Bob McDonald

9.0

Herbal aromas (typically Margaret River) with Geranium Capsicum and a touch of menthol. Some green notes - medium weight. Savoury wins out over Cassis and black fruits. Not in the upper echelon of Margaret River Cabernet. Just a silver medal. We went to the Cellar Door some years ago and the story goes that the Reserve Cab was served at the wedding of Prince Frederick of Denmark to Sydney Real Estate agent Mary Donaldson originally from Tasmania now Crown Princess Mary and one day will become the Queen of Denmark. Fred is a keen sailor who was representing Denmark at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and they met at Sydney hotspot The Slip Inn where Fred was flashing his Black AMEX so the story goes and was captivated by Mary and the rest is history. — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

From Magnum. Had been decanted for about an hour and s half. Quite stinky which largely blew off to reveal leafy herbaceous characters with mint. Just medium bodied but such good balance and harmony. At that stage of just “damn good claret “ with nothing in particular standing out. A few years ago it was stunning and more powerful. Jancis Robinson still scores on the old 20 points score and gave this wine 19 points, a score generally reserved for 1st Growth Bordeaux and Grand Cru Burgundy. Great wine but time to drink it. — 6 years ago

Shay A

9.2

@Benjamin Keator had his hosting at the CC tonight and it was absolutely incredible. What a night of gorgeous wines! All wines are guessed blind.

My guess here was ‘04-06 French champagne. I couldn’t guess a house, but I was able to rule out what it wasn’t (PH, Dom, Krug). This wasn’t reductive enough to be west coast. Balanced sweetness and yeastiness well. — 7 years ago

with Benjamin, Weston and 1 other

Matt Trader

9.2

Starting to see more beautiful wines from the Margaret River and this is a stellar example of Australian Chardonnay. (This one is an appellation blend of 65% Margaret River and 35% Pemberton) but they are based out of the Margaret River.

13% Alcohol - medium malo, bright acidity

👃flint/crushed rocks, honeydew, green apple skin, vanilla creme

👅pineapple, golden apple, lemon zest and oil, white pepper, mineral, mousse

Excellent balance between the fruit and the acidity, could have some age potential, with minimal development due to it being a screw cap, but it could still use a few years to become a tad softer.

Australia is probably my favorite wine making region this year for sure. A must try. — 7 years ago

Scott Rowe

9.4

Solid Cab no matter the occasion. Worth the asking price though? The jury is still out on that one. — 8 years ago

Sean W

9.2

Tried a selection of wines from Forester on tasting, the Chardonnay was the standout, and probably a stand out Chardonnay in general for me. — 8 years ago

Paul J

9.3

Dark and inky out of the bottle. A little funk on the nose, so it might need more air, but it reminds me of the smell of all the great Napa caves we have visited! I don't drink, own, or ever see that many petit verdots but this one isn't bad. Nice cherry fruit, with a nice subtleness on the palate, and just a hint of spice on the finish. Quite lovely and a nice change from white wine Sunday's....moving it up 2pts as the additional air did wonders and it paired beautifully with lemon, pepper pork tenderloin, white rice, and collard greens with garlic! — 9 years ago

with Brooke

Connor Smith

9.5

#Nebbiolo is a surprisingly rare grape. Even in its native Piedmont, it accounts for only 8% of vineyard land. There are fewer than 100 hectares planted in the United States. 🕵️‍♂️🍇
Over 80% of prewar Italian immigrants came from Sicily and Southern Italy. Piedmont was the wealthiest and most politically dominant region. But if fortunes were reversed, could Nebbiolo have taken Primitivo/Zinfandel’s place as a grape relatively uncommon on the boot but dominant in California? 🤔🇮🇹🇺🇸
Probably not. The Nebbiolo vine is *not* for beginners. It flowers early and ripens late, making it susceptible to both spring and autumn frosts. It loves the occasional fog bath (some say the name is derived from ‘nebbia’, Italian for fog ☁️☁️☁️) but is prone to the mildew that may result from such humid conditions. Its fussiness would make Pinot Noir blush: it demands southwesterly exposure, a proper gradient, constant sun above, and fog licking at its toes. #diva
Sound anything like California’s Central Coast? 🌅
In the Santa Maria Valley, where the East-West Transverse Range bends back into the North-South Coastal Range, it’s possible. Vineyard selection still requires extreme discretion - an eye like @JimClendenen’s, perhaps.
Jim began the Nebbiolo program at the legendary #BienNacido vineyard in 1994. Production is small, but if you track down his “The Pip” Nebbiolo, it will only run you about $30. You’ll believe anything is possible when you have real California Nebbiolo of this quality come wafting out of the glass at you! 🙌🙌
🏞.“The Pip” is named after Jim’s old cellar dog Pip, a border collie. So it only seemed right to include one of our own pips! 🐈 — 6 years ago

