8/12/2015 - ChillyWino Likes this wine:

With the upcoming release thought I would open a bottle to remind me why I keep buying. Popped and poured and enjoyed over a couple hours. This is a excellent wine and is in a great place right now. On the nose cherries/red berries, cola, some earthy and herbal notes to go along with some forest notes. Rich round lush feel to it, and nice backbone to it. Nice long lingering finish with some berries, spice, and earthiness lingering. Go ahead and open now and enjoy over the course of the night or give it some more time.

6/18/2015 - ChillyWino Likes this wine:

Wow, really great nose with red fruits, spices, some cola. Incredibly long and smooth finish, lingers on the palate.

6/18/2015 - ChillyWino Likes this wine:

Red fruits, spice, anise, and some smokey hints, all jumping out of the glass. Great structure and think this will age very well.

6/18/2015 - ChillyWino Likes this wine:

An incredible nose with red and black fruits, lavender, spices, etc. Great mid palate feel, long, and lush. Drinking phenomenally well

6/20/2015 - ChillyWino Likes this wine:

Great nose with hints of tropical fruits, lavender, honey, and lemon. Nice acidity to balance out the sweetness, making for a rich lush feel and nice finish.

7/20/2011 - ChillyWino wrote:

This also gets a WOW and STUNNING from me. As soon as he poured it I asked if it was the Alpine (I’ve only had the 04 Family Farm and 06 Alpine previously and the spicy nose from the Alpine still sticks with me and this reminded me of that). The nose jumps out of the glass with an incredible spice component that really grabbed me.(Tasted in the caves at Rhys, opened 4 hours before we arrived)

7/20/2011 - ChillyWino wrote:

WOW. STUNNING. The best Chardonnay I’ve ever had (from anywhere in the world). If I had to compare it just think of the best White Burg you’ve ever had. Incredible nose, great depth, structure, feel and finish. Just an amazing wine. (Tasted in the caves at Rhys, opened 4 hours before we arrived)

12/25/2011 - ChillyWino wrote:

Wow, a truly outstanding wine. Found in the back closet and in the dirt of a friends cellar, and long forgotten about. We thought it would be fun to give it a try. Cork was in perfect condition. Stunning nose of dark fruits, violet, tobacco and some spice. Incredibly smooth lush wine with a long lingering finish. A huge surprise, and unfortunately it was their only bottle of this.

3/15/2011 - ChillyWino wrote:

Popped and poured and drank over 2-3 hours. Initially VERY tannic, but opened up nicely at the one hour point. Great nose of dark fruits, tobacco, spice, cassis, and hints of earth. Nice feel and lingering finish. With a little bit of air, this is ready to drink.

12/19/2010 - ChillyWino wrote:

Cork was soft and fell apart upon opening. Opened at 2pm, poured a 1 oz taste and left bottle open in cellar. Initial pour showed ruby red, with bricking around the edges. Nose jumps out of the glass; anise, spice, cherry, earth, and some floral hints. Nice velvety feel and good finish, although a bit tart. Around 6pm I poured the first 2 glasses. It really seemed to show about the same as the initial pour, but the tart after taste was no longer there and the finish seemed a bit shorter. We continued to follow he wine over the next hour or 2 and it never seemed to fall apart. A lovely wine that was a treat to taste. Hard to put points on a bottle like this.

12/10/2010 - ChillyWino wrote:

Incredible nose that just jumps out of the glass - black fruits, anise, spice and some earthiness. Very lush feel and nice long lingering finish. Everything I look for in a great CDP.

9/9/2010 - ChillyWino wrote:

An absolutely stunning wine. Popped poured and it disappeared quickly. Incredible nose of red fruits, spice, forest floor, with floral hints. All follows through with a balanced, lush feel and long lingering finish.

8/30/2010 - ChillyWino wrote:

Absolutely stunning right now. Popped poured and drank over 2 hours. Ruby red in color. Showing great dark fruits, cherries, forest floor, and spice. All follows through with a lush feel and finish. Great balance.

8/24/2010 - ChillyWino wrote:

First taste after being open for 1 1/2 hours - First poor a little disappointing, but I guess not a surprise. Funk, Wood/Stemmy, Cherry, and a hint of heat. More put together upon tasting, tart cherry, hints of oak, earth/funk, with a hint of spice. A pretty lush feel with a solid finish. After about 2 1/2 hours with dinner - It's really starting to open up with some time in the glass. Rich red fruits, oak still present, some earth and spice as well. Upon tasting the cherry component is a bit tart, and it's really starting to round out on the palate with a nice finish and feel (although somewhat tannic or acidic on the end of he finish).

