Katie

9.1

This wine surprised us with every passing minute. Let it open up for ten minutes and then watch it displays layers of ever changing flavor — 3 years ago

with Alex

Kyle Gross

9.3

Smells fantastic! You can smell the soil with spicy tones. Nice light red rust colour. Strawberries and pepper. — 4 years ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Brought to my parents place for a socially distant, outdoor dinner on their driveway. Holly and I celebrated 15 years of marriage last week so we thought this might be fun to share. Popped and poured with the cork intact and little sign of any seepage. In the glass, this was a light garnet color but showing a good amount of sediment. On the nose, there was an initial impression of stewed cherries but that disappeared rather quickly and freshened up within about ten minutes of air. It evolved into ripe red fruits, dry leaf tobacco, tar, and mushrooms. On the palate, it was cherries, tar, dried herbs and earthy characteristics. While the attack was sweet, the finish was long with firm drying tannin; very satisfying with good acid. This is drinking very well right now. — 5 years ago

Joe Christenson

9.0

Opens up nicely — takes about ten minutes to get to a good spot. Blackberry, dark cherry, and some plum show beautifully. Fruit is supported by plenty of oak and tannin — get hints of black tea — and a very dry finish. Really enjoying this one — very accessible but certainly more old world than new. — 5 years ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.1

Excellent #rioja #riserva that I snagged from a duty free shop at Heathrow Terminal 2. It took just ten minutes in the glass to come alive - earthy but a bit more New World bramble fruit-forward versus what’s typical for the region. I have to say great buy at ~£13 — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Updating notes from 29 weeks ago.

On the nose, macerated & baked; blackberries, dark cherries, blueberries, plum, strawberries with raspberries painting the background. Mocha, vanilla, dark chocolate, fruit liqueur notes, dark rich soil, limestone minerals, fresh & decayed red florals with bright fresh field of blue & red floral florals with violets.

The palate is elegant, rich and full. The tannins nicely softened & resolved. 60-65% resolved. There is nice; soften structure, very good balance with excellent length. The fruits are; ruby ripe blackberries, sweet & sour dark cherries, blue fruit mix, black raspberries, plum, creamy raspberries and hint of strawberries. The red florals & violets really shine through on the palate as well. Sweet tarry notes, dark fruit liqueur, dark chocolate, mocha, caramel, vanilla, some black licorice, limestone minerals, iron, tarry notes, smoke, used leather, cigar with ash, touch of dry stems, pinch of herbaceousness, dark spices, dry clay, loamy dry top soil, dry crushed rock powder, just hint of white pepper, blue & dark red florals, lavender with violets, good round acidity and a long, elegant, balanced finish that lasts minutes.

Better with a good meat sauce pasta than pizza. Slightly overpowered our pizza tonight. But, still delicious.

Photos of; the backside of Valdicava, one of their vineyards and Valdicava winery owner Vincenzo Abbruzzese.

Brunello’s take years to come around and why Italians hold them extra year(s) over other varietals/regions in bottle. It’s ten years before good Brunello producers wines are truly enjoyable; which is why I still have so many in hibernation. Drink through 2025. — 7 years ago

with Christina and James

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.0

Beautiful white florals, all the stone fruits, some white citrus, honeysuckle, lemon, fruits blossoms.

Very good wine and quite inexpensive.

Photos of; the Andes that feel like you could drive there in ten minutes but is still a 3 hour drive. The artwork in the center entrance of the property...it represents an inverted diamond similar to the Louvre. The top of their gravity stainless tanks and their library tasting room. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

