Isaac Pirolo

9.0

Curiosity got the best of me. Steve Mnuchin and Jared Kushner bro’d out over a bottle of this 2015 Arbalest on Sunday. Apparently it’s newsworthy when a wealthy politician brings a ‘cheap’ ($22) bottle of wine to a bro out. I wonder what price gets the ‘politician drinks expensive bottle’ story (see Paul Ryan at Bistro Bis in 2011). No matter, it’s brilliant product placement — I’m surprised Trump didn’t tweet about it... “Did everyone see Poor Stevie’s wine? So Sad. My 2015 Meritage is So Much Better.”

The wine is made by Benoit Touquette. Here’s his background courtesy of critic Jeb Dunnuck, “Born in Lyon France and gaining his education from the University of Bordeaux, Benoit worked at numerous French wineries before getting a job (with the help of his friend and mentor Michel Rolland) in Napa Valley with Andy Erickson. He consulted for the likes of Screaming Eagle, Ovid and Arietta. Today, Benoit is the winemaker for Realm Cellars, Hartwell, and Kata, as well as numerous other labels, including his own project Fait-Main.” Who wouldn’t want to try a $22 bottle of wine from a winemaker with that kind of resume??

Dunnuck also scored the wine 91 points, calling it “Full-bodied, ripe and rounded, with a sexy, opulent style, lots of mid-palate depth, and a great finish, it's well worth your time and money and is a smoking deal at 20 bucks.”

The blend is 82% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot. It needed about an hour to fully open up... one of my fellow tasters called it soapy... which I think was because of its noticeable herbaceousness. Focused black cherry, pipe tobacco, clove. Juicy, but dry, with lots of grip. I’m not doing backflips over it, but you could do much worse at $22. 90+ — 8 years ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.2

Okay... I admit it.. another hidden/forgotten wine in the cellar...but after 10 years, with slow braised swiss steak on the first cold blustery Sunday of the fall... this wine was wonderful. Smooth, soft, just a hint of brown on the edge...I admit to adoring old California zin with comfort food. With no end in sight to pricing for the next cult cab... screw it—I’ll take six bottles of this any day. — 9 years ago

Daniel P. Drake

9.0

Sunday night having the Laurent-Perrier Brut Champagne Maison Fondee 1812. No occasion just enjoying a Champagne Apertief.

The nose gives you lemon, green apple, creme brulee, creamy light vanilla, minerality and river rock.

On the palate I have lemon lime, citrus peel, green apples, toasty bread and an earthy minerality.

There is a high acidity with a crisp clean long finish. A very nice champagne for the price.

Have a wonderful work week. Mine will be a short one. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🖒 — 10 years ago

Yasemin

9.0

Yellow apple, citrus, butter and almond on the nose. I am by all means no expert but this is a very enjoyable wine on a Sunday afternoon. — 10 years ago

Ben Levy

9.5

Sunday afternoons are reserved for apathy and self regret. Thankfully this wine exacerbates those feelings to the point of no return. Perhaps the talc powder base and stone fruit mouthfeel combine for a magnificent take on old world urine. Cork is made of polyurethane and spitballs. Bottle contains fibromyalgia. Producer is AWOL. — 11 years ago

with Mr.

Charlie Beatty

Buyer wineworksonline.com

9.9

Tried 2 different vintages in a row, last night after a long day of clean up from water heater bursting and flood. Sunday night 2012 Roar Chard reminded me of Kistler style of Chard, in fined unfiltered, full body great fruit wonderfully balanced.. Like Kistler sentiment at bottom. Now tonight with trash half way down the street the 2011 Roar Sierra Mar Vineyard is rich as Chards get. Great fruit with nice mouth feel no sentiment , refreshing tropical fruits with just a touch of oak.. Boy is this good!! Having aged this a whole 1 year really gives this rich chard backbone and Grace!! Delicious!! Thank Everyone on Roar Vineyards for this Awesome Chard.. Charlie Beatty WineWorks Marlton — 12 years ago

Joel Martins

9.3

Muted pink color, like a cross between cantaloupe and watermelon.
And there's melon on the taste as well. Not a bright rose, low acid. This is a Sunday sipper. No food needed with it. Yummy — 12 years ago

Marc Stubblefield

Wine Sales at Vino Carta and Kogod Wine Merchant

9.1

One of the best QPR California wines out there. Black and blue fruits, smoke, meat, olive and a good glug of acidity. Complex? No. Powerful? Nope. Clean Syrah with personality and balance for cheap? Yup. Every day and twice on Sunday at this price. And yeah, it ages well too - a little less exuberant fruit and a little more savory brine and everyone's happy you stuck a few of these in the cellar. — 8 years ago

Carl Fischer

9.4

Scenes from last night’s dinner:
‘15 Accendo Sauvignon Blanc
‘13 Relic Ritual (not pictured)
‘12 Entre Nous Estate
‘12 Entre Nous Secret Acre
‘13 Entre Nous Secret Acre
‘12 Checkerboard Estate (Aurora)
‘12 Mithra Mt. Veeder
‘98 Chateau d’Yquem
‘16 Brilliant Mistake Sauv Blanc
‘06 Detert Cab Sauv

Thank you @David L @Shawn R @Martin G Rivard @Joe Lucca - for coming to Brooklyn on a Sunday night!

