Mike Saviage

9.3

Tawny color, mostly opaque. Herbal nose. In contrast to the Roty red burg which is rich and silky, this is more angular and herbal – pairing well with food. Notes of red briary fruit, herbs de provence, dusty earth and some tobacco leaf. Great balance in the mouth with a great mix of fruit, acidity, structure and softened tannin. In a good spot right now. — 3 years ago

Shay A

9.3

Finally getting around to posting wines from my annual Napa trip from two weeks ago. Always goes by quick! Lots of fun new stops this year.

The Fantesca property on Spring Mtn is gorgeous, and their tasting room at the winery is stunning. Really enjoyed getting to try more of their wines.

Give it time and this will be a point or two better easily. The only Fantesca wine not made by winemaker Heidi Barrett, but by assistant winemaker Tony Arcudi. A good balance of classical Cali Pinot with some old world flair. Fruit here is slightly underripe and a mix of red and black berries. A definite herbal influence with underbrush. Lots of layers here...rhubarb tart and candied black cherries up front before evolving to show herbs de Provence, cedar, crunchy cranberry and tobacco leaves. Complex. Delicious. — 5 years ago

Anil Saxena

9.1

Wow. Incredibly rich, full and lush cote de Rhône. Stood up well to middle Eastern food. Complex mix of dried berries and other dried fruit. — 7 years ago

Danny Hearit

9.0

Perfect Thanksgiving wine. Mix of Lambrusco and Merlot with a bit of sweetness, mellow. — 7 years ago

Joshua Chan

9.2

Excellent. Full of fruits without being too sweet. Great finish. — 8 years ago

Justin Floyd

9.1

Delicious....great nose...good mix of pepper and fruit — 9 years ago

Nicole Dutram

9.5

Spice. Good body but not overpowering. Citrus hint trying to make its way into the mix. Quite delicious. — 9 years ago

Knightsbridge Wine Shoppe

9.2

Maturing nicely! Beautiful mix of fruit, dark floral and subtle spices. — 9 years ago

Fabio Pallottini

9.0

Unfined, unfiltered 2014 vintage.
Chamaleontic, funky drop.
Nose dominated by black olives in brine, preserved plum, soy sauce, balsamic, black forest fruits, cinnamon, clove, bay leaf.
Elegant palate, tannin in place and refreshing acidity with a good length.
Barossa meets the Rhone.
Amusing, intriguing and delicious.
— 10 years ago

Clare Butcher

9.5

Stunning but there is always one guest who decided to mix it with amaretto! Sacrilege. — 11 years ago

Matt

9.2

Great showing, perfect cork, completely alive, complex, beguiling mix of dried petals, exotic spices and deeply alluring black fruit character, crushed to roasted. Tannins have integrated and made for a supple but postured sip. ‘05 still has my attention but this was showing very well. — 4 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.3

2015 vintage. A blend of Merlot (90%) and Cabernet Franc (10%). Certified organic since 2015 and now biodynamically farmed. The estate was bought in 2015 by the Labrune family, but it had a very good reputation before. This wine certainly does not disappoint. Smells like a mix of red and black fruit (raspberry, cherry, blackberry) with attractive floral hints and a discrete vanilla touch. In the mouth it has impeccable balance, the ripe concentrated fruit balanced by fresh acidity and probably the most civilised tannins I have ever tasted in Fronsac (they tend to be a bit rustic over there). This has class, great length and purity. Well worth the 22,50 price tag. The 14,5% alcohol is perfectly integrated. What's not to like? — 5 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.3

A nice PV. William Harrison anniversary PV outdoes it quite easily, but this wine is delish. Pours like ink! Nose is a mix of floral and candied black fruit. Darker mulberry cassis(?) and violets. Thick and dense wine. Finishes with a mixed bag of dense black fruits and pepper. Going to hold nicely for the next 5 to 7 years but I think drinking these now wouldn't be a bad idea! — 6 years ago

with Dan, Bradley and 2 others

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Had another bottle. Stéphane Ogier is one of Côte Rôtie’s most well-respected stars & looks for concentration in the vineyards and freshness in the cellars. "Le Temps est Venu, ‘the time has come’ for an adventure farther south, with old-vine Grenache and limestone slopes. A blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah that comes from the Plan de Dieu and Visan AOCs. Red fruit aromas and pepper spice notes. Sweet raspberry and cherry flavor adding herbs to the mix. Medium length ending with earthy notes. Nice value! — 7 years ago

