October Cleveland

8.9

Absolutely yes thanks ok sure a little more. — 6 years ago

with David

Cecile B

8.9

Delicious light cabernet sauvignon, flavourful with a light touch of eucalyptus — 7 years ago

LM Segal

9.7

Almost 2 yrs ago I wrote: "Half way through a case and the romance deepens. Giant scorched earth and oiled leather nose. Epic battle of extracted dark-red fruit sweetness and a light juicy acidity. All in a smooth-as-silk package. Ageing so gracefully, 10+ years from peaking." After last night I'll add: probably peaked after 2 hr decant, no need to wait but this has the tannins and pure extracted fruit to take it at least 10 more years. — 7 years ago

Jonathan Wall

9.0

Bought for a bargain in Hong Kong as the wine shop told me that no one likes it. Well, yes, if you are not a Bordeaux in HK it's already an uphill battle... But on initial pour this is hardly drinkable. Overly vegetal, a little hot, pucker finish. But having had M vintages back to the '80s I knew to wait. By the 2nd night there was only a hint of the disaster left and everything smoothed out to a relatively elegant wine for an M. Behaved into day 3. While it was a bargain and will likely improve with age, 2009 still seems to be a miss, and I would gladly pay more for a better year of Mayacamas ('88, '96, '10 etc). — 7 years ago

Joe Lucca

9.3

Old world style from California central coast. The nose is redolent of Luxardo cherries and Antica Formula vermouth. On the palate, there is a battle between fruit and earth; deep, earthy forest flavors are offset by bright, tart spring cherries. Coastal botanicals play against wild fruit. Better than expected. — 8 years ago

Erich Broksas

Early Mountain Vineyards

9.3

Perfect for Game of Thrones in the battle for Winterfel. Rustic and full of character. — 8 years ago

Dade Thieriot

9.6

It seems everyone in #Burgundy is fighting the premox problem and #MarcelEnte appears to be winning the battle as this marvelous magnum attests--classic fleshy #Meursault with just enough oak influence to give it a seductive complexity that seems to be enhanced by the #magnum bottle format--drinkable now but has loads of aging potential! #closdesambres #2011 — 8 years ago

Scott Taddeo

9.1

Mixed berry fruits, hint of spice & even a slight pastry note; reminds me somewhat of baked blueberry pie. Florals notes provide some lift and in the palate it feels so pure and vibrant. A real joy to drink — 9 years ago

William Goldsmith

9.4

Battle of the 2009 blends. — 9 years ago

with Harry and Ryann

Marc Checket

8.9

Hey, you like wine? Cool. Me too. You should try this one. It's delightfully smooth up front and ever so slightly spicy & dry towards the end. It's like if Benedict Cumberbatch and Sofia
Vergara had a rap battle officiated by Marlon Brando (as Don Vito) about the origins of the California wine industry and you had a front row seat. Yeah. — 10 years ago

with Brian

Hayley O'Neill

9.2

Dark chocolate, black cherry, raspberry, spice, vanilla. Juicy, mild tannins. Digging it. — 6 years ago

Susan Verdin

10

Real Sangria by Cruz Garcia.
Imported from Spain.

When you first open this bottle, you can smell all of the different fruit aromas, and is even more prevalent when you pour yourself a glass. It's like a battle of the fruits, each of them trying to win you over. It won me over when I opened the bottle. In the smell specifically, was different kinds of berries. I could smell a little citrus but the berries might have overpowered that particular sent. I'm not a flamboyant person, but the taste made me feel that way. It is also balanced as it is not too sweet, and not too acidic. The body of the Sangria was a little smooth, a little watery. The color in particular was that of a bluish, and reddish which makes for a nice appearance. The alcohol content is 7% which is not too high so it won't be too strong. Overall I really enjoyed and and would recommend it to anyone who loves Sangria. — 7 years ago

Peter Ernst

10

So in the battle is who is the best child... we paired the 88 vs the 90 (son vs daughter birth year). Both were outstanding but the 88 had more age in the color and softness on the nose and palate. Family currently arguing over density but for me the 90 was more dense. Lots of mixed fruit leather smoke and terroir which is very French but great for those who enjoy it. So in the name of family peace we rate both as outstanding but the 90 (the daughter) is a bit bigger. Cheers — 7 years ago

Shay A

9.3

This wine is a great example of Napa cab, especially from Rutherford. This is dark fruit, stain the glass purple, slow moving legs and lovely earthy notes on the tongue. Dusted cocoa leaves, too. Decanted about two hours and was prime. At $60'ish/bottle, this wine gives their reserve a battle for best wine. A new favorite under the $75/bottle price point. — 8 years ago

