Isaac Pirolo

9.4

With friends in town during Thanksgiving, I hit up some wineries that I’ve been curious about. Super cool experience at Aonair. Grant Long, Jr has created something special there, and with David Yorgensen at the helm with the wines, it feels all dialed in. Their Grenache was a surprise to me. From El Dorado and there’s some initial funk, but it blows off and what’s left is a balanced, mineral driven, but kirsch laden, and yet still, a bright style wine that’s quite reminiscent of something from Chateauneuf du Pape. — 6 years ago

Wivino Mann

9.7

Auslese 5 Sterne 🤩 — 7 years ago

with Lars and Corinna

Jack Cranley, Backroads Wine Club & Cascadia Premium Wines

9.3

So good. Balance, slate, rich fruits. The pinnacle type of Riesling experience. — 8 years ago

Vinous Favorites

Delicious wines for less than $25 chosen by Vinous critics

9.0

With the heft to serve alongside strongly flavored dishes and the vivacity to enjoy by itself, Château Vignelaure’s 2014 Rosé is Provence in a glass. Perfumed, subtly mineral and offering red fruit, citrus and floral qualities, this will be a superb drink for the coming spring and summer. (JR) — 8 years ago

Bob Ballard

9.2

Last bottle of JR. End of an era as he is no longer making wine. Salute John Ramsey...you were good. — 9 years ago

B Mcmanus

9.0

Still waiting for an occasion big enough to warrant drinking a wine that has been in my cellar for nearly forty years — 9 years ago

Jason Duff

9.3

Wow. Delicious, smokey, bold. — 9 years ago

.

9.2

Ready to go. Archetypal Rutherford cab and a real pleasure. — 10 years ago

Jackson Rohrbaugh

9.3

Riesling like it should be. Round yet precise, exotic yet demure. #christoffel #riesling #mosel #germanwine — 10 years ago

boyd

9.6

The answer is yes — 11 years ago

Willem Booij

9.7

Topwijnen overleven ons, dit is zo mooi en een voorbeeld van mijn stellige stelling — 12 years ago

Cecil Ramirez

9.1

2010 Herrera Selecion Rolando Jr, Napa. Opaque garnet color, full bodied, balanced tannins. Black cherry, cola, pepper, earth, vanilla notes. After some air, silky mouthfeel, long finish. Beautifully integrated, drinking well right now. — 7 years ago

Los Shaws

9.0

88 points, Robert Parker Jr
$11 — 7 years ago

Mark Garcia

9.3

Strong stuff! Only for sipping but good. However my pallet gets better flavor on some cheaper choices. — 7 years ago

Richard Sohn

9.3

Fruity, floral. Notably sweet with minimal burn despite 50% abv. — 8 years ago

Wivino Mann

9.3

10 Jahre Vertikale Christoffel jr — 8 years ago

with Lars and Corinna

Beau Carufel

Winemaker/Owner Random Wine Company

9.2

On point! Seemed like it was still on the youthful upswing. Great tension and intensity. — 9 years ago

Marc On

Writer Originalverkorkt, Lobenbergs Gute Weine

9.1

Nothing better to clean your palate. Still so young & fresh. A QPR killer! — 9 years ago

Dave Schneider

9.3

Silky silky smooth. Good and rich yet subtle. Thanks JR — 9 years ago

Peter Heidt

9.0

Rochester.... Dom P. and I holding court on top of a hotel, that he helped financed... Local boy runs this winery and oh so good... Inky sweetness in a bottle... — 10 years ago

Brad Donaldson

9.2

Great blend of Cabernet and Touriga Nacional. Such a luscious wine 👌 — 10 years ago

with Lewis

Daniel P. Drake

9.6

On the recommendation of my store of choice I decided to purchase a couple bottles of the Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley which I tend to love because they tend to follow the lines of good Burgundy wines. They tell me this is the best they have tasted from Oregon. This new wine making venture is being run by winemaker Mike Etzel Jr. Son of Mike Etzel of Beaux Freres fame. The also have wine consultant Louis Michel Liger-Belair of Vosne-Romanee. Sounds like a great pairing. On the nose I am getting strawberry, cranberry, red raspberry, hints of mint, vanilla and forest floor. On the palate there is a light mouth feel with red cherries, cranberry, young strawberries, and clove. There is a nice medium acidity, medium low tannins, minerality and a long finish. A very nice QPR at $23.99. I am very pleased with this find. Highly recommend. — 10 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

One of my favorite whites. First, because it’s so good but, also for its uniqueness. It’s a wild blend of; Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo, Marsanne, Pedro Ximénez, Pinot Noir & Viognier.

