November 19, 2016 - Surprisingly good -- better than my last bottle. Too bad it was the last one.
The wine looks garnet colored. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like red currant.
September 16, 2016 - Earth and goat-y notes to the nose. A very stone-y expression on the nose. A little band-aid aroma and that follows very quietly to the palate. Very mineral and a little grassy/sous-bois, but still very fresh and even less evolved than the 1999 Chardonnay. Very much a Burg express, as opposed to CA. Again, still 3+ years ahead of fine drankin'.
September 8, 2016 - Better than expected. Past prime but good for another year or so
December 6, 2014 - Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party (La Belle Vie, Mpls): Medium dark red color. Small pour. Mint, red fruits, medium plus body, firm tannins, a bit syrupy, spiced.
December 6, 2014 - This was an interesting pour alongside a 91 Echez. Normally I wouldn't think of Hanzell as a big wine but this definitely showed more richness and meat on the bone than the side by side '91 Burg. Very enjoyable. I detect a bit a bit of brown sugar creeping in which makes me think this should be drank up within next year or so. That said, I only recently acquired this and can't attest to its provenance. The btl and cork were pristine though.
July 25, 2014 - PNP... I'm largely in agreement with twoamps notes of exactly a month ago. I would say though that I enjoyed this more, closer to release. We had tasted this wine at the winery with Bob's assistant winemaker and it was very pretty way back then. That said, today its still very interesting with its tertiary flavors but perhaps on the downward slope. I have one more left and I plan to drink that one very soon too. In fairness though this was a more recent acquisition and I can't vouch for its past storage. The cork was pretty soaked up.
October 22, 2009 - nicely aged. Earthy and leatherly, but just enough. Still great pinot fruit, just a bit more mellow than new. Oddly, liked much better than earlier bottles.
May 8, 2009 - Chef Nita's Tasting Menu (Craig's House): Tasted blind; I pegged this as a California Pinot and guessed Rhys or Littorai. Nose of woodsmoke/campfire that leads to sweet, heady flavors of dark fruit, baking spice, forest floor, and oak. Finishes thick, and a bit hot. This was at its best immediately after opening, and turned dull and flat after a few minutes in the glass.
May 8, 2009 - Food and Wine with Craig and Nita -- Wow: Served blind. Popped and poured. The color is a very pale red. The nose delivers brooding aromas of dark fruit, smoke, spice and mineral that to me screamed Burgundy. In the mouth this is more puzzling. There is plenty of ripe fruit and yet it feels somehow lean. The taste is good but not great. Probably showing just a touch too much acidity. Finishes very tannic but with nice length on the finish. I ended up reaching with a guess of '04 Burgundy. The nose really appealed to me and I'm pretty sure I scored this higher than others at the tasting.
August 17, 2008 - light garnet color with slight watery edge. very subdued nose, even after 3 days and decanting. This was stored at proper temp/humidity since release. Needless to say I was expecting something pretty nice, but instead got a relatively lifeless wine. Virtually no nose of any kind on the first and second day. By the third day, there was an acute herbal nature that dominated any fruit that may have been present. Also, there was the slightest TCA element that seemed to float in and out. 14.6% alcohol was always in the background. To its credit, the wine did have an elegant texture. It proved so-so when paired with our salmon salad course. Roughly $70
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