Jonathan Wall

9.2

Really enjoyed this. For a southern california wine it has some Russian river, even sea smoke character. Beautiful nose, finish, balance. — 7 years ago

Graham

9.2

Beautiful light and clean chardonnay. Subtle hints of vanilla. Crisp. — 7 years ago

Stanislav Lobanov

9.0

16.5/20 (90/100) Петрольное в первом носе; в развитии проявляются тона лаймов, грейпфрута, манго, абрикосов и цветов. Умеренная тельность и высокая кислотность. Во вкусе преобладают тона яблочной кожуры. Неплохо. #prowein2018 — 8 years ago

Jennifer

9.0

Why not? Germans😉 and southern folk...?😏👸🏻💁🏻 — 8 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.0

Tipple from work. This is actually really good bubbles. Some bottle age too (disg 2010 Underrated perhaps, although it has its accolades. If I had one complain is that it challenges my idea of BdB - broader than expected, maybe due to the generous dosage.

Rich style. Stone-fruit driven nose with ample autolytic characters courtesy of 42 months on lees. Some aldehydes enriching the compexity. Honey and subtle vanilla notes. Palate's all about lemon curd and cream (dosage again?). Good acid and finish. — 9 years ago

Sean Genn

9.1

Dark fruit and rose water. Nice Structure. Not too fruity like new world Grenache can be. More like a Southern Rhone. — 10 years ago

Benjamin Hickey

9.1

Savoury and rounded Riesling but still dry acidity. — 10 years ago

Benjamin Hickey

9.3

Bright, fruity, rich. — 10 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Almost the anniversary of my first Delectable entry when sitting outdoors at a wonderful restaurant in Gigondas under a tree drinking the 2008 vintage of this wine with all the family. This is 70% Grenache with the rest made up of Cinsault Syrah and Mourvèdre. The further south the higher usage of Mouvedre until Bandol right on the Mediterranean coast where it can be 90 to 100 % because of its higher tolerance to hot conditions. Chateau de Beaucastel where I visited a year ago uses all 13 permitted varieties with the highest being Mourvèdre at 30 %. They have increased this % over the years because of warmer conditions at vintage lessening the Grenache % so alcohol levels do not get out of control. Love this very savoury style of wine. 18. — 11 years ago

Hector Escaton

9.2

Huge malt nose. Almost overwhelming. Very nutty with a lot of oak and burnt toast. Still, hops come through very clearly. — 11 years ago

with Jason

Roland Christian

9.9

Ok. This is a great Chardonnay from the 'Central Coast' or Santa Barbara county. I would consider this southern Cal. Evidently LA and south or west is considered southern. Really good Chardonnay. Lacks the alcohol burn of some California varieties. — 12 years ago

Amie Schoenmaker

9.5

My favourite reisling — 12 years ago

Dave Schneider

9.2

One wouldn’t think of Australia when looking for a fine Pinot noir. One also wouldn’t think it comes from one of the coldest environments for Pinot noir but Tasmania is far south off the coast of Australia. This tastes like it could come from New Zealand. Very distinct and very fine. — 7 years ago

Nicole Hedges

9.4

Easy drinking summer white. Clovelly — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

