Ross Vick

9.0

We are really enjoying this bottle. We started as an aperitif and introduced smoked chicken, purple hull peas, collard greens and corn bread for dinner. It holds up exquisitely with the food. This is a keeper at the price. It has an “oak-y” nose, but the palate is clean and crisp. No butter, just green apples, mown grass, excites the tongue with a bright beginning but has a long soft finish. It is a different kind of white Burgundy and well worth the trouble... — 7 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.3

Perfect wine for #TempranilloDay on 11/8. Dark ruby red and a touch lighter on the edges. Dark and rich nose with notes of cinnamon, baking spices, anise, leather, black currants, tons of purple flowers and dark raspberries. Medium tannins (5.5/10) and medium plus to full bodied. Dark and voluptuous palate with tons of violets, lavender, plush plums, anise, a touch blue fruit and a little bit of heat. Insanely rich with a long and lingering finish. Drink till 2022.

Made up of 100% Tempranillo from the Booker Vineyard in Paso Robles. First Booker wine for us and we will definitely be back for more. Aged in around 90% new French oak.

$$$ - Purchased from WineBid for $44.95, release price was $60.00 and retail is around $77.00.

Happy #TempranilloDay! What are you drinking to celebrate? — 8 years ago

with Sean and India

Chris Langstaff

9.0

Floral nose. Lavender? Jasmine. It’s hidden and hard to discern with a sour dough/lemon like tartness. Honeydew and honey taste. Crisp tart pear. Some oak to finish. — 9 years ago

Genevieve Hoppe

9.1

Trader Joe’s.
Crisp white with bright fruits and no oak. — 9 years ago

Joakim Bogström

8.9

Available from the get go. Medium intense garnet to purple color. Lively and lovely nosen. Red fruits. Crushed wild blueberries. Cured meats.
Chewing tobacco and arrak.
Dry.
Medium to medium plus acisity.
Medium tannins w/ quite silkey texture.
Some influence of oak. But not pronounced.
Great flavour intensity. Dark cherries. Raspberries. Blackberries. Black olives. Serrano ham. Some hints of jasmin and white pepper. Very elegant.
Serve at 15 degrees celsius tog rather elegant meats, due to the wines elegant and semi-silky profile.. Duckbreast, beetroots and a mushroom mayo. — 9 years ago

Hrvoje Kosutic

9.3

Young, green to straw yellow color with hints of CO2 bubbles in the glass. Seriously complex nose which reveals mature, deep, layered riesling. I'm almost 100% certain it was matured in large oak barrels. There are predominant aromas of honey, riped apricot, candied fruit, flint and smoke. This one is a bomb! It tastes exceptionally elegant, harmonious and balanced with great juicy finish. Speechless! Awesome Pfalz riesling!
93/100 — 10 years ago

Zach Cherry

Account Manager Worldwide Wine & Spirits

9.3

Lives up to the hype. If you drink $60 Napa Cabs on the reg, you absolutely have to have the best Oak Knoll has to offer. Beats the Hell out of Trefethen. Looking forward to the white blend, which I purchased at the same time.

Dark, brilliant reflectivity, with a very bright purple rim. Dusty, yet velvety tannins, some tea leaf, blackberry compote, violets, perfume wafts out of the glass. Ability of this is in the classic range. A good decade on its side, could really show well with time. It's a rockstar now, don't get me wrong, just had a lot of potential. Absolutely ridiculous payout for a few Jacksons as of 2016. — 10 years ago

"Odedi"

9.5

Dark ruby /purple in color with a purple rim.
Meduim to full bodied with gorgeous legs.
Beautiful on the nose with blueberries, blackberries, cherries, nutmeg, vanilla, white pepper and candy.

Smooth on palate with blackberries, dark currants, plums, raisins, oak ,vanilla, cola chocolate and black pepper.

Dry finish with dark berries, peppercorn and voluptuous tannins.

What a wonderful wine. Very recommended. The best Australian Shiraz I had so far.
Can be had by itself or with grilled meats.

This Shiraz spent 12 months in American oak barrels and aged beautifully.
WA 92.

