October 10, 2020 - Subtle cherry pie nose. Similar palate. Low acidity. Some heat on the finish. Pleasant to drink but not particularly complex — nor do I think holding onto it is going to yield much improvement. A good, simple table wine.
October 20, 2014 - Floral notes of black cherries, plum, and jasmine tea.
March 10, 2013 - Still holding up, showing decent acidity and dark plum, with a bit of heat in the bouquet.
November 24, 2012 - Exactly as expected
June 3, 2012 - At Sprout. Informal notes. Got even better after being open an hour. Excellent smooth texture. Terrific depth of bold, red fruit but not flabby.
November 24, 2011 - PnP. Seemed less violet than last year's. I went up a point on this as all the things I liked about it last year seemed more balanced and more expressive. The meaty earth, pine forest floor and Asian spice notes were again great. The more toned down fruit on the palate this time let the acid accent the balance to a better effect. Still this is a pretty big cali pinot, but there's a certain deftness now coming from what Mark and Jeff are doing that when I want one of this style I'm surprised how cool they can be.
September 13, 2011 - Lucious mouthfeel, bright cherry and tangy rhubarb. This is a thick wine. Liked it much better than Roar before it.
April 2, 2011 - Medium purple/ruby. Aromas of black cherries, flowers and earth. A Burgundian mineral note began to show with time. The wine is mouth-coating and full of plum and black cherry with mushroom and mineral notes in the mid-palate. Very well integrated and the finish just pulls you back for another sip. This was stored @55-58 degrees F since release and shows NO signs of fade. Easily has several more years of pleasure to give.
November 20, 2010 - Dark fruit of plum flesh and dark cherry that finishes with earth and floral over tones. Not a typical Gary's vineyard expression, but a pleasant surprise. Acid seems to be creeping in expression so drink now.
November 7, 2010 - Similar notes.