive.
Fully integrated wine, fruity, lively, truly amazing.
We could not get over how good it was.

Too bad this is my last bottle of this vintage.

Best to all,
David/

1/20/2021 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

An AMAZING bottle of wine.
beautiful color.
earthy nose.
mature wine, fully integrated. almost bordeaux like.
lasted about 45 seconds on the palate.
truly a great experience.

10/17/2020 - dbermanmd wrote:

Delicious
Wow

9/2/2020 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

Bought direct at initial offering.
Drank in Zalto Burgandy glasses.
Not a wine snob, just enjoy putting the same amount of effort into drinking the wine as they made in producing it.

Opened up slowly, so don’t rush in.
Great nose. Instantly brought me back to the tasting we did in the cave.

Fresh, spring morning. Yes, a ton of psychologically placed human strings being pulled. A big fan of Todd’s .

Sunshine and happiness along with dark cherries and raspberries . A slight tangy grip to that grips for about a minute.

Just really enjoyable.

If you have unopened bottles no need to rush. Lots of life left.

Best,
David

8/2/2020 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

Absolutely delicious.
Drinking so we'll.
Agree with the profile from the previous reviews.

7/6/2020 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

Absolutely delicious.
Show stopping.
Bought directly from winery.

Four wine people for dinner that night.
It was The Wine of the Night.
Other bottles opened:
Anderson's Conn Valley Eloge '11
Pride Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon '12

5/31/2020 - dbermanmd wrote:

Delicious
Drinking perfectly now

5/24/2020 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

Delicious

5/18/2020 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

Silly delicious.

In my cellar since release which may make a difference reading some recent reviews.

That said, and my wife is in total agreement (not very common), this is a delicious wine.

Wishes for a great and highly productive day to all,
David/

6/2/2018 - dbermanmd wrote:

Simply delicious

10/27/2017 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

OMG amazing
My world's best friend popped and poured.
Great nose
Amazing taste profile
Bordeaux like
Old world elegant

9/3/2016 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

Amazing Pinot.
Typical KB
Lots of bottle life left vs. drinking perfectly now
Life's conundrums

8/13/2016 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

Better the second day
Still needs some more bottle time
Not touching them again for at least one year

5/29/2016 - dbermanmd wrote:

Crazy good

3/8/2016 - dbermanmd wrote:

Full Disclosure. I am a Black List member of Moone Tsai Wines and consider myself very fortunate to be one. There Chardonnay is one of the few I cellar. I tend to prefer their Sonoma Coast over their Napa Valley, but am fond of both.

I have tried 3 bottles of the Paige Cuvee with about 2 dozen other people, most of which I consider "wine people". Some have massive collections, some just buy and drink.

Here are my tasting notes and observations along the pathway those 3 bottles took me.

This wine is built to age. One bottle I opened a few hours before consuming, and yes I am aware of the varying opinions of doing such with a chardonnay, and each bottle had one of the most vibrant and pure noses ever come across. A hint of butter and spring fruits. We would sit there and enjoy the aroma after we were done with it. That amazing.

On the palate, you are struck immediately by the body of this wine. If you like Cabernet's, this wine is for you. It stood up to every appetizer ordered. The butter persisted in a perfect amount and NO oak! Actually amazing. The fruit profile lasted forever. A pure coating of the tongue and it lasted seemingly forever. I can still taste it.

The spine on this wine is also perfect. You can drink it now and there is no doubt this wine is good for another 5-7 years minimum. The only trouble I am going to have is to be able to hold on to them long enough. I have people calling me to bring it to our next meal out together.

I would have given this a 99 with the understanding there can never be a 100. I chose 98 only because I was embarrassed to give it a 99. I am hoping they continue making this year after year.

Simply one of the most amazing chardonnay's I have ever tasted. And for that matter out of the nearly 2 dozen other, the average rating was similar to mine in not better. Some gave it a 99, all wanted some of my remaining bottles - unfortunately they are not for sale.

2/12/2016 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

I believe this is the last vintage before the sale to Quintessa.

This bottle blew away everybody at the table. I am a fan of Prisoner and you have to understand what you are buying and drinking. That said, this bottle has come into its own. Drinking great.

7/19/2015 - dbermanmd wrote:

This is what I refer to as their gateway bottle.
This is such a great Cabernet Sauvignon that you will not be able to stop yourself from moving upwards to their Cor Leonis.
This bottle will make your first two cranial nerves thankful for their existence. The rest is in the physical delivery to your taste buds which will not be disappointed. In fact they will be amazed. Great from the start to the finish.
Had this with an amazing prime rib last evening. Perfect pairing.
Highly recommend it with the proviso of be careful...... It will provide serious temptation to try their Cor Leonis.

7/19/2015 - dbermanmd wrote:

Simply an amazing bottle of wine with lots of life left in it.
Had it with prime ribs last night and was a perfect pairing.