14.5% alcohol by volume. — 11 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.1

So good. Lavender fields on the nose. Not too much oak. Really well integrated. Killer. — 12 years ago

with Matthew

Frank Kuo

9.4

Color of dark purple. Nose is nice and plenty, with dark fruits like cherry, white pepper, oak, crayon, and a touch of dried strawberry. Taste is similar with addition of polished tannins, grapefruit, a bit sweetness and subtle acidity, milk chocolate, and a bit smoke. Aftertaste sees the coming back of white pepper, grapefruit zest, soft tannins, and slow fade-away of the taste. Well done. — 7 years ago

JHS

8.9

Interesting refreshing Chardonnay, less of the typical - sometimes overwhelming - tropical fruits. But more white fruit (melon), a bit more acidity and a subtle hint of oak. Easy to drink but also interesting for those who appreciate more complexity. — 8 years ago

Shengli Hu

8.9

American new oak: smoke, vanilla, cinnamon. Anise, green and white pepper. Purple and red flowers! Light ruby, pink rim, garnet tone. Medium plus acidity, low tannin as it should be, medium plus (to elevated) body. Vibrant red cherries and raspberry. — 8 years ago

Andrew Willingham

9.0

Dark purple, almost brown on the eye moving toward white at rim. Medium+ viscosity. Nose sees ripe, cooked/chocolate covered cherries, oak. Palette sees more oak, sweet black cherries. Tannins are very rounded and less harsh than I expected given CabSav single varietal. I haven’t had a Novelty Hill wine in awhile, want to have more- this is solid, consistent, complex enough to enjoy but something you won’t feel too guilty about sharing with guests 😬 — 9 years ago

Willie Carter

9.1

Violet in the glass with blue undertones and a purple rim. Big, big nose of oak, raspberries, floral accents, and savory grilled beef. Very nice, silky mouthfeel that leaves you claiming elegance to go along with the woodsiness of the wine. There's the requisite Bordeaux blend notes of vanilla, crushed cherries, spices, earthy herbs, and plenty of smoke for good measure. Long juicy finish with more spice and white pepper tops it all off. — 9 years ago

Adam Jacobs

10

The nose screams of pear, candies ginger and mint. This wine in animali! On the palette it is all about red apple and mint with hints of lavender. Very clean but hints of oak aging. Crisp finish and lingering citrus flavors in the finish. Yum! Probably wild yeast ferm. Not for the faint of heart. — 9 years ago

Yelena Iglanova

8.9

Purple/red, dark berries and oak on the nose. Medium Body, red cherries, plum, boysenberry, vanilla, white chocolate. soft tannin, nice finish. — 10 years ago

Mark Lindzy

9.3

Mencia from Ribeira Sacra, old vines on slate & granite. Aged in used white burgundy barrels, and I can't detect oak flavors so...well done! Pretty black fruit and purple flowers. Definitely more unwound than 2014. — 10 years ago

Christine Havens

9.3

Soter's 2012 Mineral Springs 'White Label' Pinot Noir has a rather unique story in that it is crafted from an unidentified "heirloom" clone. Who cares what the clone is, the results are spectacular. The perfect combination of concentration and finesse, the nose is a romp through a damp and earthy forest glen, fields of lavender, and then to the market, to find juicy blackberries and blueberries at their peak. Equally lush, almost brooding on the palate, with underlying layers of minerality and spice. Pinot reserved for the white label is aged 12 months on 50% new French oak, with 30 days extended maceration and minimal racking. 14.0% ABV — 11 years ago

Howard Yang

9.5

100% tempranillo, aged in TWO rounds of 100% New French oak casks, 12 months each round for a total of 24 month before bottling. Decant and poured, inky opaque purple in color, for a nine years old wine, no brick color showing at all on the edge! Full body, smell of berry, lavender, cured meat, vanilla and leather. Still with plenty of fruits, fine tannin and savory acidity, smooth and long finish. — 12 years ago

Howard Yang

9.5

Dark purple in color, smell of raspberry, sour cherry, dark cherry, white pepper, and clover, taste of white pepper, oak, and tobacco, balanced, with a medium to long finish. — 13 years ago

Willie Carter

8.9

Deep purple with wide lavender edges. Intriguing nose of red cherries, black cherries, toasted oak, and dried herbs going on. This is a bit of a hard one to put a finger on. Certainly not an old school Tempranillo, nothing austere here but also not a strictly Americanized, homogeneous bottle either. A bit tight initially but soon blossoms into something very nice. Plenty of coffee, spice, and smoked tobacco on the palate. Dark fruit, oak, and menthol, also. Middle to long finish with even more pleasant spice. — 8 years ago

