Austin Baik

9.2

Very good. Lots of subtleties thag come out. Day 2 better — 6 years ago

with Stuart

Brett Rogosin

9.3

Nose of black pepper, wet leaves, moist forest air, fresh picked blackberry, berry vines, damp earth, and tree bark. Tannins are still holding on, a bit chalky on the tip of the tongue. Acidity down the side of the tongue that lingers long into the finish. The palate is quite a bit tighter. Red fruit comes through, but under ripe, maybe red plum skin, tart. The dusty tannins cover the fruit a bit. The pepper and earth come through as well. This still has plenty of life to it. I would give this at least 3 years and possibly deep into 2020 or longer. It’s not ready yet. — 6 years ago

Al

9.2

Nice peat! — 8 years ago

with Brenda and Lois

Libbi Odessa

9.5

Love this wine! Must buy again and save for a special occasion! — 8 years ago

Tripp Borstel

9.0

A great value for a Pinot. High acidity with cherry, black tea and a vanilla finish. — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Big ruby, ripe, juicy, blackberries, black cherries, blueberries, black raspberries, spiced plum, violets, lots of black pepper, big spice-box, bay leaf, mint, light baking spices, crush dry volcanic rocks, brown dry earth and long ripe, juicy to dry spicy dark fruit finish that lasts 45-60 seconds. Tannins are nicely resolved...it's just starting it's peak. Good; tension, structure, balance, length and acidity. — 10 years ago

Alex Lallos

Owner No Limit Fine Wines, Private Wine Consultant

9.2

Super fantastic 07 Syrah from Mendocino. Has not lost a step whatsoever but has gained a lot in terms of complexity. Beautiful aromas of sage, tar, candied black cherry and espresso. Soft mod palate and long long finish — 10 years ago

with Christian

Evelyn Ignatow

Owner, Hyde Park Gourmet Food & Wine

9.3

Beautiful black cherries. Great acidity — 10 years ago

Courtney Cochran

Sommelier/Host hiptastes.com

9.1

Cherry-pomegranate bacon swizzle, kiss of tar and Worschestershire, blackberry/black pepper suggestion. Skin of apple, poppyseed, brown spice. Full body but lean tannins and low intensity for CA Syrah, making this quite, quite nice, tres bien Merci ⭐️
— 11 years ago

with Ronald and Jayme

Jeffrey Bragman

President at WINEPSYCH

9.8

Beautiful dark color, black fruit nose, great wine. — 12 years ago

Jason Brater

9.2

Loved this. Red raspberry, red cherries, plums. A dash of cocoa powder and some tobacco notes. Spicy black pepper and some smooth tannins that dry your mouth. Really loving this. — 6 years ago

with Heather

Scott E. Becker

9.3

[Tasted on January 11, 2020 at Home]

Zippy black raspberry, blackberry and brambleberry fruit, with pencil box, and black pepper on the finish. Silky structure with nice tannic backbone. Wine #83 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2012. — 6 years ago

Shay A

9.2

Fun Friday evening with great wines.

KB Pinot, with some years on it, can blossom nicely. Still sporting some cola notes, with candied black cherry and earthy/herbal aromatics. Dark cocoa covered black cherries, and a dense/rich mid palate. Drinking very nicely right now. — 7 years ago

with joe and Dan

Eric

9.1

Good scotch for the price. — 9 years ago

Rachel Bovard

9.0

Black cherry, strawberry jam, leather, spinach, pepper and violets. Round on the palate with chewy tannins just dying for steak. Lovely boutique wine. — 9 years ago

Heidi McLain

9.0

Smooth and smoky, from the Isle of Skye. Another one of the whiskies we tasted at the November Old Line Scotch Club meeting. #talisker #tenyear #whisky #oldlinescotchclub — 10 years ago

Colin Cahoon

9.4

Still vibrant with tart black fruit and nice acid. This wine has aged well. Smooth, complex and balanced. — 10 years ago

with Susan

Randy P

9.2

Delicious wine from a rare variety planted in a very unique site in the NorCal mountains. Not expecting the multitude of happy sensations received whilst imbibing. Shared with woman life partner. She seemed to enjoy as well. Spicy cove, tobacco, expired yet indelible black pepper ever present. 15 minutes in, dark fruit core begins to show. This wine is structured. Fierce, gripping tannin grabbed me like a thief in a dark alley. I really like the seriousness of this wine esp since it hails from a very unknown areas. It's nice right now but id like to see this wine in my glass in 3 years. 13.5%. — 10 years ago

