Ned Gray Creed

9.0

Cold and crisp. A fine quaff as we set up the game room, filled out prop bets, and listened to pre game chatter. — 5 years ago

with Mark

Lauren Cadell

10

Robust. Offers luscious blackberry, cassis, chocolate, and cedar aromas and flavors. Hints of toffee linger on the fruity finish. The rich, velvety flavors make a dynamic match with grilled steak, roasted game, garlicky lamb chops and aged cheeses. — 7 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Perfect match with a grilled steak. This had sweet blackberry & red currant with cedar, saddle leather, earth, game & cigar box. — 7 years ago

Shawn R

9.4

Maggie was once a student under Manfred Krankl, this bottle was her second vintage. Shows a restrained nose even after 3 hours after the decant. Hints of wild game and blackberry compote on the nose. Sweet tannins that integrate well and provide backbone. Layers of cassis, plum and wild flowers set up a stellar finish that sails for over a minute. — 8 years ago

Ricky Slade

10

This wine is very well-made, it’s soft spoken, medium-body, but full of lush fruit, great finish, surprisingly long for a Chorey. Immediately pretty and feminine, with a nose dominated by small red fruits (raspberry, Morello cherry) and black fruits (blackberry) set off by note of liquorice and underbrush. With air it evolves towards strawberry preserves and gingerbread with light game and leather notes. It is well-built with noticeably elegant tannins. — 8 years ago

Doc Jay

9.6

Game. Set. Match. — 9 years ago

Amélie Boucherit

9.0

Light dry red, 95% Pinot Noir and 5% Cesar, cassis and raspberry aromas with floral and licorice notes. Very interesting and perfect to match a game dish. — 10 years ago

Ferruccio

9.5

Italy vs France, set 2.
This time the match goes to France. Superb wine — 7 years ago

Roman Sukley

10

2005 Sine Qua Non "The 17th Nail in My Cranium" Sta. Rita Hills Syrah
Buckle your chinstraps folks because tonight we’re headed to the wine world equivalent of the summit of Mt. Everest. The absolute pinnacle in the Universe of wine for yours truly. The “it just don’t get any better than this” moment as far as grapes are concerned. Let me begin first with the name of this magic elixir. If memory serves, it was derived from a combination of the fact that this was the 17th Syrah produced in the Garage d’Or otherwise known as Sine Qua Non, and, in that same year, Manfred was felled by a rogue barrel requiring several staples to close the gash to his cranium, hence... "The 17th Nail in My Cranium"
The wine is a blend of 96.5% Syrah and 3.5% Viognier which was aged 38+ months prior to bottling. % alcohol. 4 hour decant at cellar temperature. Achromatic Raven black motor oil in my Zalto. Undoubtedly, the wines I find most compelling are of the “swirl, sniff and contemplate” variety, and this one might just set the benchmark. Explosive aromatic potpourri of blackberry jam, roasted coffee, fresh ground black pepper, graphite and spice with a faint floral arrangement lurking somewhere in the background. On the palate, sweet cherry compote and black currant with undertones of roasted game and black olives. A big, full bodied wine that’s light on its feet. A tightrope walker. A powerhouse with impeccable manners. Elegant and lithesome. A ballet dancer. Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov in his prime. Complex, with layers of flavors in beautiful, perfect harmony. Crosby, Stills & Nash singing “Suite Judy Blue Eyes.” The Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations.” Perfect balance. Pure, silky mouth feel. Immeasurable finish. And I mean that literally, as in it just continues on and on. Just utter perfection. A wine that is in fact so entirely perfect as to eliminate the need for a search for an alternative. The last word. To paraphrase The Bard, this wine “might (just) be the be-all and the end-all.”

— 7 years ago

Jay Kline

8.9

We brought this bottle up from the cellar and pulled the cork about two hours before dinner simply to let it catch its breath and come up to temperature. In the glass, a very deep crimson robe. Notes of cherry pie, burned toast, a touch of wild game...a bit hot though too and I found that to be a bit distracting. On the palate, dark cherries and plums...just a hint of spice but pretty simple really. Very soft mouthfeel. Tannins have integrated and acid is low-ish so I can't imagine any reason to hold out in hopes of more. Set your expectations, if you have any, to "moderate" and drink now. — 8 years ago

Tapani Piri

8.9

Very soft and gentle, did not match the game well. Better just for tasting. — 9 years ago