————
This wine is super refined and elegant. The amount of acid was noticeable at this point - and the tannins are strong even after a four plus hour decant. This is one for the long haul. It was cool to taste this side by side with the ‘12 vintage as well as next to the ‘12 regular Estate. All so different yet all so good. Such wonderful wines it’s sad they’re no longer making them. — 9 years ago

with Martin, David and 2 others

A E Weber

8.9

A Cab that is more of a whisper, no shouting or loud noise. Like a Sunday morning brunch buffet with beautiful berries on the menu.. — 10 years ago

David Lieberman

9.0

From a half bottle, the 1992 to reward myself for finally getting the 1/2 bottle drawers up and running in the cellar. While laboring on this, two beautiful organic chickens hit the soup pot on Saturday morning and were reducing into an incredibly rich broth by Sunday night, when I pulled the cork on the ZH to accompany the reduced chicken on a bed of good spaetzle. The wine is really right where I wanted it; beautifully golden with age, shimmering with scents of marmalade and coconut. Yum - ZH was making wines with too much rs for my palate at this time, but time heals all wounds and now the sweetness no longer corrupts the breed of the Brand vineyard. This wine seems like it will go on and on for many more years... — 10 years ago

Steve Ess

9.0

Big juicy cab, just what I want on a Sunday night. Super solid, straight up, no BS, leathery berry fruit goodness. $18 at Bi Rite — 11 years ago

with Laura

Mr. Skurnchinkey, Esq.

9.3

This wine showed up on my doorstep looking to get corked. I said no but he insisted. Needless to say, all of our holes are sore. Tannins hit you like a double quarter pounder with cheese hits a lactose intolerant individual on a Sunday night after a full plate of goat cheese. Blackberries, tar, TPS reports. Medium to medium high quality producer who stomped on the grapes after running barefoot in a field of my dumps. — 11 years ago

Steph Zoucha

10

Best cava I have ever had!! If you have been to my home on a Sunday I will not share with you😉 gotta bring your own — 12 years ago

Ashlee Howarth

9.6

Excellent dry cider. Light and crisp. Perfect after a pound of donair. — 9 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.3

Another 09 to celebrate our anniversary last Sunday. Bottle no. 085. Deep and dark ruby red with a purplish hue. Tight nose even after an hour, with notes of dark cocoa, spices, anise and dark cherries. Heavy tannins (7/10) and full bodied. Lots of dark spices on the palate with some black cherries, anise, and dark bitter cocoa. Long and lingering finish, a touch dry too. Drink till 2028. (93+) — 9 years ago

with Sean and India

Mike R

9.6

So so good - 60 min decant - so glad I opened to celebrate some victories for my wife who was not happy with the first Sunday wine - this baby is beyond singing and to quote my friend @Martin G Rivard and singing like a rockstar

Color is deep deep red - nose is extremely aromatic - taste is magnificent which is rich and smooth, balanced but structured - tannins are releasing - finish is long warm but no heat and lasts forever - I love Moone-Tsai and the Howell MTN speaks to me - it says Big Bold and Beautiful - just incredible - SMILING on Sunday - all is good in the universe — 10 years ago

Ron R

9.4

I had high expectations with this example, and was not disappointed.
Nutmeg, cinnamon and maraschino cherries on the nose. The palette is quite soft, with tannins that are fully evolved. I can taste the Rutherford dust, along with coffee and maple syrup. It's so succulent - no food required. Finishes with an uncommon presence. This is turning out to be an outstanding Sunday treat. — 10 years ago

with Anne-marie

Dan Fredman

Chef Sommelier World of Pinot Noir

8.9

Good and quaffable. A little d barnyard on the nose and no rough edges, nice fruit complex enough for a Sunday night. Good example of a Took a Crianza and a screaming good deal at $4.99 per bottle from Grocery Warehouse. — 11 years ago

Christine Murthy

9.0

Smooth and lovely for sipping on a Sunday night — 12 years ago

Christy Canterbury MW

Master of Wine

9.0

A bit brawny now, so I've decanted it 2 hours in advance for tonight's roast. A fine pairing to warm up with on a frigid Sunday evening! — 13 years ago