Martinez

9.0

Impressive Gredos Garnacha by visionary winemaker Telmo Rodríguez - a crucial figure in Gredos’ recent boom. Back in the 1990s, when most vineyards in the area were being abandoned, Rodríguez, alongside business partner and famous rally driver Carlos Sainz (hence the name Pegaso, inspired by the famous truck brand) started purchasing old vineyards in Cebreros, such as the three plots on slate soils where this wine comes from. Soon, several other winemakers followed suit. Complex, mineral, heavier and warmer than Gredos’ “typical” granite soil Garnachas. — 6 years ago

Roman Sukley

9.8

2008 Next of Kyn (Sine Qua Non) "Cumulus Vineyard No. 2" Central Coast Syrah. Pictured next to the inaugural vintage box, and documenting my disturbing inability to remove the cork in one piece, let’s begin with a quote from Manfred regarding the genesis of the brand: “The name is in reference to the fact that it is the next closest relative to SINE QUA NON, yet it is separate and different, and with its own personality, character and style. Implied is also a dose of hopefulness, of wishful thinking, that one of our five kids will someday take it over as his or her own.” (Unless my reverse adoption petition is granted, fingers crossed). The wines all emanate from Cumulus Vineyard, the Krankls’ first true estate vineyard. Most of the Syrah is planted on own-rooted, head-trained vines. The first three vintages were essentially Syrah-based, with some Grenache and Roussanne, all done with fully destemmed fruit. The wine spends around 30 months in French oak, with around 50% new oak. This particular vintage, which might very well be my favorite, is absolutely firing on all cylinders right now on its 10th Anniversary. So good in fact, that I will be looking to pick up a few more asap. 4 hour decant. Midnight black in the stem. Darker even than the 17th Nail from a week ago. Gorgeous bouquet of freshly baked, smokey blueberry pie cooling on the windowsill next to a vase of violets and lavender. Pleasing palate of sweet black cherry compote, licorice and Asian spices with just a hint of bacon fat. Lengthy, spicy finish. Beautiful structure. Lush and concentrated. I may need to add this to my guilty pleasures list as I don’t believe this was a critical standout. At least not by Manfred Krankl standards. Maybe the experts need to revisit?


— 7 years ago

Bryce Wiatrak

9.2

Corsair’s Triple Smoke Whiskey is their best selling product and is crafted with malted barley smoked by three different fuel sources. The cherry wood from Wisconsin offers a sweet, floral aroma; the peat from Scotland brings with it a smoky finish; and the beech wood from Germany purportedly unites everything together. Brand ambassador Will Atkinson describes it as a spirit “for somebody looking to get into Scotch Whisky, but isn’t quite there yet.” While the peaty flavors certainly shine through, there’s a gratifying fullness to the whiskey, as well as a subtle bacony, charcuterie character. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

