Stephen Redenbaugh

9.2

Medium deep pink moving toward reddish orange. Citrus melange aroma... orange, blood orange, sour key lime and pink grapefruit. Powerful weight on the palate but round and creamy in texture. The finish is awesome—long, sweet, savory, lasting almost a minute... with just the slightest hint of funky, cheesy forest-floor. Perfect foil for fresh broiled salmon with grilled broccoli and a Dijon cream sauce. So very glad I kept this wine so long before popping... far from over the hill.. could see enjoying the wine at 25 years. What a wonderful pink wine! — 3 years ago

Willie Carter

8.9

A lovely Champagne that never tries to get beyond itself. Persistent small bubbles that never seem to stop with a fine mousse. Fresh brioche, apricots, and tart apples comprise the nose. Consistency is key here. This little sparkler is so solid and sturdy. Beautifully balanced, delivers at a high level that’s easily comparable to other big Champagne houses. Predominantly Chardonnay, there is a freshness and effervescence to these bubbles. Very bright and lively on the tongue, this is clearly a step above similar bottlings. Toasted almonds and toasted bread lead on the palate with vanilla and green apples bring up the rear. Such a solid, terrific Champagne, this should be your house bubbles. — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

Note just typed on Delectable has disappeared so will type again. It will probably turn up sometime in the future. Lunch at Gerard’s Bistro in Brisbane - a delicious Lebanese take on Quail. Aromas of wilted red rose, green capsicum, and fresh Leather. Typical descriptors for Old world Cabernet Franc. Judging by this wine I need to drink more Chinon Cabernet Franc. — 5 years ago

Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

9.6

One of my all time favorites, the 1982 Cristal is magnificent. Fresh, nuanced and exceptionally beautiful, the 1982 remains one of the all-time great Cristals. Apricot, almond and chamomile nuances suggest the 1982 is just starting to turn the corner into its plateau of maturity. This bottle lacks a bit of excitement, but, then again, the 1982 Cristal is not exactly the sort of wine I get to taste on a regular basis, so it is possible this is not the best showing. Hopefully, I will get a chance to taste it again soon. Even so, well-stored bottles will drink well for another decade-plus. “In my opinion, 1982 is the first vintage of climate change in Champagne,” Lécaillon explains. “Sugars were higher than we were used to seeing. As a comparison, the 1981 Cristal is also concentrated, but it is concentrated by low yields. In 1982, we had high yields and elevated ripeness, meaning it was the sun that ripened the fruit.” (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2018) — 5 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.3

An unsuspectingly forward Riesling with a watery pale hay color and shy aromas of orchard fruits, bitter apple seed, and slate. The flavors take a sharp u-turn - fully expressive with off dry but not honeyed notes of red apple and roasted lemon. It finishes cleanly with slate and wet rocks. Really excellent. — 6 years ago

Taj Forer

9.0

Solid. Wish it had a little more wood but definitely a delicious Pinot representing several key CA regions. — 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.6

From a great looking bottle with a VTS fill. Slow ox’d for 2 hours then decanted an hour before drinking. Amber tawny color. Ethereal nose. Notes of black cherries, roses, cola, rhubarb, barnyard, gravel and some menthol. Still has a good core of fruit. Some tobacco notes develop and the cola thing becomes stronger with air in a glass. Impactful finish. After about 90 min this started a decline. At its peak this was ethereal and amazing. The key is to time the opening, air time and consumption to find it at its best. — 4 years ago

Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

9.0

Full bright ruby. Sexy if somewhat funky aromas of cassis, black cherry, leather, mint and eucalyptus, lifted by a note of black pepper. Deep and vinous, with its dark berry and mint flavors joined by slightly rustic pepper and leather notes. More savory than sweet; not squeaky-clean but has the energy to support slow evolution in bottle. Finishes with rather suave tannins that turn a bit dusty with air, perhaps due to the wine's savory herbal element. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, July 2019) — 5 years ago

