Mark Flesher

9.4

Cult chard tasted alongside a 2010 Aubert Lauren Chard....this one lost by a unanimous vote (and it wasn't even a blind vote either). I think everyone WANTED the Judge to win, but there was nothing to Judge here. At least for THIS COMPARISON, in 2018, the Aubert was the winner. BUT, this Judge chard did have more acidity up front than the Aubert, and IMO this wine has more aging potential than the 2010 Lauren Chard, which was pretty much right on the top of the hill tonght. Hard to beat a wine in its prime window, but goes to show you that Aubert makes chards that will compete with this kind of opponent. Lots of acid up front. Stone ground fruit entry, mineral-rich middle. I think that I was getting more pear than anything else here, but there was a hint of youthful butter and some dates. Finishes with actually a really nice fruit/nutty/almost gritty/tannin character for about 60 seconds, which is the one thing I will say that I give advantage to the Judge. Bravo! — 6 years ago

with Dan, Shay and 1 other

Dave Schneider

9.2

Bought this on a whim. Glad I did. Terrific Oregon Pinot for a reasonable price — 7 years ago

Sean Herriott

9.0

Blackberry, grilled meat, freshly ground coffee aroma. Black fruit and dark chocolate with a hint of Orange peel carry through onto the silky mouth feel. Drink this while your 2010s sleep. — 7 years ago

Marcie Molek

9.1

Great, smooth but interesting Pinot. Terrific price. — 8 years ago

Catherine Theis

9.1

Thanksgiving! — 9 years ago

Mason Balistreri

Sommelier, International Wine Guild; Balistreri Vineyard; Sales, Joy Wine and Spirits

9.3

Beautiful and intriguing wine from off the coast of France, below Muscadet, where the vines grow mere inches off the ground from the brutal winds, and the soil is all schist rock.  Dark cherries, tons of mineral notes, and also some wild game. Extremely taut acidity.  — 9 years ago

Erin Winter

9.8

Delicious tart cherries and vanilla finish. Love it, great sipper on its own — 9 years ago

Courtney Cochran

Sommelier/Host hiptastes.com

9.4

Improbable combo of bright red fruit - straw bomb! - and pert minerality. They find a middle ground. Color is cranberry - thus emerging as my holiday aperitif of choice. In all seriousness, it's dry but not too dry for before d, redolent of herbs and delish red fruit, peach fuzz, and general fabulosity. *crush this for holiday* — 10 years ago

Jon Bonné

Wine Editor San Francisco Chronicle

9.2

2012. Really happy to see a new vintage of this appear. — 10 years ago

Hansi Brauer

9.9

The year when Kristianstad burned down to the ground. A mind blowing wine. Room filling bouquet, vigorous, balanced and an infinite length. Decanted 2,5 h — 11 years ago

Kim Stanbro

9.2

Chocolate and cherry on the nose, lots of depth both in the glass and in this poetry reading @amysaulderby #wizardtower — 6 years ago

Peter Sultan

9.4

Never tire of this, really: layers of delicate & fine red fruits, integrated tannins, that bay leaf, ground tobacco leaf urgh at its base & still oodles of time to go. So fresh. — 7 years ago

with Paul and Owen

Katherine Bordelon

Court of Master Sommelier Guild member

9.1

The canopy system used in the Rias Baxias region of northwest Spain provides for ample aeration and keeps the vines protected from the moist ground which breeds an environment not conducive to support healthy clusters. The Galician climate receives moisture from the Atlantic and is mostly sticky, warm and rainy with rain ☔️ most days during the year. Winters are a bit harsh and cold. The humid, salt air is what this viticultural environment is all about. The mostly white wines made here are highly acidic, with notes of tart, green apple 🍏 and white flowers. Most wines are aged in stainless steel and some see new, French oak for a few months. Then they are aged in the bottle. You can cellar them for up to 5-6 years. The Albariño grape is the most expensive and most difficult to produce in all of Spain. — 7 years ago

with Edmond

Scott Wiegand

9.2

Typical northwest IPA but very well done. Obviously they have the best selection of hops available given that the brewery is literally in the middle of their own hop fields. The beer has good citrusy and somewhat grassy hop nose and sweet malt. On he palate, it is well balanced with hop bitterness and slightly sweet and lightly biscuity malt. Very local, so this is an easy go-to beer for me. — 8 years ago

Brent Mayeaux

Production Burn Cottage Vineyard

9.1

2nd day open with leftover lasagna. There is bret, but it really seems integrated if you can imagine that. It just seems to accentuate and lift some nice character. Pretty levels of VA as well. Bright aromas of sour cherry/candy, dried flowers/rose. Same on the palate with some herbs just yanked out of the ground with dirt still on them. Moderately tannic but with mouth-moistening acidity balancing it out.

