Bob McDonald

9.5

Lunch with friends on Saturday. Excellent as always. See previous notes. Yalumba’s premium red from a good vintage. A classic Cabernet Shiraz from the Barossa. Preferred by most over the 2002 Wendouree Cabernet Malbec. Had another bottle 132 weeks later on 12th January 2024. This was my 2nd last bottle of an original dozen. Have the last one in mid 2025 or 2026 when 20 years old. This tasting predictably good. The mint of the Cabernet coming through (69%). All of the flavours balanced and interwoven. — 4 years ago

Scott Rowe

9.3

Current Aged Release offering from us.
A gem to be discovered here.
A few dozen left, purchase online and you won’t be disappointed. — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

This is my second favorite food & wine pairing. The two together are a perfect 10. It is simply my favorite pork chop and there isn’t a close second.

This is the Mustard’s Restaurant in Napa recipe which, they have sold over a million.

There are a dozen different seasoning/spices to this two-day pork chop marinade that brings such depth of flavors & complexity to it. The spices penetrate deep onto the palate. The wine marries and complements all those seasonings & spices perfectly with just the right amount of restrained sweetness and texture.

The nose reveals; stone fruits, Meyer lemon, lemon meringue, lime candy, pineapple juice, green melon, applesauce, just a touch of petroleum, honey notes, waxy notes, touch of beeswax, light white spice, chalky saline notes, mixed greens, yellow lilies, jasmine and spring flowers.

The body is thick, rich, lush and waxy. Stone fruits, Meyer lemon, lemon meringue, lime candy, pineapple juice, green melon, applesauce, just a touch of petroleum, honey notes, waxy notes, touch of beeswax, light white spice, chalky saline notes, light, powdery minerals, mixed greens, yellow lilies, jasmine and spring flowers. The acidity is round and beautiful. The finish is; rich, lush, ripe, well balanced, delicious and persists nicely for minutes.

@Shay A Am I tempting you yet?

Photos of; the Long Shadows tasting room (just voted a top ten tasting room), the amazing glass blown artwork all over their tasting room and our dinner with this amazing American Riesling pairing. Green beans from our garden. — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

I bought a dozen of this wine 20 years ago and this is the 10th. Still monolithic and a bit square sided at 22 years of age. Full bodied showing black currant and herbal notes. Silky tannins but finishing a little green - showing over extraction? Next one in a few years but can’t see it changing much. As a general comment I feel that Penfolds jacking the price of 707 currently to around $550 is excessive but good luck to them for selling at this price and bringing closer to the price of Grange. Good news for TWE Shareholders! — 7 years ago

Doug Sayed

9.6

WOTN over a dozen other strong OR and CA Pinots. Has depth of fruit, flavor and richness, without any weight or sappiness. Absolutely delicious mostly blue fruits , with excellent structure and balance. Bravo! — 8 years ago

Matthew Cohen

9.3

Bonkers. Tea passion fruit. About a dozen other flavors. Bought from Fass selections. — 8 years ago

Randy Fuller

9.3

This Albariño pours up pretty in the glass - yellow-gold and a touch of bubbles. The bubbly sensation doesn't last too long, but it's festive while it’s there. The nose brings some citrus - of course - and a smattering of stone fruit and ripe apples. In the mouth, the magic really begins. The acidity is razor-sharp and a complete delight. The bottle should come with a dozen oysters. Flavors of apples and Meyer lemons grace the palate and you simply don't run out of minerals. There's a lot to like here, and it lasts long beyond the sip. — 9 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.1

I think I bought about a half dozen of these with the intent they would all last until at least 10 years post vintage. Man was I wrong! This is a really good value Merlot. It is not the best merlot are you will ever experience, but it has A soft front, brambley middle, good acidity, and goes with a variety of foods. Still finishes with a little bit of astringency so I think this one will probably continue evolving over the next five to seven years. Asking for donations to be able to verify that statement ;) — 5 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

See many previous notes. Holding up comfortably from this excellent cooler vintage . 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Shiraz. I am lucky to have 6 bottles left from back in the day when I bought 2 dozen. Definitely drinking on the plateau and will carry on for a while yet. Medium weight palate but with great length and persistence. Will probably consume the rest over the next 3 to 4 years. Penfolds 2020 collection (17 wines)just released in Australia. The 2018 Bin 389 received 96 points from Halliday. The 2016 Grange is being talked about as one of the greats - 99 points from Halliday. — 5 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

All previous notes of this amazing wine still apply. Savoury earthy mineral meaty berry, black pepper and Bacon all packed in there. I managed to get a dozen out of the 60 dozen made. Cote Rotie on steroids still applies. Will have to exercise some willpower to have each of the remaining 6 bottles at 2 year intervals. Halliday says drink by 2042!! Tasted again 50 weeks later on 31st July 2020, with consistent notes. Must try and stick to the 2 year intervals. Love this style of wine. Only 60 dozen made. — 6 years ago

AgeyFixey

8.9

A very good OK pinot with lots of character. I visited the winery last summer and ran into half a dozen wild sheep on the way in the driveway. — 7 years ago

