Aloke Mukherjee

8.9

Very good. Opens up in after say half hour. — 8 years ago

Joseph Barsky

9.6

2003 Vintage. Thanks to Jon at Garagiste many years ago! Amazing nose of strawberry and cherry. Still good acidity and freshness on the palate. Yum. With fresh wild king salmon steaks from Half Moon Bay done on the BBQ. — 8 years ago

LM Segal

9.5

I didn't think a non-Astralis/HoG/Grange Oz could move my dials, but I was wrong. This Bogan - my penultimate from a half case - just blew me away. Powerful, concentrated nose of leather and lavender. Spice. On the palate more in common with aged Albans than Oz juice at $35 in '06. Dry, completely integrated and smooth as silk, layers of concentrated dark red fruit with notes of cocoa, bay leaves, baking spice. Remarkable secondary stuff on the long tail. Completely mature, drink 'em if you got 'em, find 'em if you don't. — 9 years ago

Joe Lucca

9.4

Just arrived home after a long week away and my truly better half had this open and waiting for me. Instantly, stress turned to SMILES! This is drinking really well right now. Crushed black and blue fruit, cedar, fresh tobacco, bay leaves, earthy minerals, ripe tannins and some black pepper. Not typically a huge Cade fan, but this Howell Mountain bottling shows a nice sense of place. So much better than when I tasted it on release. Thank you @Diana L for slowing down a hectic week. 🍷 — 9 years ago

with Diana

bharat

9.0

Tried this at Camp 4 in Modesto. Then lucky enough to find a bottle at a wine shop in Half Moon Bay. It didn't disappoint in either of the places. Great Pinot from start to finish! 12-02-16 — 9 years ago

Steve Schreiber

8.9

Not a half bad light with good fruit Pinot. But give it time to open up out of the bottle before you start drinking it. — 10 years ago

Diane Kessler

9.2

I really love these half bottles when I am dining solo. I also love what's in these bottles. Zesty and delicious. — 11 years ago

Morgan Harris

Head Sommelier Aureole New York

9.2

Pretty black-fruited for Sangio, but with undeniable complexity and verve. Lots of herbal bay leaf and oregano notes, sun-dried tomato, matched with cigar wrapper and baked clay minerality. Could be more graceful, but that's nit-picking. Plenty of life still in it, even out of half-bottle. Questionable if premium over the regular Chianti from Felsina is really worth it though... — 11 years ago

Kai Schubert

Winemaker at Schubert

9.7

In half bottle & kept really well — 11 years ago

Ed and Syl Campbell

9.9

Camping in Half Moon Bay — 12 years ago

Petra Thieriot

Owner/Importer Dee Vine Wines

10

...the half moon, silky and smokey... — 12 years ago

with Dade

Joe Lucca

9.3

So cool to be drinking this vintage. Our first trip to the winery was during harvest 2014, had the chance to help sort the Cab grapes as they came in from this particular vineyard.

Deep blackberry, cassis, fresh bay leaf, brown sugar, charcoal, hints of oak, earth and cinnamon stick all framed out with lively acidity. This is a very elegant, refined style. Obviously the stellar job we did sorting and de-stemming the fruit led to such clean, bright flavors 😉 — 8 years ago

with Diana

Palmer Emmitt

Owner/Winemaker Judge Palmer

9.4

I think my first Monte Bello and it does not disappoint. A very charming wine with an intriguing tomato component backed up by tons of cassis - "classic" California Cab. Great structure and for me in its prime right now (from half bottle). — 9 years ago

Evan Bienstock

9.3

This is terrific! But not good enough to help the Patriots in the first half. — 9 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.3

Tasted side by side with the 2013 Lineage. Tough battle but bottle age has definitely helped this bottling. Mix of deep garnet and ruby red. Straight from opening there were lots of savory elements mixed in with red and black berries. Some floral notes too like roses. As it opened up over the two hour period there was petroleum, dark cocoa and cinnamon. Over the evening, additional notes of dark ripe fruits and even more spices, even slightly savory ones. So balanced for how young this is. Started out with heavy tannins (8/10) but mellowed and rounded out to a solid moderate tannins (6.5/10) over the two and a half hour decant. Rounded medium plus body that will develop further with time. Started off with some darker cherries and light greenery with a bit of leather. Even a bit of spices. Great acidity giving this strong backbone and a semi-dry long finish. This will be singing given another five years and drink will over the next twelve. Tons of potential and very surprised by this caliber of wine coming out of Livermore Valley. Great job Steven! — 9 years ago

with Sean and India

Jed

9.2

the vines are well over 100 years old. Violets, blackberry bramble, much earth and a hint of chocolate. Big but not brawny. Stellar but rustic. Decant half and mix. — 10 years ago

Hannah Trate

9.0

Bought at a bar one night when they were doing half off bottles. Nice dry, tartness that I look for in a SB — 10 years ago

Ryan Baldwin

9.5

Peppered leather and some serious Bay street palaver. Amazing syrah. — 11 years ago

Caitlin H

9.9

A gin for those who don't like gin. It has a crisp clean taste and is very refreshing. Great with ginger-ale or in a French 75. — 11 years ago

Martin Mills

9.4

Extraordinary depth and purity. Hints of black tea and Asian spices around a core of sweet fruit. Wine of the year for 2012, once it dropped to a ludicrous $30 we bought half a case. Looking forward to the 09 — 12 years ago

