Tracy Hall

9.2

Great nose! Very inviting. Red fruit (a smidge on the tart side) but in a good way. Great food wine, like the pig ears here at Goose and Gander. Stellar!! — 6 years ago

Robert Torretti

9.3

A true classic style Barolo. Still drinking young 22 years later. One of the last old-fashioned Barolo in the Oddero line-up. Tight even after 90 minutes in the decanter. But as time went on, more red fruits began to come through. Great with stuffed, roast suckling pig with potatoes. — 6 years ago

Jason Koh

9.5

Wow! The 70s Barolos sing beautifully right now (2017)... this 1970 Marcarini beauty is older than me but certainly more youthful and pretty. Throw out vintage ratings from critics and grab any bottle of Marcarini from the 70s! Cherry cola, rose water bouquet reside harmoniously with mushroom and freshly rained on asphalt- just so good. A perfect pairing for Maialino’s squid ink taglioni as well as the namesake suckling pig. yum yum yum. — 7 years ago

Daron Watson

9.0

nutty yet w a pop of fruits on the palate ~ a bubbly pig tail wearing hottie! — 8 years ago

admiral von schnauzer

8.9

Fo' sheezy my neezy keep my arms so freezy.

Great effort from a crap vintage. Driven in to @pigbeach so probably not optimal. Touch of va. But bbq pig. Pressed all the right buttons up front but a little weak on the follow through. Still nice, better outside. Better with good friends — 8 years ago

Carlos Lorenzo

9.6

Very deep red color, mineral, clean, very long on smell. Meaty, silky, full bodied, rounded, very well balanced, coffee, cocoa. Perfect to pair with typical roasted baby pig. Just for a very special event. Bought at the winery in our last trip where they explained to us its very special production process. — 8 years ago

Mike R

9.0

WE gave this a 91 and it is Bordeaux-style red BUT merlot led red so big medium bold and not able to sing yet so just a wanna be beautiful - has style and finesse but needs some makeup - not as bad as lip stick on a pig makeup but some makeup none the less - man the plans I had for this wine - going to let the other 5 get more beauty rest and pray it helps - not my normal over the top early Sunday afternoon watching NFL football smile but the good thing is wine in enough glasses will produce a smile so starting to smile - will need a better wine for dinner to sleep with a big smile — 8 years ago

Tiffany Sams Cox

8.9

We found this blast from the past at the Albertsons for about 8 bucks last time we were in Paso Robles. It's 2008 vintage and confirms my opinion that a couple of years on a big Zin is a beautiful thing. The "Monster" is toting around his 16% alcohol like a teensy Kate Spade clutch but he somehow stuffs more than just lipstick into that bag. We poured immediately after the cork pull and enjoyed black cherry black raspberry, sage, dried bay leaf, and cedar that all wrap up into fun zippy finish. It made me want a dark chocolate covered cherry cordial but....I had none, so I just poured another glass. And yes, I did just let on to the fact that I have indeed purchased wine from a grocery store before and yes, it was under $20. Gasp! While we do miss the value zins of Norman, we're absolutely giddy about what Brecon is doing with the property today. — 9 years ago

Matt Kern

9.0

Like a pig roast on first cracking the bottle. The cooked meat gives away to prune and spice, stewed fruit and deep herbaceous, earthy love. Paired amazingly with roast pork, fennel seed and honey. — 9 years ago

Jeffrey Long

9.4

Hair of the Pig. First time at the Englander without having just come from a Raiders game. Bring on the crazy. — 10 years ago

with Jim

Aaron Tan

9.1

From Mag. Part of C&A's spectacular wedding lineup, and perfectly paired with suckling pig. The laser acidity and extreme salinity really cut through all that richness, but also interestingly completed the hot mustard sauce. The nose on this wine was beautiful - berries, white florals, sea salt, sage. Palate was just pure saltiness. The body, which seemed weightier than previous encounters, exceeded expectations - could have been the vintage or food. All in all, a great way to start a legendary feast! — 6 years ago

