Jeff Dunn

9.3

What a badass bottle! The wine is fantastic too — 4 years ago

Ericsson

9.2

Second bottle on Super Bowl LIV Sunday with Wagyu Cross and artisanal bacon burgers. Light ruby color. Red berry and vanilla on the nose (vanilla almost overpowering), little bit of tabaco towards the end. Red fruit and vanilla continue on the fore pallet. New oak is very apparent and then, it is smoothly counterbalanced by well structured tannings and a long finish. Modern take on Cali Cab, pleasantly surprised and glad to indulge. — 6 years ago

Severn G

9.3

50/50 Syrah & Petite Syrah blend.

Color, it's so purple and dark! Reminds me of Heitz 'Ink Grade' Port.

Nose has ripe, crushed blueberry and blackberry, light creamy oak, cut plum, prune and just a touch of baking spice.

Palate has blueberry juice with acidity subdued by mellow oak, crushed blackberry, black currant, faint cedar plank, moist-tanned leather and light black pepper.

After ~3hr decant we still had trailing heat from the alcohol (15.2% ABV), but it disapated in another hour or so. A great paring with some local Delmonico steaks on the grill, cooked to a beautiful 130°F.
When good protein is served at our house eight paws will be in waiting on our dining table. My wife and I only take two of our six chairs, others will have one hungry 🐈 each. We all enjoyed a great meal tonight, some albeit some with much smaller portions.

This is the youngest version of this bottle in our cellar, the 2010 can easily reach 2023-25. — 6 years ago

Richard A Mason

9.1

Bought bottle during trip to Napa this spring. Glad I bought several bottles.
— 7 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.3

(15% alcohol; the wine's Malbec component comes from a 1998 planting in Gualtallary, the Cabernet Franc from Altamira): Saturated ruby. Knockout vibrant nose combines dark berries, licorice and violet; already conveying a strong impression of personality. Densely packed and intense but quite fine-grained, offering terrific delineation to its flavors of crushed black fruits and violet. This very backward wine finishes with serious but suave tannins, terrific length and excellent energy and cut. I'd like to revisit this in six or seven years, at which time it may merit an even higher score. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, July 2018) — 7 years ago

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9.4

Full red with virtually no amber. Inviting aromas of strawberry, woodsmoke, tobacco and earth, plus a cedary balsamic note. Large-scaled, thick wine with sappy pungency to its flavors of redcurrant, tobacco and saline minerality. The wine's fatness is perfectly cut by brisk acidity. Shows sexy notes of evolution but this grand cru finishes with remarkable energy--in fact even a bit clenched. Fans of fully mature Burgundies might want to wait another six to eight years before pulling the cork. Incidentally, Marie-Christine Mugneret singled out 1999 as the year when the estate's wines began to change, as their vineyard work through the '90s bore fruit. The year also witnessed the estate's longest fermentations to that point, due mostly to very high grape sugars. This wine was de-cuved with ten grams of sugar, and the fermentation finished slowly in barrels. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, March 2018) — 8 years ago

JKT

9.2

JL Bertani Amarone tasting 12/7/17. Number 4. Selected grapes and aged six seven years. Nice nose of fruits and earth and spice and minerals and notes of iron. Medium body but feel both light and weight with long complex finish. Nice wine. $110. — 8 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.4

Night seven on the Allure of the Seas and this time at we are ordering in for some room service from the specialty restaurants.

Medium ruby red, a bit lighter than expected. Love the layers and complexity on the nose, starting off with some chalk, gamey notes, iron and tons of minerality. Started to open up with some more smokey notes, caramel and tight dark berries. Definitely more on the savory side of Shiraz. Heavy tannins (7.5/10) and full bodied. Tons of structure and balanced acidity. Attack of black olives on the palate with some plums, dried black cherries and raspberries. Got a bit fruitier as it aired with some meaty undertones. Long and dry finish. So much going on with this wine, sadly it was our only bottle. Drink till 2042. (94+)

First time trying this limited bottling Shiraz by De Toren Private Cellars with only 883 bottles produced in the 2014 vintage. This wine is made through the use of extreme winemaking techniques similar to the Book XVII such as extreme cropping, extensive hand sorting, 200% new French oak for a total of 18 months and unfiltered. You are probably wondering how it can be 200%? This is done by aging the wine in 100% new French oak barrels for twelve months before transferring them to another set of 100% new French oak barrels for six additional months. Definitely would buy again, release price was R2,250. — 8 years ago

with Sean and India

Will Stanley

9.2

This is only my second ever German Riesling, the first also (I think) being a Kabinett that I tried, as a relative newbie to wine as a whole, some seven or eight years ago - and hated. But something about Germany’s bottomless pit of wine styles, and the fierce delineation of its vineyards, appeals to me, and as someone who drinks far more old- than new world wine, it was about time I popped a cork and dived in.

