Tobin Trevarthen

9.2

Our newest love fest is SLS wines from Monterey, CA. Sam is making amazing wines from the higher elevation Monterey coastal vineyards. — 5 years ago

Matt Perlman

9.2

Fantastic at the price point. The kind of CA Pinot I really enjoy; light to medium bodied, finessed, perfumed. Acid driven, stemmy, with cherries, strawberries, roses, a bit of earth and some briny coastal elements. — 5 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.0

Medium to light golden yellow with tiny bubbles. Layered nose with a bit of marzipan, lemon curd, stone fruits and brioche. Medium acidity (6/10) and medium minus bodied. Great citrus zest on the palate with a hint of yeast and tree fruits. Medium finish. Drink till 2025. — 6 years ago

with India

S.S. Mandani

9.4

Today was a good, productive day. Some good reading, writing and a brisk run, topped off with a glass of amber wine.

The color a sap like emerald orange. A bouquet of forest mist and sea fog. Melon and raspberries.

A surprisingly welcome balance of lush, bursting fruit up front finished with a dry, tart slight astringent quality.

Mystifying color and glint, subtle, natural bouquet, well-balanced and surprising drinking experience.

Apricots. That’s what I’m missing. A punch of apricots right in the middle. — 7 years ago

Brian S

9.3

Juniper, bay laurel, Douglass for, Saigon cinnamon, coriander, Angelica root, orris root, coastal sage and fennel. — 8 years ago

Michelle Montz

9.4

Emerald Bay — 8 years ago

with darcy

Peter Coulthard

9.1

Blackcurrant and cinnamon. Very nice. — 9 years ago

Jasmine Herring

9.0

I'm not a Chardonnay drinker but I loved this. — 10 years ago

Vanessa

9.0

👁This wine is pale ruby with a delicate haze.

👃On the nose, it offers medium(+) intensity of youthful aromas, including notes of ripe cherry, strawberry rhubarb, fresh raspberry, 🍒🍓 also tulip🌷, violet, red licorice, fennel, dill, nutmeg, and wet moss.

👄On the palate this wine is dry. It has med (+) acidity, a medium body, medium alcohol, medium tannins, and medium(+) intensity of flavors consistent with the nose. It also has a medium(+) finish. I find it has good complexity and balance. 👌👌

This wine was fermented with native, wild yeast in concrete or steel and then aged in neutral oak barrels for about six months. According to the @scribewinery website, it comes from "vineyards planted with equal parts of two California heritage clones ideal for the region’s dense clay: Martini and Pommard. The Martini grapes add spice and fresh, high tones complemented by the Pommard’s natural earthiness."

Scribe, Carneros, XII. Beauty Blue, Pinot Noir, Vintage 2018. ABV 13.5%.

Los Carneros, meaning 'the rams' in Spanish, is a unique wine region because it is shared between Sonoma County and Napa Valley. It is one of my favorite places in Califorina for Pinot Noir. With the coastal breezes and fog channeling inland from San Pablo Bay, the vines have a combination of sun and cooling moderators, to aid in both the ripening and the preservation of acidity / brightness of character, which can ultimately lead to a well-balanced, but also well-concentrated wine.

I picked this up at @france_44 and would definitely buy it again. — 5 years ago

with Deked1

Tree Kilpatrick

9.3

Lovely in the glass. Red with a blush of plum. Nose is very interesting. Hint of funk. Zinjammy, and smoky. Little bit of mineral oil or linseed oil. Flavor is spectacular. Pure fruit. Tastes very true to the varietal. Pretty tart. Plenty of tannin too. For an under $10 Coastal style Zin, this is a steal. — 6 years ago

Bill Bender

9.5

Fabulous earthy, bruised plum Clinton era North CA coastal tastiness. — 7 years ago

Justin Hansohn

9.0

I drank this on a boat anchored in Emerald bay. This tasted like the boat smelled, like a brand new luxury hotel. It was extremely sophisticated. Laughably so. Will rate this again next time I have it. — 8 years ago

Wayne Fowler

9.5

Delightfully fresh, light and zesty. — 9 years ago

Albert Phelps

8.9

After a few minutes, opens up to a very smooth wine — 10 years ago

Fredrik Finn

9.3

Near equal parts of Rousanne, Chenin and Chardonnay backed by Verdelho and a touch of Muscat sourced from Hamel en Aarde in Walker Bay, South Africa. Low intervention winemaking with elevage in old, neutral wood.
A fab complexity on the nose with a generous fruit, ranging from bruised apple, juicy peaches, orange blossom, through some tropical characters with a honeyd edge followed by toasted nuts and a mother rock-minerality. Rich on the palate but with a fresh acidity and a savoury dimension, ripe fruit drives the palate with a creamy slight waxy mid palate through a dry and solid finish. A performance that hits well above its modest price, though fall somewhat short on the finish to play in the big league, nevertheless an other remarkable wine from Alheit.
Serve at 10-12 degrees in generous burgundy glasses — 5 years ago

Will Stanley

9.0

Really enjoyed this. Very ripe, chocolate-y and satisfyingly acidic. Plenty of tannin and a reasonably long finish. Great value Cab blend and would enjoy drinking again. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

We are stopping for a glass at the Cape Grace Hotel in Cape Town after a day touring the nicer parts of coastal Cape Town as shown in the photos. It’s beautiful but, can’t wait to get to Stellenbosch tomorrow.

Newton Johnson is one of good SA producers in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley in Hermanus, which is SE about an hour and forty minutes from Cape Town.

The nose reminds me of Sonoma Chardonnay without being hammered by new oak. Green apple, lime edging towards candy, pineapple, green melon, blended tropical fruit mix, white peach, butter but, not overdone, honeysuckle, light herbaceous notes, touch of saline, beautiful soft chalkiness, limestone minerals, fruit blossoms, yellow lilies & spring flowers.

The body is full, heavy and waxy. It’s rich. It also has a sense of tannins. The fruits are nicely ripened. Green apple, lime edging towards candy, pineapple, green melon, blended tropical fruit mix, white peach, vanilla, butter but, not overdone, honeysuckle, light herbaceous notes, touch of saline, beautiful soft chalkiness, palate penetrating volcanic minerals, limestone, some flinty notes, fruit blossoms, yellow lilies & spring flowers. The acidity is quite perfect. The finish is the definition of; rich, lush, elegant and well balanced. It’s persists for two to three minutes. Really nice! Also, appreciate the 13% ABV.

Photos of, The Mountains surrounding Camps Bay, the Waterfront area and the bar in the Cape Grace Hotel. — 7 years ago

Rodianne Formosa

9.0

@Keith Galdies :) fifi — 8 years ago

with Keith

Rufus King

9.5

Engagement party red; Back Bay wine tour, both times at Legal Seafood — 9 years ago

Lee Lightfoot

9.2

Fantastic high toned lush coastal Pinot that is absolutely delicious now but would benefit from another 4-5 years of age. — 10 years ago