Tom Casagrande

9.3

Rich and savory. Nice structure and balance. Heat completely absent. Great Grenache. — 8 years ago

Amer S. Ahmed

9.1

Gorgeous and expressive, this wine bursts with aromas of apple, nectarine, chamomile, and hints of vanilla and asparagus. Full bodied with a drawn butter note, easy to drink absent the cloying persistence of oak (well integrated), ending on pleasing acid and grilled pineapple. Long finish. Very pretty — 8 years ago

Geoff Troup

Sales Eder Brothers, Cellar Fine Wines

9.2

Medoc style Bordeaux blend. Terrific and serious minded. Forest floor, mint, red pepper, slightly green, tannic as a monster, pleasant acidity . Very well rounded and even keeled. Well made. — 9 years ago

Frank Bragg

9.0

Balanced & rich. Big ++ for organically grown grapes & sustainability-minded family behind the wine!
— 9 years ago

Joe Loughran

9.3

Didn't show as well this time as the last time I had it. Plenty of dark fruit and garrigue notes, but surprisingly absent were the gaminess and bacon elements I recall previously. Still, a wonderfully satisfying wine. — 9 years ago

Tim Sanchez

9.0

Interesting sort of "Jura" oxidative uniqueness (unlike an aged oxidation) on the nose but completely absent on the palate. Has that waxy, oily mouthfeel I love - the finish seemed to immediately disappear but was resurrected by the clinging waxy-oiliness. Citric goodness - very nice... — 10 years ago

with Darren and Uncle

Edward Emmett Keenan

9.2

Almost absent nose, but starts with a taste of seawater; the fruit comes on full-bore quickly, some tannins come through in the finish. Tastes natural and well-executed. 91 to 92 points. — 11 years ago

Tom Riley

9.0

Smells good. Tastes good. Feels good. Makes you want more. Great balance, concentration, and structure. All the tools, with great body, at 12.5 abv. I'm now a bit more open-minded and I like that. — 11 years ago

Justin Hansohn

8.9

Pretty minimal champagne. I have definitely had much more interesting and diamond cut agrapart juices and in this case I'm thankful to have gotten this on discount and sharing it with simple minded folks. Pink bubbles tho...pink bubbles. And the dry cold lean champagne character is still evident and unique. Still beating out any sparkling wine (non champagne) I have placed on my table for terroir. — 11 years ago

Nicole Hakli

Sommelier The NoMad Restaurant

9.4

Brut nature pinot Meunier from 40 year old vines. Picked at optimum ripeness, but I wouldn't have minded a gram of Dosage. 2006 vintage. — 12 years ago

Alex Crangle

Assistant Winemaker Balo Vineyards

10

Absent thee from felicity a while,
And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain
To tell my story. — 12 years ago

Levon Becker

8.9

Great nose, absent start, great finish. — 13 years ago

with Sydney

Jay Kline

9.2

Let me be there first to say that I have always struggled to appreciate Pinot Noir, regardless of origin. That being said, I try to remain open minded so as not to miss out on something that could, perhaps, change my perspective. This may very well be one of those wines that I look back on and say, "that was it...that was the moment I experienced a glimpse of what PN was capable of." Slow-ox'd for about an hour before dinner and then drank over the next several hours; seemingly gaining momentum as time went by. Once in the glass, I was greeted with intoxicating aromas of crushed Marionberries, something wonderfully floral (roses???) and a touch of ever-so-slight barnyard funk. On the palate it was mouthwatering raspberries, a bit of strawberry, minerals and a mushroom thing that caught me by surprise but was absolutely charming. Long-ish finish. This seems built to last with ample structure and while it's quite delightful now, I can only imagine what pleasure these could bring once they begin taking on more secondary characteristics. Tannins are firm but not overpowering. Acid enough to pair beautifully with boeuf bourguignon. This was a humbling experience with Pinot Noir and one I'll look forward to again in the future. Bravo. — 8 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

