Doctor No

9.1

Clean and incisive, red berry fruit and a slight touch of brioche on the nose. Creamy but somewhat aggressive mousse. I think @Morgan Twain-Peterson and @Chris Cottrell are doing very cool things here and am waiting to see some late disgorgement versions of these! — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

8.9

On the nose, bright wild dark florals, dark mixed berries, ripe blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, blue berries, sweet soft spice, vanilla & salted caramel and dark floral bouquet with lots of violets. The body is medium with understated, soft, silty tannins, ripe dark Cherries, strawberries, cherries, blackberries, plum, blue fruits, soft sweet spices, caramel, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, rich black earth, dry crushed rocks, dry stems, soft leather, touch of dry herbs, black cherry cola and fresh dark florals. The wine is consistent wire to wire. The finish is soft dry powdery tannins, ripe dark berries, rich with nice acidity and fresh roses. — 9 years ago

Kevin Bunge

9.0

Hint of bread on the nose, crisp yellow apple on the palate. Dry almost chalky long finish. Pretty, fun bottle of bubbles. — 9 years ago

Alicia Marie Smith

9.0

Red fruit, cedar, mineral, black olives. Acidic. Aeration is key on this one. — 9 years ago

Martin Redmond

9.2

Love this single vineyard vintage California bubbly. It's charismatic, layered, broad, energetic, and vinous with a yellow orchard fruit, ginger, floral, mixed citrus (lime and a hint of blood orange marmalade), gentle spice character underscored with an appealing wet stone minerality. 12% alcohol, 22 months on lees, dosed at 3g/L — 10 years ago

WC Fields

9.4

Brioche toast (hint of smoke), red apple skin and cold sweet cream. Verve and energy on the finish. Winner! @Gary Westby how is K&L out of stock!?? Will there be anymore? X-mas miracle? — 10 years ago

Morgan Harris

Head Sommelier Aureole New York

9.5

Insanely balanced, and firing on all 12 cylinders. High-wire. Freshness with density, and heady perfumed floral aromatics matched with compelling savory, meaty notes from the variety and noble reduction. A pity I can't afford to drink more of this. You could wait more than a few years to bust into this, but crazy good now. — 11 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.8

Happy National Wine Day! 🍷🥂🎉🎊

I haven’t had this 08 in about 3-4 years. I had four bottles then and drank them faster than I imagined it was just that insanely delicious. This Hendricks 08 Santa Lucia Pinot Noir is in the top two CA Pinot’s I’ve enjoyed. I found two bottles recently on auction for a ridiculous $40. When it’s sold in futures at the Hope & Grace tasting room it’s $75 and $90 upon release.

The nose reveals slightly baked; dark cherries, blackberries, blue fruits, lots of plum, black plum, cherries, some black raspberries & strawberries. Some of the most beautiful spice on the nose mine has come across. It’s slightly sweet, dark with a touch of incense. Crushed powdery limestone, savoriness, cola/licorice, blue & red fresh florals with violets.

The body is medium and flat out gorgeous. Its flows & dances over the palate. It’s a sexy wine. Wire to wire this wine doesn’t disappoint. Ripe and slightly candied; dark cherries, blackberries, blue fruits, lots of plum, black plum, cherries, some black raspberries, pomegranate, dry cranberries & strawberries. Beautiful dark spice with heat that lifts off the palate, nicely soft baking spices, incense crushed dry rock & powdery limestone, some rich, moist, dark earth, savoy meats, dry stems, spice, cola/licorice, blue & red fresh florals with violets. The acidity is spectacular. The length, structure and balance have hit its peak. The finish is; rich, ripe, the definition of elegance, perfectly balanced and doesn’t end. It just goes on & on.

