David Shaw

9.3

Freedom Hill vineyard. Bought at winery. Light yellow in color. Floral and stone fruit notes in nose and yes, matchstick. Lemon, underripe nectarine flavors with a hint of kiwi in the mouth. Good acidity, delicately flavored, mild tongue-coating astringency. A gem of a Chardonnay — 8 years ago

Andrew Lam

9.7

This was ridiculously good. Had it with our Chinese New Year dinner of chicken, duck, seafood, etc and it went well with everything. Full bodied, well integrated, just really rich and wonderful. Might be the best NZ wine I've ever had. — 9 years ago

Richard Lewis

9.8

For us, this is the greatest vintage of this wine, a real bait and switch between the sweet almost Sauternes-like nose and the vanilla sherry on the tongue. I recall Abe mentioning this might be peaking a few years back, but i theorize it's got a very long way to go. — 9 years ago

with Lynne

Kejia Zhu

9.0

Macerated fun. More like an orange wine than a traditional Pinot — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

If you look in the dictionary under elegance, there is a picture of this wine. The nose might be the best red floral noses I've experienced. The fruit is understated ripe strawberries, cherries, pomegranate, cooked rhubarb, dried red roses, touch of red licorice cola, baking spices, a fine chalkiness that sticks to the mid tongue and a finish that doesn't stop. — 10 years ago

Mahek Shah

10

Strong berry rich cabernet sav. Aromatics of plum, vanilla, blackberry. Soft to tongue with long finish with just the amounts of spice and oaky. Pairs well with grilled steak. Tannins enhanced after letting it breathe for 30 min - 1 hour. Depth in flavor, great with hearty meal to compliment. — 10 years ago

Ned Gray Creed

9.4

2007 was the first vintage of AOC Chablis. That's what you learn while in good company. Who the hells wants tasting notes!? My tongue is different than yours anyway. I prefer knowledge based on region, production, aging, varietals, etc. — 10 years ago

Dan Pugh

9.1

Excellent Pinot Noir, very fruity on the tongue and with a reasonable amount of earth in the nose. Drank well with a big salad. Maureen says "really light, good but it didn't stand out. Very pleasant." — 10 years ago

DAL 9000

9.3

Delucate aroma of apples and pears. The slightly buttery oak hits about 3 seconds after it's on your tongue. Delicate in the finish that lingers with apples. — 11 years ago

Tom Higgins

Owner/Winemaker Heart & Hands Wine Company

10

Amazing. Brioche, butter and figs on the nose. Baked bread, rose blossoms and delicate citrus notes on the tongue- the wine is just so soft and silky. This sets a new bar in champagne for me. — 12 years ago

Paul Weil

9.0

A young Cabernet which really opens up after an hour in the decanter, this is a slightly sweeter take on the varietal. It still has the best features of Napa Cab: thick chewy tannins, bright cherry and rich mocha flavors, and a pleasant lingering finish that tingles on the tongue. The extra residual sugars would make it an ideal accompaniment to Asian-style meat dishes, but if you don't mind a splash of sweetness, it makes a great cocktail wine and probably a good gateway wine to the big reds for less experienced wine tasters. — 9 years ago

Paul Marchesano

9.4

Beautiful rich dark velvet on the tongue. Rich finish. Plum and berries are forward. We decanted and let breathe for 3 hours. This is a beautiful wine that grows in complexity as you drink it. — 9 years ago

Frank Soldano

9.5

Drinking the 2013 in 2016. Golden color with long lasting legs. Oaky aroma with light floral notes. Smooth on the tongue with toasted oak. Mellow lactic acids. Smooth but not a big wine. — 9 years ago

Frank Soldano

9.3

Drinking the 2010 in 2016. Ruby red color with excellent clarity. Leather bouquet with a surprisingly big nose. Light, smooth flavor with low acidity. Earthy with leather and currants on the tongue. — 9 years ago

Shayna Joubert

9.5

Deep ruby red. Cherry and vanilla tastes on tip of tongue. Raspberry? Tobacco in back of throat? Pepper? — 10 years ago

Sarah C

9.4

Yep. Still rocks. Fish tacos, people... Fish tacos. — 10 years ago

Sarah C

9.2

So delicate and expressive. Red cherry, Santa Rosa plum, red rose, cassis, stewed cranberry compote, strawberry with tobacco & lively minerality. Love. — 10 years ago

