Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Merlot, first vintage of such blend. Deep Ruby, purple hues with aromas of dark berry fruits, floral and spice. On the palate flavors of dark cherry and ripe blackberry, with notes of floral spice and vanilla oak. Fine soft tannins, long finish ending with sweet fruit and spice and a splash of minerality. — 2 years ago

Benjamin Hettema

10

Fantastic! — 4 years ago

Samuel Sabori

8.9

Notes from Sensus Wine: 25-55 year old Syrah planted in calcareous clay, 21 day skin contact, fermented in 228L Bourgogne barrels of 3rd-15th pass.

Tasting notes: structured and still incredibly fresh. It's Syrah, but it's not too over the top. Tannins and fleshy characteristics are balanced, and the acids on this are overall very buoyant. I was expecting more funk, but this bottle is incredibly clean and very fruit focused.

In all, it's a Calek wine, and every bottle I've had from him is full of personality, vision, and intent. — 4 years ago

with Julia

Scott Stewart

9.1

A textured vision of Sauvignon — 6 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

A wine I’ve enjoyed mostly upon release or near it. I vowed to wait six years and nearly made it. At least it is 2018...just! It’s worth waiting this/that long for it to develop. On the nose; sweetly, baked fruits of; dark cherries, strawberries, black plum, plums, blackberries, and notes of blue fruits. Cinnamon, vanilla, very light clove & nutmeg, caramel, soft, medium, beautiful spice, black fruit tea, limestone minerals, loamy, dry, brown top soil, fresh dark florals and violets. The mouthfeel is full, rich & lush. The tannins are round, still have some teeth and possess velvety round edges. It’s fruit driven but not a bomb and showing elegance & grace. Fruits are perfectly ripe; dark cherries, strawberries, black plum, plums, blackberries, notes of blue fruits and dry cranberries dip in and out. Cinnamon, vanilla, very light clove & nutmeg, caramel, soft, medium beautiful spice that is more pronounced on the palate, black fruit tea, touch of melted brown sugar/molasses, limestone minerals, touch of rich dark sweet turned soil, loamy dry brown top soil, soft understated eucalyptus/mint, dry fresh florals and violets. The round acidity is just right, just a slight very small alcohol burn, the length, structure, tension and beautifully balanced finish are in a very good place. Even better in 2-3 more years in bottle; which is when I’ll have my next one. Photos of; the winemaking duo of Gary Franscioni (left) and Gary Pisoni, Rosella’s Vineyard on the right. As well as, Garys’ Vineyard at the bottom. Producer notes and history...The Santa Lucia Highlands appellation is known for its rich, vibrant Pinot Noirs. However, that wasn’t always the case. The first Pinot was planted in 1973, but results weren’t all that great. Chardonnay was the appellation’s early star. Much of the area’s current fame for Pinot Noir arguably can be traced to Gary Pisoni, a free-spirited wine enthusiast who grew up in a Salinas Valley vegetable farming family. Pisoni decided to plant a few acres of Pinot Noir in 1982 on his family’s horse ranch, at the southern end of what was to become the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation but his horses started eating the grapes. So, they had to go. His initial planting were limited by a lack of water until he dug a well on the property. Pisoni started planting even more Pinot Noir. The vineyard is now around 45 acres and nearly all of it Pinot. By the late 1990s, word had spread about the success of his vineyard, and a number of Pinot specialists from around California had started lining up to buy his grapes. He started producing his own wine in 1998. Pisoni isn’t the only Gary who has become a force in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Gary Franscioni, a childhood friend, followed Pisoni’s lead by planting grapes and started Roar Wines in 2001. The two of them now have five vineyards between them...all farmed meticulously with the same crew. They are best of friends...sort of a Mutt & Jeff. They have become a formidable presence in the Highlands, attracting interest from top winemakers and Pinot Noir lovers from all over. Franscioni is also from a vegetable farming family; Pisoni figures they’ve known each other since they were 3 or 4. Franscioni saw his friend’s success and once he got some money together, decided to plant grapes of his own. Franscioni’s property is farther north and cooler as it’s closer to the Monterey Bay. He was going to plant Chardonnay. He woke up and Franscioni recalls imitating Pisoni, and shouted, “plant Pinot!” Franscioni planted what became Rosella’s Vineyard, named for his wife, in 1996. He took Pisoni’s advice and planted four acres of Pinot Noir, although he still planted 12 acres of Chardonnay. It’s now a total of around 50 acres with three-quarters of it Pinot Noir. The next year, they decided to become partners and planted Garys’ Vineyard, a 50 acre parcel where they grow Pinot and a little Syrah. Since then, Franscioni has developed Sierra Mar, 38 acres of Pinot, Chardonnay, Syrah and a tiny amount of Viognier. The two teamed up again to establish Soberanes Vineyard, 35 acres of mostly Pinot Noir, with a little bit of Chardonnay and Syrah. That last vineyard was developed by Pisoni’s son Mark. The Garys might seem an unlikely pair. Pisoni is colorful character to say the least and has an outspoken manner. Franscioni comes across as more serious- minded. However, the collaboration between the two, who often address each other as “partner,” clearly works well. The two are good on their own, but better together. Pisoni being more gregarious acts as the frontman. He is the Ambassador. He’s a check on the rest to keep the quality high. Franscioni and Mark Pisoni run the farming on their own vineyards and work together on the joint ventures. The family involvement doesn’t stop there. Jeff Pisoni makes his family’s wines, which are under the Pisoni and Lucia brands. Franscioni’s son, Adam, joined the family business in time for the 2011 harvest. He handles sales for Roar and helps his father manage the vineyards. The grapes from all five vineyards are in huge demand, because the two families are such careful farmers, constantly tweaking and improving. Prominent customers include; Testarossa, Siduri, Kosta Browne, Copain and Bernardus. When a new vintner approaches them about buying grapes, the partners examine the winery’s track record and the Winemaker. If they like what they see, the winery is put on a waiting list. There’s not very much movement in their vineyards. When Franscioni planted Sierra Mar, he and Pisoni had 62 wineries waiting to buy fruit. Soberanes was developed with the idea of working with some new winemakers. There was some concern, even among the two families, that quality might suffer as the vineyard operations grew. However, there’s no indication that’s the case. In fact, with each new venture, they build on what they’ve learned in their older vineyards. Eventually, there will be even more vineyards. The Pisonis and Franscionis have purchased a 100 acre cactus farm in the Santa Lucia Highlands. There’s still a lease on the property. So, prickly pear cactus will continue to be grown for five more years. But at some point, the land will be planted with vines. Both families understand the importance of continuing to build for the future. The Garys looking back tell a story of being in the same spot some years ago and looking at a field of broccoli out back. He told Franscioni that the field would look a lot better with Pinot Noir vines. Now that parcel is part of Rosella’s Vineyard, and it’s planted with Pinot. Everybody thought he was crazy...most people usually think that when someone makes a bold decision. He’s a person who has always had vision and creativeness. He also has tremendous passion. Good things only happen when a person possesses all three of these qualities. Their wines are primarily available by mailing list. However, Nepenthe in Big Sur, CA acts as a quasi tasting room for some of their wines. — 6 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.4

