Berserker Day Reviews

2017 Good Company Aglianico, Kirk Landry Vineyard, Paso Robles

Lifted with violet, spice cake, licorice, mixed berry, rosemary, and tar. Sweet and pliant, the wine is full-bodied with medium/plus acidity. There's plenty of minerality and a hit of tobacco on the finish, which is suave with ripe tannins. Highly crushable now, but I think it will reward some patience.
Several hours later, the wine begins to display terrific spine with greater energy and structure, culminating in a savory, stone-inflected finish. The tannins firm up in a positive way, suggesting it may develop added nuance with time in the cellar (91-94). - M. Meer

Dark fruits, white pepper, licorice. Deep and big. Very Paso. New world take on a very old grape.
Vinturied into a magnum decanter. The wine opened up rather quickly.
Drinkable now, with persistent tannins, a bit astringent. Will improve. - CellarTracker User 90pts

2017 No Chains Can Hold You Aglianico/Cabernet blend, Paso Robles

The purple cores yields to a crimson to scarlet, dark and fully hued without any undue saturation. The nose is the proverbial slug to the jaw, big burst of black fruits, tea leaf, tar and a stripe of menthol, pleasing cleansing sensations and you can almost smell the tannin, not all that nuanced but displays utmost confidence. Based off the nose surprisingly medium-bodied and compact, the sweet plum, currant, boysenberry fruit channeled by the tannin rather than opposed. Here the oak cream more evident and likely contributes to softening the overall texture. Rose water, naval orange pulp, and some leather. Every time it tries to speak up, the Aglianico smacks the Cabernet around like a little brother. Air time didn't change it appreciably. Probably at its peak in 3-4 more years. 77% Aglianico, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petite Sirah, 1% Syrah. (Composite Cork: Diam5) - Marc Hanes

“so much more gluggable and fruit forward than the Aglianico content would suggest, but the nose definitely smells like Campania. I could drink bottles of this, and a fantastic steal from BD even without the book.” - Stephen Chen

“We've been trying to be healthier this year, including drinking less. So I started the bottle with my Corvain. It was great, so we had another pour, and then I said, "screw it," and I pulled the cork and drained the bottle. Loads of raspberry. Absolutely delicious wine.” - Paul Miller

I thought this wine was fantastic! Lots of red and black fruits, with tar, anise and dried plums. The aglianico was prominent and delicious! Strong mid-palate, medium-long finish, great QPR. Very highly recommended wine, especially if looking for a solid wine outside of the norm. - CellarTracker 95pts

2018 Endless River Gruner Veltliner, Paragon Vineyard, Edna Valley

Pale straw in the glass. Tropical fruits abound with cherimoya, papaya, jackfruit, and coconut along with thai chili, lemon and lime juice and zest. Round entry. Balanced with a mouthwatering finish. - M. Meer

Vivino User Reviews - 4.7 out of 5, 10 ratings

CellarTracker - 90 points

2018 The Dream of Spring Syrah/Mourvedre/Grenache, Central Coast

don't usually have many Central Coast GSMs/Syrahs/etc. this young, but I was excited to try this, and it didn't disappoint. This wine has some nice body with very good concentration of flavor and great balance. The tannins are really nice, especially for such a young wine. While it's still quite pretty primary, the big herbal/earthy flavors provide a really great contrast to the strong fruit the is apparent on the attack. Great wine that I'm sure will improve more, but is showing very nicely now, and really great value. - CellarTracker 92pts

Vinturied into a magnum decanter. White pepper laced red and blue fruits with a black licorice and mineral finish. All in balance.

Every wine I’ve had so far from Stereophonic has been great. - CellarTracker 93pts

***

2018 Une Autre Fin Est Possible Syrah, John Sebastiano Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills

The hue is light yet vivid, bright violet to ruby, transparent, attractive overall. The nose has an airy, well spaced out feel, the first thing to jump out at you is the grilled meat, charred fat, there's some violets menthol, not getting much oak, the fruit restrained dark berries to plum, kind of gives your nostrils a good twist at the end. Close to light-bodied, particularly through the finish, comes off as more structured by acidity than tannin, has a mouthwatering quality. More smoky than meaty here and the fruit has a sourness throughout. Nicely floral, whisper of white citrus at the end and retronasally. Leaves me with the impression it has entered a dumb phase and will need a few years to get all its ducks in a row. (Composite Cork: Diam5) - Marc Hanes

