Daniel P. Drake

9.0

Last night I opened the 2015 Baer Star Merlot Stillwater Creek Vineyard Columbia Valley. A blend of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc.

On the nose there is black cherry, cherry, blackberry, plum, violet, chocolate, allspice and black pepper.

On the palate there is cherry, black cherry, blackberry, red currant, licorice, espresso, and chocolate.

This wine is medium to full bodied with a velvety mouthfeel and medium to + acidity with medium soft fine tannins that leads into a long black fruit finish. The weekend is fat approaching again and lets look forward to having a great weekend. Please stay safe and healthy. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 4 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.1

Good SB at a rather solid price that almost makes you feel like you're stealing it from the vineyard. The nose of this wine is lemongrass, some herb, hint of wet rock. Enters with sharp acidity, lemon rind, kiwi, limestone influence, a little bit of tropical character. Really nice hot weather poolside sipper. Considering our heat index is still near 100, these couple of bottles will serve a very nice purpose. This would go well with lemon sherbet. This is sort of a new offering for Kuhlman and so far this particular release has remained very solid. — 6 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.2

My last one of these. This has been a delight of a wine. Still with very good acidity and wonderful balance from start to finish. Little bit of lemon tart right up front, then gains a softness to it with Asian pear and grapefruit. Finishes with some herbal qualities to it. Hint of limestone grit. The first of probably many before the Clemson dismantling. — 7 years ago

Michael Schamis

9.0

The final bottle of the case. This wine is now darker and smokier on the nose with less of the blue fruit and more of the stewed black fruits. The palate still has wonderful acidity but is far less lush. Flavors of wet earth mingle with darker stewed plum and blackberries and lead to a bit of a shorter finish that shows a touch more puckering acidity. — 7 years ago

with Kati

Mark Flesher

9.0

Rather nice bottle of wine. North Coast juice. Pours a dark violet color into the glass. The nose of this wine is black fruit, pepper, plum, and violets. The entry is more fig and plum and dark black full bodied fruit on the front without going to a bitter note. Just deliciously rounded, in check, well balanced. This wine really packs it in. Lots going on in the middle, with more of a cinnamon spice that gives way to a black pepper and 'sweeter' full bodied berry on the finish. Black fruit core. Not too tannic on the finish. Really nice Barranca. Definitely better than 2014 Texas Barranca IMO. This wine is about 85 percent Merlot / 15 percent PS. — 7 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.2

OK, so the first one of the new vintage went down tonight! And, dare I say that I think that this one is going to hold just as well as the 2015. I still need to take one of these to the lockup. This seems to be a more acidic Viognier than the 2015. Mouthfeel on entry is thicker than the wine evolves to be. First is a lot of mango and a hint of kiwi, and ends with more acidic citrus notes with a hint of honeysuckle. Bought slightly more of this than the Roussanne. Haven't had any of that yet, but soon! — 8 years ago

Amy Harrell

9.9

$50 from visit to the winery . Lots of juicy red fruit, tannins and oak. Very well balanced, a nice high end wine — 5 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.0

Alicante Bouschet is typically used for color - Forgone Conclusion is certainly pigment enhanced, thick skinned, and sooty - almost alarmingly lean at 10.64% ABV. If you’re ok with raw, it works. Tart notes of red blueberries, blackberries, and nail salon varnish. — 5 years ago

"Odedi"

8.9

An interesting Red blend from Bethlehem.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and nice long legs.

Tangy finish with medium, round tannins.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, sweet cherries, vanilla, wood, earth, barnyard, vegetables, spices, smoke and dark coffee.

Soft and smooth and very enjoyable. Feels like an old world wine.

Had it blind and called Austrian red. Wrong.

Made with local grapes grown around the winery. Organic.

13% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$20. — 6 years ago

Neil Valenzuela

9.0

At the premier of Somm 3 with @DLynn Proctor - Nice purple color, aromas of blackberry, star anise, and clove. Flavors of dark fruit, black olive, and moss/forest floor. — 7 years ago

Shay A

9.1

I had the ‘16 vintage of this a few months back in comparison to the Ron Yates SB. I thought the ‘16 was nice, but that the Ron Yates SB was better in every aspect. @Ron Yates told me, in his opinion, the ‘17 Spicewood was better than both the ‘16 Spicewood and the Ron Yates ‘16.

It’s 103 here in TX, and I’m sweating more than this bottle, so it’s prime SB weather.

I’m happy to report that I think I’m aligned with Ron here. In comparison to the Spicewood ‘16, the aromatics on this just jump out of the glass with tons of fruit. Kiwi, lychee, and peach...wow! Great nose. Sharp acidity highlighted by honeyed grapefruit, limestone and chalk. Well done, Ron! — 7 years ago

Isaac Pirolo

8.9

Really went deep in the cellar for this. Moët & Chandon discontinued their White Star label in 2009 replacing it with their Imperial label. This bottle is probably 15 years old (considering it’s not even the last version of the White Star label). Macerated cherry, walnut, golden raisin, and decomposing apple, with some faint lemon peel and foie gras. No doubt past its prime, but just enough life to enjoy. — 7 years ago

Charles Fairbanks

10

The 2014 provides a glimpse into how lucky am I to have worked with incredible vineyards in my short career. Textured, concentrated and fresh. Yes, fresh. Cab should be fresh. — 8 years ago

Collier S. Wiese

9.5

Outstanding! This is a fantastic example of what can be done in Michigan. Full as dry with smoothness. A must drink in the summer. — 5 years ago

Roger Ray

9.1

"displays aromas of berries, spiced and cocoa. it shows complexity on the palette of plum and mature red fruits balanced with subtle tannins intense blackberry flavors and spice offset by ripe fruit characteristics". A wonderful wine by a beautiful, great new Texas Hill Country vineyard. — 5 years ago

Fred Green

9.7

One of the most fantastic wines I have ever had — 6 years ago

Lucy Tang

10

Slightly less sour than the LI vintages — 6 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.1

Watch out for the volatility. Open very very cold and have a glass hardy. This is a gunslinger wine. Very pretty salmon pink color. Aromas of raspberries, blood orange, mint, and sour dough. Flavors of red berries and watermelon candy with yeasty undertones and a bitter orange finish. A great representation of what Texas wine can be. Drinkable but also relevant. — 7 years ago

Chad Henderson

9.0

Nose is minerals and alcohol. A silky tart cherries opening with lots of pepper spice and leather dry finish. Medium body. — 7 years ago

with Kristen

Ryan Vento

9.4

What a delight to experience. As the evening unfolded so did this, as one might imagine. Such complexity and depth. Blackberries and plums intermingled with ripe red fruits, laced in baking spices and licorice. Lovely notes of star anise and lavender potpourri with an aromatic bouquet of graphite and tar. So much power and elegance married together. It was a pleasure to drink. — 8 years ago

with Krystal