Mike R

9.5

I love Cayuse syrahs but this is a Merlot based Bordeaux style with ~ 50% Merlot and 40% cab franc which is a little like saying I feared a medium bodied wine - was I wrong - so so wrong - killer juice - it was a full bodied baby - almost like drinking chocolate covered raspberries- what a remarkable thing to say for I had to dive through the funk - tons of Aromas of earth, peat, savory herbs and dark flowers lead to soft, sweet, smoky flavors. The texture and richness keep the interest high - almost too chewy - but after a while the wine soften and the firmness was like a waterbed of joy and sin mixed together - JD gives it 95 - will drink fantastic now with a mid decant time and last 2 decades but not sure what bottle rest will do and I think Cayuse makes to drink their wines early on - big smile of approval rating — 6 years ago

Steve Anderson

9.5

(Catching up from 6/23 - JB’s Pig Roast)
Allemand is always a rare treat. The 2009 was surprisingly approachable after about two hours in the decanter. My favorite on a night of great wines. Thank you to @Michael Meyer for the pull. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

This wine seriously has more bacon fat and pork than I've experienced in a bottle. The fruit is one of the last things I will have in this description. It's why there is a pig in the picture collage! I had to do it because right now that is the dominating flavor of the wine. I am going to come back to this in a bit. Let's see what happens after some time in the decanter. This starting to calm down a bit. On the nose, bacon fat, pork, grilled meats, BBQ sauce, olive, loads of milk chocolate, brine, brown sugar, dried blood, pepper, black plum, dark cherries, blackberries, faint strawberries, dry stones, loamy clay soil, scorched earth, soy sauce and decayed dark florals. The mouthfeel is thick and brooding. Everything on the nose is on the palate. The acidity is round. The finish is thick, rich with intense flavors that stick to the palate and linger endlessly. If I had more bottles of the 06 En Chamberlin, I'd wait another 8-10 years to open them. It's still a monster. Photos of; the front of their tasting room in downtown Walla Walla that is generally always closed, the stone vineyard of Cayuse that needs to be horse plowed, Christophe Baron (owner), ready to pick grapes and a field pig...just because their is so much pork in this wine. Producer notes and history...while visiting the Walla Walla Valley in 1996, Christophe Baron spotted a plot of land that had been plowed up to reveal acres of softball-sized stones. He became ridiculously excited. This stony soil, this terroir, reminded him of vineyards he had visited in France (Rhone Valley) and Spain. The difficult ground would stress the grapevines, making them produce more mature, concentrated fruit. Christophe Baron had found a new home. He named his vineyard after the Cayuse, a Native American tribe whose name was taken from the French cailloux–which means, of course, rocks. Hours of back-breaking work later, Cayuse Vineyards has become five vineyards encompassing 50 acres: Armada, Cailloux, Coccinelle (Ladybug), En Cerise (Cherry), and En Chamberlin. The majority of the vineyards are planted with Syrah, and the rest dedicated to Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot, Tempranillo and Viognier. All of the vineyards are planted in rocky earth within the Walla Walla Valley appellation. Cayuse was also the first winery in Walla Walla to farm using biodynamic methods. These highly stressed vineyards average a yield of only two tons or less per acre (30 hectolitres per hectare), resulting in wines true to each vineyard’s unique terroir. Cayuse specializes in four estate-vineyard Syrahs, along with Bionic Frog Syrah, Impulsivo Tempranillo, Widowmaker Cabernet-Sauvignon, two Bordeaux blends named Camaspelo & Flying Pig and Viognier. Look for their other partnership wines; Horsepower & No Girls if you haven't already. Nearly 100% all mailing list, restaurants and secondary markets. — 8 years ago

Jamee Elder

8.9

Lovely well balanced pinot gris, perfect on a summer's day — 8 years ago

Lori Mike

8.9

Pours lipstick in color. ON THE NOSE: cherry, strawberry and a hint of earth. ON THE PALATE: tart cherry, forest floor and leather medium (+) body long finish. — 9 years ago

