Clive McNish

9.8

Absolute stunner, perfect example of a fine quality Napa Cabernet. It’s powerful with a nose that carries across the room, dark fruit, vanilla, spice and mushroom. The palate is smooth even though there are muscular tannins lurking around, flavours are balanced and lead to a lingering finish with a little sweetness. This wine throws an extremely fine sediment which is present in the glass and next time I would filter but only for visuals, it has no bearing on taste I feel. So good I almost wish I hadn’t opened it! Now the quest begins to find some more. — 5 years ago

Mark Turner

9.2

On a quest to check in on a few of the older orphans (only 1 bottle left) in our cellar. Can't believe how good this was. Decanted it through an aerator. Smooth, soft, incredibly well balanced. — 7 years ago

Heidi Harrison

9.1

Smooth, bright, dark fruit, not jammy, perfect w/BBQ tri-tip & beans, wish @quiviravineyard was still making this #zinfandel #drycreekvalley — 7 years ago

with Philip

Deezy Sancheezy

8.9

Found this gem at World Market during my quest to find the best wine under $10. Smooth and well balanced with deep red fruit aromas. — 7 years ago

Angie Bradbury

9.4

Lovely magnum! — 7 years ago

Kyle Lewis

10

Wine quest: braised short ribs [2013] — 8 years ago

with Renee

Jennifer Franich

9.0

Test 1 in Pink wine quest. Nice and light, no syrupy grenadine-ish flaves. I think it was like $10? — 8 years ago

Mike Burmil

9.1

In my quest to drink all of the wine in Mexico, it seems this vintner is in most wine shops. In the mood for white, so chenin bland it is. White cherry, orange, lime and apple flavors all intertwined in this easy drinking vino. Great with a goat cheese. — 5 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

I bought my first vintage from this producer & terroir beginning with the 2010 vintage and what a vintage to start. I bought four bottles for right around $50 or a little less. They were so amazing, I drank through them in no time at all. For those of you that read my posts, that’s not normally what I do. I like to drink one & age the rest. Since then, I have looked & looked for more. I’d finally given up hopes of finding more until recently I struck gold. I should have bought all nine bottles but a calmer head prevailed. It’s definitely changed since having it fresh. On the nose, the fruits are slightly macerated. Heather honey, beeswax, golden & green apple, pineapple upside down cake, slight orange citrus blend, mango, glazed nuts, soft, delicate, chalky minerals, a touch of jasmine & yellow lilies. The body is much rounder & thicker than when it was young. Waxy. So, beautifully layered across the palate. Much of the palate matches the nose. Heather honey, beeswax, golden & green apple, apricots, peach, pineapple upside down cake, slight orange citrus blend, mango, slight molasses character & glazed nuts with citrus blossoms, yellow lilies & jasmine. The minerals are much more grippy & bold as they cut across and set on the palate. The acidity round & phat. The texture is amazing as is the length, balance & beautiful, rich, long finish that lasts two-minutes plus. So glad I found more of this wine! Hubert Lamy seriously over deliver the terroir & the price point by a country mile. If you are not buying this wine on pre-arrival, you are missing great wine and excellent value. Can’t say enough good things about it. Especially, the 2010. I expect the 15 to hold similar quality. Photos of; Olivier Lamy, Olivier working in this vineyard, barrel room and their Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Vineyard. Producer notes and history...There have been Lamy’ s growing vines in St-Aubin since 1640, today it is run by Olivier Lamy. Olivier is a new breed of Burgundian grower keen to progress. He trained Méo-Camuzet & made a number of vintages before taking over in 1996 from his father Hubert. Hubert Lamy used to sell fruit to négociants, but that stopped in 1997. He grubbed up and sold off peripheral vines, keeping only the best and oldest sites. Currently he is experimenting with different planting densities in a quest to capture even greater expression of terroir. The Domaine produces both reds and whites and now has 16.5 hectares of vineyards, mostly in St-Aubin but also own a few parcels in Chassagne-Montrachet and a tiny plot in the Grand Cru Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet. Yields are kept low and recent innovations have been introduced with selection tables in the cuverie to ensure that only the healthiest and ripest grapes are used. His more recent move to reduce the amount of new oak with the introduction of demi-muids 300-600 liter barrels have also helped to improve the wines. Vinification is traditional and the wines are matured with only 20-30% new oak for 12 months before minimal filtration and then bottling. The quality is very high and is often superior to many wines from much more prominent villages that sell at twice the price or more. — 6 years ago

