Charles Mires

9.3

Excellent+ — 4 years ago

Frank Fahs

9.2

Only a few sips left. Pairs well with air and probably fatty foods but I only bought one bottle so just enjoying. so glad I don’t have to share. — 5 years ago

Randy Fuller

9.3

This wine is dark and savory. The black fruit comes along with cedar, vanilla and a chalky earth tone. Nothing like Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, but more in line with Paso Robles. Lots of South American minerals having a bit of roughhouse here. — 5 years ago

Somm 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. — 5 years ago

Kelly Buckley

9.6

Really light, well balanced, crisp and lightly fruity. Very refreshing. — 8 years ago

Justin Lees

9.5

Went down a treat — 8 years ago

Taylor Leigh

10

Love this dry red wine ❤️ — 9 years ago

Dan Whitaker

9.0

Great wine for the money. Fruit forward. Soft for a cabernet. Not much oak. Very fruit forward for a cabernet. — 4 years ago

Randy Fuller

9.5

This is a beautiful Carménère, all earthy and full of savory minerality. The blackberry and black plum aromas creep through the smell of that dirt with tar, forest floor and tobacco all over them. A hint of vanilla sweetens the sniff a bit. On the palate, the dark fruit is draped in sweet oak spice, and you’ll find a bucketful of tannins until the glass has been sitting for awhile. This is a steak wine, intended for a big, juicy piece of beef. — 5 years ago

Kevin Hicks

9.2

Easy drinking cab. I like a stronger cab but throughly enjoyed it. — 5 years ago

with Lisa

Jen & Will

10

This was the 1999 Barton Family Reserve zin. Not the big bad wolf. Couldn’t find this in the DB. Amazed it held up. Very soft for a zin, closer to a Pinot, plum, cloves, earth, apricot. — 7 years ago

Michal Sulkowski

9.1

Big body. Not quite as huge as a bear, but pretty big. — 8 years ago

Arun Raniga

9.1

Smooth and soft 2012 vintage on 1 Sept 2017 — 8 years ago

Steven Mendes

9.1

Outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon. — 8 years ago

Paul T HB

9.5

Just in from Jersey, $22.00 no tax free shipping. Buy it by the case all day long. Skip the Bevan & buy this
Retail notes,

There’s a sweet-spot for domestic Sauvignon Blanc found in a special part of Bennett Valley that experiences a strong maritime influence as it flows through the Petaluma Gap to Sonoma Mountain. Within that funnel of cooling coastal air, the Dry Stack Vineyard is in a prime location at 550 feet elevation at the base of Mt. Taylor. I’m continually drawn to Sauvignon Blanc from Dry Stack and the vineyard produces fruit with detailed notes of fresh guava, rocky minerals, ripe tangerine and mineral infused citrus. You might be familiar with Russell Bevan’s version from Dry Stack, and Grey Stack has been a pillar on our tasting list in Yountville.

With Grey Stack, everything begins in the Vineyard with exceptional quality fruit, but from there, the wine is given a voice by winemaker Patrick Sullivan, whose experience includes making wine at Peter Michael, Paul Hobbs, Lewis Cellars and Rudd. This is absolutely one of the finest examples of California Sauvignon Blanc with its superior focus and incredibly vivid, distinctive flavors. If you love Sauvignon Blanc, or better yet, even if you don’t… Try this one and you’ll probably never look back. — 5 years ago

Daniel Taub

9.5

Omg. Drinking outstanding. Kudos to the Bear! — 5 years ago

Jake Hajer

9.1

Aromatic, charred red bell pepper. Extracted, dark, serious. — 6 years ago

Chris B.

9.3

This will only get better with age and it’s already terrific. The biggest takeaway for me was the lingering taste of hot chocolate mix; subtle but undeniable. The bouquet is stuffed with cedar shavings, the dark fruit is strong but not obnoxious and the tannins coat the tongue, rather than attack it. — 7 years ago

Ryan Johnson

9.0

Not usually a white fan, but love this. Very drinkable, not too sweet, very nice chilled. Not gonna lie, drank a whole bottle in a sitting. — 8 years ago

Katy Baldock

10

Makes me never want to stop breathing in, it smells so delicious. It's fruity without being sweet and just sooooo tasty — 8 years ago