William Leslie

8.9

Surprisingly the bottle needed a bit longer to open up than expected. Nose gives off a nice oak feeling. dark berry flavors, mild cherry come quick, yet fall away to the background. Although balanced well, the tannins are a bit elevated drying out the fruit flavor. The oak holds well in the back, not overpowering, and not absent, well proportioned. There is also a bit of a spice on the end that lingers for a very long finish. For dry wine lovers this is a great choice. Coppola wines are great entry wines, I just feel this is a bit over priced for the result. But outside of price, this is a nice daily drinking wine — 11 years ago

Kurt Schuster

9.1

You're that open-minded hipster girl that wears flannel, but can surprise you in heels and pearls when you get to know her. Don't smile at me like that, I'm only a mortal man. — 12 years ago

Dock Hooks

10

Very interesting nose, which I am pondering (lots of spice). Should have decanted a half hour ago, as I think there is lots of room for note development. That written, I was hungry, which also translates to thirsty:). What's good food absent good wine? In any case, it is all here, @ VA Bch 'a Terrapin (groovy spot with a north end locals flare; crazy good oysters and other farm-to- table excellence). Oh yeah, the wine - well, there 's a strong cherry explosion that drifts making for a silky, deep finish. Back to eating and drinking..:) — 12 years ago

Sabrina Renkar

9.6

Delicious! Dry, but not bitter. Perfect amount of alcohol to fruit ratio. Delightfully absent the nameless tang of sulfites! Great find at Bellavino! — 14 years ago

Ethan Webster

9.0

Way way too young. Heady and high minded; will get quite generous. Would love to revisit in 8-12 years — 8 years ago

Adrian J Marquis

9.5

Lean, clean, and a little mean. This wine carries a little oaky toast with its very lean, almost fruit absent flavor profile. Pleasant for a terroir-driven almost food dependent wine. — 8 years ago

with Tara

VA

9.0

Nose is largely absent, but makes up for it with a big whack of bright cherry and plum on the front of the palate. Hints of tobacco and vanilla on the full, lingering finish. Full, young tannins, will get better over next 3-5 yrs. — 9 years ago

Fredybeans

9.1

Robe orange
Nez frais sur l agrume confit
Bouche enorme matière alcool absent densité enorme
Grand vin de Jacquere superbe equilibre
— 9 years ago

with El

Brian Hearty

9.2

2011. My 5th of 9 bottles puchased at two winemaker dinners several years ago. From the number I purchased you can tell I thought the QPR was great. Where it is right now it has great cherry/berry flavors, mellowing acidity, and smooth (absent) tannins. — 9 years ago

Scott Taddeo

8.9

Showing some bottle age for sure, rubber/petrol, slight marmalade on toast, lemon and slate. Absolutely bone dry and is super pithy, chalky in the palate, almost entirely absent of fruit. — 10 years ago

Justin Hansohn

9.0

Hell yes you can taste the cold weather in this Cali juice. Very rare to truly experience the concentration of these Santa Barbara syrahs with a sense of any less than the beating sun. This is opposite. I taste elevation and wind. Dark fruit with absent attack. Interesting. Still lacking the complexity and any sign of minerals in that of rhone Syrah though. Signaling my palette's departure from typical Cali wines 👋🏼 — 10 years ago

with Taylor and Brian

Mark Lindzy

9.6

Holy guacamole! This is "baby Pappy" for the budget-minded. — 11 years ago

Matt Duncan

8.9

Ripe blackberry. Loose mid palate. Allspice finish. Tannins absent in adolescence. — 11 years ago

Josh Luhn

Luhn Wine Consulting Owner, Luhn Family Wines

9.2

Very good wine, but far from my top 5 Kronos'. Great red currant aromatics, acid that is often absent in Napa wines. — 11 years ago

Andrew Benn

9.0

Wine 6 of 6 on wine bar tour in 11e in Paris
Normally think of Jura whites as having too much of that "Jura" in it like "dirty gym clothes" as the docent of the wine tour expressed it. Absent here but still with a cool Jura character. Reevaluating my opinion on the Jura
Supposed to be LMB ok — 12 years ago

Clark Steele

9.1

Mineraly. Earthy. Strong alcohol. Fruit absent. Oaky / Woody. Tannins. — 13 years ago