Vanessa

9.1

Sandhi, Sanford & Benedict, Sta. Rita Hills, Pinot Noir, 2016, ABV 13.5%.

This Pinot Noir comes from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA of Santa Barbara County in the Central Coast region of California. Despite California having generally a Mediterranean climate, due to its westerly location, Sta. Rita Hills AVA receives cooling maritime and fog influences from the Pacific Ocean, aiding in the preservation of acidity, lending balance, finesse, and elegance to the resulting wine.

This wine is medium ruby with a medium(+) intensity of youthful aromas. The aromas include primary notes of candied cherry, strawberry rhubarb, orange peel, violet, tulip, mint, wet stone, white pepper, secondary notes of nutmeg, and tertiary notes of earth and wet leaves.

On the palate this wine is dry, with medium(+) acidity, a medium body, medium alcohol, delicate tannin, and medium(+) intensity in flavors consistent with the nose. This wine has a medium(+) finish.

This is a beautiful wine with a strong fruit character and expression. It is well-balanced and offers concentrated aromatics and flavors and nice complexity. — 4 years ago

with Deked1

Carsten Rudolph

9.1

Very dark wine - nice bouquet of forest floor and mushrooms, black fruit - the taste is dominated by a heavy tannin attacking the gums - also some black fruits in the mouth and mediterranean herbes, garrigue - long, dry aftertaste... — 5 years ago

Brett Nelson

9.3

Wonderful dry red. Had with Greek Christmas dinner and was an excellent full bodied dry backstop to the Mediterranean spices. Cassis, vanilla, cloves. Luscious nose.

Would be good with any tomato based dish, or Indian curry?

Buy again! — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Stupidly good with hand made pizza and Mediterranean salad.

Sweet and sour dark cherries framed in dark fruits, layered baking spices and nice wood use.

Seriously hitting its stride with at least another ten years of good drinking ahead. — 6 years ago

Jordan Wardlaw

9.0

Citrus, anise, white pepper, white flower aromas. Crisp yellow apple and subtle tropical quality on the palate with a grippy, herbal pine resin quality on the finish. Shimmering acidity throughout, showing nice tension between yellow/green fruits and spicy/herbaceous phenolic character. A bit pricy for Tufo, but obviously a serious wine that is perfectly suited to Mediterranean food and is a wonderful apertif. — 7 years ago

Peter Wassam

9.1

Garnacha, Jaen (mencia), a host of others. Can something be both Mediterranean and mountainous and reflect character of both? Yes, here's proof. Wild side of garnacha- sage, thyme, black currant- mixed with licorice and plum. Sawdust tannins but non invasive and bright, clear acidity — 7 years ago

Antonio Capurso

9.1

Colour: almost no transparency, dark red - violet
Nose: fresh and concentrated nose of red and black fruit: raspberry, red berries, plums, and hints of figs - after a while some Mediterranean red spives coming through, and a violet-red flowers note as well.
Palace: very nice acidity (quite high) perfectly balanced with nice tannins, that are rustic but not without elegance. Good structure and balance, Very refreshing and drinkable.

Bought at Di Vin Bacco Enoteca - bisceglie — 8 years ago

Jay Kline

9.2

From a 3L bottle that I have cellared since release. I always hesitate to open these large format bottles, instead making excuses to hold them for longer since they tend to age at a glacial pace. However, we were hosting a large group of people for my 40th birthday dinner and since we were having lamb and rice, and big bottles are meant for big parties, and the world hasn’t been able to enjoy many big parties over the last 14 months, I figured WTFN. In an attempt to maximize the potential of the bottle, I pulled the cork almost 30 hours prior, a recommendation from by buddy Tim who tends to know a lot more about these things. I left the bottle in my cellar, allowing it to slow-ox. By dinner the following evening, this was absolutely singing. Gorgeous, translucent ruby color with a slight brownish rim. Ripe red fruits just ever so slightly stewed, red flowers, dry earth, and dried Mediterranean herbs. This bottle was positively bursting with energy! Bone dry. Medium+ tannin; medium+ acid. The finish was long and somewhat saline and was an absolutely sublime pairing with our Khaleeji fare. A fabulous bottle and a much better showing than the 2013 (standard format) that I recall drinking a few years back. — 4 years ago

