Mark Flesher

9.4

A definite 94 tonight, with some stiff competition but still held itself well and was several people's WOTN. This wine is a darker expression of cab at this point. Lots of blackberry cassis, blueberry, and truffle in the entry and middle. The wine seemed to almost get a little more youthful in the middle and finish, and I was very glad that it was enjoyed tonight along with a 99 Rudd, a 98 Phelps Bacchus, and a 95 Togni. This wine will continue to benefit from some additional time in the bottle. Very happy that I opened this one tonight for the group. Compared to the Levante, this Ponente seemed to express itself much earlier without as much of a decant. — 7 years ago

with Shay

Shay A

9.3

Last night was the Confrerie St. Etienne Spring dinner. It was my first time attending. This is a chapter of the original group out of Alsace, France, and is the only chapter here in the US...just happens to be in my neck of the woods! Great introduction to Alsace wines.

This was the second wine that came with the third course, which was a beef tenderloin stuffed with lobster. Paired very nicely. I actually tried this wine for the first time about 5 days ago, but was the '14. I found this '13 to be a bit finicky in the glass for a while. It needed about an hour plus to really express the cocoa, espresso, blackberry filled nose. Finish of blueberries, Cedar, and very present tannins. Needs 3yrs or so to be pop and pour ready in my book. — 8 years ago

with Weston

Isaac Pirolo

9.1

This pops with vibrant strawberry and kirsch, but continues reverberating with incense, citrus peel, damp chalk, and licorice. I would happily spend $15 again, but this gives me the confidence to trade up to Halos Gigondas or Chateauneuf du Pape the next time around.

Finally trying this label... Considering the esteem to which I hold Philippe Cambie and my love for Grenache, it's been a long time coming. Cambie, along with a Michel Gassier, produce Grenache-focused bottlings from nearly all the Southern Rhone AOCs under the Halos de Jupiter label. To Cambie, Grenache is the king of all grapes, thus the comparison to Jupiter (Zeus in Greek), forming the basis of the label. The halo symbolizes the appellations that best express the personality of Grenache. http://www.philippecambie.com/en/les-halos-de-jupiter/ — 9 years ago

Mark S.

8.9

Good aroma. Its garnet color is quite good to express 2000 vintage. Dry taste even in California wine, but is it due to matured? @,sun square,160412 — 9 years ago

Matt

9.3

Great example of a white showing oxidation but still manages to express a complete wine instead of one ruled by oxidative tones. Walnut skins, canned pears, quince, sea spray, minerals, laced with citrus. 1/3 PX, 1/3 Macabeu, 1/3 Garnacha Blanca. — 9 years ago

Victor Hwang

9.2

Elegant. Wound when opened. Needs 30 minutes to better express itself. Strawberry, some hay. Light bodied. Core of acidity that frames it all and softens with food and time. Medium long finish. Very pretty and far from being over the hill. — 10 years ago

James Hallett

10

Play on playa — 10 years ago

Charlie Beatty

Buyer wineworksonline.com

9.6

Took 15 minutes to express itself. Bright refreshing touch of oak and nice tropical fruit balance. Quiet night with girl friend watching the Oscars / in background Julie Andrews from famous 50 yrs And Sound of Music. Songs song by a Incredible Lady Gaga! WOW! She was Incredible!
— 10 years ago

Colleen Tomasello

8.9

Nice blend. Housewarming with Shannon and Ryan! — 8 years ago

with Mike and Shannon

Mike Roynan

9.0

Very good $10 everyday bottle from PA Chairman selection — 8 years ago

Matt

9.7

This is effing delicious. Day 1: Heady on the nose, layers of raspberry/strawberry confiture, mulberry, sous bois, lavender, roasted fig, sweet spices, potpourri and rocks. Palate is so dense, layer upon layer of berries, garrigue, spices, mocha, licorice, black minerals, and crushed flowers. Like drinking velvet, opulent and sexy, crazy long finish. Day 2: the textural richness of this wines grew with air. Even more richness and posh on the palate. Nose unraveled, aromas of animal, leather, savory earth, sarsaparilla, and rich umami accents popped up. On the palate the wine shed some of its alcoholic edge and began to express those rich notes of coffee, cocoa, leather, and the deep layers of fruit grew. A purely hedonistic experience for S. Rhône drinkers. — 8 years ago

Charles Butler

9.3

When opened.. typical old style ..so dry it makes you pucker.. great legs, color deep purple, earthy.. so dry.. 5 minutes later it blossoms ..the fruit says hello.. it challenges your tongue to express something new bold. Sweet smooth and wonderful.. now you know why you drink wine!!? — 9 years ago

with Brianna

Brian Duffy

Sommelier & Beverage Director The Barrymore Las Vegas

9.4

This was an amazing example of Napas ability to age. Fruit was present but the non fruit qualities were starting to express. It was amazing! — 9 years ago

Max Coane

9.5

Was super wound up at first. Decanted and then the treat yourself express pulled into the station. The prices of Hankey J's wines are way to high but it's still a treat to drink them — 9 years ago

