Really interesting blend of red and white grapes - 63% Old Vine Mourvèdre, 18% Old Vine Semillon, 13% Old Vine Chenin Blanc, 3% Zinfandel, 3% Old Vine Barbera coming from San Benito, Contra Costa, Amador, Napa, Mendocino, Sonoma Counties. Decanted. Very tight for at least 2h after decant. Note is 4.5h after decant. Aromas of tart jolly rancher cherries and raspberries, herbs, cinammon, and bark. Palate also has prominent tart jolly rancher cherries and raspberries, mixed with herbs, bark, lemon. Bright acids and mild tannins on a medium body. Nice finish of fruit, anise, herbs and earth. Complex with a lot going on. This is a really well made wine and by those merits, it's worth a 92 score. But the prominence of tart, candied jolly rancher fruit flavors here are also what was present through all the reds in Dirty & Rowdy wines. I'm the finding that prominence of the tart, candied flavor throws the wine off balance and I love jolly rancher candies. But that's not what I'm looking for in wine. So in summary, Objectively, 92. Enjoyment-wise 89.
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Two hour splash decant, though I did sneak a couple of early sips. I have waxed rhapsodic about Hardy’s wines in the past, including another 2019 YEAH! cuvée. I could do the same here, as the ‘After Midnight’ is complex, intellectually fascinating and also delicious. I could describe the ever-changing aromatic tableau that spans from wild berries to campfire embers. I could even write about the lifted yet finely balanced structure that propels flavors across the palate like a spaceship bound for the edge of the galaxy.
I could do that, but…err…oh…I guess I did.
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Heck yeah, light as a full moon on a cloudless night. That's a metaphor. Or a simile. Dang. Surprisingly deep plum ruby color. Earthy cherry cinnamon nose with hints of green Cali forests, a touch of pucker and sour cherry palate, lingering a while. Really fun and easy drinking while offering plenty to contemplate.
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Very interesting wine that also happens to be enjoyable. Ripe and concentrated but not at all overblown, this is a relatively lithe package showing a fruit salad of red-and-dark-berry flavors. Quite expressive. No idea what age will do to it.
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Strawberry jam on the nose, watermelon jolly rancher and neon-tinged strawberries on the palate. The finish is short and clean.
This is a light wine in many senses of the word, but is interesting and tasty tonight. Slow-ox'd for a few hours before a light dinner of split-pea soup and rosemary bread. I'd probably serve this with charcuterie and cheeses next time.
A marked improvement from the first bottle I opened. The extra air absolutely helps.
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Crunchy red fruit with some intriguing odd-to-pin-down herbal aromas too. Unlike my first bottle, which sang most loudly on the first night only to become more subtle over the course of the next 24 hours, this second bottle was a little shy on night one, blossoming on night 2 and showing most complexity on night 3, when that pyrazine thing gained force. Good stuff.
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lives up to the billing of a light red. Huge rush of ripe strawberry punches you in the face. The ripe berry continues to carry through, with edges of orange rind. Gulpable.
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Decanted about 90 min. Quite young, but very drinkable. Light and smooth, goes down easily. Hard to characterize (I won't attempt a psychedelic TN) but very interesting and versatile. The blend works well, which is a testament to Hardy's skills, given how unusual it is.
