Review Date: 06-11-2012

For those of you who have liked the Clos de Sixte this is something you need to buy. Although not technically Lirac that appellation comes through on both nose and palate. While good now I believe it will be spectacular in a year or two when the alcohol integrates.

Review Date: 01-23-2012

Wow, I wish I had bought more than two bottles of this at K&L. Might be the biggest malbec that I've ever had in a good way. Much more in the Cali Cab-Bordeaux style than your Argentine malbec. K&L said previously $35 and I can actually see this wine selling in that range. At $9.99 it's crazy good and, of course, sold out.

Review Date: 05-04-2011

This is just stupid good after a couple hours of air. I'm really hoping that K&L can find some more of this.

Review Date: 09-04-2010

Notably better with 5 hrs air and second day. If you're a fan of Mourvedre, Monastrall etc this is an outrageous QPR. I remember drinking the 2003 version of this earlier this year and it was fantastic so you might want to lose a few bottles for a couple of years.

9/4/10: I have to say that we may have a Jekyl & Hyde wine here. I have sampled four different bottles in the last week and there seems to be a LOT of bottle variation. The second bottle that I sampled was seriously in the 92-93pt range and prompted me to buy another case. The fourth bottle however is more in the 83-84pt area. First and third bottles were 88-89pt efforts that got much better the second day. Perplexing when you just don't know what you're getting.

Review Date: 04-21-2010

I have had this wine many times and it's alwauys consistent. While it may not be the most complex shiraz I've ever had it does have the delicious factor. The only thing keeping me from rating this a 4.0 is that the finish is pretty short.

Review Date: 02-21-2010

I am going to bend over backwards for this wine that, in my opinion, is not drinkable on the first day. I decanted it and tasted every hour for 6 hours. Improved marginally the longer it breathed and was better with food. That's faint praise because it was horrible alone. I have sealed the decanter and will try it tomorrow. Hopefully the extraordinarily bitter tannins and saour fruit will dissipate with time. As of now, I wouldn't even cook with this wine.

2-21-10: This wine is undrinkable. I'm taking back my 1/2 glass rating. It is the worst "premium" wine that I have tasted in 30+ years of drinking wine. The idea that even 1 bottle of this could have been sold at $35.00 is ludicrous. This makes two-buck-chuck taste like a first growth. I have opened a second bottle of this because I can't believe how bad the first one was. I'll report on that later.

Review Date: 02-20-2010

Sorry, not a fan. Treated it as fairly as I could. Sipped as I opened and each hour for six hours. Never came around.

Review Date: 01-21-2010

If any of you want to understand the difference of that next level of wines, I suggest that you find a way to get some of this. It is a legitimate $20.00/ bottle of wine and a perfect wine for me to convince you doubters about giving wine time to breathe. If you take a sip of this wine when you first open it and then wait for 3 hours to drink anymore of it you won't believe the transformation. It remains good the second day. I can't tell you how it is on the third day as no bottle has lasted that long :)
This is REAL wine.

Review Date: 12-20-2009

I was amazed at how good this was for $6.99. Probably the best pinot that I have had at this price. I wouldn't hesitate to serve this to guests and would LOVE to put this in a blind tasting for some of my friends.

Review Date: 12-20-2009

While I liked the 2005 a little better, I still think the 2006 is a great drink. I have had Cullers and Cougar Crests that were 3 times the price and, while a tad below, the L'Hiver holds it's own with them.