Mark Trousdale

9.0

Enjoyed at Oro before and during meal. 70/30 PN/CH. Very red-fruited. Nose reminiscent of ratafia. Bruised apple and other oxidized notes - probably slightly last peak. Voluminous. Nice match for the beef tartare with egg and mussel sauce on toast, as well as the uni-egg toast, and the chicken liver bites. Also a great foil for the shredded crispy pig ears. Not as much our style for drinking on its own but great with food. — 9 years ago

Martin Bergo

8.9

Said my 14-year-son as I decanted this wine and let him take a sniff: "It smells more than any other wine I ever smelled before!" The notes of red PN-typical fruits are really intense and interesting, and, on the one hand, the wine delivers hints of horse-stable and earth, and on the other hand, has a lovely sensual perfume; the mid-palate-dominated wine has soft tannins, a northern-Rhône-like "meat-savouriness", and a rather short finish that nevertheless reveals potential for developmemt. Some new oak is evident on the palate and alcohol seems higher than the restrained 13% indicated. The La Justice commune-appelation plots are located northeast of the Gevrey-Ch. village. Will try again in 2018 (and then I will remember to play the same recording of The New World Symphony as today; music & wine is as important as wine & food to me). Had with gruyere and spanish ham cut from the hiney of a pata negra acorn-fed pig. — 9 years ago

JKT

9.1

Last one with Geoff was rather oxidized but this one is spot on. Like a vintage Champagne (ok stated like SG) and actually went very well with hot pot for year of the Pig. 2/5/19. Still good day after. A bargain. — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

8.9

A new winery for me discovered at the Toowoomba Wine Show in 2017. Rich crimson with youthful purple tinges. Aromatic fresh aromas. Dark cherry and savoury on the palate but with cool climate notes. Personally would not cellar beyond 5 years. Good now. — 6 years ago

Steve Anderson

9.4

(Catching up from 6/23 - JB’s Pig Roast) what a great treat from @Matthew Beckman. Didn’t immediately recognize this as a Pur Sang based on the old label A bit of funky cabbage on the nose to start, but this was amazingly in tact for a nearly 25 year old Sauv Blanc. Wow. — 7 years ago

Raun Kupiec

9.0

Delicious. With a big 1.5 kg t-bone grilled on a salt block (for 3 people, I'm not a complete pig), mmmmm. Not as floral and complex as a Barbaresco, but nice complexity and excellent finish. — 8 years ago

with Barbara

Melissa Parsonson

9.1

Well balanced on the nose. Notes of ripe red berries and cherries. Herbaceous and a little woody. On the palate, a linear continuation of the nose. Tannins add structured depth brining a little spice to the silky finish. Drinking now and well. Would pair well with meats like lamb or suckling pig. Aromas start on the nose — 8 years ago

with Mark

Isaac Pirolo

9.1

In Somm: Into the Bottle, Greg La Follette described his commitment to providing value with the quip "I am perfectly happy scraping by and roasting squirrels under bridges, as long as I can make really great wine." That sort of masochistic pursuit of value deserves to be pointed out. And at $20, this is indeed a value. The bouquet intertwines ripe black cherry, richly spiced potpourri, and loam. The nose follows through in a juicy style on the palate, but with a notable measure of balance. I bought a lot of this, so maybe Greg can roast a pig tonight. — 8 years ago

jesus g

Hospitality Schramsberg Vineyards

9.6

This was really cool and unique. — 8 years ago

Kevin Ortzman

9.0

DIRRRRRTY! A BIG rose. Red citrus with mineral and earth. The citrus lingers on the finish. — 8 years ago

with ADAM

Kimberly Anderson

8.9

Wet stone with a hint of kiwi. Crisp and clean with a micro bubble on the end. — 9 years ago

Vito Polosa

8.9

A solid red , barn and pig skin, cassis, a grove texture on the finish. Not bad — 9 years ago

Rick K

9.1

Gonna Pig-ato out on this in lieu of candy tonight. Saline, herbal, with just a touch of orange. Where's the pesto? — 10 years ago

Ed Matthews

9.6

Huge cherry nose with a hint of smoke perfumes the room: I could smell this wine for hours. On the palate red cherries with hints of violets and lipstick. Excellent acidity. Great QPR. I bought all our distributor's inventory. — 10 years ago