Andrew Stogran

8.9

Nice balanced, not as sweet as the label hints at. — 3 years ago

Tree Kilpatrick

9.1

Deep red brick color. Smells just a hint like some fruity vinegar. Flavors are complex and zippy. Juicy. A tad more going on than the Viano private stock Zin. Classic Contra Costa County old vine Zin. — 4 years ago

Ross Bathgate

9.5

Bought from the winery at private tasting with Ron. Glorious, sweet fruit and wonderful tannin structure. — 5 years ago

Ron from VA

9.3

Simply exquisite! One of Michael best builds. All round hill fruit :) this was gold in GovCup (2019?) This raises the bar for both terroir and maker! — 5 years ago

Deborah M

9.3

Late to post this from Friday night dinner at Gemma (Dallas spot with nice wine list). Surprised to find this one on the list and just had to order. Fortunately they decanted for us, but it was still a little cooler temp than my liking. Overall this is always a pleaser. Still can’t believe this is a second wine for PT. Silky smooth tannins. Approachable now, but will become even more elegant with time in the bottle. Can’t beat this QPR. Napa cab that holds true to Bordeaux style. (Drank 1/3/20) (not my photo) — 6 years ago

with Amy

Isaac Pirolo

9.5

Riverain is Steve Nordhoff and Dean & Laurie Gray’s label that produces just a few hundred cases from some select vineyards in Northern California, including a Tench Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Gamble Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc.

According to Dean Gray, Riverain is a historically French term meaning “local & friendly people who reside near the river.” @Greg Ballington deserves credit for the reco, and while I’ve had a handful of Syrahs from the Cardiac Hill Vineyard in Sonoma County’s Bennett Valley, this is my first that’s made by Thomas Rivers Brown.

Screams old world, particularly Northern Rhône. Loved it from the get-go, but the acceleration at 90 minutes open is significant. Campfire grilled meat, finely ground pepper, black olive, and creosote, with a core of savory black fruit, and a beautiful secondary combination of cedar and lavender. There’s a distinctive combination of balance, purity of fruit, and savory structure that’s hard not to recognize. — 7 years ago

Jack Cranley, Backroads Wine Club & Cascadia Premium Wines

9.3

Just a classic old-school Oregon Pinot Noir. Absolutely essential. This was the most structured of the St.Innocent 2014 offerings. Picked up a couple for a long nap in the cellar & looking forward to what it's like at age 8 or so. — 8 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

Aromatic notes of rose and violet. Great depth of delicious flavour on the medium bodied palate. Red fruits - savoury and rich. See previous note for the 2014 - always excellent but 8 years of cellaring has enhanced this wine. To have won the Jimmy Watson Trophy for the Best One Year Old Dry Red at Royal Melbourne and still starring now at 8 years of age shows this is a wine for all seasons and all years. Should be a regular purchase. A Winner. — 3 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

Served blind by me at Sue Bell’s dinner party with Bruce Redman. After being tricked by Sue all week with blind tastings at the winery I was determined to get square. She was up to the task getting just the state wrong. Once I said Adelaide Hills she knew it was a Gruner. Hahndorf Hill are acknowledged as the best producers of Gruner in Australia. Taking its lead from the GV’s of Austria’s Kamptal region. Grapefruit, Citrus and stone fruit. A multi award winner on the Australian Show circuit. A gold medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards London 2020. — 5 years ago

Peggy Hadley

10

Happy Birthday Jim!! What a great wine. “To smell the nose is like hearing angels trumpeting at the pearly gates!” Hallelujah-this is perfection! And you guys know I don’t take this lightly! — 5 years ago

with Tommy, David and 2 others

James Webb

9.3

Classic big California Chard! Oak and Butter, this is well knit stuff! Expensive and not great QPR sadly. By the glass at Bouchon. — 7 years ago

Steven Beishuizen

9.0

A nice, level-tallied merlot that would pair well with pretty much any piece of meat you could chase down. The tannins are silky and the fruit vey fresh. I'm thinking cherry and red plum here. Not bad at all. — 8 years ago

Janice in Livermore

9.5

After dinner delight at the Fairmont in Maui. 2014 Chalk Hill. — 8 years ago

Vijay Parikh

9.5

We opened the bottle for an hour before dinner. Initially a powerful aroma of blackberries flooded the dining room. Slowly it mutated to black and red cherries with earth. Multi layered complexity the wine was an absolute pleasure to drink with. If you look at QPR it would@blow all burgundies out of the water! Simply sensational! — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Saturday lunch with friends. Aromas of white flowers and bath talcum powder. Amazingly youthful for a 9 year old Riesling - a long future ahead of at least another 10 to 15 years. Vibrant acidity will nurture this going forward. Considered by many to be Australia’s premium Riesling. A class act which will no doubt put on weight in the coming 10 years. Had another bottle 42 weeks later on 17th April 2022 with consistent notes. Very contained and youthful. Not a hint of kerosene. Leave the remaining 2? bottles for a couple of years at least. — 4 years ago

Gilbert Van Hassel

9.6

Very pungent meaty nose followed by forest floor, underbrush, lavender. Port like at the absolute plateau with a very long finish. — 5 years ago

M F

9.0

LOVE Just Because - Southhold Farm + Cellar 2019 Dolcetto Texas Hill Country
Prominent rosy floral nose. Acid and tannins. Not at all sweet. Cherries, melon, tannins and earthy stems. A little bit of cedar and meaty notes. Flavors unfold gradually on the tongue as you sip and savor. Beautiful translucent light ruby color. Slightly cloudy, but NOT inky or opaque. Tasty. The sharp acidity paired well with a spicy fresh homemade pizza. Not gulpable - makes you drink it slow, enjoy all the flavors. — 6 years ago

Ron from VA

9.2

Absolutely fantastic! At nine years old, this is just hitting the full effect of secondary bottle aging. Black cherries, coffee and liquored raspberries are framed by a simmered redux of eastern & baking spices. Almost as long as it is wide… The acidity is almost fully entwined with the tannins for a near seamless tour d’force. This fella is playing in the same sandbox with RdV’s Lost Mountain...it’s that good! 2 bottles remain in the cellar :) — 6 years ago

Paul T HB

9.7

Fortunately the stigma of 2011 has turned out in our favor on this one, continuing to find this under $50.00 nowadays, great Chardonnay. So glad @Martin G Rivard for sending me my first bottle, gone through a case since then, its a must buy at this price. — 8 years ago

Ellen Clifford

8.9

Continuing in my Napa cab education this showed up at the door for me. It is excellent winter wine. It would warm you even if chilled—at 15 % abv no doubt but the taste is coziness defined too: ripe cherries, blackberry preserves on some sort of cheese on an earthy whole whole wheat cracker. The tannins could use, say, one or two more years to fully integrate but they aren’t objectable. Holiday spices and a whiff of forest floor and a long plummy finish round it out. Take this wine to an ice skating party if such things exist in your life. — 8 years ago