Matt Potts

9.4

My favorite for the price. — 4 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.0

This Anthill is well extracted. Too much for how I like my Pinot’s. It is also has a slight alcohol burn in the back of my throat which; I & other professionals consider a fault in wine. It’s like Oregon fruit & florals meet the over-extraction of Bella Glos. That aside, there are some merits here.

The nose reveals slightly stewed, yet ruby & candied fruits of; blackberries, strawberries, dark cherries, plum, creamy raspberries and notes of pomegranate. Pronounced baking spices; vanilla, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. Black, rich earth, black licorice, sweet tarry notes, limestone, dark spice, dry, crushed rocks and bright; red, dark, blue and purple florals.

The body is big, thick and lush. She still has sticky, meaty, tarry tannins. The structure & tension is quite big. The length and balance are good but, still require some more time to hit their peak. Slightly stewed, yet ruby & candied fruits of; blackberries, strawberries, dark cherries, plum, creamy raspberries and notes of pomegranate. Pronounced baking spices; vanilla, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. Black, rich earth, gravely, dark volcanic minerals, black licorice, sweet tarry notes, limestone, dark spice, stem inclusion, leather, hints of graphite, dry, crushed rocks and bright; red, dark, blue and purple florals. The acidity is round and good. The big, long, finish is, rich, ruby, elegant, well polished and persists for minutes.

Photos of; one of the vineyards they source fruit, three friends & partners that founded Anthill; Anthony Filberti, David Low, and Webster Marquez who met while working at Williams Selyem and the staff working the process in the cellar. — 5 years ago

Jen

10

Had this as a wine tasting game for my partners birthday. It won! — 6 years ago

with Alice

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Nickel & Nickel exclusively to produces 100% varietal, single-vineyard wines that express the distinctive personality of each vineyard. Established in 1997 by the partners of Far Niente. Aromas of stone fruit and citrus. On the palate apple, melon and pear flavors, with some lemon zest, vanilla and toasty notes. Nice balance with acidity on lingering finish on a gently spicy rich oaky mineral ending. Classic CA Chard, very nice! — 6 years ago

Linda Fraccalvieri Piro

9.7

Picking wine for Thanksgiving Feast — 7 years ago

with James

Andrew Han

9.0

From the Wine Society: This is the source of the bulk of our Beaujolais for the last 50 years, and many members will also have tried the fruits
of The Society’s work with this excellent Beaujolais-based négoce in the form of our bestselling white wine, The
Society’s White Burgundy, sourced from the Mâcon.
Dealing with a négociant allows The Wine Society to pick and choose, often blending together from different estates in
order to end up with a wine that is better than any of its parts.
Négoces have had a huge part to play in the recent history of Beaujolais, some of it not so good but some of it very
positive. For all its apparent simplicity, Beaujolais is a complicated region that is often the victim of its own capricious
climate with late frosts and violent hailstorms a common recurrence.
The one name that stands out for us is Dépagneux: Jean Dépagneux was the last of this illustrious merchant family
who, with his partners, bought up a list of ailing names such as Aujoux, which had made its name selling Beaujolais to
the once profitable Swiss market. Jean retired about a dozen years ago and his place was taken by a young and
talented oenologist from Viré called Jean-Marc Darbon. One consequence of the change has been the meteoric rise in
the quality of The Society’s White Burgundy. — 7 years ago

Kareem Burke

9.6

Great relationship and dinner with new partners. DG, Radue Artie and Anel — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

20-year tawny a personal favorite. I’m always amazed how good this is whenever I have a glass. Taylor run today from Oporto by descendants of the Yeatman & Fladgate families, both of which have been partners in the firm since 1830s. Complex aromas rich with dried fruits & nutty spice. On the palate apricot and sweet berry flavors with honey and toasted nut notes, well balanced nice acidity. Lingering finish ending smooth with oaky nutty character. Very Nice. Price keeps going up each year. Tasting Sample. — 5 years ago

JJ Lumia

9.3

KWN - first ever white burgundy theme! All bagged and blind as usual.

