Andreya Nightingale

9.6

Rosy cloud hewn from dusky rough bumps of fuzzy ripe raspberries. Musked perfume hums down the middle of a sigh, lingering in the corners of my mouth, reminding me that all things, eventually, find serenity within their own skin. — 6 years ago

Andreya Nightingale

9.4

I love this wine. I cannot stop myself from pouring another glass. I grudgingly share a taste with my husband because what I really want is to enjoy the entire bottle sola. This wine has everything I want right now: a cheery holiday warmth; a subtle background of spice; and a perfect balance between acid, fruit, and tannin. Why yes, please. I would like another! — 6 years ago

with mattswineworld

Andreya Nightingale

9.0

Soft orbs of smoke rise from the mossy ground to meet a peak of dusky fruit clustered on the rigid edges of a broken cigar box. The line connecting them is straight and the fruit watches quietly, too timid to reach out to join the dance. — 6 years ago

Andreya Nightingale

9.3

clean, super aromatic and absolutely delicious! — 6 years ago

Andreya Nightingale

9.8

No simile, nor metaphor, nor purple language can do this wine justice. It is a tangible piece of California history and winemaking in this country. The first Syrah to be produced and labeled as such. Grapes were harvested at 22.5 Brix and that acidity gave this wine a gorgeous vibrancy that was utterly surprising and totally pleasurable to drink. The grapes were a trial and planted in 1959 by UC Davis at the Wheeler Farm vineyards. Upon release, marketing notes made comparisons to Petite Syrah because that variety was so much more familiar to the US market. I hope that I age as gracefully as this syrah, which was still ready to play hop scotch on the playground at 42 years old (which in wine years is like 105). — 6 years ago

with Tom and Matt

Andreya Nightingale

8.8

Fantasia fizzle frenzy. Pink grapefruit and razzmatazz. Serene strawberry sunset. — 6 years ago

Andreya Nightingale

9.3

Starts of with a lovely frenchie funk on the nose, then opens into dusty plum, blackberry bramble, anise, violet, dried shiitake, and other delightful intangibles. Took a little bit to open up, but it just reminds me why I love Tulocay and Coombsville so much. — 6 years ago

Andreya Nightingale

9.6

When tuning a violin, one has many options. A tuning fork has always been my preference. I like the clear tone created by the vibrations of the fork smacking the side of my case and then clamoring to find just the right harmony with the wood of the instrument. The sound has a purity and if Hemmingway was a tone, he would be the A created by the tuning fork. Wine can hit a tone. It can express a purity of flavor that harmonizes with itself, and most importantly, harmonizes with our own personal vibrations. It can be a clear and graceful expression of itself, un-muddled by faults or ego. Just fruit and alcohol and tannin and acid. The powerful clarity of a single note in the measure of a tune. — 6 years ago

with mattswineworld

Andreya Nightingale

8.9

When I was 19, my boyfriend, “J”, and I went backpacking at Big Sur. We camped in a little grove at the feet of giant sequoias next to a babbling stream whose shore was blanketed in fuzzy moss and delicate dancing ferns. The air was pregnant with a dampness that coaxed more smoke than flame from our humble cooking fire. We made pasta, which fell onto the ground, collecting bits of bark and dirt that, “would add more flavor” J happily exclaimed- I was suspicious. This syrah is that place in my glass. Earthy, smoky, mossy, tinged with delicate red fruit and a surprising acidity. But, much like J and I naively scrambling to care for ourselves in the wild, this wine needs a little more age to become the fullest version of itself. — 6 years ago

Andreya Nightingale

9.7

This wine playfully swings across my palate from the supple, round lows to the bright, angular highs. These Chardonnays are like that little child who quietly waits for the precise moment to tell their story, and when their words begin to flow, we find ourselves blissfully captivated amidst the twists and turns and realize that the story wouldn’t have been nearly so delightful had we rushed the speaker. — 6 years ago