Matt

9.5

This wine fucks. Deep, heady, absolute pleaure in the glass. It’s fruit, herbal tones, alcohol, tannin and acidity all holding form and balance. Serious yet hedonistic in its deliciousness. Roasted plum, orange peel, peach pit, raspberry jam, white pepper, beef, juniper, talcum, coffee, gravel, chaparral — 4 years ago

Matt

9.5

Everything I want in Grenache; heady perfume, delicious fruit, that perfect spice/herbal balance, firm and persistently fine grained tannin with a rustic edge, soul, and distinct minerality. Crushed red plum, redolent of soaked cherry, dried herbs, chaparral, lavender pastille, chalk, crushed rock, white pepper, ceylon cinnamon, singed brush, black tea. Elegant, complex, full of personality and length. — 5 years ago

Tree Kilpatrick

8.9

Pretty nice color. Light and dark at the same time. Smells like rain, cranberries and chaparral. Flavors are nice. A simple Rhône type red. It’s great for a cheapie. I could drink this anytime. — 5 years ago

Allison Lyzenga

9.0

Deep ruby; medium intensity aromas of blackberry, mulberry, boysenberry, bramble, chaparral; dry, medium plus acid, medium plus tannins, medium alcohol, medium plus body, medium intensity flavors of black fruit, chaparral, dried herbs; medium plus finish, well balanced, concentrated flavors, very good — 6 years ago

Matt

9.1

Killer value. Crunchy and pure red fruits; black raspberry, mission fig, redwood forest, potting soil, chaparral, crumbled rocks, salt, synthetic (in a good way). Lively acid, engaging tannin that don’t overwhelm, savory. A gorgeous wine with plenty of character from its Schist terroir, deeply mineral — 7 years ago

Bryce Wiatrak

9.5

Outstanding, this wine has so much more than simply being sweet. Piney and resinous, it fluctuates between flavors of sugar dusted dried apricots, candied lemons, marzipan, and honeycomb with pine sap, pollen, chaparral, white balsamic, mint and blanched herbs adding a more savory complexity. Unctuous and long. 80% Assyrtiko, 10% Aidani, 10% Athiri.
— 8 years ago

Matt

9.2

Turning a shitty day around with this gorgeous Priorat. Old-vine, amphora ferment/aged, portion WC, native yeast and min SO2. Weighty depth of ripe red and black cherries, roasted plums, clove, animal, MINERALS, smoke, rubber, violets, chaparral. Textural grit, loving the freshness the Carignan brings to the table, picking up where the grenache left its deep fruit and herbs, carrying the richness through the finish. — 8 years ago

Tree Kilpatrick

9.0

Nose is interesting. Hint of raisins with a forest or chaparral type woodsy thing. Maybe mushrooms too? Flavors are luscious, lovely and intriguing. It’s kinda like good Syrah and Beaujolais mixed. Smooth tannins, juicy AF, and tart on the backside. This is still one of the best values in CA wines. Thanks J.Lohr for keeping it coming. — 4 years ago

Tom Casagrande

9.0

When I lived in Houston in the aughts, I drank a few fragrant Cotes Du Rhônes from this estate, so I was eager to try their Giggie, even though I’ve grown tired of Southern Rhônes as the climate has warmed and Phillipe Cambie seemingly put a spell over the majority of producers. Well, this is a bit better than the typical blocky, heavy wines that seem increasingly prevalent there. It’s densely colored (of course), but the nose has a bit more elegance and nuance than the typical Gigondas estate these days, showing fresh dark berry fruit, really interesting almost chaparral-like garrigue/earth notes, warm stones, and meadowy wildflowers. In the mouth it’s dense, but a little lighter than the new norm thank goodness, with nice savory flavors and decent acids. Tannins are soft. It won’t make me forget Giggies from the early ‘80s, but it’s nice. — 5 years ago

Matt

9.4

Always a fav. First taste of 2015 vintage, nice balance for the year, extraction is deft and carries some finesse to it. As usual, complex, layered, full of goutte de terroir. Layers of cherry from crushed to soaked, slight hint of prune, raspberry confiture, game, fur, roast beef, juniper, forest and cedar, pure garrigue, licorice root, ceylon cinnamon, chaparral, powdered sugar, 5 spice, singed tobacco, graphite, bitter cocoa. Still taut, the tannins need time to relax, but I think they will always have persistence in the wine. Ok with me. — 6 years ago

Matt

9.3

Interesting cuvée here, it really wears its 50/50 SY GR blend on its sleeves, switching between the two over the course of a few hours. Like many Kongsgaards of the past this has one foot in the OW and one in the NW. Deep black fruit, savory meat, white pepper, chaparral. — 7 years ago

Matt

9.4

Gorgeous nose, layers of black fruit, potpourri, chaparral, lavender, asian spices, sweet herbs, tobacco, wet slate, coffee. Highly aromatic, glycerin richness, concentration yet remarkably nimble on the palate. The sweet oak tannin could use some resolve, and the ABV pokes out on the finish. Very curious where this is heading, also where it’s been. Excited for harvest! — 7 years ago

Bryce Wiatrak

8.9

One of Languedoc-Roussillon’s most visible names, Gérard Bertrand, crafts a juicy Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel. Round and plush, it’s flavors sing of roasted plum, black sesame, chaparral, and a distinctive sweet umami soy sauce character on the finish. A blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan - this is the quintessential Tuesday night BBQ wine. — 8 years ago

Allison Lyzenga

9.0

Medium ruby medium plus intensity aromas of red cherry, cherry hard candy, pomegranate, red and black plum, chaparral, thyme, dry earth; dry, medium plus acid, medium rustic tannins, medium alcohol, medium body, medium plus intensity flavors consistent with aromas; lovely and balanced — 4 years ago

Loren Grossman

Vintner Wilde Farm Wines

9.2

Fully mature. Elements of sage, chaparral, grilled fruit. Rose hip. Palate full of blackberries and some minerals with furry tannins. Smoke em if you got em. — 4 years ago

Roger Ray

9.2

"A dry spicy wine with lots of ripe fruit - blackberry, quince, plum and chaparral". I hope my consumption of this wine also lends me a greater chance of becoming a centenarian, like those who drink this wonderful wine in northern Sardinia. — 5 years ago

Matt

9.2

Found this to be drinking quite well, tannins were integrating nicely, distinctive tertiary character has taken form, and the wine carried a gracefulness without loosing any rustic charm. Dried brambly fruit, wet leaves, dried leather, sous bois, dried flowers, and almost this parched landscape quality, like high desert or chaparral sort of note. Very intriguing and brought lots of joy to a simple French meal. Procured in FR, not a KLWM import — 6 years ago

Cristóbal Arellano Borges

9.2

Good tannin, and acid. Violets, stones, rust, chaparral. Just lovely — 7 years ago

Bryce Wiatrak

9.5

Classic Biondi Santi - saline and sanguine, with flavors of chaparral, cured olives, pepper and game. Structured and still and infant at 7 years. — 7 years ago

Olga Liamkina

9.5

The best wine from Spain ever! Peppery and expressive — 8 years ago