Justin Gilman CSW, CSS

8.9

Delish #Frappato #Italy #Wine. Haven't had too many of these. Opens up to be delicate and dry. Pungent black licorice nose, some strawberry rhubarb flavor. Heavy, full aromas, yet subtly dry and eye opening. Opened 11/3/17 — 8 years ago

Eric

9.6

Total beast. Did a quick double decant since it's 12 years old but should have let it open for a couple of hours. Eye watering nose of dirt, nutmeg, cinnamon, bramble, and camphor. Massive palate with plenty of fruit and tannin left. 45 second finish. What an awesome cab blend! — 9 years ago

Chris Scanlan

Sales Amy Atwood Imports

9.0

She's temperamental. And expressive. It ain't no a Billy Joel Song; it's a Soings en Sologne, sung by the son of a son of a viticulture (well maybe only the cousin). Very fucking cool wine. Unique for this region. Kind of Sebastian Riffault-like in his rule breaking to Sancerre, but perhaps more... tame. Oxidative for this vintage, maybe that's consistent? Tastes like there's some skin contact on the romorantin, a roller coaster of acidity and sapidity across the tongue, and Menu Pineau, I can find it if I look. If you don't like oxidative wine, you probably won't appreciate this. But I judge a wine whether it's empty or not, and this one didn't stand a chance. Tastes better when it's warmed up and breathed for an hour. vintage is technically 2012 -not on label. Wife (New Zealander) Heidi Kuka makes the eye-catchingly, ornate almost Maori-like tribal tattoos for the labels. Julien Courtois is able to knock it out of the park on occasion, but mostly, he makes very good, expressive and interesting, but most importantly drinkable wine from the western Loire. — 9 years ago

Daniel Moylan

9.2

Great with a steak! The flavour profile unravels with a bit of time to decant and the tannins soften with the fatty rib eye revealing dark fruit/cherries and a nice touch of oak — 9 years ago

Alex Jones

Marketing/Development Kunni/Westerly Wines

9.1

Pine needle and earthy nose; Smoke, leather, black dark fruit core; violet color and great minerality and structure. Very good and would drink more of this bottle. — 9 years ago

Hannes Huefken

9.0

After opening, it reminds me of a northern Rhone syrah: translucent ruby red, not a Bordeaux nose, lighter, higher acidity and all. Now after 2 hours, it's become darker to the eye, nose, and palate. Opaque, almost pitch black. Milk chocolate and smoke on the nose. Some sweetness and less acidity on the palate. Some grippy tannin left. Plummy finnish. A good deal for €18 in 2015. 50+3+12+17+8=90 — 10 years ago

Marianne DiGiovanni

9.5

If you like heavy chards,lots of vanilla and a long finish it doesn't get much better — 10 years ago

Vinod Peris

9.5

Lovely amber with just the right balance of hops. — 10 years ago

San Dee

9.6

One of my all time favorites. Excellent wine for any occasion. — 10 years ago

Rich Laster

8.9

An eye-opener, the first sip provides a great bouquet of flavor. Creamy, & medium-full in body, I look forward to a glass tomorrow. — 11 years ago

Steve Anderson

9.1

Wine, Brews, Blues fest in Escondido. This was the Cabernet. Probably my favorite of the evening. Will be keeping an eye on this local producer. — 8 years ago

Andres Gonzalez

9.1

The label obviously catches you eye, but I think the taste surpasses the "effectiveness" of the label. — 8 years ago

speedy duncan

9.0

totally unique crisp but full of mouth eye of cranberry with eli's deconstructed succotash grilled pork chops and local heirloom maters wowser did this work — 9 years ago

with Frances and Eli

Raymond C Wiley

9.1

Outstanding wine with spicy Vietnamese food. Reasonably priced, and delivers on the promise of its name "Tinto Negro" (Black Wine)....the black fruits give it a color and aroma that is pleasing to the eye, the nose, and the palette! — 9 years ago

with Masae

Amanda McBride

10

One of the best Pinot Noir's I have ever tasted, paired splendidly with a Rib Eye, stood up to it! — 9 years ago

Ryan Carey

Founder Wine Confidential

9.2

Finally trying Cherry Pie (from Hundred Acre). 3 different single vineyard Pinots from 2012. Stanly Ranch is dynamite (and a vineyard to keep an eye on). Reminiscent of Kosta Browne. Next up is Rodgers Creek. Darker fruit. Less explosive, but a nice wine. Third up is Carinalli. Way lighter, though some spice to it. It's fine, but doesn't hold a candle to the other two. (Thanks Mastro's in Scottsdale for hosting me!) — 9 years ago

