lynne marek

9.0

Nicely balanced between tannins and fruit with a delicate finish that Pete liked. — 4 years ago

Mono Head

9.4

Baking spices , earthy, well balanced acid, tannins, still some grip but not distracted. green vegetables( bell peppers) , a little spicy. balanced between red and black fruits
9.4 — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Happy Birthday James!!!

The is a nice even tug of war between reductive & oxidative. Right in my Blanc wheelhouse.

— 5 years ago

with James, Christina and 2 others

Blue Dee

9.4

So yummy! Can’t wait to try it with a noodle bowl. — 6 years ago

Curtis Midkirk

9.6

Wonderful balance between fruit and oak with a mild tannin. The blended merlot really helps this wines beautiful finish — 6 years ago

Romain Stamm

9.3

Elegance! great structure & balance between acidity, wood (vanilla &brioche), floral notes and yellow & white fruits (peach & lemon). A wine to remember — 6 years ago

with Clement and Paul

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

From magnum and paired well with three different Tri-tip steaks sources and marinades.

On the nose, sweet & sour, ripe dark cherries, cherries, blackberries, strawberries, some ripe, slightly rustic rhubarb with just a hint of blue fruits. Glycerin, touch of fruit liqueur, vanilla, dry stones, crushed rocks, hints of dry herbs, used leather, saddle-wood, dark rich soils, soft dark spice, underlying white pepper and dark red fresh and slightly withering florals with a touch of violets.

The palate is med and beautiful. The length, structure, tension and balance are at its peak harmony from magnum. Sweet & sour, ripe dark cherries, cherries, blackberries, strawberries, pomegranate, some ripe, slightly rustic rhubarb, burnt orange, with just a hint of blue fruits. Glycerin, touch of fruit liqueur, vanilla, dry river stones, crushed rocks, hints of dry herbs, used leather, saddle-wood, dark rich soils, limestone minerals, dry stems, more presence, soft dark spice, underlying white pepper and dark red fresh and slightly withering florals with a touch of violets and blue flowers. The acidity is waterfall perfect. The rich, ripe, fresh fruit, well balanced finish is simply beauty on steroids.

Photos of, Lopez de Heredia, Vat fermenters that are still in use and somewhere between 100-200 years of age (they repair them as needed to keep them tight), their cooperage and Maria José López de Heredia who now runs the family business. — 7 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Presented double-blind. Visually, showing a garnet color with an opaque core. Some slight browning at the edge; could be varietal characteristics…could be signs of age? On the nose, there’s lovely cherry fruit with a kiss of barnyard, some tomato leaf, earth and spices. There seemed to be signs of oak but likely large format (thinking botti or foudre). On the palate, cherries again with some bramble fruit, earth, and mushrooms mixed in for good measure. Medium + tannin; medium + acid. I vacillated between Italy and Southern France, ultimately settling on Brunello from a very good, traditional producer. I was so impressed to see this was Beaucastel. My first Beaucastel with some real age. If this is what these wines become with age, it’s no wonder why they are so beloved. Loads of life left. Bravo. — 4 years ago

Bill Mowry

9.3

Dark berries that are the perfect balance between tart and sweet, structure that expands on the pallet as you swallow — 5 years ago

Eric

9.0

Nicely crafted and unpretentious. Good fruit and a bit tangy on the finish. My first Carignan from California. Small producer. — 5 years ago

Shay A

9.5

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.

This was slow oxed for a few hours before the event. I was fortunate to try this a couple times throughout the evening. Monster stuff that is only getting better. Aromatics of dark cocoa, mocha, bayleaf, cedar, currant, underripe blackberries and raspberries. Built like a tank on the palate...big structure sporting notes of leather, herbs de Provence, grilled black cherries, plum, mulberries, graphite, and a tannic finish. If you can decant for half a day, go for it. Otherwise, hold on and enjoy the fireworks in 5-7yrs. Thanks for bringing @Jid R . — 6 years ago

with Jid

Gilbert Van Hassel

9.1

Between 2007 and 2009. Une verite de la palice but with great significance in the wine world. Light year, very feminine wine, very evolved, reduction in nose needs to be drunk now. — 7 years ago

Serban Sincai

9.2

Very good balance between reductive and oxydative notes. 9,2 PM — 8 years ago

Adam Beasley

9.1

Drinks like a cross between a good dry Riesling and a Loire SB. Very vivid, high acid, delicious and food friendly. Nice wine. — 5 years ago

Tom Garland

9.2

04 was an uneven growing season, maybe a little underrated since stuck between 03 & 05...good en primeur pricing for the 04s...Got this for around $150.

1.5 hour decant (decent chunky sediment). A captivating dark crimson color with a slight bricking. On the nose: sweet red fruit, cassis, floral, cedar, smoked meat, and mint. Taste: fresh, nice acidity, good structure, med to full body wine with blackberry, dried herbs, spice box, pencil lead, with a plum vanilla medium plus finish and a little tannic kick at the end.....few more bottles in the cellar to follow over the next few years. Cheers! — 5 years ago

with Brenda

Pooneet K

8.9

A nice wine, but I’m not quite sure about the quality / price ratio at $40+. Certainly interesting intellectually about what a cool climate Napa site can do with great soil and farming. Quite rich and mouth filling, and there is really tension between the creaminess and acid (in a good way). But ultimately this is a bit weak on the finish for me - slightly thin, not a ton of lingering acid, and the actual finish is a bit short. — 6 years ago

Justin Hansohn

9.1

It’s pretty easy to over-do Syrah in this location. Desire Lines does a phenomenal job of keeping dessert-like pleasure and seriousness of terroir in check. Lifted and fruited like a modern northern Rhône or Cru beaujolais with a little less seriousness to boot but also this is young and booming. Held straight for 5 days. Get the feeling that this will resolve very slowly over time to show more what earthy and cool characteristics it has in its hand. This wine feels extremely stable and a kaleidoscope of possibilities lay herein. — 6 years ago

Nichole Herman

10

Nichole really enjoyed this one! — 7 years ago

Amy Huson

9.4

Pencil lead, cooked fig, dark chocolate, vanilla; incredible balance between the juicy acidity and smooth yet grippy tannins. Perfect time to drink! — 8 years ago

Ned Gray Creed

9.3

@Bryce Wiatrak here is another one. Is there someone else at Delectable that I should bother with these updates/fixes? Desire Lines Wine Co is the producer. Cole Ranch is the vineyard. The assistant winemaker at Bedrock and his wife started this project recently. Any help possible? — 8 years ago

with Tyson