MaJ CappS

8.9

A touch barnyard on the nose,
Heavier bodied with some great classic SA characteristics, green pepper, garden stalk, cocoa. Bitter acidity, tiny tannins. I love everything about this wine, except the wax encapsulation. I find this closure method rather short sighted, as no sommelier in the world wants to struggle with a wax dipped cork closure during service. Certainly no beverage manager would allow this on the list. — 5 years ago

Joe Gillies

9.5

So sad this is my last bottle. So freaking good, love this. Massive but yet well balanced. In its drinking window now but no rush since this has plenty of time left. — 6 years ago

Ron R

9.2

Lost my notes again.
We love this producer, but best drunk in its youth. Tannins and acid have all but left the building. Nice heady perfume, combines with sweetness and length, but has little to no structure. Red currants on the nose and palate. Complicated wood treatment adds the most interesting dimension. Get after this pinots now. — 6 years ago

with Anne-marie

Trent Fletcher

9.1

Love the vineyard. Bummer there will be no more. — 7 years ago

Marshall Todd Herron DPM

10

Joseph Phelps’ son Josh has done it!!!!!!! Josh Phelps wanted to make an approachable wine for people under 100 dollars. This is 22 dollars and holds its own against any 100 dollar cab Blend I have ever had and its from WASHINGTON!!!!! Holy crap. I am so impressed. I am also drinking his Steady State which is 66 dollars, and is equally as good with more perfume flare on the nose and more merlot blend on the tongue. But for 22 dollars!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am buying a case of this Collusion 2016 red wine! This will be my new go to house wine!!!! To sum it up:SMOKY, red licorice bouquet, blackberry and dark currant beginning with a twist of raspberry. Vanilla and butter follow with a French oak following. Earth and spice notes on the dry finish. No sourness noted after decant of 20 min which was evident at first. OMG .. 22 bucks???? Really? I love You tube and wine tasting videos! What a find! You Rock Josh Phelps. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

