10/31/2022 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Similar to N. Rhone (Hermitage?)... all agreed and enjoyed

2/6/2022 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Needs a 2+ hour decant, but YES.

12/28/2021 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Certainly a crowd please (out of mag), but a bit more than that for those who appreciate a touch of complexity.

12/24/2021 - Mark Brandon wrote:

wonderful. balanced. delicate

11/19/2021 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Has really come around. Very nice. Lush, but classy.

5/14/2021 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Some think it's over the hill. I think it's perfect, but right at the tail end of window if you still want to tase the fruit characteristics in balance with the secondary. Lovely with wagyu on the rocks.

3/5/2021 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Perfect Condition. Needed about 40 min to start singing. Completely wonderful evolving for the following hour or so. Last and best bottle of the this.

3/8/2021 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Brought to a traditional Lebanese cookout with a few dear friends. There were some seriously heavy hitter bottles enjoyed before dinner. However, this and an 02 Petite Syrah were probably the best pairings WITH dinner. That is the real magic of these older domestic syrahs and other rhone varietals. If you get the pairing right, they are so stellar. This was.

2/6/2021 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Excellent, but still can go another decade. Surprisingly fruit forward.

1/27/2021 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Needed a 30min decant for the strident stuff to blow off. After that, pure concentrated blue and black fruit. Not built for the long haul, but not quite peaking. Try again in 2 years.

12/27/2020 - Mark Brandon wrote:

As a newly married couple living in a mediocre (at best) one bedroom apartment, we started out pretty low to the ground. My lovely wife worked shifts at a high-end hotel bar and, one late evening, was allowed to bring home a half-full bottle of Silver Oak left by a guest. We stayed up late and drank it slooooowly.

We've built something special together, and the sentiment of that first "high end" bottle we shared became a funny tradition for us. One evening, years later, during a very busy season with the kids and family, there was only time for takeout burgers (In-N-Out had just come to town). I knew it would cheer my wife up, so I popped the cork on an old SO. It really did the trick.

My palate has evolved, but I still keep some older bottles of Silver Oak around to add some cheer to those occasional "take-out burger" days.

Today was one of those days... like the two of us, it is still a great pairing.

7/27/2020 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Just hitting stride. Everything you want from Spring Mountain cab - lifted fruit, minerality, coffee undertones, long finish. Could go another decade easily, but if you prefer fruit forward (not bomb) it's great now.

8/9/2020 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Hitting it's stride in my view, and likely won't improve. Touch of elegance added. Still huge but not clumsy.

8/9/2020 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Surprisingly good for it's level and vintage. Definitely showing age, but fruit is still just barely out front. More of a food wine (grilled herb chicken), but truly enjoyable.

8/9/2020 - Mark Brandon wrote:

If blinded, I would have said Hermitage from the 90's. Surprisingly old-world.

6/14/2020 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Don't usually go this high, but after about 45 min this was truly splendid. Beautiful and complex. Layered, but still luscious.

6/7/2020 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Can't believe I'm saying this, but... Old World. Came out re-strained with a touch of funk. Needed 45 minutes to reveal itself and become, dare I say, elegant. Blind, I would have guessed on the richer side of Hermitage with a bit more bottle age.

4/26/2020 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Needed an hour to sing. I think needs another year or two. Still lovely with a simple meal.

4/26/2020 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Rating based on today. Will improve so the remainder go back into storage for a couple years. Elegant and reluctant, but I think the goods are there. After an hour it was really nice.

2/11/2020 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Truly enjoyed this... subtle but perfectly balanced with fruit and complexity.

3/1/2020 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Classic, Elegant... but still a Napa cab from a vintage that is currently singing. Enjoyed with grilled beef tenderloin... perfectly matched pairing. (a ribeye might have been too much...)

1/31/2020 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Would probably have guessed old world if tasted blind - but a touch of Cali fruit on the finish. Meant to be paired with Italian (northern is ideal)... was terrific in context.

1/22/2020 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Fantastic. mid-peak. Will go for a good while longer. Still fruit prominent.

12/25/2019 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Surprisingly good for vintage. Probably not improving much. Fruit forward but maybe limited structure compared to other vintages. Still in the usual profile - dark, layered, and yummy.

1/5/2020 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Leaning slightly to a more lush new world profile, but still lots of regional character. Terrific!!!

12/31/2019 - Mark Brandon wrote:

With a nod to the old world. Touch of funk. Elegant. Medium bodies, but rich.

12/31/2019 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Exactly what I expect from Foley, but more elegant at this age. I liked. Wife loved.

8/24/2019 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Not gonna lie... brilliant after 90 min. decant. Layers, complexity, depth, black and blue fruit with coffee undertones. You wouldn't think something could be this big and elegant at the same time. A real privilege to share this with dear friends.

9/14/2019 - Mark Brandon wrote:

This has come around. Perfect with a braised filet. A mid-week Margaux.

7/10/2019 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Typical of vintage - same front end profile as 2007, but with a more mineral/slightly shorter finish. 2008 Napa has proven to be less "wow" but a superior food-pairing vintage as it was on this occasion. Enjoyed immensely with porcini rubbed fire-seared ribeye.