Steve Matthiasson

Owner/Winemaker Matthiasson Wines

9.4

A great discovery in the continuing quest for highly flavored but lighter bodied reds. Firm flavors, graphite, earth, cool blue fruits, structured coming more from the acidity then from tannins, and no sweetness in the fruit or on the palate at all. — 7 years ago

Derek Haas

9.2

Straw colored, full no quest on the nose with a dry finish, not too much acidity, lovely. — 8 years ago

Kyle Lewis

10

Wine quest: Tomato, avocado, crab salad! [2014] — 8 years ago

with Renee

Aaron Dornstreich

9.3

First experience with Julian Haart.....simple appellation wine was amazingly pure & expressive! New quest to dig into this producer more, thank @vomBoden — 8 years ago

Ellen Clifford

9.2

Cab-quest goes on! And this is so good it made this goth heart grin. Although realized this is 52% Merlot whoops. And after that Cab S plus small shares of Malbec, Cab f and petit Verdot (which I personally wanna see more single varietal iterations of). All things aside DAMN it gets the super specific term “yummy”. Red and black cassis, bits of blackberry, allspice and licorice and chocolate goodness! Silky as sin—deceptively easy to drink quickly so beware/enjoy...I’m enjoying but then I’m home alone. Has a lovely refreshing earthy note that keeps on keeping on... — 6 years ago

Ron from VA

8.9

I have had several bottles of this vintage and this one is nearing its downward trajectory. However, in my quest to age Virginia wine, I taste something interesting in this bottle. It is cab sav heavy from 2008 (53% + 33% Merlot) and together I get an almost port profile! Super concentration has occurred :) I have one more bottle and I hope it has a good Cork… I will open sometime in 2018 to celebrate its 10th year — 6 years ago

Christine Havens

8.9

On a quest to find the perfect wine to pair with Pho, I picked up this lively Lambrusco from Kermit Lynch...two years ago. I found it while moving around bottles, happily, though the jury is still out as to the pairing. My beef bone broth is still reducing as I type this. As to the wine, it's ruby-hued, slightly cloudy and appropriately spritzy. Plums and figs conjoin earth and decaying rose petal. There's plenty of tannic bite, with firm structure and a pleasant herbaceous leesy, if brief, finish. — 7 years ago

Raul Puga

9.4

Maybe my new favorite Gluten free beer. Delicious — 7 years ago

Pooneet K

8.9

Not bad at all in the quest to find decent burg at a decent price. Quite fruity, but still in a refined way. Bit thin perhaps. — 7 years ago

Katherine Bordelon

Court of Master Sommelier Guild member

9.2

This H&M Hoffer Gruner Veltliner hit the mark yesterday as I moved through tastings of a Sancerre, Sav Blanc and Alsatian Pinot Blanc. The Gruner Veltliner took the prize! Beautiful, bright acidity with a smooth finish. Day bright, clear color and medium plus viscosity. Underripe fruit, lemon grass, dry and so refreshing! In my quest for dry, white wines of the world, this one has moved high up on my list! — 8 years ago

with Edmond

Chris Regina

9.3

Ever since I first tasted the 98 point Stonessence from this producer at the WS show, I have been on a quest for their wines. Finally I have found them after 5 months.

The nose on this wine is signature of this producer. Huge floral briary cranberry and raspberry as if it was transformed into a perfume by Dolce & Gabbana. Smelling the glass is beyond a requirement as you will enjoy the aromatics more than the wine. Tremendously delicate on the palate with juicy berries, lush velvet texture, hints of sugar cookies and lavender. As Beautiful and elusive as an alluring woman who makes deep eye contact before disappearing into a sea of strangers. — 8 years ago