Johnno Harris

9.5

Fantastic. Nothing out of place here. Open ripe cassis & blackberry fruit notes with a subtle lick of mint and dried herbs supported by some classy sweet mocha oak. Good to go now with a bright future ahead. — 5 years ago

Steven Garner

9.2

Bright fruit at opening, cherry some graphite. As it decanted smoothed out with dark cherry, vanilla and tobacco notes. Really enjoyed the way this wine changed as decanted. — 6 years ago

Martin Bergo

8.9

Medium ruby; dark ripe fruits, baking spices and vanilla; oaky also on the taste which lasts into the finish. Made in the east in new french barriques. Because all the other wines on this tasting were made in large neutral oak, this wine stood out, and not in a good way. — 6 years ago

Jusden Aumand

9.4

Fabulous and funky expression of Margaret River. Leaning on the lighter side a touch; just the way I like them. — 7 years ago

Matt Trader

9.2

Starting to see more beautiful wines from the Margaret River and this is a stellar example of Australian Chardonnay. (This one is an appellation blend of 65% Margaret River and 35% Pemberton) but they are based out of the Margaret River.

13% Alcohol - medium malo, bright acidity

👃flint/crushed rocks, honeydew, green apple skin, vanilla creme

👅pineapple, golden apple, lemon zest and oil, white pepper, mineral, mousse

Excellent balance between the fruit and the acidity, could have some age potential, with minimal development due to it being a screw cap, but it could still use a few years to become a tad softer.

Australia is probably my favorite wine making region this year for sure. A must try. — 8 years ago

Tom Casagrande

9.1

Excited to try this well-aged Bojo, from a producer reputed to make wines that benefit from age. It’s still got surprisingly youthful color. Nose has very slightly stewed (in a good way) red fruit, an interesting sous-bois note, and the characteristic granitic minerality still there. Soft in the mouth, with that cooling tertiary flavor profile I associate with aged Bordeaux, although with friendlier fruit still there. Very interesting and enjoyable! Shout out to my bro, @Angelo Casagrande for giving this to me. — 8 years ago

with Angelo

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.8

I can’t pour enough praise on Dan and his talents. I don’t give many wines near perfect scores, but this merits one. The nose is a beautifully balanced mix of floral fruits, earth and spice. Blackberries, huckleberries, boysenberries, black plum, black raspberries, plum, black raspberries, poached strawberries, dark moist soils, loamy dry soil/clay, raspberry cola, smoked meats, medium dark spice, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, lilacs, violets and lavender. The balance is incredible...one of the most balanced wines I’ve had. The structure, tension and length are so close to perfect. It’s in the OMG realm. The tannins are nicely resolved but still have teeth. It’s gorgeously lush and rich. Blackberries, huckleberries, boysenberries, black plum, black raspberries, plum, black raspberries, poached strawberries, hues of blue fruits haunt the palate, dark moist soils, loamy dry soil/clay, raspberry cola, black licorice, touch herbaceous, smoked meats, medium dark spice, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, black & white pepper, dry crushed rocks, stones, lilacs, violets and lavender. The finish is heaven all the way around. To borrow Bordeaux terminology, this is First Growth Shiraz. If you don’t seek out Dan’s wines on the secondary market, you are missing something special. Not at all meant to be enjoyed young. This wine is in a very good spot and has another 10 years of life going forward. — 8 years ago

Megan

9.5

Loving this! Picked this up in Oakland on my way to the California coast. The wine merchant told me this is one of the few producers who still ferments in oak. I was intrigued! Tasting it, I’m totally sold. Toasty brioche and caramel on the nose, full body, roasted pear and apple cider notes on the palate. Will definitely go out of my way to buy again! (D: 3/2018) — 5 years ago