2010 was a very good vintage in Rhône. Rostaing is a well know producer with people that know and drink Northern Rhône wines, not so much with others that do not. The Ampodium is the entry level into Rene & Pierre Rostaing wines. It is a blend of 13 vineyards in Northern Rhône. They are simply one of the very best producers in the region. I spent an afternoon with Rene & his son Pierre tasting in the their cellar and in their La Landonne vineyard as shown in the photos. The 2010 is drinking beautifully with many good years ahead. On the nose; ripe & slightly stewed/baked fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, strawberries, creamy raspberries, stewed plum, black raspberries, cherries, steeped fruit tea, dry crushed rocks, iron pan, some white & black pepper, bacon fat, grilled savory meats, pork, black licorice, black cherry cola, decayed & fresh red florals with violets. The body is round and medium full. The tannins round, still a little chewy & around 55% resolved. The length, texture, tension and balance are in near perfect harmony. The fruits are; round, ruby & ripe; slightly stewed/baked fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, strawberries, creamy raspberries, stewed plum, black raspberries & cherries. Steeped fruit tea, dry crushed rocks, chalky minerals, iron pan, coffee grounds, spice, some baking spices w/hints of vanilla, white & black pepper, drying blood, dry herbs/bay leaf, dry stems, moderate levels of bacon fat & pork, grilled savory meats, black licorice, black cherry cola, decayed & fresh red florals with fresh violets for days. The acidly is round and dripping. The long finish is plush, velvety delicious and lasts & lasts. In good vintages, I would put this in blind with the best of of the best new world wines from any vintage that many love; SQN, Booker, Saxum, Alban, Cayuse, Horsepower etc.. I’d bet most of you would pick it over these producers that cost much more $$$. It’s simply one of the best pound for pound wines/producers for this varietal. Especially, for the $$$. Wow, what a wine for the $. $55 upon release. Photos of; Winemaker Pierre Rostaing and our group in their La Landonne vineyard, the small sign that barely identifies their Estate, an example of the Quartz mineral that runs throughout their La Landonne vineyard and the view back onto the river from the top of the very steep La Landonne Vineyard. Producer notes and history...Rene Rostaing produced their first wine in 1971. However, it took almost three decades before wine became a full time occupation for Rene Rostaing. Domaine Rene Rostaing came about through marriage. The wife of Rene Rostaing was the daughter of the famed Cote Rotie grower, Albert Dervieux, and the niece of Marius Gentaz-Dervieux who gave Christine the vineyard land that became the Northern Rhone estate for Rene Rostaing. Through inheritance from Albert Dervieux Thaize (his father-in-law) who retired in 1990, and from Marius Gentaz Dervieux, his uncle, Rene Rostaing expanded his holdings, giving him some of the best terroir in Cote Rotie. The new vineyard land was basically 3 small parcels in the La Landonne, Cote Brune and Vialliere lieux-dits. This initial expansion from his initial tiny parcel, allowed Rene Rostaing to change careers and become a full time vigneron. Since 2007, the estate has managed by Pierre Rostaing, (son) of Rene Rostaing. Currently Rene Rostaing owns 7.5 hectares of vines that is spread out among 20 different parcels located in 14 locations. Perhaps the most celebrated vines of Rene Rostaing are the 1.6 hectares of vines they own in the La Landonne vineyard (photo). On La Landonne, the vines are more than 60 years old. Some vines are even close to 100 years of age! Those are his largest holdings. The smallest vineyards of Rene Rostaing are located on Cote Blonde. Rene Rostaing also has vines planted in; Fonjean, La Vialliere, Le Plomb, Bouchare, Leyat, La Roche and La Tupin. Their oldest vines are more than 70 years old and are used for Rene Rostaing Cote Blonde. The majority of those plantings are on the steep hillsides with mica, schist and rocky soils. 25% of those vines are closer to the bottom of the slopes and on the flats. Rene Rostaing remains a traditional Cote Rotie producer who is not among the last to harvest. His wines are aged using very little new, French oak barrels. On average, Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie are aged in about 10% new French oak barrels. Rene Rostaing produces 4 different Cote Rotie wines. Rene Rostaing Ampodium, which was previously known as Rostaing Cuvee Classique, is a blend of 13 sections of different vineyards, but it does not include their best holdings on La Landonne or Cote Blonde. The fruit for Rene Rostaing Ampodium has at least 40% or more of the stems removed and run between 12-13.5% abv. The wine is usually made from 100% Syrah and is aged in an average of 15% to 25% new, French oak barrels. The amount of new oak can be less, depending on the character of the vintage. About 1,750 cases are produced each year. The wine is no longer called Cuvee Classique, the name was changed to Rene Rostaing Ampodium with the 2009 vintage. Rene Rostaing La Landonne comes from a terroir consisting of sands with iron oxide and traces of quartz. This wine is always produced from 100% Syrah. The grapes are partially destemmed, with about 10% to 20% of the stems removed, depending on the vintage. There are vintages when no destemming takes place. The remainder of the grapes are whole bunch fermented in stainless steel vats. Rene Rostaing is not a believer of using too much new oak for the aging, which on average uses 10% new, French oak barrels and the remainder of the harvest is aged in demi-muids (600 liter) and French oak barrels. This wine is like most wines from La Landonne, masculine and meaty in character, requiring at least a decade to soften and develop. On average, Rene Rostaing La Landonne produces less than 600 cases depending on what the vintage delivers. Rene Rostaing Cote Blonde is perhaps his best. It’s produced from a blend of 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier. The grapes are co-fermented. The vineyards is planted in the region call Arzel. Arzel is a poor, mineral laden soil with deposits of Silex and Mica on a steep hillside. The vines are more than 50 years of age. The grapes are partially destemmed…35% to 50% of the stems are removed. The remainder of the grapes are whole bunch fermented in stainless steel vats.
The remainder of the harvest is aged in demi-muids. This one is the hardest to find and most collectible of all their wines. In fact, they only produce close to an average of 350 cases of Cote Rotie in most vintages. Rene Rostaing Cote Brune made its debut with the 2013 vintage. The vines were once part of the holdings of Marius Gentaz, which eventually passed to Rene Rostaing. Rostaing replanted those vines in 2000. Made from 100% Syrah. — 8 years ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.1