There are certain occasions that call for Krug Rosé. So, HBTM! The bottle was corked in the summer of 2014. It’s a blend of 45 reserve wines with the oldest being from 2007 and the youngest 2002. This is why I think Champagne Makers are some of the most talented people making wine. They are constantly blending up to 100 plus wines to bring that bottle to bottle and year to year branded flavor of consistency. On the nose; red & pink spring flowers, cherries, strawberries, watermelon, black cherry, black raspberries, notes of blood orange citrus, baked bread, soft volcanic mineral and elegant chalkiness. The palate is always ridiculously delicate. Micro bubbles, silky rich texture with beautiful soft acidity. The palate fruits are similar to the nose; rich & ripe cherries, strawberries watermelon, black cherry, black raspberries, notes of blood orange citrus with hints of marmalade. Red & pink spring flowers, baguette crust, soft powdery minerals that give the palate a slight sting and super powdery chalkiness done just right. The finish is beautifully rich, textured, revealing itself in layers and lasts minutes. Photos of; Founder Joseph Krug, House of Krug, Winemaker Eric Lebel, Krug’s Clos du Mesnil, a small plot of 1.85 hectares of Chardonnay...one of the world’s greatest vineyards and their salon tasting room. Producer history & notes...Krug was founded by Joseph Krug in 1853. They are based in Reims, the main city in France’s Champagne region. It is one of the famous Champagne houses that formed part of the Grande Marques. Today the house is majority owned by the multinational conglomerate LVMH, which owns Moët Hennessy, Louis Vuitton S.A. and who’s wine producer portfolio includes other well known wine brands such as; Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Château d'Yquem, Ruinart & Cheval Blanc, Dom Perignon and many others. Despite LVMH's majority ownership, the family is still actively involved in all the key decisions of the house but does not manage the day-to-day operations. Joseph Krug was born Johann-Joseph Krug, a butcher’s son, in Mainz, on the Rhine in 1800 when the city was part of the Napoleonic Empire. Having dispensed with the name Johann, he left Mainz in 1824 and in 1834 moved on to Paris. Germans were in demand in France as accountants and bookkeepers. So, Joseph joined Champagne Jacquesson in Châlons-sur-Marne. He spent eight years with Jacquesson. His work took him beyond accountancy. He went around Europe testing the market and assessing criticism from wine sellers and customers. He learned about composition and taste so that by 1840 he already seemed to have been blending Champagne for at least one other house. In 1841, he married Emma-Anne Jaunay. The daughter of a French hotelier based in London’s Leicester Square. The following year their son Paul Krug was born. In 1842 he moved to Reims and following a year later, Krug et Cie was founded with his partner, Hyppolite de Vivès. Joseph was fluent in French, English and German and even spoke some Russian, putting the company in position to exploit key overseas markets. Joseph died in 1866 and was succeeded by his son Paul Krug, who had been trained by his father to takeover. Joseph under the supervision of Paul, Krug was established as a Grande Marque. By the 1880s the prestige of Krug was acknowledged in the United Kingdom and became the primary overseas market for Champagne. In 1866, the House moved into Rue Coquebert, in Reims as it remains. After Paul’s death in 1910, he was succeeded by his son, Joseph Krug II. However, during World War I Joseph II was taken prisoner and his wife Jeanne played a key role in the House at a time when the Western Front divided the region between the Allies and the Germans. After the war, Joseph II’s slow recovery led to his nephew Jean Seydoux becoming joint manager in 1924. In that decade, the Krug 1926 and 1928 vintages were created, which have been considered by critics to be amongst the greatest Champagnes. Lawyer and wine writer Maurice Healey declared “Krug” the king of all Champagnes. Further, “that the 1928 Krug was the best wine made in the present century.” By the mid-1930s, Paul Krug II, the son of Joseph II, was active in the business and would become head of the House from 1959 to 1977. His father died in 1967, by which time he was, according to Patrick Forbes, “one of the most popular and respected figures in the Champagne district.” In 1962 Henri Krug, the son of Paul II, joined the management, as did his brother Remi three years later. Their arrival was followed by a series of innovations, including extensions in the range of Champagnes. In 1979, for the first time, a graduate winemaker joined the House. In January 1999, the House became part of LVMH and by 2007, the brothers, while remaining on the tasting committee, had stepped down from day-to-day responsibilities. In 2009 Olivier Krug, the son of Henri, became House Director. At harvest, Krug grapes are pressed close to their plots with the first juice kept for 24 hours in a vat prepared for the fermentation stage. The pressing from each plot is vinified separately. A pressing contains 4,000 kilos of grapes and yields 20.5 hectolitres of first juice (cuvée), which is poured into twelve oak casks chosen at random. Once fermentation is complete, the eleventh and twelfth casks are used to top up the other ten casks in order to protect the new wines from oxidation. For fifteen days, each cask is topped up with wine from the same plot. Krug uses small 205 liter oak casks tailor-made from trees that are more than two centuries old in the forests of Hautes Futaies in Central France. The average age of Krug oak casks is 20 years. They are retired after approximately 40 years of use. The wines remain in the casks for several weeks. During this period, clarification occurs naturally from the cool temperature of the cellar given the coming winter, as does a micro-oxygenation process from the use of natural containers, making the wine more resistant to oxygen over time. Finally, between December and January, the wine is drawn off into small stainless-steel vats. From here, depending on the decisions of Krug’s tasting committee, the wines will either contribute to that year’s assemblage or be stored in steel vats in the House’s library of 150 reserve wines to be used in the blend of a future Krug Grande Cuvée and or Krug Rosé. — 7 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.2

A very un-Burgundian Pinot. Interesting and challenging and ultimately harmonious. Spicy, dark, brooding. Unapologetically assertive. Abrupt at first, but gives quite a bit with ten minutes of oxygen. Begins to harmonize more and more.

