Gene Buonviri

9.0

Medium body, not buttery nor too chard with notes of citrus, crisp apple. Excellent pairing with Cioppino and family. — 6 years ago

with Justinian

Chandamouli

9.2

Very smooth and light. It’s neutral neither bitter nor sweet. It’s great to take a break from reds. — 8 years ago

Sam P

9.4

Great robust yet slightly muted notes that neither guide your taste buds nor leaves them unattended by any means — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

If you thought Australian wine weren't for you or just weren't that noteworthy, you haven't had Dan Standish's wines. This is as good as any great producer I've had anywhere. On the nose, boysenberry, blueberries, black raspberries, olallieberries, raspberries, vanilla, nutmeg, clove, Asian spices, raspberry cola, dry stems and brilliantly fragrant violets. The mouthfeel and texture are liquid elegant heaven. 12 years in the bottle and it's just now peaking. On entry, it's a rush of ripe, lush; boysenberry, blueberries, black raspberries, raspberries &raspberry cola. Dark chocolate, darker but mellowed spices with uplifting heat, hint of pepper, loamy moist soils, dusty tannins, crushed dry rocks, vanilla, nutmeg, clove, blue fruit pie with crust, volcanic minerals, liquid fragrant violets, perfect acidity with a finish that doesn't fade and lasts minutes. The tension, length, structure and balance push perfection. photos of; estate with with Dan, wide side shot of the estate, a sample of the soil structure of the vineyard this wine is grown...under the top soil and Dan's estate vines. Producer history and notes...The Standish Wine Company was created in 1999. Dan Standish purchased a small parcel of Old Vine Shiraz from his parent’s vineyard in the heart of the Barossa Valley. The 96-year old vines are planted on the typical sand over clay soil profile characteristic of Vine Vale the sub region of the Barossa Valley. Dan never got a enology degree. He learned on his own traveling to the Rhone Valley. The influence definitely comes out in his wines despite the very different terroirs. He's worked in various regions around the world including; Napa, Sonoma and La Rioja. After he returned to Australia, he eventually became the Winemaker at Torbreck in the Barossa Valley. Interestingly, Dan worked as a chemical engineer prior to his career as a Winemaker. Meeting him for the first time in April was a pleasure. He is a true salt of the earth type of person, with a great sense of humor, who is absolutely passionate about making wine. He marches to his own drum...not at all a person who follows trends or changes styles if something or one becomes successful. His wines are beautifully special if you can find them on Winesearcher or other. He does not have, need nor want a US importer. He sells all his wine through his mailing list. You can order his wines from here but the shipping charges are hugely expensive from Australia. The shipping cost for three bottles were as much as the cost of the three bottles. The quality of his wines will stand in there with any producer world wide. Tasting his new releases in April was impressive. Finding a well aged bottle back in the US to enjoy tonight is simply fabulous! — 8 years ago

Kevin Bohlin

9.6

Nor sure how to judge a wine in its infancy created for 20 years from now but wow, you sure can taste greatness — 9 years ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.0

Read the worrisome note from Ms. Larner in TWA#211 today. Decided to pop a bottle and I was happy to conclude that this wine wasn't "tight and astringent" nor "a skeleton of wood". Sure, the nose is slightly rustic showing cinnamon spice, iron, grilled meat and dried flower potpourri. On the palate there's still sufficient juicy plummy fruit and vanilla cream. Dark notes of ash, fur, chestnuts and leather provide depth and interest. It's a good Brunello, with modernistic concentration. Prime drinking for those who like their wines mature. Drink now or within 3 years, I'd say. — 10 years ago

Chris McDonald

9.1

Soft tannins. A hint of garrigue. Nicely not over extracted nor caramelly. Finesse over power. Elegant. — 10 years ago