I literally gave up on domestic Chardonnay...but I love the flavor profile—Tart, juicy Granny Smith and ripe sweet pear. No discernible oak, light crisp acid/ fruit balance and ABV under 13. What a food wine! Every time I pop an Enfield, I congratulate myself on my perspicuity and good sense. It’s not hard to drink well, just ignore the big names and hype. — 5 years ago

MICHAEL COOPER DipWSET

Owner TomeVinos wine shops, WSET Level 3, Blogger www.spanishwinesandmore.com, blog.tomevinos.com

9.0

Really ripe and rich. Too much me thinks. The freshness and crisp texture that I love in the #sangiovese grape has been lost in a blend with #cabernet and #merlot Oh yeah and then there’s the price! Completely too expensive, average price is about 120€ in Europe with no VAT included. #biondisanti #toscano #tuscany #italy Castello di Montepo is a Tuscan wine estate in the Scansano district of #Maremma Toscana, founded in the 1990s by Jacopo Biondi Santi of the famous Montalcino family.

The winery is housed in the castle Montepo itself, a single fortress building set on a rocky outcrop
In contrast to the Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino estate, where large Slavonian oak casks are used for maturing wines, the wines here are aged in French oak barrels. — 5 years ago

David Kline

8.9

This one was lost in the shuffle, better late than never? Darkest brunette, white-ish top, loose, then tight and poof, gone. Slick with oils that allow no lacing. Ginger-chilies leap to the forefront. Chocolate-tiramisu, green peppercorn, vanilla, nutmeg, gingerbread, violets, the nibs. Ginger and cola, soft gingerbreads and fig newton, light coffee, chocolate cola, green pepper, vanilla, nutmeg, chilies, white pepper, and more tiramisu, with a good cinnamon dusting. Flavors may be a little muted. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

The nose is brooding as the glass even approaches. Ruby, ripe; dark currants/cassis, blackberries, an array of purple fruits, blueberries, creamy raspberries, baked, dark cherries and plum. Mid intensity grilled meats, smoke, cracked pepper, blue/purple fruit cola, black licorice, nice, soft, dark spice, crushed rocks, moist clay, vanilla, understated dry herbs, blue, purple flowers and gently layered lavender.

The body is full, thick, lush and ruby. The mouthfeel is gorgeous/sexy. It just starting to drink softer, showing good integration with another 10 plus years of good drinking ahead. This style, structure, tension, length & balance is why I love well made Syrahs from Walla Walla. Ruby, ripe; dark currants/cassis, blackberries, an array of purple fruits, blueberries, creamy raspberries, baked, dark cherries and plum. Mid intensity grilled meats, smoke, cracked pepper, blue/purple fruit cola, black licorice, caramel, mocha powder, milk chocolate, nice, soft, dark spice that brings heat to the palate, notes of cinnamon, crushed rocks, moist clay, vanilla, understated dry herbs, dark, rich, turned earth, even show a touch graphite, used tobacco with ash, blue, purple flowers and gently layered lavender. The acidity is round and nicely done. The lush, rich, ripe, well balanced, finish glides beautifully & juicy over the palate while it persists minutes.

Photos of; side shot of the tasting room that looks like an 1800’s saloon from the outside, the lounge area of their tasting room, Greg Karrington’s Co-Owner and Co-Winemakers Master Sommelier Certificate (no easy thing to pass) and my wife at their tasting bar chatting it up.
— 6 years ago

Roman Sukley

9.7

“I may not always love you
But long as there are stars above you
You never need to doubt it
I'll make you so sure about it
God Only Knows...” Cayuse 2014 Grenache. I just recently tasted the 2014 No Girls Grenache, and since then, this Cayuse has been calling my name. Demanding to be compared to its little cousin from the other side of the tracks. Truffles, bacon fat and olive tapenade on that nose I know and love. Smoked meat and jasmine on the palate. Elegant with soft tannins on the lengthy finish. The verdict: pretty much as you would expect. The Cayuse is the bigger, bolder and extremely more tightly wound wine. Drink the No Girls, cellar the Cayuse. On another note, I needed a great glass of wine after a fairly difficult week. My son-in-law lost his father very suddenly and unexpectedly this past week. An extremely kind, gentle and intelligent man who will be greatly missed but not forgotten. I raise my glass to you, Eric. Until we meet again. — 7 years ago

