Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Just opened another bottle! Founded in 1932 by Isaac Muga Martínez, now run by children Manuel, Isabel & Isaac Muga Caño. Deep Ruby, aromas of sweet red and black fruits with pepper spice and oak. 4 grape blend from the Haro district (70% Tempranillo, rest Garnacha, Mazuelo & Graciano), 36 months in oak, palate shows elegant flavors of cherry and currant with espresso, vanilla & toasty oak tones. Soft full ripe tannins, lively acidity on a long finish ending with an earthy mineral character. Great vintage! — 3 years ago

Stephen Mandy

9.5

36 year old Palmer- smoky tobacco and cedar nose, delicate juicy fruit flavor, soft subtle tannins - a ballerina! Fabulous wine. — 5 years ago

"Odedi"

8.9

A pretty color of dark ruby with a nice reddish rim.

Strong nose of blueberries, black cherries, plums, vanilla, licorice, oak, cloves, spices, pencil lead, light vegetables, chocolates, tobacco, dark coffee and black pepper.

Full bodied and spicy with medium plus acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with plums, black currants, cherries, sweet raspberries, tobacco, herbs, spices, vanilla, oak, licorice, light vegetables, coffee, chocolates and peppercorn.

Long finish with soft tannins and tangy cranberries.

This Cabernet Franc from Livermore Valley is very enjoyable right now. Showing nice complexity with a soft and smooth mouthfeel.

This is a nice surprise. I expected to see more bell peppers and vegetable notes, but I didn't in this case, which I liked.

Needs 30 minutes to open up and remove some of the acidity. Has high alcohol but it is not noticeable.

A good wine to sip all by itself or to pair with food. Nice and enjoyable.
I paired it with cheeses and olives.

Would be nice to see how this evolves in the next 2 to 5 years.

15.7% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$36. — 5 years ago

Jody Scharf

8.9

This is Lot 36. Easy drinking chard. — 6 years ago

Mike R

9.3

Amazing wine with GIII merlot and for you hockey fans that is Tim Gleason and one of the owners of the vineyard - funny guy as well — 6 years ago

with R

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Classified as a Fifth Growth in 1855, is a close neighbor of Château Mouton Rothschild. A blend of 50% Cab Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 12% of Cab Franc & 2% Petit Verdot. A wonderful wine with the higher % of Merlot than usual, ripe fruit, citrus and spice aromas. Cherry, plum and currant flavors with a nice mineral edge, creamy soft tannins, lingering finish ending with a earthy mineral tang. Very Nice! — 6 years ago

Michael Phillips

9.1

Lovely white fruit nice wine — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.4

Founded at end of 1800 when Lavinio Franceschi, Florence land owner, visited the area. Over a century later, Tenuta covers an area of 530 hectares (140 planted with vines; 50 with olive trees). Aged in French oak for 36 months, 100% Sangiovese hand picked from 20-year old vines. A Gem! Deep Ruby. rich berry fruit aromas with complex spice. Palate has rich berry fruit flavors, baked cherry, with tobacco, cacao & subtle spice. Soft tannins, long finish ending with seductive earthy tones. Nice, aged well! — 3 years ago

Jeff Hasmann

9.3

Iconic spring season champagne. There are many reasons everyone loves this stuff - Grand Cru fruit, 36 months on lees, Billecart’s unique vinification process - but the best reason is that it is just so darn delicious. Tonight, the bouquet was intense and very much like a Chablis Grand Cru. Upon pouring into the glass, one notices the fine, elegant mousse rising from the bottom. Then the first sip - strawberries and pear with undertones of nuanced brioche and yeast. The style here is elegant and finessed. Beautiful juice! Tonight’s bottle disgorged in May, 2018. 50/30/20 chard/PN/PM, 9g/l dosage, 40% reserve wine. You will be hard pressed to find a better bottle of champagne in the $75-$90 price range. Well done! NV on May 8, 2020 — 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Founded in 1986 by Josep-Maria Raventos, member of the Codorníu family, creating a small, quality-oriented winery standing apart from the large co-ops. A blend of 40% Xarel-lo, 36% Macabeu, 18% Parellada, 6% Monastrell. Red berry and floral aromas with fine bubbles. On the palate strawberry and cherry with mineral yeasty notes on the lingering finish, good balance. Hand harvested and secondary fermentation rests for 15 months before disgorgement. A nice bargain. Tasting Sample. — 5 years ago

Shay A

9.5

Part 1 of the final and main event for the Fall WNH. The most spectacular lineup of wines I’ve ever seen, and an overall wonderful ending to an amazing trip with fantastic people.

