Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Pale lemon color with ripe white fruits and wet stone aromas. On the palate flavors of ripe apple and peach, very complex, lively acidity. Long finish ending with mineral and sweet honey character, will short-term age well, tasting great! — 9 months ago

"Odedi"

9.2

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!

Deep inky in color with a short reddish rim.

Fruity nose with black plums, black currants, blackberries, cedar, licorice, cassis, light vanilla, spices, tobacco leaf, herbs, light vegetables and chocolates.

Full-bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruit forward on the palate with plums, currants, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, peppercorn, light earth, dark coffee and light black tea.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious Merlot-based blend from Bordeaux. Complex and interesting. Fruit forward and elegant.

This 6 year old Merlot will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years. I had this vintage two years ago, and it would be nice to revisit it again in 5 years.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after an hour in the decanter.

Easy drinking and well-balanced.
The high alcohol is nicely integrated now, so watch out.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and will also pair nicely with barbecue meats.

A blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Kosher and not Mevushal.

15% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$50. — 2 years ago

"Odedi"

9.6

#AgedWineTuesday

Here is a fabulous 99 point wine by Robert Parker.

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Great nose of blueberries, blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, earth, vanilla, Mediterranean spices, espresso, cola, light herbs, chocolates, tobacco and black pepper.

Full bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black cherries, figs, cedar, chocolates, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco, herbs, light earth, cola and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley.

Showing nice balance and a great mouthfeel. Round and rich. Elegant and smooth.

This 22 year old still has a lot of power in it, and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime.

So soft and powerful, with a great nose. This is a gorgeous wine right now.

A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec. Aged in all new French oak barrels for 24 months.

13.9% alcohol by volume.

96 points.

$250. — 3 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

It's time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Deep purple in color, almost inky, with a short purple rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, cooked plums, sweet cherries, cedar, light vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, coffee, light cocoa powder and peppercorn.

Full-bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, spices, espresso, cola, light herbs, earth, chocolates, coffee, peppercorn and tobacco.

Tangy finish with round tannins and raspberries.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley. Tangy and interesting.

Spicy, rich and extracted, yet elegant. Nicely balanced with a nice mouth feel.

I had the 2018 not too long ago, and it is very consistent.

Very young, but already drinking nicely, after a couple of hours of airtime. A good quality wine that will age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

A good sipping wine that doesn't necessarily need food, but will be great with a big piece of steak as well.

A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, 10% Petit Verdot and 8% Cabernet Franc. Aged in mostly French oak barrels for 18 months.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$85. — 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Family-owned and operated started in 1999 by Dr John and Karen Bergstrom. Dark Ruby with fresh ripe berry fruit flavors with floral spice notes. On the palate, cherry and raspberry flavors with complex herb and citrus notes. Fine tannins on long finish ending with slight earthy character. Drink now while it’s fresh, will benefit from short-term aging. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

2002 is such a beautiful vintage IMHO. In many ways, I think even better than 07. We’ll see in five years from now as I lack a time machine.

I’ve said this a couple of times over my nearly 4,200 Delectable notes. There is no amount of decanting a young wine that can reproduce the beauty, elegance, florals, integration, balance and finish as long bottle age. If you are buying expensive Cabernets and drinking them young, you are simply short changing yourself out of your deep investment.

This largely under known Napa producer is a shining example of that tonight. Proof in the pudding so to speak.

The nose reveals, sweet, ripe, lush, ruby, slightly baked/liqueured fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, black plum, understated blueberries and baked strawberries haunt the backend. Dark Asian & Indian spices, black licorice to anise, sweet tarriness, black tea, dark expresso, crushed dry rocks, limestone minerals, herbal notes, mint, incense, graphite, dark chocolate, caramel & mocha, dry top soil, moist clay, dark rich, turn earth with fresh & withering; dark, red, purple, blue flowers & just a touch of violets.

The body is; round, rich & luxurious. The tannins still have baby teeth and show chewy tarriness. The tension, structure, length and balance have hit their peak. It’s not going to improve, it will simply show you descending changes which, can be quite enjoyable but, not necessarily for the ones that appreciate wines young. Interesting, none the less, for the ones that enjoy all sides/aspects of wine evolution. Sweet, ripe, lush, ruby, slightly baked/liqueured fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, black plum, mulberries, boysenberries, more blue fruits than the nose, cherries and baked strawberries haunt the backend. Dark Asian & Indian spices with just the right amount of heat, black licorice to anise, sweet tarriness, black tea, dark expresso, crushed dry rocks, limestone minerals, herbal notes, mint, graphite, dark chocolate, caramel & mocha, dry top soil, moist clay, dark rich, turn earth, fresh tobacco, suede style leather, saddle-wood with fresh & withering; dark, red, purple, blue flowers & just a touch of violets. The ABV on this wine is really nice given today’s hotter wines. Climate change, it’s a bitch. The round acidy is as good as it gets. The long, excellent, elegant, rich, ripe, ruby, gorgeous, sexy, floral, perfectly balanced finish falls into persistent heaven.