Tobin Trevarthen

9.0

A crisp rose petal meets lavender experience — 8 years ago

Clive McNish

9.4

Another great California Cabernet, dark purple and violet in the glass. Fantastic initial nose, plenty of blackcurrant and mushroom as well as leaf and oak. It takes 30-45 minutes in the decanter to soften and smooth out a little. Taste is blackcurrants and spices with caramel, vanilla and lavender. After an hour there is a distinct rosemary addition to the nose. This wine will age further but current tannin levels are not too intrusive.The price at $80 is good value for money in my opinion. Will get some more to store. — 8 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.2

Second and last of the blind white wines for our South African blind tasting. Relatively new to the US-DC market and brought in by Alyssa and Ian Red Wolf Imports. Made up of 100% Chardonnay, 100% barrel fermented and aged for nine to ten months in around 20% new French oak.

Medium yellow with a touch of oak and butter on the nose. A little bit of citrus too. Medium plus acidity (6.5/10) and rounded with a medium body. A creamy texture and mouthfeel throughout with notes of lemon zest, a touch of stone fruits and minerality. Needed to warm and some time in order to open up and lengthen. Medium plus to long finish. Would be very interesting to try with a couple years in the bottle. Drink till 2026. (92+) — 9 years ago

with Sean, India and 1 other

Narun P

9.0

Still deep and fresh appearance, although the purple hue starts to fade. No sign of bricking at the 8 years of age. Very pretty nose. Gamey, seaweed, cassis, concentrated sensation, rich and opulent. On the palate this 2009 reflects the profile of the vintage. High tannin, medium plus plus acidity. Almost chewy and salty. Smoky, animalistic, black fruits, white pepper. I personally could do away with the milk chocolate flavor associated with the international style of winemaking. Really hope that time would quiet down the intense oak notes. Ripe and long. Would not touch this baby until 2024 at least. 90+ — 9 years ago

Maria Vano

9.3

Oh what a treat! 2008 full of tobacco, smoke, fire and super-soft spice on the nose and in the mouth. Beautiful dark purple with long slow legs in the glass. Aged in white American oak for 22 months, bottled in 2010. Lovely! — 10 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

8.9

This was the first of the three Chardonnays we got from Flora Springs Winery for #ChardonnayDay. Beautiful moderate intensity yellow, completely clear. Definitely a little tight with some slight creamed butter and corn. Later that evening it developed a more complex nose, with a little nuttiness, wet grass, freshly broken twigs and a slightly perfumed undertone. Moderate acidity (6.5/10) with lots of citrus notes. A little sharp to start but definitely smoothed out and became more rounded with more citrus and light oak influences. Slight tanginess, with a medium body and long finish. Needed the time to balance out and was worth the wait. Drink till 2020. — 10 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.6

Color: Golden Yellow
Nose/Smell: Not sure how long this was open for but at least a few hours.  Lots of perfume and flowers such as acacia, lavender,  elderberry and honeysuckle.  Additional contained sweet honey.
Palate/Taste: A little bit of heat at the end of the palate.  No where close to as much as the 2009 last month. Thick body and syrupy like honey consistency.  Long finish that lingers and sweetness stays steady.
Opinion: Noted a few interesting things. If you are a big fan of Vin de Constance, Napoleon's wine,  you might have noticed that the was no 2010 vintage.  While the 2011 is still over 85% from 2011 it is blended with the very small yield from 2010. Each grape is hand picked for this wine and is not pressed.  This is made entirely of free run juice. Additionally this was agreed on 60% new french oak. This can easily be cellared until 2035+. Great structure and power. — 11 years ago

with Sean and India

Ilya Genkin

9.0

Deep ruby colour with purple hues. Rich and ripe dark cherries and plums with some herbs, white pepper and a bit of oak. Very soft and silky tannins. Quite long savoury finish. Another great wine of the fantastic 2011 year for Central Otago. Very enjoyable. — 12 years ago

Andrew Lampasone

Owner Wine Watch Selections

9.1

A very dry style of Viognier with pretty floral notes of lavender slightly oily texture but wonderful balance and freshness and tongue tingly acidity. Four different boneyard sites produced on terraces and does have som new oak — 12 years ago