Stephen Pierron

9.2

First Pinot Noir from Hirsch. Light body, pale garnet in color, strong herb/floral notes on the palate, mostly hibiscus, dried herbs, tea (almost like morning earl grey tea), and clove. Not a lot of complexity and very different from most Sonoma Coast Pinot Noirs that I have had.... perhaps more terroir driven? Please comment on your experiences and thoughts on this Pinot Noir... is the Reserve much different? — 5 years ago

with Jen

Kevin Cahoon

9.4

This is just lovely with hints of black cherry and plum with creosote, black pepper and soy accents. Palate is full of spicy Syrah flavors with lots of white pepper, plum and black raspberry. Tannins are present but sauve with lifting acidity. Just a great level of balance on the earth driven finish. — 7 years ago

Thijs Hendriks

9.6

Incredible complex, this wine is developing in the glass, so mineral, layered and aristocratic. High end terroir driven riesling👍 — 7 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.4

Sweet kettle corn and buttery croissant blanketing floral and lemon nuances. Piercing powerful acidity. Baked lemon and white pepper flavors. Amazing wine. All terroir driven without a hint of malo. — 7 years ago

Bill Bender

9.2

Perfumed nose of anise and clove, garnet hues and plump sweet fruit. The age has dialed this back and made it more polished. It's no longer a monster fruit bomb. Still fruit driven but not fruit dominated. — 8 years ago

Matt Duncan

8.9

Showing a surprising richness given its age. Blackberry, coffee grinds, oregano. Great aroma driven by coconut husk. Moderate length with potential to extend in coming years. — 9 years ago

Marc Stubblefield

Wine Sales at Vino Carta and Kogod Wine Merchant

9.0

I suppose with climate change, we're going to start seeing more of these Loire SBs without the grassy, pyrazine qualities of years past. Delicious, mineral and citrus driven wine - but it doesn't line up with what I think of as Sancerre. Time to reframe expectations! — 9 years ago

Alejandro Castillo

8.9

Dried tamarind preserved red fruit medium body find tannins good length on the back end still holding up pretty well for a fruit driven 1997 — 10 years ago

Aristotelis Protopapas

Head Sommelier The Savoy, London

9.9

Dom Ruinart is what I call Le Montracet of Champagne. I found that Dom R's unique signature is the wine driven character it has. The sparkling influence just adding the last touch to make one of the best champagnes I ever tried. 2004 still fresh. Can take another decade resting!! — 10 years ago

Bryan Kesting

9.3

Red fruited like the Botanica however more mineral driven. Black tea and spice cake. Needs more time. — 5 years ago

Shay A

9.5

This was opened to celebrate my wife and I’s 4-yr anniversary as well as our daughter being one month old. A wonderful anniversary treat, courtesy of a very good friend!

My first time checking in on the ‘09. Very open and totally balanced. Everything works in harmony here. Citrus driven aromatically and slightly reductive with the first glass showing some of those flint/match stick traits but the citrus pushed its way forward with lemon zest. Touch of orange marmalade too. The mousse is fantastically creamy and rich. Not much yeast on the palate, but enough to add complexity. Beautiful balance of rich fruits without sacrificing brightness or purity accented by signature chalky limestone. Right down the middle in terms of reductive vs oxidative. Gorgeous! — 6 years ago

Bill Bender

9.6

I’m a sucker for Clape. Rich, ripe and mineral driven. Lots of power but marked beauty and lush tannins. Licorice infused soil and sweet, sappy red fruit. — 6 years ago

Chris England

9.2

A fab £56 St Estephe showing how well they can age but boy this is an oak dominatrix in an oak bondage orgy 😁 only for oak lovers 😉 I still enjoyed it 👍

🏵 92 points

🍇 40% Cab S & 60% Merlot

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Rich oak driven smothered dark fruits that drown out any other nuance aromas but some sooty smoke creeps through

👄 Med silky smooth body of oaky dark berries w/ a liquorice & mocha touch

🎯 Med+ liquorice & mocha dark fruits w/ dry oak dominating — 7 years ago

Bryan Thomas

9.4

Cool black fruited flavors, iron and spice -incredible density that is in perfect balance on a long mineral driven finish. Excellent potential — 7 years ago

Dan Thomas

9.3

Bright saline driven chard. Gaining weight with bottle age — 8 years ago

Sam Decker

9.3

The '15 is superior to the '14 at this point. Whereas the '14 seemed more two-dimensional and driven by its grapefruit tinged acid structure, the '15 is more generous and open and resonant: river-rocks and barely ripened honey dew. — 9 years ago

