May 7, 2012 - Still holding together at nearly 9 years of age. Went well with the first grilled NY Strip steaks of the year. Primary impression was of very ripe blackberries, cedar and a hint of pepper. Will finish remaining 2 bottles soon.
March 4, 2012 - I was prepared for the worst, but this aged Bell Mtn. red was still alright. A pleasing ruby in the glass, the merlot-dominant nose was of blue/black berries, dark cherry, and a bit of loamy earth. Tannins non-existent, this gained a bit in the glass and picked up a hint of pepper that made it a better pairing with spicy pork spareribs than I'd imagined it would be.
December 25, 2011 - Nothing happening here. Popped and poured and followed for 12 hours. A touch of raspberry and sage on the nose but there's just nothing left in the mouth. Maybe a hint of the sage (in a good way) but other than that it's all acid and nothing else. Very disappointing.
March 11, 2009 - This is still very good, but I must take it down a few points from my previous review for one reason: this wine was very hot to my palate, which detracted significantly from the overall enjoyment. Otherwise, this is a solid, complex wine from an under-the-radar producer (who happen to be iincredibly nice folks). Dark, dark purple color. Dark fruits that trended darker on the second night, with a pleasant cedar/sandalwood component. Very nice wine, but with my experience and the notes of other tasters, there appears to be significant bottle variation. Still an intriguing, enjoyable wine, and I'm happy to have a few more bottles.
January 28, 2009 - What a pleasure! This is a complex wine. As evidence, the nose when first opened featured dark cherry, red and black currant, plum and sandalwood. Over the next 3 hours this trended toward more black fruits, finally ending with blackberry, black currant, coffee grounds, black licorice, spice, and toasty oak. Delicious from start to finish, and relieving in light of our last bottle. The attack is also superb, with excellent acidity and a tsunami-like rush to the mid-palate, and a long, satisfying finish. Kudos to the boys (and gals) at Medlock Ames!
December 7, 2008 - Perhaps it was the pairing, or bottle variation, or just me, but the first of six more bottles of this red blend was a bit off. Still a dark ruby purple in the glass, I could barely see my finger through the bottom of the glass with a 1 oz. pour. The nose initially had a bit of funk, which evolved, curiously, into a hint of caramel, amidst the red and black fruits, and other elements described in my previous note. Subsequently, double-decanting for 15 minutes cleared about the slightly funky nose, but left this a little more flat than was our experience with our first bottle (prior note). Indeed, this was acting a bit like a Aussie shiraz, and I decided to vacu-vin this and see what happens later. Now, still excellent, but not outstanding on this occasion as previous.
June 25, 2008 - We were so excited to open and taste our only bottle of this red from one of our favorite wineries, and we were not disappionted! Dark purple in the glass, with a fabulous, aromatic nose of cabernet sauvignon with both red and black fruits and a hint of eucalyptus. The palate was much the same, with a wonderful initial mix of red and black fruits, well-integrated tannins, some toasty oak, and a hint of eucalyptus. As this was opened more than 30 minutes, the black fruits came to the fore, accompanied by dark bittersweet chocolate! The eucalyptus remained to add aromaticity to the nose, with only a hint remaining on the palate. This was an excellent match for our medium-cooked top sirloin steaks. We plan to try to order more of this direct from the winery. It is drinking fabulous now and has every indication that it will remain so for several more years.
October 2, 2007 - Excellent. Fruit-forward; plush, syrupy blue and black fruits--incredible nose. Medium-long finish. Smooth and balanced. Rich and hedonistic. Not my preferred style, but very good at what it does (though a bit one-dimensional), and an absolute steal at this price point if you can find it. Better the second night, and I will sit on the rest for a bit.