Hallowed Ground

Solid Ground

California Pinot Noir 2017

Bright Red Cherry front to clove and finishes with light smokers oak. Soft tannins & youthful acidity that worked well with fatty meat. We enjoyed it with Chuck Burger topped with Provolone, Avocado, Tomato, Mayo on Egg Bun and side of Root Veggie fries🍷 — 6 years ago

Martian Ranch & Vineyard

Ground Control Grenache Noir 2013

Nan Helgeland makes extraordinary wines because she pays attention both to the wines and the people making them. That’s a whole other story though. This wine: red red fruits for sure(cran-rasp-blackrasp) well balanced but the tannins are gonna play hard to get, then they flirt with you then hide again. It’s intriguing — 7 years ago

Aaron, Robert and 9 others liked this
MICHAEL COOPER DipWSET

MICHAEL COOPER DipWSET Influencer Badge

Of course! In California you can get my wine Vinos Del Viento Garnachas de Montaña Barrel Selection 2016 from Campo de Borja. I’d also recommend trying Las Margas or S Ayles from Cariñena. Also the Joey Tensley Grandes Vinos and Viñedos Monasterio de Las Viñas Old Vine Garnacha Special Selection From Cariñena. Lajas from Calatayud or the new Albada fincas or Albada parajes from Calatayud or even Las Rocas Viñas Viejas. From Campo de Borja you should try to get your hands on a Palmieri Navalta or Veraton by Alto Moncayo.
MICHAEL COOPER DipWSET

MICHAEL COOPER DipWSET Influencer Badge

Most Priorats are blends. The wines I have mentioned are all 100% Garnacha and express a purity of the varietal that’s rare to find outside of Aragon.
Ellen Clifford

Ellen Clifford Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@MICHAEL COOPER thank you for the recommendations. I couldn’t cover every last region making Garnacha/Grenache before but I’ll keep my eye out for these and be happy to try them. Cheers!

Château La Fleur-Pétrus

Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend 2004

Medium nose with notes of sweet plums, blackcurrant, blackberries, leather, forest ground and dark cherry notes. Medium body and fruit, still young tannins.
Will the fruit be there for the tannins to soften? , would in that case benefit from a few years in the cellar.
— 8 years ago

Feudo di Santa Croce

Primitivo di Manduria 2010

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
— 8 years ago

Pazo de Señorans

Rías Baixas Albariño 2016

Katherine Bordelon
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. — 8 years ago

Edmond Bordelon
with Edmond
Edmond, Ron and 2 others liked this

Azienda Agricola COS

Pithos Rosso Vittoria Nero d'Avola Frappato

Giusto hits another one outta the park. Sicilian take on new world Pinot Noir, made in clay amphorae buried in the ground, light, pure pomegranate and red berry. Love how the clay and the red earth come through. Very long. Seek this out, decant a bit. — 9 years ago

Les, Ted and 13 others liked this

Taittinger

Comtes de Champagne Grand Crus Brut Blanc de Blancs

In first on QF1. Lots of citrus flavour which works well in the cabin of an aircraft. Would like to try again at ground level to check the real taste. Very enjoyable. Would certainly consider buying but might wait for a better vintage. — 6 years ago

Remhoogte

Honeybunch Reserve Chenin Blanc 2016

Unctuous nose with ripe, bruised fruits. Peachy and macerated. Floral qualities and an alluring dash of freshly ground white pepper. Good rich texture with a calcareous finish and a little suggestion of light nectar or thistle honey. — 7 years ago

Greg liked this

Vieux Château Palon

Montagne-St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2015

This is the star of the show at this point! An oft-overlooked bottle from Montagne-St-Emilion comes out as a rockstar in the 2015 vintage. The nose is captivating with smoldering firewood and ground spices leaping out of the glass. The palate is textured with nutmeg and more spice, vanilla, and oak. Darker fruit, anise, wild black cherry, and a touch of smoke round out the palate. This is a definite winner, especially at the modest $30 price point. — 7 years ago

Kimberly, Sean and 3 others liked this
Sean Herriott

Sean Herriott

@Kyle Groombridge Absolutely agree. That wine is a STUNNER!

T-Vine Cellars

Hallowed Ground California Red Blend

Chocolate and cherry on the nose, lots of depth both in the glass and in this poetry reading @amysaulderby #wizardtower — 8 years ago

Stuart, Ron and 14 others liked this

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2004

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. — 8 years ago

Paul LafortezzaOwen Mazon
with Paul and Owen
Peter liked this

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe

La Crau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend

Nose: Spicy cherry, blackberry jam, wild grasses, rose, lead/minerality, salinity, orange creamsicle, almost a crustacean fishy note, black pepper, lavender.

