House Of Cards
Hope & Grace
Doctor's Vineyard Pinot Noir 2013
Taittinger
La Francaise Brut Champagne Blend
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
Krug
Grande Cuvée Brut Champagne Blend
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
Gibbston Valley
School House Pinot Noir 2015
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
School House Vineyard
Mescolanza Syrah Blend 2011
Sometimes you don't want to analyze, and just enjoy. This was one of those moments. — 8 years ago
Carriage House
DuBrul Vineyard Red Blend 2007
The structure of a brick house right out of the bottle. Wow! — 8 years ago
Brick House
The Dragon's Tale Ribbon Ridge Gamay Noir 2013
A beautiful balance of fruit, spice, tannin.. True expression of the grape & place, rather than process (a non-carbonic Gamay) — 9 years ago
The House of Independent Producers
Dionysus Vineyard La Bourgeoisie Chardonnay 2011
Easy to drink unoaked Chardonnay. Light and not too overly fruity — 10 years ago
Brick House
Ribbon Ridge Gamay Noir 2018
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
Stags' Leap Winery
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
Fashionable country resort in mid 20th century, popular with Hollywood due to 1892 stone Manor House and historic gardens. Dark Ruby with aromas of ripe berry fruits, herbs and spice for this blend with 86% Cab Sauvignon. On the palate black cherry and black currant flavors with oak and earthy notes. Well balanced, fine ripe tannins lingering ending with fruit and pepper spice! Nice! Drink over next decade. — 5 years ago
Côte Bonneville
Carriage House DuBrul Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2009
Very good wine from CB. Nice balance to it, lots of flavor. Had it with a nice steak. Great pairing. — 8 years ago
House of Krone
Vintage Cuvée Brut Rosé Blend 2014
Great value! — 8 years ago
The House of Independent Producers
Bacchus Vineyard La Bourgeoisie Merlot 2011
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
Brick House
Year of the Dragon Ribbon Ridge Gamay 2012
Ruinart
Brut Rosé Champagne
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
Laurent-Perrier
La Cuvée Brut Champagne Blend
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
Brick House
Cascadia Ribbon Ridge Chardonnay
Bollinger
Special Cuvée Brut Champagne Blend
My favourite house champagne at a tasting of 15. Good depth with yeasty notes — 6 years ago
House of Cards
Napa Valley Red Blend
Delicious cab! A bit of fruit but not too much; not overly big either. Very drinkable. — 7 years ago
Bollinger
Brut Rosé Champagne Blend
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
Two Hands
Coach House Block Seppeltsfield Road Greenock Shiraz 2014
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
Brick House
Cuvée du Tonnelier Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir 2013
Celebrating Ben's 29th birthday. Last birthday of the 20s — 8 years ago
House of Arras
Méthode Traditionelle Tasmania Blanc de Blancs Chardonnay 2004
Definite favourite — 10 years ago
David T
Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator
I kid you not, Charles Hendricks is likely the most underrated & under known Winemaker in Napa Valley.
If you have not had his wines, you are missing out on great wines & relative real value for Napa. He makes his own private higher end label-Hendricks, Hope & Grace and midway through the 14 vintage for; James Cole, Regusci & T-Vine.
There are few Winemakers that can make wines that drink well young & some that will age two decades plus stored correctly.
This Santa Lucia Doctor’s Vineyard is really good but, his private label Hendricks Pinot from Santa Lucia is off the charts. His 2008 Hendricks Pinot Noir is the highest rating I have ever given a Ca Pinot Noir, 98.
The 13 Doctor’s Vineyard is better than his 12 & is still a little early right now. It will improve over the next 5 years & hold there a couple of years before its gentle decline.
The nose reveals, ripe, well extracted & slightly baked; blackberries, stewed, deep, dark, black plum, black cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, dry pomegranate & cranberries with shades of blueberries. Dark spices, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, touch of savory meats, anise to black licorice, black tea, wet clay, steeped black tea, touch of herbs dominated with Rosemary, rich, black, earth, dry stones, dry crushed rocks, fresh tobacco, leather notes, volcanic minerals, limestone with bright, fresh & withering florals that are; dark, red, purple, blue mixed in violets and lavender.
The body is full, rich, lush and gorgeous. The structure, tension, length and balance are just hitting their good phase. It is simply a beautiful & complex Pinot Noir. Nicely extracted & slightly baked; blackberries, stewed, deep, dark, black plum, black cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, dry pomegranate & cranberries with more blueberries than the nose. Dark spices that bring palate heat, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & vanilla, touch of savory meats, peppery notes, anise to black licorice, black tea, wet clay, steeped black tea, touch of herbs dominated with Rosemary, rich, black, earth, dry stones, dry crushed rocks, fresh tobacco, leather notes, volcanic minerals, limestone with bright, fresh & withering florals that are; dark, red, purple, blue mixed in violets and lavender. The acidity is very good & excellent at containing the slightly higher ABV. The long, complex finish is, well balanced fruit & earth, polished and will persist until dawn.
Photos of; Their Doctor’s Vineyard, one of my favorite paintings that used to hang behind the bar in their tasting room & now hangs in Charles’ house (it reminds me of a Jackson Pollock), Winemaker-Charles Hendricks and the front of their tasting room in downtown Yountville.
— 4 years ago