Ryan Mayes

9.7

Huge thank you to @originalmarmar for sharing this beauty (along with about a dozen other great wines). Have been wanting to try this wine for some time. A real stunner. There’s a reason To Kalon is so highly regarded — the fruit makes gorgeous wines with incredible dimension vertically (power / precision) and horizontally (breadth / complexity). This wine is particularly spectacular. The tannins, acidity and fruit come together in a synergistic harmony that reveals fireworks a la vocal overtones. Describing this wine, someone on CellarTracker said it best: a light heavyweight. — 7 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.6

Deep dark tawny color. Opaque. Fragrant nose right off the bat which says "this will be better than any of the other half dozen 82 LBs you've had". Notes of forest redwood, cigar leaf, moist earth, menthol and dark dusty berries. So rich and smooth in the mouth. Great balance of fruit and structure. Yes, best 82 LB I've had. Drink if you want today, but I don't think well stored bottles like this are going to be in decline anytime soon. — 8 years ago

ESF

9.2

Showing beautifully - I've drank at least a dozen of these from 2004 and (unfortunately) there is considerable bottle variation, but this was textbook — 9 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Tasted double-blind. The nose showed white flowers; sort of a mix of magnolia, jasmine and citrus blossom. The palate came across off-dry with some potential residual sugar. Pastilles and honeysuckle. I thought this was well balanced and seemed to have higher acid. My call was a Chenin Blanc; a Vouvray, demi-sec from a recent vintage. Obviously, I was way off. I’m told the relatively higher ABV in these wines, plus the fact that they are made in stainless steel, give the perception of higher acid. Anyway, it’s nice to drink Viognier that tastes like this. Now I wish I had a dozen oysters! — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

Happy Valentines Day!

If you have not looked for this wine on WineSearcher.com or other, you should. Dan Standish has no American Importer. However, you can mail order off his list. Good luck with the Australian/United States import costs. Very prohibited.

Most quality Barossa wines take 15 years in bottle to show their ultimate beauty. Dan’s wines are no different. His Estate vines are 100 years old and produce 500 pounds of fruit per acre...very concentrated. Contrast that to extremely expensive & high quality Napa fruit, those Napa producers are at 2,000-2,500 pounds per acre.

We visited Standish in April 2017. We found Dan to be extremely talented & definitely marches to his own drum. He is salt of the earth and has traveled & worked in many of the world wine regions honing his craft and landing as Torbreck’s Winemaker in Barossa before starting, “The Standish Wine Company.”

As good as the 04 is tonight, it has 15 years of good life ahead...properly stored of course.

The nose is very intoxicating. It is a nice blend of purple, black & blue fruits. Mulberries, olallieberries, boysenberries, black plums, plums, blackberries, dark cherries, deeply extracted raspberries, some baked strawberries, black licorice to anise, dark fruit cola, black olive skin, medium dark spice, black pepper, charcoal, graphite, dry tobacco & underbrush, some bay leaf, alluvial soils, grey volcanic minerals/limestone with fresh & only slightly withering, purple, dark, blue florals framed in violets & lavender.

The body is full, rich, ripe, lush and creamy on the palate after a two-hour plus decant. The structure, tension, length and balance are a little short of its peak and will hold there for 5-8 years. It’s a glorious glide on the palate. The fruits are ripe & lightly baked. Mulberries, olallieberries, boysenberries, black plums, plums, blackberries, dark cherries, deeply extracted raspberries, some baked strawberries, cherry kirsch, red & black licorice to anise, dark fruit cola, black olive skin, the dark spices are heavier on the palate & bring just the right amount of heat, sweet, dark tarriness, black pepper, used, dark expresso roast grounds, charcoal, graphite, dry tobacco & underbrush, some bay leaf, alluvial soils, grey volcanic minerals/limestone, moist clay, with fresh & only slightly withering, purple, dark, blue florals framed in violets & lavender. The acidity is round, flush & perfect. The long finish is a unique even balance of; lush fruits, spice, herbs and earth that persists on the palate for minutes.

Photo on the left of Sofia’s 2 dozen long stems. Love you so much!

@Oswald — 5 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

Prior to opening I noticed minor ullage with level being at high shoulder. Dense dark crimson - the colour would not lead you to believe it was 27 years old. Dusty dark berries with a whiff of leather (Barb). Strong aromas of cassis and also notes of coconut American Oak which I wasn’t expecting after all these years, but it is in balance with the fruit. On the palate there is power with molten tannins. Still with a good future into the 2030s. The previous vintage 1990 was Wine Spectators wine of the Year and largely put Grange on the map in the USA. Many good judges in Australia now prefer the 1991 to the 1990 and I am inclined to agree. I have 4 left from an original dozen and should have the next in about 2 to 3 years time. — 6 years ago

Jeffrey Joyal

9.3

@Jason Lee love this juice! Funky enough... having it on a dozen ice cubes — 7 years ago

Anne Hammond

9.0

Really nice. Slightly earthy like a Cab Sav. Recommended by Christian the sommelier. — 8 years ago

Michael Farrar

8.9

Smooth and enjoyable especially after a dozen beers — 9 years ago