Mary H

9.7

Y’quem two days in a row? Pinch me! Turpentine/French basement comes across the nose. A flavor punch to the palate, a mouthful of fruit and a looong finish - stewed apricot, peaches, apple. A hint of woodsiness (cypress?) and a sweet creaminess like crème caramel. Amazing wine that frankly overshadowed the apple tart tatin dessert pairing. — 9 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

The 2016 showed nice ripe fruits and falls into style of the other 2016’s I have tasted. Not as complex as the other vintages but a nice elegant wine.

Photos of Dana Estates 9/14/24 Onda release party. Estate fruit about 10 days to two weeks from picking. Akaushi New York Yorkshire Pudding. — a year ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Its been awhile since I’ve opened a Geyserville. This is the 2015 50th Anniversary. Young for me on this bottling. But, a decent first look. Still shows some astringency. This will age like a Cabernet if stored correctly. 70% Zinfandel, 15% Carignane, 12% Petite Syrah and 3% Alicante Bouschet. 14.5% ABV. Never opened a bad bottle of Ridge.

It is ready to drink but will improve over time. It will age 15 plus years stored correctly. Black raspberries, blackberries, plum, boysenberries, dark cherries, spice, nutmeg, cinnamon stick, vanillin, clay, dark chocolate, forest floor with dry leaves, caramel, malt balls, dry twig, light, soft pepper, dark, mid & purple florals for days-violets, excellent acidity and a pleasant wire to wire finish.

Excellent gourmet burger wine. — 2 years ago

JKT

9.2

The best overall older Sauternes yet in pairing with Wilson’s foie gras (this one is unusually mild and neutral). Also did well with the shrimp boil which was quite spicy. Lasted well for several days in Eto. Yum. Color was noticeably lighter than expected, including against younger vintages of this class. — 4 years ago

Aravind A

9.1

Pop and pour. The density this has shown has just increased in the last few years. On the nose: spicy red fruit, a hint of savory licorice, lovely intensity. On the palate: lovely acidity and density. Fills the mouth with lovely red fruit, earthy spice and a touch of herbs. Attenuated tannin on the finish. Yum. — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

It has been a great day hanging out with my love & best friend for Valentines Day. If I could give anyone young enough advise on selecting partner, marry your best friend you love. Greater degree of happiness & success. ❤️😍😘🥰

Love you Sofia and raise a glass of one of our favorite N/V Rosé Bubbles in celebration. Cheers! 🍾🥂

Happy Valentines Days everyone. Hope you are with the wine & one you love the most.

@Oswald — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

At the Come Taste the Stars Dinner hosted by Tyson Stelzer. The 6 th and final Champagne and what better way to finish than with the power of a Vintage Krug. 39% Chardonnay, 37% Pinot Noir and 24% Pinot Meunière ; aged more than 11 years on Lees. This is one of the rare vintages of Krug to have more Chardonnay than Pinot Noir. Malic acid to the fore with crunchy green Apple notes. Tastes amazingly young and fresh - aiming for a long living style. Noticeable acidity finishing very dry. Tyson says at 15 years of age that it needs another 15 to reach its full potential. The French Somm at Montrachet told me this was his favourite of the 6 stellar champagnes. Powerful but retains its elegance incredibly. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

There is nothing like taking a $31 bottle of Napa Cabernet and turning it into liquid gold. All you have to do is buy a good producer’s decent vintage or better and hold it in bottle for nearly 10 years or longer. Bottle age can’t be accomplished in a decanter, no matter how long you decant it. It simply will not round out the wine, make the tannins well resolved, integrate all the flavors that equate to a nice complex wine.

I was saddened to see a quality Napa Valley Pioneer recently sell its winery. I am sure somewhere Joe Heitz is beside himself. However, nothing stands for forever. We’ll see what the new owners do with it. Certainly, the last free quality free tasting in Napa Valley is gone forever. To be continued...

The nose reveals; dark currants, ripe, ruby, slightly candied fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, black plum, blueberries and cherry kirsch. Sweet tarry notes, black, rich, turned soil, anise, steep fruit tea, limestone minerals, dry crushed rock, underbrush, soft leather, hints of dry herbs, moist clay with candied, bright, dark, red, blue florals and violets for days.

