Bob McDonald

9.0

See 3 previous tasting notes on this wine which are still consistent with this tasting. This has a short drinking window. A whiff of passion fruit no doubt reflecting the warmer 2015 vintage in Bordeaux. Tasted again 38 weeks later on 27 June 2022 with consistent notes. Passion fruit. — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

See several previous notes. All the Margaret River Cabernet descriptors - bay leaf, blackberry herbal notes. On the palate cassis, capsicum and herbal characters. Suffice to say a good vintage from a great district for Cabernet. Had the last one 70 weeks later on 7th December 2022 - didn’t live up to expectations. — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

Consistent notes as 3 previous tastings over 66 weeks. Mid to dark Ruby in colour. Lovely perfume of mature Cabernet with Geranium, mint and berries. Just a medium weight palate (but good intensity) from a cooler climate in the Coal River Tasmania. Beautifully made and drinking at its peak. My last one of 6. It’s a struggle sometimes in Tasmania to ripen Cabernet grapes sufficiently but Domaine A nearly always shows well. — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Happy Spring! It’s one of our favorite points in the year. More; daylight, a little warmer in CA and everything starts to bloom which, means a long summer of gardening and being outdoors every day/night is not far off.

Since it was such a great day and basically most Californians are shut-Ins, the voluntary self quarantining was getting to me. I did the landscaping and got an afternoon of fresh air today. A breath of fresh air...ahhh! Wow, was it needed after Gavin’s Newsom’s estimate of 25.5 million Californians would be infected with Coronavirus over 8 weeks yesterday.

So, a good night to celebrate another day of being virus free with my 2nd favorite N/V Rosé Champagne.

All my numerous previous notes apply.

Stay safe everyone and remember the new terminology of the new decade...social distancing! Cheers! 🍾🥂

Photos of; Spring in our backyard & a Billecart Grand Cru Vineyard.

— 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

Mid Lemon in colour. Stone fruits on nose and palate. The big peaches and cream style. A typical delicious Leeuwin Art Series palate of profound intensity with Oak playing a supporting role to the abundant ripe fruits. Medium minus acid. A big generous Art Series Chardonnay which went well with fresh prawns. I think I would need to drink the remaining 3 in the next 18 months. Had another bottle with friends for lunch 9 weeks later on 16th November. All agreed this was the white wine of the day marginally from the 1998 Lovedale. — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

More berry/cassis than leafy herbal Margaret River style - touches of capsicum though. Very enjoyable but I don’t know whether I would pick this as Margaret River in a blind tasting. Medium bodied but M+ intensity. Nearby neighbors of some of the big name producers without the price tag. Tasted another bottle 43 weeks later on 7th February 2020 with similar notes but showing more Margaret River herbaceousness. Excellent QPR for a Wilyabrup Cabernet Sauvignon. 92 points. Tasted another bottle on 19th March 2022 with consistent notes. Pretty much a typical Wilyabrup Cabernet Sauvignon. 3 bottles left. Tasted another on 3rd February 2023 with consistent notes. Had this with pasta. I didn’t think that was a good food/wine match but it worked perfectly. Tasted my 2nd last bottle on 28th June 2023. Certainly not a typical herbaceous Margaret River Cabernet. More cassis and blackberry like a South Australian Cabernet. — 7 years ago

Mike Smith

9.2

I was very surprised with this Pinot. Darker in color than most and not much legs. Letting it set 1 hour was a good thing. A very nice wine with fruit on the front and back and finishes nicely. — 7 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

Aromas of poached pears, verging on tropical fruits. The palate is luscious and delicious of medium plus intensity. A blend of Pinot Blanc (35%) and Auxerrois (65%). The latter originates from the Pinot Blanc (just like Chardonnay) but they are quite different. Auxerrois has less acidity, ripens to a higher alcohol level and is more aromatic than Pinot Blanc They complement each other well. This wine is a real crowd pleaser and excellent value. Finishes dry. Tasted again 55 weeks later on 12th November 2022 with similar notes. Poached pear notes on nose and palate. Wonderful QPR. — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

Similar notes to 118 weeks ago. A dirty mid Orange/Tangerine in colour - a little cloudy. Aromas of apricot and mouldy orange. Skinnsy apricot flavours with mild acid. A skins contact white wine fermented in clay amphora in the ground. We visited there a few years ago in Sicily. Finishes with a trace of bitterness from the skins. Natural wines - when they get them right they can be quite good but having just done a week of vintage in Coonawarra at Bellwether - you need to take risks with natural wine. — 5 years ago

Alan Weinberg

9.4

mountain of thunder indeed—in the zone and it would stay there for another decade (but not this bottle). The depth of flavor and cool menthol tame the wild layers of flavor. With a citrus center, it stays focused while providing a kaleidoscope of flavors. The texture is oh so soft as it lays on the palate and then just drives through into my brain. “Iron fist in a velvet glove” was used to describe claret but it works here. Grand cru in all but name, the finish may get me through the next two weeks of being dry. It just echoed. The term head spinning is apt. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Long day cleaning & painting getting our rental property getting it ready for our new tenant. We are burnt but, a glass of Ruinart Rosé always perks us up.

