Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Just tried the new vintage at a tasting. Pale lemon with crisp citrus, herb and blossom aromas. On the palate apple and melon flavors with lemon citrus zest. Medium+ finish, zesty acidity, rich bright mineral notes come through on the ending. Nice value, a favorite. Tasting Sample. — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

8.9

Clean, light golden, stone fruit aromas with citrus notes. On the palate ripe peaches, apricots and lemon citrus notes, Semillon giving tremendous body. Medium finish, god balance ending with creamy oaky character. Nice. Tasting Sample.
— 7 years ago

Seiji Takeuchi

9.0

Great beer of Japan! At omiya, Japan. — 8 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

An outstanding wine, something special, was lucky enough to get a taste. A blend of 60% Cab Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 10% Cab Franc, Rich dark color. Aromas of berries and spice wafting in my glass. Big fruit flavors blackberry and cherry, well integrated with gentle spice and fine acidity. Full body with tannins that still hold up well just have a subtle edge. Lingering finish ending with tobacco and oak notes. Drink this beauty in its prime. Tasting Sample. — 8 years ago

Seiji Takeuchi

9.1

Japan! Love this beer! — 9 years ago

Jeff Loo

9.5

Barrel Sample. Not as good as the sensational 2015, but a wonderful young Lafleur. This will be wonders with age. 95-97pts. — 9 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.5

Color was a dense deep red with aromas of ripe dark fruits and forward spice. The flavors were fresh and concentrated with blackberries and cherries, complex palate, showing a nice mouthfeel. The tannins were a approachable but needs decanting. The ending had spice, ceda, leather and minerality on the lingering finish. An elegant wine that needs time to develop, try in another 3-5 years, although should last for a decade. Tasting Sample. — 10 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Decanted for about an hour before we tasted Franco Batzella’s wines. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Cabernet Franc and aged for 18 to 24 months in French Oak and a further 12 months before release. The wine is Deep Ruby red with aromas of red/black fruits and sweet spices. The palate shows black cherries, blackberries and cranberries with some cacao, leather and vanilla spice. The wine had soft structured tannins, medium length and ended with earthy notes. Drinkable now but a few years would enhance the experience. Very nice! Tasting Sample. — 10 years ago

Denis Roudenko

10

20/20 (100/100) — 12 years ago

Mitchell Mulder

9.9

One of the all time Greatest West Coast IPA's blows most out the water, amazing brew, do not pass this one up, nice reasonable $ too — 12 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

20-year tawny a personal favorite. I’m always amazed how good this is whenever I have a glass. Taylor run today from Oporto by descendants of the Yeatman & Fladgate families, both of which have been partners in the firm since 1830s. Complex aromas rich with dried fruits & nutty spice. On the palate apricot and sweet berry flavors with honey and toasted nut notes, well balanced nice acidity. Lingering finish ending smooth with oaky nutty character. Very Nice. Price keeps going up each year. Tasting Sample. — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Pip was a border collie at the winery and an entire line-up of wines was named after her. Important attributes of “Pip” wines are a shorter barrel age with less new wood using fruit from younger vines. These wines are drinkable upon release. Medium straw color, delicate aromas of stone and tropical fruits. On the palate subtle fruit flavors of apple and pear, with a mineral character. Medium finish enjoyable, good value! Tasting Sample! @delectable — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

8.9

Fall is almost here, and it’s the season I love to drink port. Dow, producing Ports for over 2 centuries. One of the first to establish its own vineyards, acquiring Senhora da Ribeira, in the remote Upper Douro, in 1890 & Bomfim, in the heart of Alto Douro, in 1896. Aromas of really ripe fruits & pleasant fragrant spices. On the palate, ripe fruit flavors, candied apple and sweet blackberries with bits of cacao and honey. Firm dusty tannins, good balance, lingering finish. Perfect now. Tasting Sample. — 8 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

8.9

Super dark ruby red. A bit of complexity on the nose with cinnamon, cedar, earth, herbs, a bit toasty and touch of red berries. Rounded and medium tannins (6/10). Medium bodied with notes of spices, dust, strawberries and cherries. Medium plus finish and well balanced. Drink till 2023.

