Josh Graham

9.4

Generous, silky, rich. Surprisingly delightful when tasted at purchase is now first class. — 3 years ago

with Douglas

Kayla Buchanan

9.5

One of my favorites. Love this wine but can never find it anymore! — 5 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.7

From a great old looking bottle with a mid shoulder fill. Cork is fully saturated and the crud under the capsule had formed a strong seal. Slow-ox’d for a few hours, then decanted for an hour or two before taken to L’Escargot in Carmel. Amber tawny rims with a reddish tawny core. Crazy nose right from the start. Notes of sweet black cherries, tobacco leaf, plums, black pepper, ash and crusty wood, pencil shavings, some just unwrapped cigar and some menthol. Silky in the mouth with firm structure and soft but present acidity. Long and memorable finish. Outstanding performance over several hours. — 6 years ago

Mars P.

9.7

best rum and coke ever. or mix with calamansi and soda — 6 years ago

Lynn Gowdy

9.0

La Rioja Alta 2007 Grand Reserva 904- cherry, forest spice, forest red and black berries, cinnamon, slight leather, mushrooms, bay leaf, dried herbs, sousbois, smooth drying resolved tannins that are fondue like, a small element of astringency. The color has fallen out yet very traditional style Rioja. — 7 years ago

Michael Schamis

9.2

I feel that this is probably the best Pinot Noir producer out of the finger lakes although the competition is finally a good one. The nose has a wonderful aroma of currant a plum with undertones of spice including nutmeg and mulling spices. The palate is gorgeously light and elegant but still somewhat juicy at the same time. Flavors of plum, sour cherry and baking spice along with wonderfully balance acidity. The finish is soft and elegant with juicy fruit notes of lingering acidity. Wow... a great pairing for roasted pork. — 8 years ago

with Kati

Zach Kouwe

8.9

Not that familiar with Zin but had a good mouthfeel, not much tannin, strawberry up front and was good with steak. — 8 years ago

Shengli Hu

8.9

A bit linear. Cranberry!!! Strawberry, strawberry leaf, strawberry yogurt. Long finish, medium+/elevated acidity. Silky tannins that — 4 years ago

Lee Lightfoot

9.4

Phenomenal balance Syrah character dominates, lush perfume and rich dark fruit. Crushed after a 30 min decant, could have used a lil more development time but too delicious to complain about how it was consumed — 5 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Youthful & drinking like a 10 yr old Cab. Lots of red & black fruits, cassis, menthol, cedar, leather, licorice & tobacco leaf. — 6 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Great vintage for DB that is still showing up at 65 yrs with notes of dried cherry, berry fruits, cedar, leather, savory spices, dried herbs, forest floor, lead pencil & tobacco leaf. — 6 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Last night, a buddy of mine who’s a Disabled Veteran and Registered Architect, announced that he was assuming control of a SDVOSB Architecture firm. He had spent the better part of a year of trying to reach a purchase agreement. So it was an evening of celebration. He’s been a Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars fan for some time and he planned to pull the cork on a few bottles. We had a couple of rando bottles too but all were California Cabernet Sauvignon. This was the opening salvo and a very good one at that. Perfumed, lush, velvety fruit with lovely structure. Hugely quaffable and already drinking very well with a short decant but I think this is pretty characteristic of the 2014 vintage. — 7 years ago

WC Fields

9.4

Delicious. Blackberries, forest floor, tobacco leaf, anise, pepper, cloves, mint with bitter chocolate. Decanted 90min and the tannins were an excellent foil to a prime tomahawk ribeye. “Save the neck for me Clark!” — 7 years ago

William Hughes

9.3

Aging beautifully! Still loads of currant and lavender. Add a touch of iodine and some more black fruit, mix with lean tannins and fine acidity. Here is to Maryland wines! — 8 years ago

Jake Hajer

8.9

2016 in ‘21. Aged well! Lime. Lost something. Drink now. — 4 years ago

Donald Williams

9.5

The other half of the two day mini vertical. Just as good as the first. — 5 years ago

with Bonnie

Shay A

9.5

WNH Montelena Estate virtual tasting. Others represented were the ‘94 (evidently corked), ‘01, ‘03, ‘07, ‘15.

I may be an outlier here, but Montelena is one of the few wineries where I not only don’t care for them young, I just honestly don’t enjoy them at all (and that’s coming from someone who enjoys the likes of Myriad, Bevan, Rivers Marie, etc on the young side). For my preference, they are just so vastly better with 15+yrs of age to them. YMMV.

After standing this upright for about two weeks, I gave this about a 45min decant. Starting off fairly thin and having some funk to blow off, it really bulked up after an hour and a half. Dark ruby/tawny in the glass. Reminiscent of left bank Bordeaux (leather, herbs de Provence, only a hint of tobacco), but a sweet cherry liqueur and dried cranberry on the nose bring this back to possibly New World. On the palate it sports underripe and dried black cherries, red clay, cedar, bay leaf, and earthy tertiary notes. Gripping, tannic finish with balanced acidity. In harmony here. I’d say this likely has another 3-5yrs in this beautiful drinking window before evolving more. — 5 years ago

Ned Gray Creed

9.4

That’s how you finish a long work day. Sake, sandwiched between Negronis. — 7 years ago

with Tyson

Ron Siegel

9.3

Beautiful drinking claret showing red berry fruits, leather, tobacco leaf & rose petal wrapped up in an elegant & floral style. — 7 years ago

Tobin Trevarthen

9.1

Distinct flavors. Dark black cherry. Chocolate and tobacco. Smell and taste the terroir. — 8 years ago