Plenty of life left in this one. Delicious! — 8 years ago
Vivid ruby. Intensely perfumed aromas of strawberry, raspberry, rose oil, star anise and white pepper. Supple red fruit preserve and candied floral flavors of very good clarity are complicated by suggestions of cola and licorice. Gentle tannins, providing grip, build on the finish and fade slowly into the wine's plush, sweet fruit. This alluring grenache is already showing plenty of complexity but it's still a baby. — 9 years ago
Much better on day 2, the wine really opened up. — 9 years ago
Excellent Grenache from our vineyard, showing power and great fruit and spices. Proof that indeed 2007 was one of SBC's finest. — 11 years ago
Of course, I made it! 2011 Estate Viognier. — 11 years ago
Love Paul Lato’s wines. This is an elegant expression of grenache - a fantastic contrast to the more muscular wine that John Alban produces, which puts Manfred’s somewhere between. Bright aromatics even given its age, the wine gains a bit of weight as it sits in the glass. Layers of blue fruits on the palate with subdued acidity that keeps the wine moving through a great finish. — 7 years ago
Bought at the Los Olivos Cafe in Los Olivos California. Definitely some barnyard, lavender, black cherries. Well balanced minerality and acidity - with a ton of character sourced from Ballard Canyon - Lower % cold climate northern Rhone Syrah version from Santa Barbara!!! Congrats to her the wine maker 🎉keep it up. Best Syrah so far from. CA. Only 100 cases made. — 8 years ago
Read the worrisome note from Ms. Larner in TWA#211 today. Decided to pop a bottle and I was happy to conclude that this wine wasn't "tight and astringent" nor "a skeleton of wood". Sure, the nose is slightly rustic showing cinnamon spice, iron, grilled meat and dried flower potpourri. On the palate there's still sufficient juicy plummy fruit and vanilla cream. Dark notes of ash, fur, chestnuts and leather provide depth and interest. It's a good Brunello, with modernistic concentration. Prime drinking for those who like their wines mature. Drink now or within 3 years, I'd say. — 9 years ago
6 years in the cellar has done wonders for for this Syrah - so vibrant and fresh with layered flavors and smooth tannins. Would pair well with anything... or better yet, a second bottle of '09 Kunin Sarah. — 10 years ago
Dense. Great with a ribeye. Fruit explosion... — 10 years ago
Best Malvasia I have made to date. White peach, floral, grape, and green apple aromatics. Beautiful mineral finish. The 24 hour prefermentation soak payed off. — 11 years ago
Very nice. A bit pricey but very well-balanced with lots of blackberry, plum, spice and just enough tannin. I'm not usually a Syrah fan so a bit surprised to like this so much. — 12 years ago
Drinking great right now. — 7 years ago
Good blend, spicy, big and fruit forward. VG tannin/acidity balance, paired well with C's black bean soup — 9 years ago
Great tropical fruit on this! Lychee, passion fruit, and slight floral character. Crisp and clean, this is a staff favorite. Only a couple bottles are left in stock. — 9 years ago
Dry but interestingly floral. — 9 years ago
Concentration on maximum. Sunny and still intensely earthy and lithe. I get a little tired trying to conquer this bottle, and luckily I have friends...more than one around to help with finishing this. Held up for 4 days open, just got softer but never lost its umfffff. — 10 years ago
From my good friend and co-owner of this winery we tasted an -08 in Vermont!
Clear ruby color; powerful, complex, earthy with lots of blue/dark fruit on the nose; high alcohol (feels like 14) and well-integrated supple tannins; oak is moderate only little new. Great job! — 10 years ago
Very full bodied and ready to drink. Another great Syrah from Jaffurs. — 10 years ago
A deep ruby color, the '08 Herman Story Grenache 'Larner Vineyard' bursts with aromas of black cherry, cinnamon and cracked pepper. The legs were longer than a pin-up calendar girl. A great viscous mouthfeel with lots of cherry cola and ripe plum flavors. The juicy finish lingered for an extended and pleasurable length of time. — 11 years ago
Ampelos, larner and bien nacido blend. Bright at first then takes on sweaty, gamy backbone. Really Effin good — 11 years ago
Jody Scharf
Nice bottle of wine. — 7 years ago