December 14, 2012 - This has aged beautifully. Other notes disagree. Maybe I just got the best bottle. Too bad that Dain decided to give it up. My fault. I should have bought more of his wine. Popped and poured. Mild cherry an red fruit with elegance and a smoothness as it goes down. There is a bit of light spice to give it some depth, but not much. A note I wrote four years ago says there is a maple syrup flavor without the sweetness. I did not get that maple at all this time, but the fruit was beginning t exhibit some sweetness. There was also the beginning of some sort of leathery age - not like a right bank Bordeaux leather but something that let me know this was not bottled yesterday.
July 31, 2011 - Nice flavors of raspberry, a little cola and tart cherrys. Unfortunately it is starting break down a little. Thinner than I remembered, but still nice structure and balance. My wife thought it a little hot at first, but as it sat in the glass it mellowed. I doubt that this had much life left, and I'd drink it up now.
April 29, 2009 - The structure I remarked on with my TN from 10/06 is markedly changed here, unfortunately. As much as that bottle portended something ahead, the wine has not held up. This bottle showed some VA, brown sugar nose and was on the richer side. It's lost much of what attracted me to it and of all the Dains I have drank over time (and I have consistently enjoyed mine), this one just didn't show. We stopped about 1/2 way into the bottle. Suggest drink up quickly, at best.
January 26, 2009 - Brought this along to a 2007 Dain tasting and it has come along very nicely. Dain agreed as he had not had this a few years. It had that candied fruit with a bit of age. I think all enjoyed.
December 30, 2008 - Nice plum, red bing cherrries and hint of kiwi ( maybe?), a little sweet cola on the mouth . Very good now , we enjoyed over two nights. A wine to enjoy this winter,as it has intergrated throughout, I would not expect this wine to do much more over time.
December 27, 2008 - A very different wine from two years ago. Deep, dark, some tartness that melds with the sweetness. Elegant structure. Enjoyed by all.
July 27, 2008 - Very nice epressive flavor. Nose is a bit light. Palate is cherry. Not tart cherry. A little like a sweet cherry but no candy. Nice balance. Long finish. There's an interesting secondary flavor that almost reminds me of maple syrup without the sweetness. I really like this wine.
January 18, 2008 - Rich cranberry red and a touch of spice on opening, raspberry and an edge of dark cherry. Crisp mouth feel, nice fruit grip and as before a tad of an edge of heat on the backside...good acidity, in fact rather firm and a good foil for sauteed duck breasts. Good food wine.
September 13, 2007 - Nice rich ruby red color and a touch of funk on opening that did blow off leaving a nose of bright red and ripe berries with a hint of a dark cherry edge. Easy entry that quickly ramped up at mid palate with a good fruit grip and a lingering finish that had just a tad of heat on the backside. Solid performer that may show more elegance with time.
May 29, 2007 - something didn't seem right with this one?