Jim McCusker

9.5

Yeah. This was awesome, but I should point out that, compared to most vintages of Lorraine, this one seems to be on a somewhat faster evolutionary track. While it still has many years left, folks who have this in their cellar might want to be sure not to lose track of them. — 7 years ago

with Vanessa

Ned Gray Creed

9.0

Is this number five? I’ve lost track already. “Gold Jerry, Gold.” Can taste a touch of the age on this bottle. #freundfest2018 — 8 years ago

with Rob and Mark

Marcio Morelli

9.3

2016 is back on track again. Deliciously delicate and fresh. Superb! — 8 years ago

Adam Baker

9.4

Blackberry, blueberry, cassis. Smooth yummy mouthfeel. Long finish. Keeps coming back. Very good with Korea BBQ pork shoulder, and the s'mores dessert at Amelia's. Could use a few more years for the fruit to mellow out. A little bright, but definitely on track. — 9 years ago

Jim McCusker

9.2

Haven't a burgundy in some time, and this premier cru from Frederic Magnien is hitting the spot! Surprisingly intense color given its age, the wine exhibits a much more fruit-forward nose than a typical burgundy (likely due to the fact that 2003 was an extremely hot vintage). Medium-plus bodied on the palate, but much of the tannic backbone has dissipated considerably, suggesting that this is on a (relatively) fast evolutionary track. Finish is balanced. Overall this is an excellent wine, but if you have bottles of this stashed away you might want to consider enjoying them sooner rather than later. — 9 years ago

with Vanessa

Jörgen Lindström Carlvik

Owner, Brix Wine Consultants

9.8

A wine with enormous energy, tension, width and length. Plenty of fruit here still, but mellow; flawless balance. Definitely on the right track towards perfection; just make sure not to touch it until 2022+. Easy 98 p. A true treat to drink. — 9 years ago

Carl Fischer

9.7

You know it's a good vacation when you've actually lost track of what day of the week it is! This wine is just beautiful and drinking so well right now. Blackberry and creme de cassis explode on the nose and on the palate as well. Slight hint of chocolate as well but the fruit flavors lead here with the slightest sweetness. It's lush and full bodied with tannins that are nicely integrated at this point but still leave some dryness in the mouth. This is beautiful and will be fun to try this again in a year or two (if I can keep my hands off it!). — 9 years ago

Tom Casagrande

9.3

Textbook! Unique Chablis earthy minerality exudes marine chalkiness, flint, chicken broth, and bright lemon-oil tinged fruit. Intense flavors glide effortlessly (as if on a mag-lev track) across the palate. Intensely stony and pure and long. Still youthful. Really classy. — 10 years ago

X'Zavierr Garland

9.7

This wine is very lit. Pairs perfectly with pepper-jack cheese cubes and track 5 on the Blueprint 2 . — 10 years ago

John H Duncan

9.2

2010 is right on track. Violets! — 11 years ago

Dade Thieriot

10

If anybody harbors doubts about whether or not the Chateau Rayas southern Rhone estate is back on track after the passing of the great Jean Reynaud in the mid 90s need only have a whiff and a sip of this glorious wine to be totally convinced--HALLELUJAH! — 12 years ago

with Petra

Doug Burress

Sales K&L Wines

9.2

Ok! Back on track! Fresh and delicious. — 13 years ago

Billy L.

10

Bravo!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Kudos Chris Maybach & Thomas Rivers Brown, absolutely fabulous!!!
Cheers 🍇🍷

Robert M. Parker Jr. 💯
“There are roughly 600 cases of the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Materium, all of which comes from the Weitz Vineyard on the eastern Vaca Mountain hillside of Oakville at an elevation of about 1,000 feet above the Silverado Trail. This is shallow soil interspersed with loads of pebbles and stones. This wine is incredible first-growth material – a magical Cabernet Sauvignon with an opaque purple color, an extraordinary nose of blackberry and cassis, white flowers, crushed rock and minerality followed by a full-bodied majestic mouthfeel with phenomenal balance, purity and overall equilibrium. Stunningly rich and impressive, this wine will hit its peak in 8-10 years and has the potential to last 40-50 years. For those who keep track of such things, the wine was completely aged in 100% new Darnajou and Taransaud barrels.” (RP) (10/2015)
— 7 years ago

Severn G

9.1

On the Lawn at Tanglewood this evening with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our guest conductor David Newman is leading a live-to-picture performance of Leonard Bernstein’s score for “West Side Story”, originally directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, and with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.
For live-to-picture productions, the orchestra performs the entire movie score in real time as the film unspools. (Vocals, dialogue and effects are isolated from the original music track.) The BSO installed very fancy and large LED screens on the perimeter of the Shed facing the Lawn, amazing!