Photos of; Santa Lucia vines, Winemaker-Charles Hendricks doing the heavy lifting in the cellar l, grapes waiting to be crushed and the Hope & Grace tasting room in Yountville where this wine is sold. Charles is the Winemaker for Hope & Grace as well. — 8 years ago

Marc Pavan

9.0

Thick and rich! Dark maroon with a brown rim. Oak and leather push through the dark stone fruit aromas. All that aging has taken the edge off the tannins. Mellow for sure. Leathery and full on the palate. Used as a conversation wine at a gathering. Paired well with fruits from the tray, cheese log and Doritos. Honestly, for $18.99 cdn you can't go wrong with this. Lots of gold on the label and wire mesh give an elegance that makes the host think that it punches above it's price class. — 9 years ago

with Leslie

Scotscowgirl

10

Lucious wine full of ripe blackberries. Not overly spiced and exceptionally smooth. Perfect with a simple filler steak followed by cheese. — 10 years ago

Gae Saccoccio - NdC

9.8

Vintage 1949 in Burgundy according to Broadbent: “..most perfect end of a decade - elegant, well-balanced wines”; Clive Coates in his book Cote D'Or: "best vintage of 40's all-perfect beauty and purity”; Robert M. Parker Jr.: “it was the best of post world war II vintages before 1959”
Henri Leroy at that time was négociant based in Auxey-Duresses, his mythical daughter Lalou Bize-Leroy in 1949 was only seventeen.
Les Cazetiers is amongst the most elevated of Premier Cru site in Gevrey-Chambertin - and indeed the whole of Burgundy.
I drank this precious bottle on Mount Etna with #FrankCornelissen and other dear friends. Uncork this bottle lead to a surgical operation. Just begun to pull it out, a light breath of wine molecule with air bubbles magically have emerged on the surface of the cork. It's been like witness the passing away of a dying old man (or Pinot Noir must be a woman?) That humanized wine had held "élan vital", hope and breath inside him for the last 66 years! A miracle of a wine still so tasty, robust, citrusy, vibrant, earthy, incredibly alive and well-preserved despite color and neck level did not bode so well.. that's what I thought and I'll remember until I die: "the wine was waiting for us to drink it up, he gave off his mortal blow to offer us life, joy and smile!" — 10 years ago

with Alberto

Gae Saccoccio - NdC

9.7

Considering the not-so-fine vintage.. 1987 .. this bottle is a miracle! The citrus of a sangiovese-grapefruit that squash your brain from the mouth to the backbone. For someone - and I'm on the list - Rancia is the "most finished" piece of vineyard all over Chianti region! — 11 years ago

david hassell

10

big juicy dark berries in my nostrils~leading into a semi-heavy tannic palate balancing on a high acidity tight wire...tastes like a cold climate tannic berry beast — 8 years ago

Thomas Roeder Bolwerk

9.7

This bottle was Devine. Oak, spice light and black barry. The legs on this bottle make me wilt with joy. — 9 years ago

alewifery

10

man on a wire. got to be kidding me. blows away 90% of mature barley based products. #armangac #charlesneal #pellehaut — 9 years ago

Marshal White

9.1

Comes into its own on night two. Black fresh fruit, aromatic (orange peel, hot rocks, and rose water) with some of that ethereal aromatic character that Etna Rosso has, but in a more grounded, less high-wire way. — 9 years ago

alewifery

9.0

Truly a symphony. Balanced like that fool in Man On a Wire. For those that find the cloying sweet malt of some Belgians disgusting, this is the answer. A tinge of sour a tinge of malt. #symphony — 10 years ago

Kat Thomas

Sommelier Rose.Rabbit.Lie

9.0

Its a Christmas MIRACLE! Finally blinded this wine spot on with just a few years off...lol. Ok a few more years off but it's Christmas ;) — 10 years ago

Richie Mello

9.3

Caution: Some of these are super carbonated so watch where you point that bad boy when you twist off the wire. Consequently it's the most effervescent cider/poire I've ever experienced, nearly the same effect of putting mento's and coke in your mouth. Hazy golden color with a nice layer of lees sediment. The french farmhouse funk is as lovely as ever with alot of very obvious acetic acid on both the nose as well as palate. Semi-dry, appreciatively fresh with a nice long back end to round things out. She's a beaut :) — 11 years ago

Kurt Zelm

8.9

Soft and sweet body with boysenberry and blackberry on the palette. — 12 years ago