In short, this was an immensely enjoyable wine - particularly on the second night. Rough notes from the night as follows: apricot, apple tart, a slight petrol note, petrichor, and a saline edge, with passion fruit lining the finish. The smell reminds me of boat trips in Greece - diesel engines combined with fresh sea salt, I guess. Immediate tangy impression on the front of the tongue that lasts through the finish. Very ripe and linear. Medium acidity in this off-dry style.

I’ve now massively got the bug. Anyone got some Spätlese they could lend? — 5 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.1

The 2009 Merlot by Ferrari Carano has aged gracefully since its release eight years ago. On the nose, lighter herbal undertones mingle with black tea, dark currants and shades of red cherry tomato that are all neatly woven together in the glass. Soft, with a silky texture, the Merlot delivers ripe black fruits that combine with chocolate covered red cherry and Asian spices. Showing really good tension considering its age, this beautiful wine will cellar well over the next five to seven years. Drink 2019-2025- 91 — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

I’ve been staring at this vintage in my collection for some time now. Decided it was time even though further benefits would come with more years in bottle. That’s not to say, we are not throughly enjoying this on a lazy sunny evening.

The nose reveals; lemon custard to meringue, green apple, lime zest, pineapple, grapefruit with pith, amazing honeysuckle, fruit blossoms, honey, flinty notes, some dry herbs, nuts, hints of butterscotch & toffee, some very light vanillin, crushed limestone minerals, jasmine and white spring flowers.

The body is round and voluptuous. The mouthfeel is incredible and creamy. Flat out gorgeous and sexy. lemon custard to meringue that falls into lemon sourness, green apple, lime zest, pineapple, grapefruit with pith, stone fruits, amazing honeysuckle, fruit blossoms, honey, steely & flinty notes, some dry herbs, nuts, more butterscotch toffee than the nose, some very light vanillin, more white spice with a little heat than the nose, crushed limestone minerals, powdery chalkiness jasmine and white spring flowers with greens. The acidity is amazing pure and simple. The long, round, voluptuous, gorgeous, elegant, incredibly well balanced and persists several minutes. Such a great producer! Believe the hype.

Excellent with Brie & white crackers with a drizzle of honey. As well, with the dry white Grand Queso which, has some nice nuttiness that plays well into the wine.

Notes on their vinification. Their viticulture is largely natural, with the old vines severely pruned in winter to reduce yields. After hand-harvesting, the fruit is pressed immediately and settled for half a day. Fermentation is largely in cuve, and the malolactic proceeds at its own pace, followed by a year’s aging in small oak barrels called feuillettes.

The feuillettes, about half the size of a barrique, are one of the keys to the expressiveness of Raveneaus wines. Averaging seven to eight years in age, they don’t contribute new oak aromas and flavors, but serve to gently open the wine during the élevage. This enhances the wonderful perfume and creamy texture that are the hallmarks of these wines, particularly when they are mature.

Their Foret Vineyard is only .67 ha. and the vines are roughly 15 years of age.

Photos of; Owner-Son and half of the winemaking team Jean-Marie Raveneau, Isabelle Ravenea in the cellar and the metal work sign that hangs above their facilities. If not for that sign, you would never know they were there on a quiet back street not far from the center of town. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

My first bottle of eight. It’s early but with seven more bottles, I took advantage of my curiosity. A stunning vintage and perhaps their best Alter Ego. Beautiful nose of fresh floral mid and dark red fruits with excellent silky mouthfeel. Two hour decant. I would wait another five years to check on my next bottle. Hedy’s 4th and main course, Lamb - Rack, Shank, Lavender, Cumin, Coriander and a tiny bit of Mint w/ Honey, Butter Beans, Baby Vegetable. Excellent preparation. The 09 Alter Ego did it justice. @PlateAndBottle — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

