Bob McDonald

9.5

Aromas of cedar, tobacco leaf, black currant and a little vanillin oak. Medium weight palate but medium plus intensity. Classical Cabernet descriptors on nose and palate. An excellent Yarra Valley Cabernet in a district that many say is best suited to Cabernet even though there is good Pinot and Chardonnay as well. This was the last vintage made by the legendary founder of YY, Dr Bailey Carrodus, before he passed. The good Dr was somewhat of an eccentric giving his wines names like Dry Red No 1, No 2 and No 3 as well as an excellent Pinot Noir. This No 1 ( always a Bordeaux blend) is 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Malbec, and 4% Petit Verdot. Bailey never entered his wines in regional shows. If he had there would have been a string of medals and Trophies but he would sell out anyway. The brand carries on brilliantly these days with winemaker Sarah Crowe. — 5 years ago

Doug Sayed

9.1

An eccentric Pinot with smoky dark fruits and and nice savory finish. Rich and ripe, by Williams-Selyem standards. Very nice. — 6 years ago

Ryan Flinn

9.0

Decided to do something fun for Father’s Day - drink a unique orange wine. This is a 2013 vintage that has deep amber color and is a bit cloudy. Medium nose with tangerine marmalade and black pepper scents. In the glass, first impression in the glass is that the acidity’s going to be killer, but then feels a little soft in the middle. Not to be worried - acidity comes roaring back in the long lingering finish. You can feel your front teeth tingle on this one. Similar flavor profile as the nose. Marmalade, tangerine-citrus, and a flat, warm Sunkist soda - but not in a bad way. Like this wine - not as complex as other orange wines I’ve had, but more drinkable than some of those eccentric versions. — 7 years ago

Tom Dare

9.4

Starts out canned peaches, then the grip settles in, a lot of changes over an hour. One of my favorite alternative rose’s, an absolute eccentric gem. — 7 years ago

Edmond Bordelon

9.3

Jordan Kivelstadt is making the ‘funnest and most obscure / eccentric ’ wines in Sonoma, mostly French styles. The Charbono is traditionally an Italian grape, and not widely grown in California (only 80 acres in all of the state) thus it’s appeal to Jordan. Rich, dark and bright all at the same time. — 8 years ago

with Katherine and Lauren

Christine Havens

9.0

Eccentric rings of roasted apple, dried honey, lemon curd, orange blossom, and dried Medajool figs greet the taster. The 2016 Adelaida Cellars HMR Estate Vineyard Chardonnay is flatout sexy, silkily textured, with a center of gravity that's nicely balanced against a backdrop of light toast. That classic Paso Robles calcareous vein emerges on the finish—one that exhibits an attractive creaminess and great persistence too. — 8 years ago

Ron R

9.2

Notes on the nose of wet earth and grass, which carry thru to the palette. Typical, robust white Rhone blend. Quite viscous with tertiary notes of marzipan and almonds. Very eccentric. — 9 years ago

with Anne-marie

Pallavi Vankayalapati

9.5

Easy to drink and smooth. still tasted great the next day. — 5 years ago

Ellen Clifford

9.1

Smells and tastes like expensive winemaking aka the new french oak is rife but you wanna know‽ I don’t mind. It makes this Pinotage nummicious (industry lingo). It. Is. Friendly. And tasty. Let us parallel it to to my unabashed love for Taylor Swift. Is it designed for all to love? Sure. Does it have a hearty that wants the best behind it? Yes! A lot and it fucking rocks. Not sure of this wine’s politics. But.
I love it even though it clearly wants the masses to buy in. This is not eccentric or out of the box Pinotage but it is excellence. — 6 years ago

Devin Bostick

9.4

Asian Lilly, soft hibiscus, non-acidic raspberry, touch vanilla, slight low fire caramel (eccentric but you’ll see) smell, color is a thick raspberry purple, the attack is straight forward and balanced, there is a maltiness that encompasses the raspberries that have a juicy profile with limited acid, green coffee tastes, the malt sticks to the end and lets the acids construct as the taste fades leaving a subtle metallic essence at the finish - in all fairness the balance is so perfect in a way that I feel that it’s my tongue and not the wine. I think that’s an important comment as with the right tongue this is perfection. — 6 years ago

