May 3, 2024 - Truly special. This bottle is better than the last and conflicting tasting notes while drinking two bottles so close together tells me it's time to drink up. This bottle had mature fruit and perfect balance. This Bordeaux blend was truly outstanding. This bottle was much more in balance than the last so drink up - bottle variation tells me we are at the end of the line as some bottles are strong and others are past their prime. Drink up with big beefy food (or lamb) and enjoy. I have 1 more bottle and will plan a dinner around it and hope for the best!
March 30, 2024 - Still fresh fruit, good acidity, likely many years still ahead for it. A bit of astringency from alcohol on the finish
February 2, 2024 - While this is not going to improve at this point, and I would suggest it is most likely on the way down, this bottle was outstanding. We enjoyed it with prime quality NY strip and it did not disappoint. The Washington Red Mountain certainly showed through with red fruits and enough tanin to carry it through. The 14.9% alcohol certainly didn't hurt the wines ability to show favorably. Don't bury this wine yet but also don't delay drinking it - drink up and enjoy!
July 11, 2022 - A bit thin, lacking in fruit and structure. No acidity. Most likely past it’s drinking window.
March 16, 2022 - Big fruit and oak bomb that is hitting on those 2 cylinders very well. Winemaker once said he got the fruit super ripe and oaked the hell out of it. This is the result 15 years later.
Nose shows lots of oak character but it's nicely integrated with the ripe fruit.
palate is lush, full; fully integrated between the oak and fruit, starting to show secondary notes with a hint of leather and Christmas spice.
Decent length.
Not a complex wine but certainly not a wine to dump down the drain either.
A wine of lust rather than intellect.
January 30, 2021 - Past its prime
April 9, 2020 - Opened for CT Brave New World zoom tasting.
Day 1, tight and tannic, not giving up a lot on the nose or palate, but showing signs of being big once it opens up.
Day 2, ready for showtime. Tannins have softened up, and the nose and palate are booming with fruit and still-prominent oak. Paired well with medium rare Flannery hanger steaks.
February 29, 2020 - Almost a sour acid the first night, inerted the bottle and it was more like what I remember an age chaelaur to taste like. I do think that at best there is less than a year left in its life
February 1, 2020 - Still drinking well but as one other reviewer noted “why wait”? Drink up! Cheers!
October 22, 2019 - was wonderful straight out of the bottle in a Riedel Bordeaux glass, not so good in a DeLille glass (harsh acid). Wine faded as night went on getting a weird acid dominance. Need to open up another bottle or two and decide whether all need to be drunk or not