Honestly? I didn’t have high hopes for this. I’ve been storing it under non-optimal conditions since 2009. But, wow, this is gorgeous. Wild strawberry, raspberry, marasca cherry, balsam, white truffle, red licorice, poppy, dried plum, kalamata olive, autumn leaves, wet river rock, barbecue smoke, umami. Incredibly complex, silky, and surprisingly vibrant. Not much primary fruit left, but it doesn’t come across as tired or faded at all. There are still enough tannins to give it structure but overall this wine is very light on its feet—yet somehow it’s 14.9% alcohol?! I’d have guessed 13.5. There’s definitely some heat, but it’s still pretty elegant and lean. This was such a delightful surprise, and brought me back to my early days in the wine industry.
Honestly? I didn’t have high hopes for this. I’ve been storing it under non-optimal conditions since 2009. But, wow, this is gorgeous. Wild strawberry, raspberry, marasca cherry, balsam, white truffle, red licorice, poppy, dried plum, kalamata olive, autumn leaves, wet river rock, barbecue smoke, umami. Incredibly complex, silky, and surprisingly vibrant. Not much primary fruit left, but it doesn’t come across as tired or faded at all. There are still enough tannins to give it structure but overall this wine is very light on its feet—yet somehow it’s 14.9% alcohol?! I’d have guessed 13.5. There’s definitely some heat, but it’s still pretty elegant and lean. This was such a delightful surprise, and brought me back to my early days in the wine industry.
Jan 9th, 2021
Great smooth fruit. Enjoy for +2 years. Buy it by the case and enjoy a well rounded RRV pN. Tasted on 8.04.18 at San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Great smooth fruit. Enjoy for +2 years. Buy it by the case and enjoy a well rounded RRV pN. Tasted on 8.04.18 at San Juan, Puerto Rico.
1 person found it helpfulAug 5th, 2018
This is a fantastic red! I bought it for my 40th birthday in July, but hung on to it. Perfect Valentines Day wine!
This is a fantastic red! I bought it for my 40th birthday in July, but hung on to it. Perfect Valentines Day wine!
Feb 15th, 2020
Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA
