On the nose, this is blackberry, eucalyptus, dark cherry... On the palate, green pepper, eucalyptus, red plum skins, salmon berries from the side of the trail... The green is super interesting while still suggesting a well-made wine as that green is so well integrated... Not a ton of acidity here and the tannins are there but not overwhelming... Soft and wispy just five years after the vintage... A lot of green pepper even in the long finish... While I enjoy that note on the palate, it becomes a little less appealing on that finish, but an emotive wine nonetheless... Worth trying. — 2 months ago
On the nose, this is amazing... Perfumed, dark cherry and raspberry... Kirsch... Cotton candy... On the palate, the bottom curiously drops out immediately... It goes earthy... That raspberry disappears... The cherry, a distant memory... A leathery texture here... Olive? Spoiled almost? Again, earth... Full bodied... Paired with a number of morel mushroom courses to amazing effect... That's what saves this, actually... Food almost mandatory here... Such a softening effect with creamy, flavorful dishes... In the end, even with just medium length... I like it. — 3 months ago
This one is the "Lazy River Vineyard" one... On the nose, this is raspberry and red cherry... On the palate, this is raspberry, red cherry, cherry liqueur, blackberry, and cherry cough syrup... There is some acidity... It's lively... The tannins are everywhere like pillows... I think I'd like this settled down with some more years in the bottle... It really is big and not so much my style... I notice the blackberry and even blueberry notes toward the end. Cigar box. A long finish of perceived raspberry syrup. I'm very aware of the alcohol level drinking this. I feel myself getting a canker sore in my mouth. If young, big wines are your thing, I think you'll like it. — 2 months ago
On the nose, this is blackberry, red cherries, red currant... Cocoa powder? On the palate, the blackberry and current is still there, but certainly some herbal notes as well... Green pepper... Dried sage... Medium body and tannins are quite pronounced at this stage... Another couple of years may have been preferred to soften a bit though this may be at the expense of the great currant up front... I feel there's some smokiness in the texture that I like here... The finish is long and makes me think of tree bark... A nice pairing for us tonight with flank steak. — 2 months ago
On the nose, this is immediately thin-skinned lime. Some dustiness on the nose too if that makes sense... On the palate, this is mineral, that crisp lime flavor, sage... The texture is the absolute star of the show here... Such a nice medium plus body... Several steps from a patio wine. So elegant but also refreshing... Acidic but no sharp flavors here. A creek winding through smooth stones... The finish is long and somehow satisfying for such a refreshing wine... Paired with several morel mushroom courses... — 3 months ago
On the nose, this is orange zest... Fresh... On the palate, I tend to think more apple... Red Delicious for me... Still fresh, but entirely different from the nose... I get some peach too in a distant sense... Medium acidity... The finish is medium and for me becomes metallic moving away from the fresh fruit up front. We paired with an Indonesian, nutmeg-driven pork dish over rice, and the freshness of the wine and the apple flavors served that pairing well... My first impressions of this wine were far better than my third glass later in the evening. I think I miss the floral notes from other grapes often blended with Marsanne not present here... — 2 months ago
On the nose, this is bright blackberry, raspberry, and foreboding char... On the palate, this becomes all cranberry to me... Concentrated... Juicy... Acidic... Refreshing... Leather... Tannins are just carpet-level... Bright all the way theough a long finish... Cocoa? I love a great Barbera and I chose this wine as a pairing for a Carbonara pasta dish I was making... I thought this was an outstanding pairing nicely cutting through the oiliness of the dish, playing well with the egg, and honestly the length here made it a great sipper between tastes of the pasta. Loved it. — 2 months ago
On the nose, there is blackberry and dark cherry... On the palate, beautiful baked blackberry tart... Maybe even some baking spices in there as well including a wee cinnamon... The mild spice of an oriental pipe tobacco lurking... Acidity is middle of the road... Blueberry makes a late appearance... The tannins here are very soft and contributing to a long length that seems to go the earthy, savory direction... — 2 months ago
On the nose, this is dark cherry and warm, soft raspberry. On the palate, this is clean and again warm... Cherry... Intense cherry. But not in a sweet way. Earthy. Pepper. Tannin still very present fitteen years after the vintage giving this thing shape. Still some acidity here as well. We paired with steak... Would a stew be a better pairing? The finish feels one note back to that earthy cherry with a bit of pepper... Long though. Outstanding. — 3 months ago
Steven Beishuizen
On the nose, this is all red current... Raspberry takes over for me on the palate... Tart but not overly acidic. Graphite. Light vegetal. Tannins are smoothe... Red plum skins. Very powdery pepper. The finish is just medium and there the raspberry turns more candied or artificial. We paired with serious BBQ fare... Brisket and smoked chicken legs... I think the raspberry notes here really worked with the BBQ as we didn't include any rich molasses-y BBQ sauces. The Greek origin of the wine had me include quite a bit of oregano in the rub for the chicken which also seemed to elevate with the wine. — 15 days ago