En mag. New producer to me. Big in structure, but the fruit isn’t too extracted or rich. Dark in profile...blackberry, cassis, plum, smoke and toasted vanilla oak. Thanks, @Mike R ! — 6 years ago

with Mike, David and 4 others

Al Shikoh

9.3

* appearance: medium reddish purple with amber rim
* aromas: black cherry, lavender, cinnamon, and a hint of smoke, intensified with time in the glass
* palate: intense dark berry fruit, black cherry, beautifully balanced
* structure: dry, medium body, medium+ acid, medium tannins, 14.1% alcohol
* finish: grippy, tannic, medium+ length
* winemaking: sourced from LIVE-certified sustainable vineyard at the southern tip of the Eola-Amity Hills, winemaker Veronique Drouhin
* pairing: grilled salmon and quinoa
* cost: $36 — 6 years ago

with Kelly

Chris England

9.4

😈 Monster

Limited Edition parcel for Waitrose UK @ £36 which is a brilliant QPR buy if you want a full on ripe, rich & opulent Amarone 👍 Ready now but will age lovely 😄

🍷Opaque garnet ruby

👃Smokey earth through spiced blackcurrant & berry jam, dark cherry, damson & cocoa w/ leather & liquorice

👄 Full bodied ripe jammy creamy silky smooth sweet blackcurrant & dark cocoa w/ a plum & raisin backbone

🎯 Long sweet & dry blackcurrant & damson cocoa velvet dry raisin wallop 💥 — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

From 30-year old vines. 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha (no ‘11 made b/c Garnacha wasn’t great). Tempranillo spent 36 months on 4-year old American oak, Garnacha spent 30 months on 2-year old American oak. Ruby with nose of red fruit, cedar and floral citrus notes. On the palate flavors of cherry, currant and orange peel with vanilla, cacao and tobacco notes. Well developed, fine tannins, long finish ending with earthy mineral flavor. Very Nice! — 3 years ago

KRISTIE

9.2

Dry red wine aged in oak for 36 months, featured aromas of fresh cherries and strawberries with hints of vanilla, tobacco, and licorice. — 4 years ago

Joseph Barsky

9.4

2013 Vintage 15.4% Alcohol. Blend of 45% Grenache, 36% Syrah, 18% Mourvèdre, 1% Viognier from seven vineyards. Coming into it’s drinking window. — 5 years ago

Chris England

9.3

Always reliable amazing QPR NV Rose bubbles @ £30-36 that is our go to Rose next to Bruno Paillard, LP Rose, Billecart Salmon, Perrier Jouet Rose ... oh ok we like too many NV Rose but hey it’s nearly Christmas 🎄🥂 & perfect in Zalto Universal glass 👍

📍 Bollinger Rose NV

🏵 93 points

🍇 62% PInot Noir, 24% Chardonnay & 14% Pinot Meunier with 6% still red

🍷 Peachy salmon glimmering pink

👃 Strawberry cream biscuit w/ raspberry & peach in rock minerals & a citrus mist

👄 Med bodied creamy fresh fine mousse of peach, strawberry, raspberry, red currant & grapefruit w/ red apple & a sweet citrus shortbread biscuit in med acidity

🎯 Long fresh red fruits w/ a dry biscuity grapefruit & red apple finale — 5 years ago

Al Shikoh

9.3

Nearly opaque reddish purple hue. Raspberry, black cherry, leather, violets, and baking spices evident on the nose. On the palate its bold with a darker fruit profile offering impressive depth and concentration yet with nice balance and 14.1% alcohol. Long, somewhat spicy finish. Really nice value in California Pinot at $36. — 6 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Chardonnay pairing with Saffron Fettucine with Saffron Cream, Pancetta,
Summer Corn, Parsley and Pecorino Romano.

Green apple, juicy pineapple flesh, green melon, cream, butter, light honey notes, some lime candy, rich, waxy and well polished. One of a handful of CA Chardonnay’s I enjoy because of their light wood influence. At steal at $36 member price.

Not the best pair I’ve had but, it worked ok.

Photos of, their terrace view, Saffron Fettucine with Saffron Cream, Pancetta, Summer Corn, Parsley and Pecorino Romano, the rotating ball waterfall and hand blown glass that decorated their cellar halls.
— 6 years ago

Becky Gelber

9.4

Earthy spicy bold plum & berry — 7 years ago