Made up of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Merlot. Aged for 20 months in 40% new French oak, and then an additional 6 months in the bottle prior to release. Only 308 cases produced.|Sample provided by Winery, retail price is $85.00. — 9 years ago

with Sean and India

Jeff Loo

9.8

Barrel Sample. Absolutely stunning this vintage. Brilliant 2016, one of the top of the vintage. 97-99pts — 9 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.2

Preliminary note: Quick coravin to check in on this sample before the weekend. Deep ruby red. On both the palate and the nose with lots of savory elements mixed in with some red berries and a little dark at the end. Some floral notes too like roses. Amazing structure and backbone. So balanced for being so young. Heavy tannins (8/10), full bodied and super long finish. Time will only help this wine and I can easily see up to another two decades from now for this wine. Killer potential and a real surprise! Can drink now with a super long decant which we will do. Drink from 2018 till 2036. 92+

Already starting to open up with some more dark berries on the nose. Also some good spices coming through on the palate. — 10 years ago

Nic Tan

9.0

I like ginger. I like Hitachino Nest. Together they are awesomer. That's all I have to say about that. 😆 — 10 years ago

Marc Stubblefield

Wine Sales at Vino Carta and Kogod Wine Merchant

9.3

Original bottling, and worth the time on the cellar. More understated and seamless than it was in its youth, now quietly complex and richly complicated. — 11 years ago

Corin Hirsch

8.9

My first taste of a Cigar City brew, at a wedding. Zesty. — 12 years ago

Sean Nelson

9.2

21st Amendment IPA. In a can. — 13 years ago

Peter Zandbergen

9.5

Brew date 2016 — 7 years ago

GV

9.2

A favourite of mine. This English lager is smooth, with a subtle malt flavour that has the slightest hint of fruit. Brewed using Saaz and Cascade hops it is in its finally stages re-fremented with champagne yeast and Nelson Sauvin hops.

All-in-all a delightful lager. — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

A blend of 85% Semillon & 15% Sauvignon Blanc. Had a vertical tasting, this is #3, aromas of sweet rich honey and citrus notes with unmistakable Botrytis (Noble Rot) aromas. As the wines get younger, it is obvious more time is needed to bring out the complexity. High acidity, full body and complex. The palate yields rich stone & tropical fruits and citrus tones, slight orange character, which should develop nicely with time. Good value. Tasting Sample. — 8 years ago

Marc vanholst

9.4

Barrel sample of the Clos St Jean “basic” 2016 C9DP. Surprisingly beautiful wine from a great year in Chateauneuf. Top PQ wine - recommend to buy ! — 9 years ago

Tyler Martinelli

9.8

Best Japanese beer! — 9 years ago

with Jessica

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Had this wine at another tasting and it's such an exceptional value as a champagne alternative. Pale straw yellow, rapid flow of tiny bubbles with fruit aromas and citrus notes. A blend of Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Parellada grown in limestone and clay, and spends 24 months on its lees before disgorgement. Frothy mousse, well-balanced, full-bodied, crisp with zesty fruit, apple and pear, wet stone minerality, biscuit tones and long on the finish. Exceptional! Tasting Sample. — 10 years ago

Grant Everett

10

2015 barrel sample. Complete explosion of flavors. Off the charts good — 10 years ago

with Ashleigh

Christine Havens

8.9

A tad rustic on opening, the The 2011 Coquerel Tempranillo arrives on the scene with a bouquet of freshly turned soil and a hint of barnyard. However, after more than an hour of being open, layers of roasted strawberry and cherry rise to the surface, along with a beguiling floral top note of lilac. Vibrant acidity on the palate, and as with the other reds from Coquerel, its a crafted with a lighter touch. Medium-bodied, with discreet toast and the earthier notes reemerge on the finish along with a hint of spice. 14.0% ABV | Sample — 11 years ago

jerod peitsmeyer

9.1

lake brew. — 12 years ago

Mitchell Mulder

9.7

Another very fine brew from Innis, this one is aged with rum oak chips! — 13 years ago