They should have called the Winery Floral Springs based on the nose. Beautiful; blackberry, black raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries, dry cranberries and plum floral fruits. Nice spice, vanilla, touch of clove & cinnamon, used leather, dark rich soil, crushed volcanic minerals, black fruit tea, black raspberry cola and dark fresh florals with violets. The tannins are 95% resolved. The body is lush & ripe. The length, tension & structure are nearing the end. Just a few years left of being worthwhile. However, the balance is stereo tuned. The fruit on the palate shows even more elegant & ripe floral fruits than the nose. Blackberry, black raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries, dry cranberries and plum floral fruits. Nice spice, vanilla, light clove & cinnamon, used leather, dark rich soil, crushed volcanic minerals, black fruit tea, black raspberry cola and dark fresh florals with violets for days. The acidity is like a waterfall. The beautiful, long, elegant finish is a little lean yet has a nice richness. Beautiful wine that just missed 9.2. Photos top to bottom and left to right. The Winery; which is separate from the other tasting room only on Hwy 29. The tasting room on Hwy 29 in St. Helena, Flora Spring caves and the front of their tasting room along Hwy 29. Producer notes and history...the stone winery on the grounds were built in 1885 by two immigrant brothers from Scotland, James and William Rennie. They were in construction, built the winery and planted 60 acres of grapes. The brothers had some bad fortune when phylloxera consumed the vines, and then a fire in 1900 destroyed their wine press and cooperage. In 1904, they sold the winery and fifteen years later Prohibition started. The winery was then closed until 1933. That year, Louis Martini, looked into their magic eight-ball and saw Prohibition collapsing and bought the Rennie property. They built a new stone house and also made a reserve wine from the hillside vineyards. However, the old winery remained empty until the Komes family bought the property, 325 acres, the old farm house, the newer stone house and 60 acres of vineyards. The son thought he’d persuade his dad to restore the old winery and proposed to call it Chateau Jerome. Although it had been designed by Hamden McIntyre an architect of several other classic 19th-century Napa wineries, by 1977, the place was a wreck. The tin roof of the building had so many holes in it. They called it the starlight roof. His father looked at it and stated, “I’ve worked all my life for my good name. I don’t want to squander it now.” John’s mother, Flora, however, sided with her son on the potential of the property. Carrie Komes suggested they could name the winery for her mother-in-law. Combined with the abundant springs on the land, they decided the name would be Flora Springs. It was a sure way to their mom’s heart and father’s wallet. Komes put his construction expertise to work on renovating the old winery, which still had scorch marks on the walls. So skeptical was his father about his son’s wine-making project, they divided the winery building. John rented half where he put his first fermenting tank, which he named R2D2. He invited a couple of friends from his wine-making class to help make wine at the new place. He also hired Mary Ann Graf, who in 1965 had been the first woman to graduate from the viticulture and enology department at UC Davis to help manage the project. She told John, “if you don’t hire a winemaker, I’ll quit.” He did and the 1979 Flora Springs chardonnay won a gold medal at the Los Angeles County Fair. In those days, it was fairs, not ratings. This was his first lesson in marketing as they sadly sold all the wine before they won the medal. Fairs were the big news instead of ratings as Parker had not yet risen to fame as he was the only one to call the grand 1982 Bordeaux vintage correctly. They submitted their 1981 Cabernet to eight fairs and won seven gold medals. From there, the winery just kept growing. They were the 67th winery in the county. Over the years, they had their ups and downs, but kept growing. One of their highlights was the creation this wine, Trilogy. It was one of the first Meritage blends in the valley. By 1984, they planted all the Bordeaux varietals; Malbec, Merlot, Cab Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. They wanted to create a blend “by taste”, not by formula for a nice smooth wine that goes deep into the palate. They worked with a little of this and little of that. The first Trilogy was Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cab Franc. It was dubbed as velvet in the mouth. A lot of what they do is taming the tannins. One man who bought Trilogy by the case said, “it’s the only red wine his wife would drink young.” From the leftovers, they began making single-varietal estate wines. Another highlight was the discovery of a unique clone of Sauvignon Blanc in vineyards his father bought in Oakville. UC Davis could identify nothing like it in their vast library of clones. They were a bit ahead of the times, but this clone showed Flora Springs how different in that time period what Sauvignon Blanc could be like as it took all the grassiness out of Sauvignon Blanc. — 8 years ago