Vision juarez — 3 years ago

Adriana Fabbro

9.2

Hey, Delectable— this is the Visions 2018 North Coast Pinot, but the ID wasn’t available.

Unabashedly ripe and warm, but with a distinctive umami flavor (hoisin sauce?) that I’m really digging. Black cherry, black plum and even blue fruit on the nose and palette. Lovely satiny texture. Medium + finish.

Hedonistic in the way you’d expect from a winemaker mentored by the Wagners, but the suppleness and umami notes make this wine stand out in a sea of north coast Pinot Noir, and the absence of new oak lets the fruit do the taking. Perfect with chicken lettuce wraps and haricot verts smothered in Madeira mushroom cream sauce.

Owner/founder, Mac Macdonald, has been making his own California Pinot Noir for more than 25 vintages now and it shows. Side note: he’s also one of the better story tellers in the biz.

Initially sampled as part of a tasting with the #AAAV (Association of African American Vintners) and took the bottle home.
— 3 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

8.9

In hills of Paso Robles, not far from Hearst castle, there is a man with a Homeric vision. His name is Daniel Daou and he is devoting his life to creating outstanding Cabernet’s. Deep red with complex dark berry nose, aged for 11 months on French oak (60% new). On the palate blackberry, tart cherry and a licorice twist, gentle background spice with savory fine tannins. Medium+ finish ending with cacao and earthy herbs. Great value. I also tried the Reserve which is something special. — 6 years ago

Kuan Lim

9.6

The revolution of Champagne wine making. Anselme Selosse turns his vision, belief and work in to this masterpiece.
A solera of Avize Chardonnay created in 1986.
Disgorgement date 10/13/2014 #champagne #chardonnay #selosse #substance #solera #shreveport #bossiercity #winemaking — 6 years ago

Geoff Troup

Sales Eder Brothers, Cellar Fine Wines

9.4

Wow this is superlative stuff. Beautifully expressive old world nose. Abundant raisin, acid more prominent on the palate, plum, flowers, call me nuts but kind of reminds me of young nebbiolo​? Petroleum, cola finish. Quite a marriage of opposing flavor profiles. Great fluidity and vision. — 7 years ago

Laura Sundh

9.0

Juicy, almost chewy on the front end, with velvet tannins, great acidity and a spice bomb on the end that took my breath away. — 7 years ago

Barb Anderson

8.9

Red blend of equal parts Syrah & Cabernet Sauvignon. Aromas of herbs, fragrant coffee and cherries. Blackberries and cherry flavors are self- indulgent and linger on the finish. Benefits from aeration. — 8 years ago

James Gourley

9.5

Excellent pinot. Just starting to show hints of age with dried fruits on the nose. Palate is silky smooth with racy acidity. Good stuff. — 8 years ago

Ron R

9.4

Nose is dominated by flowers and cinnamon. Palate displays coffee notes, sandalwood, smoke and star anise. Tannins are still prominent, as is the acidity. It’s so vibrant and textured. The finish just extends and expands. Another one of our domestic pinot faves.
I was thrilled to read in a recent WS article shared by a friend, that TRB has taken full ownership of this winery. He has a compelling vision for its future. Schrader inadvertently threw shade on this. That’s going to change going forward. — 3 years ago

with Anne-marie

Turd Ferguson

9.0

Fairly ripe and extracted vision of RRV PN. Fruit fwd but not overblown in the least. Made well but not really my jam at 14.5%. A lot of people like this style tho. Red fruits and root beer. Decant, smoke a big doob, and pair with a big ass pot roast and some taters for a good time — 4 years ago

Adam Smith

8.9

Imagine your licking a rough wet stone wall with rivulets flowing down at random. This vintage would pair with that vision. Rough. Wet. Random. Be ready for a happy roughed up tongue.. — 5 years ago

Chris Freeman

9.3

Cab sav up front and great intensity. Dark juicy fruit in the middle with mild earth, peppery spice and chocolate moka on the finish. Tannins grip nicely. Spice makes me sweat. Well integrated and balanced, elegant. Love every sip — 6 years ago

Roman Sukley

9.2

2015 Kutch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. I think we all know Jamie's story, stock trader turned winemaker, so I'll not repeat it here. Suffice it to say that I lived vicariously through him for years as he apprenticed with Michael Browne and then graduated to his own label. A nicer man you will never meet ( and he knows a thing or two about Porsche as well). Expressive nose of cherries, plums, menthol and forest floor. The palate is slightly sweet with cherries, black raspberry, clove and a touch of oak and brambles. In recent years, Jamie has progressed away from the big, over-the-top, high alcohol Pinots currently dominating the California market. This wine has an earthy, Burgundian character with mouth-watering acidity and smooth tannins. 12.9% alcohol. I see your vision Jamie @kutchwines and I'm still interested in that 912.) — 7 years ago

Geoff Troup

Sales Eder Brothers, Cellar Fine Wines

9.0

Mouth watering stuff. Spicy, rocky, green pepper, vegetal on a way. Very round and to the point. Nuanced, together, and expressing singular vision. — 7 years ago

Edmond Bordelon

9.4

Melka's beautiful Cabernet Franc (53%) blend from Knights Valley. Only other varietal added is Merlot (47%) to give it the velvet touch on a firmly structured Cab Franc base. Got to enjoy it at Melka's new wonderfully designed simple tasting room. Much like his wines, it's all in the details and having the vision to know how you want it to be at the end. — 7 years ago

with Katherine