On the nose; bright cherries, ripe strawberry & cranberry reduction, black raspberries, raspberries, watermelon near the rhine, mixed orange citrus, oyster shells, baguette crust, understated volcanic minerals, chalk, saline, fresh pink roses and florals. The body is full and a shade gluey. The fruits are ripe, rich and candied/gummy in style. Bright cherries, black cherries ripe strawberry & cranberry reduction, black raspberries, raspberries, watermelon near the rhine, mixed orange citrus spray, saline, seashells, soft grey volcanic minerals, lots of grippy powdery razor sharp chalkiness, baguette crust, fresh pink roses & florals, acidity that is round and well done, understated delicate micro bubbles and a long, well balanced, rich finish. The reason why I prefer the Billecart Salmon, Ruinart & Laurent Perrier over the Bollinger is it’s a little too sweet for me. Photos of; the House of Bollinger, cellar, headstone that marks one of their vineyards and their harvest staff picking perfectly manicured rows. Producer notes and history...Bollinger has roots dating back to 1585 when the Hennequins, one of the Bollinger founding families, owned land in Cramant. Before the Bollinger house was founded in the 18th century, the Villermont family practised wine making, though not under their family name. In 1750, Villermont settled at 16 rue Jules Lobet, which would eventually become the head office for Bollinger. In 1803 Jacques Joseph Placide Bollinger was born in Ellwangen, in the kingdom of Württemberg. In 1822, he moved to Champagne and found work at the house of Muller Ruinart, which no longer exists. Many other Germans came to settle in the Champagne region, including Johann-Josef Krug and the Heidsiecks, who founded a house that would become; Charles Heidsieck, Piper Heidsieck, Veuve Clicquot and others. The Champagne house Renaudin Bollinger was founded in 1829 in Aÿ by Hennequin de Villermont, Paul Levieux Renaudin and Jacques Bollinger. The partners agreed that the Villermont name would not be used on the labels, hence the house name Renaudin Bollinger. Starting when Jacques Bollinger married Charlotte de Villermont, the house has been managed by the Bollinger family. Even though Paul Renaudin passed without an heir to his name, the label did not become solely Bollinger until the 1960s. Founder Jacques Joseph Bollinger married Charlotte de Villermont. The had a daughter, who had two sons Joseph and Georges. These sons took over the company in 1885 and began expanding the family estate by purchasing vineyards in nearby villages. The sons also developed the image of the brand, such as when Bollinger became the official supplier to the British court and received a Royal Warrant in 1884 from Queen Victoria. In 1918, Jacques Bollinger, the son of Georges, took over the company and married Emily Law de Lauriston Boubers, known as "Lily". Jacques expanded the facilities by building new cellars, purchasing the Tauxières vineyards, and acquiring the assets of another Champagne house on Boulevard du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassign, where Bollinger's offices are presently located. When Jacques Bollinger died in 1941, Lily Bollinger took over. Lilly expanded production with the purchase of even more vineyards, but is best known for traveling the world to market the brand. Bollinger was modernized under the Claude d'Hautefeuille, who acquired additional vineyards and further developed the brand internationally. Following Claude, his cousin Christian Bizot took over the Bollinger house and expanded world distribution. Their Winemaker also used several James Bond film movies to market the brand. Bollinger is fermented in oak barrels. At harvest, only the first pressing is used in the cuvée, unless the vintage is of particularly high quality, when a second pressing of Chardonnay will be used. Bollinger sells the second pressing, the tailles. Bollinger utilizes two pressing houses (Louvois and Mareuil sur Aÿ) to ensure a short distance between harvest location and pressing. When possible, grapes purchased from growers are pressed by the house. When the pressed wine arrives, the Bollinger cellar master analyzes the musts for quality, discarding and selling off those that do not meet the house standards. The first fermentation is done cru by cru, variety by variety, preserving many of the unique characteristics of the vines location. Bollinger is one of the few Champagne houses to do some first fermentation in oak barrels. Wines that will not hold up to first fermentation in wood are vinified in vats. Bollinger Champagnes usually undergo malolactic fermentation. The Grande Année 1995 did not undergo malolactic fermentation. Bollinger uses only traditional yeast. They’ve decided that new generations of yeasts (agglomerated yeasts and encapsulated yeasts) do not produce satisfactory Champagne. Vintage wine, including all wine to be used in a Grande Année, is fermented in small oak barrels, sorted according to origin and variety. Both oak and stainless steel are used for non-vintage wine. Bollinger also has the last Cooperage in Champagne. The oak barrels are all at least four years old, avoiding the transfer of tannins to the wine. The wines are only lightly filtered. All Bollinger Champagne spends a long time on its lees, contributing to the complex flavour of the wine. Though appellation d'origine contrôlée rules only require 12 months on lees for non-vintage Champagne and for vintage (NV wines, 15 months from tirage to release and vintage wines must be kept for 36 months from tirage to release), Bollinger ages their non-vintage wines three years, and the vintage wines from five to eight years. The Grande Année and R.D. Champagnes are riddled by hand. At disgorgement, Bollinger wines are given a low dosage, to maintain the balance and flavor of the wine. The company uses 6-9 grams of sugar per liter for the Special Cuvée and La Grande Année. The extra-brut R.D. is dosed between 4 and 5 grams. After dosage, the wines are aged an additional several months, resting for a minimum of three months before shipping. Bollinger owns nearly 160 hectares of vines, producing more than 60% of its supply. The vines are largely Pinot Noir, specifically clone 386. Bollinger believes this clone ensures good quality as well as highlighting characteristics of the various terroirs. The vineyards also include some rare ungrafted French vines from before the phylloxera. Bollinger owns vines all over Champagne, including the crus of Aÿ, Bouzy and Verzenay. — 7 years ago

Colin O'Neill

9.3

The brand with the three stripes — 10 years ago

with Jonathan

Holly Glasgow

9.0

Very sweet with a little tart. Quite tasty! — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.7

Of the Napa wines I tasted over 4 days on this trip, the 16 Sinegal Reserve & the 13 Seavey Cabernet were my favorites. Both great wines but, stylistically very different. The Seavy big and bold and the Sinegal pure beauty & elegance.

The nose reveals very dark currants. Dark & milk chocolate. Blackberries, creamy black raspberries, black plum & plum, mocha powder, core of anise, beautiful dark spice, soft volcanic soils, some dry brush and lavender, violets and fresh dark red florals.

The body is full. The tannins are really meaty but, exceptionally soft, fine and meaty. Lots of dark spice with plenty of heat. The mouthfeel is gorgeously sexy with feminine elegance. Dark & milk chocolate. Blackberries, creamy black raspberries, black plum & plum, mocha powder, core of anise, beautiful dark spice, big sweet tarry notes, soft volcanic soils, some dry brush, lavender, violets and fresh dark red florals. The acidity is perfect. The finish is well balanced sexy and gorgeous. The structure, tension say this needs to cellar eight to ten years.

