Reviews

Linne Calodo Sticks and Stones

Some plum, black cherry, and faint kirsch. A little bitter and sour on the back end. This came off as pretty young and a little tight (not surprisingly), but also seemed to lack depth and complexity.…

Booker Vineyard Fulldraw

Purple Syrah-based fruit with a clipped and simple finish. As a GSM (or actually a SGM), the depth is almost completely absent. Not a lot of energy. Round and bitter at the same time, which was odd.…

Linne Calodo Problem Child

Fruity, jammy, and a bit disjointed. Unfortunately this seemed to encompass all the things that I find troublesome about Zinfandel. This had a muddled grapey profile about it coupled with a bitter…

Booker Vineyard Oublie

Weak, thin, and linear. Some pepper and herb notes surrounding would-be fruit flavors of bitter cherry and dried plum (to the point of saddle leather). An odd wine. Almost no depth or concentration.…

Denner Syrah

Stems, stems, and more stems. The 60% whole cluster on this wine was currently displaying in a way that was so distracting, I could barely get a sense of the purple berry fruit hiding in the…

Booker Vineyard Pinot Noir RLF

A lot of black cherry fruit and some earth initially pumping out of this wine. The attack seemed as though it would easily sail on through the finish...but it didn't. Fell flat and quickly faded as…

L'Aventure Estate Cuvée

About what I expected from the Estate Cuvée, with more broad shoulders than the Cote a Cote, but with a little less focus at this point in its infancy. The young Syrah components are most evident,…

Booker Vineyard Pink

Lost and instantly forgettable...

L'Aventure Côte-à-Côte Estate

This and the Estate Cuvée were the top wines in the lineup, with the Cote a Cote probably inching ahead with the best concentration and mid-palate overall. The sweet tannins were in perfect balance…

Linne Calodo Perfectionist

Like the Contrarian, this was served too warm. Nose was instant barnyard and fertilizer. Everyone in our party caught a whiff of some version of manure and/or funk. Our hostess explained it away as…

L'Aventure Cuvée "Les Demoiselles"

Not surprisingly, the youthful Mourvèdre component dominated over everything else. The mid and back end were especially bitter and immediately clamped down on any other identifiable flavors. It was…

Linne Calodo The Contrarian

The failure here was that it was served at room temperature. This needed to be at least 15+ degrees cooler. As fair as I can be with this wine (temperature aside), this was an ok white blend. The…

L'Aventure Optimus

Super young and wrapped up, with primary notes of black raspberry, tart blackberry, brush, herbs, and some pumice. Mid-palate was thin and linear, but likely has the potential to broaden its profile…

Linne Calodo "Pale Flowers"

One of the nicest Rose wines I've had. Unfined and unfiltered, leaving a cloudy, viscous wine in the glass. But this gave it a noteworthy body and fairly intense mid-palate. I was a fan (for a Rose).

L'Aventure Estate Rosé

Good for what it is. Started off the L'Aventure lineup as expected, with a refreshing kick of strawberry, watermelon, and hints of citrus and minerality. A little more body than a lot of wines in its…

Denner Mother of Exiles

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. As a BDX blend, this was completely too round and soft to classify as a Cabernet driven blend. Plum, black cherry, and some funky chocolate notes. When…

Saunter Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Eagle Summit Vineyard

Similar to my notes from a year+ ago. This took about 30 minutes in the decanter at 54 degrees before it opened up nicely. A good wine with some nice concentration and depth. Pretty round and soft in…

L'Aventure Estate Cuvée

I always have to ask myself if I should assess this as a Syrah or a Cabernet/BDX. The Syrah component definitely stood out over any other flavor profile. Round and rich blackberry and vanilla…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Twins Vineyard

Previous notes apply. Really drinking nicely after a couple of hours in the decanter. This could use another year or two in bottle to start reaching its full potential. After a couple of hours, the…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Architects & Saboteurs

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…

Turley Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard

Same as last year. Surprisingly resolved with smooth and approachable tannins, seemingly low acid and alcohol, and a notable concentration of flavors that holds interest throughout consumption.

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

A year and a half since I last had this wine. Still a youngster, with some powerful alcohol circling around the purple and red berry fruit on initial PnP. Two hours in the decanter did it well. Some…

TOR Chardonnay Cuvée Torchiana

It's been a year since I last had this wine. Previous notes still apply. I found this wine to be good, but a little out of balance for my tastes. Good acid and energy behind it, but the flavors were…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The O.G. Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Nose shows immediate promise with a medley of perfectly sweetened fruit and vanilla, like when the best warm cobbler is served at your table and that wave of succulent aromas hits you before it even…

Morgan Pinot Noir Double L Vineyard

Fruity, watery, and thin, with little acid or grip to provide any sort of notable structure or frame to this wine. Notes of strawberry and possibly some red cherry, but overall the core fruit flavors…