Rob Mondavi

Owner/President of Winemaking Folio Fine Wine Partners

9.6

The wine still shows what we loved about being in partnership with Eduardo. Great vineyards and beautiful wine. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

The 14 Cabernet is a blend is 82% Cabernet, 9% Merlot, 4% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc. On the nose; ruby, elegant, black berries, black plum, dark cherries, poached strawberries, soft spice, anise, soft baking spices, dark rich soils and red & dark florals. The entry is rich, thick, full bodied elegance. The tannins are M+. Fruits are; blackberries, plum, black plum, dark cherries and black raspberries. Nice spices follow, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, violets & red fresh florals, rich dark soils, leather, tobacco, graphite, crushed dry rocks, underbrush with nice round acidity and a round, lush, elegant finish. Photos of; a wide shot of Pepper Bridge, Artifex custom crush facility, Winemaker, Jean-François Pellet and the view from their terrace. Producer notes...born and raised in Switzerland, Winemaker Jean-François Pellet is a third-generation wine grower. He earned degrees in both enology and viticulture. As part of his studies, he interned in Switzerland, Germany and the Napa Valley. After graduating, he managed vineyards and made wine in Switzerland and Spain. After his time in Europe, his experience and reputation brought him to Heitz Cellars in the Napa Valley, where he worked for four years. Pepper Bridge recruited him out of Heitz and he moved to Walla Walla to become that winery's creative force. His success at Pepper Bridge afforded him the opportunity to join the Amavi partnership. Jean-François Pellet is also a partner in Artifex, the areas very successful custom crush facility. Additionally, he is also a founding member and current vice-president of the Walla Walla Valley's sustainable agriculture organization, VINEA. Quite a resume! It was a pleasure meeting him. He is a very kind person and an extremely knowledgeable Winemaker. Thank you for all of your time & knowledge during our visit.
— 8 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

ZD Winery began as a partnership of two aerospace engineers whose initials formed the name of the winery: Norman de Leuze and Gino Zepponi. Deep dark red with ripe berry fruit aromas with sweet toasty spice. Ripe cherry and blackberry flavor with sweet vanilla oak notes, well balanced. Lingering finish, smooth tannins ending with leather and cacao tones. Will benefit with aging. — 8 years ago

Steph Lewis

9.5

The red wine cases for TSDL 2017. A partnership wine with Robert Mondavi. Will-full bodied, smooth, plumy. I also enjoyed greatly and it for a great cause of autism therapy. — 8 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

8.9

Of the entire portfolio of this partnership this is the least powerful, but it needs to be as the fruit is more elegant, red, though deep with a touch of oak that adds more dimension. Day 2 this is the wine you want to drink, balanced and long. Day 1 was tight and pretty closed up, more oak and less fruit. — 9 years ago

Stephen Becker

9.3

Deep-space gastronomers theorize that "dark matter" is remnants of Filet Mignon Prime that the Big Bang scattered across the Universe; those same gastronomers have speculated this is the only wine they could pair with it, especially if the next Food Network/SpaceX partnership goes as they hoped. — 10 years ago

Alix Murphy

9.0

Dad bought in Waitrose — 10 years ago

Alison Bunce

9.6

Well. It's rather good. — 10 years ago

Craig Stanfield

9.7

Celebrating partnership and a recent trial victory. — 11 years ago

with Sarah

Tsuyoshi Enoki

Sake Specialist Hasegawa Sake Shop Tokyo

8.9

Name:" Shirataki"/ brewery: Yamamoto general partnership company/ region: Akita prefecture/ category: junmai/ cépage: Miyamanishiki/ light note of apple and cider, fresh fruity attack, crispy acid mild texture, and smooth after — 11 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.0

Intriguing experimental white wine. Spain in origin with Portuguese and Spanish winemaking partnership. Mineral, almond, white blossoms and apple skin notes. Fresh on the palate ans sherry like in flavor without the bitterness from the flor of a Fino sherry. Tasted great the second evening matching the profile with a little more depth and freshness. #niepoort — 12 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

A partnership between the winemaker Giovanni C. Sacchet and Antonio M. Zaccheo, offering a line of wines spanning from Tuscan DOCG appellations to varietal specific wines. Ruby with gentle aromas of red berry fruits and hints of cedar. On the palate strawberry and raspberry flavors with oak and earthy notes. Lingering finish ending with mineral tones. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

