10/11/2016 - hende14 Likes this wine:

This wine has aged fantastically. Dark fruit and dark chocolate with just a tinge of coffee and dark chocolate. Smooth, full body, fantastic mouthfeel with fine tannins. If only every wine would complete itself over 11 years I wouldn't touch any for this long.

10/5/2016 - hende14 Likes this wine:

10 year old cab franc from Sonoma. This wine has aged extremely well. I have read the comment "classic". This is the exact word I would use to describe this wine. Great balance; fruit, tannin, acid. I love the graphite note that seems to only come from a high end cab/cab franc. Much better than its' tariff.

6/3/2016 - hende14 wrote:

A surprising and complete wine. Very smooth up front. Beautiful black fruit in the middle. Smooth tannins on the back end. Good balance of fruit, acid and earthiness. Another good Red Mountain cab dominant blend.

5/3/2016 - hende14 Likes this wine:

Glad I waited to review this until the second day. First day was quite disjointed and heavy on the new oak. Second day came together with big red fruit and mocha with a smooth balance of acid and tannins. This is a really good example of what Merlot done right can be.

4/29/2016 - hende14 Likes this wine:

Read my note from almost 5 years ago when I last drank a bottle. Could not have described what I was drinking tonight any better, except the herbalness blew off more quickly to reveal the tasty red and blue fruit flavors. Always great mouthfeel and a beautiful long juicy finish.

4/28/2016 - hende14 wrote:

This wine got away from me after 4 moves in the last 3 years. A little past its prime. Slightly oxidized and the fruit is a little bit pruned. Some interesting red fruit and rose flower aromas.

4/26/2016 - hende14 Likes this wine:

This Cabernet has a lot of Syrah characteristics at this time. Fruit forward but with a little funkiness on the back end. Nice structure. A little light at the mid-palate right now. I think give it some time and the hole in the middle should fill in, leading to a more complete experience and a better score.

4/22/2016 - hende14 Likes this wine:

Fruit forward, but with some nice smooth dry tannins. Would not hesitate to buy at the right price.
Second night was even better. This was a great buy at $25. Would love to have more.

4/19/2016 - hende14 Likes this wine:

Opened to unfavorable reviews as it was thin and a tad sharp in its opening performance. Second day was like a whole new supporting cast came in. Much fuller richer and flavorful. Should have treated more fairly to begin with by decanting.

11/28/2015 - hende14 Likes this wine:

Light to medium body. Very fruity, yet with some nice acidity. Everyone enjoyed with Thanksgiving turkey. Great QPR. Would buy as an everyday drinker without question.

4/8/2016 - hende14 wrote:

Aerated into decanter , then aerated into glass. Great nose of juicy blue fruit. Love the structure. Good balance of tannins and acid, but where did the fruit go. I guess it all went away on the nose. Good with food, but want a little more fruit on the palate.

3/27/2016 - hende14 wrote:

Had not opened a bottle of this for over 2 years. Ran through aerator to get started. First glass was still a little closed off. By the second glass things really started to sing. Medium body with a very refined texture. Beautiful bright Crimson in color. Great balance of flavor so including bacon fat, floral and red fruit primarily raspberry. Nothing not to like with this wine.

3/23/2016 - hende14 Likes this wine:

Let this sit in the cellar for a few years. Wow! What a difference time makes. Perfect balance. What I notice the most is the great mouthfeel and the integration of the alcohol, tannins and fruit. Chris really knows how to create a wine that evolves for the better over time.

5/14/2014 - hende14 Likes this wine:

3 nights. Equally good each night. Dark chocolate and floral. Rich and full. Such a well made wine that held up in the glass when you take your time to finish. Merlot dominant. Those who have a negative merlot prejudice should try this wine.

1/1/2014 - hende14 wrote:

Lots of sediment and a little cloudy. Dried red fruit, leather and coffee. Smooth mouthfeel with balance. Still drinking well.