This is a gorgeous example of what Napa Valley is capable of in grand vintages, if you have good storage & can show patience.

Photos of; an arial view of Jones Family Winery, patio tasting area, beautiful Jones Family Cabernet fruit and their amazing vineyards. — 6 years ago

"Odedi"

9.3

Deep purple in color with a short purple rim.

Nose of blueberries, black plums, black currants, coffee, licorice, spices, dark coffee, pencil lead, earth and herbs.

Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, black plums, cherries, blood notes, light cedar, earth, herbs, chocolates, barnyard, light vegetables, light tar and black pepper.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious Syrah from the Rocks District in Walla Walla Valley. In your face kind of wine. Rich, extracted and complex. Nicely balanced and elegant. Interesting stuff.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after a couple of hours of airtime.

This 6 year old Syrah is drinking beautifully now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years. Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years and see how it evolves.

A great sipping wine that also paired nicely with a big piece of steak.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$350. — 9 months ago

"Odedi"

9.3

Dark ruby in color with a very short reddish rim. Not showing age at all.

Strong fruity nose with cedar, vanilla, chocolates and black fruits.

Full bodied, elegant and smooth, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate and very fruity, with black currants, plums, tobacco, cedar, leather, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, herbs and light alcohol.

Medium plus on the finish with fine grained tannins and cherries.

This 28 year old is still drinking beautifully, but was probably better a few years ago.

Nicely balanced and elegant with nice complexity.

Needed 90 minutes of airtime to open up properly.

Robert Parker 96 points.

I Had this vintage almost 2 years ago, and it was even better then.

A blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 4% Malbec and 3% Petit Verdot. Aged in French oak barrels for 22 months.

14.1% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$200. — 3 years ago

"Odedi"

9.3

It's time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a beautiful one from Bordeaux.

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Fruity nose with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, spices, espresso, earth, tobacco leaf, herbs and black pepper.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, light vanilla, earth, wet leaves, herbs, peppercorn, pencil lead, dark coffee, dark chocolates and tobacco leaf.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.


This 7 year old, from the great 2015 vintage, is drinking very nice right now.

This Fifth growth Bordeaux is showing nice complexity, with a soft and elegant mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 3 hours in the decanter.

Young, but already delicious, and will continue to age nicely in the next 20 years.

Robert Parker 97 points.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and good with food too. Will pair nicely with a nice piece of steak.

A Delicious wine that drank better than the 1996 I had 4 years ago.

A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and a touch of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Aged in French oak barrels (50% new) for 16 months.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$130. — 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Deep Ruby, purple edges, with aromas of fresh berry fruits, cigar box spice and earthy mineral notes. On the palate rich ripe fruit, blackberry & black cherry with hints of dried spices. Good balance with slightly firm tannins, opened quickly, and lively acidity. Long finish, complex ending with oak, herb, mineral and earthy character. Will improve with short term aging, but don’t wait too long as you might be disappointed! Very nice Shiraz! — 5 years ago

"Odedi"

9.7

Cheers to my 6,000th review on Vivino. A Big milestone deserves a big wine. This was on my wishlist for a while now. Go big or go home!

Deep inky in color with a short brick rim. Unbelievable. Not showing age at all.

Fruity nose of blackberries, blueberries, black currants, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, leather, earth, Mediterranean spices, beef jerky, peppercorn, cedar, leather, vanilla and licorice.

Full bodied, bold, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, sweet plums, vanilla, cedar, light vegetables, spices, smoke, tobacco, chocolates, coffee, cola, pencil lead and peppercorn.

Long finish with firm tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon based, Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley. Showing great complexity and a great mouthfeel. Big with bold tannins. Delicious and yummy.

This 19 year old is drinking very nicely now, and really shows like a young wine. Has at least 15 years in it.

After 3 hours of airtime, forest floor notes come in on the nose. Tasting like an aged left bank Bordeaux.

Wine Advocate 100 points.

This is a Fabulous wine to share with good friends. Very enjoyable by itself or with food. I paired it with BBQ ribs.

Thank you John, for sharing this phenomenal wine with me.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

97 points.