On the nose, boysenberries, olallieberries, blueberries, blackberries, baking spices, dry powdery soils, dry stems, bramble and bright, fresh, fragrant purple florals. The palate is warm, lush, round and elegant. Tannins 65% resolved. It's still fairly big and very fresh. Palate fruits are; boysenberries, olallieberries, blueberries, blackberries, black raspberries and raspberries haunting the background. Lifting warm spices, black pepper, black licorice, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, dry crushed rocks, volcanic minerals with liqueur notes settling in at the mid point to the long finish. Dry stones, dry straw, tarry notes, violets, purple florals and palate raining acidity. The finish is long with good balance of fruit & earth. There's still nice tension, length and structure. The 05 still has another 7-10 years of good drinking ahead. As great as it was to be at the property tasting their new releases, it's a pleasure to enjoy one of their well aged wines back in the states. Photos of; the view from the new estate (love that red Barossa soil), tasting bar, Andrew Tierney, Torbreck International Sales Ambassador who hosted our visit(left) and Owner, David Powell (right). Producer history and notes...Torbreck Vintners was founded by David Powell in 1994. Before founding Torbreck, he worked for Robert O'Callaghan at Rockford Wines in the Barossa Valley. Rockford is an historic old winery and they love old historic wine relics...all you have to do is walk the property. In trying to start his own label, David lacked the funds to buy grapes outright. So, David began to share-farm a vineyard, a practice which involves working without pay until the grapes are sold, at which time the owner is paid a percentage of the market rate for his grapes and the share-farmer keeps the grapes for their own use. The share-farming principle or as we call it, sweat equity. This enabled Torbreck to obtain fruit from the very best vineyards in the Barossa Valley, while giving David Powell experience working in the vineyard and winery. In 1995 Powell crushed and fermented his grapes in a shed on his 12-hectare Marananga property; which continues to be home to the winery. The winery was named "Torbreck" after the forest in Scotland where Powell worked as a lumberjack. The first wine made under the Torbreck label was the 1995 RunRig. When it was released in 1997, Parker gave it a score of 95; which went a long way in launching Torbreck Vintners. Lisa, now Managing Editor at Robertparker.com raised that score to 98 in 2010. In late 2002, Torbreck was placed into receivership due to financial pressures on Powell from a divorce settlement. Torbreck was purchased by Australian businessman Jack Cowin for 6.5 million Australian dollars with Powell retained as winemaker and managing director. In 2008 Powell reacquired the estate in partnership with Peter Kight, the owner of Quivira Winery in Sonoma County's Dry Creek Valley in California. Torbreck produces around 70,000 cases of wine per year, depending on vintage conditions. 6.5 million Australian dollars is not a lot of money in today's environment...actually quite a deal. They had just completed their new facilities as shown in the photos two weeks prior to our visit in April. If you haven't had their wines, their lower price wines are very good at great values. Torbreck makes everything up to their high end RunRig at $300 plus a bottle with lots of quality wines in between that are really quite good and value priced vs. the rest of international market. — 8 years ago

Ryan Carey

Founder Wine Confidential

9.4

Celebrating a new partnership with Mark Herold to offer some of his past vintages. The star of the show, imho, is the 2010 Collide, which is among the best value wines in Napa in recent memory. Parker and Galloni each have it at 93 points, though I have it at 94+. Just an elegant wine that is singing right now, but should also last another 5 years too — 8 years ago

Christian Baeppler

9.0

2012 Sandhi Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir from one of the oldest plantings in the Santa Rita Hills (1971). Youthful, lovely fruit purity and freshness, highlighting the vineyards cool micro climate. This wine speaks the language of the vineyard. Old world wine style made in the New World. This will age gracefully, but already delicious! Only 600 x 6-Packs produced, partnership between Charles Banks (Ex-Screaming Eagle and Sommelier Rajat Parr, winemaker Sashi Moorman) available in Thailand through wine garage. — 10 years ago

Brandon Frobose

9.2

In a great spot. What a unique partnership between Santadi and Tenuta San Guido... A little green from the younger 10% Cab Sauv, but integrated and complex — 10 years ago

Fabien Lainé

Blogger VinDeling.com

9.0

A great wine that became much rounder and elegant than few years back but still quite powerful modern Ribera style, a big Tempranillo marked by oak that still need time to get smoother, better to open ahead and let breath - Mariano Garcia developed his winemaking reputation at Vega Sicilia before joining Aalto in partnership with Javier Zaccagnini. — 10 years ago

Rob Moose

9.5

Wine 3 was my favorite. So giving. Strawberries and green springtime notes. Loving. Partnership. Dad rock. — 11 years ago

Tsuyoshi Enoki

Sake Specialist Hasegawa Sake Shop Tokyo

9.0

Name:" Shirataki"/ brewery: Yamamoto general partnership company/ region: Hachimine, Akita prefecture/ category: junmai daiginjo unpressed squeezed undiluted/ clear note, vivid acid, smooth taste — 11 years ago

