Bruce Dunbar

9.0

Golden straw color with lemon rind and white flowers on the nose. Light citrus, minerals, modest acidity and a touch of oak. Layered, balanced and wonderfully site-specific. — 8 months ago

Vino Joe

9.5

Excellent excellent. Decanted for two hours before being consumed and then enjoyed over next 3+. Weighty and very heady. Dark rich fruit aged but not dusty. I feel this wine is in the zone. — a year ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

A Cabernet Sauvignon dominant blend of all 5 Bordeaux varieties, aged for 10 months in 25% new French oak, deep Ruby with aromas of dark berry fruits, oak and cigar box spice. On the palate flavors of blackberry, cherry and currants with cacao and herb spice. Fine tannins, long finish ending with fruit, oak, spice and earthy mineral character. Nice! — 2 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

First, if you haven’t had this producers wines at 15-20 years of age, you’re missing some spectacular juice. I bought this at auction for $38-$40 a bottle and because I was unaware of its storage, I was prepared to short decant it. Well…until I pulled the cork, smelled it and saw the color. This nearly 20 year old bottling is still big but with nice integration & evolution. I would say it has another 5-8 years of good life in it.

The palate fruit is ruby, ripe and lush; blackberries, boysenberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum. Mid berry cola, dark chocolate to pudding, mocha powder, wet clay, light, black pepper, Asian spice, dry-ish tobacco, black licorice, some dry herbs-sage dominate, limestone, dry top soil, dry brush, used leather, sandlewood, fresh to slightly withering, dark, purple, red florals set/framed in violets and lavender. The acidity is near perfect. The well balanced, structured, knitted finish is excellent and lingers minutes. Steal for the price. Another excellent gourmet burger wine. Beef Patties from El Salchichero. — 3 years ago

Aaron Rankin

9.2

Found this quite jammy and unidimensional. Pleasure bomb nonetheless. — 5 years ago

Aaron Rankin

9.2

Lemon kissed butterscotch. Rich butterscotch on the round palette. A drinker’s cali chard. — 5 years ago

John Mckeown

8.9

Nice everyday Pinot. — 6 years ago

Ed Chin

9.0

Resolved tannins, and well balanced. However the fruit was just too over the top for me. Think blackberry shake. — 10 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

It is really no surprise that this 05 is incredible and yet still extremely youthful. This 05 will out live almost anyone 50 years old. It is good for another 45 years.

I had their 16 La Dame last weekend & commented it should not be opened for another 10 years.

The core on the nose is dark velvet black currants. There’s a bit of melted dark chocolate-mousse. Ripe but subtle blackberries, black raspberries, black plum-plum pudding, very dark cherries, some mulberries, mocha powder, dark, rich earth, dry river stone, limestone, anise, mix of dry/fresh herbs, fine, undertone of baking spices, moist grey clay, slightly dry tobacco, sandalwood, mild, elegant spice, just the slightest hint of mint, very, slightly candied, dark, withering flowers & red roses.

The palate is rich, round with velvety M+ tannins. The core is dark fruits blended in melted dark-mocha chocolate. Blackberries, black raspberries, both plums w/ heavy skin, dark cherries, poached to slightly baked strawberries & raspberries over the top. Dry bay leaf-sage, moist clay, rich, dark, turned earth, dry river stone, limestone powder, stem inclusion, red licorice/cola, anise to black licorice candy, sandalwood to soft cedar, slightly moist tobacco, used leather, mild, dark spice, a touch & just a touch of tomato leaf, hints of cardamom, dark/red withering flowers with just a touch of violets, perfect acidity and a very well knitted, tensioned, balanced, structured, elegantly polished finish that last two-minutes and lands on nice earthiness & softly muddled spice.

Paired w/ their bone-in Ribeye. Best steakhouse steak that I’ve had out and not made by friends and or myself. Rich fat, tender and nice flavor. Lacks a bit of char and Napa Valley Rub from wholespice.com.

Open in another 15-20 years.

A real shot at a 💯 in another 15-20+.

@Delmonico Steakhouse Las Vegas — a year ago

Erica Gamble

9.0

Very dark color. Very dark fruity nose but substantial flavor. A little bit of earthiness. — 4 years ago

Charles Garrison

9.2

Lush, succulent Pinot…dark ruby on pour, dark fruits rise out of the glass setting the stage for an enjoyable first sip…no noticeable tannins…lingering finish…this vintage is in a really good place today — 4 years ago

Sam T

9.3

Delicious. Perfect wine for a Happy Thanksgiving! — 5 years ago

Will Shuttleworth

9.1

Clone from Loire valley. Very tasty. Supply and demand has brought this from $45 to $85 — 6 years ago

Alan Hyde

9.3

Quite rich. Drank it young, it would have been better in a few years. Would buy again to see. — a year ago

Thomas Epps

9.8

We are a bit biased, but this was phenomenal. — a year ago

with Jeannie

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 2016 Lore Vineyard pours a deep ruby/purple color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with powerful notes of ripe black fruits: brambles, plums, cassis, loads of tobacco, leather, a touch of bell pepper, organic earth and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and the texture is velvety. This is modern Napa through and through. Balanced but big. Drink now through 2036. — a year ago

Adriana Fabbro

8.9

@Delectable Wine oddly enough this is a Blanc de Cinsault, one of the silver linings of 2020.

When the fires hit early in harvest 2020, Will and Karen hedged their bets by pressing some of the 100+ year old vine Cinsault from the legendary Bechtold Vineyard immediately, and the result is a joy: pear, pomello, white grapefruit, some pith and white pepper on the finish. Fragrant and light.

In good news, the regular Cinsault from the vintage also turned out beautifully and isn’t showing a trace of smoke taint—or at least when I tried it a few months back. — 4 years ago

Jason Keefer

8.9

A nicely balanced and mellow Cali GSM with plums and tea. Very enjoyable! — 5 years ago

with Natasha

William Feinstein

9.3

Every time I drink a Two Shepherds wine I wish I had more in my cellar. A true “Rhône ranger” producing some of the best rhône-style wines in California. We all need to drink more Two Shepherds and support innovative winemakers who think about product quality before profit and ratings. Thanks to my dear friend Bruce for introducing me to Two Shepherds and supplying me! — 6 years ago

with Maryalice

Nik Weinberg-Lynn

9.1

Not much left on the nose - a little whiff of pomegranate. Super savory and saline notes on the palate. Interesting. — 6 years ago