ESF

9.3

Highly impressed w/this effort: immediately threw out gobs of black fruit, plum pudding, mocha, licorice, pepper, tar, exotic spices, branches & bramble, the nose was heavenly and it followed through on big fleshy mid palate, finely grained tannins made with so smooth & rich. Really in the pocket with at least decade to go — 2 years ago

MaJ CappS

9.0

A hearty nose of gray cranberry scone.

Light to medium, this wine has a spectacular focus to it, cherry skin, cranberry, twigs and branches, great jolly rancher blue acidity. This is a fantastic Pinot Noir. — 5 years ago

MaJ CappS

8.9

Peppery nose indeed! The Syrah smells like it should - earthy.

That earth continues into flavors of this blend. Medium to heavier bodied, blackberry branches, chalk, dried dark cherries, licorice.
High fiving acidity and oak.
This is a plead all blend. And for the minimal $ a perfectly good time wine. — 6 years ago

MaJ CappS

9.1

Smells of alpine strawberries and classic bramble

Wild berry bramble, twigs and branches, blackberry/ strawberry fruits, some mint, beautifully bright mouthfeel and some forest acidity. — 6 years ago

Brett Emerson

9.3

Beautiful Napa Cabernet Bordeaux blend. Would be better in 5-10 years. Really hankering for an aged rib-eye grilled over vine cuttings and spent oak barrels, caressed with rosemary branches dipped in rendered marrow and butter. — 7 years ago

with Jim

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.3

Medium ruby red. Layered nose with dried cherries, twigs, spices and forest floor. Medium tannins (6.5/10) and lots of acidity with a medium plus body. Well balanced even for being so young, notes of cherries, branches, strawberries and minerality. Long and lingering finish with solid acidity. Drink till 2033. — 7 years ago

with India

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.2

Deep garnet red in appearance. Well rounded nose with truffles, forest floor, black currants, smoke and aniseed. Medium plus tannins (7.5/10) and full bodied. A lot of red fruits on the palate and very dry followed by some branches, cherries, herbs and some light spices. Long finish. Drink till 2036. — 7 years ago

with Sean and India

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

2000 vintage. Decanted and tasted over the course of 1.5 hours. Expected amount of sed. Chunky, unresolved nose. Medium body. Still too youthful. Would try to give it another 7-10 years if possible. Initial tree branches/greenery dipping into morning fresh water morphed into classic graphite/lead pencil after 45 mins in the decanter. There was a slight metallic streak on the finish that appeared about 20 minutes in and still hadn't dissipated after 1.5 hours. More nimble than the og bad boys from this estate ('86, '88, '89, '90) and a bit less weighty. Mostly positives along with a few (mostly) minor quibblings. A ways to go, tho, before hitting the summit this estate established four decades ago. 9.24.23. — 3 years ago

Martinez

9.1

Very impressed by the Palmas series, a special release of “en rama” sherries from selected casks from the Tío Pepe solera. Traditionally, cellarmasters in Jerez would mark exceptional casks with a chalk drawing of a palm tree branch (palma in Spanish), potentially adding more branches if those wines continued to show finesse and delicacy as they aged. To make the selection, González Byass’ invites different guests (mostly wine critics and somms) every year, an honor that befell Ferran Centelles (El Bulli) in 2020.

The 2020 Una Palma comes from three casks from the Tio Pepe solera with 6 years of aging under flor, bottled unfined and unfiltered (en rama). Sharp nose with notes of almonds, yeast and hints of citrus. Fresh, mineral and very saline. Much more intense aromas and flavors than the regular Tio Pepe — 5 years ago

David D

9.1

Really plush tannins. Stewed prunes and dark red berries, dried thyme, damp soil and fallen branches, some citrus rind. From Town Center Wines, Eastham. — 6 years ago

MaJ CappS

8.9

A touch of bacon fat on the nose.

Rainer cherries, pomegranate-seed and all, berry Bramble of twigs and branches, brioche.
Light bodied and a singing acidity of pomelo zest.
A nice lil wine, well worth exploring at the price.
🍷Stay healthy ! — 6 years ago

MaJ CappS

8.9

Classical nose of twigs and branches.

Bramble and lace, blackberry kombucha, black tea, and fresh ground cherry. Simply a great bottle. — 7 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.1

Deep ruby red. A bit rustic on the nose with layers of red fruits, followed up by some cocoa, anise and branches. Medium plus tannins (7/10) and full bodied. Tight palate with some white pepper, cinnamon, currants liqueur, graphite and blackberries. Long finish. Drink till 2028.

Made up of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged in 100% new French oak for 18 months. — 7 years ago

with India

MaJ CappS

9.0

Smells like a classical Oregon Pinot.
The wafts carry on through the flavor, orange peel, spice, bright berry, twigs and branches. Tannins buried under s persimmon acidity

Classical Pinot, quality. A great wine to come home to after being the DD. My turn. — 8 years ago

John Bratincevic

9.5

Decanted for a couple hours. High expectations.

NOSE: branches and brambly fruit … raspberry … a little leather and shoe polish … cassis … blueberry … old book (but not must, mid-century) … minerals and earth … something very fresh … leaves …

TASTE: elegant and subtle. Smooth. Dark fruits and leaves and smooth tannins. Black raspberry. Distinct minerals - clay, stones. Something very fresh, like fresh cut herbs or spices - but not green ones. Turkish coffee? There’s some very complex range of spices I can’t quite get to … cardamom is in there. Burnt orange. A dash of rose petal. A real treat. Started subtle, then once I had a bit to eat, began to explode. 95

EDIT: I believe this is the highest rating I have handed out for a red wine. It’s good. — 4 years ago

MaJ CappS

9.0

Nose of classical dark, moody grape.

Twigs and branches blackberry bramble Woody bits and all. High acidity - for the age amazing. I cannot imagine how acidic this wine was when it was released, because of how beautifully it is drinking now. A touch of bitterness on the back, the tiniest flaw.
— 5 years ago

Sarah Oettel

9.6

I am sooo impressed with this. Granted, we bought and brought it right from the winery (stored in their cellar for all these years); but, for me, this has been unlike any older vintage I have had to date. It was so smooth and elegant and still so complex. It kept evolving and shifting in just the short time we spent together (from an initial nose that hinted at age to toasted almond to a hint of Port to snapped tree branches) and left me wondering who it really is—what it was in its prime—and, inevitably, wanting more. — 6 years ago

Ellen Clifford

9.2

I’m a big huge mega fan of Ochota. This wine has attitude and sass and carries it all off like...I don’t know maybe it’s the “the forest” name but it is like if goth-punk-pop went royal. All the red things: cherry compote rhubarb stew and some cracked peppercorn and dried branches and bramble and a texture of earth. Love it. — 6 years ago

MaJ CappS

9.0

It really was not that long ago, this was one of the top producers in the valley. Still a classic standard.

Smells of soft ripened bramble fruit.
Tastes of well defined twigs and branches, light to medium body, hints of cotton candy, ripe plum, minty freshness.
Like a jazz standard. — 7 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.3

Second of the blind red wines. Theme was Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux Blend from Oakville, Stags Leap District or generic Napa Valley with professional reviews of 95+.

Deep purplish red. Beautiful and young nose coated with violets, blackberries and sweet spices. Medium tannins (6/10) and medium to medium plus bodied. Plush palate layered with blackberries, red fruits, cinnamon, branches and a light bit of earthiness. A bit of alcohol was definitely present. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2030. (93+) — 7 years ago

with Sean and India