Rajiv Ayyangar

10

This is a knockout wine, a stunner, a pitch-perfect expression of love for wine in general, and Loire Cab Franc in particular. It's wild in all the right places, and impressively refined where it counts.
Medium ruby color. Arresting and straight-up delicious nose that has a certain choreography to it. Specifically it reminds me of Jiří Kylián - finding freedom within a melange of classicism and visceral impetus. Exuberance in wine is rare enough, but exuberance with such focus and intention?
The classicist bent was my first impression - a correct nose of stewed bell peppers and coffee grounds (pyrazines), earthy dog fur with slight clove (brett), and a savory blackberry-cherry fruit compote.
Tasted blind, you would guess Loire, but you might wonder at the shifting nature, at how occasionally the bretty flavors rear up in a flourish, only to be overshadowed a second later by a warm, pure fruit. There is something haunting about the fruit here - it seems to contain memories of many different wines. The wildness is complex - dried leaves, dog fur, toasted mushroom, spiced clove, moist earth. The pyrazinic aromas have uncommon depth and character - stewed bell pepper, coffee, and nascent tobacco.
On the palate, the wine dances with an elegant 12.6% alcohol frame, vibrant acidity, and satiny tannins - the medium on which the finish is printed. There is a moment, mid-palate, where the individual components come together seamlessly - a strong argument for structural-aromatic integration in the Clark Smithian sense. On the finish, the flavors subtly unravel, then persist like a vocal ensemble with synchronized vibrato.
Get this. — 9 years ago

Steve McDermott

9.0

Black Cherry, leathery, tobacco-y nose. Smooth and drinkable with black cherry notes. Screw top bottle, uncommon in Argentina. — 10 years ago

Erich Broksas

Early Mountain Vineyards

9.5

So happy to find that @NinkasiBrewing is now in Virginia. One of my favorite Oregon brewers. — 10 years ago

Lewis Perdue

9.3

Verily I say, my head nearly exploded when I tasted this! Inky deep, meaty, peppery, stiff backbone like a Buckingham Palace guard, and big in all the ways that light up my palate like a First Encounter of the wine kind. Mondeuse is rarer in the US than a UFO ... and uncommon outside of the French region of Savoie. $42 at the winery. Gotta rig up a tractor beam and get me some! — 11 years ago

Tegan Passalacqua

Winemaker Turley Wine Cellars, Sandlands; Founder Historic Vineyard Society

9.7

Amazing ale — 11 years ago

Galen Hasler

9.0

Beautiful riesling with vibrant acidity and structure uncommon in the finger Lakes. Classic Riesling fruit with very good intensity — 11 years ago

Daniel P. Drake

9.0

It is the day after Christmas I thought I would go with a Champagne. This is the Fleury Pere et Fils Champagne Rose de Saignee NV. On the nose I get good red fruit of strawberry, fresh bread, Brewers Yeast and very fresh overall feeling. On the palate I get tart cherries, new strawberries, medium + acidity, and an earthy minerality with a good long finish. This was bought for $39.99. — 11 years ago

Mitchell Mulder

9.3

A very good IPA, still one of the best since first brewed in 1989, if you have not had this, you should try, it is a true classic in IPA's — 13 years ago

Daoud Sangwa

Sommelier Whole Foods Market

9.6

Ale aged on whiskey barrel. I had this at the Midwest Brewers Fest today. A special pour from Jim Debolt from Boulevard. Thanks Jim. — 13 years ago

Sarah Monceaux

9.3

Enjoyed this beer! My husbands coworkers brother is one of the brewers here and when he went to visit Georgia brought back this! :) — 10 years ago

Karen Ferguson

10

A dark, medium-bodied ale full of rich coffee and roasted barley tones. Beer AND coffee... what could be better than that?
— 10 years ago

Yoon Ha

Master Sommelier/Wine Director Benu

9.2

Too young, yes, but with an authority uncommon at the ac level. — 10 years ago

Amanda Yanagisawa

9.3

Dark and tasty — 10 years ago

Claire Powell

9.1

Pretty good amber — 11 years ago

Kira McBride

9.4

Smooth and crisp. Just don't let it get warm. — 11 years ago

Kristine Cuenco

9.5

Sauvignon Blanc from Burgundy is definitely uncommon. This has very floral and fruity taste with a nice tart finish. — 11 years ago

with Linda

Mike Lev

8.9

Some mild signs of age which is not uncommon for this quality of a Bordeaux and it's 14 years old. Great nose, dark fruits, Cedar, leather. Somewhat dusty.
— 11 years ago

Christian Bronstein

9.5

2nd time in with consistent accolades....juxtaposition of Syrah and Grenache is mouthwatering. Uncommon among Ca offerings — 12 years ago

Yoon Ha

Master Sommelier/Wine Director Benu

9.5

I wish more Gewürztraminer tasted like this - expressing refinement and precision uncommon for this grape. — 13 years ago

Heather Bonneau

9.0

For the price this is a pretty great Cab Sauv. I can taste plum, black cherry, a very light oaky taste ( most likely aged in older oak barrels) I also taste a very slight hint of smokiness, and tobacco. It has subtle tannins which is uncommon for a Cab Sauv. — 13 years ago

Eric Vrtis

9.0

I have always loved this rose. bought a case for the summer. great for the price with a zippy pepperiness uncommon in rose. — 10 years ago

Kelsi Garrison

9.8

I love this so! — 10 years ago

Ron R

9.4

A brilliant wine with a uncommon finesse. Beautiful texture and depth. At @David A Lentine's cellar - a thorough disgrace!!! — 10 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.3

Terrific soaring aromas of vivid red fruits. This nose is what you want. Spice, wet earth, so perfectly framed by fruit. Really lovely and expansive. Reminds me of Fourrier on the palate. Very pure, voluminous sweet fruit, nice structure and wonderful top notch finesse. Typical nice acid of 13 with uncommon depth of fruit for a village wine. Terrific complexity and nice perky acids. Great now better in 5 years. — 11 years ago

Yoon Ha

Master Sommelier/Wine Director Benu

9.6

Perfume and satin uncommon from gevrey. More like vosne reminiscent of Rouget. — 11 years ago

Matt Royce

9.2

Squatters best beer hands down. Good strong, hoppy, bitter IPA. — 11 years ago

with Anthony

Ezequiel Lamb

9.4

Ezequiel had this 11 years ago

Bart Hansen - Dane Cellars

9.0

Nice and refreshing... — 11 years ago

Chris Hall

General Manager Long Meadow Ranch Winery, Wine Director Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch

9.8

Tasty post Table Mtn refreshment — 12 years ago

David Kuchar

9.0

#beer. lots of points for the name — 13 years ago