8/24/2010 - ChillyWino wrote:

I put it in the fridge for about an hour after getting home. Took it out, popped and poured with it slightly chilled. Hints of brown sugar, honey, and coffee? A little bit of heat, but rather pleasant.

5/13/2010 - ChillyWino wrote:

Light red. Great nose of red fruits, spice, and forest floor. Nice feel and lingering finish. Absolutely loved this and the best showing of the 6 bottles I've had so far.

2/22/2010 - ChillyWino wrote:

Popped, poured and enjoyed over a couple hours. Stunning nose of red fruits, earth, and spice, with hints of cola, mushrooms, and leather. All of this follows through with an elegant feel and long lingering finish. Seems like it is just entering it's peak and is one of the best Pinot's I've had in some time.

1/23/2010 - ChillyWino wrote:

Popped poured and enjoyed over the course of 2-3 hours. Ruby red color. Cherry, cola, spice and hints of alcohol on the nose. Upon tasting the no noticeable alcohol, and everything else follows through. Seemed to be lacking a bit in the mid-palate and not much of a finish. As the night went on the alcohol seemed to start showing itself more. A good wine, but nothing special on this night.

1/22/2010 - ChillyWino wrote:

Popped poured and drank over 2 hours. Bright red fruit on the nose, but not much else. Fruit comes through upon tasting, but not much else. Fairly simple feel and finish (although no rough edges and obviouslly a well made wine). A good wine, but at this point nothing special.

1/22/2010 - ChillyWino wrote:

Popped poured and drank over 2 hours. Incredible nose that just jumps out of the glass. Dark fruits, tobacco, leather, garrigue, and some spice. All follows through with a elegant feel and nice long finish. A excellent wine that is drinking great right now.

1/11/2010 - ChillyWino wrote:

Popped, poured and drank over 2 hours. Started off a deep purple color, but the last 2 glasses were almost a ruby red with the skins and sediment. Incredible nose of raspberry, cherry, spice and some earthy hints. All follows through with a perfectly seamless feel and nice lingering finish. A great bottle and I wish I had more.

12/20/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Started off very promising with a nose of game, spice, tobacco and dark fruits. However after a short period of time the fruit started to take on a stewed quality. Guessing it got cooked at some point in his life.

12/18/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Popped, poured and drank over the course of 2-3 hours. Deep purple in color. Cherry, blueberry, spice, and flowers on the nose with hints of cocoa and anise. All follows through with a rich velvety feel and seamless finish. However it did seem a bit hollow at points and I wonder if that just means it needs more time to show it's stuff? An outstanding wine though with what seems like a lot of life left.

12/9/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Opened 2 hours prior to serving. Nice nose - cherries, smoke, and some spice. All follows through, but seems a little hollow and thin on the mid-palate. Also tasted a bit "tart". All in all a good wine, but nothing special.

11/13/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Took about 2 hours to open up. Dark fruits, pencil lead, anise, pepper, with hints of earth on the nose. Rich feel and nice finish. Still needs a few more years.

11/2/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Deep purple. Rich nose of cherry, coffee, anise, violets, and pepper. All follows through with a good feel and nice finish. Rich and opulent wine that is a lot of fun to drink right now.

10/26/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Showing great promise, but should have decanted for a couple hours instead of popping and pouring. Red fruits, oak, pepper on the nose. A nice smooth feel and good finish, but the oak dominated the fruit at this point. Hold or decant for a hour or two.

10/23/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Stunning right now. Light red and cloudy looking. Incredible nose; forest floor, anise, spice, with red and dark fruits. Incredibly balanced with a great feel and finish.

8/21/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Popped and poured and right now it is a "wow" quality wine. Deep purple color. Dark fruit, earth, and spice on the nose. Incredible feel and seamless finish.

7/21/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Dark purple in color. Poured a small taste and then threw it in the decanter. Initially nose of dark fruits, earth/barnyard, and spice. All followed through with a rich feel and finish. Got back to the rest of the bottle about an 1 1/2 hours later. Had really opened up and the aromas were jumping out of the glass; dark fruits, earth/barnyard, chocolate, cherry, and spice. All follows through on the palate with a incredibly long feel and finish. One note for others, I enjoy a little earth/barnyard in my wines, CDP's are generally my bottle of choice.

5/12/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Dark purple. Incredible nose that just jumps out of the glass; anise, cola, a mix of red and dark fruits, and a hint of pepper. Very lush and elegant with an incredibly long finish. Drank over 2 hours and great from the first to the last sip.

5/8/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Popped, poured and drank over 2 hours. By far at it's best on the last sip. Deep purple. Incredible nose of cherry, chocolate, and hints of spicy dark fruits. A very lush feel and long lingering finish. Best of 3 bottles and most likely just entering it's peak drinking window.

