Will Stanley

9.5

Just rock-solid Châteauneuf, this is exemplary and for me personally my exact sweet-spot in terms of the varied styles from this region. The nose takes a little coaxing, but has a great yin / yang profile of pure, fresh blue fruit, liquorice, violets, and garrigue, versus seared meat, iron and loamy earth. This all puts it square in the middle of the ‘old’ and ‘new’ schools, broadly speaking, and it’s a wine that has the best of both worlds as a result.

The palate is huge, an iron fist in a glove of velvet and so much more, but in no way imbalanced or over-extracted - not overtly alcoholic, at a modest 14%. It spreads out in waves across the palate, ripples which are felt long after the finish. This is clearly a baby now, but it drinks well and will see its 20th birthday in damn fine fettle. Excited to have a case in the cellar.

Decanting not required nor recommended. — 3 years ago

Tom Garland

9.2

Double decant (decent chunky/fine sediment). A phenomenal dark tawny garnet color. On the nose: plum, musty soil, cigar box, cinnamon, smokey vanilla. Taste: smooth, balanced medium body wine with dark plum, leather, mocha, minerals, and a slightly bitter black tea dry medium finish. No reason to wait, drink em if you got em. Cheers! — 4 years ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.6

2005 WS No. 1 wine of the year and a RP 100 pt rating.....Hmm, was not sure if I should drink or display on my mantle above the fireplace??

1 hour decant (decent chunky/fine sediment). A formidable inky garnet color with a little bricking. On the nose: expressive nose of red cherry, stewed meat, pine, pencil lead, floral, and oak. Taste: A creamy, smooth, rich, elegantly balanced wine with black cherry, little bitter chocolate, cedar, minerals, charcoal, and a earthy plummy long finish. Ripe, sweet tannins....such a classic 19 year Cali cab!! — 4 years ago

with Brenda

Severn G

9.3

Last bottle, and damn it's drinking fine! No new notes today, but I must identify that the waxy notes and acidity are transcendent...This bottle still has years. 🥲

Prior notes:
Nose has dried grapefruit rind, honeydew melon, dry sage, fresh rosemary and beeswax.
Palate has ripe honeydew melon, dried lemon, lemon juice, acidic pear, orange rind with plenty of dry minerals and acidity for days. Wonderful. — 5 years ago

S.R.Alexander

8.9

Very unique nose of licorice and charcoal briquette. Oily palate with very fine tannin — 5 years ago

with Kim and Eric

Bob McDonald

9.0

This note actually covers 2 bottles of this wine. The first was sadly oxidised and I felt I should check my last one which was fine. This is the second time In recent weeks I have had 2 Euro whites left of 2 different Cuvées. In both cases the 2nd last was over the hill and the last was good. Old gold in colour for this 100% Verdejo. Notes of honey grilled nuts and a touch of pineapple. No other word for the palate than Unctuous. A creamy textural palate with low acid - mouth filling. Some vines in this 23 acre vineyard are up to 180 years old. I should have referred to my first note in 2018 and drunk these 2 bottles a lot sooner. My score here is for the 2nd bottle. One of the 1001 wines. PS. A Footnote - Verdejo is not the same grape as Portuguese grape, Verdelho. I used to incorrectly think they were the same. — 6 years ago

Doug Powers

9.3

Just lovely black plummy fruit, some minerality as well, shows very youthful appearance and flavors, like the Bouscasse VV, 12.5% ABV and shows great freshness and no overripeness, long finish, back when I was actively tasting and following CA red wines, I loved the balance of the 1995 vintage, super fine with years to go, bravo to Patrick C!! — 3 years ago

with Jim

Alexandre Pagliano

9.2

Dark garnet robe, nose of blackcurrant and anise, then dark fruits, violettes and spices together with tobacco and tar, pepper. Medium bodied, elegant, long, its opening now but no rush. We liked it a great deal, its a very fine wine. — 4 years ago

with Adriana

Al Doyle

9.1

Very fine mousse almost no bubbles once it settles, maybe just a little short right now… — 4 years ago

Jennifer Lieberman

8.9

Sept 2020 $? (~15-20?) at Norman’s. Color: garnet with corona of raisiny brown. Open about 30 min and... fine. Not sweet, good tannins in mouth, no linger. Unremarkable and goes down easily. After bottle open about 90 min, more spice and edge, classic yet not complex (at all) Pinot flavor. Alc %14.5 but does not land as a “strong” wine. No actual negatives but would only buy ‘16 again for $8 or less. High rating b/c so very easy to drink. — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

The winery is located in Aymavilles with the cellar lying one mile from Monte Bianco tunnel. Ruby with aromas fresh red fruits and floral notes. On the palate flavors of strawberry and sweet cherry with tea and black pepper. Fine tannins, medium+ finish ending with fruit and spice. Nice! Drink young, no aging benefit. Good value! — 5 years ago

S.S. Mandani

9.4

Elegant, classy champagne hue like I’m at a gala, but, let’s be real, it’s probably a B-list affair.

