Kurt Schuster

9.2

One of those times they can’t claim to be a professional and just describe what I’m saying. Unfiltered, the wine is cloudy intention because it definitely affects the taste. You just get a bit of Dusty greediness in the flavor and while the smell is pure and clean crisp. The taste has a bit of exposure you gonna have to chew what’s going on. Lemon curd, waxy, unripe peach, some greedy dust from you not washing your fruits before you eat them. The acidity is there, but with the unfiltered nitrate seems like it doesn’t fully express the structure but it’s interesting because I haven’t had a wine like this so I don’t really know what I’m talking about. It seems like it’s a tight wine at the same time. There’s something in there that just makes it linger and chew and coat your tongue. Really enjoyed it completely.  — a month ago

with Denise

Tom Garland

9.4

1 hour decant (lots of chunky/fine sediment). A stunning still dark ruby red with some purple hues. On the nose: blackberry, rich potting soil, slight menthol, little green veggie and black olives, floral. Taste: smooth wine, silky tannins coat the mouth with some dark cherries, bitter chocolate, soy sauce, pepper, and a metallic cedar dry finish. Seems like it should be drunk sooner than later, but holding its own at 20 years. — 4 years ago

with Brenda

Brandon Boesch

10

I may have given other sour beers a 10, but this takes the cake. Insanely well balanced. What sets this apart is the underlying creaminess with tannin. I wonder if it’s from apricot pits. Huge apricot flavor and sour complexity. Perfect bubbles coat your entire palate. I was not expecting to buy into the hype of this so hard. Would love to do an apricot sour tasting to see what others (SARA, Rare Bareel) are like next to this. — 5 years ago

Tom Garland

9.4

Double decant (lots of chunky sediment) and pour. A noble dark garnet color with little browning on the edges. On the nose: beautiful.....that sweet aged cab aroma with blue fruit, black olives, green veggies, eucalyptus, crushed rocks. Taste: Red plum, chocolate espresso, pencil lead, some blackberry. Beautiful sweet tannins coat the mouth....such a elegant, rich wine with a long finish. — 6 years ago

with Brenda

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Had another bottle, Wow! Laura Catena, 4th gen winemaker, grew up in Argentine-Italian winemaking family in Mendoza. Wines, named after her children - Luca, Dante & Nicola - background of the label is the McDermott coat of arms of her American husband, Daniel McDermott. Single-vineyard wine from land belonging to the Laborde family. Deep red with big ripe fruits & smoky oak. Palate plum & jammy blackberry, spice with nice earthy character. Tannins are a bit rustic, lingering ending with toasty oak & spice. — 7 years ago

Robert Rothfield

9.4

Two hour decant and open for business....muted nose but exuberant black cherries and soft velvety tannins that coat the palate like cocoa powder....very satisfying — 8 years ago

Brad Jensen

9.3

Big nose of yellow fruit preserves and alcohol freshness, with notes of brûlée and vanilla weaved within. Medium bodied and golden hued, this is such a refined wine at such a young age, with a zippy acidic energy and flavors of overripe yellow fruits, oranges. and a loooong lingering finish. — 3 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland

9.5

Celebrating my b-day today with this beautiful Golden hay Chardonnay and sushi! Yummy!!! Nose is subtle but complex. Initially, Apple-pear and coconut dominate the senses followed by lemon zest, baked apple and sandalwood. Taste - white peach, apricot fruits and floral are soft on the palate, but the texture of a chalky oil feel coat the entire mouth and secondary notes of orange rind, lemon, green melon and minerals give this wine its long finish. A great evening of celebration and gratitude! — 4 years ago

with Karin and Jill

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2018 vintage. Mint, cinnamon, molasses, spent coffee grounds, cassis and orange peel compose the bouquet. Medium body but medium/big tannins. Orange-based tea and earthy finish. Meanders in an endearing manner with just enough richness to coat and mitigate multiple astringent flavors…and ultimately…comes into focus pushing a really delicious balance. Ignore at your own peril/price point. — 5 years ago

Tom Garland

9.6

One hour decant(decent amount of sediment). A sumptuous dark ruby red with some bricking. On the nose: Sweet perfume jumps from the glass with black cherry, floral, black olives, and a minty menthol. Let's you know to buckle up....a 4 point harness system buckle up!! Taste: Sweet tannins coat the mouth with dark fruit and jolts of red plum, mocha, cedar, and toasty oak.

