Shengli Hu

9.3

A most beautiful ethereal Zinfandel that hearkens back to the old Napa Zins back in the 60s and 70s. A mixed black field blend of Zinfandel, Carignan, Petit Sirah. Vines were first planted in 1895, 1995 was the first vineyard (as John O didn’t care for any grapes other than Pinot Noir…) Barrels passed from from the Pinot Noir program. Aged for 18 months. Medium concentration. Pale bright ruby. Red crunchy cherry, white pepper, bread dough, blueberry pie, cedar, pencil shaving, hints of stony characters. Elevated acidity and medium-grained tannins. Med++ finish. I love how light it is on its feet and I would have never called it a Zinfandel if given in a blind tasting. — 3 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Ruby in color with a wide reddish/brick rim.

Pretty nose of black currants, black cherries, raspberries, spices, light earth, light oak, wild flowers, tobacco leaf and black pepper.

Medium bodied and elegant with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, sweet raspberries, earth, light oak, spices, tobacco leaf, dark chocolates and black pepper.

Long finish with very little tannins and sour cranberries.

This 12 year old Pinot Noir from Napa Valley is delicious now. Showing nice complexity with a soft mouthfeel.

Actually, it feels more like a Burgundy Pinot Noir. Interesting stuff.

Easy drinking and good right out of the bottle. Nicely balanced and good by itself.

This Single Vineyard Pinot Noir is peaking now. A great sipping wine.

Thank you Scott for sharing this with me.

I had the 2014 a year ago, and this is even better. Delicious wine.

100% Pinot Noir grapes were aged in French oak barrels for 18 months. Unfiltered and unfined.

13.4% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$210. ($65 current vintage). — 3 years ago

with Scott

Mike Saviage

9.6

Great color in the decanter... medium gold with an enticing perfume. Notes of sweet Meyer lemon, apricot, gravel stone, tan clay, some mint, a little ginger and some sweet marzipan. Has an exotic and slightly musty (desirable) funk. Huge weight with great fruit and solid acidity in the mouth. Decanted for 2 hours before drinking. Awesome juice! If you Google “why should I age white burgundy?”, an image of this 35 year old bottle should be shown... — 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

A solid Chard! Only 15 acres planted with grapes grown in Rutherford (warmer with rich ripe fruit) & Oak Knoll (cooler with fresh acidity in grapes). Pale lemon, with fresh & crisp citrus & stone fruit aromas, no malolactic fermentation. Palate shows peach, apple & Asian pear flavors, with lemony & toasty notes, lively acidity & balance with touch of vanilla oak (9 months of French oak aging (25% new & 1-year old, remainder neutral oak). Long finish ending with fruit, spice & biscuit notes. Very Nice Value! — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Had this NV about three years ago and tried their new batch. The Carte d'Or cuvée has a very high proportion of Pinot Noir, which is “the Drappier style.” Aromas of stone fruit and spice in a light frothy mousse. On the palate peach, plum and raspberry with citrus zest and earthy spice. Nice flow of bubbles lead to a lingering finish ending with toasty notes. From my ‘16 notes very consistent house quality style. Nice! — 6 years ago

Jeremy Pollard

9.4

Considered a classic vintage in Clare, and this wine doesn’t disappoint. It’s a beautiful wine. At 16 years old there’s clearly some secondary development and deepening of the golden colour, but it’s surprisingly modest and nuanced, retaining licks of youthful, fresh citrus character and that clean acid finish. The nose is soft with subtle stone fruit characters and hints of kerosene. Once it hits the palate, everything is gloriously in balance. This feels like exactly the right time to be drinking it. It’s exquisite. — 7 years ago

with Sam

Shengli Hu

8.9

Visited the vineyards with Tim Mosher on a hot late summer day at noon - Sep 3 2022. Drove through and tasted berries from the OG ungrafted DRC vines, old and new Pinot Noir vines, Grenache, Syrah and Carignan vines. It was a blast.

Barrel fermented, 10 months aging on lees which were stirred once a week, full malo. Yearly contract with Pride Mountains for making wine. Since 1996. 13.2% abv. Yellow delicious apples and other stone fruits, hazelnut, stony characters, butterscotch, Brioche, lemon curd, yeasty sea salt, smoke and flint. A mix of new Francis Fevre medium toast barrels (they get 12 new barrels every year) and 1 year old barrels from Pride Mountains. Ever since 2016 elevage was down to 10 months (instead of 18 months) for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. — 3 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Pale lemon with aromas of ripe stone and tropical fruits with citrus and floral notes. On the palate fresh fruit flavors of grapefruit, pineapple, apple and melon with lemon citrus wrapped in lively acidity, medium+ length ending with rich fruit and lemon citrus texture. Nice! — 3 years ago

Andy Toth

9.1

Lively, peach and strawberry whirling about. Good fun anytime. — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Ruinart last night, Billecart tonight. Gotta start the night with a 375ml of Rosé Champagne.

