Tricia Weir

9.1

Really enjoyed this wine! Super smooth, an very easy to drink. A little fruity without being too sweet. — 5 years ago

Michael Johnson

9.7

I read Ned Grey Creed’s review and had to try it. I might add it’s more like the difference between friends and good friends. Friends help you move. Good friends help you move...
...bodies. This is a good friend.

In my list of best wines under $50, this one is at the top. In my list of best wines under $100, easily in the top 3. I bought it knowing CNDP has a standard to maintain, but at the price, I didn’t expect quite this level of complexity, long finish, and sikiness in the tannins. I went back to the store and bought the last three they had. I tend to fall in the high dollar Margaux camp, but this can give any of them a serious run for their money. — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Tried this again, good value. St. Innocent Winery was founded in May 1988 by Mark Vlossak, with eight investors. Ten tons of grapes were crushed the first fall, producing about 575 cases of wine. Deep red with berry fruit aromas, spice and floral notes. On the palate cherry and raspberry flavors, juicy with herb pepper notes. Fine tannins, nicely balanced with acidity on a lingering finish ending with fruit and earthy mineral. Nice Value. — 8 years ago

Holly Giese

9.2

Delicious. Trav and I both enjoyed this. Perfect with our steak on this beautiful fall Saturday evening. — 8 years ago

Christine Weiland

10

Fall Creek wine tasting with coworkers - finally opened it! — 8 years ago

RJ JANSSENS

9.3

Fantastic — 9 years ago

Amanda Wilson

9.0

One of my favorite fall beers. If only they sold it in Iowa! — 9 years ago

Phil Harris

9.9

I love this bold semi sweet dark red blend — 9 years ago

Dawn E.

9.2

This is a gorgeous wine even now(early)! Showing silky smoothness, smoke,cherry liqueur, cassis,black licorice, maple syrup, tar, milk chocolate and vanilla! I actually opened this last night but decided to wait!
This is my upcoming work weekend; wishing a Happy Fall weekend to everyone! — 5 years ago

Francisco Perez

9.1

Texas wines have grown. This is an outstanding blend of Grenache Syrah and Mourvèdre from Salt Lick Vineyard. This is a complex wine with great structure and finesse. Great to see the Lone Star State wines mature and compete in the world stage. Visited the Fall Creek Vineyards. Well worth it can’t get it retail because of the limited production but can get it online. New release of the 2016 vintage. Excellent! — 7 years ago

Andrew Schirmer

8.9

Cold night in Seattle calls for a smoky WA red blend. This is rather nice, not our usual style, but very well-made. Not too sweet or hot like many of its brethren. Pomegranate and wood on the delicate nose, blackberry and pepper on the palate. Oak is present but not overwhelming. Nice work. — 8 years ago

with Alsu

Rebekah Ward

9.1

Very surprised with this one. It really does taste like fall!! The spice is a refreshing change from the typical red table wine — 8 years ago

Matt Perlman

9.0

Faded cherry fruit, earthy funk, decaying vegetation, sweet smokey mesquite. Reminded me of wool blankets and fall leaves by a campfire. In a beautiful twilight phase--thanks @Scott DeBenedett ! — 8 years ago

Kecia Bird

9.0

Kecia had this 9 years ago

Claire White

9.2

Super impressed with this. Really balanced, robust red. Coffee and vanilla notes delicious. — 6 years ago

with nick

Nancy Hinman

8.9

Cotes du Rhône from FK 2017 Fall tasting.
Nice. — 7 years ago

Severn G

9.3

A nice Fall evening, relaxing by the chimnea.
Notes TBD. — 7 years ago

John

8.9

Consistently a Fall favorite — 8 years ago

leon egozi

9.6

In anticipation of the upcoming fall allocation — 8 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.5

Exceptional balance. Rich, but so fresh. Pears, orange, flowers, lemon curd, cream, brioche, nut. Long, powerful palate, underlined by a driving acidity.

Some thoughts: In my eyes, RMs tend to fall into "extreme" categories e.g. Laherte - austere, Egly - rich (lees), Agrapart - rich (oak), Selosse - oxidative; but this wine doesn't fit here. NM-like, but not (I think of Chartogne-Taillet when I say this). Compare to Krug's Grand Cuvee, the Grands Vintages is definitely richer and broader (fair comparison, given how both wines are constructed).

From Chain Bridge Cellars:
As the name suggests, Eric Rodez’s Grand Vintages is a rich, powerful and very much “grand” wine in the tradition of Krug (where Eric learned his craft). This year's release is a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay from seven great vintages going back to vintage 2000. Eric ages all of these base wines in used oak and blocks malolactic fermentation to maximize freshness and vibrancy. Then the carefully crafted blend spends 8 full years on the lees before being disgorged this October. The dosage is ultra-low - 2 or 3 g/l - so this could be labeled "Extra Brut," but there's so much richness and depth here that "Brut" seems more appropriate to Eric.

Past releases have earned plenty of critical praise, including 17.5/20 points from Jancis Robinson, 93 from Vinous, and 92 from Wine Advocate. This year’s release is explosive on the nose and palate, pumping out big notes of lemon curd, caramel, toasted nuts, baking bread, crushed chalk, and more. The flavors just balloon out to fill your entire palate and finish with layer upon layer of mouthwatering pie crust, lemon curd, hazelnut, crushed stone and salty caramel flavor. Try holding some for even more richness! — 9 years ago