Andrew Schirmer

9.2

I first drank this wine in 2004 as a 22 year-old wine neophyte—with duck confit & spaetzle at the late great Earth & Ocean in Seattle—it blew my mind. As Swift said, “I drink no memories” so how does it hold up?

Quite respectably. Opening palate is fresh, mouthwatering, the memories of great Beaujolais crus past. Mid-palate with currant & slate. Excellent acid-tannin accord, cherry liqueur finish. Glorious with roast chicken & black trumpets. — 4 years ago

with Alsu

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Still detoxing from Napa & Bordeaux Cabernet.

The nose reveals; dark cassis with some currants, some tarriness, hint of savory, smoked meats, black licorice to the core of anise, blackberries, black cherries, pomegranate extract, dry cranberries, some plum & blue fruits, dark fruit cola, liqueur notes, limestone minerals, some crushed rock powder, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, light vanilla, hints of sage & bay leaf, dark rich forest floor with dry leaves, dark fresh & withering flowers with a touch of bright red florals.

The body is on the fuller and richer side of Pinot. The wine is beautifully elegant across the palate. For a wine not coming from my best storage, this has held up nicely and showing far more complexity and integration than say a year ago. The structure & tension are still firm while the length and balance are approaching its high point. Dark cassis with some currants, some tarriness, hint of savory, smoked meats, black licorice to the core of anise, blackberries, black cherries, pomegranate extract, dry cranberries, some creamy black raspberries, mashed strawberries flesh, plum & blue fruits, raisins, dark fruit cola, liqueur notes, limestone minerals, some crushed rock powder, dark, long lasting spices with some heat, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, light vanilla, hints of sage & bay leaf, dark rich forest floor with dry leaves, dark fresh & withering flowers with a touch of bright red florals. The acidity is quite nice with well balanced fruit & earth finish that is persistent for minutes.

Photos of; Hope & Grace’s Stag’s Leap Vineyard, a very old vine which, I would say is 60 plus years old, Winemaker-Charles Hendricks willing to still do the heavy lifting and one of my favorite paintings that used to be in the Hope & Grace tasting room but, now is in Charles house. — 5 years ago

Ellen Clifford

9.6

Oh yes yes yes Krug. Again with the buttered toast sensation that turns me on to the big house bubblies. Undercurrents of marzipan but this marzipan is vacationing somewhere tropical. — 6 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

On the nose, dark fruit profile of; blackberries, black cherries, black raspberries, cherries, poached strawberries, dry dark florals, dark soils with light volcanic minerals. On the palate, M-M+ tannins, black raspberries, raspberries, black cherries, blackberries, cherries, poached strawberries, black licorice, sweet lifting spices, strong; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, blue fruits round out the longer finish, big chalkiness, some leather & volcanic minerals. The tannins soften & fruits lean on the longer finish with good round acidity. Photos of another vista outside Queenstown, long shot of the tasting room and outside garden grounds. — 7 years ago

Chris LoRusso

9.5

Very special Chardonnay from Spring Mountain with a perfect balance of Oak and acidity. — 8 years ago

Richard Lewis

9.4

Sometimes you don't want to analyze, and just enjoy. This was one of those moments. — 8 years ago

with Lynne

Dan Warner

9.4

The structure of a brick house right out of the bottle. Wow! — 8 years ago

Feasting Foodies

9.5

A very drinkable #redwine with a lot of personality. For a not so much of a red #wine drinker, this one is definitely a good choice — 9 years ago

with Scott

Sanjuana Walters

Skurnik Wines Domestic Portfolio, Freelance Writer

8.9

Very bright and lively — 10 years ago

with Skurnik

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Four day weekend. Gotta get it off to a good start. Been awhile since we had our 375ml of Ruinart.

The nose shows, ripe, slightly candied; black cherries, strawberries, kirsch cherries, rich, summertime watermelon, touch of orange citrus family blend, pomegranate juice, hints of fruit roll up & haunting apricots. Sea fossils & spray, a little bread dough, grey volcanics, chalky powder, orange, spring flowers with fresh & withering, red & pink rose pedals.

