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

Megan Gardner

9.5

2 year anniversary - from Fig Tree wine dinner a few years ago ❤️🍾 — 9 years ago

Paulo Gouvea

9.6

Drank the 2005. Great year as you all know. It will mature a bit more the next ten years. I still have two more bottles. Keeping them with a sturdy lock! — 9 years ago

George Chen

9.2

Out of the bottle this wine stayed closed longer than Bloom's Field. Tighter more wound up wine that seems to need time to develop. I would love to taste this wine every year for the next ten...should improve substantially over time as non-fruit components come forth with more presence and profile. — 9 years ago

Rachel Merriam

Wine Director Casa Mono

9.2

100% Picpoul Negre from 200 year old, pre-phylloxera vines! What?! Love this wine, like fresh pomegranate juice straight from a Spanish tree, mineral peppers and violets. — 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. — 10 years ago

Dan Fehr

9.2

Age was there but still very fresh and herbaceous- nice surprise! — 10 years ago

with Diane

Scott Cunningham

Owner/Importer Bottleneck Wines

9.0

Surpringly youthful in color for a ten year old wine. Plum, cherry, spice, dash of cola, touch of bubble gum on the finish. — 10 years ago

Mike Haber

8.9

One year wedding anniversary!

The 2011 Shiraz was definitely best upon first opening. The next day it had a very slight vinegar quality. — 11 years ago

with Amanda

Andrew Schirmer

9.0

Ten year-old imperial porter! Just slightly over the hill. Lacings of froth disappear quickly, but carbonation is at medium and still present. Opens up with notes of coffee, cream, vanilla. Not at all sweet. Nice work. — 7 years ago

with Alsu

Roy Goble

9.0

Really liked this wine a few years ago. But it's fading now that it's hit the ten year old mark. — 8 years ago

George Hesse

9.6

Delightful Pinot Noir from Lompoc CA! That's just up the road in Santa Barbara County. The CYC gets only six bottles of this a year and I was fortunate enough to get the last bottle. — 8 years ago

with Jennifer

Travis W

9.0

Very good value for money. In a little hole as it is heading into more developed tertiary characters. Hold for a year or two. — 9 years ago

Joe Conti

9.4

New vs old world. So different. The body and finish on this is great. Lush like a creamsicle. Big bright fruits. Drinks younger than a ten year old. I don't think this will go another 10 but what do I know? — 9 years ago

Raymond Rolander

10

Very lively for a ten year old Zin. Nice balance and integration, if you gottem, drink em! — 9 years ago

Andrew Benn

9.4

1994
Sir Peter makes French wines in Sonoma
Not certain?
See how they behave AFTER ten years
Reminiscent of a twenty year old Montrachet
Had it with a cobbler for dessert
LMB ok — 10 years ago

Shadd Scott

9.6

The peatiest 10 year-old son of a bitch! — 10 years ago

Chris Leon

9.6

The Nebbiolo character - dried rose petals, dust, kirsch - is in full effect with tertiary ten year character — 10 years ago

with Kathleen

Corey Potter

10

A delicious way to celebrate our ten year anniversary!! — 11 years ago

with Doug

Cynthia Marquez

8.9

Perfect for this time of year. Spicy, sweet, lots of toffee :) — 11 years ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.1

Another great vintage of this underrated NZ single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. Loads of citrus (primarily grapefruit) and herbaceous notes. Light bodied with Bracing acidity. Crisp and refreshing. Consistent from year to year. — 7 years ago

Thomas Brenner

8.9

The opposite of disappointment in a bottle. Neat to taste something so enjoyable that was just vinified exactly a year ago, stemming from a very difficult vintage.
2016 saw smaller and fewer berries in Monterey, resulting in a low yield bottling of beautifully colored and intensily cherry and strawberry-forward rosé to write home about. Makes me wanna follow all ten commandments today. — 8 years ago

Anthony Lombardi

9.0

Carignan from 40 year old vines. A 50/50 mix of barrel fermentation & carbonic. This is a brilliant means of handling Carignan. It has the powerful, brooding dark fruit, but also shows a youthful approachability as the structure is tamed somewhat. I frankly find it astonishing that this can be on shelves for ten bucks. It is a bit one note, but that note is a really good one. — 9 years ago

GrapeXplorer

9.2

Great nose and palette. In its 7th year, this wine is a baby. Fun to drink today, will be a pleasure to drink five to ten years from now. — 9 years ago

Erik McLaughlin

Vice President Seven Hills Winery

9.1

Ten-year-old Syrah, and this baby's just getting going. Obviously opened my last bottle too soon. Black cherry, boysenberry, black plum, caramel, tobacco, wet earth. — 9 years ago

Helen M Gaydos

9.5

A mouthfull of yellow grapefruit with lovely acidity, minerality and a citrus peel finish. Fantastic! Year in year out this wine is a classic — 10 years ago

Graham Toben

9.7

Mark my words, this will be the next cult wine from Napa. A Philipe Melka production, it is absolutely stunning--and a second label, no less! Dark cocoa and black cherry notes, with BEAUTIFUL acidity and balance. Tannins are so fine, and as such it is drinking beautifully now. Get your paws on Brand ASAP--it has "ten year waiting list" written all over it. — 10 years ago

Cynthia Martinez

10

When I really need a #winterwarmer #singlemalt #scotch exceptional balance! #scotland — 10 years ago

Neil Barham

9.6

#growerPort my friends. Produce on site from estate grapes in granite fermenters — 10 years ago

Dave Kluz

9.0

Ten year old Landmark Chard is doing well — 11 years ago

with Louis