Joe Davant

9.4

I’ve been holding off on drinking any of the 2012 vintage from Hirsch because the folks at the winery said this vintage that needed time in the bottle. @Bill Bender’s notes about the 2012 Hirsch Reserve encouraged me to open a bottle, and I’m glad I did. The wine was deep and broad with more earth, forest floor, mushroom, and loamy notes than I have come to expect from Hirsch wines. The structure has settled down and the more beguiling feminine aspects of the West Ridge are now showing themselves. This was fanatic with crispy roast duck at Gideon Ridge. On a side note, I’ll give a plug to that restaurant. IMHO, it’s the best restaurant in the high country, with great food, service and views. Just plan ahead because reservations are often 6-8 weeks out during the summer season. — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

So balanced no descriptors stand out - just damn good claret. Herbal silky with fading plum - medium weight. The Cullen girls Diana and Vanya are long time adopters of organic and biodynamic principles and this is considered as one of Australia’s leading Cabernet blends. Cullen say this will live 20 years so it is only halfway there. Have the next one later this year. — 7 years ago

Alan Viader

9.0

Fresh mushroom, savory spices. On its way out but pleasant tonight. Nice wine, holding up well. Drink up! — 7 years ago

Josh Raynolds

10

Rich, creamy and chocolatey as all get out. Some spicy notes come up on the back and give it a weird, in a good way sort of Mexican chocolate effect. This is an American beer icon and for good reason. Bottle number two of a four-pack. — 8 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Pale Lemon in colour. Leesy Struck Match Citrus Aromas. Citric notes on palate but also a creaminess with a little nectarine. A profound intensity which makes this Chardonnay stand out from the crowd. One of the most consistently good Chardonnays in Margaret River and Australia. Will keep for a few more years but hard to see it better than it is now. — 8 years ago

Kaito Kikuchi

9.0

Quite a pack of ethanol on the vapor, mouthful of spice and sweetness with loads of tannin, which smoothes the acid out to a surprisingly gentle end. A wine like a boisterous guy at the bar who's unexpectedly soft spoken and mellow in person. — 8 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Tasted blind. Dark reddish brown color, port-like in color and in the nose. Notes of raisins, molasses, tobacco. What is this? While it seems like it could be Madeira, the impact in the mouth and the tastes in no way resemble that. Someone threw out the guess that it could be really old Bordeaux. Yep. Drinking some history tonight! — 6 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.4

Thanksgiving wine 2019. Red cherry licorice and a hint of cola. At first this wine was a bit acidic but needed about 30 minutes to work itself out. Graphite hits in the middle. Medium + bodied wine. Got a little brambly towards the finish bit definitely not in a bad way. Going to hold nicely for the next 10 years. Beautifully done. — 6 years ago

Ryan Vento

9.3

Tonight’s nightcap 🥃

During our stay at the hospital for the birth of our son some dear friends of ours brought my wife & I a care package. In it were all manner of goodies and treats, as well as a bottle of champagne and this scotch. They know us all too well 🤫🤷🏻‍♂️
.
Caramel, creme brûlée, charred orange peels, and Christmas spice cake on the nose. Mild notes of moss on the palate with a pronounced but welcome warmth on the way down. Smooth and perfectly suitable for ending the day with. — 7 years ago

Kirk F

9.4

Mag. The cork blew up and we had to Macgyver our way out of the dust but the contents were superb. — 8 years ago

Ken Z

9.5

Drank 3/5/18.

Straight out of the bottle the nose is reminiscent if nicely aged bordeaux, with stewed red and black fruits. After 10 minutes some light petrol, tilled earth, and oak notes emerge.
Initially, this is quite closed off on the palate, with red cherry and high acidity. After an hour in the decanter sweet red cherries, balsamic flavors, and currants emerge, backed by finely integrated, medium tannins and medium + acidity in a way that makes me think Bordeaux meets Tuscany. Medium to long finish. This wine is extremely easy to drink and glides down smoothly, evolving and revealing new layers as time passes. Very impressed for the price (around $35).

3/24/9/5/4 + 50 = 95 points.

Make sure to let this decant for at least an hour. — 8 years ago

Aaron Hamrock

9.5

Not a bad way to spend Thursday afternoon in key west. — 8 years ago