Second red wine at Table #4 at Oakton Wine Shops Bucket List Tasting.
Deep ruby red with a touch of garnet. Mute nose to start but still tight with barnyard and meaty undertones. Some dark berries, and perfume. Medium plus tannins (6.5/10) with a rich palate. Dark berries, gravel, spices and twigs. Full bodied with a long and dry finish. Drink till 2028. (91+) — 8 years ago
More for #wawinemonth! Not the same as other wines by Randy Dunn but solid WA Cab.
Deep ruby red. Layered and slightly aged nose with damp forest floor, baking spices, black cherries and dark red berries. Moderate tannins (7/10) and medium plus body. Definitely needs time to open and has a touch of heat. Complex palate with some bitter dark cocoa, dark fruits, twigs and black cherries. A bit angular but leveled out with time. A touch vegetal with a super long finish. Drink till 2020. — 8 years ago
This is the 2013 Petit Verdot Taylor Mag Vineyard.
Sample. Deep and dark ruby red. Dark nose with notes of leather, broken twigs, leaves, cherries and blue fruits in the finish. Even something a little metallic but it wears off. Moderate palate (6.5/10) and medium plus bodied. Rather nice on the palate; notes of dark black cherries, dark cocoa, cherry cola and a little savory too. Full bodied and excellent Petit Verdot! Drink till 2023. — 8 years ago
Deep garnet red. South African funk, like damp leaves, wet clay, sundried tomatoes and red cherries in the finish. Moderate tannins (5.5/10) probably will grow once it airs out. Balanced acidity and semi dry. Broken twigs with red currants and cherries. Needs some time to open up and develop. Medium bodied with a medium plus finish but potential is there. Drink till 2021. — 8 years ago
Delicious mountain fruit. Deep ruby red with purplish hues. Dark cherries, almost like a cherry liquor on the nose. Dark mountain berries coating the palate. Some blueberry cola, fresh twigs and red cherries. Moderate plus tannins (7.5/10) and full bodied. Great backbone and structure. Dry and long finish. Even has something a little savory on the palate. Great mountain juice built for the long haul. Drink till 2036. — 9 years ago
Spice and twigs, strawberries. Beautiful feel. 2015 — 9 years ago
Fresh black cherry and blackberry on the nose, I was expecting a bit more earth aromatically. The terroir shows up on the palate with twigs and subtle hints of the soil. The finish is solid but not too tight for how young this wine is. I anticipate a very graceful expression will develop as fruit calms down and nuance creeps forward. Age this guy if you can. — 9 years ago
Real woody. Not too bitter, not too sweet. Tastes like twigs and branches in the best way possible. — 10 years ago
Big herbaceous nose at outset. Lots of alcohol in the nose but i know this vintage so let it breathe. Nose gives way to bramble patch and twigs. High alcohol nose betrays the first quaff which is smooth. Smooth leather and bramble berries with an ever so slight cigar note finish. Look-if you can get this for the price do it. Period. — 10 years ago
Interesting Pinot noir.. Unique taste. Pleasantly smooth and fruity, with undertones of oaks and twigs. Medium@finish. good price this moth from chairman’s selection at state store. — 8 years ago
Fourth of the blind red wines at this quarter's S&E Wine Club, which for red was either Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc or Merlot from either Rutherford or Stags Leap District. Thanks Tom and Andrea!
Deep purplish red. Layered nose with anise, licorice and dark fruits. HEavy tannins (7.5/10) and full bodied. Lots of minerality, dark berries, twigs, cinnamon, anise, spices and some great structure. Long and lingering finish. Have only briefly heard of this wine before and quite impressed. Drink till 2028. — 8 years ago
Twigs resturant Blowing Rock, NC. Very good wine and lovely winery!
— 8 years ago
Great final night dinner with Kale and Ranko Anderson. First of the reds:
Deep ruby red with purplish hues. Nose started off with very savory with tons of olive tapenade and leather. After around 30 minutes it completely changed with purple floral notes and tight black and blue berries. Well integrated moderate tannins (6/10), and balanced acidity. Plush palate with dark berries and layers of savory undertones and twigs. Excellent structure and built to last. Drink till 2025. — 8 years ago
Deep and dark garnet red with bricking on the edges. Real depth on the nose; lots of smoky notes, cigar box, tobacco leaves, broken branches, earthy dustiness, truffles, forest floor, damp leaves, and light red currants. A bit of stinkiness but not off-putting. Moderate silky tannins (6.5/10) and very well integrated with tons of red fruits as well as unsweetened dark cocoa, twigs, tree bark and a rustic earthiness. Full bodied and well rounded, no sharp edges. More red cherries at the end of the palate with a little vegetal note in the long and lingering finish. Mouth is definitely salivating at the finish too, great acidity. Drink till 2021. — 8 years ago
Let the dust blow off for overripe baked blackberries, twigs and earth — 8 years ago
Decided to try out the entry level Pinot Noir from Spell Estate. A mix of crimson and garnet red. Initially tight on the nose and finally opened up with some dried herbs, floral notes and some toasted sandal wood. Definitely the most floral of the four Pinot Noirs. Some perfumed wood too. On day two and three some meaty and candied notes appeared. Cherry cola on the palate, with the texture too. Moderate tannins (6.5/10) and balanced acidity. Lots of dark black cherries, herbs and twigs. Medium body with great structure. Very approachable with a long finish. Drink till 2024. — 9 years ago
Astonishingly good wine. Most guides tell you to pay more than £8 at least and that's wise, but this tipple was infinitely better than the Malbec reserve that set me back £9 from sainsbury. It's silky, deep, vanilla-cherry and unctuous. Can't see through the liquid, buy it by the case before the maker twigs. — 9 years ago
Earthy notes (twigs and tan bark) mix with beautiful florals and red currant notes. Palate is a combination of mid-palate juiciness and drying, sustained tannin. Beautiful stuff and will last for years. Need time and air. — 10 years ago
Pink, perky, hazy unfined and unfiltered Pinot Noir. Strawberry and rhubarb compote, red berries, smoke and snapped twigs, lovely line and length. Refreshing and a joy to drink. — 10 years ago
Classic wafts of twigs and berries.
