Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

Happy Valentines Day!

If you have not looked for this wine on WineSearcher.com or other, you should. Dan Standish has no American Importer. However, you can mail order off his list. Good luck with the Australian/United States import costs. Very prohibited.

Most quality Barossa wines take 15 years in bottle to show their ultimate beauty. Dan’s wines are no different. His Estate vines are 100 years old and produce 500 pounds of fruit per acre...very concentrated. Contrast that to extremely expensive & high quality Napa fruit, those Napa producers are at 2,000-2,500 pounds per acre.

We visited Standish in April 2017. We found Dan to be extremely talented & definitely marches to his own drum. He is salt of the earth and has traveled & worked in many of the world wine regions honing his craft and landing as Torbreck’s Winemaker in Barossa before starting, “The Standish Wine Company.”

As good as the 04 is tonight, it has 15 years of good life ahead...properly stored of course.

The nose is very intoxicating. It is a nice blend of purple, black & blue fruits. Mulberries, olallieberries, boysenberries, black plums, plums, blackberries, dark cherries, deeply extracted raspberries, some baked strawberries, black licorice to anise, dark fruit cola, black olive skin, medium dark spice, black pepper, charcoal, graphite, dry tobacco & underbrush, some bay leaf, alluvial soils, grey volcanic minerals/limestone with fresh & only slightly withering, purple, dark, blue florals framed in violets & lavender.

The body is full, rich, ripe, lush and creamy on the palate after a two-hour plus decant. The structure, tension, length and balance are a little short of its peak and will hold there for 5-8 years. It’s a glorious glide on the palate. The fruits are ripe & lightly baked. Mulberries, olallieberries, boysenberries, black plums, plums, blackberries, dark cherries, deeply extracted raspberries, some baked strawberries, cherry kirsch, red & black licorice to anise, dark fruit cola, black olive skin, the dark spices are heavier on the palate & bring just the right amount of heat, sweet, dark tarriness, black pepper, used, dark expresso roast grounds, charcoal, graphite, dry tobacco & underbrush, some bay leaf, alluvial soils, grey volcanic minerals/limestone, moist clay, with fresh & only slightly withering, purple, dark, blue florals framed in violets & lavender. The acidity is round, flush & perfect. The long finish is a unique even balance of; lush fruits, spice, herbs and earth that persists on the palate for minutes.

Photo on the left of Sofia’s 2 dozen long stems. Love you so much!

@Oswald — 6 years ago

Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

9.5

The 1961 Brane-Cantenac is a wine that I have been lucky enough to taste three or four times before. It’s a wonderful 1961 that comes racing out of the blocks, displaying vestiges of red fruit, autumn leaves, mint, chlorophyll and blood orange on the nose. It just feels multifaceted and more complex than the 1959, even if it does not quite reveal the same vigor. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and impressive concentration. It is maybe a little rustic in style but certainly shows more depth and concentration than the 1961 Rauzan-Sègla that I tasted a month earlier. There is a touch of Earl Grey and tobacco lingering on the finish. Maybe this is in gradual decline, since it does not match the stellar bottle tasted back in 2010, yet it remains a great Margaux. Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château. (Neal Martin, Vinous, January 2019) — 7 years ago

JJ Lumia

9.2

Raspberry and spice flavors up front, followed by floral and earl grey tea. Silky, medium-long finish. Solid. Easily has 5 more years. — 9 years ago

Justin Lees

9.5

Went down a treat — 9 years ago

James Gourley

9.7

This wine is amazing. The acidity is still vibrant. The flavors explode on the palate. It's amazing how fresh it still tastes. Just found out these guys are starting back up and I can't wait to taste the new vintage. — 10 years ago

James Gourley

9.8

This wine is a stunner. The fruit is vivid but not overpowering. The mouthfeel is silky but weightless at the same time. And the acidity is sublimely balanced with the rest of the wine. A truly excellent expression of pinot noir. — 10 years ago

Joe Hirsch

9.2

Grey Riesling game revisited. This has developed very nicely. — 11 years ago

Lj Lara

9.0

Reports, scheduling and designing. This is my Sunday night. — 11 years ago

Colin Grimaud

9.3

Great blend with Shiraz, so balance so spicy +++ — 12 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. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Pontet Canet tasting and dinner with Alfred Tesseron.

