Mark Eastom

9.0

Great for the price. Violets, cherry, mushroom, sagebrush, crushed rocks, great acid. Drinking above it’s classification. — 7 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.2

The 2015 Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon is a fantastic effort from this warm vintage. The wine shows toasty oak that wraps around blackberry cordial and smoked meats with sagebrush undertones on the nose. The palate is soft, delivering a silky mouthfeel. Light tannins connect with copious dark fruits and chocolate flavors. This is simply delicious now and should continue to drink well over the next handful of years. Drink 2019-2029- 92 — 7 years ago

Randy Fuller

9.4

The nose shows cherries and currants surrounded by cedar, cinnamon and white pepper. Flavor is plentiful, with those cherries again, bolstered by ripe cranberries. There's a leathery, sagebrush note that screams about the old west. The rusticity plays well with the overriding elegance of the sip, and it all melts into a long, savory finish. — 7 years ago

MICHAEL COOPER DipWSET

Owner TomeVinos wine shops, WSET Level 3, Blogger www.spanishwinesandmore.com, blog.tomevinos.com

9.3

I thoroughly enjoyed this #californiawines #calicabernet #napavalley #cabernetsaugvinon it has complexity on the nose and on the palate. It has this, sagebrush almost citronella type herbal dusty quality about it. Full body. Long finish. Excellent — 8 years ago

Will Costello MS

Master Sommelier, Wine Director Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas

9.2

Super classic nose or sagebrush and roasted fruits with sweet oak and sour fruit compote. Extremely sexy body. Like Kate Upton body. Great stuff to drink. — 9 years ago

MICHAEL COOPER DipWSET

Owner TomeVinos wine shops, WSET Level 3, Blogger www.spanishwinesandmore.com, blog.tomevinos.com

9.2

Fantastic #riojawine still kicking. What really gets me about the old Monte Real are the sensations of ash and sagebrush and almost tarragon. Very herbal and at the same time smoky nose on this wine. — 9 years ago

Vanessa Pritchard

9.1

Customers rejected this wine this evening, claiming it was "done", past its prime, and not fruit-forward enough. I decanted it to see if it would change their mind, to no avail. To me, it had a complex but reserved nose, seemed a bit wound up, and had a metallic finish. Two hours later, it was singing another song altogether, was rich, round, and graceful, with solid but velvety texture. The fruit became an unusual and unique perfume, like dried figs, vanilla, and sagebrush. The acidity was gleaming. It was a shame that a wine this pretty was so misunderstood. — 10 years ago

Randy Fuller

8.9

This blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Grenache grapes feels to me more like Grenache than Cab. Aging took ten months in oak barrels and the 13% abv alcohol number is very restrained.
Dark and brooding are the aromas here, with blackberry and cassis trying their best to smother the notes of black pepper and earth. Oak spice is there, but not burdensome. The palate of this inky wine shows blackberry and plum, with the earthy, mineral-driven flavors coming on a bit stronger than on the nose. There is a rustic, dusty sagebrush feel to it, and the acidity is the only thing that’s bright about this wine. Tannic structure is good. — 10 years ago

Vito Sergio Parente

9.3

Campfire, sagebrush & wild berries in a glass. — 10 years ago

Antoine Pin

Wine Buyer Kroger/QFC

8.9

Light, fruity and less dry. Yet has a lot of spice from the sagebrush. Grandview Tudor Vyd sourced. — 12 years ago

Bob Halifax

9.0

Orofino and Merlot just always seems to be magic. Even an old second line bottle is fine. — 12 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.3

Mocha and crushed mint with sagebrush and blackberry cobbler all combine on the nose in this beautiful Columbia Valley AVA Cabernet Sauvignon. The palate shows a wonderful elegance and purity of fruit. Red and dark fruits connect with chocolate and coffee flavors alongside earthy undertones. Downright delicious now, the combination of balance and weight suggests this will cellar well for the next fifteen to twenty years. Drink 2019-2033- 93 — 7 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.6

This wine has rounded out since being released in 2008. The grapes were chosen from the Seven Hills, Loess, Mill Creek, Upland. Pepper Bridge, as well as Bacchus-Dionysus and Wallula, both located in the Columbia Valley. It is a blend of 76% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Carmenere and 4% Petit Verdot, having the highest percentage of Carmenere that I have seen for this wine. This vintage was characterized by an early bud break and a hot summer which led to ripe fruit. The wine opens with aromas of milk chocolate, Turkish coffee, sagebrush and black cherry. This leads to rich flavors of black cherry, anise, sage, blackberry and mocha. There is a silky mouthfeel and wonderful viscosity, despite the wine being nearly 10 years old. This is drinking beautifully, one of the best of its kind. 2,723 cases of this delicious wine made. Drink 2019-2035- 96 — 7 years ago

Tom Casagrande

9.1

At the family GSM tasting/get together. All wines tasted single blind.