Blackberry, blueberry, black olive, pepper, fresh herbs, rare beef, five spice, sandalwood, and black earth. The upfront sweetness of the first day is less apparent on the second. Instead, it is more savory while still maintaining its freshness and energy. Punchy finish. Earth and tobacco linger on the palate well after the wine is gone (93). - M. Meer

2018 Starblanket Petite Sirah/Grenache, Paso Robles

Luminescent throughout, opaquely black purple core surrounded by thin dark magenta rims topped off by a sleek surface shine. Upon first opening the leathery scents and earthiness dominant but as it breathes the plum, blackberry scents grow in stature, every once in awhile some strawberry pops out to remind you of the Grenache, otherwise offers a light piney accent, unevolved. Medium-bodied plus, much fuller through the attack, releases well through the finish. Same uneven mix of fruit flavors, perhaps made more notable by the absence of a strong oak presence. Acidity gives it a chewiness as well as general angularity. Menthol, twigs and earth, moments of white citrus. More bottle time should smooth it out more, unsure what tertiary elements to expect. 50% Petite Sirah, 50% Grenache. (Composite Cork: Diam10) - Marc Hanes

Never had a Petite Sirah/Grenache blend. Very Southern Rhône ish. Vibrant, but balanced. Black fruits, orange oil, pepper. Would buy again. Screaming deal at $25. A welcome addition to Berserker Day.

Popped and poured. (93 pts.) - Michael Martin

Went great with the truffle burger and, surprisingly, the kale salad with lemon vinaigrette.

Mixed berry compote, marasca cherry, leather, licorice, green peppercorn, and crushed black rock. Full- bodied with medium plus acidity. Earthy, iodine finish. Should drink great until its 10th birthday or more. - CellarTracker 92pts

2019 Blue Desert Albarino, Morro View Vineyard, Edna Valley

Bright and shiny yellow, looks like a searchlight focused down into a clear pond, at some angles takes a day-glo yellow-green aspect. Smoky nose, sort of between charcoal and metallic, balanced out well by notes of whipped cream, lemon peel, papaya, guava and passion fruit, a little minty at times too, grows in stature and breadth as it warms. Medium-bodied with nice volume, you feel it vertically, presses against the tongue and mouth roof. Good framing acidity, likely supports the general spiciness, cumin to ginger sort. Citrus gets close to pink grapefruit while remaining mostly lemon. Same tropical fruit but less delineation among them here. Big mouthful of wine, preferred it well chilled to assist in keeping its form. (Composite Cork: Diam5) - Marc Hanes

Very pale straw color. Saline nose with mineral and a hint of citrus. Explosive on the front palate with chalk and lemon, which continues to the finish. There is also a straw and floral component to the finish. This has been drunk over multiple nights with a variety of foods, including tuna and beans, mushrooms and beans au Vin, and lamb vindaloo, and been a worthy companion to all. - P@u1_M3nk3s

Vivino - 4.2 out of 5 with 12 ratings

2019 Where Corn Don’t Grow Malbec, Paso Robles

Dark, nearly opaque purple color. Berry - earth nose. Opens almost immediately with bright, rich red and black fruits, vanilla, licorice and a touch of white pepper. Day two morphs into entirely black fruited with big, spicy anise notes. Silky finish. Drinks like a quality Paso wine. All in balance. 14.9% alc. Drink or hold.

92 pts. - Michael Martin

Fresh and floral on the nose with aromas of molasses, mixed berry compote, pastry crust, violet, rosemary, crushed rocks, and black tea. Satiny and juicy on the palate with excellent cut. The vibrant, peppery finish is energetic and refined. Youthfully compact, I think the wine will show greater length in time. This wine speaks more of Southwestern France than Argentina but with a terrific fruit quality that will make it more accessible early on without compromising its capacity to age (92+).

Edit: A retaste the following day again punctuates how enjoyable it was on the first. This time, dark cocoa covered berries were more readily on the palate, and its overall level of enjoyment was turned up a notch. This one should be fun to drink and follow through its evolution. - CellarTracker - 92pts

2019 UNTRUE Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa

Dark maroon opaque color. Tobacco - berry nose. Wow from the first sip with black cherry, pepper, earth, a kiss of oak and leather. Classic Napa cab. Day two stays true to day one with even more of the leather and black cherry notes emerging. Long, moderately tannic finish. 14.2% alc. Drink or hold. A Cab lovers dream even at this young age. 94 pts. - Michael Martin, WB