The color is pale gold.

On the nose; because of the bottle age, you get just a hint of petroleum. Ripe peach, pineapple, orange zest, some green & more golden apple, nectarines, lemon/lime, ginger, chalky volcanic minerals, smokiness and yellow florals.

The body is round, full and waxy. It’s simply delicious and unlike most whites many have experienced. Touch of petroleum, ripe peach, nectarines, dry apricots, marmalade, orange zest, overripe pineapple, golden apple with just a hint of green apple, beeswax, meyer lemon, some lime flesh, touch of ginger, a little smokiness, chalky volcanic minerals and beautiful yellow florals from the Viognier. The acidity is round and perfect. The long, lush, rich, well balanced is artful and lasts two minutes.

Treat yourself and get a couple bottles. You’ll be glad you did.

Photos of, Clos Mogador, their barrel room, René Barbier Jr. - a great guy who told us to jump in his SUV and drove us through their steep vineyards. Some tricky driving for the novice but not René and one of hillside vineyards.

Outstanding producer in Priorat. If you visit them, have lunch at Amics about two miles from Clos Mogador. Perhaps, the best lunch and value we’ve had at a non-starred Michelin restaurant that absolutely deserves one and maybe two. They also do a lot catering for Clos Erasmus and the other Bodegas in the area — 7 years ago

John J

9.0

Toasty, caramel and viscous. Lovely! — 7 years ago

Daniel Steilen

9.1

Delicious — 8 years ago

Shay A

9.2

How do you say no to a wine dedicated to Cal Ripken? Not only does this do him justice, this is flat out an amazing Cabernet. Is it worth the $825 with the signed baseball? I'll leave that up to you. Regardless, the toasted oak and dark tannic fruits with this make this an age worthy stash. — 9 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.3

One of our favorite finds on our last trip out to Napa. Grant Long Jr. is making some fantastic wines and we cannot wait to visit his new estate location in Howell Mountain. Deep and dark ruby red with a purplish core. Dark sweet fruits on the nose, lots of baking spices and dark spices like vanilla and cinnamon. Dark black cherries and creme de cassis attack on the palate. Moderate plus tannins (7.5/10) with an almost cola like texture. Furry, thick, extracted and full bodied. Long and lingering finish with some red cherry undertones. Drink till 2028. — 9 years ago

with Sean and India

Gae Saccoccio - NdC

9.8

Vintage 1949 in Burgundy according to Broadbent: “..most perfect end of a decade - elegant, well-balanced wines”; Clive Coates in his book Cote D'Or: "best vintage of 40's all-perfect beauty and purity”; Robert M. Parker Jr.: “it was the best of post world war II vintages before 1959”
Henri Leroy at that time was négociant based in Auxey-Duresses, his mythical daughter Lalou Bize-Leroy in 1949 was only seventeen.
Les Cazetiers is amongst the most elevated of Premier Cru site in Gevrey-Chambertin - and indeed the whole of Burgundy.
I drank this precious bottle on Mount Etna with #FrankCornelissen and other dear friends. Uncork this bottle lead to a surgical operation. Just begun to pull it out, a light breath of wine molecule with air bubbles magically have emerged on the surface of the cork. It's been like witness the passing away of a dying old man (or Pinot Noir must be a woman?) That humanized wine had held "élan vital", hope and breath inside him for the last 66 years! A miracle of a wine still so tasty, robust, citrusy, vibrant, earthy, incredibly alive and well-preserved despite color and neck level did not bode so well.. that's what I thought and I'll remember until I die: "the wine was waiting for us to drink it up, he gave off his mortal blow to offer us life, joy and smile!" — 9 years ago

with Alberto

Charles Hetzel

10

Colonel E.H. Taylor J.R. Warehouse C Tornado Surviving Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey — 10 years ago

Willem Booij

9.6

Beerenauslese from a high level and an year hundred vintage. Coloured with orange gold and tast like liqued gold, just great! — 11 years ago