Greg Gibson ✔

9.5

No joke - one of my favorite Chardonnays ever! (Regardless the price) not overly buttery but it has that hint from the oak aging. Beautiful banana, pear and oak. Extremely balanced. I love this wine! — 8 years ago

Doctor No

9.2

Serious Syrah, overperforms its price tag by an order of magnitude. Rich and spicy, with searing acidity to balance the deep and layered black fruit, and classic No. Rhone elements of roasted meat and olive. Rare for me to love wines where the oak is somewhat noticeable, but this is an exception. Can only imagine how deep the Weill Syrahs must be... — 9 years ago

Charine Tan

9.0

Backstory: Tasted this at the winery and loved it so much that we bought a bottle to take along with us to Mexico. Chad Melville is the owner and winemaker at Samsara. He's also the chief winegrower at Melville Winery.

Winemaking Process: Single vineyard wine with grapes harvested from the Cargasacchi vineyard, which is in the middle aka sweet spot of Santa Rital Hills. 75% whole cluster fermentation with native yeast. 50% in new French oak barrels for 22 months, followed by 12-month ageing in the bottle. Unfiltered.

Tasting Notes: Colour is ruby red with some clarity, no sediment. On the nose, it has blue fruit, cherry, cassis, cigar, asphalt, lambskin leather and pronounced earthy notes. On the palate, it is medium-bodied with full, mouth-filling texture. Red fruit notes appear first, and then the taste turns into an earthy, allspice notes, and finishes off with something so bright and refreshing that reminds us of orange peel. The tannins are soft. End palate is long, around 10 seconds, marked by minerality and cherry. I love this wine because unlike many Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara, it isn't over extracted and not too sweet (like fruit pastille). There's a fleeting burst of sweet red fruit flavour on the mid palate and the flavour quickly transits to earthy notes and tannins. It's a more earthy Pinot Noir but yet still elegant and ready to be consumed. At $55, I think it's well worth the price. — 9 years ago

Mitchell Mulder

9.5

This is in your face West Coast IPA, here on the west coast we honor and cherish this beers, these are the ones that started the DIPA beers, this brewery in fact was one of the first, West coast IPA's San Diego brewery, multiple locations, Associated with Port brewery and Lost Abbey, big hops, big malts, we still crave and need these beers, when everyone else is going to the tame and mellow DIPA's it is very good to see this brewery remaining true to what they do, Just Like Stone brewery, in cans, big plus, stays fresher longer, All IPA's and DIPA's should be in cans, Excellent DIPA, in the style, West Coast all the way, no mistake of that — 9 years ago

Vanessa

8.9

👁 Nice clarity, medium ruby hue, pink rim variation, strong tearing. No sediment.
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👃 Nose is clean and offers medium intensity red fruit notes that are ripe and jammy, such as cherry, strawberry-rhubarb, plum, along with spicy notes, such as dark baking spices, vanilla, and some green, herbaceous elements. Aromas are developing.
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👄 palate is dry, medium acidity, medium+ tannins, high alcohol, medium+ body, with medium red fruit and baking spice notes, which are consistent with the nose. Medium+ finish with lingering flavors and warmth.
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Love this producer - Grgich Hills Estate, Napa Valley, Zinfandel. Especially love the Chardonnays, but this was a balanced Zinfandel from Napa. Co-founder of this estate (Miljenko “Mike” Grgich) also crafted the ‘73 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that won the 1976 Judgement of Paris. Vintage 2015. ABV 14.9%. Made with organic grapes 🍇 Enjoying it as a complement to brats and Brussels sprouts on the grill. — 5 years ago

with Deked1

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

I’ve never had a Charles Hendricks wine I didn’t like. Especially, his Malbecs. This is not nearly as good as his 07 Hope & Grace Malbec but, none the less still very good.