Ludovic Anacleto

9.4

I was scared at first. Vintage isn't the best one, tough conditions, rain close to harvest date.
Then I popped it and suddenly That happened. Definitely, Lafite is another breed of wine. I must admit that this is a rather austere Lafite but fruit is there, topical Bordeaux nose, very "Old School". mint, pudding and confit fruit (not dry nor overripe, rather mature I must admit).
Give Bordeaux best properties some bottle age then you understand why all the buzz. Loved it! — 11 years ago

Peter Tripp

9.0

Nothing super distinctively amazing nor negative, just a good glass that I would definitely drink again. $10 at Martin Bros. — 13 years ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.0

Nicely balanced, good integration, not too sweet nor too heavy.
Very nice.
From a .375 — 6 years ago

Paul Masson

9.2

An enigmatic wine, delicate but textured, neither white nor pink nor orange. Vivid aromatics (stone fruit, white flowers, citrus rind, wet earth) gently unfurl as this breathes and warms up. — 7 years ago

Cory Fierro

8.9

2014 vintage.

I always love Loire Valley Cabernet Franc, with it's ruby core and purplish rim. This is a traditional style if not a little light on the nose and palate. The red fruit balances out the herbacious bell peppery notes well and neither the acid nor the tannins dominate. It's a fairly good representation of old world cab franc. — 8 years ago

Candide Politik

8.9

Forward first nose. Supple smooth feel with notes of plum and blackberry. Rustic but neither earthy nor leathery -idk but I know what I mean. Medium-high tannin. — 9 years ago

Diana Cohen

9.1

Smooth , nor tangy fruit forward,
Easy to drink
— 9 years ago

Cyrus Kay

8.9

Stylistically very Italian, little resemblance to Californian Zin. Warm nose has kirsch cherry, damson, marzipan and smooth oak. Thoughtful wine lacking the classic hefty whack of fruit. Smokey notes and oak ('Slovanic' oak, whatever that is) are powerful, and along with slightly granular tannins they work to add subtlety to the powerful red cherry fruit. Finish is neither short nor long, but is merely satisfactory in terms of length - although the final notes of fruit are its best. Close to peak now I'd wager. — 9 years ago

Matt

9.0

I feel like the "value" Rhône wines perform better than almost any other wines of the same category from other regions. This is great, classic N. Rhône character on a moderate frame. At first funk, red plums, wild berries and violets filled the glass, evolving into grilled bacon, beef blood, black licorice, and peppery olive character. While it doesn't have the density nor weight of some Syrah it still is lovely and engaging to drink. — 9 years ago

Brian Murphy

9.0

crisp, dry rose. neither heavy nor light. — 10 years ago

Hannes Huefken

9.0

Had to aerate for 10 minutes only for the woody stinkiness to disappear.
Brownish ruby red.
Prunes, raisins, maybe overripe strawberries on the nose, next to cognac, black pepper.
On the palate, it's pretty intense: Rather watery than viscous, sweet on attack and finish, low tannin, distinct licorice on mid-palate, acidity neither firm nor flabby.
Medium-short finish, but the mild tannin lingers for quite a while.
Might be time to drink up, for this is pretty ripe already. I wouldn't want this to disintegrate more. Fun to drink. I'm happy to notice that, while I like this mature thing, I really also want to drink younger reds with a more velvety texture and firmer tannin and taste profiles.
50+5+11+17+7=90 — 10 years ago

with Immo Philipp

Jim Wagonfeld

9.2

Dark almost purple. Nose of smoke, pepper, leather. Palate of dark fruit, olive, meat. Full bodied, smooth but not over Oaked. Not elegant nor complex but fun to drink. — 10 years ago

with Judy

Christine Havens

9.3

We paired this with country ribs drenched in a smoky BBQ sauce. And while I've never made ribs nor tasted this wine, all I can say is...I was transported to scenes From House of Cards, where Kevin Spacey plays the excellent, if slightly sociopathic character of Frank Underwood, Democratic Majority Whip. This wine is brazen, ballsy and complex, with notes of eucalyptus, smoke, preserved meat, asphalt, ox blood, grit and conspiracy. Rich, brooding and as well-developed as a riveting story, the Cimicky will suck you in. — 11 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.4

