Angela Brown

9.5

Stunning Chardonnay with beautiful balance of nuttiness and acidity — 3 years ago

Rease Kirchner

9.5

Perfect summer wine! — 4 years ago

Conrad Green

9.3

A beautiful nose of soft red fruits, some spice, soulful plummy stuff. Very burgundinian but the plushness of US Pinot. On the palate this has great poise. Light but intense this has lovely fresh fruit and some gnarly wild herbs with underlying acidity and good length. Apparently the ‘j’ refers to Jayer cuttings being the source of the Pinot. If so, that would go some way toward explaining why this is so aromatic and balanced. Excellent — 5 years ago

with Naoko and Larry

Steve Lieblich

9.5

Smooth .... good for at least another 10 years.... — 6 years ago

Charles Houssa

9.6

Beautiful Pinot noir, full of cherry — 6 years ago

Peter Radics

9.5

Oaky, fresh, and delicious! — 7 years ago

Christopher Beatty

9.0

Full flavor. Not too jammy. — 7 years ago

Vic Petroff

9.4

Disgustingly yummy! Beautiful deep red fruit, tons of life & structure. 12.5% alcohol. Touchdown! Thank you, Russ. — 8 years ago

Mindy Arbaugh

9.5

Lovely, smooth and rich. — 8 years ago

with Stuart

Bruce Baldinger

9.5

Pepper, ash, wood. Lovely — 9 years ago

with Maryalice, William and 1 other

Colin McCartney

9.5

Deep, inky purple in the glass with generous blackberry flavors and a spicy, tannic finish. Never met a Hartford Zin I didnt like... — 9 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.7

From a great old looking bottle with a mid shoulder fill. Cork is fully saturated and the crud under the capsule had formed a strong seal. Slow-ox’d for a few hours, then decanted for an hour or two before taken to L’Escargot in Carmel. Amber tawny rims with a reddish tawny core. Crazy nose right from the start. Notes of sweet black cherries, tobacco leaf, plums, black pepper, ash and crusty wood, pencil shavings, some just unwrapped cigar and some menthol. Silky in the mouth with firm structure and soft but present acidity. Long and memorable finish. Outstanding performance over several hours. — 4 years ago

Scott Clawson

9.0

Really good inexpensive zin. — 5 years ago

Rick Baraff

9.1

That’s some nice drinkin’ stuff (circa 2017). Thanks to the local somm, Steve, at our Whole Foods for the recom... it was their last bottle and he sacrificed. — 5 years ago

Katie Wilson

9.3

Orange and amazing — 6 years ago

Manchester Sheldon

9.3

Violets and peppercorns on the nose, it needs some air to open up, dark wood and some earth on the background. — 6 years ago

Stuart Scheff

9.0

Complex perfumed Oregon — 7 years ago

Eric Egan

9.5

Another level... Still dense at the core, with steady, attractive bricking: Wonderfully dense nose of blackcurrents, pencil shavings, fine tanned leather, and a hint of woodland floor (fine moss, leaves, and fresh soil after an autumn shower). Velvety tannins and great acidity. Along with the '66 this is one of my all-time favourite Bordeaux vintages. Seems to be keeping up better than the '61s I've had over the last few years!

We drank half of it from the coravin before waxing the top in case the cork had lost too much elasticity to self-seal. I'll have the rest with my brother in a few weeks' time! — 8 years ago

Eric Belling

9.2

Surprisingly good — 8 years ago

Linda Hawk

9.8

Wow. The first words out of my mouth were, "This tastes expensive." The nose is full and rich as well. Plenty of layers and complexity here. This is going on the very short list of "excellent." - 2012 vintage — 9 years ago

Michelle Kendrick

9.2

Total Wine - $13.50 — 10 years ago

Scott Petrus

9.2

This natty Willamette Pinot is Burgundian in style and better than most. Austere and earthy this baby has enough zip to hold the finish. — 4 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Wow! Velvet, dark currants, mocha, caramel, dark chocolate, saddle-wood, underbrush, gravel, stones & elegance that only happens with this much time forward. Round acidity and beautiful balance and finish.

Stupidly good with our Tri-tip!!!

Photos of; my visits to Bodega La Rioja, their well backlit tasting bar, outside patio and large oak barrels that were assembled inside the Bodega more than 100 years ago...they’re that big and have required many repairs over the years. — 4 years ago

with James and Christina

Andrew Lohse

9.4

Still showing plenty of youth // blackberry, dried red and black cherry, some light tobacco and wood, some green notes // rich, densely concentrated, direct, and big - while still retaining a mouth-filling juiciness — 6 years ago

Conrad Green

9.8

A treat. Dark in color, slightly cloudy. A powerful nose with dark, very mouton fruit. Incredibly aromatic, blackcurrant, mint,graphite, dried herbs, eucalyptus. The palate is extraordinary. So dense and powerful for a wine of almost 70 years. Dark fruit with a savory undertow- leather, thyme, sour cherry, dark chocolate. Really precise flavors and long. After an hour or two in glass there’s notes of coconut and soft wood. Extraordinary. Clearly there’s a lot of age on this but the sheer quality makes for a really dynamic wine. An exceptional bottle, and a teal treat. — 6 years ago

with Howard, Tony and 1 other

Glenn Nick

9.3

On the high chair. — 7 years ago

Rebecca Smartis

9.3

Smooth with a hint of coconut and nice full bodied berry finish. Went great with my lasagna! — 8 years ago

Mardelle Kleven

9.1

Greta Rioja Alta! Wood is present but integrated beautifully. Spice, dried fruits with a smooth long finish. — 8 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

This wine is still a stunner after 25 years. Soft blue and black fruits, savoy black earth, vanilla, relaxed wood. Complete heavenly integration and evolution. Thanks Anthony. — 9 years ago

Jake Hartmann

9.1

A blend that has the strength of character of a single grape. Earthy, complex, wonderful — 9 years ago