A wine I’ve enjoyed mostly upon release or near it. I vowed to wait six years and nearly made it. At least it is 2018...just! It’s worth waiting this/that long for it to develop. On the nose; sweetly, baked fruits of; dark cherries, strawberries, black plum, plums, blackberries, and notes of blue fruits. Cinnamon, vanilla, very light clove & nutmeg, caramel, soft, medium, beautiful spice, black fruit tea, limestone minerals, loamy, dry, brown top soil, fresh dark florals and violets. The mouthfeel is full, rich & lush. The tannins are round, still have some teeth and possess velvety round edges. It’s fruit driven but not a bomb and showing elegance & grace. Fruits are perfectly ripe; dark cherries, strawberries, black plum, plums, blackberries, notes of blue fruits and dry cranberries dip in and out. Cinnamon, vanilla, very light clove & nutmeg, caramel, soft, medium beautiful spice that is more pronounced on the palate, black fruit tea, touch of melted brown sugar/molasses, limestone minerals, touch of rich dark sweet turned soil, loamy dry brown top soil, soft understated eucalyptus/mint, dry fresh florals and violets. The round acidity is just right, just a slight very small alcohol burn, the length, structure, tension and beautifully balanced finish are in a very good place. Even better in 2-3 more years in bottle; which is when I’ll have my next one. Photos of; the winemaking duo of Gary Franscioni (left) and Gary Pisoni, Rosella’s Vineyard on the right. As well as, Garys’ Vineyard at the bottom. Producer notes and history...The Santa Lucia Highlands appellation is known for its rich, vibrant Pinot Noirs. However, that wasn’t always the case. The first Pinot was planted in 1973, but results weren’t all that great. Chardonnay was the appellation’s early star. Much of the area’s current fame for Pinot Noir arguably can be traced to Gary Pisoni, a free-spirited wine enthusiast who grew up in a Salinas Valley vegetable farming family. Pisoni decided to plant a few acres of Pinot Noir in 1982 on his family’s horse ranch, at the southern end of what was to become the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation but his horses started eating the grapes. So, they had to go. His initial planting were limited by a lack of water until he dug a well on the property. Pisoni started planting even more Pinot Noir. The vineyard is now around 45 acres and nearly all of it Pinot. By the late 1990s, word had spread about the success of his vineyard, and a number of Pinot specialists from around California had started lining up to buy his grapes. He started producing his own wine in 1998. Pisoni isn’t the only Gary who has become a force in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Gary Franscioni, a childhood friend, followed Pisoni’s lead by planting grapes and started Roar Wines in 2001. The two of them now have five vineyards between them...all farmed meticulously with the same crew. They are best of friends...sort of a Mutt & Jeff. They have become a formidable presence in the Highlands, attracting interest from top winemakers and Pinot Noir lovers from all over. Franscioni is also from a vegetable farming family; Pisoni figures they’ve known each other since they were 3 or 4. Franscioni saw his friend’s success and once he got some money together, decided to plant grapes of his own. Franscioni’s property is farther north and cooler as it’s closer to the Monterey Bay. He was going to plant Chardonnay. He woke up and Franscioni recalls imitating Pisoni, and shouted, “plant Pinot!” Franscioni planted what became Rosella’s Vineyard, named for his wife, in 1996. He took Pisoni’s advice and planted four acres of Pinot Noir, although he still planted 12 acres of Chardonnay. It’s now a total of around 50 acres with three-quarters of it Pinot Noir. The next year, they decided to become partners and planted Garys’ Vineyard, a 50 acre parcel where they grow Pinot and a little Syrah. Since then, Franscioni has developed Sierra Mar, 38 acres of Pinot, Chardonnay, Syrah and a tiny amount of Viognier. The two teamed up again to establish Soberanes Vineyard, 35 acres of mostly Pinot Noir, with a little bit of Chardonnay and Syrah. That last vineyard was developed by Pisoni’s son Mark. The Garys might seem an unlikely pair. Pisoni is colorful character to say the least and has an outspoken manner. Franscioni comes across as more serious- minded. However, the collaboration between the two, who often address each other as “partner,” clearly works well. The two are good on their own, but better together. Pisoni being more gregarious acts as the frontman. He is the Ambassador. He’s a check on the rest to keep the quality high. Franscioni and Mark Pisoni run the farming on their own vineyards and work together on the joint ventures. The family involvement doesn’t stop there. Jeff Pisoni makes his family’s wines, which are under the Pisoni and Lucia brands. Franscioni’s son, Adam, joined the family business in time for the 2011 harvest. He handles sales for Roar and helps his father manage the vineyards. The grapes from all five vineyards are in huge demand, because the two families are such careful farmers, constantly tweaking and improving. Prominent customers include; Testarossa, Siduri, Kosta Browne, Copain and Bernardus. When a new vintner approaches them about buying grapes, the partners examine the winery’s track record and the Winemaker. If they like what they see, the winery is put on a waiting list. There’s not very much movement in their vineyards. When Franscioni planted Sierra Mar, he and Pisoni had 62 wineries waiting to buy fruit. Soberanes was developed with the idea of working with some new winemakers. There was some concern, even among the two families, that quality might suffer as the vineyard operations grew. However, there’s no indication that’s the case. In fact, with each new venture, they build on what they’ve learned in their older vineyards. Eventually, there will be even more vineyards. The Pisonis and Franscionis have purchased a 100 acre cactus farm in the Santa Lucia Highlands. There’s still a lease on the property. So, prickly pear cactus will continue to be grown for five more years. But at some point, the land will be planted with vines. Both families understand the importance of continuing to build for the future. The Garys looking back tell a story of being in the same spot some years ago and looking at a field of broccoli out back. He told Franscioni that the field would look a lot better with Pinot Noir vines. Now that parcel is part of Rosella’s Vineyard, and it’s planted with Pinot. Everybody thought he was crazy...most people usually think that when someone makes a bold decision. He’s a person who has always had vision and creativeness. He also has tremendous passion. Good things only happen when a person possesses all three of these qualities. Their wines are primarily available by mailing list. However, Nepenthe in Big Sur, CA acts as a quasi tasting room for some of their wines. — 8 years ago