Michael Piaker

9.3

13 June 2017. The Ten Bells, New York, NY. — 8 years ago

Anthony Lombardi

9.4

Spiced cherries & tobacco mix with vanilla & dill herbal aromatics. Grippy tannins & mild acidity frame the fruit & spice. Puts on weight as it breathes. Benchmark Rioja. — 9 years ago

George M Wood

9.0

Good, nice mix for peppery food, balanced, better as it airs — 9 years ago

with Nury

Paco Suro

9.0

Really interesting. Paired with a very eclectic mix at Passionfish and rocked the whole way through it. At $36 on the list. A steal. — 10 years ago

Andrea Watt

10

The blend really brings out subtle notes from both grapes and makes a smooth but intriguing mix of flavors. One of my favorites for the price. — 11 years ago

Michael Wilson

9.1

Really lovely blend of 10 different grapes. Lots of purple flowers and pepper. — 11 years ago

with Scott

Brent Young

9.3

Nose was mostly floral with some stoney minerality and herbs. The palate leads with honeysuckle nectar and white flowers. The fruit is the usual mosel riesling mix of apples and pears that veer toward peach and stone fruit on the quite lengthy finish. Tasty and elegant. — 4 years ago

Bruce Leboff

9.3

Cigar ox nose with a mix of leather a touch of Pierre a fusille. Drinking well for a dark, cold winter night smith with lists of backbone to this wine. Years left but expect it will evolve well in the glass — 4 years ago

with David and Danielle

Ming L

9.0

A young 3rd growth that is just starting to develop. After 2 hours of decant, the nose blossomed into really nice mix of black and blue cherries, cassis, violet, raspberry, olive, and herbs, with slight hint of leather and and crushed rocks. The entry was soft and elegant, with juicy acidity. Firm but fine grained tannins.
2014 Bordeaux is a great bargains compared to 15 and 16. — 5 years ago

Paul J

9.3

1+hr decant. Definitely drinking young. Dark purple color. Nice mix of Bordeaux and Napa. Seems higher in OH than 13.5%. Nice deep cherry fruit with hints of smoke. Strangely I think it got worse with air. This was better than expected. — 6 years ago

with Brooke

Josh Spurling

9.0

Really tasty with a mix of pear, citrus, and tropical fruits. Mediterranean herb notes add spice add interest. Great spring/summer sunny day sipper! — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.8

I can’t pour enough praise on Dan and his talents. I don’t give many wines near perfect scores, but this merits one. The nose is a beautifully balanced mix of floral fruits, earth and spice. Blackberries, huckleberries, boysenberries, black plum, black raspberries, plum, black raspberries, poached strawberries, dark moist soils, loamy dry soil/clay, raspberry cola, smoked meats, medium dark spice, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, lilacs, violets and lavender. The balance is incredible...one of the most balanced wines I’ve had. The structure, tension and length are so close to perfect. It’s in the OMG realm. The tannins are nicely resolved but still have teeth. It’s gorgeously lush and rich. Blackberries, huckleberries, boysenberries, black plum, black raspberries, plum, black raspberries, poached strawberries, hues of blue fruits haunt the palate, dark moist soils, loamy dry soil/clay, raspberry cola, black licorice, touch herbaceous, smoked meats, medium dark spice, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, black & white pepper, dry crushed rocks, stones, lilacs, violets and lavender. The finish is heaven all the way around. To borrow Bordeaux terminology, this is First Growth Shiraz. If you don’t seek out Dan’s wines on the secondary market, you are missing something special. Not at all meant to be enjoyed young. This wine is in a very good spot and has another 10 years of life going forward. — 7 years ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.4

Cloudy ruby, this wine smells of earth and cedar and dried red fruits. In the mouth, dried flowers and forest floor mix with river-mud-tannins and a bright juicy acidity. Tasted out of magnum. — 9 years ago

Bill Belanger

9.2

Wonderful with heavy sauces and pasta at Vito's in Pacific Grove. Higher alcohol (14.5), bold fruit, and restrained tannins were an interesting mix; the long finish added to the mouth feel. — 9 years ago

Ben de Vin

9.1

We are lucky to have Tom, super delicious chilled red, Beaujolais style but not gamay, strawberries, macerated berries, low acid, chewy, smashable, summer drinking. Chyea. — 10 years ago

Rebekah Wineburg

Winemaker Buccella Wines

10

Intensity, mix of savory grilled herb, tobacco, and fruit. Can't wait to see how this opens over the meal. — 11 years ago