Gooseberry, bramble, violets, hint of sage. This is a full-bodied Merlot. However, the middle picks up a cola note but doesn't really go to a chocolate like the 2010 and 2012 had more of a tendency to do. This one really did not have a ton of acidity nor did it really have a ton of tannin to resolve. There was definitely enough tartrate in the bottle though! I really look for this one to continue aging quite nicely for another 10 to 15 years. But oh man, this one is drinking pretty darn nice right now. — 7 years ago

Enrico Nicoletta

9.3

First time drinking Droin Chablis, and enjoyed it very much. Obviously, it’s not Davissaut nor Ravenau,, but the retail price in France was unbeatable ($36) — 8 years ago

Ryan Mayes

9.4

*not my pic, nor the vintage. Magic Castle doesn't allow photos*
Huge wine. Huuge. But 2014 is absolutely approachable today. Black n blue fruit, black tea, creme de schnozberry, baking spices, cohiba, pie. I want s'more... — 8 years ago

Andy Hall

9.6

Okay, call me a baby killer if you want but I needed to crack one of these open so that I could monitor its progression. Another phenomenal Knight's Valley Cab. This will be better tomorrow as it opens and the other 11 will sit in the cellar for at least another 5 years. Just Terrific. Great nose, inky purple color but not overly complex nor contrived, just plain good from start to finish. — 9 years ago

"Odedi"

9.0

Purple in color, with a wide purplish rim and medium intensity.

Fruity nose with blackberries, blueberries, plums, cherries, cooked cherries, light wood, vanilla, dirt, licorice, spices, earth, tobacco, chocolates, peppercorn and herbs.

Medium plus in body, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and lemony on the attack yet still fruity on the palate, with red currants, cherries, strawberries, licorice, oak, vanilla, leather, earth, sage, herbs, spices and peppercorn.

Long finish with elegant tannins and tart raspberries.

This is a unique Zinfandel from Sonoma County. Not very bold nor jammy, but has nice acidity that complements the fruits. Balanced enough to drink by itself, and even better with food, like lamb chops on the grill.

Nice complexity with a lemony feel, which I never encountered in a California Zinfandel.

Good right out of the bottle, and improved a little within an hour in a decanter. After 2 hours, alcohol and brandy notes show up on the palate.

This 100% Zinfandel from old vines (some older than 100 years), displays good quality.

14.7% alcohol by volume. — 9 years ago

Gregory Knaps

9.0

Not laser-like nor lush but right smack in the middle. — 9 years ago

Jennifer Segal

Editor "Reds, Whites & Varsity Blues: 60 Years of Oxford & Cambridge Blind Wine-tasting Competition"

9.0

#wine Eric Rodez Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs #Champagne (Ambonnay): Sprightly and sophisticated. Fresh & dried red fruit on the nose; beautifully balanced (100% Pinot Noir across 5 to 6 vintages in 70% small barrels/no malolactic: bright, neither tart nor heavy cream on the palate - Goldilocks 'just right'). 12.0% abv. Shared on Easter Monday in good company, inclusive of Carthusian wine cellar chair, emeritus;). Thank you, Sophie x — 10 years ago

C Schulte

8.9

Very enjoyable. Not fruity nor super spicy. — 10 years ago

Chris MacLean

9.7

I want to rate this lower because I had just one glass, but this was transcendent aged Burgundy. Truly memorable. I might have gone 9.9 if drinking it alone. — 10 years ago

with Tim

Alejandro Artigas

9.5

Dehlinger = aromatic nose and perfume on the palette. I love these wines. They are superb, offering big flavors in the palette and nose yet not over the topic too concentrated nor overly ripe. Incredibly perfumed on the palette and enchanting on the nose. — 11 years ago