We’ll be doing this a lot over the next two weeks. Hope everyone has better weekend plans than we do! Cheers!🥂

All my previous notes apply.

Photos of; the House of Ruinart, painting of Dom Thierry Ruinart, their caves & one of their Grand Cru vineyards. — 6 years ago

Lyn Farmer

9.0

100% Sauvignon from Totem Vineyard in Yountville plus two other vineyards in Coombsville. Barrel fermented, two to four weeks of French oak, 40% new
This is less grassy and gooseberry than a Marlborough but more assertive than many California sauvignons where the fruit gets so ripe it turns to peach and fig. This is a real Sauvignon lover’s wine with hallmarks of both New World and Old.
Pale lemon, creamy texture with crisp, well-balanced acidity. Plenty of herbal overtones without losing a fruity, mineral-driven core. Long finish - an exciting wine. — 6 years ago

Beth Hamilton

9.0

Super intense. Inky black/red color. on the nose, charcoal and molasses? Or burnt marshmallow? taste of ripe red cherries and black current jam and graphite. — 7 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

See previous note from 73 weeks ago on March 2020. One of Australia’s great cool climate Shiraz. Noted for its spice and white pepper. Red fruited on the medium bodied palate and made in the historic blue stone winery which first made wine in 1860. Back then it was a vineyard surrounded by sheep but now Melbourne’s major airport, Tullamarine, is 20 minutes to the south. Wonderful balance and long living made by Pat Carmody and wife Dianne since 1976 after they replanted much of the vineyard. More in the style and weight of Burgundy than the Rhone. In the Langtons Classification under Excellent. Had another bottle 73 weeks later on the 5th January 2023 which didn’t show as well as it normally does. A touch of astringency. Going through a “dumb phase “? 88 points for latest tasting. — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

See several previous tasting notes for this wine. This was made back in the day when Hunter Valley reds had strayed from their medium bodied, savoury, sweaty saddle origins to being riper and more full bodied like a South Australian Red. This was declared in a speech by Chief Winemaker at the time, Jim Chatto, at a dinner I attended at the winery. Also plenty of oak still evident at 15 years of age. I prefer the original Hunter Valley style which Mount Pleasant has wisely reverted to utilising the wonderful old vine fruit at its disposal. Tasted again 35 weeks later on 26th March 2022. Nothing to add to the note here. A Hunter Valley wine trying to look like a South Australian wine back in 2006 with ripe fruit and oak. Thankfully HV reds have returned to the medium weight savoury long living style that Maurice O’Shea made in the 1950’s. — 4 years ago

Rob Sternthal

9.4

You give Merlot a good name! Just spectacular. They will never make enough of this. So glad to have a private viewing again a few weeks ago. One of my favorite merlots. @Sean Capiaux — 5 years ago

with Steven

Shay A

9.3

A few fun bottles from last Friday.

My thanks to @Mark Flesher for opening this as I have a visit lined up with Hayfork and Lewelling during my Napa trip in 3 weeks. I was surprised at how dense and chewy this was! So much to unpack here. I’d say this is fruit forward without being flabby or over the top. Aromatically there is baked mixed berry pie, dark plum, Mexican vanilla and baking spices. Large and in charge on the palate showing roasted dark fruits, dusty herbs, and chewy tannins at the finish. I think this is still evolving, but very enjoyable now. — 6 years ago

with joe, Dan and 1 other

Bob McDonald

9.5

Last year Barb and I attended the annual Tasting at the Pinot Shop in Launceston. Of the 75 approx Tasmanian Pinot Noirs this one was in my Top 3. It has gone on to wow audiences at subsequent tastings around the country. Had a bottle a couple of nights ago with the following tasting note. Whole bunch stemmy notes. More floral savoury and earthy than fruity notes. Incredible depth to the palate - sumptuous and delicious. Oak perfectly judged giving a slight burnt flavour. Medium + bodied with silky ripe tannins. Low acid. Beautiful now - drink sooner rather than later. Will please “crowds” and experts alike. Opened a bottle 176 weeks later on 21st October 2022. Still very good - raspberry notes coming through. Not the absolute wow when it was young. — 6 years ago

Love You More

8.9

Silky, smooth and fruity. — 7 years ago

Paul T HB

9.3

Probably opened this too soon, which is so unlike me😬
Curious how this will stack up against the Carter Hossfeld which is almost the same blend of Merlot & Cabernet.
Find out in a couple weeks when Carter ships
Same price & almost exactly same ratings from WA,
95 for this & 94+ for Hossfeld — 7 years ago