The body is full, very round and gorgeous across the palate. The tannins are about 80% resolved but, still showing some teeth. The structure, tension, length and balance have hit the top of the bell curve and will hold there awhile longer. There is nothing in this wine that bites back or is astringent. Dark currants, ripe, ruby, slightly candied fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, black plum, blueberries, raspberries on the high palate and long set with cherry kirsch. Sweet tarry notes, black, rich, turned soil, anise, steep fruit tea, caramel, some milk chocolate, limestone minerals, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, underbrush, soft leather, touch of graphite, hints of dry herbs, moist clay with amazing candied, bright, dark, red, blue florals and violets for days. The acidity is like a palate waterfall. The long finish is; delicious, gorgeous, ruby, well balanced, elegant with polish that persists nicely for minutes.

Photos of; Heitz vineyard, tasting bar/room on Hwy 29, sitting area outside the tasting room and Heitz winery and Estate vines. — 6 years ago

Noah Chasin

9.3

Really special bottle nearly sabotaged by the waiter’s feeble attempts at coping with the cork. Stellar and refined, still not really at its peak after three hrs but sublime. Would love to drink a bottle over a couple of days. Winemaker evidently says that the bottles take a minimum of 30 yrs to come to maturity. First bottling was 1982! — 9 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Nearly 20 years in bottle. It is still ascending will drink well for another 15 days plus years.

From a warm vintage. Beautiful, even toned fruits with elegant earth & amazing lead pencil bloom for days.

This is approaching its peak, another 5 years from its peak.

Well resolved wine-fruits. The fruits are juicy, blackberries, black raspberries, plum skin, dark cherries & slightly, poached strawberries with a highlight of pomegranate. Mocha, dark chocolate, black tea, sandalwood, sandstone, limestone, some mushroom notes, dark, rich turned earth w/ dry leaves, dry tobacco, dry leather, dry herbs, dry stone, caramel notes, dry, withering, dark, purple & red flowers with excellent acidity, balance, tension, structure and finish for days that lasts 90 seconds. — a year ago

Sipping Fine Wine

10

Blend of 84% Cab Sauv, 10% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 3% Cab Franc sourced from estate-owned vineyards, aged 24 months in 100% new French oak. Deep Ruby, dark fruits, spice, complex nose. On the palate flavors of rich berry fruits, spice and vanilla oak, well structured harmonious wine. Fine soft rich tannins, long finish ending with fruit, tobacco and sweet earthy tones. Tasting great, young and juicy, should easily last another couple of decades+ in the bottle. Wow! — 3 years ago

Jeffro Beaudeen

9.5

One of the best second wines I've ever had the pleasure of consuming . .,this with a delicious smoked duck breast with a crispy charred skin . . and four days ago my tasting group did an event where all wines were Bordeaux between 82 and 2000 vintage and all had to be 98 to 100 points (wine advocate or JEFF Levy's most recent scores) and two of those wines were the 89 and 90 Montrose, both of which we're drinking fabulously . . in fact beat out the Haut Brion and Ch. Margaux . . the only wine that I liked better than those two was the 1982 Mouton and have to say the 1989 La Conseillante was showing very well too . . Back to the Dame de Montrose . .,Spicy earthy good layers of complexity and good length everything paralleling the Grand Vin just the volume turned down a few clicks . . and it can now be had for around $200 versus the 800 for its big brother😆 — 4 years ago

Young Bock Lee

10

Aroma came up very easily, showing extreme floral and feminine aromas with silky texture of shiraz. It is rich but never too full. Maybe the most elegant shiraz that I've ever tasted in these days. — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Transitioning in the Lounge. Night is a little better than day. Love the glow.

This 07 has been hanging out in my secondary storage (temp & humidity controlled but, not EuroCave) for 12 years. Time to drink up, right? Nope. The cork was super pliable with nearly no seepage. This wine has another 10-15 years of good drinking ahead with proper storage.

The nose reveals fruits that are steeped in style. Although, ripe, ruby and quite floral. Dark currants, blackberries, blackberries, black cherries, poached strawberries, black plum, touch of pomegranate, sweet tarry notes, dark chocolate, malt in malt balls, haunting caramel, whiff of black pepper, mix of Asian & Indian dark spices, incense, limestone, volcanic minerals, dry crushed rocks, leather, dry brush, liqueur, liquid fruit chocolate truffles, oak shavings, leather, some graphite, anise to black licorice with dazzling; dark, blue, red, fresh & withering florals and violets for days.