A full body, juicy wine with great acidity. A pencil lead/mineral looong finish. Drinking great now and will go another 10 years. Got 2 more bottles...YES!! — 6 years ago

with Brenda

Delectable Wine

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9.4

Bright, full ruby-red. Highly complex, thoroughly ripe scents of black raspberry, cassis, dark plum, tar, tobacco, mocha and minerals, lifted by a violet topnote. Wonderfully suave and fine-grained but still quite youthful, spreading out to coat the palate without leaving any undue impression of weight. Shows a distinct black cherry medicinal reserve. This very smooth wine finishes with a broad dusting of ripe tannins and steadily building length. Approachable now owing to its successfully integrated acidity and tannins, but I'd rather give this beauty a bit more time in the cellar. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, July 2019) — 7 years ago

James Forsyth

9.4

Dear friends of ours, a couple so delightful in spirit that they adopt aged, abandoned dogs, clean them up and make sure they have the most sublime last few years of their lives, invited us over to visit their latest pooch. Their newly rescued fourteen year old terrier, Audrey, was looking vibrant with glossy coat and waggy tail. A far cry from the dusty critter from the shelter's photograph.

Audrey wasn't the only aging beauty that our friends shared with us that evening. They very kindly opened this 1986 Robert Mondavi. Despite its age, at thirty two the wine retained a good deal of freshness with focused aromatics. High toned fruit, dried leaves and subtle leather combine on the palate and evolve through the long finish. Like Audrey, my tail was wagging. — 8 years ago

with Cara

Paul Secombe

9.1

The small joys you find at the back of the cupboard. Superb .. vanilla, mint and berries wrapped in a super smooth coat. Nothing short of bloody good! — 2 years ago

Kristen Grimes

9.5

Rich raisins and maraschino cherry aromas. A thick rich body with bright fruits and acidity on the palate. Trying a wee taste of chef's cooking port. — 4 years ago

Richard Poulin

9.1

This Gamay looks like a Cabernet Franc as it is so tightly wrapped in a fruity coat. But at taste the suppleness of the fabric immediately betrays it and tells you straightforwardly about Gamay, the better to invite you to even more festivities. A little sunny summer jewel in the heart of a winter.. Happy, fresh. Easy. Red-fruited with raspberry and strawberry, no noticeable tannin, but a finish. — 5 years ago

Tom Garland

9.2

1 hour decant(decent chunky sediment). A dazzling dark ruby red color with some bricking. On the nose: bursting from the glass are dark plum, toast, stewed meat, graphite, and a sweet minty chocolate. Taste: a elegant, smooth, medium weight wine with plum, currants, tea, crushed rocks, earthy....velvety mostly resolved tannins coat the mouth with a chocolate tobacco long dry finish. — 6 years ago

with Brenda

Scott Wetzel

9.4

2000 Ch. Smith Haut Lafitte. Nose of dry dusty earth with dried cherries. Color is plum red with lightish edges. Dried cherries coat the tongue with essences of french oak and cool gravel. Well rounded body with light tannins. Finishes balanaced with dryness, tart, cherries, and slight eucalyptus. Decanted two hours. 94. (1-5-2020) — 6 years ago

Aloke Mukherjee

9.0

Wtf ... Missing again. This is SLH! — 7 years ago

Sean Lowry

9.0

2008v. Deep garnet color. After a few minutes to open up, there's deep Bing cherries, purple plum, and dusty cocoa powder. On the palette, there's juicy fruit but not too bright- leans more dry old world style. Good acidity Despite 11yrs of age, soft tannins coat your mouth with a melty grip. Dark earth on the long finish. 14% ABV. Overall, a very well balanced and satisfying Malbec that's a little darker and more brooding than you typically get in a Malbec. — 7 years ago

Daniel P. Drake

9.5

On this Easter night we have opened the 2009 Philip Togni Tanbark Hill Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon which has gone over very well.

The nose is very expressive with rich luscious aromas of black cherry, blackberry, black currant, black pepper, licorice, pimento, mint and earth.

At first sip on the palate brings rich dark fruit of black cherry, blackberry, black currant then the green bell pepper comes through with black pepper, licorice and rich earth.

This is a full bodied wine with medium + acidity and medium + gripping tannins that coat the tongue which leads to a long beautiful finish. A well blended wine that is very pleasing and has many years ahead of it. I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. The new week is ahead so please be safe and make it an eventful one. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 8 years ago