Pamela Taylor

9.2

Inky garnet in the glass. Smoky bing cherry, clove and baking spices on the nose. Silky on the palate with vanilla and ripe raspberry, very fine tannins. Perfect pairing with Salmon in a Honey, Soy, Garlic and Dijon glaze! — 4 years ago

Molly Matalon

9.0

fizzy weird cool strawberry — 5 years ago

Austin Blackwell

9.3

Floral and dark cherry, berry aromas. Medium to full body mouthfeel and palate. Might benefit from a little more time. — 5 years ago

with Angelina

Jeremy Pollard

9.4

Poured from one of a small number of remaining magnums in the Curly Flat cellar as part of this winter’s Cutler & Co lunch. Absolutely gorgeous, and you’d probably pick this as being younger than the 2004 tasted earlier. In great shape and delicious with the cheese course. — 7 years ago

with Sam

Stephanie Schwindel

9.2

Oak, peppery, blackberry, leather, cherry, acidic, bright — 8 years ago

Lauri Uusitalo

9.4

At Flat Iron in London. — 8 years ago

Big Wave Dave

9.2

Even better the second time around. Showing good weight and perfect balance of fruit, spice, and sandalwood. Quite complex and long - Punches well above its modest price tag. VGV — 8 years ago

with Rocket

David Shaw

8.9

Dark salmon pink, red tinged, excellent clarity. Sulfite, floral and cherry notes in nose. Red fruit and lemon flavors, later tangerine skin emerges; mineral (and later, black pepper) finish, sweet cherry skin and tangerine peel aftertaste. Almost dry, not bad at all — 4 years ago

Julia Metro

9.2

Super juicy, mineral notes, great chilled. Party in your mouth, would drink all summer (and spring and fall and winter). — 5 years ago

Jake Hajer

9.1

Aromatic, charred red bell pepper. Extracted, dark, serious. — 6 years ago

Keith Newton

9.8

After 10 years this is absolutely fabulous. Throw the French or English kings of cheese at it, and it will match them nobly — 7 years ago

Harri Mäki

9.0

Like flat apple cider but fantastic! — 7 years ago

Kevin M

9.0

The 2006 Rusty Shed Chardonnay is a blend of four blocks of Chardonnay on the Flat Rock Property. Grapes are hand picked and hand sorted before whole bunch pressing takes place. It was then cold settled in stainless steel, 100% barrel fermented and left on the lees for 10 months. Wild and commercial yeasts were used for primary fermentation, followed by malolactic fermentation to soften the natural acidity. The result?
Beautiful example of a mid to full bodied Chardonnay with butter, vanilla, apples and light spice on the palate. A lot of flavour and elegance at this price point. Sampled this 2006 in 2017 but this should sit well and perhaps develop more for a few more years. Best part? It's from Niagara! Loved it!
#chardonnay #flatrockcellars #twentymilebench #therustyshed #niagarawine #ontariowine #coolclimatechardonnay #vqa #2006niagaraharvest #niagaraescarpment #niagarachardonnay
— 8 years ago

Carol Krakowski

9.5

Very fresh, smooth, fruity but not sweet — 8 years ago

Justin Fail

9.5

Tried this at the vineyards tasting. Brought a bottle home and drank it with a Caribbean Pork dish - perfect. So yummy!! — 4 years ago

Gregg Congleton

9.2

Said in my Homer Simpson voice: “mmmm Kistler Stone Flat Chardonnay....” - cloudy hue / canary yellow diamond in color; apple seeds to the nose, alcohol, barely noticeable oak; smooth and almost caramel candy taste. — 5 years ago

Aravind A

9.2

Classic bdx, maybe a touch past-prime bc it showed slightly flat on palate. Very yummy! — 5 years ago

with Peter

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.8

Happy National Wine Day! 🍷🥂🎉🎊

I haven’t had this 08 in about 3-4 years. I had four bottles then and drank them faster than I imagined it was just that insanely delicious. This Hendricks 08 Santa Lucia Pinot Noir is in the top two CA Pinot’s I’ve enjoyed. I found two bottles recently on auction for a ridiculous $40. When it’s sold in futures at the Hope & Grace tasting room it’s $75 and $90 upon release.

The nose reveals slightly baked; dark cherries, blackberries, blue fruits, lots of plum, black plum, cherries, some black raspberries & strawberries. Some of the most beautiful spice on the nose mine has come across. It’s slightly sweet, dark with a touch of incense. Crushed powdery limestone, savoriness, cola/licorice, blue & red fresh florals with violets.

The body is medium and flat out gorgeous. Its flows & dances over the palate. It’s a sexy wine. Wire to wire this wine doesn’t disappoint. Ripe and slightly candied; dark cherries, blackberries, blue fruits, lots of plum, black plum, cherries, some black raspberries, pomegranate, dry cranberries & strawberries. Beautiful dark spice with heat that lifts off the palate, nicely soft baking spices, incense crushed dry rock & powdery limestone, some rich, moist, dark earth, savoy meats, dry stems, spice, cola/licorice, blue & red fresh florals with violets. The acidity is spectacular. The length, structure and balance have hit its peak. The finish is; rich, ripe, the definition of elegance, perfectly balanced and doesn’t end. It just goes on & on.

Photos of; Santa Lucia vines, Winemaker-Charles Hendricks doing the heavy lifting in the cellar l, grapes waiting to be crushed and the Hope & Grace tasting room in Yountville where this wine is sold. Charles is the Winemaker for Hope & Grace as well. — 7 years ago

Hugh O'Riordan

9.4

2002 and silky smooth — 8 years ago

Rafael Landestoy

9.2

Tried my first wine from a mystery pack that I ordered from Last Bottle and it was great. Awesome bottle especially for $20. The Syrah/Mourvèdre gave it a richness and jammy characteristic. Great mouthfeel. @TheSkip have you had this one yet? — 8 years ago

with Ilida