Randy Fuller

9.4

The 2015 Declaration has a gorgeous nose featuring blackberry, cherry, lavender, graphite, vanilla and sweet oak spices. The palate is a delightful playground of dark berries and that Napa dirt, which doesn’t seem all that dirty, really. It drinks fruity and young, but has firm tannins and plenty of aging potential for the coming years.
— 5 years ago

Matthias Gassner

9.1

Juicy, plummy-jammy, a little bit meaty. Hints of tobacco leaves, some leather. Mild tannins, higher acidity. Needs some food with it, ideally venison. — 6 years ago

Adam

9.3

Very light and delicious — 7 years ago

Steven Beishuizen

9.0

Kirsch-soaked sponge cake with sharp green chives. In a children's playground bordered with wisteria. Or those double-flavor packs of Nerds from the corner store. Excellent. — 8 years ago

with Anita

Benjamin Hickey

9.2

2011 Teusner 'Play ground' Chardonnay from Eden Valley. Not commercially released but banging, med body, coconut butter flavour. — 9 years ago

Tiffany Sams Cox

9.4

If my mouth is a playground....
(carry on with inappropriate puns here) then the 2012 Rogue's Blend is a classroom of Second Graders being released to Lunch Recess. The first impressions are earth; dusty gravelly soil. Next come pencil shavings. Then perfectly preserved in the background is a forrest of wild berries bursting with flavor and juicy acidity. There are swings, slides, and yes...teeter-totters. It's a complete package wrapped in the understated brown craft paper style of Jeff Tanner and tied with cotton butcher twine that begs you to pull the string. — 9 years ago

Nikolaus Dimitrijevic

9.0

Crisp and acidic. Upon first sip you'll taste preserved cherry. The tannins will leave you reminiscing on childhood memories of tasting playground gravel - decant for an hour. Pair with hearty bolognese. — 10 years ago

Jamie Irving

9.1

Next level dank on this one. Dave nearly puked in the bushes, but in the end he just peed in them and then passed out on a bench. I think he'd had a few sips before we met up at the playground.. — 5 years ago

Andreya Nightingale

9.8

No simile, nor metaphor, nor purple language can do this wine justice. It is a tangible piece of California history and winemaking in this country. The first Syrah to be produced and labeled as such. Grapes were harvested at 22.5 Brix and that acidity gave this wine a gorgeous vibrancy that was utterly surprising and totally pleasurable to drink. The grapes were a trial and planted in 1959 by UC Davis at the Wheeler Farm vineyards. Upon release, marketing notes made comparisons to Petite Syrah because that variety was so much more familiar to the US market. I hope that I age as gracefully as this syrah, which was still ready to play hop scotch on the playground at 42 years old (which in wine years is like 105). — 6 years ago

with Tom and Matt

Natalya Pemberton

9.2

Smells like cold metal playground equipment from when I was in primary school. Keeps amazingly well in the fridge with the cap on: after 4 days the bouquet has softened to more of a powdered strawberry smell. Fantastic value for money. — 7 years ago

Ambrose Wilkinson

8.9

Not too bike or distinguished but super bright and playful. Makes me want to jump back on the playground — 8 years ago

Rhett Butler

9.0

New btg at playground — 9 years ago

Jim Takada

9.5

Elegant, smooth and refined Pomerol, not quite in the same playground of Petrus, but definitely a high profile bottle., — 10 years ago

Colleen Nielsen

9.3

GATDAYUM. Acid for days, check. Herb and fresh berry, check. Ruddy cheeks pinched by a jerkstore on the playground. Adrenalin rush. Yep yep. — 11 years ago

Phyllis Whittlesey

9.4

Delicious! Bright opening. Nutmeg, spices, cherries? Medium tannic finish. A great testament to the vines of Howell Mountain. I'm in love with every stage of this one. — 5 years ago

barak heller hayun

9.1

first wine I'm having from shvo vineyard.
the winemaker used to work at one of Israel's biggest winery and left, bought his own vineyard and that's his playground.
different grapes from mainstream Merlot, cabarnet sauvignon, sustainablity and non kosher are the magic words written about shvo.
clearly a wine critics winery.

this is a red blend of barbera, grenache, syrah and mourvader.
so gsm with added fanculo 😊
one year oak treatment.

14.5% ABV 💪

dense red with long legs 👀

leather and cigar box first. followed by peppercorn, vanilla, dark chocolate. some ripe cherry and dried plum finish the complex spicy 👃

medium + body.
medium - acidity.

silky spicebox with the cherry's tartness and some leather hints 👄

soft, tingling and pleasent tannins. medium🎯 with fruit leftovers lingering.

2015 is considered a problematic vintage in israel. this is complex and balanced. but the spice profile reminds me a 2015 syrah i had from a winery close by. so will be interesting to try another vintage to compare.

it's a very good wine. intresting and satisfying.

excellent vfm (90 nis). israely reds in that price wouldn't usually impress.

had it on it's own. feels gastronomic, we shall find out in a couple of hours when dinner will be served.
later on it worked pretty well with dinner and lunch the next day. feels like an easy day to day drinking red, made better.

looking forward to try some more shvo.

24hr later the fruit came forward and the body felt firmer. still great... — 6 years ago

Ellen Clifford

9.0

Mencia is still unusual territory to me! But I would like to play more on its playground. @Anthony Lombardi I think you recommended this one! It hit my nose with leather but over the next hour or so unfolded: I got blackberries and flowers and dried savory herbs and then the green pepper came out to play, but just a bit. Mild in the acid, alcohol and body but still interesting. I would like to explore more Mencia! — 7 years ago

Paul T HB

9.8

Parker hands out 100 points like a teacher hands out skittles on a playground,
I'll take the 100 point Maybach for $100.00 less over this, other than that its a great wine, — 9 years ago

Michael Piaker

9.4

20 November 2015. Playground DTSA, Santa Ana, CA. — 9 years ago

Dave Scroggs

9.7

Steves wine. Bloody good. — 11 years ago