Bright alpine fruits - strawberry, blueberry, rhubarb..
Deep wood anger high fiving Acidic athletics. - a unique back end.
This is part of that Oregon experimentation of the terroir that I love.
One of these things is not like the other. — 8 years ago
Bright ruby red. Lovely and layered nose with an attack of floral notes, roses, lilacs, eucalyptus, and some blue fruits. Has some herbal undertones, vanilla, and spices. A touch savory with air. Balanced acidity with medium tannins (6/10). Layered palate with red berries, twigs, a touch savory, and cherries. Great mouthfeel and keeps changing over time. Medium bodied with a medium plus to long finish. Drink till 2021. (91+) — 8 years ago
Perfect wine for my sister's 23rd. Medium to dark garnet red with lighter edges. Interesting nose with leather, mushrooms, more savory notes, a little smoky and only a touch of fruit. Some forest floor as well. Well integrated flavors and tannins (6/10). Layered with tertiary notes, dried cherries, dried twigs and solid earthiness. Solid acidity, holding this wine together. Delicious at 23 years old. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2020. — 8 years ago
Deep and dark ruby red. Thick, rich and rounded nose with tons of layers; bramble berries, twigs, baking spices, cinnamon sticks, black and blue fruits. Heavy tannins (8/10) with a beautiful texture, not silky but a little gritty to match this powerful wine. Big and full palate with dark fruits, black cherries, twigs and a little earthy. Full bodied with a super long finish. Drink from 2019 till 2048. (94+) — 8 years ago
Tasted side by side with the 2012 Lineage. Deep ruby and garnet red that completely coats your teeth. Straight from opening there were notes of iron, purple floral notes and red cherries. As it opened up over the two hour period there was dark berries, especially blackberries. Started out with heavy tannins (8.5/10) but mellowed out to a moderate tannins (6.5/10) over the two plus hour decant. Still a little bit of heat on the palate that dissipated with time, this wine needs some more bottle age. Full bodied with a long semi dry cherry filled finish. Started off with red cherries and minerality on the palate as well as some spices, savory herbs and raspberries. Over time notes of cassis, of the front end with a ton of red cherries in the mid-palate. Very interesting note of bark and broken twigs just before the finish. Great backbone from the balanced acidity. Give this a little more time in the cellar, the long you wait the more complex this will become, but if you cannot wait give it a nice long decant. Just like the 2012 this has a ton of potential. Another fantastic wine Steven! (92+) — 8 years ago
This was the first of the three Chardonnays we got from Flora Springs Winery for #ChardonnayDay. Beautiful moderate intensity yellow, completely clear. Definitely a little tight with some slight creamed butter and corn. Later that evening it developed a more complex nose, with a little nuttiness, wet grass, freshly broken twigs and a slightly perfumed undertone. Moderate acidity (6.5/10) with lots of citrus notes. A little sharp to start but definitely smoothed out and became more rounded with more citrus and light oak influences. Slight tanginess, with a medium body and long finish. Needed the time to balance out and was worth the wait. Drink till 2020. — 9 years ago
Clear pale/med. concentration of ruby hue fading very slightly at the rim. Aromas of bright raspberry and cherry, graphite minerality/lead pencil shaving, violet florals, bell pepper, bramble/twigs. Palate is remarkably similar to the nose, structured with moderate, round tannins and medium/medium (+) acid. Nice restrained, elegant Cab Franc. First Saumur-Champigny. Another solid effort from Cave de Vignerons de Saumur. — 9 years ago
Red fruits with some hints of smoke and cardamom. Med + acid, cinnamon, plums, dried twigs. Great easy to drink. #beaujolais #gamay #morgon #gamayzing #unfiltered #redburgundy — 10 years ago
Very good organic 2008 Malbec! Full of earthy flavors with pepper and sweet notes. ~$15 @ Liquor Mart — 12 years ago
Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog
Perfect wine for a party with a halloween theme.
Dark garnet red core with a little bricking on the edges. A bit of acetone on the nose and a touch toasty with smoked berries. Medium plus tannins (6.5/10) and medium bodied. A little jammy on the palate but minimal with some layered dark berries, twigs, spices, bark and gravel. Dry medium plus to long finish. Drink till 2023.
Made up of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and 2% Merlot. Aged for 20 months in 40% new French oak, and then an additional 6 months in the bottle prior to release. Only 314 cases produced.|Sample provided by Winery, retail price is $85.00. — 8 years ago