January 21, 2024 - Last bottle from the cellar. My previous notes hold true. Drinking to make space. It's fine. I just want it to be more. There's lots of great stuff out there at this price, including other Bookwalter offerings.
October 14, 2023 - I've left these alone in the cellar for several years hoping they will round into form. For me, this wine continues to just be ok. I definitely prefer some of Bookwalter's older Suspense formulations over this. The blend here is 50% cabernet sauvignon, 48% merlot, 2% malbec. I think I made a mistake in suggesting cellar time, as some of the freshness is gone and there is a thickness to the wine (likely from the still strong tannins) even though it's chilled. Dark purple/red color, nose primarily of black fruits and dark red cherries. I let my seven year old niece give it a sniff - she says it smells "gooder" after you swirl. I agree. Air helps quite a bit, but overall the thickness of the wine was a little off-putting for me.
November 13, 2021 - 90+, Very drinkable Bordeaux style blend. Fruity with good mouth feel. Enough tannins to give the impression it is cellar-able. I think it is a deal at $30. Not a bad deal at the CellarTracker average of $42.
September 3, 2021 - Enjoyed more than I expected. Took 45 minutes to open, quite warm at first. Not so much fruit, more cigar box, gravel, chocolate, slightly chewy and quite nice.
April 4, 2021 - Was delicious with simple meat and cheese platter
January 28, 2021 - Good on night one, better on the second. Deep purple with a hint of rim variation. Warm notes of coffee and earth with a little bit of herbs. Not as hot as 14.8% might imply. Cool on the palate. Fairly balanced. Not tannic at all for me.
August 9, 2020 - Medium-dark reddish-purple in color. Full, forward & attractive nose of ripe fruits of cherries, blueberries & plums with overtones of earthy/dusty & floral notes, herbs, spices, some cocoa notes, anise, some olive notes & a touch of vanilla/oak in the background. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, mulberries & plums with earthy, cocoa, dried herbs, minerals, spices, some vanilla/oak. Drinks quite well with decanting & extended airing, but will benefit from and develop further from additional aging. A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Merlot & 2% Malbec.
August 7, 2020 - Based on other reviews and pro ratings I was optimistic. The nose is great with lots of black and blue fruit and hints of coffee and chocolate. Not a bad wine, but I was hoping for more elegance and a palate with more complexity. I think it needs more cellar time. Maybe my expectations weren't in the right place. My wife enjoyed it more than I did. She would probably disagree with my rating. Going to let the rest of my bottles age for a while before I come back to them.
January 22, 2020 - Nice big yet somewhat mellow Bordeaux blend from the Columbia Valley. Should drink well for many years to come.
July 30, 2019 - Medium purple. Red fruits predominate on the nose, showing plum sauce and cedar shavings. While the aromas are attractive, the wine fell a little flat in the mouth. Yellow plum and nutmeg on display on a palate that would benefit from more acidity. Medium tannins and ok finish.
Edit: The wine is showing a lot better on the second day. Seamless red fruit on the palate and the flavors seem more integrated. A beam of minerality comes through on the finish.