Boris Mathiszik

8.9

For hot climates, like here on the Outer Banks, I love chilled Pinot Noir for all day drinking. This Marlborough Pinot has the right acidity to stand up to the spices and heat of the NC summer. — 9 months ago

Norman

9.5

Winemaker dinner at Nari. Fabulous and if not tied for WOTN it might win in some cases. — 9 months ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.2

Light ruby color with a garnet rim. Bright aromas of red berries, violets, rose petals, geraniums and forest floor. Ripe red cherry, strawberry, cranberry and boysenberry fruit flavors with additional notes of mushrooms, Earl Grey tea, sweet spices and dark chocolate. Pleasant hint of toasted oak on the long and linear finish. Well balanced with very fine tannins. Medium-plus body and nice density. Quite good. — a year ago

Bill Mowry

8.9

Vanilla nose with some acid and minerality. Lemon and citrus flavors paired well with salmon. — a year ago

with Cristian, Lou and 1 other

Hugh O'Riordan

9.1

Dark and rich earth flavors. Very well balanced with good finish. It’s from Livermore not Australia! — 4 years ago

John Osgood

9.0

Good Cali blend — 7 years ago

Patrick Derdeyn

9.2

Another last of its kind wine as the San Mateo moved to Alesia label after this vintage. This young blend is really singing right now with bright red fruit and cedar spice and well balanced acidity. A candidate for short term aging, but the freshness of the fruit really shines now. — 7 years ago

Jay Root

9.1

Peppery, acid, lighter on the fruit. This would pair really well with chili or a similar dish — 8 years ago

Michael Washabaugh

9.1

Paired well with a lamb, eggplant purée, fava beans, piquolo pepper. Would also pair with a medium rare magret duck or other game. — 11 years ago

Paul Mason

10

Our go to summer wine — 13 years ago

Matt Perlman

9.1

Decent but could use a little more oomph — 9 months ago

Louis Martin

9.2

Stone fruit aroma, lemon zest flavor, medium body, rich mouthfeel, paired beautifully with a slightly charred cod dish. — 9 months ago

Brian Hearty

9.3

2021. Drove to Omaha to attend an Arnot-Roberts wine class and tasting, and got there early to enjoy some delicious oysters with a bottle of fantastic Chardonnay that wasn’t on the tasting list. Unfortunately, Nathan Roberts flights were delayed and the class was cancelled, but we’re going home with a bunch of tasty wines instead! — a year ago

Bruce Dunbar

9.2

A big wine in a big bottle that made a big group of friends very happy. The 2017 Evangelho Heritage (from magnum) is energetic with loads of sweet dark fruit. It doesn’t lack zing even though this year’s blend is short in Carignan — there are nice balancing acids and mild tannins. It is richer and riper than many vintages but still vibrant. — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; consumed over two days and there was little in way of development over the course of those two days. The 2019 Sandlands Carignane “CCC” is packed with character…but there is a catch: it needs considerable more time to really deliver all the goods. The wine pours a deep ruby with a purple hue. Medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. No signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is drop dead gorgeous with notes of fresh, ripe dark fruits, a bouquet of red flowers, cumin, spiced meats, and crushed gravel. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium(+?) tannins and medium(+?) acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium with a somewhat austere, mineral finish. Honestly, I feel like the structure is “dominating the room” at this point and needs more time to settle in. But when it does…and it will…folks who have been patient will be duly rewarded. Hold. If I had more, I wouldn’t touch until after 2027. — 3 years ago

Jennifer Liu

9.2

39.97 from new season. Balanced. Round. Worth the price. Would buy again — 7 years ago

Rebecca Hamlin

9.2

Great from Trader Joe's! — 8 years ago

Ned Clark

9.6

Really excellent zin. — 8 years ago

Gerhard Ziemer

9.2

An amazingly Burg-like CA Chard; aging wonderfully, layered and complex.... — 10 years ago

Petra Thieriot

Owner/Importer Dee Vine Wines

10

Ernie, the genie, prepared the entire 5+ course meal for 18 guests and convinced all of us that South African Pinot can taste like premium Burgundy! — 13 years ago

with Andrew, Dade and 2 others

Pooneet K

9.0

Not as good as the bottle we had 2 years ago. All of the great lemon peel and minerality and texture and acid are still there - but this is oddly lacking on the mid palate, so you get a nice entry and exit but not a lot of meat in the middle. — 9 months ago

Kirsten Beverly

9.5

Smooth but welcomed acidic. Triangular. Stone fruit - more-so peach. Peppery with a hint of smoke on very end. Doesn’t overstay its welcome. If it was sweet it would a dessert. — 10 months ago

Jake Hajer

9.2

Cranberry, strawberry, sassafras. Chocolate cupcake. High toned. Light bodied. Easy to drink. With depth and character. Very good! — a year ago

Mary H

9.0

Well-made single varietal cabernet grown near Monte Bello. Smooth blackberry and graphite. Round and medium weight mouthfeel. Less complexity given the single varietal but made with finesse. — a year ago

Neal Ferry

8.9

Lots of Fruit — 4 years ago

with TwiLea

Tom Inners

9.4

Still young for my tastes but checking in on a go-to producer. Killer with King Crab Salad sandwiches 🥪

This bottle was a bit slow out the gate and needed some air to reveal the magic inside. This bottle was a pick up from Corti Bros when passing through Sacramento via Tahoe.
Finesse, and beautifully prolific white wine structure all the way throughout.

Santa Cruz Mts represent! — 5 years ago

Randy Fuller

9.0

This yellow-gold wine rings the “old-style Cali” bell in all the right ways. A nose of apricots, mangoes and apples is helped along with the smell of buttered popcorn. Oak treats the palate as well, draping over the tropical fruit like a sunshade. The acidity is zesty, yet the mouthfeel tends toward creaminess due to the wine sitting on the lees for five months. The oak is a definite part of the wine, but the effect is softened enough so that it's a pleasure, not a pain. — 7 years ago

Nico J. Snyman

9.6

Tried the '90 recently, spoke of how amazing a producer of Californian Cabernet it is, but just needed a little more time, this '85 is well & truly on point, everything is in balance, there's fruit intensity yes, but the development/complexity/layers are really shining through, outstanding stuff. — 9 years ago

Rachael Ryan

Sommelier Quince Restaurant

9.8

Always surprised by these wines. Incredible concentration and still lively. — 12 years ago

Michael Shonblom

9.3

Sweet, fruity, mild spices that sustain. Holds its own — 13 years ago