The fruits on the nose reveal the ripeness & freshness of the 12 Napa vintage. Loads of blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries but, it’s the boysenberries, mulberries & blue fruits & raspberries on the glass edges that really make for a great nose. Black licorice, dark fruit cola with shades of liqueur, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, limestone & sandstone, big tobacco, dark spice, leather, oak barrel shavings, dry top soil, dry crushed rocks, stones, rich black earth, sweet tarriness with brilliant; dark, red, blue & purple florals framed in lavender & violets.

The body is just full. The 12 vintage was always more fruit than tannins, not that there were no tannins or structure in this 12 & other 12’s. Ripe, lush & slightly ruby; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries but, really love the boysenberries, mulberries & blue fruits in my reds. Black licorice, dark fruit cola with shades of liqueur, black pepper, limestone & sandstone, forest floor, dry stems, big tobacco, dark spice with just a touch of heat, clove, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, leather, graphite, steeped fruit tea, oak barrel shavings, dry top soil, dry crushed rocks, stones, volcanics, rich black earth, sweet tarriness with dark, lush; red, blue & purple florals framed in lavender & violets. The acidity is nice & round. The finish is well balanced fruit & earth, elegant and persists nicely with just the right amount of dark spice on the long set.

This would have a little scored higher but, I coravined it a few weeks back and restored it laying down. Seems to have lost a bit from opening.

Photos of; James Cole Winery on the Silverado Trail, former James Cole Winemaker - Charles Hendricks (13 his full last vintage), tasting bar & tasting patio. — 6 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.2

CT really gives this wine no love. And, quite honestly, if you decide to open this one up and drink it within one or two years of having it you have done yourself a pretty significant disservice. This wine is JUST starting to show beautiful aged Napa characteristics but I feel other characteristics that it should have at this point are probably gone so I detract based on lack of structure as well. The fruit is still quite ample on the front and middle. Mostly black fruit, smoke and leather. I believe it has lost a touch on the finish however, as it kind of takes a nose dive towards the end. Losing its tannic grip on the finish but has integrated nicely. Drink now. — 7 years ago

Zach Kouwe

9.0

Via Brooklyn Wine Exchange: Hardy Wallace is a bit of a superstar in the "New California" wine scene. He began his wine career in Atlanta, publishing a blog on the subject called Dirty South Wines. In 2009, he won a high-profile contest held by Murphy-Goode Winery in Sonoma, called "A Really Goode Job." Hardy beat out 2,000 other applicants for this stunt-job, acting as a sort of social media/pr coordinator for the winery. Upon completion of his six-month contract, he went to work for several legendary winemakers in the valley, including Cathy Corison (Chappellet, Corison) and Ehren Jordan (Turley, Failla). During this time, Hardy and his wife Kate also partnered with friends Matt and Amy Richardson to form a small label called Dirty & Rowdy Family Winery. For their first vintage, they purchased one ton of Mourvredre, the semi-obscure Provencal and Spanish variety that is rarely seen outside the context of a red blend in California.

Knowing that Dirty & Rowdy could distinguish itself in a ocean of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvigon with this curious and brawny grape, Hardy & Co. quickly bet the farm on Mourvedre, as a vehicle to express different styles of winemaking as well as the terroir of multiple regions within California. Flash-forward to current day, where Dirty & Rowdy has become the king of California Mourvedre, bottling multiple cuvees each year that sell out almost immediately.

Dirty & Rowdy is a well-known emblem of the domestic natural wine scene as well. Hardy buys almost exclusively from organic growers, and doesn't filter, acidify, or alter his wines in anyway. Sulfur use is extremely low, and the overall philosophy is to be as hands-off as possible.

