Joss Salgado

9.1

This wine is composed of 56% Merlot, 23% Syrah, and 21% Cabernet Franc. The longer it stayed in my glass, the better it tasted. It has pronounced aromas of dark plum, dark cherry, and blackberry, along with a hint of pepper and some spiced herbs. The wine is complex, well-rounded, and balanced, featuring smooth tannins and a long finish. — 5 months ago

John Bratincevic

8.9

looks a little older (as it is).

NOSE: mild mushroom, leaves, pencil, a fruity-and-floral quality I can’t quit pin down, very mild licorice. Oregano. A little crayon/wax. Definitely some home-down European yeastiness, almost Italian rather than French (perhaps not the best way to describe it, but that’s how I think about it). Spice. Red cherry.
TASTE: very subtle, a little anonymous for me. Medium weight. Tea and spices; muted peppercorn. Cedar. Earth. Anise on the finish. Well made, elegant, but forgettable. Might be a little too old. 89. — 3 years ago

Ryan Guillen

8.9

Had this in early 2020 with a spicy pasta. The blend was difficult to pin point but determined it tasted like a purple sweet tart in a good way. Smokey BBQ sauce at the end. Overall a fun red blend! — 6 years ago

Erica Wiggins

9.0

Smooth, enjoying it. — 2 years ago

Adam Shaylor

9.8

Here’s a rare New World wine that benefits from a bit of cellaring. Mostly Cab Franc and a bit of Merlot. Too intense for me fresh out of the cellar, but after 10 years, well, it’s hard to remember a wine I’ve had that’s this good. The chalkiness of the Cab Franc and the jaminess of the Merlot of mellowed into a symphony of aromas and flavors too subtle to pin down and yet very much still there for your enjoyment. — 3 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

2018 vintage. From the estate formerly known as Château Goubau (renamed 2016) and from the same family that brings you L’If and some wine called Le Pin. 95% Merlot. 5% Cab Franc. Really dark hue. Mint, blackberries, earth and tobacco in the nose. Medium-bodied with ample, silky tannins. The longer in the glass, the more white pepper and herbaceous flavors gain prominence. Nice QPR and will look to pick up more. Pretty now but just may be a stunner in a few years. — 4 years ago

Michal Sulkowski

9.3

I can’t pin point the one thing that makes me love cab franc, because it’s everything. — 8 years ago

Jamie Lauder

9.1

2019 LaStella Espressivo.
32 % Cabernet Franc, 31 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 27 % Merlot and 10 % Sangiovese.
A “Super Tuscan” from Okanagan Valley in British Columbia.
18 months in French oak with very little new oak.
Red and dark fruit with red currants and black cherries. Savoury and herbal with spicy notes and crisp acidity on the finish but still maintaining texture.
The wine maker is Severine Pinte and she is heading sister wineries at LaStella and Le Vieux Pin in the Okanagan.
She is arguably making some of the best wines in British Columbia. — 2 years ago

William Feinstein

9.2

Nicely made Saint-Emilion (75% Merlot/25% Cab Franc). Didn’t expect the wine to show as well as it did and punches well above its weight. Big and bold, this wine has great weight and depth. Finish is long and savory. Wish I had more than 2 bottles remaining. Probably at peak though doesn’t appear in danger of going downhill anytime soon. — 3 years ago

Josh Morgenthau

9.3

Absolutely my favorite producer of Taurasi. Pure, high-toned, just-ripe red fruits complicated by the wild herbal intensity of Mastroberardino. Exotic like a poultice of orange peel, goji berries, sage, chrysanthemum, raspberry leaves, tea, camphor and other medicinal plants. But also so familiar; florals of hyacinth and violet as it opens.

So weightless and concentrated. Hard to pin down, but I think lovers of high altitude Nebbiolo or Loire Cab Franc will find a lot to enjoy here. — 5 years ago