Tierney H

9.1

Huge wine, full of dark fruit, leathery, strong alcohol initially so needs to breathe a bit — 7 years ago

Shay A

9.5

Another 4th Friday for the books, and one of the best of the year!

I can’t remember if I got this at my winery visit last year or if this was another gift from the man himself, @Martin G Rivard , but I do know that I only know about Beau Vigne because of Martin! Either way, thank you!

If I had smelled and tasted this blind, I would have called this a Bevan Cabernet. It is an iron fist in a velvet glove. It’s explosive out of the glass with baked blackberry pie, blueberry, sandalwood and chocolate shavings. Expansive on the palate and you think it’s going to overpower you, but it tones everything down for a silky and velvet textured finish. The palate goes more dark red fruit and black fruit with toasted oak. This is a BIG wine, but it’s no doubt very delicious. — 8 years ago

with Weston, Trent and 1 other

Edmond Bordelon

9.3

With Melka, you always get balance. The man knows it all from soil, to vine, to climate, to farming, to harvest,...all the way to the bottle. He is able to express it all in a way that seems simple to us at the end of the process, but is in reality a crazy orchestration and stress of hourly decisions...and he does this for multiple wineries! His CJ is sublime. His Jumping Goat is insane. With his new(ish) home on Silverado Trail now open, you can get them all! — 9 years ago

with Katherine

Curtis Osborn

9.4

Curtis had this 10 years ago

Mike R

9.3

I know it is the offspring or the want a be cousin of the Schrader clan but I just get worried drinking with the thought of drinking 200 plus often so this Napa Cab will be fine - it is singing to me and not the seasonal favorites but deep bass hymnals in that good way saying "man is this good bud" followed by "amen" and then "c'mon man" and then I wake up realize I was wanting this to be a RBS but what the heck - this is sort of distinctively good and at quarter of the other Schrader cabs I came back to saying "Amen" - almost big, bold enough and thus a good looking wine - deep dark fruit with blackberries, smell is very intoxicating and a little smokey with some heat but good balance so smooth enough and finally finish is lingering long enough to think about the entire package while compelling you to take another taste but with graceful sync - for the money - definitely recommend and hard to get after 2011 so might be a dinosaur soon - this is a good night to smile and of course the double diamond bomber x helps the lips curve upward on the ends as demonstrated in the small picture to follow 😃👍🍷 — 10 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.5

On a roll with the last few vintages, 2002, 2004 and now the 2006 (have not tried 2005), the 2006 is the latest release and man it is good! One of the few hyped wines in the wine world that to me actually matches the hype. Powerful and generous, this is drinking so good now but will go the distance is you can manage to hold onto it for long enough. — 11 years ago

Jim Ward

9.1

Beautiful fruit, soft and ripe, reminds me of ...... — 11 years ago

Michael Gorton Jr

8.9

Been so long since I took a stroll in the Finger Lakes. Austere and edgy. Lemon-y and rocky. Balanced and focused. Hints of petrol bounce around the glass. Personally, I wanted a bit more acid. But I'm enjoying this nonetheless. x x x x x #keuka x x — 11 years ago

Christy Canterbury MW

Master of Wine

9.1

Classy #NewZealand #SauvignonBlanc #Semillon blend w/ creamy & waxy texture, hint of toasted nuts & lots of nettles. — 12 years ago

Jeffrey Woo

8.9

Aromas of rubber and blueberry jam, with flavors of vanilla, oak, and baking spice. Full-bodied with heavy tannins and a lasting finish. Complex and well-balanced red blend. — 7 years ago

Julianne Gabert

9.0

Easy to pair with food, wallet friendly. — 8 years ago

Shay A

9.5

Celebrating my 30th birthday from a few weeks ago with one of my all time favorite bottles of rosé champagne! This stuff is incredibly hard to find, but the one and only @Martin G Rivard hooked me up! You are the man, Martin! Medley of kiwi, strawberries, and watermelon rind. Finish is more savory then salty as of late...delicate rose petals were dominated by melon/cantaloupe. A favorite! — 8 years ago

with Dan, Mark and 3 others

Y Kwon

9.5

Never seen a Chardonnay this dark. Very brown profile with a hint of crimson. Sweet melons, honey dew, thick, viscous, super long finish. Literally feels like drinking honey from a jar. Probably not the first thing I would grab but can appreciate the style. Very well balanced with just a hint of acid. — 10 years ago

Al Shikoh

9.1

Opaque purple core with ruby colored rim. Initial aromas of blackberry with more subtle earth and toasted oak but anise and black pepper accents build with air. Round and juicy on the palate with soft tannins and long peppery finish. — 10 years ago

with Kelly

Yoon Ha

Master Sommelier/Wine Director Benu

9.4

A strapping 36 year old man of a wine. — 11 years ago

Elmo Shih

8.9

Layers fragrance with a little flower flavor. It gave me an illusion of tasting Riesling. Finally I think this bottle should be open next summer... — 11 years ago

