Ming L

8.9

Excellent Barbera. Fresh and ripe red and dark fruits commingled in a harmony. The palate is actually plush and thick, but balanced by the hallmark Barbera acidity. Very well balanced. Great value to boot. — 7 years ago

Shay A

8.9

Another 4th Friday for the books! Insane pulls this month to follow up the most epic month (April) that we’ve ever had!

Not familiar with this producer, but for a Bacigalupi Pinot, it was missing all the hallmark notes...no cola, little bing cherry, light cedar, non-existent licorice. My review here is more about what it isn’t as opposed to what it is... — 7 years ago

with Mark and Benjamin

Matt

9.7

This wine has a direct feed to the pleasure station in my brain and it’s been too long since my last taste. The nose is seductive in its perfume, alluring crushed black cherry, ripe black raspberry/plums, game, worn leather, roasted spices, camphor, forest floor, tar, powdered sugar, tons of garrigue and a touch of exotic spice. Palate is richly textured, elegantly powerful and raw tannin, with that fine grained yet rustic edge to them. Despite the frame this carries that classic fresh acid that’s hallmark for this estate. Palate a melange of black cherry, kirsch, blood orange, and blue fruit. Black tea, medicinal herbs, creme de violets, cracked pepper, bitter cocoa and crushed rocks. Finish is lengthy, stretching out with its herbal and mineral complexity. — 7 years ago

Berg

9.4

This is a great bottle of Burgundy, and shows the winemaking strength I think. Black cherry, unripe tart strawberry, cloves, sassafras, plenty of sous bois funk already, but in balance. I think this will be a glorious, funky example of hallmark Burgundy in 20 years! — 8 years ago

Scott Rowe

9.3

Heemskerk Tassy brilliance.
Elegantly refined. An eye catcher. — 9 years ago

Loren Elliott

8.9

Hallmark Willamette Valley Pinot with some backbone. Well structured and great representation of Beaux Freres style without quite the finesse and finish of the name labeled, but about half the price tag. (Great with homemade black truffle pasta!) — 9 years ago

Dade Thieriot

10

Kick-Ass Kabinett! #2004 was an epic year for #Riesling in #Germany and this bottle has only moved a matter of miles from its original birthplace. Freshness is the hallmark of this incredibly clean, fleshy #Rheingau. Lovely balance that will certainly take it out another decade or more! #prinz #Kabinett #rieslingrocks — 9 years ago

Dade Thieriot

10

As simple and direct as Chardonnay gets...restrained, uncomplicated, elegant yet with great finesse as its hallmark and clean as a whistle. Not a marquee appellation but a very classy, affordable bottle--SANTÉ! — 10 years ago

with Petra

Astrid Lewis

10

Absolutely sublime wine.
Incredible intensity on the nose with all the hallmark characteristics of Bordeaux. Leather, spice, inky fruits, pencil shavings and cedar. Lush nose. Palate has great acidity which gives it an elegance not suggested by the nose. Length amazing and goes on and on. Best wine I have had for a long time! Gorgeous. — 11 years ago

with Pierpaolo

Ed Matthews

8.9

Gotta love this Zin with good tannic structure! Not overripe, always a hallmark of Bill Easton wines. Not quite as good as the Rinaldi single vineyard bottling, but at a fraction of the price, who cares? — 12 years ago

Jordan Wardlaw

9.0

All the hallmark characteristics of young Sangiovese at a ridiculously fair price. Cherry, clove, tobacco, rose petal, a bit of mint in the back. Polished tannins, very bright acidity. Another great Marc deGrazia import. — 7 years ago

Jordan Wardlaw

9.2

Prunes and raisins on the nose with surprisingly high acidity in the palate. Subtle brett, but generally this is one of the more clean and polished vintages. More ripeness and primary fruit character for Musar, but with the hallmark minerality and elegant structure. Very little weight. — 7 years ago

