Top House Red

Spottswoode

Family Estate Grown St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

2002 vintage. Nice fill, good cork. Decanted with a respectable amount of powdery sed. Smelled great during decanting. Tasted 1.5 hours after opening/decanting. Expected light body with delicate tendrils. Medium body with a light palate footprint. Holy shazzbaat. This was absolutely firing. Like top of the pops, straight up to number one. Exceptional knitting and in a perfect spot now. Go all the way back to the inaugural 1982 vintage with this winery’s cabernet…thought my all-time fave was the 1991 altho the 1986 and 1987 were special. The 2020, picked early, thus avoiding the fires, is phenomenal as well. This was on another level and have had approx 150 bottles of Spottswoode Cab in the last three + decades. It was probably the best out of all of them. Difficult to imagine Napa Cab better than this. Power and finesse on display. Not improving but can hold this intensity for another 4-5 years. 12.24.24. — a year ago

Shay, Jan and 14 others liked this

The Vineyard House

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

Terrific. Opened this to make sure it wasn’t baked from a shipping issue. Obviously it wasn’t but I am amazed how approachable this wine is at such a tender age. 5 more years of bottle age and this will be a stunner! — 4 years ago

Shay and Milissa liked this

School House Vineyard

School House Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014

It’s been forever since I last posted but this is an appropriate wine to start posting again. First time having this well balanced, elegant pinot. — 5 years ago

David, Dave and 6 others liked this
Rafael Landestoy

Rafael Landestoy Influencer Badge

I bought 7 bottles at a great price and now I wish I would’ve bought more. Delicious.
Rafael Landestoy

Rafael Landestoy Influencer Badge

I bought 7 bottles at a great price and now I wish I would’ve bought more. Delicious.
Rafael Landestoy

Rafael Landestoy Influencer Badge

I bought 7 bottles at a great price and now I wish I would’ve bought more. Delicious.

House of Cards

Napa Valley Red Blend

My current FAVORITE table red. Fruity with adequate tannins and excellent finish. Pairs with everything from steaks to Italian. — 7 years ago

Brick House

Ribbon Ridge Gamay Noir

I usually tend toward Pinot Noir, but when I want something just a bit bolder, Gamay hits the spot. I have really been enjoying this 2015 vintage. — 7 years ago

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2014

Paired with 96 and 85 LB for fun. Dark, opaque and purple. Over the top with its fruit and teeth chattering tannins. Great to see what these start like and where they go in 20-40 years. — 8 years ago

Eric, Eric and 7 others liked this

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1986

1986 vintage. Tasting like it was nearish the top on the downward slope. Unified palate push. That great old Bordeaux nose. Light-medium body. Ullage appropriate. The feminine characteristics that are the lifeblood of this producer almost completely absent with this bottle. Had this been blind, woulda speculated this to be a 1985-1989 upper-crust St. Julien. All that said, still very very nice. The near-perfect 1989 specimen tasted a little more than a week ago reminded me more of the previous encounters with the 1986 than this encounter with the 1986. — 3 years ago

Peter, Shay and 25 others liked this
Shay A

Shay A Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Had the 2000 out of mag tonight. Signature green streak down the middle wrapped in left bank richness. When this producer is on, they are on fire, but when they aren’t, it’s so frustrating.
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego Premium Badge

@Shay A Heard and agreed. Still waiting for the 1990 vintage to show age-appropriately but as of 6 mos ago, tight as nails.

Brick House

Select Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir 2019

restaurant bottle so it was pnp unfortunately as i think this needed quite a bit of air and/or more time in the cellar. tightly wound, tart fruit, high-ish acid. i think a lot of these dry farmed bio pinots from this region just need some years to unwind and develop secondary flavors. i've got several pinots from Brick House cellaring that i'm not going sniff under 5 years. — 4 years ago

Josh, Senator and 1 other liked this

Top Winery

Inertia GSM Blend

Sharing some wonderful GSM with family! — 6 years ago

Andrew and Stanley liked this

Stack House

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

A very tasty Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Showing black fruits with cedar, vanilla, leather, spices, earth, chocolates, tobacco and herbs.

Bone dry on the palate, and full bodied with medium acidity.

Needs time to open up properly.
Still young and needs a few years in the bottle to mature properly.

Wine Advocate 92 points.

Spicy and tangy finish with firm tannins.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$43.
— 6 years ago

Paul, Daniel P. and 11 others liked this

Sobon Estate

Rocky Top Zinfandel 2016

Fairly fruity on the nose. Hint of black pepper and something earthy/mineral. Flavor is very dry. Dried strawberries and red vines. Classic jammy Zin thing. Some pomegranate molasses perhaps. Fresh and zinfulliciuos. Plenty of tannin to give it more bite than Zin usually achieves. Complex. True. Enjoyable. — 7 years ago

Tenuta San Guido

Bolgheri Sassicaia Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2014

Good fruit while still having an olive and herbal edge. Nice freshness, smooth on the palate. Actually a bit on the lighter side than expected. Not the best vintage or showing from a great house but still a good wine overall. I have had better vintages. — 8 years ago

Eric, Mike and 1 other liked this

Top Winery

Precession Grenache 2017

Strawberries, plums, and a hint of orange. A Grenache worthy of the name. — 4 years ago

Paul, Severn and 10 others liked this

Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2014

Very dark rubi robe, blackcurrant, tobacco and top soil notes followed by a fresh, balanced and complex mid palate. Great Pauillac and no rush. — 4 years ago

Adriana Pagliano
with Adriana
Adriana, Severn and 8 others liked this

Post House

Penny Black Red Blend 2015

Zwarte bessen, stevige body, klein zoetje in afdronk. Heerlijk met stoofvlees. — 5 years ago

Peter liked this

Top

Exert Syrah Blend 2015

Kirk F
9.4

Amazing after 2 hour decant. @Stanley Barrios great recommendation. Stunning wine. — 6 years ago

Dawn, Paul and 8 others liked this

School House Vineyard

Pinot Noir 2012

Yummy as it opened up over four hours. Good particularly for a seven year old Napa Pinot. Spring Mt. — 6 years ago

Château Cos d'Estournel

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 1955

From a great old looking bottle with a top shoulder fill and solid cork. Old light brick color, translucent. Notes of tart cherry, cola, some wood and some dry earth. Rustic. Still has reasonable fruit and structure. This bottle was better than the last one. — 7 years ago

Byron, Eric and 10 others liked this

Brick House

Cuvée du Tonnelier Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir 2011

Really delicious Pinot. Burgundian style. Elegant. Cassis and muted earth. Amazing for the original price. This 2011 is long gone. Paid under $40 several years ago. Wish I had another. Hear my Dad saying in my head "Always buy two..." 😀 🍷 — 8 years ago

Ron, David and 3 others liked this

School House Vineyard

Spring Mountain District Pinot Noir 2010

Red currant and black raspberry, plus some raspberry leaf (greenness and tannin). Good acid, could still age a bit longer. — 8 years ago

Lynne K
with Lynne
Anthony liked this