Very nice light Salmon color. Nice fruit, 50% Cinsault & 50% Grenache. Very tasty, much better than their still rosé. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

A wine I’ve enjoyed mostly upon release or near it. I vowed to wait six years and nearly made it. At least it is 2018...just! It’s worth waiting this/that long for it to develop. On the nose; sweetly, baked fruits of; dark cherries, strawberries, black plum, plums, blackberries, and notes of blue fruits. Cinnamon, vanilla, very light clove & nutmeg, caramel, soft, medium, beautiful spice, black fruit tea, limestone minerals, loamy, dry, brown top soil, fresh dark florals and violets. The mouthfeel is full, rich & lush. The tannins are round, still have some teeth and possess velvety round edges. It’s fruit driven but not a bomb and showing elegance & grace. Fruits are perfectly ripe; dark cherries, strawberries, black plum, plums, blackberries, notes of blue fruits and dry cranberries dip in and out. Cinnamon, vanilla, very light clove & nutmeg, caramel, soft, medium beautiful spice that is more pronounced on the palate, black fruit tea, touch of melted brown sugar/molasses, limestone minerals, touch of rich dark sweet turned soil, loamy dry brown top soil, soft understated eucalyptus/mint, dry fresh florals and violets. The round acidity is just right, just a slight very small alcohol burn, the length, structure, tension and beautifully balanced finish are in a very good place. Even better in 2-3 more years in bottle; which is when I’ll have my next one. Photos of; the winemaking duo of Gary Franscioni (left) and Gary Pisoni, Rosella’s Vineyard on the right. As well as, Garys’ Vineyard at the bottom. Producer notes and history...The Santa Lucia Highlands appellation is known for its rich, vibrant Pinot Noirs. However, that wasn’t always the case. The first Pinot was planted in 1973, but results weren’t all that great. Chardonnay was the appellation’s early star. Much of the area’s current fame for Pinot Noir arguably can be traced to Gary Pisoni, a free-spirited wine enthusiast who grew up in a Salinas Valley vegetable farming family. Pisoni decided to plant a few acres of Pinot Noir in 1982 on his family’s horse ranch, at the southern end of what was to become the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation but his horses started eating the grapes. So, they had to go. His initial planting were limited by a lack of water until he dug a well on the property. Pisoni started planting even more Pinot Noir. The vineyard is now around 45 acres and nearly all of it Pinot. By the late 1990s, word had spread about the success of his vineyard, and a number of Pinot specialists from around California had started lining up to buy his grapes. He started producing his own wine in 1998. Pisoni isn’t the only Gary who has become a force in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Gary Franscioni, a childhood friend, followed Pisoni’s lead by planting grapes and started Roar Wines in 2001. The two of them now have five vineyards between them...all farmed meticulously with the same crew. They are best of friends...sort of a Mutt & Jeff. They have become a formidable presence in the Highlands, attracting interest from top winemakers and Pinot Noir lovers from all over. Franscioni is also from a vegetable farming family; Pisoni figures they’ve known each other since they were 3 or 4. Franscioni saw his friend’s success and once he got some money together, decided to plant grapes of his own. Franscioni’s property is farther north and cooler as it’s closer to the Monterey Bay. He was going to plant Chardonnay. He woke up and Franscioni recalls imitating Pisoni, and shouted, “plant Pinot!” Franscioni planted what became Rosella’s Vineyard, named for his wife, in 1996. He took Pisoni’s advice and planted four acres of Pinot Noir, although he still planted 12 acres of Chardonnay. It’s now a total of around 50 acres with three-quarters of it Pinot Noir. The next year, they decided to become partners and planted Garys’ Vineyard, a 50 acre parcel where they grow Pinot and a little Syrah. Since then, Franscioni has developed Sierra Mar, 38 acres of Pinot, Chardonnay, Syrah and a tiny amount of Viognier. The two teamed up again to establish Soberanes Vineyard, 35 acres of mostly Pinot Noir, with a little bit of Chardonnay and Syrah. That last vineyard was developed by Pisoni’s son Mark. The Garys might seem an unlikely pair. Pisoni is colorful character to say the least and has an outspoken manner. Franscioni comes across as more serious- minded. However, the collaboration between the two, who often address each other as “partner,” clearly works well. The two are good on their own, but better together. Pisoni being more gregarious acts as the frontman. He is the Ambassador. He’s a check on the rest to keep the quality high. Franscioni and Mark Pisoni run the farming on their own vineyards and work together on the joint ventures. The family involvement doesn’t stop there. Jeff Pisoni makes his family’s wines, which are under the Pisoni and Lucia brands. Franscioni’s son, Adam, joined the family business in time for the 2011 harvest. He handles sales for Roar and helps his father manage the vineyards. The grapes from all five vineyards are in huge demand, because the two families are such careful farmers, constantly tweaking and improving. Prominent customers include; Testarossa, Siduri, Kosta Browne, Copain and Bernardus. When a new vintner approaches them about buying grapes, the partners examine the winery’s track record and the Winemaker. If they like what they see, the winery is put on a waiting list. There’s not very much movement in their vineyards. When Franscioni planted Sierra Mar, he and Pisoni had 62 wineries waiting to buy fruit. Soberanes was developed with the idea of working with some new winemakers. There was some concern, even among the two families, that quality might suffer as the vineyard operations grew. However, there’s no indication that’s the case. In fact, with each new venture, they build on what they’ve learned in their older vineyards. Eventually, there will be even more vineyards. The Pisonis and Franscionis have purchased a 100 acre cactus farm in the Santa Lucia Highlands. There’s still a lease on the property. So, prickly pear cactus will continue to be grown for five more years. But at some point, the land will be planted with vines. Both families understand the importance of continuing to build for the future. The Garys looking back tell a story of being in the same spot some years ago and looking at a field of broccoli out back. He told Franscioni that the field would look a lot better with Pinot Noir vines. Now that parcel is part of Rosella’s Vineyard, and it’s planted with Pinot. Everybody thought he was crazy...most people usually think that when someone makes a bold decision. He’s a person who has always had vision and creativeness. He also has tremendous passion. Good things only happen when a person possesses all three of these qualities. Their wines are primarily available by mailing list. However, Nepenthe in Big Sur, CA acts as a quasi tasting room for some of their wines. — 8 years ago