The palate is full & touch gummy/candied. Fruits are well extracted, deep, ruby; black cherries, blackberries, strawberries, kirsch cherries, rich, summertime watermelon, touch of orange citrus family blend, pomegranate juice, hints of fruit roll up & haunting apricots. Ghostly, not quite fruit brandy or fruit liqueur character, sea fossils & spray, a little bread dough, not quite medium, white spice with hints of palate heat, grainy, grey volcanics, chalky powder, orange, spring flowers with fresh & withering, red & pink rose pedals. The acidity lively and crisp. The round, well balanced & polish finish is always consistently satisfying and lingers for minutes.

Photos of; the House of Ruinart, Dom Thierry Ruinart, nicely light caves and rolling, hillside, Grand Cru Vineyard.

Not quite sure where “D” gets $83 when you can buy this all day at just under $65. — 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Grabbed a bottle to close the Summer on Labor Day weekend. Blend of 40% Chardonnay and 60% Pinot Noir this wine was rich and complex. Pale yellow, vibrant bubbles, Crisp fruit aromas, apples and pears. Palate shows generous mineral and toasty oak notes integrated with the fruit. Absolute a must on your list, a true house staple for me. Great Champagne value. Overall nice summer, a tad wet back east! — 6 years ago

Kyna Love

9.0

Very bright and jammy out of the gate, and quite tart in a pleasant way. — 6 years ago

Ichiro Kawachi

9.2

First spring like weather of 2018 and first time having barbecue on our deck since September 2017. Brick House is fantastic Willamette Pinot. Bing cherries/layered structure — 6 years ago

Philip Faure

9.1

Lovely and creamy — 7 years ago

Sarah Milsow-Guenther

9.2

Very good wine from CB. Nice balance to it, lots of flavor. Had it with a nice steak. Great pairing. — 8 years ago

Nathan Adams

Consulting Wine/Beverage Director, Snake River Brewing, Persephone, King Sudachi

8.9

Great value! — 8 years ago

with Claire

Laura Buergler

9.1

Celebrating Ben's 29th birthday. Last birthday of the 20s — 8 years ago

Heath Bradby

9.3

Very very tasty — 8 years ago

Morgan Hall

9.5

A beautiful balance of fruit, spice, tannin.. True expression of the grape & place, rather than process (a non-carbonic Gamay) — 9 years ago

Erika Green

9.6

Easy to drink unoaked Chardonnay. Light and not too overly fruity — 10 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Quite delicious for its price point. I would say it slightly over delivers. Just misses 92.

Nice mousse, green apple, golden apple, lemon, lime zest, grapefruit, pineapple, guava, lychees, cream soda, bread dough, soft, moist chalkiness and powdery, soft chalkiness, jasmine, white spring flowers, nice acidity and a rich, polished and well balanced finish.

Good pair with our Brie and goats cheese.

Photos of; the House of Laurent Perrier, branded iron gates, their storage caves with bottles on A-frames and one of their Grand Cru vineyards. — 5 years ago

Austin Blackwell

9.1

Layers of cherry and strawberry with some savory notes. I think that this could benefit from additional aging and probably needs a 1-2 hour decant. — 5 years ago

with Marisa

Brad Hemmer

9.3

Citrus, lemon zest, apple, floral and touch of creaminess. — 6 years ago

with Jenny

Darren Clayson

9.1

My favourite house champagne at a tasting of 15. Good depth with yeasty notes — 6 years ago

Emily Anderson

9.0

Delicious cab! A bit of fruit but not too much; not overly big either. Very drinkable. — 7 years ago

with Michael

Kieran Roberts

9.0

A good rose. Nice house style of Bollinger. Felt the mousse left quite quickly but other areas were strong including the clear bright fruit. — 7 years ago

Charlie Beatty

Buyer wineworksonline.com

9.7

Bring on more of this fabulous 2014 from makers of Two Hands. Huge full bodied red that has everything going in it. Loads of sweet fruit up front, mouth filing tannin structure. Bright acidity. Needs time Tried with Michael T and friends. A little pricey But worth every penny of it CB 97 — 8 years ago

with Michael and Todd

Pam Bushman

8.9

I consider this a more full bodied wine. Typically a Cab drinker but this Merlot was quite good. Strong plum and cranberry flavors with a bit of a peppery finish. Alcohol content seems high with half glass consumed! Surprised that I am enjoying this one as much as I am. — 8 years ago

Lisa Lim

9.4

Upper House, HK; very bubbly, just the right amount of sours — 9 years ago

Kelly Reed

9.7

Definite favourite — 10 years ago