Rodolfo Alvarado

8.9

First of all, the bouquet is layered with muddled dark fruit. Second, the body is complex in all the right reasons. It's concentrated, intense, fresh, elegant and carries the sweetness of the fruit. Raspberries and blackberries on the tongue, with a beautiful dark purple color. Medium body, medium acidity and ripe tannins round out this seductive wine. — 10 years ago

Chris LaCorte

9.8

Incredible bouquet of damp earth and rose petals. Ruby red with an orange rim. Velvet on the tongue. Still has impressive structure and life in it. Very Bordeaux like in its age. Blueberry, rose hips, tobacco. Complex and fantastic. — 11 years ago

Andrew Lampasone

Owner Wine Watch Selections

8.9

This is in collaboration with armin diel at 12.9 this only has a touch of residual bright green apple fruit bringing together the hoarse heaven hills for the minerality and stone fruit, Yakima valley Phil church vineyard for the bright acidity then some sagemoor and Dionysus vineyard fruit white flowers nice complexity here on the nose a nice touch of sweetness on the tongue with a nice dry finish some pretty floral notes. Excellent — 11 years ago

Joni Murray

9.0

Buttery, creamy, bright acidity, tropical fruits, toasted nuts, coats the tongue in butter. Lovely for the style, not as flabby as some chards can be. Very nice — 9 years ago

mitch connell

9.3

2014. Very young but beautiful oak balance and craft in purification. The wine is excellent with instant oak on the tongue but then a fantastic body. Its mass produced but tastes special. It tastes like a bourgone in the mid 40s range. — 9 years ago

Brandon T

9.5

The best Pinot I've had in '16! Was a crowd pleaser. Big, bold and delicious. Nicely done! — 9 years ago

Devin Bray

9.2

Lovely Barolo with a nice grittiness, classic tongue-stripping tannins, Kirsch, and some herbal notes after about 45 minutes open that fade in an hour or so. Not as good as some other vintages I've had - a bit more tarry on the tongue and not as voluptuous. Perhaps in a dumb period, or maybe just not the best vintage from this producer. — 9 years ago

Vanessa Justice

9.2

With one sniff the aroma creeps in delicately stinging the nose, daring you to sip. Unexpected, the experience of cherry coke fermented marshmallow on the tongue is pure unadultered bliss. It's obvious why the culty turned mainstream status wine is a mainstay under lady skirts - no one wants to share. The last moment on cloud nine it brings you down with its pruned, earthy shackles. Truly a representation of wine lover's prison. — 10 years ago

Brian Grech

9.8

Purchased at auction from K&L. Single owner kept it in very fine fettle. Fill level high for a '66 and minimal sediment in the bottle. Tawny caramel color with golden rim. Superlative complexity on the nose: rich mushrooms, forest floor, cedar, moss and wet leaves, dangui Chinese herbs, butterscotch taffy, molasses. Gentle and round on the tongue: prunes, mocha, shiitake, licorice, clove, sandalwood, black cherry, dried figs, and iron-alkaline briny blood. Very savory with subdued fruit, but tannins still fully structured. Loooooong finish, all the way to the heart. Euphoric ending to a lovely Christmas. Cheers to my mother-in-law. — 10 years ago

with Chi, Ashley and 1 other

Lauren Swanberg

9.3

Oh dear lord, can we talk about the slate and the smoke that this beauty brings? There's a pleasant little mineral "pop" on the tongue- something I adore in a pinot noir- but it immediately melts into a smooth, clean finish. — 10 years ago

rhenderson

9.0

great full-bodied rose...chalky pink in color...wet cigar-wrapper nose...pops on the tongue immediately with tons of acid, but mellows out into a long complex raisin finish. — 10 years ago

Andrew Lampasone

Owner Wine Watch Selections

9.7

A good amount of white grapefruit citrus and melon fruit on the nose with a whiff of fresh bailed hay. This wine is made at cardinal winery and is made by Laura Diaz Chris carpenters assistant. With fruit from napa just west of the town of napa and from a vineyard in pope valley. This wine is bright and focused with citrus and papaya green apple, tropical fruit a light briny mineral note through the finish. Juicy fruit and tongue tingly acidity. Finish 40+ most excellent — 11 years ago

Todd Bates

9.1

Big and jammy, loads of fruit..like velvet in your tongue — 12 years ago