The nose shows; dreamsicle ice cream bar, blood orange, tangerine, very ripe yellow stone fruits, pink grapefruit w/ a touch of sugar, hints of baked rhubarb, notes of black cherries, lean watermelon & not ripened strawberry reduction. White spice, sea spray & fossils, grey volcanics, darker shade of chalkiness, limestone minerals, bread dough, baguette crust, cream, spring flowers, pink roses w/ orange blooms/lilies.

The palate has nicely polished mouthfeel, rich and very good ripeness. A little more mineral and sharp chalkiness than other bottles I’ve had. Great micro-oxygenation. Dreamsicle ice cream bar, blood orange, tangerine, very ripe yellow stone fruits, pink grapefruit w/ a touch of sugar, notes of black cherries, lean watermelon, cooked rhubarb juice, & not ripened strawberry reduction. White spice w/ typical heat, faint white pepper popping up here & there, sea spray & fossils, grey volcanics, darker shade of chalkiness, limestone minerals, bread dough, baguette crust, cream, spring flowers, pink roses w/ orange blooms/lilies. The acidity is fantastic as always. The long, rich, lush finish is a touch gluey , well balanced & knitted, polished and persists endlessly with a long set of spice. Always consistent & delicious.

Photos of, House of Billecart, their caves and glorious sunset over one of their Grand Cru vineyards. — 5 years ago

Roger Ray

9.1

"displays aromas of berries, spiced and cocoa. it shows complexity on the palette of plum and mature red fruits balanced with subtle tannins intense blackberry flavors and spice offset by ripe fruit characteristics". A wonderful wine by a beautiful, great new Texas Hill Country vineyard. — 5 years ago

Nancy Loe

9.2

Stone fruits with a lingering finish. Lovely. — 6 years ago

with Katherine and Terri

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

In 1912, Andrew James Symington became a partner in Dow's and today, five members of the fourth generation Symington family own and manage this historic house. 10 Years" indicates an average age – this Aged Tawny Port is a blend of older wines, matured in oak casts. Amber color with aromas of sweet dried fruits, citrus and nutty notes. On the palate sweet ripe fruit, vanilla oak, ending with fig and cacao notes. Smooth, Nice value. Tasting Sample. — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.7

My new Favorite white, just love mountain fruit! Named for mountain range dividing Napa & Sonoma, old stone winery dug into side of dormant volcano crater in 1889, remained in production ever since. Pale lemon with aromas of Tropical and stone fruit with complex spice and floral notes. On the palate flavors of apple, pear and citrus with light oak and nutty tones, fresh and vibrant, well integrated. Long finish ending with fruit and flinty mineral characteristics. Long aging potential. Nice! — 3 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Tasted blind. Dark color but doesn’t seem too old. Nice old world nose. Notes of plums, old wood, some barn floor, some gravel stone, and some spice. I deduce that this is 80s Bordeaux but I say I don’t think it’s an 82. I go with a guess if 85 Haut Brion. When revealed I remember how the 82 Calon Segur plays it’s hand. It gets bigger and better over the evening. Good stuff but I wouldn’t wait much longer on opening these. — 4 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

The wife is making fish so I oblige with this pull. Amber gold, a bit darker than past bottles of this which I’ve had several times. Viscous and heavy in the glass. A nice nose, it doesn’t appear to come across as old on the first smells. Notes of apricot, white stone, some spice and a little citrus. Great acidity and texture in the mouth. With a few hours of air it even gets a bit chewy and more powerful in its impact. Great showing for the color. — 4 years ago

Roger Ray

9.1

A wine with a rich purple hue. "Blackberry, raspberry and dark cherry dominate the aromas with complementary notes of anise mocha and tightly vanilla oak" — 5 years ago

Severn Goodwin

9.2

In-House, Corporate holiday party...
I love this bottle, so incredibly floral! — 5 years ago

Willie Carter

9.0

Deep ruby color with light cherry undertones and a wide brim. I hope you like oak because there’s plenty to be found here. Almost shockingly, I can’t say this is over oaked at all, it really is well integrated. Fun little nose with a bit of pepper, cherry candies, stone minerality, and oak. Rioja always seems to get me tingly, especially Muga and while this isn’t the biggest star in their stable it’s consistently good. High acidity that needs some time to even out, but still leaving a refined mouthfeel. Seemingly more New World than Old on the rich palate, there is a ton of energetic fruit here and very interesting minerality. Mushrooms, herbs, and smoke round things out. I like this wine a lot. I’ve got a feeling that in a few more years I might love it. — 6 years ago

Jonathan Wall

9.4

2006. Amazing wine. Constantly changing in the glass... swirl and smell swirl and smell. Very new world meets old with some classic Rhone character... bacon, earth, blood, brooding fruit. Long finish. — 7 years ago