The fruits are ripe, ruby. Blackberries, black raspberries, black plum skin, raspberries & strawberries. Dark rich soils, dark spice, crushed dry rocks, black licorice, tobacco, soft leather, graphite, Great balance fruit and earth. The body is velvety and statin. The structure, length, tension and balance are just coming around. The texture is gorgeous. The acidity is round and excellent. The finish delicious and persists nicely.

Photos of; our dinner group, The K&L Bordeaux Buyer-Ralph Sands and Alfred talking about the wines, Clyde Beffa Jr. -Owner of K&L Wine Merchants and Chateau Pontet Canet. — 7 years ago

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. — 8 years ago

Karie Butler

9.0

Delish but strong flavor, have with food — 8 years ago

Shawn Thompson

9.2

Grey Grenache and roussillon grapes, very delicate nose with pear and quince with a sophisticated palate including stone fruits and minerals. Amazing as always. — 9 years ago

Taylor Leigh

10

Love this dry red wine ❤️ — 10 years ago

Jusden Aumand

8.9

Quality forward style Paso. Blend produced some interesting complexity and boldness. — 10 years ago

Leon Aleksander

9.2

Light, fresh red fruits. Pinot noir style. Good summer wine. — 11 years ago

Anthony Trumbo

9.0

Nice crisp white. Very floral on the nose. Grey acidity with rich minerality. — 11 years ago

David Barr

9.7

One of our first purchases from Grey Wolf....Nice wine!!! — 12 years ago

TC Frazier

9.0

The true definition of a wine round up tight. If you're drinking this anytime soon, decant for at least two hours — 12 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Finally a night or weekend we weren’t working on our rental, rushing to get some Christmas shopping done or getting ready to entertain holiday guests. It’s a night for us to chill out. That’s a good thing. It is also our final night to enjoy all our Christmas candlelights before we pack up tomorrow. 😔

We didn’t even enjoy any of one our very favorite N/V Rosé Champagnes over the holidays.

Tastes really good tonight. Showing shades of carbonated Dreamsicle or Creamsicle. However, you remember them growing up. Rich, ripe, candied & lean; black cherries, strawberries, cherries and summertime leaner watermelon. Baguette, grey volcanics, sea spray and finely powdered, razor sharp chalkiness with candied, pink rose pedals. Perfect, crisp, lively acidity and long, rich, well polished & balanced finish with persistence.

Hope you all have had a great start to 2020! — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Champagne is for celebrating, not that I need a celebratory reason to open a bottle as I am hooked on champagne. 💉

However, after installing 27 solar panels and waiting an additional seven weeks for my Tesla, I/we have almost erased our carbon footprint. Finally picked it up today. I believe we all need to do our part to save the glorious vines that bring so much happiness to our lives. 🍷🥂👍

As for the Baron Fuentes, the is a very good Champange and is perhaps the best QPR out of Champagne at $24.99.

Bright lemon, lime, grapefruit w/ sugar, bruised red apple & pear, touch of ginger & cider, bread dough, baguette crust, sea spray, white spice with some palate heat, sea fossils, grey volcanic minerals, spring flowers, lilacs and yellow lilies. The acidity is bright, crisp and lively. The finish is smartly polished, well balanced and persistent for minutes.

Whoo hoo! So close to carbon free! 🍾🥂 — 7 years ago

Konrad Ziegler

9.1

At The Grey in Savannah — 8 years ago

Arun Raniga

9.1

Smooth and soft 2012 vintage on 1 Sept 2017 — 9 years ago

Joe Kaiser

9.4

This Champagne was disgorged 10-1013. The Bollinger Granda Année never disappoints! She is the quite beauty in the black dress with the grey pearls, intriguing, complex, soft. Has a lovely floral, pair, green apple nose, the mousse is fine, precise, the flavors posses same complexity as the nose, it is crisp, far from austere finish. — 9 years ago

Kelsi Garrison

9.8

I love this so! — 10 years ago

Michael Brooks Jr.

9.5

I visited this winery, bought a half-case, and this is my first bottle at home. I love it. — 10 years ago

with Bryson

Milton Zmijewski

9.1

Grey Wolf Lineage 2011. Six grape blend. Smoky on nose. Licorice and bold fruit. Ruby red color. — 11 years ago

Nikki Norrell

10

WOW. Amazing! — 11 years ago

Julia Weinberg

9.0

Antidote to a grey day — 12 years ago