3/4/2023 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot Does not like this wine:

Awful. Avoid.

2/26/2023 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot Likes this wine:

Beautiful as always.

2/26/2023 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot Does not like this wine:

This shit is swill. Nasty.

2/16/2023 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot Does not like this wine:

Disgusting, vile juice. Consistent with my last experience. Poured down the drain. CellarTracker for some reason forces a minimum score of 50. This crap deserves less.

1/25/2023 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Either poorly made or some bottle flaw. This tasted like a 20 year old bottle that faded a long time ago. Disappointing, even at the $20 price level.

1/14/2023 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot Does not like this wine:

Utter crap. Over evolved, raisiny, hot. Poured it down the drain. Thankfully it was only 375ml and $6.99 at Total Wines & More.

1/4/2023 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Evolved a bit... probably 5 years past its prime...

12/25/2022 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot Does not like this wine:

Typically love Bandol in particular and Mourvèdre in general. This was flat, closed and lacking any life whatsoever.

10/2/2022 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Drab, flat, zero character Chardonnay. Pass.

5/25/2022 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot Does not like this wine:

strong notes of egg / sulphur... very unpleasant... avoid.

shame on Garagiste for selling this.

12/26/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Simple, one dimensional, jammy and boring. Total disappointment.

12/25/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Beautiful older wine from a controversial vintage. We had this from magnum so possible it was holding up better than a 750ml. I would give this no more than perhaps 5 more years of life.... but very elegant and wonderful to drink at this stage.

12/25/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Anyone who pays retail $ for this needs to have their head checked.

Very nice bottle of wine... delicious in fact, but an absolutely terrible value.

10/6/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Very, very different from the first bottle - in a good way. First one must have been a flawed bottle or some serious bottle variation going on.

This one was lively, balanced and good fruit with some structure. Very enjoyable.

10/1/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

This either needs a lot more time in bottle, or a much longer decant. Opened it - no decant - first sip an hour later. Light and elegant but lacking depth and complexity. Tasted more of a simple Chianti to go with a pizza. Will give this another go perhaps in a year or at least with a serious decant.

9/22/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

This wine is virtually dead. Raisiny, one dimensional, probably never great but certainly would have been much better within 2-3 years of the vintage...

Disappointed with my Seattle-based online purveyor of small batch wines.... did they (he) even taste this?????

7/26/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Delicious Zin. Reminds me of a Turley which is a very good thing.

7/12/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Awful.... no balance, too ripe, short hollow finish....

7/2/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

This wine is Exhibit A for over-priced, over-rated red Burgundy.

A very nice wine for sure, elegant and refined, subtle bouquet and medium body finish, however lacking complexity and a bit too soft. An earthy nose does not compensate for simplicity and just a lack of excitement here.

5/26/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

100 points - 'I rate this wine excellent.' LOL. More like 85 at best.

Generic, pleasant Malbec with not a lot of character.

5/1/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Very delicious. But nowhere near $200 delicious.

5/1/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Uber fruity. Lacking complexity. Finishes a bit sour.

5/1/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Delicious. But not >$100 delicious.

4/12/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Astringent, tart and funky all at once, and not in a good way.

3/28/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot Does not like this wine:

Sweet, cloying, very heavy. Tasted of honey, vanilla, molasses and fig. No Cabernet character whatsoever.

This is not an elegant or even well made wine. How did anyone rate this highly?

Awful value. Never again.

2/15/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Perhaps the least interesting Pinot I've had in a long while. Not offensively bad - just lacking in flavor, complexity, body and nose.

According to the Rating Scale (which I think most people ignore or abuse - myself included at times)... this is 75-79 and that's probably generous. If I were a tough grader this would be 'below average' and thus 70-74.

But whatever.

2/13/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

A bit rustic, heavy cigar box/tobacco (Cab Franc perhaps?). A nice wine... not super elegant.

2/6/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

This might be 92 points for a S African Bordeaux blend but it ain’t so for a Bordeaux blend.

2/6/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

98 points is a joke. Suckling is the bigger joke.

But I guess the jokes on me since I bought this wine.

Very good? Yes. About 91 points. And maybe $40 if I’m being really honest.

1/30/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Raisiny, borderline oxidized, imbalanced mess of a Pinot.

I’ve had many bottles from this producer and all have been solid, so really hoping this was a bottle variation issue. Will pop another in due course and see how that shows up.

1/11/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Simple, grapey, one-dimensional, unfortunate.

1/10/2021 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Good depth and structure, but a bit sweet and cloying. Quite enjoyable though.

12/28/2020 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Same rating as before, with a slight bump as the shock factor was not an issue. Borderline undrinkable. Same burnt rubber notes, dark and heavy, completely unrecognizable as a Pinot.

The fact that there are some who seem to love this wine (some likely with an agenda, posting multiple reviews on the same night) is a good reminder to use extreme caution with crowd-sourced wine reviews, especially domestic Pinots.

This wine is awful.

11/26/2020 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Dark, intense, super structured, concentrated and long. Had this alongside a 2015 Inglenook and both were outstanding but the QC had a depth and more focused flavor profile. Full bodied, absolutely beautiful and will likely be lively for 20 more years I would guess.

10/30/2020 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Absolute beast, and not in a good way. Heavy, plodding, over the top, jammy and as graceful as a linebacker on coke.

If you are looking for a wall of fruity, sweet, full-on alcohol blockbuster that will get you hammered (or cut through the haze of a very late night blitz), here is your drink.

10/28/2020 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Tasty, but lacking any structure. A low acid, flabby, fruit-driven hot mess. Serve this to folks who love high octane (15%+ ABV) juice....

10/16/2020 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Probably the finest Willamette Pinot from this producer ever in my experience. And that is saying a lot, these wines are beautiful every year, so detailed, fresh and long. Structured, deep, yet very lively.

10/17/2020 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Might just be the best Rotie Cellars red we've ever had which is saying a lot.... beautiful, deep dark fruit, detailed and long finish... no oak to speak of... and the Mourvedre really stands out.... outstanding...

10/10/2020 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Beautiful, long elegant fish. Complex, deep yet not weighed down. Lifted.

9/26/2020 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Beautiful chardonnay here... so well balanced, elegant, deep finish...

9/26/2020 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Very nice cabernet.... elegant, long finish, well balanced...

9/22/2020 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Pleasant, quaffable red wine with close to no varietal or regional characteristics. Very generic, mass produced feel about this. Might be a good call for a BBQ and hamburgers on a summer afternoon.

Not bad, just bland.

8/22/2020 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Overrated & overpriced.

8/15/2020 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Another oak bomb from Januik. Had this alongside a Crozes-Hermitage - that was a mistake, the Januik did not benefit from the comparison.

8/4/2020 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Beware the numerous high scores from 1 user here, this wine is a hot mess. Super concentrated oak overpowers the fruit. Virtually undrinkable.

A terrible offering from Garagiste here.

7/31/2020 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

A nice Brunello but completely overrated, at least for anyone who is familiar with Brunello.

7/27/2020 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Awful. Burnt rubber, menthol, disgusting.

7/19/2020 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

An oak bomb that was brutal when tasted alongside a Maison Dampt Chablis. Recommend drinking this only when taste buds are shot.

7/4/2020 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Deep, rich, savory CDP. Outstanding.

7/4/2020 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote:

Reminiscent of a Cayuse God Only Knows Grenache. Beautiful... and a great value...