Pear, unripe guava, cactus, green minerality. — 5 years ago
Tasty just sipping by itself — 6 years ago
This is a Cabernet/Syrah blend from a winery that claims to be the oldest in the Americas, tracing it’s lineage to 1593. The nose is quite interesting, reminding me of a hot desert with strong impressions of a thyme and mustard crusted pork loin. I smell cactus, pepper, mustard with hints of lavender and lots of cooked meat. The palate is similar on a dry backbone with spiced fruit and black pepper. The finish hints of smokey tequila with medium acid and lingering tannins. A light bodied adventure in Mexican terroir. — 7 years ago
Maine sea salt open, quick dry dry sandy middle, unusually fruits of cherries, prickly pear cactus fruit hit at the end. One of a kind!! — 7 years ago
Dinging down uniqueness, uncork the lid from your cigar cylinder and sing a melody to my cactus tooth — 9 years ago
Cracking wine this- alpine strawberries, red cherry, white pepper, brown spice, orange zest, slight florals and a herbal/cactus thing that provides plenty of interest. Light to medium bodied in the palate and rather savoury in its delivery. Superb drinking — 9 years ago
Ripe red fruit characters. Gripping tannins - tastes a bit like a ferment still - delicious — 5 years ago
Nose of wood smoke, green olive, prickly pear cactus.
Palate of smoke, pear, black pepper, and a briney/olive component.
When I first opened it, it had a distinct burning plastic/rubber component. As it got some O2, the aroma and flavor settled into more of the campfire range with some spicy, briney notes. A lot of flavor for a non wood aged liquor. — 5 years ago
Muy balanced. Sweety pear cactus fruit pineapple green grassy apple spring chalky roof of mouth chewy oil-less pine nut — 7 years ago
Red, resinous currant with a licorice twist. Warm blackberry, dark toast, vanilla, cedar and sweet tabac seamlessly tailored, even at such a young age. Fresh gingerbread oven, too. Silk suit of tannins; loose stitching. Wound tightly showing sinewy potential and a Christmas cactus of sutured fruits bursting at the seams with liquid graphite and black currant reduction with fresh cassis and olive berry. Violets, treacle and black tea. Onyx train of a witch bride all the way down Howell mountain! #Dunn #DunnVineyards #napacab #napacabernet #Napa #howellmountain #howell #howellmtn #mountainwine #cabernetacademy #cabernetday #cabernetsauvignon #californiaclassic — 7 years ago
I'm not sure the world of fine beverages is ready for this but this is one of the most interesting culinary creations I have come across this year. This is absolutely a 'have this with food' drink. So refreshing. Such good value and culinary creativity on display. — 9 years ago
I post most of my reviews saying I'm enjoying the wine at the park across the street. The truth is, this is the first time enjoying a bottle of wine in the park itself. This palm tree themed wine seemed appropriate though in our climate, palm trees are nowhere to be found. This one's got vacation - or at least lunchtime - written all over it. I'd describe it as prickly like a cactus which is the fun here. This one's no lightweight and the sweetness is very restrained. Not a chicky wine by any stretch. Dare I say there's power in this rosé? A great choice for lunchtime in the park! — 5 years ago
White haired and tight to loose as a sea sponge. Surf foam to egg white in a forgotten cocktail. But all the look and promise of the Nkisi Nkondi haunting its surface eerily, while below the orange yellow of a duck’s egg yolk stands ready to form. Crystalline ruby grapefruit nose, with orange, tangerine and lime, pear, iced tea with lemon, balsa, gooseberry and brine. Forceful as a dandelion pushing up through alluvial dust, the entry seems briary and pollinatory. Oregano and dried cactus. Hemp crystals prevail; grapefruit coating white pine. Love the lack of malt here. This is a fantastic dry IPA bursting with airborne crystallized creative juices! Nothing sticky and slow here, pure magic. — 6 years ago
2011 vintage. At Enzo’s Picolino. Charged octopus, chicken cacciatore and pork chopped with peaches and Gorgonzola — 7 years ago
A wine I’ve enjoyed mostly upon release or near it. I vowed to wait six years and nearly made it. At least it is 2018...just! It’s worth waiting this/that long for it to develop. On the nose; sweetly, baked fruits of; dark cherries, strawberries, black plum, plums, blackberries, and notes of blue fruits. Cinnamon, vanilla, very light clove & nutmeg, caramel, soft, medium, beautiful spice, black fruit tea, limestone minerals, loamy, dry, brown top soil, fresh dark florals and violets. The mouthfeel is full, rich & lush. The tannins are round, still have some teeth and possess velvety round edges. It’s fruit driven but not a bomb and showing elegance & grace. Fruits are perfectly ripe; dark cherries, strawberries, black plum, plums, blackberries, notes of blue fruits and dry cranberries dip in and out. Cinnamon, vanilla, very light clove & nutmeg, caramel, soft, medium beautiful spice that is more pronounced on the palate, black fruit tea, touch of melted brown sugar/molasses, limestone minerals, touch of rich dark sweet turned soil, loamy dry brown top soil, soft understated eucalyptus/mint, dry fresh florals and violets. The round acidity is just right, just a slight very small alcohol burn, the length, structure, tension and beautifully balanced finish are in a very good place. Even better in 2-3 more years in bottle; which is when I’ll have my next one. Photos of; the winemaking duo of Gary Franscioni (left) and Gary Pisoni, Rosella’s Vineyard on the right. As well as, Garys’ Vineyard at the bottom. Producer notes and history...The Santa Lucia Highlands appellation is known for its rich, vibrant Pinot Noirs. However, that