California Claassen "La Jolla Caves" Crushendo Winexpert Selection Estate

This wine just never tasted good and is taking up too much space.

This wine just won't come around. It still tastes young, though it's 5 years old now! Very bright fruit aromas with hint of chocolate. Smooth, velvety yet tangy/tart flavors of quince, prune, and candied fruits. Light metallic flavor on the finish. The only disappointing wine kit I've made.

This wine is just not going to come around. Poured through a Vinturi aerator, which helped, but still not great. Weak aromas of overripe red fruits with faint hint of cedar box. Flavors of stewed fruits with light spice, still heavy on the acids, but a little more mellow and balanced. The Vinturi is probably helping a lot, will give it some time in the glass to open up. Not a bad wine, but not as good as I expected …

Not sure if bottle opened is flawed. Nose of port or sherry, with blackberry jam and hint of licorice. Flavors of smokey bacon and roasted overripe fruits. Chewy and big, a little out of balance, but tasty. Will have to try another bottle soon.

Definitely improving now more and more. Did decant, but tasted just after decanting. Not a lot of solids thrown out and left in bottle. Kit taste and aroma gone, no foam at all. Velvety aromas of chocolate, brambles, and plums. Rich, silky flavors of stewed prunes with cocoa and light spice. Good tannins with long finish. Coming together very nicely now! Good tanginess too, should be exceptionally with lamb rhubarb stew.

Two year tasting. Did not decant. "Kit nose" is very faint now, mainly light aromas of spice and plums with brambles. Not foamy. Flavors are very well melded now, still sour up front, with flavors of preserved plums, quince, and dark berries with hint of almond. Good tannins. More time will mature this wine more, but definitely coming together.

Decanted for about an hour. Quite foamy, had some tartrate crystals in the bottom of the bottle. Very faint soapy smell with sour cherries and plum on the nose. Can't taste much soapiness. Still mellowing out very nicely, though still not quite integrated. Slightly tart, not much fruit. Getting there slowly, but has definite promise.

One year tasting. Decanted for about an hour. A little bit of the weird soapiness I get with the kit wines in the nose, also notes of plum and oak. Foamy. Sour flavors of black cherry, blackberry, and raspberry with strong oak and soapiness also. Long finish, but quite sour and tart, but really rich flavors underneath. Not ready, definitely needs more aging. Does seem to improve with more air.

6 month tasting. Opened for a party. Actually quite well developed, lovely deep, dark purple/black in color. Nice bouquet rich with fruits. A little sour, but flavors rich, velvety, and well balanced. Very happy with this one!

Way too young to even attempt a rating. Very dark inky purple. Light fruity nose with that funny soapy/basic smell and taste that the Cab/merlot had when young. Heavy tannins, very rich flavors of dark fruit and hints of spice and leather lurking in the background. Definitely tastes young, and this one is supposed to bottle age a year before drinking.