Scott Rowe

9.4

A gentle giant.
Drank beautifully with Beef Wellington.
Dark fruit and a hit of spice. — 8 years ago

with Jade

Bob McDonald

9.4

Deep crimson with purple tinges showing its youth. Spicy plummy aromas with some stalkiness. One of the most full bodied Yarra Valley Syrahs I have ever had. Excellent wine as you would expect from Steve Flamsteed in a very good vintage in the Yarra. A good core of fruit and tannin for extended cellaring. — 8 years ago

Kevin Ortzman

9.3

Although 2011 was an off vintage in Napa, you couldn't really tell with this giant jammy juicy fruit bomb. — 9 years ago

Mike R

9.3

Love the vine cliff wines - 16 rows is my fav but their standard cab is great too - the 2007 is a 99 pointer - have 12s and now 13s - dark fruit complimented with a nose that would make jimmy Durante inhale deeply with a giant smile - decanted 90 mins - legs that would embarrass and make runway models jealous - the taste is big bold and beautiful - just the way I like it and says NAPA!!! - smiling hard tonight - ps - broke a damn wine glass but still smiling — 10 years ago

David L

9.7

07' Marcassin. I'm reading some of these reviews? This wine was just released 4 years ago. I know Helen waits to release her wines. You have to decant this wine! Would you decant a young great Burgundy wine? The rough edges dissipate immensely...becomes this giant luscious fruit bomb. Just my opinion.

Dripping with deep red cherry, ripened plum, intensely floral notes upon decanting. 30 + finish. — 10 years ago

Wine ATL

9.3

Feather light but dense, almost chewy. Shy nose. Smoky, stony. Sleeping giant. — 10 years ago

Thalia Varshay

9.3

Great oak as expected from a Napa Valley cab, beautifully balanced with dark and red fruit. Inky, rich and delish! — 10 years ago

David Kline

9.5

Giant blackberry/black cherry nose with peppercorn and soft smoke, cinnamon coated truffle, rosemary, asphalt-like pa-hoi-hoi. Black olive into blackberry with silky tannins and a ton of depth. Lick the rocks until you expose the silky blackberry magic. Washington leads the way again! Terroir and fruit in perfect interplay. Not for lizard people! — 11 years ago

with Courtney

Bernard Rethore

Owner, Fion Wines

9.1

Back in 2006, I had the good fortune to invest in a box of the Neal vineyard designated bottlings pre-release. They have been sleeping in my cellar ever since. Last night, Tony the Fish, who is a frequent contributor to these pages, arrived with a bottle of the 2010 Neal cab sav. It was a solid effort and Mrs Fish quite enjoyed it. As we finished the bottle I remembered I had some of the 2003 vineyard designated wines in the back of the cellar and figured it was time to check in on them. We started with the Second Chance from Atlas Peak. Generally I am a mountain fruit guy, and like the volcanic soil that yields low yielding structured wines. There was plenty of stuffing left after 11 years, and a nice contrast to the 2010 cab sav blend. We then moved to Chafen. Another mountain- Howell this time, slightly lower elevation vineyard. This wine was bigger than the Second Chance with mouthfuls of ripe cassis, berry fruit and coffee- almost a cocoa powder character to it. The final wine of the night - and best of show - was the Howell Mountain Estate. Dark rich tannins with intense velvety chocolate cake flavors. This was a fun night going from the 2010 blend to the all 2003 single vineyard designates. Most of us aren't patient enough or buy them as a group so you can taste them altogether at once. Everyone should do this from to time. It reminds me at least of how different climate and soil can be in the same year. It's even better with friends. Thank you Mr Fish for the inspiration. — 12 years ago

with Susan

Anthony Lombardi

9.1

2014 Frederic Esmonin Bourgogne “Les Genevrieres” and Rolling Blackouts CF “Coastal Fever”. Wine has wonderful depth on the nose & shows plenty of elegant fruit, but has firmer structure than expected at the Bourgogne level. Very nice bottle. Record would have been a college radio giant back the day. Highly recommended for most audiences. — 8 years ago

LM Segal

9.7

Almost 2 yrs ago I wrote: "Half way through a case and the romance deepens. Giant scorched earth and oiled leather nose. Epic battle of extracted dark-red fruit sweetness and a light juicy acidity. All in a smooth-as-silk package. Ageing so gracefully, 10+ years from peaking." After last night I'll add: probably peaked after 2 hr decant, no need to wait but this has the tannins and pure extracted fruit to take it at least 10 more years. — 9 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Delectable do not appear to recognise this cuvée which is a Pinot Noir from the Primavera vineyard. Has been used in blends previously but in 2015 the fruit was good enough to warrant an Individual Vineyard cuvée. 100% whole bunch the nose has this spicy stinging nettle herbal slightly peppery character. Spicy cherry vibrant fruit comes thru on the palate with oak taking a back seat. An intriguing Pinot Noir. — 10 years ago

with Hugh and Georgina

David E

9.4

A giant in this price range. It's composed and elegant and complex. Definitely not for fans of fruit bombs. — 10 years ago