Randy Fuller

9.5

A very dark wine, the Cornerstone Oakville Station Merlot has aromas and flavors to match. The nose shows black fruit - the blacker, the better - and it is draped in smoke, herbs and spices. Sage and cinnamon join the smokey cover and provide a complex set of smells. The blackberry flavor is huge, with cinnamon, nutmeg, black olives and dusty sage competing for attention. With all that going on, it is still the fruit that dominates.
— 10 years ago

Vincent Derquenne

9.4

1st half wwc 4-1
Started before the game!
Ok...brioche, lemon confit, dry,
apricot, this is truly text book, sorry!!!set play!!!incredible,when I bought this I thought it needed few years!
Here we go World Cup class! — 10 years ago

Houdad Javidnia

9.2

Between this and Paolo Bea, I’m turning into a big fan of Sagrantino. Giving this wine time to open up may make my rating even higher. This wine is a good match for beef and other game. — 7 years ago

Scott McCaffrey

9.3

Giving a 9.3 but erring on the low side which might not be fair to this bottle. Drinks way more expensive than it is. Earthy tone on the nose is more spring-like and fresh than plowed field but palate gets hint of caramel/vanilla on the front. Really adds some complexity to a cab without being a sugary mess or taking away from its roots. Not sure I would pair this with game or a nice steak, but this is a great red that can stand on its own and is great to enjoy sitting on the deck watching the sun set — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Steak, Frites & Claret. I am in heaven this New Year’s Eve. While 03 was a very warm & ripe vintage; which will drink well younger, this still needs 5-8 years. The nose still shows a fair amount of earth & some funk even after an hour & half in the the decanter. Sour dark cherries, ripe blackberries, black plum, roasted strawberries, raspberries haunt the background, light vanilla & cinnamon, light, soft, spice, black cherry cola/licorice, light volcanic minerals, dry stones, rich turned earth, black tea, anise, dark fresh florals with a hint of violets. The body is medium, lush and beautiful. Tannins have baby teeth. Sour & sweet dark cherries, ripe blackberries, black plum, roasted strawberries, blueberries, raspberries haunt the background, light vanilla & cinnamon, light, soft, spice, black cherry cola/licorice, light volcanic minerals, dry stones, rich turned dark earth, dry crushed rock, hints of graphite, cigar tobacco, used leather, black tea, anise, dark fresh florals with a hint of violets. The acidity is round and near perfect. The length, structure, tension and balance are all in good company. The finish is long & beautiful with nice balance, but just a shade more earthiness on the long set. Here a little trivia for your next game of “Wine Trivial Pursuit.” What was the first wine brought into space? In 1985, the 75 Lynch Bages was brought into space by a Frenchmen. Of course, right? I wonder if that drove up the bottle price? I think Lynch Bages is still currently closed for visits as it’s under renovation. They are making serious improvements to their facilities. Should you ever visit, make your appointment either side of lunch and eat at their Bistro...Cafe Lavinal. It’s very good, close and owned by Lynch Bages. Library vintages of Lynch Bages are available by the glass. It’s a very short walk from the Chateau. They also have great accommodations in walking distance, the Cordeillan Bages. The hotel is very nice and has a two star Michelin Restaurant. One of our favorite meals ever! Wish you all peace, success and many nice bottles in 2018!!! Happy New Year! 🎊🎈🎆 🍾🥂 🎉 — 7 years ago

Jon Ebsworth

9.3

Volcanic joy at NobleRot nice match with game terrine then mallard — 9 years ago

Gary Westby

Champagne & Sherry buyer K&L Wines

9.5

Tear up the vintage chart, this might be the best young rosé I have had from Roederer. Cinnamon's fantastic Bo Saam was a perfect match. Virile minerality from north facing Chouilly Chardonnay set off the delicate, ultra fine strawberry fruit of the Cumieres Pinot. Wow JBL- you know how to do it! — 9 years ago

Randy Fuller

9.1

The wine is very dark - almost no light gets through when held to a lamp. Aromas of dark fruit and the subtle sense of earth make for an underplayed nose. On the palate, plums and blackberries meet minerals and black olives for a game of "sweet or savory." The match is a draw. The tannins are temperate and the acidity makes the mouth water. — 10 years ago

Keith Crump

9.2

A bold bloody red Pinot light on nose but bountiful in the glass not perfumed but bold and substantive this would match game or any red meat burgundy and its many communes are blessed — 10 years ago