Erik Helms

Sommelier/Wine & Beer Buyer Whole Foods Oakland

9.2

Nose explosively exhibits greens as only New Zealand can express; limes, gooseberries, green tea, green melons, wild herbs, and green peas, to name a few. Palate is untamed, raw, and savage. Not bogged down by any oak, this wild and dry Marlborough screams of place. #kiwi — 9 years ago

Ryan Wofford

8.9

This #burgundy needs time to express itself. Sour cherry notes, good acidity & plenty of earthy structure — 10 years ago

Collin Moody

9.4

Fall blanc de noir. Reductive style needing lots of air to express pure fruit, creamy richness, loads of orchard fruit and mineral cut. Light and silky in the mouth. Vintage 10/disgorgement 13 — 10 years ago

with Andie

Austin Ferrari

Wine Director Hillside Supper Club

9.7

Absolutely outstanding Bordeaux. Shows what the wine from the region can be and what it truly can express! Very old, yet very alive! — 10 years ago

Gustavo Martin

9.2

Another lovely piece of Valdesil! Aged over lies, this white express all the power of native grapes of Valdeorras! High acidity and green apple, slate aromas... — 11 years ago

Jannae Lizza

Sommelier/Wine Director Passionfish Restaurant

9.9

Words can not express — 12 years ago

Matthew Hauck

9.2

Bright fruit dry with clean finish, very good! — 8 years ago

Kevin Ortzman

9.5

Adam's contribution to the Collectors dinner and it sure didn't disappoint. Yet another big wine from Russell Bevan. Full of fruit and awesome! — 8 years ago

with ADAM

Bobby Gilbane

9.2

D&R Air Express to the rescue!!! — 8 years ago

Dana Thompson

9.0

Like I said I was riding the Rioja Express over The Holidays and while OK this isn't technically a Rioja and it's a Garnacha I'll throw it in the "I really liked it" category. Deep blackberry with solid wood but I think it's not quite ready yet. I'd buy it and keep it for 2 more years and let the tannins calm down a bit. We had it with the ribeye that we served on New Year's Day and everybody thought it was a good Garnacha but would definitely improve with a little more time. — 9 years ago

Todd Abrams

9.4

2009. I doubt I'll ever be able to fully express my adoration for De Conciliis wines. Somehow simultaneously cutting edge and ancient. Skin contact Fiano with none of the highly oxidative qualities of lesser attempts. — 9 years ago

Charlie Beatty

Buyer wineworksonline.com

9.7

Wow Blockbuster 2012 Napa Cab from a Great Lady winemaker . Loaded with black fruits that really express itself. We let it breathe a good hour. Showed beautifully against all the other cabs! I would give this a clear 97 Rating. A must sought after Cab, do not miss out here. CB — 9 years ago

with Karen and Kurt

Gae Saccoccio - NdC

9.6

Really complicated on these so suspect days, expose themselves with concepts such as: tradition, terroir, identity without falling into the most sinister rhetoric if not sounds just trite and hypocritical as the counterfeit currency with which even large-scale industries - supported by marketing - pays back its inattentive mass audience riding the wave of the country of origin or protected typicality. A diabolical mechanism this one for which even the most noble ideas probably the right practices and good experiences completed in the scale of centuries to human measure and not on massive industrial scale, are trivialized by sleazy slogan, emptied of meaning to be more or less surreptitious thanks to barbaric persuasion techniques and brain-washing propaganda.
Yet with the Valentini's Trebbiano you may not groped to summarize in words if not by drawing on terms so appropriate to express it. Now concerning this iconic label we've got behind it a local grape variety, a real family and a great wine that collect in a bottle the past and present story of a side of Abruzzo who claims to defeats victories and sacrifices to dominate the abuses (on and of) nature, miseries and splendours of agricultural seasons. Places, people, vision, wines such as Valentini are here to remind us how each bottle stay so proudly standing as non-reproducible beauty and fermented goodness expressing all its artisanal uniqueness and authenticity which are just that suspect to industrial wine production in manufacturing chains on standardized quantities; wines that are all equal to themselves even though wine itself is not much left at the end of the day/cycle. Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Valentini 1998 is what we have to rate right now: rusticity with class; style, purity and glory of a local grape recognized by many admirers from all over the world: act local think global this is another slogan-cliché which in this specific Valentini's wine exemple could sounds a little less false and more effective. — 9 years ago

with Alberto and Giovanni

Chris Taylor

8.9

Delicious aroma of black pepper, earth, moss and cherry. This wine is beautifully balanced and drinking well right now. Flavors of cassis, cherry, spice and earth express typical Chambertin power. — 10 years ago

with Mac

Laura Masero

9.6

Allow it one hour to fully express the fruit and silky tannins, such a beautiful wine! — 10 years ago

Brian Collins

9.8

Tony Rynders is one of the most dedicated winemakers in the world. His Tendril label reflects his passion for crafting wines that express the terroir of the various Oregon microclimates he chooses for his wines. — 11 years ago