Sipping Fine Wine

9.6

Ruby with complex fruit aromas, spice and oak. Blend of 89% Tempranillo & 11% Graciano, aged 48 months on American oak. On the palate flavors of jammy dark berry fruits with spice & smoky earthy notes on ripe full soft tannins. Long finish, nice mouthfeel, ending with fruit, oak, cigar box spice and mineral earthy tones, a joy to Sip this Fine Wine!! Tasting great, has more aging potential! — a year ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Holding up well showing notes of berry fruits, plum, cedar, leather, earth, spice box with sweet tobacco — 2 years ago

Claire Montgomery

9.1

Part of zin wine tasting. Fav one of the set — 3 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. — 4 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Four day weekend. Gotta get it off to a good start. Been awhile since we had our 375ml of Ruinart.

The nose shows, ripe, slightly candied; black cherries, strawberries, kirsch cherries, rich, summertime watermelon, touch of orange citrus family blend, pomegranate juice, hints of fruit roll up & haunting apricots. Sea fossils & spray, a little bread dough, grey volcanics, chalky powder, orange, spring flowers with fresh & withering, red & pink rose pedals.

The palate is full & touch gummy/candied. Fruits are well extracted, deep, ruby; black cherries, blackberries, strawberries, kirsch cherries, rich, summertime watermelon, touch of orange citrus family blend, pomegranate juice, hints of fruit roll up & haunting apricots. Ghostly, not quite fruit brandy or fruit liqueur character, sea fossils & spray, a little bread dough, not quite medium, white spice with hints of palate heat, grainy, grey volcanics, chalky powder, orange, spring flowers with fresh & withering, red & pink rose pedals. The acidity lively and crisp. The round, well balanced & polish finish is always consistently satisfying and lingers for minutes.

Photos of; the House of Ruinart, Dom Thierry Ruinart, nicely light caves and rolling, hillside, Grand Cru Vineyard.

Not quite sure where “D” gets $83 when you can buy this all day at just under $65. — 4 years ago

Sara Hurst

10

Love! Let it breath a little and sip and enjoy! Hints of chocolate and vanilla. Very good! — 5 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. — 6 years ago

Luis F Gimenez

9.3

Floral bouquet, apples and honeysuckle.
Good acidity. Has a hint of oak. — 7 years ago

Marcus Caple

9.1

Lovely wine. Layers of flavour and good body. — 8 years ago

Mike Bledsoe

9.6

One of my favorites — 9 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

This was singing tonight showing notes of black fruits, pencil, leather, cedar, sweet spice & tobacco. Rich & full bodied on the palate drinking much younger than its 46 yrs. — 2 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! — 2 years ago

John Kuhn

9.3

Great nose. Good color. Nice peppery finnish. Smooth drinking. Tannins and acid are well balanced. Nice lingering finish. Fruits are mu
ddled. Lots of fruit with cherry dominant but nothing else really stands out. A fine example of Klinker Brick wine. You won't be disappointed in this wine. — 3 years ago

Alisha Shazier-Burks

9.3

1 of the best Zinfandels I've had. Very smooth and full of flavor. — 4 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

It is really not fair to have their 06 after their 09. It’s good but, all you can think about is the 09.

The nose reveals, slightly stewed to cooked fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb and bright cherries. Steeped tea, limestone, licorice, dry crushed rocks, cedar, dry tobacco, soft, used leather, dry crushed rocks, dry stones, underbrush, dry stems, dry top soil, understated baking spices, light graphite, dry herbs, light, dark spice and withering red & dark florals.

The body is lean, not quite full. The structure, tension, length and and balance are just ok to good and reveal the shortcomings of the 06 vintage. slightly stewed to cooked fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb and bright cherries. Steeped tea, limestone, licorice, dry crushed rocks, cedar, dry tobacco, soft, used leather, dry crushed rocks, dry stones, underbrush, dry stems, dry top soil, understated baking spices, some v/a or bandaid, light graphite, dry herbs, light, dark spice with some heat across the palate and withering red & dark florals. The finish is nice and elegant but, lack the fullness and beauty of most really good vintage Palmer’s. It finishes with nice persistent dark spice on the long set. Just give me another taste of the 09. 😜

Photos of; Chateau Palmer, their barrel room, a photo of their vineyard soil structure-if you didn’t know where all that earthiness comes from, a picture is worth a thousand words and their tasting room. — 5 years ago

Traci Mogil

9.3

Deep cherry fruit hint of spice. Rich. — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Started in 1972 with a simple philosophy - to focus production on only one varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon. A blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot & 0.5% Malbec. Dark opaque Ruby with aromas of red fruits, oak, sweet herbs and spice. On the palate raspberry and blackberry flavors with notes of cacao and espresso. Fine dusty tannins, satisfying acidity on lingering smooth finish ending with sweet oak tones. Nice! — 6 years ago

Rick Powis

9.1

Lots of flavors. Great nose. — 7 years ago

Paige Johnson

9.0

This is my go to red wine. Easy drinking and full of flavor — 9 years ago

Emily Vasey

10

Yummo!! Smooth, great mix of flavors. Definitely need to buy again☺️ — 9 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.7

Tasted blind. Deep tawny color. Heavy nose with lots of drama going on. Notes of old wet cedar desk, red fruits, pepper, mocha, dark moist earth and some spice. Great structure. Has a perfect balance of fruit that strongly remains in the picture with structure and acidity. Silky, coats the mouth. Might have been the WOTN until the next bottle was poured. — 2 years ago

ESF

9.4

Out of a split - is there any producer who is more consistent w/Zin? Ridge is up there, but for sheer offerings, I’ll take Seghesio. This is textbook - a clinic in Sonoma Zin... 10 yrs & peaking! — 3 years ago

William Hughes

9.2

Seventy-five plus year vines make me happy. Plenty of acidity balanced by lean, yet round, tannins. Savory raspberries and cherries with rhubarb and a little bay leaf. Yum! — 4 years ago

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, — 4 years ago

Scorewine

Wine writer http://www.israelwines.co.il

9.2

Visiting again this splendid Paulliac from the 2011 vintage. 2011 vintage was labeled as mediocre in Bordeaux and this lovely wine showed that it is actually a classic vintage with some great wines, so trust the chateau not only the vintage. The nose is tempting with notes if coffee, earth, oak, cassis, black fruits and hints of chocolate, the body is full with round tannins, acidity is splendid and finish is long. My score 92, drink to 2026, perhaps longer — 5 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.1

Fruity and herbal aromas of brambly raspberry, kumquat, rosemary, and black soil. Finesse and elegance from a typically showy grape. Everything Broc does is awesome. Plus they have the best labels. — 6 years ago

Kevin Ortzman

9.3

More masculine than the '12. Blended red and black fruits with burnt vanilla spicy oak with a slight finish of mocha. — 7 years ago

Nic Anderson

9.5

Love this wine and at $8-$12 for a price point, it's pretty awesome! — 7 years ago

Louiza Collins

9.4

Velvety mouthfeel with medium tannins. Robust red and dried fruits, finish of vanilla and graphite. Quaffable af. Would pair with lamb, rabbit, pork, cheese, hummus. Versatile. Honestly not worth it's price point. An off vintage from a delicious vinyard. Would not be hard to find a bottle 1/5 of the price. — 9 years ago

Pamela Samanez

9.0

Game of thrones-esque veen. Yas. — 9 years ago

with Lorena