December 24, 2023 - P&P; This one was spot-on with the prior bottle from earlier this year. Outstanding, and in a really good place. Drink now - 2033.
October 22, 2023 - PnP first night, tasted the next night too. Currant, pencil shavings, bay leaf, dried dill. Nicely integrated, drinking well. Unlikely to improve but probably still solid for a number of years.
March 16, 2023 - P&P. At 10 years old, this is drinking very well. Blueberry fruit, tobacco, some tartness--like cranberry perhaps--and sweetness on the finish. A little soft and round but silky texture, went down far too easy. Drink now - 2033.
September 20, 2019 - September 2018 in Walla Walla; 9/19/2019-9/22/2019 (Walla Walla, Washington): CabSav 59%, Merlot 31%. Ruby red, partly translucent. Medium body with lots of red fruits, tart cherry, raspberries and smooth tannins. I didn't get any of the spiciness or bitter chocolate mentioned in the Vinous review. A little on the tart side for my taste, which I often find with some Cab/Merlot blends.
February 13, 2019 - Decanted for 3 hours prior to consumption. I liked the wine, but it just is not the type of wine I like to drink. First, it was too clean. There is purity of fruit, but it felt too scrubbed and shampooed. I like texture, but it felt like that had been filtered out. The wine was not watered down, it was quite flavorful, but it lacked any sense of viscosity. A well-made Cab in a more feminine style.
July 9, 2018 - Deep purple color with a bouquet and flavor of blueberries, mocha, and very vanilla oak. Fairly dense but without enough porosity to create real nuance, and with balance enough off to be a bit of a distraction. Moderate finish. Went well with the spare ribs.
May 30, 2018 - The la mission haut Brion style. Dubrul and the best fruit and original blocks
From that vineyard. And that is pretty darn silky and perfume. Powerful. Lively and violety.
May 4, 2018 - Hommage a DryCab - Washington Wines release; 5/3/2018-5/5/2018 (Various spots in Walla Walla): Part of the full Creative Impulse vertical. This was the vintage where the heat came through the mose. Lots of blueberry. Bit more intense. Get a touch more alcohol than some of the other years.
April 30, 2018 - This savory and Old World Cabernet blend belongs in the Old World camp is drinking well at the moment, though it should be even better in a year or two. Light cherry in color, medium in body, nose of sour cherry, black olive, and rosemary. Tastes of boysenberry, rhubarb, graphite, and pepper, with a grainy and pleasantly lingering finish. Blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon and 31% Merlot. 14.7% alcohol. Decant at least an hour, if not more.
I tasted a bottle of this wine a few months ago, and - after I wrote a note on CellarTracker - the winemaker reached out to me to say that he thought I had a bad bottle. In a gesture of true belief, he even offered to send me a new bottle (even though I had purchased the wine from a retailer). He was right about the first bottle - not to mention generous and kind (support the good guys everyone!).
Bottom line, this is a solid, nuanced, and balanced wine. It's a bit too savory for my (somewhat CA) palate, but there's no doubt it's well-made and well-balanced. Fans of Bordeaux should absolutely give this a try.