Sam Lee

8.9

Soft perfumed light delitefully 🌈
Music is what I strong on
So we play every Friday night
Especially under these strange circumstances ☂️
Easy and stronger 🍒
Friday Night Dinner is a wine dinner 🥫 at our bars and grills 🤵🏼
Dark pinkish purple on visuals 🌈
Mid palate pepper spices vegetable of black olives Mediterranean tomato juicy 🍅
Finishes, structured integrated with vanilla chocolate and black juicy fruit 🍇 — 5 years ago

Chip Hughes

9.2

Waxy yellow fruits, saline. Savory. Great richness, balanced by big acids. As Mediterranean as it gets. — 6 years ago

Shawn Thompson

8.9

A delicate, pretty pink; like the colour of crabapple jelly. The primary aroma is floral, orange blossoms with a secondary bouquet of sea minerals as if you were sitting next to the Mediterranean engulfed by a warm sea-breeze. Good acidity that should cut through the oiliness of the barbecued Salmon on the grill. The flavours of rose water, grapefruit and tart strawberries make this an utterly delicious rosé for a hot summer’s day. — 7 years ago

Matt Trader

8.9

Very nice white wine, but not very complex at the same time. Stand alone, it is a citrus packed, high acid, crisp white similar to the way a dry Sémillon from Australia drinks. Combined with the Mediterranean spices in Greek and Med cuisine, and it is perfectly at home. Might just take a little journey through Greek wine this next month and see what I find! — 7 years ago

MichaelD

9.0

A superb introduction to Priorat could be the 2015 Camins del Priorat, the only wine where they still use French grapes varieties. This year yields broke all records, and the blend in 2015 was 40% Garnacha, 20% Cariñena, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah and 10% Merlot. It's a heady, rich and aromatic red full of Mediterranean herbs, licorice, fennel and aniseed and a peachy sensation with a velvety palate, young and primary, accessible and easy to drink. It even feels a tad lighter than other vintages. — 9 years ago

Mary B

9.4

Aromatic, with bold fruit flavors. Still bright and crisp, making it a great pair for grilled meats and summertime Mediterranean dishes. — 4 years ago

Carrie LeZotte

8.9

Good for a change I’d you like Zinfandel.
plum deal tasting 1/21/21 — 4 years ago

Rhonely Boy

9.2

50% Mourvedre, 25% Syrah, 25% Grenache, biodynamic, hand picked fruit. (Rating 9.2-9.3)

Thank you for being present then, to be my present now. Great Job!

Amazing 14 year old GSM from California. Cherry notes are surprisingly fresh and vibrant, well balanced (acid/tannin) delicious dark notes in the background (leather, chocolate, tannin). Fruity without being sweet. “With 0.4% residual sugar — not so much to make it even remotely sweet or turn it into a stereotype of a California fruit bomb, but enough to render it tender” - Wicker Parker - 11.01.2010 http://www.renaissancewinery.com/scripts/winepg.cfm/_/8/2006/Mediterranean-Red/

https://www.sfchronicle.com/wine/article/The-lost-civilization-of-California-wine-13174708.php

https://www.ttb.gov/images/pdfs/North_Yuba_petition.pdf

http://www.renaissancewinery.com

http://www.beingpresent.org

— 5 years ago

Jordan Savitsky

10

Delicious. 2016 vintage. Israeli wines stepping it up! — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

Lemon in colour. Notes of Orange peel and Quince on nose and palate. Medium to full bodied. Refreshing uncomplicated drinking. The base wine, Grillo, used in Sicily for the fortified Marsala - a style that has fallen out of favour in recent times. Tasted again 30 weeks later on 10th May 2019 with consistent notes as above. Tasted again on 9th October 2019 with consistent notes. Also notes of old apples and quince as previous. A delicious Mediterranean white and excellent QPR. — 7 years ago

Gerardo Suro

9.4

Lovely orange peel and ripe golden apples laced by vibrant acidity brimming with mineral energy and promise. The saltiness on the backend highlights the gorgeous Mediterranean pedigree of this wine in all its glory. — 7 years ago

Carlais Pyles

9.3

This was a very delicious Greek red blend, full of juicy dark fruits and a hint of floral and herbaceous notes which paired well with my grilled lamb and beef kebabs. — 8 years ago