LM Segal

9.2

Sign from the Tuscan Gods that Syrah belongs in Bordeaux blends...at $30 has a rightful place beside its giant (Paleo & Messorio) brothers, big Syrah nose punching through, nicely delineated dark fruit. — 10 years ago

Casey Stringer

9.2

2011. Petite, Syrah, Malbec blend. Big simple and damn tasty. Perfect for the giant pork chop that is on the grill now. Dark blue fruit. Viscous texture. Nearly black in color. The petite is really showing through. — 10 years ago

Lori K

9.5

For an inexpensive cab, this is exceptional value. Big, full bodies, wonderful fruit nose. Displays classic cab characteristics. Smooth all the way, balanced with huge blackberry and vanilla and tapering finish. Tasted against Glen Ellen and Naked Grape cabs and was top pick by the tasters. — 10 years ago

Peter Yeung

9.0

Earthy with good fruit and pretty clean, nice backbone to continue sleeping nicely — 11 years ago

Dalen Bakstad

9.8

1st release from Gorman winery Sleeping Giant 2012 100% Syrah Boushay vineyard — 11 years ago

David Kline

8.9

Great blend! This thing becomes powerful after an initial floral bouquet and a peppery grape mid palate that boasts black cherry and spice. Real body, and power here. Deceptively subtle; always the earmark of a sleeping giant! This one is black and hulking, not jolly and green, but unlike the Hulk, it doesn't smash, but slays with its passive-aggressive
tannins, congeniality, and humility! Real Duoro winner!! — 12 years ago

with Courtney

Blair Jones

9.5

Big, built and viscous. Almost as if the fruit needs a bit more help with the tannins to balance it out. Decanted for an hour to take the edge off the ‘15 but ended up with a largely over-oaked finish. After the fruit-forward approach. Very good and solid wine... just me picking the pepper out of the fly sh*t. Sill a solid buy. — 8 years ago

with Brooks

Bob McDonald

9.2

Nose of peppercorns savoury spices and minerals Medium weight with plummy minerality coming through on the palate. Hawkes Bay NZ Syrah has always been a favourite of mine starting with Te Mata's Bull Nose Syrah 10 years ago. This Salo is made by leading Aussie winemaker Steve Flamsteed of Giant Steps in the Yarra Valley Tasted again 36 weeks later. Lacked a little mid palate fruit when compared to the Mt Langhi Cliff Edge which was a similar cool climate peppery Shiraz. I preferred the Langhi. — 9 years ago

Peter Marks

Master of Wine, Educator Constellation Brands

9.0

Chardonnay, Russian River Valley. Unctuous, sleek and full bodied all at the same time. Gotta love the deft acidity, fresh fruit and rich toasty oak. — 10 years ago

Pierre Idiart

8.9

Lush, velvety smooth black and red cherry fruit. Surprising dark chocolate on the mid palate. Short abrupt finish was the only disappointment.. 610 cases, grey clay on loam, 19 year old vines. Solid effort — 10 years ago

Big Wave Dave

9.2

Killer nose. Smoke, cigar box, and funk up the wazoo. Complex and brooding. Good weight. Lovely cherry, black fruit, spice and undergrowth. You could confuse this with an excellent Burgundy. Awesome for the px. — 10 years ago

with Rocket

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.6

This wine is a stand alone gem. Very difficult to read and closed and may be too light and disappointing right now but that is deceiving. I am collecting these wines and they are ridiculously good with age. Currently available only from Crush or Chambers or Winfield Flynn in New York. I also tasted the 2015 in barrel 3 weeks ago which in the barrel is a flat out 10. The 2014 is chalky and herbaceous very subdued. The power and elegance of this wine is hidden right now almost like a sleeping giant. — 10 years ago

with Lyle

Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Cafe

9.3

This is a rich creamy wine with giant fruit, super smooth and great to drink extra chilled on a warm day. — 10 years ago

Zack Miskel

9.4

First round at the sleeping lady couldn't have been better. Good tannin structure, solid dark fruit and cherry flavors. Elegant and not over oaked. — 10 years ago

Dade Thieriot

10

2012 #EmrichSchönleber #Halenberg #Riesling #GG
We are huge fans of this vintage and huge fans of this glorious #wine--but be patient--it's a sleeping giant that needs at least another 3 years bottle age plus decanting! #GermanWineSociety — 11 years ago

with Fritz and Wietske

moshe cohen

9.3

black in appearance. smoky and rich fruit , tobacco and cigar nose. the palate is a dense fruit jam , cigar and forest floor plenty of tannins. giant wine. needs another 5-7 years. — 12 years ago

Neil Cornish

9.1

Giant fruit, black currant and blackberry. Already has great cedar and graphite. So accessible at this young age. Likely will improve with age, but why wait? — 12 years ago