MaJ CappS

9.0

Smells of sweet grass and a barnyard.

A large strapping wine, both in mouthfeel, and heft.
Minty, gravelly, horehound, sweet grass, herbaceous and savory cracked pepper.
This is a meal on its own, throw the food away now, this is meant to be acknowledged solo.
Heard. — 6 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.2

Enjoyed while cleaning out the boss' cellar. Say what you want about this wine, but the one thing you can say is that this wine is incredibly consistent. This wine reminds me of the family uncle who always gives you some silver dollars at Christmas...even though you are now a grown adult. And if you actually listen to his crazy advice on investing when you were a kid, you just might be able to be that Uncle when you grow up. This wine is a thoroughbred. Meant to be consumed at least after 10 years. And this wine is in a really good spot. The nose does show a tiny bit of age as does the palate. This is front-loaded with slightly aged blackberry and a bit brambly. This wine smoothed out quite a bit over 3 hours. Finish with very nice integration, a hint of stiff oak tannin but a lot of it has resolved. Very enjoyable. This wine still has another 10 or 15 years left. — 7 years ago

Balakrishna Narasimhan

9.0

Excellent, Chardonnay as it was meant to be. — 7 years ago

Alex Lallos

Owner No Limit Fine Wines, Private Wine Consultant

9.6

Smith haut lafitte called..... they want their wine back. Omg I thought this would be good with clams but it actually needs about a decade (or two) to shed its baby fat. Incredible wine... serious wine..: — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.8

I can’t pour enough praise on Dan and his talents. I don’t give many wines near perfect scores, but this merits one. The nose is a beautifully balanced mix of floral fruits, earth and spice. Blackberries, huckleberries, boysenberries, black plum, black raspberries, plum, black raspberries, poached strawberries, dark moist soils, loamy dry soil/clay, raspberry cola, smoked meats, medium dark spice, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, lilacs, violets and lavender. The balance is incredible...one of the most balanced wines I’ve had. The structure, tension and length are so close to perfect. It’s in the OMG realm. The tannins are nicely resolved but still have teeth. It’s gorgeously lush and rich. Blackberries, huckleberries, boysenberries, black plum, black raspberries, plum, black raspberries, poached strawberries, hues of blue fruits haunt the palate, dark moist soils, loamy dry soil/clay, raspberry cola, black licorice, touch herbaceous, smoked meats, medium dark spice, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, black & white pepper, dry crushed rocks, stones, lilacs, violets and lavender. The finish is heaven all the way around. To borrow Bordeaux terminology, this is First Growth Shiraz. If you don’t seek out Dan’s wines on the secondary market, you are missing something special. Not at all meant to be enjoyed young. This wine is in a very good spot and has another 10 years of life going forward. — 8 years ago

Pablo Vazquez

9.1

Purple dark color and red berries to the nose. Medium tanines and a bit of pepper. Long finish that lingers for a while. This is a young Malbec meant to be drank today. Great with grilled steak. — 9 years ago

Christanna Honer

9.5

Beautiful. Still a baby, needs time for the oak to settle in a little and for the rich tightly packed core to bloom into what it's meant to be. Smooth like cocoa butter on the palate. — 9 years ago

Dan Weisshaar

9.2

Lovely acidity, endless finish, nutty citrusy balanced beauty. Not to be shared with a cheap date, but with a keeper. — 6 years ago

with Lyle and Matthew

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

No detailed notes as we were at dinner with friends. Three Somm’s present for dinner and all thought this was wine of the night. I was one of them.

I believe their 15 is even better than their fantastic 2010.

If you are not familiar with this producer & terroir, I highly recommend you do. It remains under most consumers radar. I should probably stay silent on it as it will only drive up demand and price. But, good wine is meant to be shared with people who know how to appreciate it. This is around $55 on pre-arrival and $70ish if not bought on pre-arrival.

Olivier Lamy left the family Domaine to learn from other producers before returning to his family Domaine. He made Méo-Camuzet for few years just before his return.

The body was thick and slightly waxy. Nice green apple, pineapple, lime, honeysuckle, fruit blossoms with excellent round acidity, texture, elegant and well polished finish.

Recommend you slightly over chill it and decant it for an hour if you drink it this young. After it hour, it really blossoms.

Photos of, the Domaine property, Saint-Aubin Vineyard, amazing Saint-Aubin Chardonnay grapes and Domaine building sign — 7 years ago

Samantha Potter

8.9

This is a #strawberry wine blended with #Riesling. 12% alcohol content that is most definitely hiding behind the sugar...

My first thought was “peach on the nose” 🍑 so perhaps there is some stone fruit action going on here. Nevertheless, this is a *strawberry* wine 🍓 so the berry is prominent.