Tim Herrmann

9.0

My first Teutonic wine, and man is this a flavorful one--moderately aromatic with honey, lemon, lime, and ripe apple, the palate is an awesome melange of laser acidity balanced by just enough sweetness that supports the intense honey and citrus flavors, and then there's some textural grip on the finish. A great example of the acid-sugar balance I look for in high acid and off-dry whites. We were told this was "not classic" so blinded it as a somewhat neutral US Riesling made in a classic German style--but we would have expected more seductive aromatics from Riesling. With @Rajiv Ayyangar for Monday night blinds at nopa. — 11 years ago

Jerry Hindes CS, CSW

9.4

My first folly. Come and get it for cheep while it lasts. $25 a glass as my introductory premium cab by the glass to salute my promotion. Letting everyone get a taste of a classic vineyard that made me a lot of $. — 12 years ago

Scott Claffee

9.4

International man of mystery. — 12 years ago

Kent Waliser

9.7

Enjoying this tonight celebrating 7 years of marriage with Candace and the man who introduced us, Tim Welsh. Just delicious. — 12 years ago

Terra Preslan

9.0

A pleasant red, I prefer whites. Will definitely buy again to pair with a steak dinner. Flavor of red berries with a hint of spice. — 8 years ago

Roman Sukley

9.8

2006 Sine Qua Non "The Hoodoo Man" White Blend
39% Roussanne, 31% Viognier and 30% Chardonnay. 15.8% alcohol. “There ain’t a horse that can’t be rode, there ain’t a man that can’t be throw’d” Yet another of my Sine Qua Non guilty pleasures. Similar to the 2009 “The Thrill Of Stamp Collecting” and the 2011 “Patine,” this is one of those Sine Qua Non wines that I find to be a might more compelling than the expert reviews. I can’t quite put my finger on exactly why, but this one has always sort of tickled my fancy, and never fails to please. Ive always been rather fond of the perhaps Grant Wood, American Gothic inspired label. Now, some 12 years down the road, as with most of Manfred’s whites, the extra cellar time has just added nuance to this sexy effort. Lustrous, radiant gold in the stem, with a stunning bouquet of smoky, nutty peach cobbler with hints of white flowers lurking in the background. Tropical fruits and orange marmalade with a toasty, butterscotchy finish of substantial length. Absolutely wonderful acidity. Unctuous, oily texture that I treasure. Powerful and intense. Great balance. I like to taste great whites slightly warmer than cellar temperature, but I would say this one just got better and better with more air and as it warmed. Just beautiful. “Salud, chindon Mr. Krankl!”
— 8 years ago

Phillip Antley

9.3

Terrific, big fruit flavors, smooth tannins, just a bit of spice. — 9 years ago

Cecile B

9.5

Delicious tasting notes of licorice — 10 years ago

UGAWineDawg

9.5

Man oh man, this was da bomb - part of the wine pairing this evening at Per SE and Sean killed it - smooth as butter and paired well with the venison - I'm looking this bad boy up and looking down a dose of this fine mamma jamma.
Spice, blackberry, dark fruits and smooth cassis - unbelievable nose and the finish was what you would expect in an off the chain fine California Cab — 10 years ago

Jonathan Wall

9.3

Wow. So happy to find this in Hong Kong. Within 10 minutes of opening I called and ordered more. So well balanced, smooth, deep, savoury... And so well made. Not heavy, not light... Just right. Momma Bear wine. Happy Mother's Day. — 10 years ago

Gae Saccoccio - NdC

9.8

Vintage 1949 in Burgundy according to Broadbent: “..most perfect end of a decade - elegant, well-balanced wines”; Clive Coates in his book Cote D'Or: "best vintage of 40's all-perfect beauty and purity”; Robert M. Parker Jr.: “it was the best of post world war II vintages before 1959”
Henri Leroy at that time was négociant based in Auxey-Duresses, his mythical daughter Lalou Bize-Leroy in 1949 was only seventeen.
Les Cazetiers is amongst the most elevated of Premier Cru site in Gevrey-Chambertin - and indeed the whole of Burgundy.
I drank this precious bottle on Mount Etna with #FrankCornelissen and other dear friends. Uncork this bottle lead to a surgical operation. Just begun to pull it out, a light breath of wine molecule with air bubbles magically have emerged on the surface of the cork. It's been like witness the passing away of a dying old man (or Pinot Noir must be a woman?) That humanized wine had held "élan vital", hope and breath inside him for the last 66 years! A miracle of a wine still so tasty, robust, citrusy, vibrant, earthy, incredibly alive and well-preserved despite color and neck level did not bode so well.. that's what I thought and I'll remember until I die: "the wine was waiting for us to drink it up, he gave off his mortal blow to offer us life, joy and smile!" — 11 years ago

with Alberto

Martin Redmond

8.9

Pretty salmon color with strawberry, raspberry, stone fruit, and a hint of floral aromas. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, and fresh with juicy strawberry, raspberry, stone fruit, and a hint of savory spice with a mineral element and a lingering finish. 14.1% alcohol. Barrel fermented in 80% stainless and 20% neutral French oak. Retail $28 — 11 years ago

Concrete

9.0

Nice complexity for a kiwi chardonnay, good balance of butter and flint — 12 years ago

David Cesar

10

One of my favorites! — 12 years ago