Wine 3. This was one of my favorites. Had some different notes than my partners-in-crime. Found this oaky but not in an overpowering way, with melon, and creamy butter notes. Soft and supple. One to savor, not rush; you want food with this. — 5 years ago

Jocelyn Chui

10

For its price and taste, this wine is definitely a great value! The Red Blend tastes good by itself and it is very easy to drink. Definitely a daily wind down wine! — 6 years ago

Shawn Mundell

9.0

Easier drinking than the Guarachi at nearly the same abv. A little thinner but still very good. — 6 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

A wine I’ve enjoyed mostly upon release or near it. I vowed to wait six years and nearly made it. At least it is 2018...just! It’s worth waiting this/that long for it to develop. On the nose; sweetly, baked fruits of; dark cherries, strawberries, black plum, plums, blackberries, and notes of blue fruits. Cinnamon, vanilla, very light clove & nutmeg, caramel, soft, medium, beautiful spice, black fruit tea, limestone minerals, loamy, dry, brown top soil, fresh dark florals and violets. The mouthfeel is full, rich & lush. The tannins are round, still have some teeth and possess velvety round edges. It’s fruit driven but not a bomb and showing elegance & grace. Fruits are perfectly ripe; dark cherries, strawberries, black plum, plums, blackberries, notes of blue fruits and dry cranberries dip in and out. Cinnamon, vanilla, very light clove & nutmeg, caramel, soft, medium beautiful spice that is more pronounced on the palate, black fruit tea, touch of melted brown sugar/molasses, limestone minerals, touch of rich dark sweet turned soil, loamy dry brown top soil, soft understated eucalyptus/mint, dry fresh florals and violets. The round acidity is just right, just a slight very small alcohol burn, the length, structure, tension and beautifully balanced finish are in a very good place. Even better in 2-3 more years in bottle; which is when I’ll have my next one. Photos of; the winemaking duo of Gary Franscioni (left) and Gary Pisoni, Rosella’s Vineyard on the right. As well as, Garys’ Vineyard at the bottom. Producer notes and history...The Santa Lucia Highlands appellation is known for its rich, vibrant Pinot Noirs. However, that wasn’t always the case. The first Pinot was planted in 1973, but results weren’t all that great. Chardonnay was the appellation’s early star. Much of the area’s current fame for Pinot Noir arguably can be traced to Gary Pisoni, a free-spirited wine enthusiast who grew up in a Salinas Valley vegetable farming family. Pisoni decided to plant a few acres of Pinot Noir in 1982 on his family’s horse ranch, at the southern end of what was to become the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation but his horses started eating the grapes. So, they had to go. His initial planting were limited by a lack of water until he dug a well on the property. Pisoni started planting even more Pinot Noir. The vineyard is now around 45 acres and nearly all of it Pinot. By the late 1990s, word had spread about the success of his vineyard, and a number of Pinot specialists from around California had started lining up to buy his grapes. He started producing his own wine in 1998. Pisoni isn’t the only Gary who has become a force in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Gary Franscioni, a childhood friend, followed Pisoni’s lead by planting grapes and started Roar Wines in 2001. The two of them now have five vineyards between them...all farmed meticulously with the same crew. They are best of friends...sort of a Mutt & Jeff. They have become a formidable presence in the Highlands, attracting interest from top winemakers and Pinot Noir lovers from all over. Franscioni is also from a vegetable farming family; Pisoni figures they’ve known each other since they were 3 or 4. Franscioni saw his friend’s success and once he got some money together, decided to plant grapes of his own. Franscioni’s property is farther north and cooler as it’s closer to the Monterey Bay. He was going to plant Chardonnay. He woke up and Franscioni recalls imitating Pisoni, and shouted, “plant Pinot!” Franscioni planted what became Rosella’s Vineyard, named for his wife, in 1996. He took Pisoni’s advice and planted four acres of Pinot Noir, although he still planted 12 acres of Chardonnay. It’s now a total of around 50 acres with three-quarters of it Pinot Noir. The next year, they decided to become partners and planted Garys’ Vineyard, a 50 acre parcel where they grow Pinot and a little Syrah. Since then, Franscioni has developed Sierra Mar, 38 acres of Pinot, Chardonnay, Syrah and a tiny amount of Viognier. The two teamed up again to establish Soberanes Vineyard, 35 acres of mostly Pinot Noir, with a little bit of Chardonnay and Syrah. That last vineyard was developed by Pisoni’s son Mark. The Garys might seem an unlikely pair. Pisoni is colorful character to say the least and has an outspoken manner. Franscioni comes across as more serious- minded. However, the collaboration between the two, who often address each other as “partner,” clearly works well. The two are good on their own, but better together. Pisoni being more gregarious acts as the frontman. He is the Ambassador. He’s a check on the rest to keep the quality high. Franscioni and Mark Pisoni run the farming on their own vineyards and work together on the joint ventures. The family involvement doesn’t stop there. Jeff Pisoni makes his family’s wines, which are under the Pisoni and Lucia brands. Franscioni’s son, Adam, joined the family business in time for the 2011 harvest. He handles sales for Roar and helps his father manage the vineyards. The grapes from all five vineyards are in huge demand, because the two families are such careful farmers, constantly tweaking and improving. Prominent customers include; Testarossa, Siduri, Kosta Browne, Copain and Bernardus. When a new vintner approaches them about buying grapes, the partners examine the winery’s track record and the Winemaker. If they like what they see, the winery is put on a waiting list. There’s not very much movement in their vineyards. When Franscioni planted Sierra Mar, he and Pisoni had 62 wineries waiting to buy fruit. Soberanes was developed with the idea of working with some new winemakers. There was some concern, even among the two families, that quality might suffer as the vineyard operations grew. However, there’s no indication that’s the case. In fact, with each new venture, they build on what they’ve learned in their older vineyards. Eventually, there will be even more vineyards. The Pisonis and Franscionis have purchased a 100 acre cactus farm in the Santa Lucia Highlands. There’s still a lease on the property. So, prickly pear cactus will continue to be grown for five more years. But at some point, the land will be planted with vines. Both families understand the importance of continuing to build for the future. The Garys looking back tell a story of being in the same spot some years ago and looking at a field of broccoli out back. He told Franscioni that the field would look a lot better with Pinot Noir vines. Now that parcel is part of Rosella’s Vineyard, and it’s planted with Pinot. Everybody thought he was crazy...most people usually think that when someone makes a bold decision. He’s a person who has always had vision and creativeness. He also has tremendous passion. Good things only happen when a person possesses all three of these qualities. Their wines are primarily available by mailing list. However, Nepenthe in Big Sur, CA acts as a quasi tasting room for some of their wines. — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