7/7/2015 - dbermanmd Does not like this wine:

I read the review by Dagalaifus with some skepticism as a fan of most things related to Prisoner Wine Company/Orin Swift. So I went to one of my favorite wine stores (Rye Brook Wines, the other being K&D Wines) and picked up a bottle to try last night. Respectfully I am asking forgiveness from Dagalaifus.

Let me create the foundation first. I LOVE "The Prisoner". A great wine for the price. It is one of my pop and pour wines I keep in the house when that moment arises. I am even conducting an experiment by aging them. I had the 2010 vintage last weekend and it was amazing. I love or like a lot all of their offerings. With that, lets move on.

Did you ever wonder what would happen if you combined Vick's Vapor Rub and Johnson & Johnson Bubble Gum Flavored Pediatric Tylenol that was chilled in the refrigerator? Wonder know longer. Open a bottle of "Thorn" and breath deeply. It smacks you in the face. Your first cranial nerve will be jolted. So offensive is the stimuli that it might even whack your second cranial nerve. You will be wishing for a sinus infection in fact.

Then the first taste. I figured, okay well it can't taste the way it smells. It is amazing how human's try to rationalize things, especially after spending hard earned money. I won't make that mistake again. Going Biblical here. After the flood waters receded God's first instruction to Noah after the ark hit terra firma was to plant a vineyard. All I can say is that there would be two possibilities if the first wine produced by Noah's vines mimicked "Thorn". First, no way humans would recover from the devastating flood. Extinction. Gone. Goodbye. Dunso. There would be some other life from dominating the planet today. Lastly, we would view the flood that wiped out all of life on planet Earth save for those on the Ark as a mere precursor to something really bad. "Thorn" would have made the historic flood look like a sun shower. They would have gotten back on the Ark and asked for another 40 days of rain. Really. That bad.

To make matters even more interesting yesterday evening was that I always carry a back up bottle no matter where I go in case of emergencies like last night. Help, my first bottle is amazingly bad call the cavalry. Well my back up bottle was Mollydooker The Scooter '14. Yes I like Mollydooker wines too. Love Carnival of Love and their entire Shiraz line. I keep the lower end Mollydookers for people who come to my house, see my collection, know nothing about wine and want to try something. This is where i start them. I have no skin in the game at that price and over 90% of all of those types of people really like it. I picked up my case of The Boxer '14 (Shiraz - great wine, great price) and saw The Scooter (Merlot, like "Thorn") and wanted to give it a try. Out of the 6 people who sampled both wines last night at the restaurant is was 6-0 Scooter over Thorn. And not even close. First round Knockout. Everybody (including some "wine people" and those who are casual wine drinkers) thought "Thorn" was amazingly bad. All called it medicinal in their own way.

It gets even better. The only battle "Thorn" won was that it defeated Nexium and Zantac and Dexilant. I never had such heartburn and stomach angst. It could be supertentorial in origin. Perhaps not. Whatever it was it forever etched in my memory, and not in a good way.

All I can tell you is that when I see that label I will shudder, shake, probably feel waves of my olfactory nerve reminding me of what lays inside that bottle. I just hope nothing good stands and lays next to it.

If Prisoner Wine Company is smart they will recall them and start again. This is their first bottle that I will avoid at all costs. And that is a shame. I guess you cannot hit 1000% but to serve up a clunker like that was completely from left field. I have NEVER rated a wine under 85 and I am being kind with the 79 above.

I will also revisit this board to see what others think. Perhaps it is just me.
Good luck to all and best wishes as always. If you try "Thorn" (aptly named i must add) make sure to bring a back up bottle and stock up on antacids.

Be careful out there.

5/13/2015 - dbermanmd Likes this wine:

Opened it at a Steakhouse last Saturday night.

Once you pop the cork, the aroma just takes over. You know where you are headed. Great dark purplish color in the glass. Lots of legs. Oh, did I mention the aroma? Crazy bouquet of floral notes mixed with earth.

On the palate.... dark fruits and earth. Excellent texture. The tannins provide a perfect spine and the finish of this wine is just great. There is a lot more life to this wine.

Just a crazy great wine.

10/10/2014 - dbermanmd wrote:

WOW!
I have been buying and drinking this wine forever. It is one of my Father-in-Laws go to bottles and to keep his daughter happy I always have some at home for him.

This could be the best vintage ever. Still young, but Wow. I brought this to a restaurant last evening and it scored two thumbs up with 6 different people.

Its dense, fruity, a tad hot right now but that will dissipate over time or given some air. Really nice finish.

6/8/2014 - dbermanmd wrote:

6 hour decant. After reading the reviews to date I gave it a six hour decant and then consumed the bottle over the next almost 3 hours. It was still opening up.

That being said of the 6 adults including two wine managers at the restaurant everybody gave it a huge two thumbs up.

Beautiful color, expressive nose and a bouquet of fruit supported by tannins. This will age beautifully and will be adding it to my cellar. Just a really good wine.