Norman Gennaro

9.4

Howell Mtn Tasting - Tasting a lot of wines though and in the same glass so I find it unfair to take these ratings seriously. Second best of the night. Also tried their Merlot (no pic) which was very nice especially after this many Cabs and Zins. — 8 years ago

Shay A

9.3

This is one of the better cab francs I've had (though I need to try Detert on @Carl Fischer's recommendation). La Jota is becoming a favorite of mine...shouldn't be surprised as I'm a die-hard Howell Mountain fan. No traces of green pepper at all with this...got a nose of very slight toasted oak and blackberries. Long legs and a gorgeous purple ring/black core. Plum and cinnamon on the tongue. I'll take some more please. 👌 — 8 years ago

Charine Tan

9.0

Backstory: Tasted this at the winery and loved it so much that we bought a bottle to take along with us to Mexico. Chad Melville is the owner and winemaker at Samsara. He's also the chief winegrower at Melville Winery.

Winemaking Process: Single vineyard wine with grapes harvested from the Cargasacchi vineyard, which is in the middle aka sweet spot of Santa Rital Hills. 75% whole cluster fermentation with native yeast. 50% in new French oak barrels for 22 months, followed by 12-month ageing in the bottle. Unfiltered.

Tasting Notes: Colour is ruby red with some clarity, no sediment. On the nose, it has blue fruit, cherry, cassis, cigar, asphalt, lambskin leather and pronounced earthy notes. On the palate, it is medium-bodied with full, mouth-filling texture. Red fruit notes appear first, and then the taste turns into an earthy, allspice notes, and finishes off with something so bright and refreshing that reminds us of orange peel. The tannins are soft. End palate is long, around 10 seconds, marked by minerality and cherry. I love this wine because unlike many Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara, it isn't over extracted and not too sweet (like fruit pastille). There's a fleeting burst of sweet red fruit flavour on the mid palate and the flavour quickly transits to earthy notes and tannins. It's a more earthy Pinot Noir but yet still elegant and ready to be consumed. At $55, I think it's well worth the price. — 9 years ago

Andy Mc Nees

9.3

Take all the exotic dark fruits and bbq them and pour the meat drippings over it. No signs of fading at all at 14 years young. Crazy. $25 auction crusher — 9 years ago

Chris Scanlan

Sales Amy Atwood Imports

9.0

am I biased? no. not so much. Robinot makes some of the most mind-altering Chenin and pineau d'aunis in the world. if you see his wines on a list, then you are lucky to have opportunity to drink them. tho, they may take 5 days to open up to you. just saying. — 10 years ago

Laissez Fare

9.0

Els Jelipins 2009 (a very kind gift from, and shared with, @J_A_A). Made by Gloria and Berta Garriga in the hills Penedès. Based around the Sumoll grape, with a slightly different blend each year (depending on which rows of vineyards they decide to take fruit from). The fruit is hand-picked over a number of sessions — always early in the morning and in small cases. It ferments with the natural yeasts, without temperature control, fining, or filtration and only a touch of sulfur added right before bottling. Open-top barrel fermentation and some wax-lined oval amphorae are used, along with lengthy aging in big barrels. Each bottle is painted by hand – the design is different each year, but always includes the symbolic heart.
This has to be one of the most distinctive, intriguing and confounding red wines I've ever tasted. The first thing you notice is the cloudy ruby color. A mysterious scent leads to strong flavors of green herbs (almost medicinal) on the palate: is it tarragon or dill, or both? Elderflower perhaps? Maybe fresh olive too. Underlying this is an ever-changing red fruit core (cranberry, tart cherry), with the odd streak of wet rocks and a zippy freshness. Totally raw and wild. Impossible to pin down and paradoxical.
Ultimately, this wine was indomitable. We paired it with a full-flavored Iranian stew (ghormeh-sabzi), then with vegetarian Indian curry. The wine went remarkably well with both, though I wouldn't say it 'paired' well. You could always taste the distinct flavors of the wine, and it didn't interfere with the food, but they didn't really enhance each other either. Essentially, even robust food flavors could not tame this cloudy, 'little-looking' red wine.
After all of this, I will not say that I am gagging to try this wine again, as I'm not really sure I love the flavor profile overall … but it did grow on me over the four days we had it open. And the wine was possibly even better on Day 4 than it was on Day 1. I would definitely be happy to try it again, though, as there is no doubt it would challenge palates, ideologies and spark conversation. This is a 'real' wine, with no pretense and oodles of individuality. — 10 years ago

"Odedi"

9.5

For my son's 20th birthday, I think this 19 year old, Australian Cabernet, will be appropriate. It's also going to take care of my Friday's fix nicely...

What a beautiful color on this beauty. Ruby in color with a burgundy rim. Almost showing no age at all.

After an hour in the decanter, fruity nose with blueberries, cherries, strawberries, black currants, leather, oak, vanilla, licorice, light green pepper, smoke and black pepper. Very gentle and aromatic.

Medium plus in body, smooth and elegant, with medium plus acidity and awesome looking legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, blueberries, cloves, licorice, vanilla, cedar, leather, dirt, pencil lead, earth, cola, white pepper and spices.

A very long finish with very fine grained tannins and tart cherries.

What an awesome wine this is. Well-balanced and very enjoyable by itself. So elegant, complex and velvety.
It smells and tastes a lot like a Napa Cabernet, which surprised me a little.

Aged for 15 months in American oak barrels.

