November 29, 2023 - Rather pretty, very drinkable, no longer primary but also not secondary. Just in a very pure and focused phase. Red fruit, hints of tobacco, tannins quite resolved. Nothing remotely tired here.
February 14, 2023 - Decanted for an hour. Orange peel, lemon juice, dried rosemary, dried cumin, dust and garrigue followed by tart black cherries and cranberries on the nose. Definitely a "fruit backward" wine, so it's varietally correct. The palate has more dust and even less fruit than the nose. I agree with the reviewer who said this wine is all about dustiness and herbal flavors.
Medium + body, zippy, medium + acid which is still very present; but the tannins are fading on this (medium - for now). Drink now.
July 20, 2022 - Time is so bizarre. I would never have believed it had been six years since I last had this wine. Last bottle, mature and fully ready to enjoy. It’s less about fruit than it is about the dusty, earthy evolved elements that Mourvèdre conveys so well. The leathery, loamy, herbal character dominates, and the finish is reminiscent of a Grateful Dead concert, in both aromatics and intellectual complexity. You are the eyes of the world.
February 7, 2022 - -- decanted about 30 min. before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over 2 hours --
NOSE: initially very tight; carbonic-esque; cool raspberry/strawberry combo.
BODY: medium-light bodied; slightly hazy/dirty garnet color of medium depth.
TASTE: light concentration of fruit; garrigue; light, fine tannins; a touch bitter; little dusting of cinnamon/oak; fine, but didn't really grab my interest at all; my last bottle was on 01/08/17, and this didn't develop in any of the ways I was then hoping it would.
May 14, 2021 - Drank over two nights and this is hitting on all cylinders on the first night. More fruit forward with a great balance of acid backbone with a bit of minerality crunch. The next night the wine filled out to fuller and more luxurious. I’m a fan of both versions, time to pop these.
September 12, 2019 - Nice note by BVAL below, drinking nicely but I’d say it will peak in a few more years given tannins on back end here. Lovely now.
August 24, 2019 - 3 years on from the last note and I find this hasn't moved a lot; just a bit lighter . . . .
Color: light/medium ruby core -> diffuse, light ruby rim; no apparent bricking yet. Bouquet of watermelon, strawberry, a little earthiness and some (white) pepper. Light to medium bodied palate really showing off the pepper and earth aspects. Once again, a bit of midpalate bitterness and a little coarseness too. Moderately long finish with still some light, fine-grained tannins. Solid for an American Mourvedre; I like it.
April 27, 2019 - This took a bit to open up. Strawberry, raspberry and balsamic aromas. The palate adds potpourri and a hint of earth. Medium acidity, light tannins. Drink now or hold.
February 20, 2019 - Much deeper flavors and complexity than I've experienced in other D&R's (in a good way), definitely some dark fruit and subtle earthy and meaty notes. Very nice.
September 23, 2018 - Inky purple in color, with aromas of red berry, smoke, and new leather. On the palate, raspberry, ripe plum, and mocha notes show. I get a nice touch of classic French gaminess along with rich California fruit.