$1,200. — 6 years ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.2

Ripe raspberry briar nose... dark blackberry note... 14.8 abv... jammy(in a good way)... perfect long finish... paired with short ribs and amazing grilled cornbread — 7 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; consumed over two days. Day 1: very primary, fresh, vibrant fruit with some tobacco but super compact. Day 2 was a different story with fresh raspberries, cassis, plums, and tobacco and wonderfully balanced. Loads of structure to go with. Finish is long and delicious. This bottle already exhibits a lot of sediment, expect more in the future. Best yet to come. — 7 years ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Inky in color with a short reddish rim.

Showing a beautiful nose, once it opens up.

Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Showing blackberries, black currants, cooked cherries, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco leaf, herbs, cola, peppercorn, vegetables, spices and black tea.

Medium finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 6 year old Cabernet Sauvignon from Walla Walla Valley is drinking very nicely now.

Drinking at its peak, and will continue to drink nicely in the next few years. I had it 3 years ago, and it is drinking very similar.

Needed 30 minutes to open up, and remove some of the bitterness.

The nose is very complex at this point. Really beautiful.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were aged for 18 months in (35% new) French oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$45 (current vintage). — a year ago

"Odedi"

9.3

#AgedWineTuesday

Deep Inky in color with a short purple rim. Looks very young.

Soft nose of black fruits, cedar, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, light vegetables, pencil lead and peppercorn.

Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco leaf, light black pepper, earth, herbs and black tea.

Medium finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This 14 year old Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa feels very young. Rich and powerful. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

Great right out of the bottle, and tightened up after 2 hours of in the decanter. Probably needed a longer decant, but it finished too quickly.

This Single Vineyard will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

Wine Advocate 92 points.

Tasty and enjoyable by itself or with food. Will pair nicely with a big piece of steak

14.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$300. — 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Thought it would be fun to check in on the 2017 "Classico" while I patiently wait for my 2017 Riservas to arrive (long story). Popped and poured; enjoyed over several hours out of Burgundy glasses. In the glass, the wine is deep ruby color with a transparent core. Medium+ viscosity with no obvious staining of the tears. On the nose, ripe cherrys with tar, herbs and organic earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium++ tannins and medium+ acid. The fruit set is confirmed and despite the firm structure, comes across almost round and chewy. She thicc. Long finish. The 2017's are drinking well right now and noticeably better than my last note. Have confidence these will drink well through 2032. — 3 years ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Inky in color with a short purple rim.

Strong fruity nose of black currants, plums, cooked cherries, dried fruits, light oak, spices, chocolates, coffee, licorice and black pepper.

Full bodied and smooth, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco, milk chocolates, coffee, cola and peppercorn.

Nice finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a nice and easy drinking Petite Sirah from Mendocino County.

Nicely balanced, rich and fruit forward. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle and better after an hour of airtime.

Still young, and would be better in a few years. Will be nice to revisit it in a couple of years, and see how it evolved.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and good with BBQ Meats.

100% Petite Sirah grapes were aged in French oak barrels. Organic.

14.8% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$26. — 4 years ago

Will Stanley

9.4

My second time trying this ‘Lieu-Dit’ Saint-Joseph bottling by northern Rhône powerhouse Guigal, from the exceptional 2015 vintage. It is a better wine than it was in August last year (at which point it was a little closed down). Frankly, it is a brilliant wine from this lesser appellation that, in short, is a full-blooded expression of Syrah with bags of intent.

Intense aromatics, a medley of plum, hoisin, fig compote, leather and black pepper. The palate is incredibly rich and saturated, packed full of blackberry, cranberry, an umami quality, jamon iberico and aged beef. Tannins and acidity are both high but are perfectly poised in harmony with the fruit. The finish is impressively long, and moreish. In a terrific spot now at five years but this should continue to sing in a decade. Really a thoroughly enjoyable northern Rhône. — 6 years ago

Frank Heinz

9.4

Linda Rudolph brought this to us from South Africa — 6 years ago

"Odedi"

9.3

It’s time for #MerlotThursday. Here is a delicious one from Napa Valley.

Dark inky in color with a short purple rim.

Strong nose of blackberries, black plums, figs, dried fruits, cooked raisins, vanilla, cedar, licorice, cloves, light vegetables, cola, earth, chocolates, tobacco, mocha and black pepper.

Full bodied and bold with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and extremely fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, vanilla, cedar, earth, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, mocha and coke.

Long finish with firm tannins and tangy cherries.


This is a delicious Merlot from Napa Valley. Big bold and beautiful.

Showing a great mouthfeel with nice complexity, once it's opened up. Intense, rich and extracted. Teeth staining color. I've had it many times and it is very consistent.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up and shows some tannins. So give it time.

I've had this vintage 6 months ago and it is showing nicer now.

Good by itself or with food. A great sipping wine.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$40. — 7 years ago