Eric Stec

9.0

2017 on 9/25/19. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

In the ski chalet or in this case, the bar- Salmontini that overlooks Ski Dubai inside The Mall of the Emirates. Sofía is skiing and I’m having a glass Laurent-Perrier. Two bad discs don’t make for enjoyable skiing. Perhaps, the worst thing I could do for them. I’m getting the better end of the deal! 😋

We already spent a half-hour playing with King Penguins! 🐧 What fun!

As for the champagne, the nose reveals, green apple, lemon lime, pineapple, some hints of green melon and honey, vanilla, cream soda, beautiful soft chalkiness, sea shells, gentle volcanic minerals, spring flowers, Jasmine and yellow lilies.

The body is nice and glides easily over the palate. Nice mousse and mouthfeel. Green apple, lemon lime, pineapple, some hints of green melon and honey, vanilla, cream soda, notes of ginger, baguette crust, beautiful soft chalkiness, sea shells, more pronounced volcanic minerals than the nose and penetrate into the palate, spring flowers, Jasmine and yellow lilies. Really nice soft acidity and micro bubbles. The finish is rich, elegant, nicely polished and persists minutes.

Happy Good Friday and Easter weekend!
🐣 🐰 — 6 years ago

Chris Paul

Wine Educator Copain Wines

9.1

Balanced and showing both medicinal and herbal notes in its development. Exhibits classic signs of VA, but at a level that’s pleasant and intriguing. Drink up! — 7 years ago

Ichiro Kawachi

9.2

I never seen IPA cask before. Actually the taste is predominantly mizunara barrel. @Ginger whisky bar Hong Kong — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Time for a light red on still a warm night. This one out of 375ml. On the nose, sweet floral mid red fruits of; dark cherries, plum, blackberries & baked strawberries. Fruit liqueur notes, cola, vanilla, black licorice anise and fresh dark florals. The M body is clean & fresh. The palate fruits are; blackberries, dark cherries, plum, strawberries and dry cranberries. Soft, light spices, rose petals, vanilla, cola, hint of black licorice anise, touch of Christmas cake, dry top soil, crushed dry rock, limestone, really nice round acidity and a well polished rich finish with notes of liqueur. It's in a good spot out of 375 with several years ahead of good drinking. Photos of the Hope & Grace tasting room in Yountville. The top photo is one of my favorite art pieces. The caption reads, "Time is a great teacher, unfortunately it kills all it's pupils." Their tasting bar, the exterior of their tasting room and another favorite painting behind the bar in their event tasting room. Charles Hendricks (Winemaker) has taken it to his house. However, he is being pestered to bring it back. It's perfect behind the bar in the event tasting room. — 8 years ago

Annie Carruthers

9.2

Had at lobster bar 2014 vintage with jack on our anniversary — 8 years ago

Irina Bukatik

9.0

Really nice and light
Jajo
2014 — 9 years ago

Charles Powell

9.2

Oakyyyyyyyyy so good — 9 years ago

with Hillary

John Junguenet

9.4

Bar None...this is some damn good Mourvèdre. Deep fruit but incredibly fresh finish. (get it?! BAR NONE?!) — 10 years ago

Maxime Choiniere

9.0

Very good after 2 bloody cesear!!! — 11 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.0

Pontet Canet tasting and dinner with Alfred Tesseron.

The 13 was a brutal tannin vintage when I tasted it at En Premier. The tannins are still bitty but, nothing like they were out of barrel.

The fruit in the 13 shows the difficulty in the vintage. They are duller and it’s really stands out from other vintages and not in a good way.

It’s lean and there is nothing that really draws you in. Fruits are; dark cherries, rhubarb, blackberries, some blueberries@and the strawberries show some ripeness the other do not. Lots of dry earth, dry stones, some herbs, dark withering florals, decent acidity and a uneventful dry finish.

Photos of; Clyde and Alfred at the bar, their Amphora style cement tanks they ferment part of each vintage now, road signs of the good neighbors they keep and Chateau Pontet Canet. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

Charles Hendricks makes perhaps the best domestic Pinot Noir I’ve had. The 2008 I had 3-4 years ago is the only domestic Pinot Noir I’ve given a score of 9.8. This 2014 could end up rivaling it with a few more years of bottle evolution.

The nose is beautifully layered, fruit, earth, herbaceousness and spices. Ripe, brightly floral and creamy; blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries, plum, blueberries, baked strawberries, pomegranate extract, raspberries and dry cranberries. Vanilla, light; cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, soft, dark spices, dark berry cola/licorice, rich & dry dark soils, limestone minerals, touch of eucalyptus & sage, dark chocolate, understated tarriness, hints of smokiness & grilled meats, used charcoal, underbrush and dark red & blue floral, violet with haunting light lavender.

