S.S. Mandani

9.3

Oh my god. Red wine with oomph, how I have missed thee. My 31 year old taste buds thank thee for your powerful musk.

Italian wines smell like my grandfather. He was a Don. Capital D and all. Dark, spiced perfume of hot cinnamon, blackberry compote, cherry pie, a tannery, and black pepper.

Tannins are welcome here. A muted acidity allows the purity of the fruit and the smokey warmth of the baking spices to glow. — 3 years ago

Nick Livingston

9.5

1993 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru - From my grandfather “Hoff”’s wine cellar. Enjoyed with my wife, mother and step-father. — 4 years ago

Joseph Barsky

9.5

NV. 19% Alcohol.Tawny Port from Penfolds in Barossa, Australia. Our go to tawny. — 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.4

Vincent Girardin continues the winemaking tradition of his father and grandfather before him, and expanded the appellations in his domaine either through inheritance, purchase, or a system of leasing called "fermage." Aromas of stone and citrus fruits. The palate shows lemons with crisp apple, mineral & oak notes. This medium-body wine has good balance with integrated acidity, lingering, finishing smooth with a citrus mineral ending. Very Nice! — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Vincent Girardin continues the winemaking tradition of his father and grandfather before him. Aromas of crisp stone fruits with citrus notes, complex. On the palate apple and citrus flavors, lively with honey and spice. Well balanced, lingering finish ending with mineral tones. Nice! Put this in the cellar for a few years. — 5 years ago

Sarah Rudolph

8.9

Savory, rich, and familiar. The wood-panneled restaurant where you’d sit at the counter and order club sandwiches with your grandfather.
Opening a desk drawer to find an old note from an even older friend. — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Named after the winery owners’ grandfather, Scott produces wines from Dijon Clones grown on the estate in the Arroyo Seco appellation of Monterey, CA. Ruby with red berry fruit aromas and subtlr spice. On the palate cherry, cranberry and strawberry flavors come through with earthy herb spice, some vanilla notes. Lively acidity and smooth tannins, good balance. Medium+ finish, soft oak, rich texture, Very Nice. — 6 years ago

Commissioner

10

Happy 16th Wedding Anniversary to Stephen &Sherry — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

History of Chapoutier family dates back to the early 19th century when current owner Michel Chapoutier’s great-, great-, great-grandfather Marius purchased estate & famous l’Hermitage vineyards. Medium Ruby with aromas of rich red/black fruits and spice. On the palate raspberry, cherry & black currant flavors with notes of oak. Firm tannins, well balanced ending with fruit, spice and cedar. Very nice! Tasting Sample. Has lots of room to bottle evolve. — 3 years ago

Jim McCusker

9.6

Wow. This is a small production offering from John Alban (usually 1-2 barrels at most). Mourvedre-dominated, this wine is spectacular (and very approachable for its age). Intense fruit, great balance, and a finish that goes on for nearly a minute. One of the great things about this wine - other than the wine itself - is the bottle. According to Lorraine Alban, the photo on the front shows a hat and cane that belonged to her grandfather. Better still is the font, a recreation of her grandfather’s handwriting from a letter he wrote to his future wife during The Great War. Just awesome. — 4 years ago

with Vanessa

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Had this in a restaurant! Founded in 1902 with a vineyard farmed by Giacomo's grandfather, located in Pedemonte village in NW part of Verona, now run by 4th generation of Tommasi family. A blend of 50% Corvina Veronese, 15% Corvinone, 30% Rondinella & 5% Oseleta. Aromas of dried fruits with savory spice notes. On the palate sweet plum and sweet cherry flavors with pepper & cacao. Soft tannins, chewy on lingering finish ending with an oak character. Nice! — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

History of Chapoutier family dates back to early 19th century when current owner Michel Chapoutier’s great-, great-, great-grandfather Marius purchased estate & famous l’Hermitage vineyards. Deep Purple (with a little smoke on the water), 100% Grenache with aromas of dark fruit and complex exotic spice. Plum, berry & current flavors with nutty tobacco develops into sweet licorice. Tannins a bit grippy but will soften, lingering, balance ending with fruit and spice. Nice!
— 5 years ago