Photos of; tasting cellar area, modern stainless tanks, outside terrace tasting and or dining area and their grounds and lake.

Producer history and notes...Sinegal Estate was founded in 2013 with wines made from their 30 acre Inglewood estate in St Helena (not to be confused with the Inglenook Estate in Rutherford). This is not a new property, it was part of an original land grant and its more modern day history dates back to 1879 when owner Alton Williams purchased the property and planted the first vines in 1881.

The property has changed owners a number of times over the decades. At one point the Jaegers’ owned the estate, Bill Jaeger and his wife Lila lived here. These Napa Valley pioneers were in part responsible for helping establish Freemark Abbey and Rutherford Hill. Lila was also a gardener and established beautiful gardens on the property.

Owners, David (father)and James (son) Sinegal purchased the property in 2013. James was the co-founder of Costco and once CEO. David worked at Costco for 21 years.

After the purchase, David divided each of their vineyards into smaller blocks, picking selectively (30 times in 2013) rather than all at once, and adding technology to the vineyards so they have up to the date reports on a number of data points including temperatures, soil moisture and various barometric pressures. If they want to selectively water, say vine #67 in row number three, they can do so with their irrigation system. Extremely efficient!

Nine acres of vines are planted to various red varietals including; Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. They have some of the older Cabernet Franc vines in the valley that are 30+ years old.

The soils here are diverse and can vary even within small geographic ranges on the property. Some of their vineyards are planted on the valley floor – while their upper vineyards are hillside, on the edges of the Mayacamas Mountains.

Their landscape above the property is interesting and part of the Mayacamas Mountains. Visually, it appears drier than other parts of this mountain range and the vegetation reflects that with grey pine and more open natural vegetation rather than the thicker wooded vegetation more commonly associated with parts of Spring and Diamond Mountains to the north.

After purchasing the property, David created planned and laid out his vision to create a world-class boutique wine making operation. Many wineries in the Napa Valley can take years before they come to fruition, not so here. After only about 10 months, the existing winery was remodeled. 6,500 feet of caves were expanded and drilled into the hillside behind the winery and a new hospitality center was built. The hospitality center ties in very well with the winery. From the small tasting room, large doors open revealing the tanks.

A vegetable garden slightly under an acre grows just south of the winery building. Vegetables from this garden are sold to nearby restaurants.

A skeleton key appears on the labels of their wine and is prominently displayed on the outside of their winery building. This has historical significance. The original key opens the front door to the historic home on site and is displayed in the tasting room. With respect to the history of this property, this one key has already become iconic to the brand.

You only need to look inside of the winery to see that their wine making team is focused on quality. Each of the small lot tanks have built in pumps which can be controlled and programmed to do pump-overs anytime of the day or night. In addition, these tanks have multiple points at which the temperature can be controlled. These tanks do not necessarily handle all their fermentation’s. They also ferment small lots in puncheons and barrels as needed. Control across the board is the key here and it is the control of the details in wine making that is is so integral from when the fruit first arrives through to when it is bottled.

2013 was their inaugural release. The focus is currently on two primary varietals, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2013 Sauvignon Blanc were sourced from the estate but, then it was determined it was growing in an area better suited for red varietals so it was torn up and new plantings were made in the back of the property. While not far from these original plantings, their new home for their Sauvignon Blanc features different soils and is growing in a cooler part of the property.


The wine making team has been experimenting with the style of this varietal since 2013 with subsequent vintages seeing more oak. Especially, using the slightly longer cigar shaped barrels , which have extra surface area for maximizing complexities including textural feel imparted from aging the wine on the lees in these particular barrels. Maceration on the red wines is often 8-10 days and sometimes up to 20 days.

Most of their sales are direct to visitors or through their mailing list. However, they do have some distribution outside California in Florida, New York and Washington. Primarily to restaurants. — 7 years ago

PA

9.0

Not usually a fan of sweet wines but this was not too sweet and blueberry flavored. Good desert wine. — 8 years ago

Craig Stanfield

9.4

Got this and a few other Harris Vineyard bottles through an auction at an event. Had never heard of this producer but it's pretty darn good. Cork was perfect for a 2010 and even looked brand new. Big rich Cabernet. Layered with a long finish. Even better with this air. Three hours in and it's singing — 8 years ago