Ming L

9.3

A whiff and a sip of the 2001, my generous friend decided that it was not up to her standard and pull out the 2003, which I did not expect as I was really enjoying the 2001 and also had couple bottles of white before that.
While the nose was resemblant to the 2001 in terms of its herbal and earthiness, the fruits was not taking the backseat. A soft and round palate belied the still quite firm structure. Velvety firm tannins with long spicy finish. Polished and well balanced. Plenty of life left. Beautiful! — 6 years ago

Michael B

8.9

We were in the mood for a Rose, tried several decent yet forgettable rose’s until we stumbled upon this. Tavel is just west of Châteauneuf du Pap and many of the local Provence Rose’s come from this area. It has a very fresh nose and taste. Similar to eating out of a fresh bowl of slightly sweet and tart strawberries and raspberries, mixed in with some cherries, eating your full. Followed by a nice complimentary mineral taste. Enjoyed this a couple of times over the last few nights over cheese boards, carpaccio, fois gras, and on its own. As a side note, upon reflection, I’m learning that I have (for quite some time) given out lower ratings for wines I have really enjoyed secondarily for a fear of missing out on something else that should be rated “x” high score. Instead I have provided a “pseudo” cap of 9.5. From now on, I will do my best to rectify this, and remove the “fomo” handicap. — 7 years ago

Robert Agans

9.1

Very good. Paired this with Bison beef meatloaf mixed with onions, topped with Smokey Burbs BBQ sauce and sautéed kale. My power went out during nor'easter right when I put this in the oven... so after getting everyone situated and candles lit I cooked this on in my gas grill on 350 for 25 minutes came out perfect. Nice dinner under candlelight and the wine was a great pairing for a hearty dish (without being to big of a wine I don't drink them often) — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

It been hot on the west coast...even in places it's not normally. Today is no different and you can add humidity; which is something we almost never have here. Time to bust out the Sauvignon Blanc. This beauty is loaded with tropical madness. Plenty of crystalline sugar in the bottom of the bottle. The green apple, ripe pineapple, lime, lemon, mango, green melon, guava, saline minerals, dry grassy notes, and spring flowers leap out of the glass. The palate matches the nose with beautiful, round, acidity and round rich long finish. Photos of, their tasting room and Calistoga vineyard. Delicious tonight! — 8 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

Fair to say the jury is still out on whether Shiraz works in the northern part of Margaret River but this is very good. Plummy with a hint of butterscotch (oak) and touch of black pepper. Medium bodied - fleshy with softening tannins. Short term cellaring. Very satisfying. — 9 years ago

Joe Davant

9.4

I’ve been holding off on drinking any of the 2012 vintage from Hirsch because the folks at the winery said this vintage that needed time in the bottle. @Bill Bender’s notes about the 2012 Hirsch Reserve encouraged me to open a bottle, and I’m glad I did. The wine was deep and broad with more earth, forest floor, mushroom, and loamy notes than I have come to expect from Hirsch wines. The structure has settled down and the more beguiling feminine aspects of the West Ridge are now showing themselves. This was fanatic with crispy roast duck at Gideon Ridge. On a side note, I’ll give a plug to that restaurant. IMHO, it’s the best restaurant in the high country, with great food, service and views. Just plan ahead because reservations are often 6-8 weeks out during the summer season. — 6 years ago

Jeremy Pollard

9.1

Really nice riesling. Has some of those developed notes (hint of kero) on the nose accompanied by plenty of juicy citrus and a lovely taut finish. It’s young yet already fleshed out. — 6 years ago

with David

Shay A

9.0

The winemaker from Cape Mentelle was touring through TX and stopped by Classic Wine Storage for a quick tasting.

This was served too cold at first. It was like biting in to an underripe Granny Smith Apple. Lots of tartness with a touch of sweetness. Grapefruit and melon showed up after it warmed in the glass. Finish rounded out too. — 6 years ago

with Dan and Mark

Bob McDonald

9.2

This is 2nd in the Vasse Felix Chardonnay pecking order after the Flagship Heytesbury and before the budget Filius. Well made as always. Aromas of buttered popcorn and citrus. On the palate citrus flavours which fleshed out with breathing. Quite youthful with good tension. Ticks all the boxes as a classy Chardonnay. Will go another 5 plus years. Had another bottle 15 weeks later with consistent notes. Not far off the standard of its big brother the Heytesbury, one of Australia’s best Chardonnays. Good combination of Oak,citrus, grilled nuts and funky aromas. — 7 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Pale Lemon in colour. Leesy Struck Match Citrus Aromas. Citric notes on palate but also a creaminess with a little nectarine. A profound intensity which makes this Chardonnay stand out from the crowd. One of the most consistently good Chardonnays in Margaret River and Australia. Will keep for a few more years but hard to see it better than it is now. — 8 years ago

dan boedeker

9.3

Small production from SLO county. A great expression of Pinot with cherries, balanced acidity and minimal tannins. Winemaker Aaron Jackson also makes great Petite Sirah blends under Aaron wine label. Seek his wines out. — 8 years ago

Nathan Wegener

9.0

Superb blend flavours of cherry balanced with oak and leather. Love @cullenwines. Enjoyed with Spedini carried out from @garozzos — 9 years ago