March 4, 2023 - Ruby red in color. 13.1% ABV. Savory nose of red fruits, olive brine and bacon fat. Medium to full bodied with medium acidity. Serious Grenache with layers upon layers of compelling flavors. Strawberry, smoked meat, saline and minerals on the palate. The finish is long and seamless. Not too far afield from Cayuse and No Girls but there is a degree of complexity here that takes this wine to another level. Best over the next several years.
March 12, 2021 - It’s like having a bloody nose while eating some tapas and cherry cobbler.
April 12, 2020 - One hour decant. Drinking beautifully. Classic Cayuse nose, an elegant wine paired perfectly with a vegan pho. Light red fruits, lingering finish.
December 27, 2019 - Friday Tasting Group: "Killer Bar" (#06 for me) (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): “With 3ft x 3ft spacing, & 4,840 vines/acre, this 2 acre Vyd of Syrah & Grenache is the highest density planting in the Walla Walla Valley, & one of the highest in N.America.” 131 cases produced.
N: ATTRACTIVE (at least to me) Rocks funk with flowers & a frt I can't quite ID
P: Med, poss MF, body; Very, NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker as it evolves into a LONG finish with a BITTER/swtness (60:40) to the firming, dusty tannins. For me this is MARKEDLY better on the N than on the P, & IF the latter resolves/catches up, my EXC-/EXC (90-93/100 using that metric) *will* be low. 97 pts WA (Dunnuck, 6/’14), 95 pts WE (2/1/15) @ $110, 94 WS (Steiman, 4/30/15), & 91 Vinous (Tanzer, 12/1/14). [As of late Dec '19, wine-searcher still shows several sources from $169-$175].
September 2, 2019 - This is really in a sweet spot. Luscious fruit with a long, polished finish.
June 2, 2019 - Silky smooth yet complex. Several layers going on thats almost an exploratory mission with each sip. Chewy funk, spice? and olive/tobacco just to name a few, great mouthfeel and finishes long. This is very good and a notch above the Cayuse GOK.
Just saw Tomlee review and he is spot on as well.
March 8, 2019 - Blood red in color. 13.1% ABV. Stunning nose of red fruits, olives, smoke and flowers. Medium body with exquisite acidity. Complex and thought provoking in that every time you pick up the glass the wine takes on a different nuance. Cherries, strawberries, kirsch and herbs on the palate. The finish is very long and somewhat tannic. A Grenache that I will remember vividly for some time to come. Best over the next 5-7 years.
February 2, 2019 - Just not our style.
November 3, 2018 - Fabulous wine.
April 16, 2018 - Three years more bottle time since my prior note, and this is just lovely. Prior comments hold, and I see upside to holding a few more years.