Greg Gregory

9.7

Out of mag from Ch Montelena cellar. Stunning. I chose my two fave vintages for our dinner and the 91 did not fail to show off. If the 86 is Sean Connery as James Bond the 91 is Piece Brosnan. So much time ahead. — 8 years ago

Mike R

9.6

One of favorite boutique Napa winery - decanted 2 hours - love the 09, 10 and 12 - not tried the 13 yet - singing in prefect pitch - color is deep red and stunning, smell is intoxicating, taste is with every sip reminding me to smile and the finish is damn right runway model sexy - in honor of @Carl Fischer and the amazing Christmas carol story last night and as a tribute to all delectable folks including the WNH gang - my 2nd seasonal posting is an adaption from Home Alone 2 - "hold it right there - and you respond by saying "this is wine drinkers everywhere" - I say knew it was you as I could smell you near my cellar - you were at my cellar last night and You been drinking with everybody and not always smiling - you been drinking with "Snuffy. Al. Leo. Moe, with the gimpy leg. Cheeks. Boney Bob, Cliff" - you say "I am mistaken and have been not drinking with everybody and when you drink your wine you do smile" - so I say I believe you but tommy gun don't so I going to give to the count of three to pour a glass of wine and start smiling one two and wait you are smiling so keep smiling and Merry Christmas you wine drinking animals!!!! — 9 years ago

Patrick Derdeyn

9.2

I love everything from James Berry Vineyard. This one is Petite Sirah and Mourvedre, two grapes that each make wines that can age forever. No surprise this thing still has plenty of tannin, but the fruit structure is huge. Well balanced in that high octane Paso sort of way. — 9 years ago

Ernest E Phillips

10

I had this wine open for two days minus a glass I tried - that glass was great. When I pulled the bottle from the wine fridge two days later and poured it in to a glass and tried it after a bit, it was magical. Maybe the best glass of wine I have ever had. — 10 years ago

Christopher Nicolas

9.1

Enjoyed this bottle after a long day while watching the first two parts (of ten) of Band of Brothers. Was quite good! I wasn't sure what kind of wine it was since the bottle doesn't say, so it was surprisingly great. — 12 years ago

Dan McCarthy

9.8

Two days before my wedding. Drinking with James. Delicious. — 12 years ago

Lauren Hartranft

9.5

Great value, special at wine & spirits. Smooth finish. — 13 years ago

Paul Phelps

9.3

Really well made, but a bit young. Give it maybe two more years to soften out. — 8 years ago

Isaac Pirolo

9.3

There's something to be said about the state of the US wine industry when two wine and food bloggers in Atlanta can leave everything behind for California to start a winery that specializes in producing an inverse version of Mourvèdre. I'm sure that anyone making wine in California if asked where these guys would be after six years would unanimously say they'd be lucky to still be doing it. And certainly wouldn't say they'd be making the cover Wine & Spirits.

There's no doubt this is carbonic from the second the cork is pulled. As long as you're not pouring for Master Somms, everyone will assume this is Beaujolais. Juicy plum and mixed berry meet pungent violet, wet gravel, thyme, and a full rack of spices. The dark side of Mourvèdre seeps through over the hours, and in a wave of panic you'll realize you're not drinking Beaujolais, like realizing you're on the wrong plane during take off. In one moment you're mindlessly flipping through the pages of an airline magazine, and in the next you're fully aware of the adventure that awaits. — 9 years ago

Frank Kuo

9.6

Color of deep amber. Nose of nice woody fragrance, peaty, cedar woods, beautiful spice wrapped in condensed caramels. Taste of zoo of racy flavors, such as condensed sugar, citrus dancing on the tongues, smoky bombs, dried fruits like figs, baked apple, and hot spices from the alcohols. The dense, mouthful, round structure of the taste shows this 18 years old babe is aged so properly and absorbs the essence from the barrel. Aftertaste is long and shows the resonance of the flavors described above. One sip of this nectar gives you two doses of flavors of decent spirits. Well done. — 9 years ago

M

8.9

20060302 Cru w25062w to w24462w
Drank 20170101
Pair with Vietnamese pork, butter lettuce, Spain 5j ham cubes, truffle cheese, black olive, beef ri.

