March 24, 2023 - Opened for special occasion. Minimal bricking and relatively youthful appearance. Pulled from cellar since purchase and poured....needs to warm up and open. Classic red cherry nose, with bubbalicious or perhaps bubble yum notes, with expansive florals as it opens, some vanilla. Some tartness and lively bright acidity, with tang elements, keeping this on the fresh side vs. the flabby side. Day two under vac-u-vin - acidic and lively, cherry and some hits of licorice notes for sure, a little muted and angular. Good but lacking a little fruit.
May 28, 2018 - - Brick color - Ignore my previous BS comment. LOL. Cracked another bottle last night and the wine was rich and thick with jammy fruit and power to spare. Glad I still have a few left in the cellar, but I will be drinking them all over the next 12 months.
March 19, 2018 - From my cellar. Unfortunately past its prime, but still brings back great memories. Good news is I still have 6 bottles to enjoy as a good, but no longer great wine.
January 29, 2016 - Plum, dark fruit, leather and tar, with a hint of coffee and mocha flavors. Smooth, rich texture. Drinking nicely with a decant.
October 29, 2014 - Leather, cedar and black, dark fruit. Not quite a 90 pt wine, but good.
September 5, 2013 - Hart Davis Hart BYOB Dinner (Hinterland Gastropub, Milwaukee, WI): Pleasant fruit and generally appealing balance, save for a touch of the heat of the vintage. From magnum, tasted quickly on the way out the door, not scored.
January 5, 2013 - Dark fruit, leather, licorice and cedar flavors. Definitely mountain fruit. Something is missing to make it a 90 point wine, but it's drinking nicely and is a good, not great, bottle.
January 1, 2013 - Sadly, a little past its prime. Everything was good - body, fruit, structure - but all a little muted. Somewhat tannic on opening and decanting, but mellowed within a half hour. Stood up okay to rack of lamb - it might have been better accompanying a pork tenderloin or even fowl. Typical black and blue fruit notes.
If you have some, open it now [I confess I bought this at auction a few months ago and don't know if it was optimally stored - the cork crumbled, but there was no excessive ullage]. Plan on enjoying it, but for us it wasn't a "wow."
The brick color made me fearful of oxidation, but there was no harshness I typically associate with an oxidized red wine. The finish was soft. I suppose the backhanded compliment I'd give this wine is, "What's not to like?"
March 31, 2012 - Rich and powerful wine. Fully integrated fruit strong from front to back. In full swing, right around peak - certainly not on the decline - and probably still has a year or two to develop fully. Wonderfully enjoyable wine.
December 16, 2011 - Still had more time to go. Dark fruit, cedar, dark chocolate with a nice round mouth feel. A well made wine and a great bargain at this price point. Going to pick some more up.