Structure and fruit profile actually reminds me of a Langhe or northern Piedmont Nebbiolo... But with bret.

I had kind of been down on COS and Occhipinti recently, but this was nice. — 8 years ago

Paul Weil

9.1

An extremely impressive effort, this Malbec is binged in a style Californian to the core, rejecting the more sharp and tangy acids of Argentina for a Cabernet like approach, with rich velvety chocolate and cherry flavors and a lingering coffee ground finish. A bit sedimented, it benefited from some time in a decanter with a punt. — 9 years ago

John Kemper

9.4

An opaque red/purple, the '00 Ojai Syrah '50% Roll Ranch 50% Bien Nacido' is richly scented with black raspberry, ground pepper and dark cherry notes. Powerful mouth-coating flavors of ripe black fruits with spicy cracked peppercorn accents then flood the palate. The fully-rounded and well-integrated tannins make the lingering finish lip-smackingly delicious. — 9 years ago

Austin Ferrari

Wine Director Hillside Supper Club

9.4

Ground breaking! Thanks to one of my best buddies.. Happy Thanksgiving! — 10 years ago

with Anthony

Bob Barry

General Manager Winebow

9.5

"Would you like some ground pepper?" YES! — 10 years ago

Jonathan Lipsmeyer

9.7

Whohohoooa out the gate: incredibly vivid pepper, chicken broth, dried rosemary, red currants! Man this is fabulous! Only my second Rostaing and I'm loving this. Opens into afar smoother red currant bright earthy wine after 1hr. Tantalizing, alluding to what is to come, but I can't resist alluring young ones. Already a silky fresh ground black pepper monster. — 11 years ago

Jack Cranley, Backroads Wine Club & Cascadia Premium Wines

9.4

Absolutely delicious and adding gracefully. 2012 consumed in March 2018. Plenty of life still left in this. Great minerality and cherry funk. Love it! — 6 years ago

Mikey T

9.0

Wow, what a deal at < $20 / bottle
Wine spectator says #69 of top 100 of 2014.
A burly, brambly red, underscored by tarry smoke and underbrush notes, offering flavors of blackberry coulis, herb-marinated black olive, grilled mushroom and ground spice. This shows muscle that recommends it to short-term cellaring, made accessible by integration and balance. Drink now through 2024. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. #69 – 91 points — 7 years ago

Peter UPA

9.7

Big potent nose with notes of black cherries, dark chocolate, leather, cedarwood, licorice and forrest ground. Big body with concentrated fruit, well balanced tannins, fresh acidity and long aromatic finnish - Always a great pleasure👍 — 7 years ago

Pete Schork

9.3

Ripe fruit gives way to baking spices baking spices baking spices. Jammy but not overly so. This is a unique little number, very interesting and agreeable — 7 years ago

Devin Bray

9.3

Raspberry jam nose, some musky funk. Mouth is the same, with some herbal kick and a slightly powdery, ground stone mouthfeel. — 8 years ago

Manu Rosier

9.5

Full of provencal flavours - herbs, coffee ground, liquorice - highly mineral, young palate... An wonder from 1985 — 8 years ago

Christanna Honer

9.7

Some of the best damn Côte Rotie I've had. Love this producer. Aromatic intensity with no shortage of ground pepper and bacon fat aromas. — 9 years ago

with Molly, Adam and 1 other

Austin Ferrari

Wine Director Hillside Supper Club

9.2

Dog fell asleep on this beauty! — 10 years ago

with Kit, Brian and 1 other

J L T

9.7

-Chez Louis
-celebrating marriage equality
-Floral well-meshed acidity. Subtle flavors of white peach, raspberry, ground ginger and apple mix — 10 years ago

Michael Kuperman

10

#GravityCheck #JurassicParkVineyard — 10 years ago