Jason Lede

9.2

franc in the front x let you r feet stomp x merlot in the back x come on to the track — 10 years ago

Victor Aul

9.0

Back on track!! Solid wine well balanced. Honey, orange taffy and balanced oak. — 11 years ago

Ameilia Douglas

8.9

Lovely Tuscan Shiraz drunk in Romez Can't think of tasting notes as I've drunk too many reds on this month in Italy and not kept proper track but do remember specifically asking the waiter to bring the bottle so I could take a pic to remember it. — 12 years ago

with William

Nick Lobaccaro

9.6

This wine, made from a blend of very old vine Grenache and younger vine Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon grown on terraced vineyards, is among the most exciting wines I have tasted. Unfortunately, only 300 cases are produced, all of which is exported to the United States. It is aged in 100% new French oak casks and bottled without fining or filtration. 1994 is considered to be one of Spain's all-time great vintages, so it is not surprising that this wine possesses more potential than the exceptional 1993 and 1992. Try to imagine a hypothetical blend of Petrus, l'Evangile, Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape, and Napa's 1993 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon. The color is an opaque black/purple. The nose offers up spectacularly rich, pure aromas of blackberries, black-raspberries, minerals, and subtle vanillin from new oak barrels. Extremely rich and dense, with unbelievable levels of concentration and extract, this amazing wine is a strong candidate for a three-digit rating when it develops more maturity in 5-8 years. Since it is a newly created wine, there is no track record established for ageability, but a wine such as this should keep for 20-25 years. This is one of the most exciting young wines anyone could possibly taste. Awesome! — 12 years ago

Severn G

9.1

It's sunny and just over 30°F today, so fire in the chimnea time! First flames of 2019.