12/22/2013 - hende14 wrote:

Solid value. Could spend a lot more for a lot less. I have found this wine to be very consistent (body, aroma and taste). Also has held up well over the last 3-4 years with cellaring.
Wow! 2nd night after vacuum seal, this wine morphed into a deep, heavy, complex brooding Cabernet. Besides the broad blue fruits there is now a heavy dose of espresso and dark chocolate. Should have aerated the first night and given some time. These are not usually the things I would use to describe a $13 bottle of Monday night wine, but it is quite deserving. I note there are still 404 bottles in Cellartracker subscribers cellars. Pull a bottle and give it a try!

12/16/2013 - hende14 wrote:

This amazing qpr is still drinking well. Full, rich and silky. Tastes of plum and dark berry. A lot of gaminess on the nose with a brambly herbalness as well, maybe sage. There was a time that it might have seemed not to be holding up with age. At 7 years that is not the case at all.

12/9/2013 - hende14 wrote:

Don't know where this wine wanted to go. First night pretty closed and harsh. Much better the second night with some nice blue fruit and chocolate notes. Much smoother with some fine grain tannins. Did not ever reach the heights that I had expected and had experienced on from past vintages. 5 years old, maybe needs a little more cellaring.

11/30/2013 - hende14 Likes this wine:

Great density and velvet mouthfeel. Dark fruit, chocolate and herbs but have not quite developed fully. The real highlight of this wine now is the structure and smoothness. Want to have a bottle every year for the next 10 years.

11/26/2013 - hende14 Likes this wine:

Would have agreed with those who were disappointed in this wine if I had only tasted the first night, as it was rather thin, acidic and a tad bit harsh. But the second night this wine became very full and robust with great mouthfeel and complex flavors trending to dark chocolate and sweet smokiness. Like this merlot as well as any I have had in a long time.

3/18/2013 - hende14 wrote:

Ultra complex and subtly powerful.

3/13/2013 - hende14 wrote:

This wine is PURPLE. Good fruitiness with great structure. I thought this was good with just a short decant, but held up well over a couple of nights.

3/5/2013 - hende14 wrote:

Light to medium ruby red color. Fruity with some secondary leather and smoke. Mild tannins and a short finish. Quite enjoyable, but not truly memorable.

3/3/2013 - hende14 wrote:

This is a very elegant and subtle Petite Sirah. Complex nose and flavor that includes the typical blueberry, but not in a jammy way, but also includes some cabernet characteristics as well. Very good structure and a long finish. I would like to put this in a blind tasting with a group of Napa Cabs and see if it would fool and confuse knowledgeable wine drinkers.

2/26/2013 - hende14 wrote:

Lots of sediment to the point of leaving the wine still kind of a creamy brick color after decanting. Still tastes good with red cherry flavor and balanced acid and tannin.

2/25/2013 - hende14 wrote:

I thought this wine had improved since 2 years ago when I had previously opened a bottle. Lots of nice bright red and blue fruit on the front end and coffee notes on the back end. Good finish as well. Very high quality wine for the 3rd or 4th level from this winery.

2/25/2013 - hende14 wrote:

What's not to like. Great attributes, with the subtle confidence of an all-star that knows that he is good. Doesn't have to go over the top to try to prove the point.

2/21/2013 - hende14 wrote:

Seemed to be in a much better place than the last time I opened a bottle. Deep dark red/black in color. Cassis, black cherry and coffee. Not overly tannic, but at the top end of acidity, making it very nice with meals. Good finsh.

2/3/2013 - hende14 wrote:

Still very rough and tannic. Light to medium in color. Cassis and cherry hidden behind those tannins. Did not really get better with a couple of days open.

1/27/2013 - hende14 wrote:

Felt like it lacked unity and fullness.

1/18/2013 - hende14 wrote:

Napa cab by the book. Nothing memorable at all.

1/4/2013 - hende14 wrote:

This wine gets better and better with age. Fruity with underlying herbs. Coffee notes on the back end. Good the first day, even better the second day. Initial attack is smooth, powerful on the mid-palate and a long finish. Crazy nice for the money.