Asian pear, chalky, lemon pepper essence, no joke.

Excellent carbonation. Reserved, fine bubbles.

Definitely getting the asian pear, but also a slight undertone of licorice, and then finally some nice sweetness and acidity reminiscent of yuzu.

Wonderfully complex and fun to drink like a stimulating chess game is fun to play. I can’t stop, this one might become a go-to. — 6 years ago

Jay Kline

9.2

I have never really taken the time to explore the wines of Germany. In fact, I have more experience drinking the wines further to the south, in Austria. I have no proper excuse other than to say that I have been distracted by other regions. Bottles like this are making that excuse harder to accept. This was flat out awesome. Koehler-Ruprecht is a very traditional producer that practices a very strict, non-interventionist approach. No irrigation. No fertilizer. No herbicides. No enzymes. Nothing added or subtracted from the wine save for minuscule amounts of sulphur post fermentation and prior to bottling. This Pinot Noir is gorgeous, in a slightly more rustic sense. The appearance is a touch cloudy but far from murky. There’s a fresh, beautiful, lifted perfume of crushed strawberries, cranberries and ferrous minerals. Some stone, flowers and dust too. The palate is bright and racy with predominately red fruits and minerals. Fine tannins. The acid provides a long finish that forces a smile. There is some real vigor in this! A truly compelling wine. If I don’t make a better effort to spend the time exploring the great wine producers in Germany, well then, shame on me. — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

8.9

This Right Bank Bordeaux is bright Ruby red, from a blend of Merlot (80%), rest Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Fresh red fruit with cedar spice aromas. On the palate flavors of blackberry and cherry with some cacao and licorice notes, adding oak and mineral tones. Fine tannins, medium finish, good balance with fruit, ending with smoky oak character, drink now on the younger side, no real benefit from long-term aging. — 3 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Dad’s 85th. No formal notes. So fine. Elegant mousse. — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

A great match with homemade Pasta last night (Friday). Aromas of red berry, dark cherry, menthol and balsamic notes. As you would expect finishes with powdery tannins to the medium weight palate. Muted acid. I must admit I find it inconsistent the way experts write off the 2014 Barolos yet Galloni describes this 2014 Produttori Barbaresco as “fabulous “. I found it straight forward and enjoyable of no great complexity and not likely to change greatly with further cellaring. Opened another bottle 11 weeks later on 14th December with consistent notes. Very savoury rather than fruit driven. Very dry powdery tannins. Tried this again 11 weeks later on 14th December 2021 with consistent notes. Fine very dry tannins. — 4 years ago

Willie Carter

8.9

An enchanting pale rose petal pink color in the glass. A fine perlage with plenty of small bubbles. A classic rosé nose with nice red fruits and a floral character. Black cherry dominate with cherry blossoms and wild strawberries. Fresh herbal aromas are underlying with hot buttered toast.

70/30 CH/PN from Grand Crus in Louvois, Bouzy, Avize, Cramant, and Chouilly, this has an impressive pedigree. Non vintage but a blend of a single year, this can withstand more time being left alone for a few years but it oh so pleasant right now. As much as I love the no or low dose champagnes, the 7 g/l is more than welcome here. Bright acid throughout.

There’s a definite intensity to the fruit on the palate. More of those nice red fruits occupy most of the attention here with a touch of chalky minerality. That familiar yeast makes a quick appearance backing up the herbs and spice. Immensely enjoyable. — 5 years ago

David L

9.4

15’ Clos des Papes - Châteauneuf-du-Pape. WNH virtual tasting.
We through this into a decanter just short of 4 hours.
Strawberry jam, violets & potpourri stand out on the nose. Black cherry, rosemary, Asian spice. Medium-bodied with fine grained tannins(no bitterness) that will continue to develop over the next decade.

Edit- As the wine continues to open up, truly balances out that much more. Silky smooth textures & lingering for well over a minute. Just a gorgeous wine.

Can’t wait to try this again in 5-10-15 years. — 5 years ago

Mark

9.5

Light + crisp, fantastic. Easily one of the best canned wines on the market. — 6 years ago

Tom Garland

9.5

Been breaking out some fun wines deep from the cellar to keep spirits HIGH during the stay at home Cali mandate. Day 10 is no exception......time for dinosaur steaks and a 2009 Bryant Family!!

Decanted 1 hour. An arresting deep dark garnet color(lots of cloudy sediment). On the nose: caught me completely off guard with stewed meat, black olives, band aids, some licorice, red berries, and floral. Taste: Wow, this is singing "Stairway to Heaven " ....no garage band version, this is Led Zeppelin 1970s!! Dark cherries, chocolate, espresso, tobacco.
A Mark Aubert beauty with fine, silky tannins coating the mouth. An elegant, rich, soft wine with a long toffee/blueberry finish — 6 years ago

with Brenda