One of our favorite new (2009) AOC's in France, this is 80% Gamay & 20% Poulsard, but the epitome of 100% sparkling strawberry juice! So GD delicious!

One thing to note, last bottle is always the best, we're out of stock now, but don't hold these too long. We've seen bottle variation, likely best to track lot codes on the bottles and make sure your buying a newer version than the last, since we're talking about an NV product. — 7 years ago

Alexander Vadas

9.4

On track for awesomeness and still very young — 8 years ago

Eric Guido

9.7

What an amazing bouquet on the 2015 Gourt de Mautens, @jebdunnuck seriously called it here. This Rhone blend was seductive from the onset, showing a mix of ripe blackberry, black raspberry, crushed violet candies, lavender, stone dust and a hint of animal muskiness. On the palate, textures like liquid silk wrapped around the senses as a display of remarkably fresh yet saturating red and black berry fruit seemed to hover, dispersing violet florals, licorice, minerals and hints of grippy herbal tea-like tannin across all that they touched. Balanced to the core, with brisk acidity making light of the wines amazing textural depth and resulting in a finish that was both impossibly long, amazing fresh, yet structured all the same. I can still taste the purple inner floral and dark fruit tones, having lost track of how long the finish has been going. It’s hard to fault the 2015 Gourt de Mautens for anything, and incredibly easy to become lost in it. #rhone #gourtdemautens #rasteau — 8 years ago

Anthony Lombardi

9.5

Open for business right on the pop. Aromatics show a freshly cut, perfectly ripe pear which doesn't relent. Wonderfully balanced palate with rich fruit & nervy acidity. Shows nuances of smoke and spice, but is hard to track those as it is amazingly easy to drink and doesn't last long. — 9 years ago

David Kline

9.1

A sturdy mare. Mussel shell, blackberry mignonette, cedar cones, blueberries, rye toast, Parmesan crisps, chocolate and pencil shavings aswim in raspberry liqueur. Medium heavy mouthfeel on this swarthy beast. Tar, cedar bark and black currants with mocha espresso, thyme, allspice and graphite. Take this black beauty to the track for a few laps. #CuvelierLosAndes #LeovillePoyferré #Uco #ValledeUco #Argentineanwine #sawine #malbecmalbec #malbecsyrahblend — 9 years ago

with Courtney

Anthony Lombardi

9.5

@Jonathan Wall - got me back on track. One of my favorite examples of Pinot Noir from anywhere. 2008 showing loads of structure, forest-y notes and wonderfully deep red fruit. This will be long lived and will really hit stride in a few years, but drinks very well with about an hour of air right now. — 9 years ago

Carl Fischer

9.4

Back upstate and starting with a quick split and caviar to get things back on track. The softest bubbles, brioche, yeasty, toasted almonds. Yum. Great balance to the brine. Christmas Carols have switched to George Michael. Can this year please end already?!?!? — 9 years ago

Doug Griffin

9.0

I had a slight chill on this which was a mistake. Drinks more like a Pinot. Rose type notes breathing in but hitting the palate is another story. Jammy stewed raspberries, some heat, green herbs a touch of clove. Very enjoyable — 10 years ago

J

9.0

Nutty, nice hops, not so bitter that it runs over the malt. A good beer on a hot day. — 11 years ago

Dana Thompson

9.5

Happy New Year! Nothing like a big 'ol Columbia Valley blend on a chilly New Year's Eve. Lots of blackberry, oak (but not enough to make this bomb too edgy) and leather. Had the '11 and was really impressed but the '12 has more depth and accessibility. — 11 years ago

Jonathan Udkow

Import & Logistics, CA Sales Manager Pacific Prime WIne

9.7

This Rose is one of the years best and perfect after a long sunny day. Tried this at Toast and had to track it down. Bright ripe strawberries And Rose petals on the nose. A nice touch of wet gravel as well. Mouth feel is crisp, great acidity, almost perfect. Cherries and strawberries with a bit of lavender and spice on the finish. A long lasting taste of chocolate covered cherries finishes it off. — 12 years ago