John Kemper

9.1

A deep ruby, the '11 Lucia Pinot Noir 'Garys' Vineyards' is generously perfumed with black cherry, licorice, rose petal and baking spice scents. The expansive palate is flavored with oaky notes of dark chocolate and cherry-cola. Nice lingering finish with a good balance of spicy acid and sweet ripe tannins. — 11 years ago

Martin Redmond

9.4

Dark ruby garnet color with lifted very appealing cherry liquer, white pepper, dried herb and a bit of graphite aromason the palate its medium-bodied,fresh and balanced with supple texture with dark cherry, black raspberry,baking spiced dark cacao flavors. Long finish. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. 14.2% alcohol — 12 years ago

Antonio Borja

9.6

Love it!!!! — 14 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

I kid you not, Charles Hendricks is likely the most underrated & under known Winemaker in Napa Valley.

If you have not had his wines, you are missing out on great wines & relative real value for Napa. He makes his own private higher end label-Hendricks, Hope & Grace and midway through the 14 vintage for; James Cole, Regusci & T-Vine.

There are few Winemakers that can make wines that drink well young & some that will age two decades plus stored correctly.

This Santa Lucia Doctor’s Vineyard is really good but, his private label Hendricks Pinot from Santa Lucia is off the charts. His 2008 Hendricks Pinot Noir is the highest rating I have ever given a Ca Pinot Noir, 98.

The 13 Doctor’s Vineyard is better than his 12 & is still a little early right now. It will improve over the next 5 years & hold there a couple of years before its gentle decline.

The nose reveals, ripe, well extracted & slightly baked; blackberries, stewed, deep, dark, black plum, black cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, dry pomegranate & cranberries with shades of blueberries. Dark spices, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, touch of savory meats, anise to black licorice, black tea, wet clay, steeped black tea, touch of herbs dominated with Rosemary, rich, black, earth, dry stones, dry crushed rocks, fresh tobacco, leather notes, volcanic minerals, limestone with bright, fresh & withering florals that are; dark, red, purple, blue mixed in violets and lavender.

The body is full, rich, lush and gorgeous. The structure, tension, length and balance are just hitting their good phase. It is simply a beautiful & complex Pinot Noir. Nicely extracted & slightly baked; blackberries, stewed, deep, dark, black plum, black cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, dry pomegranate & cranberries with more blueberries than the nose. Dark spices that bring palate heat, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & vanilla, touch of savory meats, peppery notes, anise to black licorice, black tea, wet clay, steeped black tea, touch of herbs dominated with Rosemary, rich, black, earth, dry stones, dry crushed rocks, fresh tobacco, leather notes, volcanic minerals, limestone with bright, fresh & withering florals that are; dark, red, purple, blue mixed in violets and lavender. The acidity is very good & excellent at containing the slightly higher ABV. The long, complex finish is, well balanced fruit & earth, polished and will persist until dawn.

Photos of; Their Doctor’s Vineyard, one of my favorite paintings that used to hang behind the bar in their tasting room & now hangs in Charles’ house (it reminds me of a Jackson Pollock), Winemaker-Charles Hendricks and the front of their tasting room in downtown Yountville.
— 6 years ago

Eric

9.2

Sunday night stab with my buddy Coravin. Great balance and density. Black fruit, cola reduction, and tobacco dust. Nice and rich. $40 on Last Bottle. Really nice Pinot 👍 — 8 years ago

OG

9.9

Bloody good. It had to be as it cost the price of a small duchy.
I have a whole bottle of this greatness with me. Not a good idea.
Taste is sort of dry, not sweet and not bitter...all in equal mix. Taste of lots of stuff. It's been through different cask apparently. Bourbon, Madeira, Port...
Lovely aroma. Doesn't come to hit you right back. — 9 years ago

Kevin Neely

9.4

This is an a xcellently balanced Pinot from Santa Lucia. Lemon, cherry, and vegetable on the nose. Blackberry, mocha, black pepper, and cedar wood on the palate. — 10 years ago

Nicole Dutram

9.0

Dark red fruit nose. Super ripe black cherry, blackberry, then light spice, like white pepper, and a little bit of funk. Clean on the palette. Very drinkable. Had on jun 29 2016. — 10 years ago

Mike Evans

9.2

Herbal, with black cherry, a little medicinal in a good way, very drinkable, but young. — 11 years ago

Amanda Church

9.2

Served it with parmesan, kale, and black pepper pasta. Lovely! — 11 years ago

Colin Cahoon

9.5

Cherry cola, black berry with mineral notes. Nice soft finish. — 12 years ago

Phoebe Li

9.8

Pronounced floral, red fruit (plum, black cherry), chocolate on the nose. Light body, silky smooth tannin, very long on the palate. Gorgeous Pinot noir! — 13 years ago