John Kemper

9.2

The deep rich ruby '09 Herman Story Grenache 'Larner Vineyard' is my yearly one-bottle guilty pleasure from the HS Wine Club. This is a 15.7% pedal-to-the-metal aromatic explosion of licorice, tar, ripe red fruits and violets. The full-bodied palate mimics those scents with the addition of vanilla and cracked black pepper flavors. This is a yummy spice-laden brute right to the bitter end. — 10 years ago

John Kemper

9.3

On a hot summer day nothing is more refreshing than a crisp German Riesling. This greenish straw-yellow '05 Müller-Catoir Riesling Kabinett 'Mußbacher Eselshaut' scented the nose with intense aromas of peach, grapefruit, almonds and wet stones. The palate was then flooded with lively mineral notes of tart apples and citrus. The perfect balance of sweet and tart that tingled the tongue before the long succulent finish. — 10 years ago

John Kemper

9.0

After extracting the remarkably pristine cork on the clear brick red '94 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape, we were rewarded, after blowing off the initial funky nose, with lovely plum, garrigue, leather and gamy aromas. On the palate, more earthy and pruny flavors were revealed. This was an elegant, complex and well-aged CdP that paired extremely well with our chargrilled NY strip. — 10 years ago

John Kemper

9.0

An unoaked Cabernet from the Languedoc was an alien and eye-opening experience. A bright ruby, the '13 Château Fontanès Vin de Pays d'Oc Rouge 'Les Traverses de Fontanès' emitted fresh unadulterated scents of red and black raspberries, cracked pepper, licorice and lavender that were not masked by any oaky or creamy vanilla notes. On the palate, balancing acids and bright tannins kept the clean berry flavors fresh and refreshing. The finish was fruity with modest length. An utterly unique wine, unlike any other Cab I have ever tasted. One of a kind! — 10 years ago

John Kemper

8.9

I discovered this saturated ruby '01 Paringa Shiraz 'Individual Vineyard' buried in the recesses of my cellar. Somehow it was never logged into my inventory. Although it ranked 40th on the 2002 Wine Spectator Top 100 List, it was an entry-level wine not meant for extended cellaring. What a pleasant shock when I lifted the decanter to my nose. Huge cherry, blackberry and oaky vanilla scents floated up. Then a plush palate of dark fruit and spice flavors followed. Best $10 I've ever spent! — 10 years ago

John Kemper

9.1

The clear pale yellow '12 Happy Canyon Vineyard White Bordeaux Blend 'Barrack Blanc', a 67% Sémillon/33% Sauvignon Blanc Blend, tingles the nose with crisp green apple, beeswax and citrus zest aromas with spicy mineral notes. In the mouth, richer tropical fruit and melon flavors flood the palate with a balanced, but racy, vitality. A lively finish with good clarity and persistence. — 10 years ago

John Kemper

9.8

A near perfect drinking experience is the dark ruby '06 Carlisle Zinfandel 'Montafi Ranch'. It opens with an intoxicating bouquet of brambly dark berries, anise, cracked pepper and eucalyptus aromas. The best positive, comparative and superlative adjectives to describe the mouthfeel are smooth, smoother and smoothest. The unctuous mouth is flooded with all the sweetest and ripest dark fruit flavors imaginable. The finish is very long, rich and creamy with even more fruit and spice on the aftertaste. Dazzling stuff! — 10 years ago

John Kemper

9.0

A clear green-tinged straw, the '13 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc 'La Moussière' shows a minerally-infused nose of citrus zest, white flowers and honeydew melon. Exhibiting a richer, more buttery palate than most Sancerres, a bracing acidic core keeps the white stone fruit flavors fresh and lively. A nice change of pace from NZ Sauvignon Blancs. — 10 years ago

John Kemper

9.4

The dark bright ruby '00 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape has not skipped a beat since my last bottle over two years ago. This fully mature Red Rhone still shows clean aromas of ripe cherry, tobacco, cracked pepper and briery herbs. The fully-integrated tannins make the lush palate of red fruit and licorice flavors soft and creamy. This is an elegant expression of a classic CdP. — 10 years ago

John Kemper

8.2

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but the hazy pale yellow '14 Dirty & Rowdy Sémillon 'Skin and Concrete Egg Fermented' did not deliver it. Even after allowing the wine to warm, I was unable to extract much on the nose. And the oily, medium-bodied, mouth only provided some faint, but quite tart, green apple and lemon zest flavors. I detected some salinity on the modest and unexciting finish. Maybe the hoppy IPA I drank earlier numbed my senses, since most reviewers have rated this much higher. I'll need to revisit. — 10 years ago