Sipping Fine Wine

9.4

Referred to as the “Baby Grange,” blend of 51/49 Cab Sauv & Shiraz, aged for 12 months in 36% new American oak, partly in previous-vintage Grange casks. Dark Ruby with aromas of fresh black fruits, complex with sweet spice. On the palate flavors of black cherry and blackberry flavors with notes of cacao, oak and toasty spices. Well balanced with acidity, full firm tannins, long ending with smoky spice, fruit well integrated with oak, drink over next 10 years+, will only get better. Nice! — 7 months ago

Doug Powers

9.7

From a really fine, structured Napa vintage, this shows dark fruits and mineral notes aromatically, still has loads of Dunn Howell Mountain structure and tannin, long, lingering finish, but the finish suggests that it needs 10-20 more years of aging, simply an incredible, old school (13% ABV) Napa mountain Cabernet with amazing length and freshness, a true WOW wine (if you’re moderately unoffended by the enormous structure still remaining)!!! — a year ago

with Jim

Cathy Corison

Owner/Winemaker Corison Winery

8.9

Grandes Dames tasting 2/1/23. My 3rd, group 1st. Cherries, hints of flowers. Herbal, not fruity. Grippy. — 3 years ago

Claire Montgomery

9.1

Part of zin wine tasting. Fav one of the set — 5 years ago

Delectable Wine

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10

The 1945 La Mission Haut-Brion from the château cellar is transcendental. It is blessed with the most beautiful bouquet you can imagine, effortless and natural, featuring woodland, red-berried fruits, a minerally quality and a faint touch of leafiness; given time to settle, it develops a lovely gamy note. The palate is medium- rather than full-bodied and sublimely balanced, upholding that effortless grace with an elegant, bittersweet, dried orange peel finish. One of the most harmonious wines I have ever consumed. Perfect. Tasted at the La Mission Haut-Brion vertical in London in September 2009. (Neal Martin, Vinous, May 2020)
— 6 years ago

Traci Mogil

9.3

Deep cherry fruit hint of spice. Rich. — 7 years ago

Melissa Parsonson

9.6

Once it opened up a phenomenal wine. Incredible nose. Strong aromatics, dried fruits, oak, hints of pepper. Smooth but firm tannins. Cherries and vanilla develop in the mouth. Long, warm finish. Drink now or let it age. — 9 years ago

with Mark

Gary Braun

9.6

One of my all time favourite wines, we had this on our Alaska cruise. Fruity, blackberry, chocolate, toffee. We just loved it. — 10 years ago

Mike Bledsoe

9.6

One of my favorites — 11 years ago

Pamela Samanez

9.0

Game of thrones-esque veen. Yas. — 11 years ago

with Lorena

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Slightly lighter garnet core , lighter terracotta rim . Quite muted on the nose , quite herbal and spiced notes, some red plum and floral sous bois , black tea . After a while this opens up slightly , showing a bit more detail , but never jumps out and grabs your attention as other bottles have. On the palate this is better , with the roundness and slightly sweet , red plum , summer fruits , sous bois and lightly herbal , grafite tinged , saline finish of reasonable length . Quite refreshing acidity and suave tannins . On this basis drink now and over the next few years. However , there are better bottles out there . This was disappointing compared with other bottles I’ve had , though the palate was more sound and it wasn’t flawed. A bit of a perplexing bottle. — 9 months ago

Gillian Kennedy

9.0

Unlike my memory of zinfandels on the beach in California, but quite compelling. Almost bitter, yet dark and soothing. Chocolate is like that. — 3 years ago

Dennis Hogenkamp

9.2

13.5% ABV Salute to Lulu Peyraud of Domaine Tempier in France. Lulu’s father owned the vineyard , and she along with her husband took it over. Sadly we lost her in October 2020 at the age of 102 y/o. This is a blend of old vine Mataro and Grenache. Light salmon color, watermelon initially , later apple. Very nice! — 4 years ago

Lars Miller

9.6

Barnyard nose, with very little fruit. Flavor bomb! Luscious red cherry, cedar, spicy, super smooth, and not a hint of tannins. Amazing for 10 bucks. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

The White Burgundy was excellent but, still have to have my BSR 375ml. It’s been awhile for us.

It is a little better tonight following the Burgundy & soft white cheese.

