Jay Kline

9.6

The 2022 “Sous Roche Dumay” pours a straw color with medium viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing with remarkable notes of bright tropical and ripe orchard fruit, a lovely mix of yellow and white flowers and laden with chalky minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Be still, my beating heart…the acid! Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and delivers a serious dose of the minerals, keeping up with the two Raveneau enjoyed alongside. Brilliant. This was arguably the best of the three paired with the pôchouse bourguignon but really, all three worked well. Drink now through 2052. Thanks for the assist @Lyle Fass — 8 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

1994 vintage. Nice fill with a slightly shrunken and fully saturated cork. Durand helped plenty in the opening assist. Not decanted and tasted after 1.25 hours open. Hadn’t tasted since the early 2000’s. Definitely dropped all the baby fat. Toffee, coffee and chocolate covered cherries in the nose. Light medium body (thought it would be a touch bigger). Still plenty of focus but slightly less grip than desired. Can it match biggie shizz like Montelena, Dunn, Diamond Creek, BV GDL Reserve, Mondavi Reserve, Araujo, Peter Michael Les Pavots, Mayacamas, etc? No. Is it really really nice? Absolutely. Can hold another 5-6 years at this juncture before boarding the downhill bell curve train. 11.8.24. — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed over three days. Consistent throughout, though the nose opens a bit more after Day 2. The 2020 “Les Beaumonts” pours a deep ruby (strikingly dark) with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with very light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is youthful with notes of tart blackberries, licorice, peeled carrots, forest floor and soft baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and super zippy; tart even. Alcohol is a little elevated but this has an overwhelming impression of freshness. Drink now with patience and through 2035. Thanks to @Lyle Fass for the assist! — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 2019 pours a deeper garnet (than the Barbaresco) but otherwise the same with a transparent core, medium+ viscosity and no staining of the tears. On the nose, more power here too. A tar bomb early which settles in and takes a seat behind a basket full of black cherries, macerated blackberries, roses, orange rind, menthol, fresh sage and some dried basil and old wood. On the palate, bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Such a lovely body and don’t even get me started on the texture. I’m smitten. Drink now with patience through 2049. Thanks @Lyle Fass for the assist! — 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; consumed over three days. Best on Day 3 but this was pretty awesome from the draw. Brisset’s humble Bourgogne Blanc sources fruit outside of the appellations of Chassange-Montrachet, Volnay and Meursault. I wouldn’t blame anyone for suspecting it to be 1er cru. The 2021 “Cuvée Cassanes” pours a straw color with medium viscosity. There is a gorgeous nose of green apples, underripe pineapple, kiwi, star fruit, and a mix of limestone and chalky minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. The wine has lovely texture. The finish is long and has some super chalky minerals. A distinctive Bourgogne Blanc. I wish (and will) buy more of this in the future. An awesome pairing with pheasant pâté. Drink now through 2031. Thanks to @Lyle Fass for the assist! — 2 years ago

Tiffany Li

9.0

Had the Cabernet not the blend - 2019 — 5 years ago

Andrew Schirmer

9.2

Rustic and delicious. 100% Otskhanuri Sapere. Inky purple, high acid, medium tannin. Blackberry/graphite accord. Well-structured. These wines deserve more exposure. Cool story linked below on the EU support these ladies received to assist in exporting their wine. http://www.eu4business.eu/success-stories/baia-and-gvantsa-winemakers-turning-family-tradition-successful-business — 6 years ago

with Alsu

Tim Eller

8.9

I love this casual spin on Cali chard. Apple and pear and an acidic assist from the Pinot Gris. Silky and fruity and mild complexity equals mindless drinking and enjoying. In a good way. — 7 years ago

Jay Kline

9.5

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 2008 Grand Cru VV pours a straw color with a persistent mousse. On the nose, the wine is developing, almost youthful and initially, extremely bright and vibrant; like a laser beam of acid and marzipan. After a couple of hours of air, this really became exceptional with tropical fruit, lemon, curd, brioche, and an enormous amount of minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry and acid is high as one would expect. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. A serious wine that needs time and, probably one of those champagnes that could use a decant. Better after 2028 and through 2043. Disgorged 2023. Thanks for the assist @Lyle Fass — 9 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Apropos, the vines for “La Chapelle” are adjacent to the chapel perched at the very top of the Mont Brouilly where it is quite dry and the soil is very poor. The vineyard is also remarkably steep making manual harvest essential.