The 2014 has some of the best palate florals I’ve experienced. The body is round, full and gorgeous. The structure, tension, length and balance are harmonious and beautifully stitched together. The acidity is like a warm rain shower. Ripe, brightly floral and creamy; blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries, plum, blueberries, baked strawberries, pomegranate extract, raspberries and dry cranberries. Vanilla, light; cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, soft, dark spices, dark berry cola/licorice, rich & dry dark soils, limestone minerals, touch of eucalyptus & sage, dark chocolate with a little milk layered over the top, mocha powder, salted caramel, understated tarriness, hints of smokiness & grilled meats, used charcoal, underbrush and dark red & blue floral, violet with haunting light lavender. The well balanced, elegantly sexy, finish is pure beauty that persists for several minutes.

This wine has all the makings of pushing a perfect score.

Photos of; a Santa Lucia Highlands vineyard, a paint from one of my favorite modern artists that hangs in the Hope & Grace tasting room where Hendricks wines can be purchased, Winemaker-Charles Hendricks and a vertical Pinot tasting on the bar in the Hope & Grace tasting room with my favorite painting from their resident artist that used to hang in their tasting room behind it but, now hangs in Charles house. — 6 years ago

Mick Farrell

9.0

Viva Espana! In Panama! 🇵🇦 tapas bar! — 7 years ago

with Marty, David and 6 others

leon egozi

9.4

This is their new release cab. 👍👍👍 — 8 years ago

Kim Stanbro

9.2

The butteriest (is that a word?) sauv blanc I've experienced- first sniff had me thinking it was a chard! Nice enough to grill out. — 8 years ago

with Amy and Dave

Michael H

9.1

All good.... any time — 8 years ago

M. Travis

8.9

Very tasty — 9 years ago

Dave Wood

9.1

Really big full Pinot in a detonate Cali style. Lacks some acidity and clocks in at 14.5% so not a great food friendly wine but makes a great cocktail. Cheers. — 9 years ago

David Rosen

9.0

Blackberries, black cherries, cloves, and nutragrain bar on the nose. The mouth is surprisingly sweet with flavors of red apple, raspberry, and white pepper. Low acid, low tannins, medium body. This wine would be great way to introduce someone who drinks mostly whites to the joy of reds. — 10 years ago

Tomoyuki Miyagi

9.3

Sherry at Wine Bar fura — 12 years ago

Jessica M

9.7

Yeah, pet nat rose I just love always... bar Norman — 6 years ago

Albin Lindström

9.0

At Bar La Lune — 6 years ago

Merritt Santino Raül Gilé

9.0

DNWC pick of the month. Probably 3-4 years past peak, but still drinkin’ reeeeaaaallll nice. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Happy birthday to my wife Sofia! She wanted to go have a birthday lunch in Big Sur at Nepenthe. With these views, who wouldn’t want to go celebrate there? Great vistas, good food and an even better wine list. Krug by the glass and so much more! Good warm up for lunch.

It’s a combination of reductive and oxidized style on the nose. Bruised apple, bruised Bosc pear, well overripe pineapple, marmalade, touch of caramel, creamed cider, understated honey notes, chalkiness, seashells, some oysters, volcanic minerals w/ fruit blossoms & withering yellow lilies.

The palate shows more reductive style than oxidized. Less pronounced bruised apple, bruised Bosc pear, well overripe pineapple, white citrus, marmalade, touch caramel, creamed soda, apple cider, understated honey notes, chalkiness, seashells, some oysters, volcanic minerals with fruit blossoms & withering yellow lilies. The acidy is quite nice. Very good; structure, length & balance. The long, beautiful, rich, finish is just what you’d expect from Krug.

Photos of, the outdoor bar with that view, whew, Nepenthe pumpkin, with the cell tower signal so bad & no wi-fi, they need a antique phone booth and the outdoor lounge/waiting area, complete with a ping pong table.

@Nepenthe Big Sur — 7 years ago

Liz O'Neal

9.0

Long, lean, crisp and refreshing... think Cameron Diaz. Pairs perfectly with oysters and friendship. Thank you for the reco, Bob Appetite! Bar Normandy is perfection — 8 years ago

with Elizabeth

Brenda C

9.6

Mmmmmm! Yummy! Had at a bar, not sure the vintage 🙁. But had a little, hmm? Strawberry maybe on the middle palate. Just that something extra to set it apart from just your typical cab. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Chuck Hendrick's is the Hope & Grace Winemaker. He also makes his own private label "Hendricks" wine sold through the Hope & Grace tasting room. Amazing private label Cabernet and Pinot. He also makes my favorite Malbec's; Hope & Grace and James Cole through 2014. They are pure beauty & elegance. The fruits are pure, ruby, elegant, ripe, reduced blackberries, dark cherries, raspberries, juicy strawberries, melted milk chocolate, light baking spices, rich moist dark turned earth, crushed brown volcanic minerals, liquid violets, used coffee grounds, perfect acidity, structure, balance, length and the finish is in the forget about it category! It's a liquid fruit milk chocolate bar. — 8 years ago

Rob Cedrone

9.5

Loved this Rioja from the Aldo Sohm Wine Bar so much that I had to seek it out. — 9 years ago

Justin Lee

9.6

Complex while having typical brunello profile. Love it. At wine bar in Florence the day that we could not get in anywhere. — 10 years ago

jams jerfy

9.1

despacio, Barcelona! thanks to bar brutal! — 11 years ago

with David