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The nose is fairly reticent, even with vigorous swirling in a zalto universal. Inhale deeply, and you start to recognize the barest hints of dusty red and purple fruits at the edges of your senses, like finding an old hunting trail through a jungle thicket, and bushwhacking your way through it to hear the faint echoes of some tribal music in the far distance… what is that? Is that the soothing entrance of some Tito Puente timbales, a civilized and well-worn tropical dance? or no… could it be the siren’s call, the primal thump of a holy psytrance moonrave? As you take your first sip, it’s like crashing through the jungle’s edge into the clearing and realizing yes, this can only be a full on orgiastic moonrave in the mouth, a celebration of the celestial goddess Luneste. Ecstatically lithe yet buxom red fruit dances across the tongue like so many grass skirted figures. Earthy chalky tannins provide a rhythmic baseline, bright pings of crunchy tart cranberry and unripe strawberry provide a contrapuntal top note, handclapping in triple-time. Funky ripe Mourvèdre stems bring a cacophony of syncopated Apache breakbeat bongos brimming with character and depth, served with deadly seriousness from an ancient drummer channeling 14 generations of drumming in her gnarled hands. You stare in the fire and see your mineral soul returning your gaze from the depths of the crystal ocean. The finish lasts as long as the wondrous smile on your face as dawn breaks and the ceremony of dryads and satyrs retreats into the trees, silent whispers leaving few traces of the magical ceremony that took place just minutes before. Extradimensional indeed.
On opening this bottle you immediately get aromas of sweet ripe and fresh red fruit, which intensify and get more expressive with a couple of hours of air. The color is darker than you’d expect given the whites in the blend—darker I think than many or maybe all of the D&R Especials, for example. On the palate it’s bright and glou glou and yet round, midweighted and more serious than the nose would imply. On Night 2 the nose is less ebulliently fruity, you get some ripe stem aromas (baking spices?) too, and on the finish there are some whispery soft tannins lending just a bit of structure and hinting at potential for a evolution in the cellar. This bottle was dangerously drinkable, fresh, bright, and alive, and if you are a Dirty & Rowdy fan, you’re gonna like this a lot.
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3/5/2024 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 90 Points
A lot lot lot better with enough time.
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12/24/2022 - Renton Likes this wine:
Superb wine from Hardy
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1/22/2022 - James Kim Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really interesting blend of red and white grapes - 63% Old Vine Mourvèdre, 18% Old Vine Semillon, 13% Old Vine Chenin Blanc, 3% Zinfandel, 3% Old Vine Barbera coming from San Benito, Contra Costa, Amador, Napa, Mendocino, Sonoma Counties. Decanted. Very tight for at least 2h after decant. Note is 4.5h after decant. Aromas of tart jolly rancher cherries and raspberries, herbs, cinammon, and bark. Palate also has prominent tart jolly rancher cherries and raspberries, mixed with herbs, bark, lemon. Bright acids and mild tannins on a medium body. Nice finish of fruit, anise, herbs and earth. Complex with a lot going on. This is a really well made wine and by those merits, it's worth a 92 score. But the prominence of tart, candied jolly rancher fruit flavors here are also what was present through all the reds in Dirty & Rowdy wines. I'm the finding that prominence of the tart, candied flavor throws the wine off balance and I love jolly rancher candies. But that's not what I'm looking for in wine. So in summary, Objectively, 92. Enjoyment-wise 89.
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1/14/2022 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Two hour splash decant, though I did sneak a couple of early sips. I have waxed rhapsodic about Hardy’s wines in the past, including another 2019 YEAH! cuvée. I could do the same here, as the ‘After Midnight’ is complex, intellectually fascinating and also delicious. I could describe the ever-changing aromatic tableau that spans from wild berries to campfire embers. I could even write about the lifted yet finely balanced structure that propels flavors across the palate like a spaceship bound for the edge of the galaxy.
I could do that, but…err…oh…I guess I did.
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12/31/2021 - Biskuit Likes this wine: 92 Points
Heck yeah, light as a full moon on a cloudless night. That's a metaphor. Or a simile. Dang. Surprisingly deep plum ruby color. Earthy cherry cinnamon nose with hints of green Cali forests, a touch of pucker and sour cherry palate, lingering a while. Really fun and easy drinking while offering plenty to contemplate.
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12/9/2021 - rc@ughey wrote: 88 Points
Very interesting wine that also happens to be enjoyable. Ripe and concentrated but not at all overblown, this is a relatively lithe package showing a fruit salad of red-and-dark-berry flavors. Quite expressive. No idea what age will do to it.
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11/20/2021 - bendb Likes this wine: 91 Points
Strawberry jam on the nose, watermelon jolly rancher and neon-tinged strawberries on the palate. The finish is short and clean.