WC Fields

9.4

Big baby Jesus! ODB. Love it. Classic undertones of Beaune funk, earth forest floor and moss. Decanted for 45m and amazingly open and giving. Impressed at readiness here. Acid is awesome and carries through and makes this wine go great with bigger richer food. Rib-eye and acid cut it great. — 10 years ago

Matthew Lazewski

8.9

Great cab. Subtle notes with a smooth oaky taste with a hint of what appeared to be cherry and smooth aftertaste that disappears in the blink of an eye. Excellent. — 10 years ago

with Jacob

Mark Oldman

10

1937 Lafaurie-Peyraguey: seventy-eight years had nothing on this still-fresh show-stopper. Lucid amber color, tangy marmalade-tinged flavor, medium-weight that is not tiring to drink at all. Threads the needle with perfect balance of honeyed intensity and bright acidity. One of the best ‪#‎Sauternes‬ ever to grace these lips. The perfect ‪#‎wine‬ when the wolves of life are howling outside your door. — 10 years ago

Darrene Hackler

9.0

Depth and character that is expressing subtleties of leather and salt and perfect for a cabin hideaway with grilled dry aged rib eye. — 11 years ago

Luis Prieto

8.9

Dark red almost purple on the eye. On the nose it is earthy with spice. Tastes of black berry, black currant with a smokiness (wet gravel) taste. — 8 years ago

Andrew Belzer

9.2

fresh cut grass with tropical nots of passion fruit, guava, and citrus — 8 years ago

Igor Fishman

9.0

eye level gravel with my hands dirty, nine pm, fifteen years, give or take, we wanted to carry, hold eachother, push, scared of what's to come and the 'what to do', i once told you, whispers, humming bird, beak-heart, "i would love to fast forward", and now, cliche on cliche, i just want to speak to you and imagine the 'what to do', clean hands at nine pm — 9 years ago

"Odedi"

9.3

What a nice Turkish delight this is.
Beautiful color of dark ruby/inky core with a purplish rim.

The nose is similar to a Napa Cabernet. Lots of vanilla and oak that drown all the fruits. Some chocolates, licorice, cedar, coffee, cola, smoke, blackberries, black currants, black pepper and spices.

Full bodied and bold, Smooth and elegant with medium plus acidity and gorgeous legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with oak, vanilla, blackberries, currants, sweet cherries, dark chocolates, cola, figs, raisins, tobacco, coffee, peppercorn and spices.

Long finish with full, firm tannins and black pepper.

A great Single Vineyard red wine. Big, bold and beautiful. At a Blind tasting I would call a young Napa Cabernet.
Balanced and Enjoyable by itself or with food. I Paired it with a Turkish lamb dish, and it held its own nicely.

This 5 year old needs some additional bottle time and will be even better in 3 years.
Needs 2 hours in a decanter.

Fun fact:
Okuzgozu, the grape varietal, means an ox eye for being the largest among the grape varieties grown in Turkey.

14.5% alcohol by volume. — 9 years ago

Randi Radabaugh

10

One of the best red wines I've had in a while! It caught my eye because of the label/packaging and I ended up picking it up to accompany a prime rib dinner because of the description on the back recommended that pairing specifically and it was perfect! The other guests raved about it as well. Very affordable. — 9 years ago

Devin Bray

9.3

Burgundy-like bubblegum notes on the nose. Light and zippy, reminding first and foremost of slightly carbonated cranberry juice, but with the acidic complexity of a great lambic, tinged with hay, ginger, forest floor, light warm spice and wild raspberries. Extraordinarily floral, offering up a strong bouquet of cut tulips, violets, and lilies. Delicious and eye-openingly singular. — 9 years ago

Eric Egan

9.1

A wine that's often drunk very young - waiting 10 years rewards the patient. A thin film of water at the rim and a hint of candied cherry ahead of a dark core; oven grilled sweet bell-peppers, pepper, figs , sweaty leather, vanilla fudge; well integrated tannins but still a bit of a bite, like an old cheetah sleeping with one eye closed. — 10 years ago

JeremyC

9.2

Yes that says 1990!!! Fuckin' cool and holding up like a champ. Aging potential of these wines has been an eye opening lesson to me and astounding to experience!!! — 10 years ago

with Tommy

Brent Noll

9.5

Big, bodacious & tons of fruit! Paired well with rib eye dinners! — 10 years ago

Amy Kusen

10

One of my favorite reds — 12 years ago