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of three days. Fairly consistent throughout but I felt it was most enjoyable on Day 2 and 3. The 2022 “La Chapelle” pours a deep ruby/purple color; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is youthful and fresh with beautiful notes of tart blackberries, red plum, wet stone, a combination of red and purple flowers, licorice, dried green herbs, some wood varnish. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and has a stiff spine of minerals. This is a cerebral wine compared to “Godefroy” (which is almost quaffable in comparison). Drinking well now to enjoy its freshness but will undoubtedly drink well through 2037+. Thanks for the assist @Lyle Fass — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured, enjoyed over several days. Consistent throughout. The 2013 “Serracapelli” pours deep garnet with transparent core, medium+ viscosity no staining of the tears. Some sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with soaring aromatics; explosive notes of Rainier cherry, roses, pomegranate, Grape Nuts, star anise, talcum powder, old wood, new leather, alpine herbs. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and grippy with almost waxy texture. Fresh, balanced, and super compelling. Lovely stuff. Drink now and through 2033 easy. Thanks for the assist @Lyle Fass — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.2

I’ve been wanting to try the wines of Cantina Tomaso Gianolio for years but finding them on this side of the Atlantic has been a challenge. As of now, I don’t know much about where Davide and Igor Gianolio source their fruit but the family has been making these wines in a traditional manner for over 90 years so I’m sure the source is exceptional. So traditional, even the cork is short and stubby, lol!

Popped and poured; enjoyed over two days. Consistent throughout. The 2019 pours a light garnet color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing and tar forward early but it quickly transforms into a veritable beauty with notes of raspberries, rose water, tar, star anise, talcum powder, and dry, stony earth. On the palate, the with is dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Elegant and lovely expression of the 2019 vintage. Drink now with patience and through 2044 (if the cork will keep that long). Huge thanks to @Lyle Fass for the assist! — 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

The 2020 vintage presented many challenges for wine producers around the world but the fires in California added a layer of complexity that nobody needed. Many of the producers I enjoy didn’t even make red wine and if they did, it was never released. For some, the effects were more catastrophic. Unfortunately for McHenry Vineyard, the situation was the latter. Not only was the entire crop lost to smoke taint in the CZU Lighting Complex Fire but the winery and most of the structures on the property were destroyed. They even lost some of the majestic redwoods that have surrounded the vineyard for centuries. Despite the pandemic and the destruction, Brandon and Annelisa were resolved to rebuild. However, with the crop lost and nowhere to make wine for the foreseeable future, they had to enlist some help. In the near term, Brandon was able to purchase fruit from the Christie Vineyard in Corralitos (the longtime source for Storrs Winery & Vineyard) and John Benedetti of Sante Arcangeli came in the with the assist; just as he had in the production of the 2019 vintage. The fruit from Christie Vineyard is more Dijon heavy than McHenry’s estate vineyard but John did a great job of honoring the McHenry approach and style. The results were remarkable.

Popped and poured and enjoyed over a four hour period, the 2020 McHenry “Christie Vineyard” pours a bright, luminous ruby color with a transparent core. No obvious staining of the tears; medium+ viscosity. On the nose, bright ripened cherries, raspberries, roses, cloves and other spices. The wine is dry with medium tannins and medium+ acid. The finish is long. The overall impression is fresh, juicy and full of life. Like all vintages of McHenry, production is minuscule with only 150 cases produced.

As a sort of epilogue, Mother Earth giveth and taketh away. For all of the gifts that California’s climate brings to the production of wine, they are not immune to the whims of nature and these sorts of stories are becoming more and more common. With that being said, there have been at least two other occasions in McHenry’s past where they have been forced to purchase fruit or choose not release wine due to fire or pests. Unfortunately, this will probably not be their last but as long as they are determined to make beautifully balanced Pinot Noir way up on Bonny Doon Road, I will be drinking them. — 3 years ago

Ryan Vento

9.2

Pop & pour. Love the nose: Christmas baking spices, figs, raisins, mulled cider, plums, anise and clove. The palate is a bit flabby, the bodily structure needing more time to develop in the bottle. Even now a good decant is in order to assist in the opening process as it’s muted now. Not to mention it’s a complete bomb at 15.1% ABV.

