Château Haut-Batailley
Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot Blend 1996
Smooth, round and delicious, with gentle tannins and woody, plummy spice. Lovely red Bordeaux—we could drink this all night. Still balanced after 27 years but its acids seem a bit faded. I would guess that it’s at a high plateau that may be gently dipping so my daughter Rachel, who owns this wine, needs to finish the rest of her stash within the next year. The vintage of this bottle is her birth year, and we laid down a half case along with another half case of Chateau Lynch Bages. Both bottles are now soft, special treats. We enjoyed the 1996 vintage with prime steak at the Palm Restaurant in downtown LA, celebrating her graduation from UCLA Law. Congratulations, Rachel! — 6 months ago
Castello di Querceto
Chianti Sangiovese Blend 2008
A simple Chianti not meant to be aged, but aged nonetheless. A surprisingly firm and fruity quaffer even after 16 years. No rough edges left but fruit and acid still there. Great red sauce pasta and pizza wine. The only thing it’s missing is the fiasco! Enjoyed the 2008 vintage with Vittorio’s pizza. Of course. — 7 months ago
Pewsey Vale Vineyard
Individual Vineyard Selection Eden Valley Dry Riesling 2022
Nice summer white. Reminds me of a New Zealand Sauv Blanc—juicy, tart and refreshing. Citrus, gooseberries, maybe a hint of green apple. Good but not great. I’d buy it again. Enjoyed the 2022 vintage with home-grilled salmon. — 3 months ago
Ridge Vineyards
Monte Bello Vineyard Chardonnay
Delightfully complicated California Chard masquerading as a White Burgundy. French nose and French finish. Minerals, flint, stone and fruit—apple, pear, peach and nectarine, with an obvious but restrained layer of oak. Not overly fruity or oaky; no pineapple or butterscotch here. Paired well with the Seafood Tower, Swordfish and Black Cod at the Water Grill Santa Monica. This was a juvenile 2021 vintage, tasted in 2024. Eager to try this gem after another half decade. — 6 months ago
Ridge Vineyards
Stone Ranch Sonoma County Zinfandel Petite Sirah
Another winner Zin from Ridge, sourced from Sonoma County fruit. Fruit forward but not jammy, flavorful but not overwhelming, a nice assertive food wine that’s also perfectly enjoyable on its own. 15.2% ABV so there was plenty of sugar in those grapes to ferment, but not an alcoholic heavy fruit bomb. Enjoyed the 2021 vintage with medium rare prime NY steak on the grill. Just great. — 7 months ago
Marcassin
Marcassin Vineyard Pinot Noir
Sublime. One of the most delicious wines I’ve had in years. Silky and perfumed, earthy and fruity; California power melded with Old World sophistication. Enjoyed the 2007 vintage with my wife Dreama at kaiseki temple Hayato in LA, part of my ongoing days long birthday celebration. A privilege and a pleasure. — 9 months ago
Ridge Vineyards
Estate Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend
Promising red fruit on the nose but a bit too tannic—decanting was de rigueur. After 45 minutes it was better but still tight. It took a full two hours to open up fully and show interesting notes of tobacco, earth and pencil shavings to balance the fruit and acid. Tells me that I should wait another five years before opening my remaining bottles. Enjoyed the 2021 vintage with prime ribeye cap steak from Costco, chicken liver pate and Taleggio cheese, with visiting family (William, Teresa, Xander and Samantha). — 5 months ago
Belle Glos
Clark & Telephone Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022
This IS Santa Barbara County Pinot! First taste was a big burst of fruit. Not too sweet, not simple and unsophisticated, not a jammy Zin bomb, mind you. Instead, more like a zing of bright, pure, winey fruit. Remarkable and memorable. We had the 2022 vintage in a magnum bottle so perhaps that helped preserve its freshness and purity. We enjoyed this Big Mama at the Palm Restaurant in downtown LA, celebrating my daughter Rachel’s graduation from UCLA Law School. Congratulations, Rachel! — 6 months ago
Ridge Vineyards
Corralitos Pinot Noir
A rather unusual offering from. Ridge—100% Pinot Noir from Santa Cruz County. Red berries and juicy acids, subtle tannin and oak and a bit higher ABV at 14.5% but not hot or unbalanced. Very nice cool weather California Pinot, with sophistication and complexity. Enjoyed the 2021 vintage with Taleggio cheese and miso marinated grilled salmon. — 7 months ago
Victor Hsu
A good, solid California Cab but what’s all the fuss about? I’m seeing ratings of 98, 99, even 100 from JS. Really? No way. This is a clear case of praise crossing over into hype. Granted, still a bit young and not at its peak but after five years in the bottle and an hour of decanting it needs to be more than just fine if it wants to justify stratospheric scores. This wine compares unfavorably to Ridge Monte Bello, Stags Leap Cask 23 and other peers. It lacked sophistication and poise—where’s the promised minerality, graphite, cedar shavings, oak, leather, blackcurrant, cherry, and complex balance of fine grained tannins, fruit, acid and alcohol? Where? We chose this wine for a birthday dinner at Lawry’s Prime Rib in Beverly Hills. Not a disaster but a disappointment given our high expectations (and the high price).
— a month ago