Nose: from little to rich plum and licorice
Taste: from little to rich plum and licorice, dark plum, yummy. Licorice comes out in an hour and accompanies well.
Color: dark
Good after 1 hour, finally finish in 2 hours, good

The 2007 Zippy's Block Shiraz is a sound effort indeed and displays the characteristics of a premium Barossa Valley red. Two Hands Wines have created a single vineyard series, of which Zippy's Block Shiraz is a major player, and this particular vintage, although tough, still resulted in a top notch wine.
EXPERT REVIEWS

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - 93 pts - The 2007 Shiraz Zippy's Block from Roennfeldt Road in the Marananga sub region of Barossa Valley, is a brooding, burly wine with a splendid nose of plum, tar, licorice, smoke, game, and blueberry. On the palate it is surprisingly restrained, bordering on elegant. Savory, ripe, and medium-long, it will be approachable in 1-2 years and drink well for a decade thereafter. - Dec 2009

James Halliday's Wine Companion - 92 pts - More life here, with some red fruit providing lift to the concentrated fruitcake and chocolate beneath; the oak and fruit work in tandem and provide a rich, but not overwhelming level of interest on the finish; chewy with some nerve to conclude. Date tasted 26 Feb 2009, drink by 2020.

Wine Spectator - 91 pts - This spicy red is distinctive for its star anise and cigar box overtones around a plump, chewy core of blackberry, plum and dried blueberry flavors, persisting through a solid frame of fine tannins. Best from 2011 through 2019. 750 cases made. -HS, Oct 2009 — 10 years ago

Slade V. Dukes

10

Two for $14 at ABC Fine Wine and Spirits. Second only too Oak Grove. — 12 years ago

Megan Gibson

9.2

Winner of Wine & Spirits Competition 96 points — 12 years ago

yousef saed

9.1

Leave it open for an hour or two and tastes more like a light Pinot than a rose. — 8 years ago

Anthony Forney

9.2

Absolutely one of the best Cab Sauv's I've tasted. Subtle yet strong. I dont trust the point system byt I have to agree with the 91 points it earned from Wine and Spirits mag, and whoever James Suckling is. — 9 years ago

Robert Torretti

9.2

The last of three bottles I got my hands on thanks to Flatiron Wine & Spirits! About two years since I'd had it last and with a similar white truffle celebration. Lovely Côte de Beaune red. Opened ~20 minutes before serving to get a little air. Served at the tail end of the white truffles and simple pasta and throughout the roasted duck breast course. seemed to lack the punch both on nose and palate of last time, but may be because we served it after the Barolo and Barbaresco. — 9 years ago

John Mack

9.1

extraordinary, limited edition añejo was created as a gift from a loving family to its patriarch, Don Felix Bañuelos, one of the pioneers of the reposado expression and creator of Hacienda Vieja Reposado and Cazadores Tequila.
Introduced in 2011, Don Felix Añejo is handcrafted at Destiladora de Los Altos [NOM 1412] in Arandas. Every step of production is slow and deliberate from roasting the agaves to patiently fermenting the sugar-rich juice of the agaves. After being twice distilled, the tequila is matured for two years and eight months in virgin American white oak.
Be prepared to be impressed. During its stay in oak, Don Felix Añejo develops an enticing bouquet and a lavish palate of cinnamon, honey, vanilla and baked agave. The lip-smacking flavors persist an amazingly long time.
“Don Felix’s commitment to the quality of the distillate led us to create the tagline, ‘not all 100% agave is created equal,’” explains Monique Huston, national spirits education ambassador for importer Marsalle Company. — 9 years ago

Charles Hudson

9.3

Great #Detroit bourbon. Amazing value for the profile — 11 years ago

Steve Anderson

9.2

Certainly not the same level as the Saxum James Berry, but a nice expression of JBV that is drinking very well with an hour or two of air at 1/10th the current price of the 07 Saxum. Recommended. — 12 years ago

Konrad Michels

10

Two spectacular wines in a row! — 12 years ago