Willie Carter

8.9

A clean and clear garnet in the glass with light purple undertones. Floral and fruity notes collide on the palate with fresh violets, wild strawberries, and cherries. What’s most interesting about this one is that it presents as a bit more mature than it is. A six year old Brunello that’s drinking as if it were closer to eight to ten years of age. What that says about the future, I’m not sure. There’s the requisite austerity and elegance in abundance here, though it does feel like something left out. A touch of character. More red fruits on the palate, along with tobacco, vanilla, and dry earth. Plenty of leather on the medium length finish. This is a very good, standard Brunello. Very precise and stoic, there’s not a hair out of place here. In both good and bad ways. — 5 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.7

The 2013 ‘Sur Echalas Vineyard’ Grenache is simply captivating now at the six year mark. An aromatic melange of teaberry with wet stone, pomegranate seed, Umami and iodine greet you, showing some thrilling range right upon opening. The palate shows off its silky texture that gently glides across the mid-palate. Ripe red fruits dance with shades of blood orange zest, cigar ash,, damp earth and stony tones that all collect momentum on the palate. Thrilling at this stage in its development, the 2013 Horsepower ‘Sur Exhalas Vineyard’ Grenache will provide drinking enjoyment for at least another seven to ten years. Drink 2018-2025- 97 — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

This is their Bordeaux style red. The nose shows; dark currants, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, black plum, blueberries, strawberries & cherries. Dark chocolate, vanilla, dark spice, clove, some nutmeg, dark fruit cola, black licorice, a whiff of cherry cough syrup with dark, red and blue fresh & withering florals.

The body is near full with dark, meat, tarry and sticky tannins. The structure, tension, length and balance allow it to drink early but needs to be held 6-8 years plus. Dark currants, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, black plum, blueberries, strawberries & cherries. Dark chocolate, vanilla, dark spice, clove, some nutmeg, dark fruit cola, black licorice, a whiff of cherry cough syrup, deep, dark, heat penetrating dark spice, tobacco with ash, big leather with dark, red and blue fresh & withering florals. The acidy is good. The finish is nice, balanced but needs time to reveal its best self. 91 now with the potential for a little higher score in six to eight years.

We also had their 2017 Divas Chenin Blanc. It was very enjoyable but, didn’t have time to take notes as we had to get to Raats.

DeMorgenzon translates into morning sun.

Photos of; the grounds around DeMorgenzon, barrel room and stainless tanks in their cellar. — 7 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.0

First winery on day three traveling from Sonoma to Napa Valley was Pride Mountain Vineyards with Paul. First wine was the Carneros Chardonnay. This bottling is made up of 100% Chardonnay from three vineyards within the Carneros region of Napa Valley. Aged for a total of eight months in 25% new French oak, of which seven months are on the lees. Only 1,900 cases produced.

Medium lemon yellow in appearance. Fruity nose with white apricot, kiwi, green apples, a touch of butter and some gravel. Medium acidity (6.5/10) and medium bodied. Tons of spices and baked apples on the palate followed by a touch of zestiness and gravel. Long finish. Drink till 2023.

$$ - Tasted at the winery. Retail price is $42.00. — 7 years ago

with India

Rob Brobst III

9.3

Nice wine. It came to the party wearing a backpack, glasses and a hat with a mosquito net. — 8 years ago

with Jade and Paul

jams jerfy

9.2

i've had about eight bottles of this on this run, seven of which have been brett bombs. Finally, here is a good one! — 8 years ago

with Nancy, Al and 1 other

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.2

Night six on the Allure of the Seas and wine number seven from the wine crate. This night we are at Samba Grill Brazilian Steakhouse.

Deep ruby red. Attack on the nose was soft with notes of dark spices, anise and iron. Seems to need a little bit of time but the 2011 characteristics keep poking through with notes of twigs, herbal and greenery. With a bit more time came some cinnamon and dark red berries. Medium tannins (6/10) with solid acidity. Seems younger than the nose when you get to the palate with black currants, cassis, bramble red berries and a touch of heat. Medium to medium plus bodied with a little bit of earthiness in the medium plus to full finish. Drink till 2026. — 8 years ago

with Sean and India