Byron C Mayes

8.9

Bright yellow gold. Inviting nose of yellow apple ale lightly buttered popcorn. Medium full bodied palate echoes the nose with medium plus acidity. Balance is key. Buttery to be sure, but everything else is there too. If you like the classic California style, this gives it in spades. Pair with lobster, roast chicken, or cream sauces. — 5 years ago

Chris England

9.4

II’ve loved all the Sandhi 2012 range of whites & this £65 S&B is superb 👍 Paired with enough curry to get a small village going regular for a week 🤣 💨 sorry I didn’t take pics of that feast 😁

📍 Sandhi Sandford & Benedict Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay 2012 @sandhiwines

🏵 94 points

🍷 Golden yellow

👃 Chopped pineapple, crushed rock mineral, lemon oil, key lime pie, honey gloop & white jasmine flowers w/ light oak, vanilla & apple

👄 Med+ body of creamy refreshing clean tropical & citrus yummyness without being overly syrupy & a hit of green apple, pineapple, honey & minerality in med acidity

🎯 Med+ fresh apple, citrus & tropical trickle w/ a dry mineral honeyed pineapple slapette — 5 years ago

Sarah Oettel

9.0

Nice citrus notes—lemon and key lime. Petrol, rubber. Crisp acidity. Really well balanced right now. — 6 years ago

Matt Trader

9.4

Incredibly young - beautifully delicate and seamless - underripe white pear, key lime, grapefruit rind, white pepper, jasmine, and crushed rocks.

2014 - 93 WS
2015 - 94 WS

Just gets better year to year, and this is just their dry Barsac! — 6 years ago

Jonathan Wall

9.1

During the party I would have given this an 8.9. But as leftovers 2 nights later found in the back of the fridge... it brought on deeper dimensions of key lime pie etc. delicious. — 6 years ago

Neal Schaffer

9.0

Creamy pear, key lime pie, bruised apples, yeasty dough, and chalky notes on the nose and palate. Acidity is balanced with a slice of sweetness. Super grounded. Cheers! — 4 years ago

with Dana

David L

9.2

14’ Aubert UV-SL. Wine Nerd Herd virtual tasting. Been fortunate enough to have this wine a dozen times. Unlike the 2013 I had last week, this has seen better days. Still delicious & won’t turn down a glass/bottle. It certainly will drink for many years to come. The 2013 has got another 5/8 years in it..  I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase a case of the 13.
Makes points of subtlety & finesse, with touches of cream, smoky oak, apple & pear, light acidity ,falls short towards the end of the glass. Ending with a poached pear & oaky finish. — 4 years ago

Kimberly Anderson

9.1

Aromas of buttered popcorn that blew off to butter, citrus and white flowers. Viscous wine that coats the mouth, but not in an unpleasant way. Bright key lime and other citrus with fresh mineral crispness. Definitely some oak influence, but not the primary like with a chard — 5 years ago

Matt

9.2

Gorgeous turn around since LBT. Pure, ripe, delicious orchard fruits, brioche, toasted nuts, and chalk. Still a savory/starchy underpinning but this has opened up a lot. 2/2015 disgorgement — 5 years ago

Jeffrey Lew

9.6

9/25/18 89 vs 90 BDX Dinner with the Wizards. Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne. 😋 — 6 years ago

Scott Taddeo

9.1

Still very young. Orange blossom, rubber, key limes, lemon and tarragon. Medium plus acid and not quite as taught as it once was. Great producer sure, but better rieslings our there for the bucks. Like to see if this would go in a blind line up. — 6 years ago

Kyle Groombridge

9.4

Another gorgeous bottle of Gloria. The nose is intoxicating in and of itself, with perfumed notes of cedar, mint, anise, field berries, and flowers. The palate is still a bit austere, but not enough to turn me away.. beautiful texture, soft red fruits, some minerals, and a seamless finish. Gloria continues to impress. — 7 years ago