Daniel Griffiths

8.9

Deep purple, plum & blueberry fruit, slightly jammy but viognier component gives a real freshness. — 11 years ago

Emma Kent

9.0

Pleasantly surprising - the price tag does nothing to reflect its quality... — 11 years ago

Gregg Snyder

9.6

Great wine I got last year in Temecula, Cali Southern California's wine country — 12 years ago

with Luciane

Trish Barry

9.8

Never tried Lagrein before - only 20 cases of this made and its superb — 12 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.3

Underrated, or should I say underrepresented. You can hardly find these in the east coast, though the same can be said in the west (of Australia, in case anyone's wondering). Picked up one of the last bottles of the 2018 Lowboi Riesling from a store in Perth. Lucky me since it's sold out in most of the city.

The 2017 Lowboi Riesling was one of my favourite Aussie Rieslings last year, and the 2018's another winner. Pure energy! Laser precision, white florals, limey-citrusy goodness, salty acidity. Six months or so on lees has given it quite a lovely texture and a musky element. The use of RS (5 g/l) is brilliant - adds weight and softens the acidity, but finishes dry and long.

While "Lowboi" may sound like an upcoming underground rap artist, the wines are far from trying to be hip. They're serious, age-worthy Rieslings and Chardonnays. In fact, the actual origin of the name is a pointer - it pays tribute to the area and namesake where the winemaker's mother grew up in. Lowboi is the personal label of Guy Lyons, winemaker and heir of Forest Hill. Trust me when I say there's real talent here, as I've had the pleasure of working and spending many nights drinking with the man himself. And let's not talk about the impressive resume, having spent time at perhaps the best wineries of their cepage - Gonon and Keller.

The Porongurup Riesling comes from dry-farmed vines planted in 1985. South-facing, the aspect might surprise some as it goes against all convention in the southern hemisphere. But like Kai Schatzael's north-facing auction Pettenthal, Guy probably saw the Springview Vineyard's potential in producing wines of greater finesse in an increasingly warmer planet. Taste this and they will be no questions asked! — 7 years ago

Matt McLean

10

Medium body with dark fruit aromas, the perfect wine for the southern Californian terroir. — 8 years ago

Tom Gordon

9.0

Nice smooth Merlot from Southern California. Very nice. — 9 years ago

Uri Ami

9.3

A beautifully balanced wine with wonderful pepper and spicy flavors, good tannins and acidity. A very interesting wine which will go the distance. — 9 years ago

Clive McNish

9.2

Just a great red, Wiens is the standout Southern California winery. — 9 years ago

Jim Sikes

9.0

Lots of cherry berry fruit and bold flavors. With a traditional southern New Year's dinner,it was just right. Best Roar I have had. — 10 years ago

Cathrine Todd

9.0

Happy #CabernetDay w/ 12 Jim Barry Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon "The Cover Drive" comes from the southern boundary of Coonawarra where the old Penola cricket was located, hence the label. Not too minty on the nose with more dusty earth and aromatic blue & black fruits. Very nice balance with moderate body, ripe fruit, bright acidity and fine-grained tannins that give the impression of power and focus. — 10 years ago

Elaine Koh

9.2

This wine is a beautifully balanced Chardonnay, well rounded, enough oak to pull a punch but not too much where you feel you need to match what you're drinking with a big hearty meal. Lingering finish leaving you wanting more. — 11 years ago

Mitchell Mulder

10

One of the Best IPA's on the Planet gets brewed with Grapefruit Juice, and is Freakin Awesome, Outstanding, Southern CA offering only at this time, so hard to find if you are not here in Southern CA, This takes Sculpin and brings in up a notch or 2, So Great!!' — 11 years ago

Allyson Regier

9.9

Was great with dinner. At restaurant $34 . Dryish side but still good. — 11 years ago

Melonie Marie

9.7

150 case production — 12 years ago