Marina Irgon

9.2

Refreshing, smooth; too notch everyday wine — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

A blend of (changes each vintage) mostly Chard, with Sauv Blanc and Muscat, aged in 35% new French oak for 8 mos. Grapes sourced from some new AVA’s this year, Sonoma Coast, RRV, Santa Lucia Highlands & Atlas Peak AVA’s. Pale lemon with aromas of stone & citrus fruits with complex floral spice. The palate shows flavors of peach and apple with hints of sweet lemon, vanilla and wet stone. The wine is well balanced with integrated oak, crisp, lively acidity and a long finish ending with pepper & mineral. Nice! — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Pretty sure I haven’t had a better bottle of Champange at $24.99 and even some higher.

The nose reveals; bruised green apple & Bosc pear, lemon meringue, overripe & slightly sour pineapple, lime zest, nougat, vanillin, soft honeycomb, oysters, sea spray, baguette crust, grey volcanic, pleasant chalkiness, whiffs of herbaceousiness, spring flowers, mixed greens and yellow lilies.

The entry is clean, fresh, rich and lively. Bruised green apple & Bosc pear, lemon meringue, golden apple, overripe & slightly sour pineapple, lime zest, nougat, vanillin, caramel, soft honeycomb, sea fossils & spray, baguette crust, nice white spice with some palate heat, grey volcanic, pleasant chalkiness, whiffs of herbaceousiness, spring flowers, mixed greens and yellow lilies. Crisp lively acidity. The finish is refreshingly delicious, well balanced, good, seamless, delineation, nice polish and persists with spice for several minutes on the long set.

Photos of; The House of Baron Fuentes, grapes at harvest, Proprietor Eric De Brisis and one of their Grand Cru vineyards. — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

8.9

Impressive wine for $20! Grapes sourced from Oregon Valleys of Willamette, Umpqua and Rogue. Cool climates enable a longer growing season, giving an intense structure. Deep Ruby with loads of Berry fruit flavors & sweet spice. Ripe fruit, cranberry and cherry, with cinnamon spice, consistent quality. On the finish, vibrant acidity, great balance and a touch of earthiness with subtle tannins. Tasting Sample. — 7 years ago

Joe Fusaro

9.0

Almost a sauv blanc. Apple and a bit tart. — 8 years ago

Aaron Means

9.3

Get in line! These guys are killing it. Blend of a bunch of grapes but this is knocking it out of the park with complexity, verve, tension. — 9 years ago

Meg

9.6

Sunday wine-down with a favorite Cab (with your typical Bordeaux blending grapes to smooth it out). The first good Cabernet I ever tasted when first learning about wine (association is such a powerful thing). This is a very good vintage. Almost sweet, in the very best of ways. It almost smells like a Kir Royale. You could definitely wait, but for you impatient people like me, try it - you won't be disappointed... — 10 years ago

Brian Scott

9.0

Dry and complex. Interesting blend of grapes. Good with cheese or meal. — 11 years ago

Uncle Bill, FWS, IWP

9.5

Wow. Just a "vino da tavola" but crazy good. Nebbiolo, Croatina, a little Vespolina and nine other grapes crammed into one great bottle. Fruity and spicy with minerality. A pleasure to drink. — 11 years ago

Giampiero Nadali

Wine Blogger Aristide

9.4

This is a Valpolicella blend without Molinara but with some Croatina. Grapes come from volcanic soils of San Briccio Cru, near Mezzane. 2004 is a 4-stars vintage, great texture and softness, highly enjoyable after 10 years. — 12 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Just tried another ‘18. Cakebread wine offerings are among my Favs, Chard is no exception, consistent quality year/year. 95% of grapes sourced from Carneros, ‘18 saw 8 months on 1/3 new oak with about 20% of wine going through malolactic fermentation. Aromas of stone fruits, slight & honey scents. On palate complex flavors of apple, peach & lemon zest, balanced with good acidity & great mouthfeel. Long finish ending with fruit, wet stone and toasty character. Very nice, aging well. — 5 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.1

What a nose. Mondeuse like but made from many wacky grapes. Fresh and deep .More later.

After 4 hours open.