14% alcohol by volume. — 8 years ago

David Annis

9.4

Decanted a half hour before starting, still better after about 90 minutes of air. More earthy than fruity, but enough fruit to stand up to the tannins, which given its age, are considerable. I don't know when I became the guy who drinks a twenty year old wine with a locally sourced pork chop with fig compote on no particular occasion, but surprisingly I don't feel like punching myself. The younger me, if he were to answer honestly would be more jealous than appalled... But, as they say, you can't take it with you. — 9 years ago

Ron R

9.0

This was impressive. As you may have guessed, the tannins take no prisoners. Leave this for a year or two, but it already has the components of a good, solid wine. I think this is mostly Tempranillo, with a dollop of other stuff. — 9 years ago

with Mo

Tom Riley

9.2

Received this two years ago from the no-longer-extant Empire Wine Cellars club. This is a delicious, balanced, well made, structured wine. At $28 it's a complete steal. Damp earth and dark fruit along with velvety textures and lip-smacking fruit concentration. If you like cab franc, you need to take a peek at Onabay. — 9 years ago

Scott Rowe

8.9

Wine option no. 3
Knocked this one out of the park!
Take me back to Tuscany. — 10 years ago

Anthony Lombardi

9.3

2005 is amazing. No surprise. This is an elegant Pinot with unbelievably pure fruit & a firm backbone. Paired w/our take on the Zuni Cafe roast chicken because Monday. — 10 years ago

jerod peitsmeyer

10

take your cab and shove it... I ain't drinking that no more. — 11 years ago

Jon Tam

9.4

This luxurious Bordeaux-style blend is vivacious one. The lush, robust fruity aroma does not disappoint and once it hits your tongue you will find the fruity flavors bursting on your taste buds. Take joy in this no-subtleties wine. — 8 years ago

with Randy

Mike ferenz

9.3

I know all of you sommeliers are drinking a perfect glass of history. think of the great william wallace. so while your drinking your glass of history by the wood burning fireplace let me explain this fantastic out of this world the most buck for your money. so I just recently bought a cork screw and turned it into a lewer (no pun intended) and so we began training. bottle 1 was corked and it was like the Aspen alps the crisp earth flavor and then it hit me. I am now in training to be a sommelier. jerkin off is now my #2 thing on my mind. I take a sip and I wish all you sommeliers in training good luck. — 8 years ago

with Scott

Erik Bader

9.3

Beaune is nuts. This was poured as a free sample the size of a full glass and the dude would take no money for it, was just stoked I liked it. And yeah it was incredible. — 9 years ago

Colin Winston

9.0

This wine has a rather aggressive personality and may not be to everyone's liking. An unusual blending harking more to Malbec than Barbera. Spicy, meaty nose. Big grip on the palate as slightly rough tannins and penetrating acidity take hold. Good fruit with a somewhat acrid aftertaste that I nevertheless find intriguing. Again, not for everyone, but if you're looking to go beyond the plethora of Israeli Cabs and Merlots, look no further ! Kosher. — 9 years ago

Jody Scharf

9.1

Alright guys. Not expensive. No known name. This proves to me what you spend is not whether a wine is good. Delicious. Rich dark berries. Some vanilla. Buy it. Enjoy. The ratings are based on snob appeal. Take a blind taste test. Then we'll talk. Shalom. — 9 years ago

Nicholas Livingston

9.2

Interesting to sip a Pouilly Fumé Cuvée Silice from one of the most trusted values in the region at such an age. While she's in the repose of her twilight years she's not merely a beauty of a bygone time but instead lively and lovely whose company rewards whoever has a chance afternoon with her. Who would ever credit Sauvignon Blanc even one of this crystalline emerald variety as a wine that might take an age in a cool cellar? 13 years! Even through the crazing crows' feet these eyes shine brightly and despite how cray paper skin drapes over the cheek bones of Sauvignon Blanc, this is still nimble and pulses with lives yet to live -not merely memories to regale its audience of how things once were, what she once was or could have been. Honeycomb, lemon curd, nettles wilting in grassy green olive oil, and then the lime leaves...so familiar and yet always exotic of distant shores and climates so far from this northern land of four resolute seasons. As to ratings: how can any of us quantify sensual pleasures really. This was a joy no matter how you cut it and yet given my surprise at Sauvignon Blanc at 13 years on still having so much to say I cannot speak highly enough. The Blanchets do it again! — 10 years ago

Lobo Di Noccento

10

This again is clearly not a wine it is however one of the best premier Russian Vodkas around by the way this product is from
St. Petersburg Russia

This Product is rightfully entitled
Russian Standard as it is derived from only the finest products found in Russia those being their Winter Harvest Wheat, from the Russian Steppes, The Glacial Waters of Lake Ladoga are used and Advanced Distillation Technology is used in the making of this product.

This is all done to ensure only the highest standards when making this Vodka the version I have posted here is the platinum version which by no means was cheap
However, it was still relatively reasonably priced.

On the bottle it is listed as being silver filtered I just take this to mean that it has been filtered numerous times to the point of a very high quality which would more than adequately explain its smoothness as there are to my knowledge at least two other versions of this Vodka there is a Regular Version, a Gold version and the Platinum Version I have listed here.

This Vodka is of Remarkable taste and amazing clarity. In all other ways that truly matter when crafting a great vodka this is one of the ones that is truly uncompromising which is what
has allowed this product to reach
its peak degree of greatness. — 11 years ago