wasn’t always the case. The first Pinot was planted in 1973, but results weren’t all that great. Chardonnay was the appellation’s early star. Much of the area’s current fame for Pinot Noir arguably can be traced to Gary Pisoni, a free-spirited wine enthusiast who grew up in a Salinas Valley vegetable farming family. Pisoni decided to plant a few acres of Pinot Noir in 1982 on his family’s horse ranch, at the southern end of what was to become the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation but his horses started eating the grapes. So, they had to go. His initial planting were limited by a lack of water until he dug a well on the property. Pisoni started planting even more Pinot Noir. The vineyard is now around 45 acres and nearly all of it Pinot. By the late 1990s, word had spread about the success of his vineyard, and a number of Pinot specialists from around California had started lining up to buy his grapes. He started producing his own wine in 1998. Pisoni isn’t the only Gary who has become a force in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Gary Franscioni, a childhood friend, followed Pisoni’s lead by planting grapes and started Roar Wines in 2001. The two of them now have five vineyards between them...all farmed meticulously with the same crew. They are best of friends...sort of a Mutt & Jeff. They have become a formidable presence in the Highlands, attracting interest from top winemakers and Pinot Noir lovers from all over. Franscioni is also from a vegetable farming family; Pisoni figures they’ve known each other since they were 3 or 4. Franscioni saw his friend’s success and once he got some money together, decided to plant grapes of his own. Franscioni’s property is farther north and cooler as it’s closer to the Monterey Bay. He was going to plant Chardonnay. He woke up and Franscioni recalls imitating Pisoni, and shouted, “plant Pinot!” Franscioni planted what became Rosella’s Vineyard, named for his wife, in 1996. He took Pisoni’s advice and planted four acres of Pinot Noir, although he still planted 12 acres of Chardonnay. It’s now a total of around 50 acres with three-quarters of it Pinot Noir. The next year, they decided to become partners and planted Garys’ Vineyard, a 50 acre parcel where they grow Pinot and a little Syrah. Since then, Franscioni has developed Sierra Mar, 38 acres of Pinot, Chardonnay, Syrah and a tiny amount of Viognier. The two teamed up again to establish Soberanes Vineyard, 35 acres of mostly Pinot Noir, with a little bit of Chardonnay and Syrah. That last vineyard was developed by Pisoni’s son Mark. The Garys might seem an unlikely pair. Pisoni is colorful character to say the least and has an outspoken manner. Franscioni comes across as more serious- minded. However, the collaboration between the two, who often address each other as “partner,” clearly works well. The two are good on their own, but better together. Pisoni being more gregarious acts as the frontman. He is the Ambassador. He’s a check on the rest to keep the quality high. Franscioni and Mark Pisoni run the farming on their own vineyards and work together on the joint ventures. The family involvement doesn’t stop there. Jeff Pisoni makes his family’s wines, which are under the Pisoni and Lucia brands. Franscioni’s son, Adam, joined the family business in time for the 2011 harvest. He handles sales for Roar and helps his father manage the vineyards. The grapes from all five vineyards are in huge demand, because the two families are such careful farmers, constantly tweaking and improving. Prominent customers include; Testarossa, Siduri, Kosta Browne, Copain and Bernardus. When a new vintner approaches them about buying grapes, the partners examine the winery’s track record and the Winemaker. If they like what they see, the winery is put on a waiting list. There’s not very much movement in their vineyards. When Franscioni planted Sierra Mar, he and Pisoni had 62 wineries waiting to buy fruit. Soberanes was developed with the idea of working with some new winemakers. There was some concern, even among the two families, that quality might suffer as the vineyard operations grew. However, there’s no indication that’s the case. In fact, with each new venture, they build on what they’ve learned in their older vineyards. Eventually, there will be even more vineyards. The Pisonis and Franscionis have purchased a 100 acre cactus farm in the Santa Lucia Highlands. There’s still a lease on the property. So, prickly pear cactus will continue to be grown for five more years. But at some point, the land will be planted with vines. Both families understand the importance of continuing to build for the future. The Garys looking back tell a story of being in the same spot some years ago and looking at a field of broccoli out back. He told Franscioni that the field would look a lot better with Pinot Noir vines. Now that parcel is part of Rosella’s Vineyard, and it’s planted with Pinot. Everybody thought he was crazy...most people usually think that when someone makes a bold decision. He’s a person who has always had vision and creativeness. He also has tremendous passion. Good things only happen when a person possesses all three of these qualities. Their wines are primarily available by mailing list. However, Nepenthe in Big Sur, CA acts as a quasi tasting room for some of their wines. — 8 years ago
David Shaw
Slightly relabeled (“Prickly Pearadise”) but the same stuff inside. Bright pink, big bubbles, no cactus spines, 5.3% alc/vol. slight floral aroma, fruity prickly pear flavor with a light appley (malic) finish. Good acid, no added sugar. Not their favorite cider for me, but still pretty damn good. If you must show neon pink in what you drink, this might be the only drinkable option out there; just saying — 4 years ago