The palate would fool a lot of wine lovers/professionals. There is an earthiness about it that might take you to a warm vintage Bordeaux or a Rhône blend of mostly Grenache and Syrah.

Ripe and lush, dark currants, blackberries, blackberries, black cherries, poached strawberries, black plum, touch of pomegranate, sweet tarry notes, dark chocolate, malt in malt balls, warm caramel, some black pepper, mix of Asian & Indian dark spices, dry Provenance herbs, black offering palate heat, incense, thick layered baking spices; clove, cinnamon & nutmeg with a mini splash of vanilla, limestone, gripping volcanic minerals, dry top soil & clay, dry crushed rocks, dark, rich, turned black earth, leather, dry brush, dry river stone, liqueur, oak shavings, leather, some graphite, anise to black licorice with dazzling; dark, blue, red, fresh & withering florals and singing violets for days. The acidity is round and good but, short of the vintage. The structure, tension, length and balance are approaching their peak. The long, big finish is; ripe, lush, ruby, show the quality of the vintage, well balanced and persists until you put something else on the palate.

P.S. It just gets better & better as you slow sip it. Now, 9.3.

Photos of; kicking nighttime in the D&S Lounge. — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Blend 95% Cabernet Sauv, 2.5% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot, splash Petit Verdot, blended before being aged 24 months in American Oak, 50/50 new and second used. Deep Ruby color with aromas of black fruits, spice and hints of sweet spice. On the palate flavors of blackberry, black cherry and currants with licorice, cacao, vanilla and savory herbs. Fine tight tannins, long finish ending with fruit, spice and savory mineral character. Nice! — a year ago

KRISTIE

9.6

Inspired by the “Apotheca”, a mysterious place where some of the earliest wine was blended and stored, Apothic wines offers a truly unique wine experience.

A red blend emerges from the flames, creating a most unexpected and masterful encounter.

Paying tribute to a time-honored craft, this wine has been aged for 60 days in whiskey barrels, creating bold notes of red and dark fruit with layers of maple and spice. — 2 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.3

The Bea brothers turn Trebbiano into its own category of something else - an orange thing thats at times like sherry, at other times, whiskey. So insanely pretty to stare at, so aromatically intense, pour this into a big bowl at room temp and it's impossible not to want to coddle to the end of days.

Glows like light caramel or a shot of Fireball. Smells like caramel apple cider, dried apricot, roasted chestnuts and palo santo smoke. A salty sour brown bag of toffee, bruised apples, and sweet peach. — 3 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Deep Ruby, aromas of sweet red and black fruits with pepper spice and oak. 4 grape blend from some of CVNE's best vineyards in the Rioja Alta (85% Tempranillo, rest Garnacha, Mazuelo & Graciano), aged in both French and American oak for 24 months. On the palate flavors of blackberry and currants with licorice, vanilla, tobacco & toasty oak tones. Soft full ripe tannins, wonderful balance, lively acidity on a long finish ending with an earthy mineral character. Very nice! Tried several bottles! — 4 years ago

Shay A

9.7

Last week was a combo of 4th Friday and Open That Bottle Night on back to back nights. Needless to say, the lineup between both days was full of heavy hitters, so I’m only posting standout bottles.

In the running for top red wine of OTBN. I’ve had Chateau Margaux three times before, and they’ve all been the ‘82. Not sure how I lucked in to that. Didn’t need long to blow off its funk. Almost ethereal in profile. Light in regards to expectations, and then as it lingers it snaps your head back with wide eyes. Delicate flowers like roses and violets accompanied by juniper, herbs de Provence, dried black cherries, pipe tobacco and soft raspberry fig. Amazingly acidic and tannic at 38yrs young. Saddle leather, dates, blackberries, currant, underbrush and high percentage raspberry infused dark cocoa. Magnificent. — 6 years ago

with Jid, Dan and 2 others

Bob McDonald

9.1

Very dense ruby in colour- almost black. Aromas of burnt black currant. Very full bodied with profound intensity - chocolate and ripe black fruits finishing with supple silky Tannins ie the Mollydooker calling card. Great marketing and making rich full bodied McLaren Vale Shiraz allowed Sparky and Sarah Marquis ( just Sarah these days) great penetration of the US market along with excellent reviews from Harvey Steiman and Wine Spectator. I believe Mollydooker would probably be better known in the US than in Australia. A great Australian export story. — 6 years ago