Complex, high-toned nose. Sagebrush, cherry, in a leaner style, nice acidity, will last several more years. Would be great with pasta. — 7 years ago

with Angelo

Matt

9.1

At first a very mineral/smokey wine with a lot of savory meaty notes up front, a little reductive. Slowly became to evolve into a more fruit centric wine with lots of black raspberry, cherry and pomegranate tones. Still that underpinning of forest, meat, sagebrush, and spices. This Etna aligns more with PN than Neb. Soft and silky tannins, perfumed, bright acid. — 9 years ago

Tobin Spratte

9.6

Outstanding complexity and depth with rich aromas of blackberry preserves, chocolate, black pepper, asphalt, and roasted meats. Subtler notes of toasted coconut, coffee, sagebrush, and eucalyptus. — 9 years ago

Matt Krueger

9.5

Left bank style with some serious sagebrush and rosemary notes. Real powerhouse with new world concentration and old world nuance. Love this wine. — 9 years ago

Rebecca Chapa

9.8

Holding up so well takes me to the southwest Piñon, sagebrush and mesquite still vibrant red cherry fruit delicious sanguine quality and salty mineral notes yum what a treat — 10 years ago

Thérèse Bruno-Cavallaro

9.3

Stunning. Cherries, mint and sagebrush on the nose. Dried fruit, raspberry, light wood, bright cherry acidity. Second bottle would go down easy...(practicing biodynamic). — 10 years ago

with Adam, Benjamin and 1 other

Wilfred Wong

Chief Storyteller, Wine.com

9.6

Such an amazing chardonnay! Medium straw color; wild aromas of sagebrush, dried citrus peel and stones, persistent and true, decidedly distinctive; medium bodied, tight and well built on the palate, lengthy and lasting; dry, excellent acidity, great balance; wild and crazy flavors beyond what most folks are used to, brazenly stoney, with a bitter citrus peel in the flavors; long finish, tightly would and impactful in the aftetaste. (Best Served: 2014-2020) One of the world's greatest Chardonnays! [Sourcing: Beechworth] [Winemaking Highlights: 100% barrel fermented (approximately 30% new French oak), 100% malolactic fermentation]; aged 22 months] #chardonnay #australia #giaconda #whitewine — 11 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.4

The ‘Old Vines’ Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from a host of great vineyards in the Columbia and Walla Valleys including their estate vineyard as well as the Sagemoor and Champoux Vineyards. Inky once in the glass, the wine shows creme de cassis, anise, sweet pipe tobacco and tar aromatics that fill the nose. The palate is plush, rich and downright seductive. Mocha, anise, sagebrush and blueberry compote flavors entice. While this is drinking marvelously right now, this will cellar well for the next two plus decades. If enjoying in its youth, be sure to give this beauty at least a two hour decant. Drink 2019-2040- 94 — 7 years ago

Timothy Lynch

8.9

Simply perfect pairing with spaghetti and sardines. Light as a daisy, and awash with mustard seeds/pomegranate/sagebrush. Debatably not worth $18 but a darn sight less expensive than the airfare to Genoa. (The most interesting red wine I've tasted this year. 2016 vintage.) — 7 years ago

Randy Fuller

9.1

This wine is medium dark in the glass, a bit more opaque than usual for Burgundy, a bit less than usual for Cali Pinot. The nose carries some really dark blackberry aromas, with not a hint of sweetness. There's a little black tea coming in beneath the earthy minerals. I get a slight note of bramble or sagebrush, too. Savory rules the palate, too, with tar, dark berries and earth all over the place. As I so often find in California Pinot Noir, I'm overwhelmed by the heft and depth of the wine. It may not be my style, but when the savory angle takes charge I can forget that it seems like I'm drinking Syrah. Bring on a ribeye steak for this one, or a porterhouse if you can handle it. — 7 years ago

John Howard

Harvest production at Hirsch and Cobb Wineries

9.1

Black cherry, BBQ'd meat, sagebrush, heavy tannins, charred morel habitat. Awesome secondary notes. Delicious. — 9 years ago

Tree Kilpatrick

9.1

Nice aroma. Cherry syrup and toasted nuts. Pretty lush and ripe. Floral.

Had the 2014. Rusty red. Smells like fancy soap and red berry fruits. Bit of sagebrush. Dramatic flavors. Old medicinal tonics and cherry pits. Tar, very dark chocolate, tobacco/tomato leaves and cedar wood. This is a unique, full flavored, tasty red. I’d never guess Merlot, but it sure is a fun wine to sip & ponder. — 9 years ago

Jim McCusker

9.5

Wow. Absolutely terrific offering from Brewer-Clifton. At 11 years, this has an incredible nose of spiced rhubarb, dried strawberries, and a sagebrush undertone that adds terrific complexity. Has the classic spice one picks up from the Melville Verna's pinot, but is much more subdued and integrated into the wine, adding to its complexity. Wonderfully balanced, this wine probably has several more years of life left but is drinking beautifully right now. Probably the best Brewer-Clifton I've had. — 9 years ago

with Vanessa

Yoon Ha

Master Sommelier/Wine Director Benu

9.2

'95s are showing well. Classic St. Estephe with pencil lead, charred fruit and sagebrush. — 10 years ago

Tiffany Sams Cox

9.5

Just as bombastic as Browne ever is. Sultry, meaty & savory with a touch of sagebrush and a good dose of tannin toying around with a playful acidity. Bouncy like Pisoni's curls. — 10 years ago

Sarah Hess

8.9

Christmas dinner wine! — 11 years ago

with Dan

Antoine Pin

Wine Buyer Kroger/QFC

9.1

Sold!! Way better than his previous Temps, Leroy has mastered Spanish varietals. No hints of sweaty socks, which in my book is good. Dark plum action with a tinge of sagebrush overtones and slight nuance of French oak. $36 / 92pts — 12 years ago