Compartments of sweet black cherries, baseball mitt, cedar, and limestone form to a point of a fortified dark syrupy cherry juice. At 14.5% it isn't as bright, candied, or cola-ed as you'd expect.

It's dark, spicy, and wholesome. — 3 years ago

Lauren Willis

9.5

🍷✔✔ just lovely. Bought from the cellar door — 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

100% Syrah from vines that’s are 10-65 years old and managed manually for the most part. Fermented in concrete and aged for two years in barrels of various sizes but mostly larger (225L-600L). Popped and poured. This bottle took about ten minutes to open but when it did, ohhhhh baby! On the nose it was a mix of blue fruits, dark cherry, and a high end yoga studio...you know, the ones with incense of sandalwood, gardenia and bergamot...basically everything but the patchouli. On the palate, things got even more interesting with firm blue fruits, tart dark cherries, lightly spiced meats and minerals. The finish lasts for five minutes. In fact, there is crazy effect after a couple of minutes that reminds me of Acmella oleracea (Sichuan buttons or buzz buttons). Absolutely wild! Never had a wine do that. No doubt, this is a Saint-Joseph of the highest level. Definitely a producer to keep an eye out for. — 5 years ago

Ross Hensley

9.2

Great color Raspberries and Currants and Cherry Fruit forward. Acidity wanes after open for 30-45 minutes. Nice mid palate finish. — 6 years ago

with J and Melba

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

The nose reveals, black & bing sour cherries, blackberries, slightly baked strawberries, blueberries, some black raspberries, pomegranate extract and hint of plum, a fair amount of vanillin, soft limestone, whiffs of other baking spices, black tea, rich dark soils, faint crushed rocks, beautiful, fragrant, bright, blue, red and dark red florals.

The body is round & full. The tannins just starting to hit a good point of softening and rounding, yet have 10 plus years ahead. The structure, tension are hitting their stride. The length and balance are just getting to near perfect form. Two years ago, this wine was not ready and is now at the place I was hoping to get. I have two bottles left and I will have another in five years. Based on that performance, another in three to five plus years more. It’s the evolution that is so much fun to follow.

Black & bing sour cherries, blackberries show more on the palate and the pork pasta bring them out more deeply, slightly baked strawberries, blueberries, some black raspberries, pomegranate extract, cranberries and hint of plum, a fair amount of vanillin, soft limestone, nuances of volcanic minerals, soft baking spices, dark medium intensity of spice, black tea, rich dark soils, faint crushed rocks, beautiful, fragrant, bright, blue, red and dark red florals. The acidy is like a fresh water river. The long finish is unbelievably elegant, well balanced with a touch more fruit than earth, polished and persists seamlessly for several minutes.

I look forward to trying this wine again as it continues to evolve and improve over the next five to ten years...should be stunning! Well made Brunello’s simply take more than ten years in bottle to even begin to amaze.

Photos of, a wide hilltop shot of Casanuova, field hand harvesting their Sangiovese, large oak fermentation cask so there is less noticeable oak influence on the wine and their sloping vines on a sunny beautiful day.

@Oenotri Napa — 6 years ago

Amanda Lorren

9.2

Sultry. 2004 was silky after open about 20-25 minutes. Awesome wine. Just needed a minute to catch her breath. — 7 years ago

Will Stanley

9.6

A wine that more than lives up to its reputation, this estate Cabernet from Kanonkop in South Africa is a tremendous flag-bearer for the quality of Bordeaux blends (or, as in this case, single varietals) in the Cape - and particularly in that iconic region Stellenbosch.

An exuberant nose that leaps from the glass and features cassis, fig, cinnamon, some garam masala and cigar box, with more than a gentle tug of graphite. A touch of tomato vine completes what is a very harmonious aroma - and quite an austere one at that. It was ten minutes before I took a sip.

The palate is even more giving, after a two hour decant, with incredibly concentrated flavours of red cherry, blackcurrant and plum, and a lovely undercurrent of dark chocolate and vanilla. This is seriously accomplished stuff, with more than enough backbone to age, and a very long finish. I would love to try this in ten years - even five - but only bought the one bottle so that’s a pipe dream. If this was the Médoc, you’d be thrilled. Truly, an astonishingly good wine.