This is a light wine in many senses of the word, but is interesting and tasty tonight. Slow-ox'd for a few hours before a light dinner of split-pea soup and rosemary bread. I'd probably serve this with charcuterie and cheeses next time.
A marked improvement from the first bottle I opened. The extra air absolutely helps.
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11/12/2021 - davudvl Likes this wine: 89 Points
Pale red. Light to medium body. Very interesting mix of grapes. Better on first night ( about 1.5 hrs of decant ) than the second night.
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11/7/2021 - MartyL wrote: 91 Points
Crunchy red fruit with some intriguing odd-to-pin-down herbal aromas too. Unlike my first bottle, which sang most loudly on the first night only to become more subtle over the course of the next 24 hours, this second bottle was a little shy on night one, blossoming on night 2 and showing most complexity on night 3, when that pyrazine thing gained force. Good stuff.
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10/26/2021 - Mootsie Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Very young. Big strawberry with white pepper. A bit simple right now.
After some air…
Very linear, bright acidity. Strawberry bubblegum with a tart orange peel note.
If you like key chains and T shirts over wine quality, this one is for you.
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10/21/2021 - adnorthup Likes this wine:
lives up to the billing of a light red. Huge rush of ripe strawberry punches you in the face. The ripe berry continues to carry through, with edges of orange rind. Gulpable.
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10/20/2021 - Peter Kleban Likes this wine:
**+
Decanted about 90 min. Quite young, but very drinkable. Light and smooth, goes down easily. Hard to characterize (I won't attempt a psychedelic TN) but very interesting and versatile. The blend works well, which is a testament to Hardy's skills, given how unusual it is.
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10/19/2021 - ohne_musik wrote: 94 Points
The nose is fairly reticent, even with vigorous swirling in a zalto universal. Inhale deeply, and you start to recognize the barest hints of dusty red and purple fruits at the edges of your senses, like finding an old hunting trail through a jungle thicket, and bushwhacking your way through it to hear the faint echoes of some tribal music in the far distance… what is that? Is that the soothing entrance of some Tito Puente timbales, a civilized and well-worn tropical dance? or no… could it be the siren’s call, the primal thump of a holy psytrance moonrave? As you take your first sip, it’s like crashing through the jungle’s edge into the clearing and realizing yes, this can only be a full on orgiastic moonrave in the mouth, a celebration of the celestial goddess Luneste. Ecstatically lithe yet buxom red fruit dances across the tongue like so many grass skirted figures. Earthy chalky tannins provide a rhythmic baseline, bright pings of crunchy tart cranberry and unripe strawberry provide a contrapuntal top note, handclapping in triple-time. Funky ripe Mourvèdre stems bring a cacophony of syncopated Apache breakbeat bongos brimming with character and depth, served with deadly seriousness from an ancient drummer channeling 14 generations of drumming in her gnarled hands. You stare in the fire and see your mineral soul returning your gaze from the depths of the crystal ocean. The finish lasts as long as the wondrous smile on your face as dawn breaks and the ceremony of dryads and satyrs retreats into the trees, silent whispers leaving few traces of the magical ceremony that took place just minutes before. Extradimensional indeed.
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10/15/2021 - MartyL wrote: 93 Points
On opening this bottle you immediately get aromas of sweet ripe and fresh red fruit, which intensify and get more expressive with a couple of hours of air. The color is darker than you’d expect given the whites in the blend—darker I think than many or maybe all of the D&R Especials, for example. On the palate it’s bright and glou glou and yet round, midweighted and more serious than the nose would imply. On Night 2 the nose is less ebulliently fruity, you get some ripe stem aromas (baking spices?) too, and on the finish there are some whispery soft tannins lending just a bit of structure and hinting at potential for a evolution in the cellar. This bottle was dangerously drinkable, fresh, bright, and alive, and if you are a Dirty & Rowdy fan, you’re gonna like this a lot.
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