Jan A

9.4

Fresh and spicy. Surprisingly this was already on the downhill on day two dispite being full bodied, young and tannic on day one. Almost Pinot Noir type of character. — 4 years ago

Wulf Losee

9.0

My 2020 rating and my 2023 rating (below).

This wine is 9 years old but it’s still really too young to drink. I think it will take another decade before it mellows out. This is the most intense GSM I’ve ever tasted! — Or rather, it’s an SMG with a little V. Mint and oregano on the nose. Perhaps a little tobacco, too. unripe cherries on the front, and they transition into a complex but astringent tannic structure at the mid-palate. These are redeemed by some softer tannins at the end. Nice finish with some mineral high notes. Frankly, this wine is pretty harsh in its current state. I’m giving it a 9.0 based on its potential. I’m going to try to put another one of these bottles down for another five years, and I’ll report back. Potentially this could be a 9.5 in a decade.

———

It’s late in 2023 and I’m checking in on this wine again. I can’t believe how much is changed in three years. I’m not increasing my rating though. This wine seems mature now, and it may be starting on the downhill side. I thought it would last longer, but I stored it suboptimally by mistake

The herbal notes on the nose are gone replaced by intense cherries. The tobacco is more pronounced. The fruit on the front has mostly faded. The tannic structure remains — however its astringency has mellowed. But the finish is a bit stronger — with some mineral notes that remind of the wines from volcanic soils. Long finish. I’m not gonna change my rating —distinctly different but still very nice.

Yikes! It’s fading in the decanter as I write this! Yes, I got to this bottle just in time! — 4 years ago

David L

9.2

10’ Fairchild Sigaro. Ready to go out of the bottle. Had two hours of life in it. Went downhill after that. — 5 years ago

JKT

8.9

Surprisingly alive new world grigio going on nine years of bottle age. Stored in Willie's wine fridge all these years. Perhaps just at the cusp of going downhill for my admittedly tolerant taste with secondary flavors on the creamy oxidative spectrum just coming up and fruits on the mature and ripe side. — 6 years ago

John J

9.0

Aged but strong bottle - 2004 I tried at home was plush with plum fruit, gentle acid and background tannins. Slightly on downhill yet retains elegance. Over 2+ days it held up quite well refrigerated. Quite a bit of sediment. — 7 years ago

Mercedes Marie

10

Light body, slightly sweet — 8 years ago

Evandro Pereira

8.9

Levemente oxidada. Só não dá para ter certeza se está indo downhill ou foi um problema de storage — 4 years ago

Paul J

8.9

Loved this wine 3yrs ago but it’s been downhill since. These lower priced Bordeaux’s are so vintage dependent.

30+ minute decant. Dark red color with slight brown edges. Nose is hot, medicinal, and Spanish in nature. Wine is tannic with minimal fruit and harsh on the palate. Medium minus finish. Disappointing! — 4 years ago

with Brooke

Paul J

9.2

45+ minute decant. Dark red color with bricking. Wine is slightly past prime and very tired. Awesome nose of pencil shavings and smoke, but slides downhill after that. Thin, minimal cherry fruit, and lacks depth. Short finish. Had high expectations and if it weren’t for the nose the score would be lower.

‘04 and ‘09 were much more impressive. — 5 years ago

with Brooke

JKT

9.3

Wow! Opened 2/21/20 and what a beauty! Still recall the distinctive metallic funky notes early on after buying at Gordon’s but for this bottle it is just astonishingly Burgundian. Light ruby color and a perfume floral dried cranberry and rose nose followed by an almost sweet touch of aged port palate and yes that sensual feel long read about but never fully experienced. Lively texture that dances and good long harmonious finish. No sulfur added and biodynamic. Hope others are like this! Well the magic kind of dissipated next day. Perfume and sensual texture went down and it’s more acidic though still very balanced and excellent wine. Score down by two to 9.3. Kind of expected it as a bit of wine left in glass went downhill over couple hours and sour by next morning. Hope the rest have that magic! — 5 years ago

Michael Emmerson

9.4

Big, beefy red with great black currant and cherry notes. Really benefited from an hour in the decanter but drink quickly as it went downhill quickly after that. — 7 years ago

Shun Kikuchi

9.1

rich. bright ruby with orange rim. Well aged aroma is packed in the bottle. dry, mid acidity that is purely clean. Feel it is almost peak or on the downhill. abv13.5% — 7 years ago

Peter 0'Neill

9.0

High shoulder fill and bottle in good condition, this turned out as well as I could have hoped. Plenty of tertiary complexity on the nose with notes of old mulch (what posher reviewers call "forest floor, I suspect), a little vegemite and some dried flowers and red fruits. The palate wasn't quite as expressive but had plenty of subtle pleasure to give and held itself together pretty well over two hours. Downhill from here- drink up. — 8 years ago

JKT

9.0

Nice balanced red with ripe red fruits and forest notes, medium body but faded on finish. Might be heading downhill for a 26 year old. Went well with red sauced pasta. AA18. From Puglia and 70% Nero di Troia and 30% Montepulciano. New to me — 4 years ago

Byron Fuller

9.2

Still punching strong. Palate has dried out, glorious body. Palate all caramel and honey and apricot. On the downhill, slowly. — 5 years ago

Brandon T

9.2

Didn’t show nearly as much fruit as the last ‘15 I had. Maybe an off bottle, or possibly already on the downhill? — 5 years ago

Steven Lee

9.3

Exploring Austria red. Pinot like. Fresh but overall is light. Lot of young fresh fruits on the nose. Sweet rhubarb and herbs. After some air it becomes much better. Very pinot. Silky, mineral and sweet rhubarb. Not bad. However it was only good in the first 2 hrs and then downhill so drink all in a go — 5 years ago

Brandon T

9.1

Waited 2 years to try this again. 5 hour decant and it really never came together - not sure if it’s on the downhill or just in a dumb phase. Still a solid Syrah, but not worth $100+ on release, IMO. — 5 years ago

Daniel P. Drake

8.9

On this the middle of the week I stopped into my store of choice to pick-up a couple bottles of wine, one for tonight and the other for more towards the weekend. I chose the 2015 Sineann Yates Conwill Vineyard Pinot Noir from the Yamhill-Carlton area of Willamette Valley, Oregon for this evening.

The nose at first was a bit muted and I thought it may be a bit to chilled so I let it set for awhile to let it warm a bit and open up. After about an hour it seemed to be much more revealing and the notes started to come, cherry, cranberry, strawberry, cola, vanilla, cinnamon, violet, smokey oak and earth.

At the first sip on the palate I can get cherry, cranberry, raspberry, spice, rosemary, violet, oak, which I think is a bit much but some may find to their liking, cola, wet leaves and earth.

This wine is medium to full bodied with medium acidity and medium + fine tannins that lead to a medium to long dark fruit finish. This pinot noir harkens more to a California Pinot from the RRV or Carneros than a Willamette Valley Pinot that I have come to appreciate. Well, we are making that downhill slide into the weekend so please be safe and enjoy the rest of your week. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

This wine has faded a little from 5 to 10 years ago. Sweet plummy fruit with a touch of green pepper (capsicum). Medium weight with a little astringency. On the plateau but gradually going downhill at 21 years. 2 left from an original dozen. — 8 years ago