96+ — 4 years ago

Evan Endicott

9.2

Started off a little tight but after just ten minutes or so in the glass -- whoa -- big smoked meat / Earth flavors take over the front of the palate, followed by concentrated dark fruits, violets and a beautiful finish. Big tannins here but with a little bit of age on it, it delivers a super voluptuous pour. — 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Being a 2013 Barolo, I expected this to be largely unapproachable and, at least initially, my a suspicions were validated. However, after about 30 minutes of swirling and coming up to temperature, it’s reticence faded away and instead, blossomed into a very attractive, youthful wonder. The nose was quite winsome with black licorice, roses, tar and dark fruits. One of those wines where the bouquet alone is enough to celebrate. On the palate, it was no quite as expressive and very primary with tart dark and red fruits and spices. The structure is intimidating at this stage. Long, mouth drying finish. I would suggest tucking these away for at least another five to ten years to get the most out of it. DIAM cork which I found somewhat surprising. — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

This is my second favorite food & wine pairing. The two together are a perfect 10. It is simply my favorite pork chop and there isn’t a close second.

This is the Mustard’s Restaurant in Napa recipe which, they have sold over a million.

There are a dozen different seasoning/spices to this two-day pork chop marinade that brings such depth of flavors & complexity to it. The spices penetrate deep onto the palate. The wine marries and complements all those seasonings & spices perfectly with just the right amount of restrained sweetness and texture.

The nose reveals; stone fruits, Meyer lemon, lemon meringue, lime candy, pineapple juice, green melon, applesauce, just a touch of petroleum, honey notes, waxy notes, touch of beeswax, light white spice, chalky saline notes, mixed greens, yellow lilies, jasmine and spring flowers.

The body is thick, rich, lush and waxy. Stone fruits, Meyer lemon, lemon meringue, lime candy, pineapple juice, green melon, applesauce, just a touch of petroleum, honey notes, waxy notes, touch of beeswax, light white spice, chalky saline notes, light, powdery minerals, mixed greens, yellow lilies, jasmine and spring flowers. The acidity is round and beautiful. The finish is; rich, lush, ripe, well balanced, delicious and persists nicely for minutes.

@Shay A Am I tempting you yet?

Photos of; the Long Shadows tasting room (just voted a top ten tasting room), the amazing glass blown artwork all over their tasting room and our dinner with this amazing American Riesling pairing. Green beans from our garden. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

The producer is using Tinto Fino not Tempranillo. Respectfully, requested Delectable change.

Ten years in bottle, time to check in on my first bottle of six.

On the nose, dark currants. Blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, baked black plum, raspberries & ripe strawberries. Vanilla, cinnamon stick, crushed limestone minerals, dry rock & stone, some black rich earth, soft leather, dry stems, steeped fruit tea, dark berry cola, sweet tarry notes with red & dark fresh florals.

The body was big and very full with a hour in the decanter it moves to more medium full with another hour in the decanter. The structure, length, tension and balance are just arriving to a sweet spot. Still plenty of life left in this 05. Another 10 years and perhaps more. The tannins are still pronounced but softened & round with a strong dusty presence. The fruits are; gorgeous, sexy, lush & ripe. Blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum, creamy raspberries, raisins, ripe cherries & strawberries. Vanilla, cinnamon stick, dark chocolate, crushed limestone minerals, a fair amount of dry rock & stone, some black rich earth, soft leather, dry stems, hints of mint, dry herbs, steeped fruit tea, black licorice, dark berry cola, sweet tarry notes, used espresso roast with red & dark, purple, fresh florals. The acidity is near perfect. The long, ripe, lush, well balanced finish is excellent and lasts minutes. Beautiful wine with sex-appeal.

Photo of, Bodega Uvaguilera top and bottom photos, Winemaker/Supervisor-Isaac Fernandez and cellar shot.
— 7 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

One of the great names in World Wine IMO. This is the time it takes to cross from one side of the Vineyard to the other, so it's a relatively small property. Of their single Vineyard Pinots I tried to taste and buy the Judd which had Sold Out. This is the Wallis which possesses good structure. A little firm at present. Put it in the cellar. Had another another bottle 6 years later in late October 2023. Still has a firmness to the wine overall which it may never lose. Still enjoyable with savoury red fruits and Sous Bois. Have the last one in a year or two. 90 points. — 8 years ago