Lindsey King

9.0

Candied ginger, carrot and carrot peel, little spice and loads of florality. Grippy but mouth watering but heated too! Eccentric wine! — 7 years ago

Michael Goldstein

9.5

After drinking a bunch of eccentric naturals to dive into this velvety and refined wine is a total luxury. Like going from a boisterous Airbnb to the Ritz. This wine was deeper than a Basic Channel track and textured like a thick sweater. Deep red currants smashing against rock salts covered in a mushroom gravy. That may sound disgusting but it was a delight. — 8 years ago

Todd Golper

9.6

Deep gold color. Fruity and oak nose perfect combo. Full mouthful great finish. Eccentric mouthfeel. — 8 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

8.9

Needs time in the glass. Discrete aromas of red berry fruit and oak. In the mouth juicy red berries, very good acidity, mouth-coating ripe tannin. Alcohol on the high side at 14,8 abv. but perfectly integrated. This should age well, I feel it doesn't deliver its full potential at this moment. Better the next day, needs a few years to blossom. — 9 years ago

azita k

9.0

Eccentric white wine, apples and lime, drank with oysters — 5 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

Mid Lemon in colour. Initial touch of oxidation on nose which largely disappeared. Barb said aromas of Dandelion which is a lawn weed in Australia. Very minerally (from soil riddled with flint). Touch of pineapple. This is barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc from Pouilly Fume and as different as possible from Marlborough NZ Sauvignon Blanc. Great Intensity on the palate with the Oak in perfect balance. One of the 1001 wines. In the book “probably the greatest white made in the Upper Loire Valley”. I would like to try a younger vintage in the future. Made by the eccentric Didier Dagueneau. — 6 years ago

David Kline

9.5

Black and brooding with a high-piled eccentric crown of stiff frizz, descending wildly in chaotic lacing. This subversive Russian has been meddling in my election to drink through my beer collection before the birth of my child, and subsequent, triumphant return to wine! It stares at me; a quiet threat. Now, open and daunting, I ease in with the slowest approach. Robust fig and chocolate purée, with treacle, toffee, Turkish spiced coffee, baklava, chocolate nougat while also ganache coconut balls., cinnamon, brown sugar, black strap molasses and candied pecan aromas swirl thickly in this awesome mine of whiskey darkness. The aromatics lose intensity when you take a sip of this subterranean shadow magma. Blackberry reduction in dark chocolate, burnt caramels, coffee brittle, gorgeous rye herbaceous-ness, sprouting fresh oregano, peppercorns, chicory, Spanish brandy, truffles, allspice, marjoram, molasses, vanilla extract, soy sauce minus the salt. Sweet and bitter battle in smoky, stick basalt vessels filled with dark chocolate, sage and espresso. Enormous! Layer upon layer of warping wood expressions and undulating liquids of blackest culinary art. — 6 years ago

Michael Meyer

9.3

O. M. G. The real deal Cote Rotie. Stephan knows his stuff. A traditional baseline CR with some eccentric savory elements. Still the perfect pairing with lamb chops. — 8 years ago

Patrick Derdeyn

9.2

I have always wanted to try this guys wines. Very eccentric in his release philosophy, current vintage of the chard is 1999. On this night I got to try 3 different '95s. By far the best of the bunch was the Charles Heintz vineyard which had matured into something unrecognizable in CA chard. Great experience. — 8 years ago

Christine Havens

9.4

Aged sir lie for 26 months, King Estate's 2008 Limited Edition Blanc De Noirs is finely wrought, with a delicate bead that gives lift to baked apples and orchard fruit notes, followed by buckwheat, dried marjoram, and whipped butter. Nice concentration on the palate, with eccentric rings of kumquat, sea foam, and walnut skins that impart a subtle and delicate bitterness as they meander to a long, protracted close. 13.5% ABV | Sample — 9 years ago