EnRoute established in the RRV in 2007 by the partners of Far Niente. Les Pommiers introduced in May 2009 and reflects a blend of vineyards from Green Valley and upper Middle Reach area of RRV AVA. Complex fruit aromas, cedar and mineral notes. On the palate cherry and cranberry flavors with tobacco and toasty oak, rich structured tannins. Nice mouthfeel, zesty crisp acidity ending with fruit, mineral and oak character. Nice! Tasting Sample. — 5 years ago

Christophe Dujardin

9.4

Wonderful wine with great business partners — 5 years ago

David Shaw

8.9

61/27/12 Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre. 595 cases produced. Purple red, medium extracted, very good clarity edging toward inky. Spice, barnyard and black currant notes in nose. Blackberry and plum flavors. An hour later, a cool menthol plum-cherry note (Mourvèdre) emerges. Slight skin bitterness, not much astringency. Black pepper finish, aftertaste. Might benefit from 1 to 2 years additional aging. — 5 years ago

Boris Mathiszik

9.1

Excellent classic Napa. Big and bold but nicely structured. Well balanced. Best of tasting at NCWC. — 6 years ago

Rob Moose

9.1

My dining partners said “this tastes like our friendship.” A nice showing from the uninspiring but workable 2012 vintage and, as always with Bessin, very affordable. — 6 years ago

with Alex

Richard Alfred

9.7

9/15/17. Seyfarth partners' retreat. — 7 years ago

Jen C

8.9

Dry and the perfect amount of sweet. Slightly buttery — 7 years ago

Peter Coticchia

9.3

Outstanding! Very much a bold Napa Cab with lots of fruit. — 7 years ago