Very sweet, but certainly tolerable for my taste (read: sweet tooth). Be sure to drink this chilled! ❄️

This wine was so generously shared by @Julia Geisler who is a Vermonter, just like this wine. — 7 years ago

with Maria, Julia and 1 other

Shay A

9.0

It was Weston’s hosting today for the Wednesday Wine Committee and probably the most informative lunch to date. Though everything was tasted “blind” as usual, we were all given a list of grapes to choose from for the whites and the reds, since they were all meant to be very similar.

For the 3 whites, we were told there was one chenin Blanc, one grüner veltliner and one Albariño. So, basically no white wine I drink enough of to know much about. I knew Albariño to be a bit sweet in the finish, so it ruled this out. There was a very German/petrol nose on 2 which led me to Grüner, so by deduction, this has to be the chenin! ✔️ — 8 years ago

with Jeff, Colby and 1 other

Jeanette Hrnyak

9.1

With Hillstone recently deciding to A). add a $15 corkage fee to their menu and B). take the Smith-Madrone Spring Mountain Cab Sauv. off their wine list (crime of the century in my opinion!), I wondered if there were any good wine finds left on their menu. I was pleased to find this one and enjoyed it thoroughly with my French Dip! Even better was the cute guy seen sitting across the bar from me! I would have gladly shared! Now, just need to curb my addiction to their creamy horseradish and all will be right in the world-well sorta.... — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I've been curious about this wine for some time. The original 05 Ausone review from Parker was revised and one would think it was at the request of the Chateau. Parker's 💯 point review started something like this...if you are over the age of 55, you'll want to decide if you want to buy this this wine. Largely, due to his call on it's years of drinkability; which was from 2055-80. Parker's review was mysteriously revised within two months of it's original review. Tonight, I Coravin-ed this tasting of the Chapelle D'Ausone. The 05 Chapelle D'Ausone is still very big & tight but starting it's journey into a decent drinking phase. The tannins are still chewy and dark. The fruits are; ruby blackberries, dark cherries, a mix of blue fruits, strawberries paint the back palate, dark & milk chocolate, caramel, Christmas cake, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, spice-box, black tea, a whiff of green bell peppers, irony minerals, loamy soils, tree bark, a touch of leather, lead pencil shavings, dry stems, dry stones & dark moist soil. The acidity is perfect. The structure, length, balance and tension flirt with glory. The finish runs ripe to dry fruit and the minerals are rich with a dark elegance that lasts and lasts. As good as this wine is tonight, I'll put this bottle back; which is 1 of a 6 pack and wait another 7-10 years to reopen it. Both of Ausone's 05 wines are meant for most collectors end of life or meant to be left for their children. — 9 years ago

Stuart Pollack

9.2

Powerful, deep Brunello. Brooding with prune and plum and some licorice. Meant to be consumed with steak. The wine itself tastes like blood, so steak just adds to it. — 7 years ago

JeremyC

9.4

The last of these 12's. Was getting nervous it could be close to post peak but.....wow! Intense, balanced, complex acidity, oak, fruit. A wine that makes you consider qualities of Burg and Rhone tho this btl perhaps not AS MUCH as the last. Very old world in nature. Could hv waited but very happy to hv enjoyed it and shared. Wnehse. — 7 years ago

Thomas McKee

9.2

A magnum for a special night to be shared with the wonderful staff at Sorella. — 7 years ago

Daniel P

9.2

Because Bordeaux is meant to be tight and silky and beautiful. — 8 years ago

Shay A

9.1

It was Weston’s hosting today for the Wednesday Wine Committee and probably the most informative lunch to date. Though everything was tasted “blind” as usual, we were all given a list of grapes to choose from for the whites and the reds, since they were all meant to be very similar.

I ended up guessing Nebbiolo here based on the tannic grip. It was a tad floral, but I also got some pepper/spice on it. Rather impressive after it opened up a bit. ✔️ — 8 years ago

with Jeff, Colby and 1 other

The Chimp

9.6

A young nebbiolo meant to be drunk young. This wine maker doesn't touch it. In the barely and in your glass. Recommended by K&L in Hollywood and we loved it. — 8 years ago

with Melissa

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

This wine is made in conjunction with consultant Michel Rolland. The blend is 81% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1-2% of both Petit Verdot and Malbec. It's meant to be made in a Pomerol style. On the nose; ripe, lush, sweet black currants, sweet tarry notes, black licorice, soft pepper, violets, understated mint and fresh, dark. fresh floral bouquet. The mouthfeel is stunning as are the fruits. Fresh, ripe, nearly candied, blackberries, dark cherries, notes of blueberries, black raspberries/cola, gentle spices, elegant minerals, loamy soils, liquid violets and a gorgeous, long finishing. Comparing other most quality wine prices, this a steal at $60. Photos of one of their vineyards, Gilles in the lab and a hand blown glass artwork in their tasting room. — 8 years ago