Jimmy Hayes

Estate Director Mayacamas Vineyard

9.1

Super delicious. Should only be available in magnums or larger. Red cherry, cranberry, savory spice, lean and mineral driven. — 9 years ago

markus gould

9.0

quite frankly it's not an insider tip to present helmut / cornelius dönnhoff's jewels, but this (in austria) quite underrated wine may be one of the best of the kabinett vintage 2013! the acidity vibrantly merges with the 40g plus residual sugar (43,9 to be very precise); presenting stone fruit, touch of exotic fruits as melon and mango, citrus cest, white blossoms and salty finish - easy going and for contemplation at the same time. you wanna DRINK it - touché!

the recommendation for asian / fruit and herb driven cuisine is obvious... — 10 years ago

Christine Havens

9.2

Beautifully evolved nose of leather, mulberry, brambly red berries, clove and dried mint. Medium-bodied with a regal countenance—there is still tons of structure, with mouth-coating fine grain tannin in abundance. Truly, this wine could go on and on and on in the cellar. The 1989 Château Montrose is not terribly fruit-driven, rather it's interior space is occupied by notes of dusty, clayey soil, cedar, black tea and spice. That wonderful impression of clove is on the finish, too. — 11 years ago

Jay Kline

9.5

And they call this their “second” wine. After McHenry in Santa Cruz, Seavey was an absolute show stopper for me on our recent trip to wine country. We had the opportunity to try five different wines with three bonus pours from recent and library wines and I tell you: All 👏🏼 eight 👏🏼 were 👏🏼 bangers 👏🏼. From their Chardonnay (which was sprung on us the moment we arrived, was acid driven and had the most delightful spine of minerals that I could have sworn it was GC Chablis), to their Rosé (which is a Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend and bends what’s possible with the genre) to their Founder’s Reserve (which didn’t present much in the value dept. but was a killer wine nevertheless). Anyway, this 2005 Caravina is positively singing right now. Opulent amounts of plums, cassis, brambles, and sweet tobacco with secondary characteristics juuuuust starting to make their appearance: leather, truffle, and forest floor. Moderate acid. Firm tannins still! What a beauty...in a sort of masculine way. America! — 6 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.2

D6. Young. Very young. Even though it was decanted and frequently agitated, this one didn't come out to play until almost 2 hr after opening. Nose of Bing cherry and mint. Some red clay must. The entry is very acidic. Black cherry hint but Bing cherry backbone. Herbal middle. Started to show terroir-driven notes to the finish. Youthful and tight tannin. LOTS of life ahead. Be in NO HURRY to drink this one. I'd say optimal drinking time 5 to 10 years. — 6 years ago

Bill Bender

9.5

It’s so hard to source these and it showed really well. I find these less bretty and earth driven than most other CDPs. So, not as thought provoking with secondary characteristics but a little more purity and more fruit expression. — 6 years ago

Brian J.

9.1

Awesome nose! — 7 years ago

Constance Upton

10

Rootstock description: "tiny ribbons of bubbles and an intensely mineral driven core balanced by layered flavors of stone fruit, croissant and chamomile." — 7 years ago

Jo Florradikal

9.0

very mineral, green apricots, candied lemon and orange peel, ginger notes, good acidic driven finish — 7 years ago

Mark Cochard

Sommelier phillywine.com, Chaddsford Winery

9.1

Richly textured. layered compexity, mineral driven. Really nice wine. 2014 vintage — 9 years ago

Adam Jesberger

9.2

Awesome for the price. Autolytic and tree fruit driven. Fairly high acid and good length. Ripe red pears and yellow apples with cream and bread dough heavy on the nose and palate. Weighty and complex. — 9 years ago

Holly Orchard

Certified Sommelier, President of Savvy Cellar Wines Inc.

9.1

Lovely! There is a golden apple ripeness balanced by refreshing acidity and a silky chalky texture. A hint of buttery lees, and just enough minerality to make this a great compromise between an austere, mineral driven style, and a rich, round, brioche style (the hubby's style). — 10 years ago

Marty Winters

9.7

Showing well, after sulphur burned off, beautiful fruit for an acid driven vintage. Bright and such a lengthy finish on the wine. It's like drinking in High Definition. — 10 years ago

Aaron Means

9.8

Dammmmnnn!!!! Polished from front to back with aromas and flavors of Granny Smith apple, crisp pear, lemongrass Creme brûlée, marzipan, lemon peel driven by a truckload of steely minerality and acids. The flavor keeps hitting you for a minute plus, and lingers in the mouth for what seems an eternity! — 11 years ago