5/7/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Deep purple color, much darker than their other wines. Great nose of spicy dark fruits, cherries, and hints of coco. A great feel and finish.

2/14/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Opened and left the cork out about 3 hours before tasting. Great nose of dark fruits, tobacco, spice, cassis, and hints of earth. Rich and full-bodied wine that has a great feel and finish. Surprised at how open for business this was.

2/13/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Decanted for about 30 minutes then enjoyed over the next 45 minutes or so. Excellent wine that didn't last long. Deep purple. Nose of kirsch, raspberry, and spice with hints of herbs and tar. Extremely elegant and balanced wine with a great velvety feel and finish. In a great place now with a short decant.

2/12/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Popped, poured, and disappeared quickly. Wow, what an incredible bottle. This was in a great place. Deep purple color. Incredible nose of cherry, raspberry, and graphite with hints of earth, cedar, and spice. This allow follows through on the palate with a very lush feel and long lingering finish. I can't imagine this getting any better than it is not.

1/23/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Enjoyed this over 2 nights. First night was a bit tight, but had great fruit and spice on the nose. All followed through with a nice fell and finish. On the 2nd day the wine was much more complete and showing hints of chocolate as well. Lush and smooth with a great finish. Obviously would not hurt to hold these for a bit or give it some air time.

1/24/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Popped and poured. First glass had a great nose, cherry mixed with dark fruits, tobacco, and minerals. All follows through on the palate with a rich and slightly tannic feel. Finish is excellent and it all hangs on for quite some time. Put in fridge after first glass and came back to it a couple hours later. Seemed to have closed down and seemed almost disjointed. about 2 hours later poured the last glass and it was similar to the first glass but also showing hints of mocha.

1/18/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Popped and poured. Initially VERY tight and simple. After about an hour it really started to open up. Nice nose of cherry, gamey meat, smoke, and spice. All follows through with a rich feel and a nice long finish.

1/13/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Great fragrant nose, rich lush feel, and long lingering finish. In a great spot right not.

1/10/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Decanted this for about 45 minutes and drank over 2 hours. Deep purple color. Nice nose that was both rustic and fruit forward if one can imagine that. Deep dark fruits, licorice, spice, and a bit of funk to it. All follows through with a rich full bodied feel and a nice long finish. Still too early but a nice drink now with some air.

1/9/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Popped poured and drank over about 1 1/2 hours. Yellow/Green in color. Muted nose. Really seems to be closed for business.

1/9/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Popped and poured and drank over about 1 1/2 hours. Gold in color. Nice nose of minerals, citrus, maybe honey(?). All follows through with a great feel and a lingering finish. 2nd 2003 Kistler I've had this week and they are in a great place right now.

1/9/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Popped and poured and drank over 3 hours. Deep purple. A fairly complex nose of cherry, raspberry, smoke, minerlas, mocha and spice. Nice feel and finish. Over the course of the night the stewed fruits I had noticed in a previous bottle began to emerge.

1/7/2009 - ChillyWino wrote:

Dark cherries, licorice, and some spice on the nose. All follows through when tasted, but seems a bit thin and one dimensional. Surprised as the last bottle I had was excellent.

12/7/2008 - ChillyWino wrote:

Close to the last bottle and disappeared quickly. Nice red fruits with spice and floral hints. Very rich wine that can only get better.

12/6/2008 - ChillyWino wrote:

Similar to the last bottle, rich red and black fruits, with hints of smoke, spice and earth. Rich and full bodied with a great lingering finish.

12/5/2008 - ChillyWino wrote:

Superb nose, one of the best of recent memory, really jumps out of the glass. Pepper/spices, bacon, cherry, blueberry, lavender/violet - a very deep broading nose. All this follows through, with a nice feel, but it seems to lack just a slight bit on the mid palate. However the finish does linger on. Reminds me a northern Rhone.

11/25/2008 - ChillyWino wrote:

Popped poured and drank over 3 hours. Good to go right off the bat, but really started to improve with time. Deep purple in color. Excellent nose of berries, spice, tobacco, cassis and minerals. Nothing seemed out of place and this all followed through on the palate with a rich lush feel and nice long finish. Over time hints of chocolate/mocha started to come through. An excellent wine, that is drinking well now. I think it's just starting to enter it's drinking window.

11/23/2008 - ChillyWino wrote:

Excellent wine. Rich spicy nose of of both red and black fruits with a hint of smoke/earth. A very lush and rich wine with the flavor profile following through on the palate. Nice long lingering finish. This bottle disappeared quickly.