A nice surprise Syrah wine my husband opened that we are trying for the first time. Wow the color is a deep inky purple. It’s color definitely matches it’s bold fruit blueberry aroma mixed with a sweet vanilla-chocolate wafers, florals followed by notes of earth and cedar. Taste — nicely layered and velvety with initial flavors of boysenberry and a hint of raspberry followed by secondary flavors of smoked meat, minerals ending with a jammy graphite licorice cocoa long dry finish. — 4 days ago
The 2021 Hinter der Mauer, 80% Gruner and 20% Riesling, is a white of uncommon depth, especially at its price point. Scents of pear, jasmine, mint and lemon confit lend nuance to a classy, polished wine that overdelivers big time. A long, clean finish rounds things out in style. $18.00 (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, July 2022) — 20 days ago
Optio Vineyards San Luis Obispo Grenache 2020, California
Deep purple in color with a short purple rim.
Strong nose of blueberries, dried figs, raisins, oak, licorice, cooked cherries, vanilla, spices, espresso, cola, light tobacco and black pepper.
Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with stewed blueberries, cherries, oak, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, bitter herbs and peppercorn.
Nice length on the finish with round tannins.
This young Grenache is drinking very nicely already. Spicy and rich.
Nicely balanced with mild complexity. Showing a smooth mouthfeel.
Good right out of the bottle, and better with airtime. Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.
Easy drinking and good by itself. I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.
Grapes were aged in oak barrels for 17 months. A tiny production of only 3 barrels.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$58. — 7 days ago
My second bottle of Saxum Broken Stones to open, the other (2015) about 6-8 months ago. I wanted to open a Broken Stones as I made the Saxum list after about a 5yr wait, and Broken Stones is one of the wines I’m allocated. Thankfully I’ve been able to buy Saxum the last 5yrs or so from a friend’s allocation, so I can test out my taste preference before buying direct.
Compared to the 2015, this was so much more perfumed and ready to go. Wow! Brambly dark fruit, dark chocolate, potpourri, and a hint of smoked jerky. Deceptively nimble on the palate with great lift…blackberries, blueberries, violets, savory herbs, and sweet smoke. Texture here is hedonistic. Youthful, but less tannic than the 2015. Aromatics filled the room! Enjoy now with a short decant.
As an aside, I got to try this next to a 2017 Heart Stone and a 2017 Hexe (both included in this upcoming release), as well as a 2019 James Berry. I found the Broken Stones to be more purple fruit forward and supremely fragrant, the Heart Stone a touch more savory and red fruited, and the Hexe a total monster in regards to fruit and structure. — 12 days ago
This syrah is simply excellent and I drank it at the right time. Not as viscous as I anticipated given the relatively high (15.3%) alcohol, but maybe the residual sugars have mellowed with age. It has some of the syrah “wildness” I like in my favorite K Syrah. Almost a raisin flavor, with some tannins. Too bad this isn’t every night. RP 98 pts, $299. — 18 days ago
10 years old…lighter in color, texture, tannin, the Tablas CdP influenced blend is in a very good point of it’s development. A touch of browning, the sweet viscus weight of this Paso blend has morphed into something thinner, more complex, more balanced., more nuanced, more interesting. Worked well with simple summer take-out pizza. I love Tablas… their entire program just keeps illustrating how to keep new world conditions and old world farming principles together. Kudos, to all the folks at Tablas and Beaucastle. — 5 days ago
Pineapple, sea breeze, green apple, faint oak. Zippy and high acid especially for a CA chardonnay. Tropical fruit, green apple, yellow apple with some distant oak and ML flavors.
Definitely my style of Chardonnay and much better than what I was anticipating. — 5 days ago
"Odedi"
#AgedWineTuesday
This is a fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon based blend from Paso Robles. Easy drinking and spicy at this point.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity.
Showing red and black fruits with vanilla, licorice, cedar, earth, peppercorn, leather, tobacco, chocolates and coffee.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.
Showing great complexity with a smooth mouthfeel. So pleasant and enjoyable by itself, and really gorgeous after 3 hours of airtime.
This 23 year old is not going to get any better with time, but it is delicious now. I just love these aged Bordeaux blends.
Interesting, elegant and rich. Fruit forward and extracted.
I've had a younger vintage of the Reserve a few years ago, and it is very consistent. Nice to see these quality wines out of Paso Robles.
Robert Parker 91 points.
A blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc and 19% Merlot. Aged in French oak barrels for 33 months (60% new). Unfiltered and unfined.
14% alcohol by volume.
94 points.
$180. — 19 hours ago