That is until 2017. The fact that Dirty & Rowdy has a wine to present at all for this vintage is a miracle. Flashback to mid-July last year. The growing season wasn't going all that well. Tremendous heat spikes created growth problems at almost all the vineyards Hardy sources grapes from. It's hard enough to monitor vine issues on one vineyard, let alone almost a dozen parcles scattered around six counties stretching from the Central Coast all the way out to the Sierra Foothills. A case of shingles went from bad to worse, spreading to his eyes. Hardy completely lost his vision for three days. Kate's brother Angus, a ski instructor and artist from Aspen, drove out to lend a hand with the impending harvest. On his way out, he was involved in single-car crash along a treacherous stretch of interstate and tragically lost his life.

Then the fires started.

Hardy and Kate, like many other producers who make wines in communal "crush" facilities located in urban areas around Sonoma and Napa, had hoped to ride out the fires and continue their wine production. The fires spread rapidly and threatened both their house and their winery, located in Petaluma. They left their wine in the midst of alcoholic fermentation, one of the most crucial and stressful times of the year for a winemaker even in the best of situations. When they were able to return eight days later, the winery was luckily undamaged. The wine, however, didn't fare so well. most vats had experienced "stuck fermentation," meaning that the native yeast died before eating all the sugar. Hardy, like most forward-thinking American winemakers, is a firm believer in natural fermentation. This no-brainer aspect to his wine was now an virtual impossibility. Plus, the vats contained high levels of volatile acidity or "VA," which creates an unfavorable "nail polish" quality in wine. A little bit of VA can give lift and energy to wine. Too much, however, renders the wine undrinkable.

At this point, Hardy thought to sell all the wine off in bulk for pennies on the dollar. Or perhaps create a second label to distance himself from what was surely going to be an atypical wine. Instead, he decided to combine almost every vat of his Mourvedre for the vintage (including lots of his most expensive fruit), and go into the "Unfamliar" territory of interventionist winemaker. Stuck lots were restarted using a variety of methods. When the wines finally fermented to dryness, he borrowed a "reverse osmosis" filtration system, perhaps the most modern of all the modern wine doohickeys. This contraption allowed Hardy to literally suck out the volatile acidity to bring it down to a pleasing level, as well as moderate and stabilize the alcohol. Then he filtered the wine. Basically, he did all the things he never thought he would ever want to do to wine.

The resulting wine is something that we have never seen before, both from Dirty & Rowdy and the Mourvedre grape, in general. Much of the wine fermented carbonically in tank, so the expression is much closer in style to Beaujolais than Bandol. It is so light on its feet, in fact, that Hardy believes this wine could take a serious chill. (Hence the reason we are trying to get you to try a California Mourvedre in the middle of a sweltering summer!) The tannins are pretty much non-existent, and the fruit is pretty and pure. There is a lovely little purple flower note in the middle of the wine, and a hint of smokiness on the finish (smoke taint from the fires? Or is this just some sort of phantom association because of the context? Either way, it adds depth and personality to this gorgeous wine.)

Since their "Annus Horribilis" of 2017, order and peace has been restored in Hardy & Kate's life. Their daughter Maple turns two in a few days. They celebrated the free-spirited life of their brother with scores of his friends and ski students at Aspen Mountain's opening day last November. The motto of the celebration, "Live Like Angus," has inspired hundreds and hundreds of beautiful social media posts. And this year's Spring release of Dirty & Rowdy wines from earlier vintages has quickly sold out around the country, gobbled up by ravenous collectors, restaurants, and retailers (like this one.)

But to Hardy, this "Unfamiliar" wine, which doesn't fit stylistically or financially into the rest of the D&R portfolio, will always represent something completely different: The best of a unthinkably bad situation. "It took a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get that wine into bottle," Hardy wrote to us, just this morning. "Fortunately, it is fresh, delicious, soulful and somewhat of a Phoenix Rising from 2017. Though it is our least expensive wine ever, it is the wine I am most proud of." — 7 years ago

Freddy Cicerchia

9.2

This was a bottle lost in my cellar. Stored in a field stone cellar for about 31 years! The cork was great and came out whole- no problem. Drank over an hour and never lost its fruit. Totally in harmony just sweet cherry fruit with still good length. One of those great surprises. Had it with a spicy preparation of hanger steak and enjoyed it with my Love PJ. Great dinner — 9 years ago