Same as my notes from two weeks ago. This definitely needed some air to get going. Came off a bit restrained at first, but then opened up and yielded more fruit and some spice. Still more reticent…
Same as my notes from two weeks ago. Normally I like my Chardonnays served at a cooler cellar temperature (54 degrees), but I actually appreciated that this was served a little cooler than that this…
Same as my notes from two weeks ago. Best served super cold. As it warmed up in the glass, the fruit got a little flat. Nonetheless, when cold, this wine is a fun and fitting start to any lineup.
This was THE wine that caught everyone's attention. Darker and a bit more intense than the Killing Moon, the Night Children reminded me of the 2013 Architects & Saboteurs (gotta love these titles) in…
Now this is a 2015 Pinot to keep your eyes on. I became more and more a fan of this wine with every sip. PnP was understandably a little tight, but once it was able to breathe a little more, some…
For a "second" wine, this presented notably well. Higher toned and a little thin compared to the usual Wren Hop Pinots, but still some nice pleasure to be found here. More medium-bodied, with some…
A very fine example of a Wente Clone Chardonnay, displaying a nice tension between lemon curd and creme brûlée richness and yellow citrus acidity. Some stone fruit and green fruit (apple, pear)…
A fresh acidic blast of tart strawberry, light cherry, unripe watermelon (like in May, before they become summery sweet), and some citrus peel on the back end. A lot of energy, with some pucker…
Sonoma County · Green Valley of Russian River Valley
A finessed and elegant style with signature notes that are seemingly driven from the 2011 vintage. Not surprisingly, this wine is less fruit driven than Wren Hops of other vintages. However, as a…
Same as all of my other previous notes on this wine. I'm certainly a fan. Up there with the best Wren Hops I've had. Up there with one of the best Pinots I've ever had. Big and giving, with an…
Same as previous notes. Much more of a spicebox element evident this time around. Still a really interesting bottle of Pinot, and one of my favorites of the vintage. Drinking great with a splash…
Sonoma County · Green Valley of Russian River Valley
This is in as perfect of a drinking window as I would imagine it will ever be. Hugely plush, deep, fruit forward, and extremely giving on the attack. The silky glide is unreal, with a glycerin-coated…
Sonoma County · Green Valley of Russian River Valley
It's been over a year since my last bottle and time has certainly allowed this wine to evolve into a more interesting animal. The evergreen and pine needle notes were evident (which do add some…
Same as my previous notes. This wine was paired with homemade fresh crab beignets with a lemon/chive aioli. The wine was probably a little heavy for the dish (my fault on pairing), but overall the…
Same as my notes a few weeks ago, though this was inching toward the 95 point range. This was the final wine in the lineup, and managed to hold strong even in the face of the amazing Daughters of…
Same as my notes from August and before. Almost as good as the Daughters of Earth, with just a tad less in terms of layered complexity. Wins huge points for power and intensity, and the most…
Same as my other previous notes on this wine. An absolutely amazing bottle of wine. One of the best domestic Pinots on the planet, and one that totally blew all of the others in the lineup out of the…
Same as my notes from August, the Druid's still came across very young and a bit primary. It's no wonder they held the release of this wine back until recently. I still continued to taste strawberry…
Much more interesting and elevated than the 2014 War and Peace, with more depth (even for a 2014) and nice spice box flavors. Still incredibly young and in need of at least 2 years of bottle age, but…
The lightest and least expressive of the wines tasted, the War and Peace played into the delicate stigma associated with its Swan clone configuration. A thin representation of the varietal, even…
I hadn't tasted this wine since its release a few years ago. Back then, I especially loved the lemon curd and mineral notes that raced across the palate. This go-around, it seemed like the fruit was…
Same as my notes from 6 months ago. Two hours in the decanter made this wine very accessible. Rich without being too heavy or muddled. A nice cut of evergreen on the back end. Well placed spice and…
Again, wonderfully saturated red raspberry, red and black cherry, cola, rhubarb, earth, and baking spice flavors. Mid-palate is beautiful and full, completely enveloping; a textural dream.