Damon Kornhauser

8.9

It's a cool summer evening. Grandfather pulls out his branded cherries, plumped by their steeping in the liquor. The smell weaves with the open bottle of anisette on the table, the damp pines outside the open window, and the subtlest char from the wood cooking stove as the embers glow into the evening. — 6 years ago

Daniel M

8.9

Much too young but ... when paired with red meat it unveils its potential : superb nose of sour cherry, blood, a bit of térébenthine too. Some spices. A profound, intense nose that makes us think and reflect on the wine. The palate is much too young but the sour cherry little song plays again among subtle tannins and along a long acid backbone that wants to go the extra mile. Red berries play a little part in this piece and raspberry comes at last. Very nice work. Would love to come to it again in 5-7 years. Fun fact : we are currently spending Christmas time with the in laws in Warsaw, Poland. This winemaker is of polish descent. His great grandfather came to France in the early years of the 20th century to make wine in burgundy. It's quite consistent with our life story that we open this wine during our Christmas diner! — 6 years ago

Dee Raffaeli

9.2

I thoroughly enjoyed this very smooth, but bold wine. I love that it's from Sicily, which was home to my Grandfather Raffaeli. — 7 years ago

Jory ZG

9.2

Very smooth and easy to drink — 3 years ago

Martinez

9.0

Blend of Grenache (80%) and Mourvedre (20%) from 6 parcels in the Palastor, Bois Dauphin and Cabrières lieux-dits, located around the road to Orange in the cooler, northern part of the Châteauneuf du Pape AOC. From 60-80 years old vines Gradassi inherited from his grandfather rooted on sandy and clay soils, with few galets roulés (round river stones). Whole-bunch fermentation in cement vats. Aged for 10 months in older barriques. Intense, complex and fabulously aromatic, with aromas of dark fruit, garrigue, licorice and an edge of graphite/gunpowder. Big and powerful (14.5%) yet balanced. Earthy, leathery qualities and some chewy tannins. — 4 years ago

S.S. Mandani

9.1

Shoe polish peppery. The bouquet reminds me of a musky, spicy, fragrant cologne my grandfather might have worn in the early 90s.

Takes me back.

Licorice, black cherry, and just a hint of banana peel in the bouquet.

At first taste:

Woah. Flavor bomb.

Rich. All this fruit you don’t sense in the bouquet comes alive. It’s as if you’re berry picking on the French countryside, popping handfuls of mixed berries into your mouth at a time.

$11.99 at TJ. This is a steal.
— 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Began 1916, when Juan Gil Giménez, great-grandfather of the present generation, built a winery in heart of Jumilla. Blue label spent 18 months in new oak barrels (wine formally known as 18 mos representing time in bottle, now “Blue Label.” Monastrell, Cab Sauv & Syrah blend (60/30/10), low yield, aromas of red berry and toasty oak. Palate shows flavors of dark berry fruits, espresso, cacao and hints of sweet spice. Big dusty tannins, well integrated with oak, lingering, ending with balanced oaky character. — 6 years ago

Isaac Pirolo

9.6

For as much ritz and glamour that is typically associated with Napa Valley, this week highlighted who the real rock stars are in their community... the farmers and firefighters. Haley Wight is the sixth generation to farm her family’s estate, the historic Lewelling Ranch in St. Helena, originally established by her great-great-great grandfather John Lewelling in 1864. She also happens to make extraordinary Cabernet Sauvignon. So extraordinary, that I’m going to skip writing a note and just tell you that Robert Parker hits the nail on the head... “The wine displays gorgeous licorice, lead pencil shavings, black currants, loamy soil undertones and a touch of barrique. Dense purple, it has a full-bodied, multi-layered mouthfeel and a stunning finish with good acidity and velvety, well-integrated tannin, alcohol and wood. This is a scrumptious, full-throttle Cabernet Sauvignon to drink over the next 15 or so years. 96 points.” — 7 years ago