7/5/2019 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Agree with other notes on this. Great vintage for Howell and I like this producers touch. Needed about 30 min. and then was singing and evolving for a couple hours. No rush, but if you prefer a bit more fruit, it is fantastic. It will continue to age for a good while, but not sure I want to wait (I usually prefer more age, but this is special now)

7/4/2019 - Mark Brandon wrote:

For drinking a young relatively balanced fruit bomb... about as good as it gets. Reminded me of the 2015 Austin Hope cab that got 97 pts, but this was better with a touch more depth. Not my style (I like 10-20 years), but a terrific crowd pleaser in the Caymus category, but IMO a bit better. Wife loved it : ).

6/24/2019 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Really starting to bloom. Surprisingly lovely on all fronts. Rich, complex, but still with the Burgundian quality of weightless minerality. One of the better white burg QPRs I've had.

6/10/2019 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Somewhere between typical and cult expression of Napa cab. Made something great out of a decent vintage. A real crowd pleaser if your crowd is upstart wine nerds : ). Blue and black fruit forward but starting to pick up secondary characteristics for a more balanced form of mild hedonism.

6/17/2019 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Had in a vertical with 1983. Contrast, but still personality themes. This was certainly fruit forward, but more relaxed and integrated compared to last bottle a couple of years ago. Beringer PV is so consistent (have had many different vintages) and always carries both depth and elegance. To me the 2007 is just now entering the early window with a one hour decant, but will go for many years and mature into something much more complex / secondary.

6/17/2019 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Definitely mature, but still full of fruit. Equally balanced between mature fruit and secondary tobacco characteristics. Had in a vertical with 2007. Contrast, but still personality themes.

4/25/2019 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Near perfect balance between fruit and secondary elements. Really opened after about 30 min. So good. I tend to be stingy with scores, but this stepped up. Black and blue fruit, balanced, with some unresolved tannins so this can keep going for a bit. However, I think it is about as close to prime now as it will get with a short decant.

4/19/2019 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Well... clearly I had the first two bottles too early. Opened this last night with a rustic themed steak. Absolutely killer. Blue and black fruit, long finish, more than hint of anise, but super balanced. Oak is way in the background at this point, but the fruit is still in front. Sad to see the last bottle go.

3/1/2019 - Mark Brandon wrote:

1 Hour Decant. ULTRA smooth and balanced, if a tiny bit reticent. I would wait another 2-4 years at least, but in a good place now if you can decant for a couple of hours and prefer an elegant version of fruit forward. Only getting better.

1/6/2019 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Very well made. Balanced. Big but no rough edges at all. Layers of fruit, minerality, and secondary complexity. Popped this as the last bottle with a couple of Italy and France snobs. They were very surprised at how much they liked it. Against some old world big hitters, was WOTD.

12/30/2018 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Like an aged CDP on steroids. Raspberry sauce with olive undertones - complex but still yummy. Paired incredibly with mongolian beef.

12/25/2018 - Mark Brandon wrote:

WOTN for some. A very good last stop of our exploration of California Cabernet. Was preceded by a delicious Sonoma cab. Paired with Gorgonzola Beef Tenderloin. Strangely, was the favorite only of the gentlemen at the table. While the ladies preferred the '09 Sonoma opened before. This might make sense as I would describe the profile of the Sonoma as feminine, while the '05 Napa presented as more earthy and masculine. great times all around : )

12/25/2018 - Mark Brandon wrote:

WOTN for some. A very good 2nd stop of our exploration of California Cabernet. From here we went to Napa. Paired with Gorgonzola Beef Tenderloin. Strangely, was the favorite of the ladies at the table. While the gentlemen preferred the '05 Napa I opened next. This might make sense as I would describe the profile as feminine.

12/25/2018 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Bright. Smooth. Soft. Uplifted. A really good way to start a 3 bottle exploration of California Cabernet. From here we went to Sonoma, then Napa.

12/31/2018 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Fruit forward but with a slightly more feminine quality. I usually prefer cabernet with more age (20+ years), but this was brilliant on all fronts if you accept it for what it is - a 2nd label meant to be drunk earlier. On a personal level, this is exactly what my wife likes so it was a nice touch that it is from the year we got married. All to say, this wine delivered on all fronts.

12/16/2018 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Needs more time to let the heat settle down. There is something great behind it, but needs a serious decant or 2-5 years.

12/16/2018 - Mark Brandon wrote:

To me, still not settled and drinking with a harsh edge. I think it will improve in a couple of years. No score for now.

12/16/2018 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Really needs a lot of air to get past the austere start and turn into something with real potential. Goin to sit on this for at least 2-3 more years... I think it will improve noticeably.

12/16/2018 - Mark Brandon wrote:

Incredible find. Approachable, pure, great with food. Thanks Tim for the tip.

12/16/2018 - Mark Brandon wrote:

In a more burgundian vein, but slightly bigger. Austere in some ways but still approachable and food friendly. Enjoyed.