Now I see how this wine can be so divisive. LOTS of brett at first, more band-aid than barnyard. Takes a while to get past it and then lots of exotic spices show up. But after 40 minutes in the glass still nothing primary. It’s got the funk I can appreciate in some good left bank Bordeaux but also feels somewhat single-threaded. — 4 years ago
Raiding my buddy’s cellar while evacuated from Sonoma fires, and making the most of it. I would say this wine has plenty of age on it to produce a super supple mouthfeel, the aromas were complex no overt fruit just plenty of smokey tones followed by a rich complex flavor. Really nice wine for a Tuesday! — 6 years ago
Great generosity of fruit, with an angular structure — 7 years ago
Lemon dry fresh clean fantastic — 8 years ago
Amazing wine, even with quite a rest sugar the body and the accidity makes it miraculous — 9 years ago
The nose on this wine is stunning baring the alcohol heat. Perfumed red florals and candied dark and lighter red fruits. While the wine is truly elegant, the alcohol is seriously burning the back of my throat. The bottle reads 14.1 but I think over 15 degrees. Maybe, they wanted to save on the higher alcohol tax. The wine starts so beautifully only to burn the back of my throat. The fruits are ripe, elegant and beautifully soft. Blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, raspberries, faint back palate of strawberries, sweet/soft leather, black licorice, violets & roses, rich delicate & sweet wet black earth, soft light baking spices, caramel, milk chocolate, figs & dates, amazingly sweet dark minerals, touch of black tar, touch of spice and a rich long elegant dark fruit liqueur finish. I would score this wine higher if it didn't punish my palate and throat with the burning alcohol finish. — 9 years ago
Sitting on this one for a while but it was so worth it. Dom, Dom, Dom!!! — 10 years ago
Decided now would be a good time to try out out the 2013 Prisoner. While not as good as the 2011 the structure is different, showing a ton of black pepper and balsamic on the nose with a little bit of violet flowers, and a very lovely, elegant finish. Big bold red and black fruits give way to a lush, black peppery back end. The finish is shorter than expected but still nice. This is still a good wine, just not as good as previous vintages. — 11 years ago
Charming Riesling very interesting — 11 years ago
Medium garnet. Pronounced developing nose of spiced plum, bramble, cherries, white pepper, kirsch, hint of chocolate. Dry on the palate with medium acidity, medium+ tannin, medium alcohol and a medium+ body. Pronounced flavors and a long finish. Outstanding and likely lasts for a while longer given structure, body and complex juicy fruit character (and even higher than expected acidity) — 5 years ago
I always drink this while in Spain! — 7 years ago
Quite a step up in complexity & depth compared to the Kabi. More exotic flavours like pineapple, mango and lychee mixed with a lot of ripe peach. But you recognize the undertones of minerality immediately.
On the palate this wine has so much tension, extract & what we call in German "Spiel". Amazing balance between sweetness & acidity. Long, long finish. Astonishing life ahead. — 9 years ago
While not as chalky as I would have expected, it's elegance remains consistent. Stimulating your salivary glands with notes of apricot and honeysuckle. — 10 years ago
Very refreshing - perfect for hot sunny day — 11 years ago
2011, St. Urbans-Hof, Ockfener Bockstein Kabinett Riesling. Little petrol on the nose. Pear, a little citrus and some residual sugar. A little young and will improve with time. — 11 years ago
Deep golden colour.
Rich, intense and off-dry (APnr 21-09; so it’s not the GG-bottling from this plot).
Mature, warm, glowing and inviting notes of honeysuckle, yellow curry-spice, white raisins, old foudres, peche melba, marzipan and some musky, hay-like outdoor aromas Drink now, as it won’t improve. — 4 years ago
While a bit young, after 45 mins in decanter we enjoyed this very much. I look forward to trying again in a few years. — 6 years ago
peppermint menthol wow delicious
wow. long long spicey
kaffir lime, marjoram, cilantro
super long.
just beautiful — 6 years ago
Dude. We we’re eating Indian when we opened this bottle & it was the most perfect thing with the cuisine on the table. It’s mineral, it’s acid driven, it’s flavorful, there’s the right amount of RS with a refreshing zippiness that just kept me coming back for more. — 7 years ago
Intense, white pepper, creamed corn, wet stones, pear and green apple. From 70 year old vines. Superb, long finish. — 8 years ago
Made in a true French tradition of 'wine goes with food'. It's one of those subtle Sonoma wines that does not try to overpower everything. While it can stand on its own, it is quite diverse for pairing with Coq au Vin, pork tenderloin and of course, a big juicy porterhouse. We love going to Jordan's winery because it is like stepping off at the local chateaux in France, with the symmetry of the chestnut trees lining the courtyard and the neoclassical architecture. The wine reflects these surroundings in its balance, as well. — 9 years ago
For my 888th review, I chose this wonderful Napa Valley Petite Sirah.
Dark deep purple /almost black, with a purplish rim.
An explosion of ripe black fruits on the nose with blackberries, prunes, dried figs, raisins, plums, raspberries, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, leather, dirt and black pepper.
Full bodied and bold, with medium plus acidity and long purple legs.
Bone dry and fruity on the palate, with blackberries, figs, raisins, chocolates, prunes, cherry pie, black currants, earth, leather, spices and peppercorn.
Long finish with huge, green tannins and bitter spices.
This Napa Petite Syrah is still young and needs 3 more years in the bottle, but it is very enjoyable now, if you can tolerate the big tannings, or if you have it with BBQ Meats.
I enjoyed it by itself, by the pool. Not fully balanced, yet it has enough acidity and tannings to last it for a long while. This 2012 vintage is very ripe and very enjoyable.
14.1% alcohol by volume. — 9 years ago
#bubbleornothing — 10 years ago
Full-bodied, and very velvety-smooth! An extravagant but worth while experience! — 11 years ago
John Howard
Harvest production at Hirsch and Cobb Wineries
Crisp and cleann. — 4 years ago