Begaya Dubrow

8.9

Very Malbec-y on the nose, blueberries and dark fruit, whilst the palate surprises with a bright fruit - good acidity, lighter perception of body. — 10 years ago

Morgan Harris

Head Sommelier Aureole New York

9.0

Vintage '10, disgorged in April '12, drank mid-January of '15. A really particular Champagne. There's a ton of fruit purity and intensity here. Also the overall body, dosage, and balance of the wine is on point, but there's little perception of autolytic aromas or oxidation in the wine. There's just really fresh pinot-noir-en-Blanc with bubbles. That is delicious, but I think, especially if you like more savory in your wine, some time in the cellar (5+ years) would be warranted. Kind of mysterious though. Most of the people who are working with this ripe-fruit style will either look towards more autolysis, less dosage, or more oxidation in the base wine. — 11 years ago

Matthew Marcino

8.9

Coming from a red wine lover this stuff is legit. Has a smokey finish... No not oak, smoke. I'm not a fan of oaky or buttery Chardonnay. This one stood out to be a bit different than most. The Bacigalupi vineyard has produced some beautiful reds and this lovely 2008 Chard. — 12 years ago

Justin Hansohn

9.0

Soft velvet mineral cut sugar free cherry pie. This totally reaffirms my liking of Loire red and firmly establishes Saumur is white wine territory. My apologies for blowing the spot on the free flowing sheets of Chenin acid. This is totally enjoyable for sipping with nothing else in the way of your perception...or to ironically balance out the glass of Saumur blanc in your other hand. — 11 years ago

with Arturo and

Stacy Woods

9.6

shiny, densely colored blue black with an even concentration from the opaque core to a thin cranberry colored rim. Intensely aromatic with fresh ripe red berry fruit, strawberry compote layered with black pepper, graphite, waxy mulberry, and rosemary. A dry wine but fruit forward flavors leave a perception of sweetness. Round acidity creates just enough mouthwater to balance full body and medium viscosity. Medium plus dusty, forward moving astringency reveals a harmonious finish with medium complexity and concentration of candied cherry, rosemary, and black pepper. High alcohol 14.5% but viscosity and extract minimize the burn. — 12 years ago

Eric Hwang

9.9

Our perception of a wine is influenced by not only the wine, but the surroundings and people with whom we're drinking it. I had this wine in a nice restaurant in St. Helena with Claire Pott, the winemaker's wife. It was rich and tightly structured opening up after an hour to flavors of cassis, cocoa and leather. — 12 years ago

Stacy Woods

9.2

I said "wow" right out loud when I took my first sip. I am so glad that I was unable to fit the entire bottle into the beef bourguignon for which it was originally intended. I was so disappointed to only have 2 glasses left that my husband drove out into the snow to fetch another bottle. For $12 I wasn't expecting much more than a basic cooking wine. I was pleasantly surprised. Deeply concentrated purple with a large blue black core and thin grape juice rim. Fruit forward, ripe red fruit, figs, cocoa powder, cola. Medium plus body, smooth lush texture, low acid, well integrated, forward moving plush tannin, high alcohol 14% throws surprisingly little heat or prickle. A dry wine but with no bitterness and super ripe fruit there is a perception of sweetness. Flavors on the nose are duplicated on the palate with the addition of black pepper and Rosemary. I expect that this wine will enhance the bourguignon in the pot and in the glass! — 11 years ago

William Leslie

9.7

This is an excellent Napa Cabernet which is not too heavy (as many are) but has a great balance of fruit, oak and smoothness. What's interesting about this wine is the fruit flavor. There are flavors of blueberry, sweet tobacco, plum and cedar giving it a mild sweetness. This is balanced out with an underlying black cherry, dark chocolate and just a hint of spice that holds on for a long finish. I attribute the light spice touch to the cedar. The most enjoyable part is a mix of fantastic flavors not usually seen together but work so well in a very smooth blend. My only criticism is the lack of weight. A little more weight would make this stand out even more and fit the cab perception, but the smoothness makes up quite well in more of a top flight French Bordeaux way. — 11 years ago

Shae Kinsman

9.6

Loving this. Blows away my perception of what a spatlese should be. Intoxicating nose. Dense and rich. Length and texture. More please. — 12 years ago

Brandon Shupp

9.1

Mark Ray Pinot noir (2009?)- Russian River Valley - really smooth AND HOLY CRAP Jenn likes it too! — 12 years ago