1/1/2013 - hende14 wrote:

Wonderful viscosity and balance. Velvety mouthfeel. Dark fruit, meaty and hints of tar and tobacco. Finish just melts away over a long time. Three more bottles to drink over the next 3 Christmas/New Year holidays.

12/31/2012 - hende14 wrote:

Decanted for 2 hours. Bright ruby red and very aromatic. Tastes like boysenberry pie in a glass. BIG alcohol, but very well integrated. This wine very one dimensional, but nontheless quite yummy.

12/27/2012 - hende14 wrote:

Sweet blueberry with just a smidge of brett. Adds complexity to a rather simple but yet tasty wine. Good structure, but short finish.

12/24/2012 - hende14 wrote:

Very closed up and tannic even though decanted for 3 hours while in cellar. After allowing to warm to room temp it opened up and was the vibrant, full flavored Napa Cab that I remember. Blueberry and black currant with nice balance of acid to keep lively. Structure is good. Medium to long finish. My favorite CH Cab to this point.

12/20/2012 - hende14 wrote:

Maybe a little past best time. A little flat and one dimensional. Some plum trending to prune.

12/15/2012 - hende14 Likes this wine:

Everything you want in a new world zin. Dark, big and powerful with blueberry and sage mellowed with just the right amount of oaky vanilla. Just enough tannin to give it structure and acid to keep it from being cloying. Still enjoying this style when it is done so well.

12/9/2012 - hende14 Likes this wine:

Dark garnet in color. Very aromatic cassis and dark cherry. Similar in flavor, but with some creamy oak in just the right amount. Great balance of flavor, acid and rounded tannin. Agile and light without being thin. Mouthcoating finish. This is really one of the best cabernet for the money I have had in a very long time.

12/9/2012 - hende14 wrote:

Spicy with abundance of dark fruit. Great balance and length. A very nice zinfandel.

12/6/2012 - hende14 wrote:

A little thin and disjointed. Nothing memorable, but more pleasureable with food than on its own. More tannic and harsh than smooth and flavorful. Short finish.

11/30/2012 - hende14 Likes this wine:

Very flavorful and fruit forward style of wine without being over the top. Maintained its integrity over a three day drinking window. Well done and an excellent qpr.

11/24/2012 - hende14 wrote:

This wine is coming together nicely with some extended cellar time. Very balanced with more depth and complexity than previous bottles.

11/19/2012 - hende14 wrote:

Tannic and closed even after 3 hour decant. But opened up after another couple of hours during dinner prep and socializing. Really became delicious and complex with a good finish. Great balance of red and blue fruit, good acid with enough body to carry a nice grilled steak. Andrew Will black label is a terrific value.

11/10/2012 - hende14 wrote:

Same general impression as many others. Transported in luggage with wine skin protective sleeve. A little shrill and disjointed the first day. Bright fruit, but a little bit harsh with acid and rough tannins. By second day much better with more balance and integration of elements. Not as impressed as with the '08 yet. Still holding out hope.

11/6/2012 - hende14 wrote:

Started a little thin and disjointed. Quickly got it together in the glass during supper with nice acidity to carry the richness of a nice pot roast. This seemed to be much better with food than as a stand alone drinker.

10/27/2012 - hende14 wrote:

Great blend. Not really a sangiovese lover, but this blend with the bordeaux varieties really adds another level of complexity. Good on the first night, even better on day 2.

10/25/2012 - hende14 wrote:

Savory and well balanced. Drinks way above its price point.

10/21/2012 - hende14 wrote:

Tight and a little tannic to begin. Really opened up nicely after an hour decant, and kept improving through the night. A very nice blend of 74% merlot and 26% cab. Cherry fruit, with a touch of dark berry and the right balance of vanilla oak. This wine was a pleasant surprise.

10/13/2012 - hende14 wrote:

Love the depth and balance.