The nose on this bottle really flows out of the glass tonight. Beautiful lean fruits of; blackberries, black cherries, cherries, strawberries, watermelon near the rind, blood orange, orange & tangerine & some pomegranate. Crisp volcanic minerals, saline, sea fossils, baguette crust, vanillin, whiff of caramel, soft white spice, pink flowers and rose pedals.

Everything on the palate sings just a little louder tonight as well. Fruits are even a little richer than normal. Ripe & slightly gummy not as normal leaner fruits of; blackberries, black cherries, cherries, strawberries, watermelon near the rind, blood orange, orange & tangerine & some pomegranate. Crisp and grippy, volcanic minerals, beautiful softer, powdery chalkiness w/o quite the sharper edge it normally has, soft, hints of Provence herbs, saline, sea fossils, baguette crust, vanillin, whiff of caramel, soft white spice, pink flowers and rose pedals. The acidity is crisp, lively and dead on as alway. The long, rich, well balanced finish is deliciously refreshing and persists minutes.

Photos of; one of their Grand Cru Vineyards at sunset & inside and the Estate grounds of the House of Billecart, — 6 years ago

Deb Hadley

9.1

Smooth, with a rich finish. Goes well with the more hearty foods of fall. Very unexpected for the money. A really good wine. — 10 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

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. — 10 years ago

Rob Garretson

9.0

Full-bodied and fruit-forward without the syrupy sweetness of most inexpensive California zins. Great $11 beach wine and even better at home for $8.50 at Total Wine! — 11 years ago

Julie H

10

One of my favorites. — 13 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium deep ruby , quite thin garnet ruby rim . Cassis , blueberry , blackberry , iris , pain grillé. On the palate this is quite dense and rounded , with more dark fruits , cassis , blackberry and a savoury , saline seaweed tinge on the finish . Fine but noticable , sweet tannins , and fresh acidity , quite rounded and richly fruited but very balanced . Good length with grafite , mineral and creme de cassis . Polished and quite decadent but all elements very balanced . Just drinkable now with time in decanter , really fruit driven still, but will improve well over the next 10 or more years and last well a further 10-15 . This shows some of the ripeness and exuberance of 2009 paired with the flamboyance of Mouton , makes for quite a pairing a very promising future ahead. — 10 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Quite deep ruby and , garnet terracotta rim. Quite spicy nose , slightly green touches , mix of red and dark fruit . On the palate fills out quite well , good acidity , slightly gritty tannins still with mineral , tobacco notes on the finish . Ok reasonable length . This comes across a bit greener than I remember it , so not sure how representative this bottle is , fine to drink now and over the next 10 years . 91

Second bottle medium deep ruby with garnet rim . Took a bit of time to open up , but very good definition , red and dark fruits, truffle , undergrowth, cigar box and grafite. On the palate quite charming sweet red fruits, red plum, cassis , dried spices, undergrowth , elegant for las cases , grafite and tobacco stained finish . Well balanced acidity and quite gritty but ripe tannin . This is lovely now with time in the decanter and over the next 10 -15 years . Completely different from first bottle . — 3 years ago

John Malcolm

9.5

An excellent wine. Buttery with lots of yellow peach, honey, apricot. Silky smooth. — 3 years ago

Ryan Colthorp

9.0

This was super smooth. Lots of dark fruits and hints of chocolate. — 4 years ago

Alisha Shazier-Burks

9.3

1 of the best Zinfandels I've had. Very smooth and full of flavor. — 6 years ago

Sara Hurst

10

Love! Let it breath a little and sip and enjoy! Hints of chocolate and vanilla. Very good! — 7 years ago

Jody Wycech

9.6

I loved a wine, but it wasn't favored amongst other folks. Lots of vanilla and oak. Full bodied and dry. Love this! Would probably pair nicely with steak or ribs. — 8 years ago

DAL 9000

9.2

Immediate aroma of plums. Initial bust of dark cherries. An incredible find for the price. — 10 years ago

Hao Feng

9.2

Attractive herbal, black fruits and meaty aroma upon Burgundian mineral acidity, peppery spice, and red fruit flavors. On top of that, good complexity, smooth tannin, well balanced. — 10 years ago

Joseph C Burke

9.1

Dark red, nose of cassis, BlackBerry & raspberry jam, hint of eucalyptus; black fruits, plums and cassis on palate, hint of licorice/iodine in the finish, les fruity now than in youth, drink up. — 11 years ago

Amanda Lavelle

9.1

A smooth Zinfandel with a hint of chocolate, stone fruit, and blackberry. Yum! — 12 years ago