August 24, 2023 - Opened as part of a tasting of American wine for winemakers in Bandol. Initially tight cherry, after two-three hours this opened up nicely and was light, young, delicious juice. The Bandol folks were amused but preferred the WA state syrah.
July 30, 2023 - Opened without following Hardy’s directions. It needed time and air so I agree with his decant requiem. it opened nicely, great, aromatics, good delineation, fresh and delicious to savor.
July 11, 2023 - I can’t believe that I had not previously opened one of these, but CellarTracker is always right, so first bottle from the four I purchased on release. Still youthfully prickly on release, it took a good two hours to round into form. Rich in fruit expression, and bright with orange zest acidity, it lifts the darkness of reality to a higher plane of bright sunlight and salty air. Grandma made a strawberry rhubarb pie. The sweetness and tartness balance each other, and welcome the cup of tea next to the empty plate. The open windows let in the evening breeze off the water - ocean side, not bay side.
January 7, 2022 - Not really sure what I think about this wine. A murky prune color. Tart fruit aromas. On the tongue--stewed dark fruit, Did the visual of prune juice prejudice me? As the wine flows back, I started getting tartness which gave the wine a lean character. Then, under the rear palate, I detected fresh red plum. It is a harmless enough wine, but I did not get any palate or tongue sensations other than the fruit.
September 14, 2021 - Drank this over few hours. First glass had a very interesting nose, a bit funky. Spice, cherry, pepper, and salinity at first. Later glasses it evolved to cherry cola and more minerality. If I tasted blind, I'd have guessed it was a blend of Mourvedre and Pinot Noir. Didn't quite go anywhere on day 2 and fell apart.
May 27, 2021 - I don’t have any experience with this vineyard (or this AVA, honestly) so it’s hard to know what the typical profile is, but this was a unique expression of Mourvèdre. I would have never guessed it was that varietal if tasting blind (may have guessed a funky Pinot? Reminded me of Chacra’s Cincuenta Pinot).
Followed out of the decanter for two hours, and then out of the bottle the next day. Muddled ruby red in the glass. Aromatically it has both a mix of stem/green and carbonic flair to it. It wasn’t uber carbonic but I’m assuming it was at least somewhat utilized. Herbal, strawberry purée and spiced raspberries too. On the palate it has ripping acidity wrapped in a rhubarb tart and rocky profile, with juicy black cherry toward the finish. Acidity has me thinking this will hold for a bit, though I’m not sure it changes much.
January 30, 2021 - A 2018 Dirty & Rowdy Horizontal (Clare's backyard): From Chalone AVA with very rocky soil. Last vintage from this vineyard (formerly Antle Vineyard) as the farming practices didn't quite meet the winery's desires. Nice floral aromas, mixed with herbs, and bright raspberries and cherries. Bright raspberry and black cherries on the palate, minerals, excellent acids. Medium bodied with nice depth and juicy acids. Moderately long finish.
October 4, 2020 - nice muted fruit that tended to linger on thru the finish..smooth tannins..went well with a grilled skirt steak
July 23, 2020 - Bright, vibrant, fruit forward with a mineral finish.
April 21, 2020 - Have had some great success with recent D+Rs, including 18 Familiar, 14 Shake Ridge, 16 Skinner Flats. But this one didn't really hit the mark for me. Pretty enough nose, not explosive, and a hollow mid palate that took a couple days to fill out. But even when it filled out, it didn't reach the heights that I was hoping for.
I think it's best to let these sleep now for bit?