Edit: 92+. After approximately 40 minutes in the decanter and 30 minutes in the glass this wine lost the flabby baggage that was readily apparent shortly after opening and slowly began to take shape, thus revealing a more collected & rounded out wine that everyone eventually enjoyed, even my wife, who has not enjoyed this selection in the past. — 6 years ago

with Krystal

Jay Kline

9.5

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of dinner. The 2021 Ungsberg Spätburgunder pours a stunning, pale ruby color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with the most extraordinary display of forest strawberries, red flowers and alpine herbs that burst from the glass like a fresh katabatic wind. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. This finish is long. This was the second bottle of four that I purchased. The first was flawed. This, was brilliant. The hype is real. Drink now through 2036. Thanks for the assist @Lyle Fass — 10 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

The Godefroy lieu-dit sits below the Brouilly hill, to the east. The vines here are very old; some over a century!

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Fairly consistent throughout. The 2022 “Godefroy” pours a deep ruby/purple color; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with perfumed notes of ripe strawberries, Rainier cherry, red plum, forest floor, and red flowers. There’s also a slight funky note, a sort of mushroom thing that I really liked. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+; almost chewy. Compared to the “La Chapelle” from earlier in the week, Godefroy is rounder; a bit more fun, flirty and funky whereas “La Chapelle” is darker fruited, more chiseled; stony and sexy. Drinking well now and through 2037+. Thanks for the assist @Lyle Fass — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course three days. The aromatics were most impressive on Day 1 but the palate found better balance on Day 3. Regardless, an impressive showing throughout. The 2018 “Oléa”, which I understand to be what’s basically a barrel-select of Patrick’s standard Côte-Rôtie, pours a deep ruby/purple color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with fascinating notes of brambles, lavender, blueberry pie, tarragon, grilled lamb, blood, and granitic earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long with a lovely, silky texture. Drink now with patience and through 2038. Thanks to @Lyle Fass for the assist! — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over two days and consistent throughout. The 2021 “La Dardouille” pours a bright purple color with a near transparent core. Medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, youthful with a bucket of fresh, darker fruits: blackberries, dark cherry, plum, and blue berries with purple flowers, black pepper, dried earth, minerals and some light baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium(+?) tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose with the black pepper really showing more prominently. Long, mineral finish. All of that being said, the elegance of this wine is arguably its most distinctive characteristic. This is a very light-handed Saint-Joseph and its transparency is a gift. Very pretty stuff. Drink now to enjoy its youthful beauty but some patience will likely reward as I expect this will flesh out. Drink through 2036. Thanks for the assist @Lyle Fass — 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.5

First things first, the wines of Bel Air Marquis d’Aligre or “BAMA”, as they are affectionately known, are not for everyone. They are essentially relics of a bygone era, made by a man who has largely resisted change over the last 74 years. Yes, that’s right, Jean-Pierre has been making the wine at BAMA since 1950. While nearly everyone around him has adopted whatever technology or technique that is trending, Jean-Pierre has held fast to his tradition. Before I get into the tasting notes, it’s worth sharing that opening a bottle of BAMA is a wild trip. A spirit walk of sorts. There are periods when you think the wine is fading and then minutes later, it’s a whirling dervish. It transformed every 20 minutes so be ready for the ride of your life.

Popped and poured; consumed over two days. Remarkable throughout. In the glass, the wine is a deep garnet color moving towards a rust color rim; slightly hazy with a near opaque, translucent core. Medium viscosity with light staining of the tears and some signs of fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous showing notes of desiccated cherries, currants, rhubarb, prunes, pomegranate, tobacco, cedar box, a well-conditioned horse saddle, an old library, espresso, roasted Brussels sprouts and damp earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium(+?) tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is seriously 5 minutes long; it’s got the elegance of Margaux with an unctuous texture. Truly remarkable. A veritable abyss of complexity. Drink now with patience but honestly, I’m not even sure a wine like this ever dies so I wouldn’t be concerned about holding these for another couple decades. Special thanks to @Lyle Fass for the assist. — 2 years ago

Ryan Vento

9.2

I encroached on this wine with low expectations, even with the knowledge of Daou’s reputation and the pedigree they employ. I’ve never been a fan of Paso Robles and my only run-in with Daou was unimpressive, to say the least. I digress. Tonight’s bottle was purchased to assist my wife & I with putting up Christmas decorations and I think we chose wisely. The deep, dark fruits in this juice are brooding and dense, reminding me of a thick slab of blackberry/blueberry cobbler. The notes of anise & clove offer a nice touch of spice and are even more welcome around the holiday season. The delicate notes of vanilla are pleasing and nuanced. The mouthfeel is plush and voluptuous and has enough complexity to justify the price-point. This is a well-made wine; one that makes me re-think my position on Paso Robles. — 6 years ago

with Krystal