Prue Bills

9.7

Berries, plum, smooth, well balanced. A good drop! — 12 years ago

Velma Cooper

9.0

Velma had this 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

This wine seriously has more bacon fat and pork than I've experienced in a bottle. The fruit is one of the last things I will have in this description. It's why there is a pig in the picture collage! I had to do it because right now that is the dominating flavor of the wine. I am going to come back to this in a bit. Let's see what happens after some time in the decanter. This starting to calm down a bit. On the nose, bacon fat, pork, grilled meats, BBQ sauce, olive, loads of milk chocolate, brine, brown sugar, dried blood, pepper, black plum, dark cherries, blackberries, faint strawberries, dry stones, loamy clay soil, scorched earth, soy sauce and decayed dark florals. The mouthfeel is thick and brooding. Everything on the nose is on the palate. The acidity is round. The finish is thick, rich with intense flavors that stick to the palate and linger endlessly. If I had more bottles of the 06 En Chamberlin, I'd wait another 8-10 years to open them. It's still a monster. Photos of; the front of their tasting room in downtown Walla Walla that is generally always closed, the stone vineyard of Cayuse that needs to be horse plowed, Christophe Baron (owner), ready to pick grapes and a field pig...just because their is so much pork in this wine. Producer notes and history...while visiting the Walla Walla Valley in 1996, Christophe Baron spotted a plot of land that had been plowed up to reveal acres of softball-sized stones. He became ridiculously excited. This stony soil, this terroir, reminded him of vineyards he had visited in France (Rhone Valley) and Spain. The difficult ground would stress the grapevines, making them produce more mature, concentrated fruit. Christophe Baron had found a new home. He named his vineyard after the Cayuse, a Native American tribe whose name was taken from the French cailloux–which means, of course, rocks. Hours of back-breaking work later, Cayuse Vineyards has become five vineyards encompassing 50 acres: Armada, Cailloux, Coccinelle (Ladybug), En Cerise (Cherry), and En Chamberlin. The majority of the vineyards are planted with Syrah, and the rest dedicated to Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot, Tempranillo and Viognier. All of the vineyards are planted in rocky earth within the Walla Walla Valley appellation. Cayuse was also the first winery in Walla Walla to farm using biodynamic methods. These highly stressed vineyards average a yield of only two tons or less per acre (30 hectolitres per hectare), resulting in wines true to each vineyard’s unique terroir. Cayuse specializes in four estate-vineyard Syrahs, along with Bionic Frog Syrah, Impulsivo Tempranillo, Widowmaker Cabernet-Sauvignon, two Bordeaux blends named Camaspelo & Flying Pig and Viognier. Look for their other partnership wines; Horsepower & No Girls if you haven't already. Nearly 100% all mailing list, restaurants and secondary markets. — 8 years ago

Christine Havens

9.0

Tasted following an interview with Ted Baseler (article on Chateau Ste. Michelle’s 50th Anniversary forthcoming in next month’s Somm Journal), the 2015 Eroica is the result of a long and fruitful partnership with Dr. Ernst Loosen. As such it sports an endearing touch of petrol on the nose, something I readily attribute to Rieslings from the Mosel. On the palate, its soft and round, with nice persistence. Gently dwindles to green tea and lime zest. 12.0% ABV 1.2% RS | Sample — 8 years ago

Akshay Kapur

9.0

I believe this is another new world partnership like with Opus & it really reminded me of the Opus one! — 8 years ago

Ned Gray Creed

8.9

This has proper balance, pure fruit, and roundness but also with tension on the finish. I am curious about the barrel regiment because of a cinnamon/baking spice nice on the nose. Just wasn't expecting that. First vintage, a partnership between wine Jay and Meo Camuzet. So the knowledge is there. — 9 years ago

with Rob

Christopher A. Weed

Director of Operations/Wine Specialist Spectrum Wine Auctions

9.0

Osoyoos Larose 2002. Beautifully, classically rendered Bordeaux blend from the Okanagan Valley, still very young. This is an ambitious partnership between local firm Vincor and Château Gruaud-Larose. — 10 years ago

with Kerry

Demi Placide

8.9

A great wine from a good friend of mine who has since discontinued the A&M partnership but we were smart enough to buy a bunch of the wine from him before hand (at a great price of course ) 🍷🍷🍷 — 10 years ago

David Poplar

9.4

Bright, very bright. Not blinding, but definitely bright enough to warrant the figurative mouth sunglasses. The first swig is almost aggressive in it's tang - very fruity and held together with some acidity (the partnership works well). Then it hangs around a little, showing off it's body, which is fairly stocky like a water polo player without being the least bit overweight. It climbs out of the mouth-pool rather quickly, as if it weighed but a feather, dripping a little trail of mineral taste as it heads for the locker room, leaving you wondering how such a robust body can still seem so light and how it can start out almost sweet and finish almost dry. And how bad this review is. (I have no idea what I'm talking about.) But it's a solid wine - really solid. — 11 years ago

Anthony Grimes

9.7

In 1997 Chateau Mouton Rothschild teamed up with Concha y Toro on Cabernet-Sauvignon vines. Wow, what a partnership. — 11 years ago

Marisa Vickers

9.0

A partnership with one of my favorite California vineyards; Robert Young. Pretty smooth with an oak finish. — 12 years ago