Martin G Rivard

9.4

Just a little something something to prep my palate before the Festivities began! Solid Chardonnay but I expected more.
On the fun side!: Blind tasting three wines tonight with friends: 2013 Beau Vigne Estate, 2014 Becklyn Reserve & 2013 Morlet Coeur de Vallee. Can't wait to dig in to those 3 bad boys!!! — 8 years ago

with Gina and Christine

Jay Svoboda

9.0

One of my favorite finds during a recent Paso trip. This small family owned winery only grows three grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Their wines both blend and single out these three varietals in wonderful fashion. The "Bang," their estate Cab, is pure Paso, but actually keeps the alcohol under 14%. Heat kissed red and blue fruits mingle with eucalyptus, menthol and a touch of green pepper and green vegetation on the nose. The palette backs all that up, adding a subtle backbone of dried, dusty earth - a more delicate Cab, not a smack you in the face Cab. As much as I'd like to keep this little winery under wraps, I can't help but extol the incredible work they're doing at a fraction of the cost of the other Paso big boys. — 9 years ago

Chris Morphy

10

Let’s take this glass on a magical journey!
The wine has been aerated to a 3 hour aeration.
Now, pour a little red in that glass and begin to swirl it around. As you swirl, put your nose up to the glass and take an inhale. Ah yes, that smell must be heaven on earth. You will smell notes of oak and this may be weird but also notes of delicious brand new rubber. Wow that was definitely pleasing to the senses.
Okay, let’s get to sipping the wine now and continue this magical journey of the senses. Take a sip and swish it around the mouth then drink. A mouthwatering sensation will follow your sip, along with many fruitful flavours and a warming blissful feeling down to your stomach.
My favourite taste about the wine is definitely the American and French oak in which the wine was aged in for 20 months. I hope that this experience is just as blissful for yourself as it has been for me. Enjoy! — 7 years ago

Ryan Vento

9.2

Wine club gathering with dear friends. Two whites and two reds, all tasted blind.

This was the Merlot I had so many years ago that changed my perception on what could be done with the varietal. Love this stuff. It can hang with many of the big boys and exhibits nice finesse and depth with loads of espresso, ripe red fruits, and tar/balsamic. — 7 years ago

with Krystal

Ashly Mitchell

9.6

So velvety and smooth. Starts off sweet but then mellows out with a fine finish. Subtle warmth creeps in after every sip. Why is the bottle so small?!? — 7 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.1

Inaugural vintage of a brand new winery with Jesse Katz as their winemaker.
Super dark and deep purplish red. Extracted nose with gunpowder, coconut, cassis and dark cocoa. Just a baby and wound pretty tightly. Medium plus (7/10) and medium plus to full bodied. Silky mouthfeel with dark coca, graphite, blueberries and crushed purple flowers. Don’t forget the lingering minerality. Solid potential needs a year or so to develop. Drink from 2019 till 2029.

The Setting Wines is a new winery with wines made by Jesse Katz of Aperture Cellars and Devil Proof. This is the maiden vintage of their Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon which comes from the SJ Vineyard in the south eastern corner of Alexander Valley directly next to Verite. Made up of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged in 70% new French oak barrels for 20 months with the use of three cooperages (Bel Air, Gamba, Taransaud). Only 500 cases produced or 20 barrels.

$$$ - Sample provided by the winery. Release price is $85.00. (91+)

— 7 years ago

with Sean and India

JKT

8.9

JL Brunello tasting 11/9/17. 90 Sangiovese 10 Cab Merlot. $12. Ruby medium nose red cherries fruits body medium with an acidic balance and finish. Good value. Tasted after the three big boys but hold up well. — 8 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

8.9

Moët best known for their premium brand Dom Pérignon. Nectar Impérial is one of the best examples of the three Champagne grapes showing richness yet finesse. Aromas of tropical fruits with nice bubble stream and light mousse. On the palate tropical fruit flavors with a touch of raspberry. Crisp with mineral tones, lingering finish. — 8 years ago

Carl Fischer

9.5

This is cool bottle for us. It was the last vintage under Helen Turley and also the last vintage where she used fruit from Three Sisters vineyard for a vineyard designate for her own Marcassin brand. Golden yellow in color the wine is extremely aromatic with vanilla, butterscotch and orange marmalade exploding from the glass in full throttle. The entry is full, lush and smooth. There is an incredible viscosity to the wine. Stone fruits and citrus dominate with a slight sweetness (not surprising given the pic on the right), but this is quickly balanced with a distinct minerality. There's a lot of Oak on this but the minerals and acidity combine to create an amazing harmony. The heartbreak of only having this one bottle is setting in. Will be curious to see how recent vintages stack up under their current winemaker. I remember tasting this for the first time 3 or so years ago and this is definitely one of those wines I'll remember. My other half and I are about to go to WAR for the last glass. — 8 years ago

Jenn Birchwhat

9.1

Like a pina colada wine, very summery — 9 years ago

Sam Lieblich

9.5

2015 savoury like a salty eel — 10 years ago