Richard Steinberg

9.3

Celebrating my father in law as he finished his battle with pancreatic cancer. Sometimes there is the right wine at the right place with the right people. Even let the almost adult children on the action. Great celebration. This wine was feminine and full of black/ blue fruit. Thank you Merrill for your passion You exceeded expectations and delivered. From magnum. — 8 years ago

Ira Schwartz

9.3

This was the GG and it was all about intensity. A battle royal between acid and fruit. As it sat in the glass all of the wine's components at one point in time took center stage and strutted its stuff. A true smack down. — 8 years ago

Andrés Solís Lira

9.5

Controversial French winemaker Louis-Antoine Luyt delivers a #pais wine from 100+ year-old vines from Cauquenes in the Maule Valley. Funky and reduced after uncorked, a much-needed aeration (in a water jug, mind you) brought to life a juicy, tense and extremely refreshing wine. The liquid was totally opaque, bringing a new meaning to the words "unfiltered & unfined". I remember a couple of years ago having a heated debate with another Frenchman who was making a documentary about Luyt who told me how wines like this battle against the homogenisation of flavours. Not for everyone. You can find it with Louis/Dressner if in the USA. — 8 years ago

Elise Luce

9.3

Savoury, soft and perfumed, good balance, love what they're doing with it. — 9 years ago

Illo Streimann

9.6

Soft strawberry and current blend - Cab sav (53%), Shiraz (41%) and petit Verdot (6%). Easily drinkable. Certified organic wine. — 11 years ago

Mindful(l) Of Wine

Owner The Source, Vance Wine Selections

9.7

It was a battle royale in Saumur. All of these Chenins were great but both Guiberteau wines shined brighter than Rougeard.. Totally different styles for sure. The Rougeard was definitely a beautiful and unique wine. — 11 years ago

Ira Schwartz

9.2

Very strong scents of green olive and embers leap from the glass. Cured meats , green olives and pepper battle in my mouth for supremacy. A wonderful structure will allow this wine to flourish and gain in complexity. — 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

10

Tasted blind. Ruby color. Almost opaque. Young fruit forward nose. Notes of plums, mocha, dark chocolate, coffee, cinnamon and some exotic thing like eucalyptus. So rich and vibrant in the mouth. A forever finish. This wine took us in all directions. Immortal. Stan's 60th will always be remembered for the 45 Latour vs 45 Mouton mano y mano battle. A wine life moment for sure. — 7 years ago

Akiva Leeder

9.5

Light - a bit of funk with savory strawberry. 12.7% very chillable — 7 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.3

Tasted side by side with the 2013 Lineage. Tough battle but bottle age has definitely helped this bottling. Mix of deep garnet and ruby red. Straight from opening there were lots of savory elements mixed in with red and black berries. Some floral notes too like roses. As it opened up over the two hour period there was petroleum, dark cocoa and cinnamon. Over the evening, additional notes of dark ripe fruits and even more spices, even slightly savory ones. So balanced for how young this is. Started out with heavy tannins (8/10) but mellowed and rounded out to a solid moderate tannins (6.5/10) over the two and a half hour decant. Rounded medium plus body that will develop further with time. Started off with some darker cherries and light greenery with a bit of leather. Even a bit of spices. Great acidity giving this strong backbone and a semi-dry long finish. This will be singing given another five years and drink will over the next twelve. Tons of potential and very surprised by this caliber of wine coming out of Livermore Valley. Great job Steven! — 7 years ago

with Sean and India

Richard Steinberg

9.8

Celebrating my father in law as he finished his battle with pancreatic cancer. Sometimes there is the right wine at the right place with the right people. Even let the almost adult children on the action. Great celebration. This wine was feminine and full of black/ blue fruit. Thank you Lou for your passion You exceeded expectations and delivered. From magnum. — 8 years ago

Tree Kilpatrick

9.1

Dense, rich, powerful stuff. Tannins are chewy and long. A battle horse of a wine. — 8 years ago

Emily Kresie-Harrington

8.9

Good typicity. Dried cranberry, red currant, red plum, dried rose, violets, organic and inorganic earth, moderate level of VA, normal for the style. Bridge between modern and old style. Paired well with a debate concerning the carrying capacity of European vs African swallows, ascertaining the guilt of a witch, and a near-fatal battle with a bloodthirsty rabbit :) — 9 years ago

Kyle Altomare

Assistant Winemaker at Artesa Vineyards & Winery

9.2

There is an epic battle being fought on my tongue and I love every minute of it! — 9 years ago

with Hardy

Christopher Losa

Owner/Wine Director Bar Bambino

9.3

Clearly a battle of Gamay on this Thanksgiving. The Lapierre lovely as always. — 9 years ago

Nancy Leab

9.6

a light Pa. white wine named for the only civilian killed during battle of Gettysburg. Not too sweet or dry, just right. — 11 years ago