Nose is dusty earthy and loads of berry fruit. Mineral and precise with just loads of fruit on the nose. So pure. Palate has loads of crunchy berry fruit that is blue and black with light tannin and terrific freshness. Sappy and even a little complex. Great value. — 6 years ago

Nagib Nasr

9.0

Amazing Port to celebrate my brothers 50th birthday!!!! — 6 years ago

with Wissam

Sipping Fine Wine

8.9

Family-owned and operated since 1985. Found a ‘16 vintage in my cellar. Grapes sourced from several vineyards, complex aromas of fruits, citrus & sweet spice. On the palate ripe fruits, apple, pear and peach with lemon citrus and vanilla adding toasty oak. French oak aging, great balance, lingering ending with toasty oak finish. I continue to have this wine as a staple in my cellar for a number of years. Enjoy! Great value, compared to Chards costing more! — 7 years ago

Michelle Lee

10

Beautiful pure expression of syrah. — 8 years ago

Lawrence Asrikin

9.0

South African blend of mostly Rhône grapes. Similar nose to fuller Southern Rhône blend, perhaps Vacqueyras. Notes of blackberry, violet, black pepper, cocoa nibs. Dry, medium to full body on the palate. — 9 years ago

Sebastian Ekberg

9.0

Really enjoyed this. Fruit forward, lots of red fruit. Strawberry, grapes, very lush and juicy. Great length, not astringent at all — 10 years ago

Rigo Bolaños

9.3

Rich, full body, berry notes — 10 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

8.9

Third time trying this wine, opened the day before. From my father’s cellar. Something very interesting that I found out about this estate is that they air dry 30% of the grapes before they begin the fermentation process. The color is dark opaque garnet red with the brownish edges. Within the nose there are a lot of sweet berries or prunes. As it opened up more some brown sugar and hard candy came with the nose. The palate was very interesting, because of how sweet the nose smelt compared to the palate. The mouthfeel started off very sweet and light then changed to full and lingering finish. A little fur dancing across the tongue drying out my mouth. Soft/light start across the tongue and then spikes mid to end of the tongue. Not yet at the end of its life, probably has about two or so years left in it. Very interesting varietal that I need to get more experience with. Great QPR, especially for an Italian wine and only for $19. — 11 years ago

with Sean

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

A beautiful Chardonnay! Only 15 acres planted with grapes grown in Rutherford (warmer with rich ripe fruit) & Oak Knoll (cooler with fresh acidity in grapes). Pale lemon, with fresh & crisp citrus & stone fruit aromas, no malolactic ferm. Palate shows peach, apple & Asian pear flavors, with lemony & toasty notes, lively acidity & balance with touch of vanilla oak (9 months of French oak aging (25% new & 1-year old, remainder neutral oak). Long finish ending with fruit, spice & biscuit notes. Nice Value! — 6 years ago

Sam Friedland

9.0

Very nice combination of grapes, Mellon, lemony, pears and honey. Went well with rockfish fillets. 2016 — 6 years ago

Jordi Pazo

9.0

Monvínic. Club 50 Sep-18.
14.12.19 — 6 years ago

Jody Scharf

9.3

Fruit forward. Strong dark grapes.. — 6 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.2

The 2015 Tempier Rosé is drinking marvelously after a few years. The grapes used to make this rosé come from selected parcels where the vines are on average 20-years-old. This wine immediately awakens to aromas of rose water, lemon zest, smoke and ripe guava that are simply sensational. The palate unveils a wonderful concentration and a gorgeous, soft texture. Guava purée and red cherry candy flavors connect with suggestions of blood orange toward the back end. Truly delightful to savor now, this beautiful Rosé will continue to evolve in the cellar over the next decade. Drink 2019-2028- 92 — 7 years ago

Christy Fitzgerald

8.9

This Italian wine is unique. Floral Aromas and berries. Slightly sweet on first taste , labels says finishes of candied violets. I have never tried candied Violets. Might have to try them sometime. When you are looking for a wine that has a subtle sweetness but does not taste syrupy this is it! Yum . I have never had Refresco grapes. Very interesting flavor. DULCE!!!!!!! — 9 years ago

Lady Bananna

9.9

My favorite! — 10 years ago

Birant Akarslan

9.0

Easy drinking, delicious — 10 years ago

Alberto Chinali

9.4

Elegantly light, with a lovely balance of aromas from both the Nero d'Avola and Frappato grapes. Silly to think that this cannot be sold as Cerasuolo di Vittoria only because of the aging in amphorae — 11 years ago

Tara Hankinson

9.2

Pickled grapes, candied nuts, currants, oak on the nose. Juicy! Blackberries, oaky tannins, herbs with some fresh vegetables (mint, pepper, thyme). Drinking fantastically with more life left! — 11 years ago

Magnus Eriksson

9.1

Should be called a super Tuscan .
Made from 15 different grapes — 12 years ago