Palate: Ripe cherry, gun powder, flint

Incredible with a "carbonara" of ground turkey and a bit of red sauce
— 8 years ago

Château Giscours

Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 2012

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. — 9 years ago

Shay, Mike and 5 others liked this
Ron R

Ron R Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Good stuff.

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia

Bolgheri Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

Big nose with concentrated notes of dark cherries, licorice, forrest ground, leather, coffee and bitter chocolate. Very big body, massive but still elegant fruit, complex aromas, potent tannins, well balanced, long aromatic finnish. — 9 years ago

William Hill Estate Winery

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Here is my #fridaycabernetfix ! Not sure of the "somewhat low ratings" on this! This wine is really good! Super Smooth...dark fruits..molasses..sage..leather...vanilla..nice long finish! I picked this up for $40..pretty comparable ..previous purchases at a much higher price point.

Update..post 4 days vacuum pumped and in Refrigerator..this wine has lost some ground ..once being opened. Not bad..but heavy on the oak..and loss of acidity present post 1 hr. Decant. Not bad....just different....
— 7 years ago

Dennis, Neil and 14 others liked this
Trixie

Trixie

Happy weekend! Like your photo props.
Dawn E.

Dawn E.

@Trixie Thank you! Hope your weekend is fun as well! ☺

Château La Croix St. Georges

Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend 1990

A review of 9️⃣’s for fun 😁

The 2009 was made 9 years ago @ £39 & 19 years after the 1990 @ €90 😁 so I thought it would be fun to compare how my favourite Pomerol has evolved 😁

💵 Oh & Petrus next door to this Chateau is 90 times more expensive 🤣

🥊 So 90 vs 09

🏵 90 - 97-98 points
🏵 09 - 94-95 points

🍷 90 - Garnet opaque ruby w/ bricking
🍷 09 - Opaque ruby

⏩ scroll for colour pics on Instagram ⏩

👃 90 - Bordeaux nasal sex of soggy earth, sooty underground 🚇, char-smoked oak, old leather, damp musty cellar, mushroom, mirabelle plums, damson compote, obliterated blackcurrant, herbs, toasted fig, bitter mocha & liquorice
👃 09 - Dark jammy plum & blackcurrant through smokey oak, choc mocha, flint, pencil lead, soggy earthy leaves & wet rock minerals

👄 90 - Med body of creamy earthy smooth silk dark plum & berry bathed in ground mocha & liquorice
👄 09 - Med+ creamy smooth ripe dark plum & blackcurrant body w/ a mocha infusion & mineral tone

🎯 90 - Long mocha liquorice dark fruits mouth filling linger w/ a big happy smile 😃
🎯 09 - Long smooth ripe dark fruit, minerals & rich mocha linger - oh & still big happy smile 😀

⏰ 09 I can’t wait to revisit you in 19 years 😘

👏 @josephjanoueix @jeanphilippejanoueix 😍
— 7 years ago

Chris, Peter and 26 others liked this
Peter van den Besselaar

Peter van den Besselaar Influencer Badge

Nice idea, but I think 2009 will become awesome too 🤨😉

Kongsgaard

The Judge Napa Valley Chardonnay 2010

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! — 8 years ago

Dan FitzgeraldShay AKeith Fisher
with Dan, Shay and 1 other
Shay, Eric and 35 others liked this
Norman

Norman Premium Badge

Two great wines. Not a fan of pear but generally love Kongs
Benjamin Keator

Benjamin Keator

Who opened this?
Shay A

Shay A Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@Benjamin Keator : I think it was Al

My first “Judge”. Incredibly inviting and a wonderful entry and mid palate. Great weight. Mark mentioned notes of pear which I agree with, alongside a pineapple purée. Impressed at where this was 8 years in and think this probably has a few more years of prime drinking.
9.4

Ground Effect

Santa Ynez Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

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 — 8 years ago

Joshua liked this

Château Gombaude-Guillot

Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend 1999

The Gombaude-Guillot, one of the few Bordeaux wines the Kermit Lynch works with, is a Pomerol that has the textbook satin-like tannin, a byproduct of the Merlot grape planted in these hallowed clay soils up on the Pomerol Plateau. Still plenty young, the fruit was plush but not too generous, showing juicy red fruits that buttressed and a subtle core of earth and minerality. Drink now or hang on for another 10 years easy. — 9 years ago

Anthony, LM and 2 others liked this

Higher Ground

Monterey County Pinot Noir 2014

Great, smooth but interesting Pinot. Terrific price. — 9 years ago

Patti and Lizette liked this
Patti Pontrelli

Patti Pontrelli

Fruit forward, loved it.