Doug Kahn

9.2

Hallmark dugat nose of must and stem. Overall very solid — 8 years ago

Colin Cahoon

9.2

Not as complex as the early 2000's Blackjack vintages, the 2007 is still a good peppery cab that matched well with grilled steak. There is more fruit here but still lost of leather and minerals that are the hallmark of a blackjack. — 8 years ago

with Claire and Susan

David E

9.3

I will somehow suffer through this off year with its harmonious balance and excellent execution. It's immediate appeal and charming forwardness (the hallmark of such junk years) can be overcome with much effort and determination. Everyone stay back; I'll take this one for the team. — 9 years ago

Cason Love

9.0

Almost like a Beaujolais on the nose...almost. Aromas of Cherry, wet stone and a touch of bramble. Refreshing and dry with red fruit and hallmark crisp acidity. — 9 years ago

George Chen

9.5

This was a 2006 and it did not disappoint! I know all the geeks out there and deride the Screamer but I have not had a disappointing bottle and I've had 4 this past year. Structured, concentrated but by no means a fruit bomb...tightly knit and intense focus that is hallmark of this great wine. Still has years to go...contrary to some opinions. — 9 years ago

Stuart Robinson

9.1

Beautiful floral and kaffir lime aromatics; fine palate and hallmark length expected from producer/variety/region. — 11 years ago

Dan Fredman

Chef Sommelier World of Pinot Noir

9.8

Seamless Cornas, with nowhere near the Sauvage character I'd expect from Clape. No overwhelming Brett either (hallmark of the 1994) — 11 years ago

Jörgen Lindström Carlvik

Owner, Brix Wine Consultants

9.2

A first for me, but WOW! Purity, minerality, dried floral notes and subtle fruit flows into a seamless palate where crushed rocks, gentle vanilla and impressive length are hallmark notes. — 12 years ago

Matt

9.6

The hallmark, and almost its give away, is its balance of all the complexities that come together to create a stunning wine of richness, precision, harmony and length. There’s so many facets to this wine and they all seem to be working together to weave a whole, uniformed wine. Reminiscent of Batard Montrachet, but with a little more CA sunshine to boot. So powerful but so playful and energetic on the palate. — 7 years ago

Jordan Wardlaw

8.9

Always an outstanding value. The warmth of the vintage comes through in spades. Bright tropical notes layered over a solid core of apples and pears. A hint of oyster shell minerality on the back but overall this a richer style with a lush, rounded mouthfeel with a lot of Sur Lie hallmark. Very balanced and fresh, a superb choice at this price point. — 7 years ago

Jeremy Pollard

9.0

Balance. Restraint. Elegance. This is lovely pinot. Hallmark Adelaide Hills nose and palate. Really nice. — 8 years ago

with Sam and David

Tom Balamaci

9.0

Serious nose w all the hallmark serious Riesling notes offset by juiciness and acidity. A very high quality Mosel at a medium price. — 8 years ago

Ron from VA

9.5

As always - my rating is a balance between Virginia has a subset and total global wine as a standard scale. The finished product here is stunning as a Virginia grown product and in comparison to Oregon or Burgundy-styled Pinot. Balance is the hallmark here in this classic vintage. Layers of red and citrus fruit mingle with herbs & floral notes to glorious effect. One of the best Pinot I have ever had! — 9 years ago

Jay Christianson

Winemaker Canyon Wind and Anemoi

9.2

A distillation of what Napa Cab is in many ways. Big, fruitful, structured, probably still too young. Just dang good. Nothing leaping out and overpowering anything else. That alone gains .2 above 9. Showing intelligent restraint is the hallmark of brilliant winemaking. — 9 years ago

Jinglin Zhang

9.3

Earthy spice, rose petal frutti di boschi. Hallmark Barolo with pale ruby rim. Well managed tannin, always one of my favourite. — 9 years ago

Tim Parkhouse DWS, CWE

9.1

Great bottle with the hallmark soft, dusty, ripe tannin of the vintage. — 10 years ago

Alex Alvärëz

9.0

One of the skills I'm coming to respect as a hallmark of really great producers is the ability to convey place and vintage well in their entry level bottlings. Von Winning has that hallmark. — 11 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.0

Premium vinho verde from #Portugal. A fresh bouquet of citrus, peach and white flowers, the palate add the hallmark saline or salty note. The same grape in Spain is Albariño, though for the $ this is fantastic at about $15-20. Should be an insane pairing with shellfish but was an aperitif for us. — 12 years ago