Kate Much

9.5

Cafe Gibraltar, Half Moon Bay — 13 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

On the nose; ripe, syrupy dark currants, blackberries, sweet slightly liqueured dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries, blue fruits, dark fruit gummy bears, tarry notes, black pepper, soft leather, dry brush, black licorice, caramel, dry crushed rocks, loamy dry top soil, violets, lilacs and lavender. The body is warm, thick, ultra rich, lush & elegant. The tannins are round & velvety but still have strength...50% resolved. It has another 10-12 years of good drinking ahead. The fruits are gorgeous & ripe; blackberries, sweet slightly liqueured dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries & lots of blue fruits & strawberries that paint the palate on the long set. A fair amount of tarry notes, black pepper, dry herbaceous notes (bay leaf), dry black olive, medium dark spice, dark chocolate, caramel, vanilla, clove, soft leather, dry brush, black licorice, dry crushed rocks, loamy dry top soil, violets, lilacs and lavender. The acidity is round & excellent. The long fruit driven finish is beautifully lush, elegant, well structured with near perfect balance. Photos of; Owner/Winemaker Roman Bratasiuk, their old gnarly 80-90 year old and low yielding vines and two of their vineyards. Producer history and notes...Clarendon Hills was founded in 1990 by Biochemist Roman Bratasiuks. Roman sought to further his passion for great wine by making some himself. Roman never trained as a winemaker. He planned on using his insight as a wine taster and scientist alike to dictate decisions. Roman sought to make a version of the wines he loved. The beginnings of Clarendon Hills effectively started in 1989 when he knocked on the door a local grower whose fruit he liked. A great friendship grew from from this by chance knock on the door. A handshake ensued and it became the first Clarendon Hills vineyard. On Saturday 24 February in 1990, Roman with just a bucket and secateurs arrived. Much to the growers shock, he began picking fruit himself. Roman started at 6 am and finished at 9 pm that evening; he picked half the entire vineyard himself and returned on Sunday the 25th to finish it. This process was repeated in a Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard which formed the 3 single site wines produced in 1990. Crushing was performed by Roman using empty bottles to squash the fruit in a bucket, then transferred by that bucket, to one of the 3 small ex-dairy tanks all bought for $100 and a quick, non-temperature controlled wild-yeast fermentation ensued. The wines were pressed in a borrowed basket press and matured in 3 separate third-hand barrels. The vintage was finished in 11 days. Much to Roman’s delight the wines were superb and they sold. With the money he bought more buckets, three more barrels and rent for a shed to house wines. The process was repeated the next year and the year after that. Clarendon Hills grew from his determination. This one man had to make wine after work and on the weekends after his 9-to-5 job. A local news paper even ran a story "Tin shed wines take on the world"; which made Roman cringe but slowly Clarendon Hills grew, it afforded him more equipment to make the process less labour-intensive and slowly grow his vineyard repertoire. In 1994, Roman left the Australian Government laboratories and devoted himself to Clarendon Hills 100%. In the 1994 vintage, Roman hired his first employee and rebranded his $30 Clarendon Hills Shiraz as 1994 Clarendon Hills Astralis. It was the first bottle in Australia to be priced at $100. It sold out. Roman went on for many years, making and selling the wines himself. Travelling the world over to show people the wines he made. Roman figured since he made the wine, he was the most logical choice to sell and represent his wine. This worked out so well, he continues to show the wines himself. Clarendon Hills produces; 8 Syrah, 6 Grenache, 3 Cabernet Sauvignon, a Merlot and Mourvedre wine. They are all single vineyards single varietal wines, produced from low yielding, dry grown old vines which are hand pruned and hand picked. All his wines are aged in high-quality French oak barriques. Quite a brilliant success story. This is also another wine I acquired on the secondary market for much less it’s release price and far less than their current release prices. It starts as a 9.3 with a half-hour decant. However, as it gets to an hour and half decant plus, it just gets better & better. Works it’s way to a 9.5 in a hour decant. — 8 years ago

David Blattner

9.0

Picked this up at the tasting room in Half Moon Bay. Light and not too sweet. — 9 years ago

Randy P

9.2

Bangin' with a year and half in bottle after 22 months in 100% neutral wood. Fresh cracked black pepper, floral bing cherry and a juicy king drawn out finish. I'm going to drink more of this. — 9 years ago

Ray Dalton

9.0

Pretty good would get again — 10 years ago

Zach Cherry

Account Manager Worldwide Wine & Spirits

9.2

Constrained fruit, with a ferny and eucalyptus note. Mid alcohol lifts dark fruit over a dusty chord of mineral and dry soil. Dried purple flowers, bay leaf on non-fruit. Finishes exceptionally clean with grippy, dry tannin that holds the acidity on almost a nebbiolo level, sans red fruit. Still could use half a decade, but shows incredible promise. Quite a showing. — 10 years ago

George Shiffler

9.1

An oldie but goodie! — 11 years ago

Imelda Parmer

9.5

Bought on a wine tasting trip near half moon bay — 11 years ago

Lorisa Ford

9.6

Produced from late picked grapes. Half the wine was fermented in new 225 French oak barrels. The other half not in wood at all. Portrays firm, clear peach and Limey flavors. — 12 years ago

Sarah Sherman

9.0

SAMs chowder house half moon bay with Hans — 12 years ago