Shay A

9.3

I’m fortunate to have had a lot of Kobayashi wines, both with and without Travis, but his “regular” Syrah is a wine I’ve probably had the least amount of times. I brought this as a part of a massive Syrah lineup (‘83 Voge Cornas, ‘91 Chapoutier Hermitage, ‘18 SamiOdi HD, ‘13 and ‘20 Lillian, etc) and it showed very well.

Compared to Travis’s other wines, this showed very primary/fruit forward. Deep purple in the glass and the aromatics were, astoundingly, similar to the ‘18 SamiOdi HD next to it (sweet perfume/potpurri)…so deeply floral and intoxicatingly intriguing. The palate is commanding with an interplay of ripe and juicy black berry fruit and savory/smoky notes toward the finish with just a kiss of sweet blue fruit. The finish is massively structured (even after following this for a few days). Wish I had an older vintage to see how these evolve, but it’s undeniably balanced and a tasty expression of WA state Syrah. — 5 months ago

Matthew Lin

9.1

rounded fresh fruits, deeply tannic still. aniseed, pepper, like a cured sausage taste. light oak on the nose and on palate. clove. slightly mineralic, granite and graphite, fresh olive, orange rind. — a year ago

Vanessa

9.2

Honoring my marvelous father with a meal and wine he would have appreciated with gusto.  We wish he was here to share it with us, but are deeply grateful that his spiritual presence remains so strong in our hearts today and every day.  💕

This blend is predominantly (78%) Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot.  🍷 It hails from the Haut-Médoc region on the “left bank” of Bordeaux, 🇫🇷 more specifically, the Pauillac AOC.  Pauillac is a highly-regarded commune, with favorable growing conditions, known for producing some outstanding quality wines.  👌👌 This wine is no exception. 😆

🏰 Château Grad-Puy-Lacoste is a cru classé, ranked among, and a neighbor to, the region’s top estates.  It’s incredible to think the first vines planted on this property date back to the 1500s, making it one of the oldest properties in the region.

We decanted this wine for several hours, which helped it soften and release its layered aromatics.  

👁 The color is deep garnet with notable tearing.

👃 On the nose it has medium(+) intensity and concentration of developing aromas.  The aromas include ripe black fruit such as cassis, black cherry, blackberry, and plum, as well as other non-fruit notes like black licorice, pencil shavings, and violet. It has secondary notes of clove, nutmeg, allspice, cedar, also tertiary notes of wet earth, tobacco, leather, meat, fig, and mushroom.

👄 This wine is dry and its flavors on the palate are consistent with the nose.
This wine has balance, complexity, a strong structure, with firm, grippy tannins, and a long elegant finish.  👏👏

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, vintage 2011, ABV 13.5%.  — 4 years ago

with Deked1

Doug Powers

9.7

Tight, backwards, and structured, dark berry, garrigue, deeply-flavored and very complex, long, lingering finish, drinking well now, but has the stuffing to easily go another 10-15 years, a great Vieux Donjon!! — 7 months ago

with Jim

Dennis Hogenkamp

9.4

13.5% ABV Dry farmed, planted 1963. Own-rooted on limestone and decomposed granite. Clear straw colored. Pear & green apple. Thirst quenching acidity. Very nice. — 10 months ago

Vanessa

9.1

Yes to rosé made in every way!

Today, it’s rosé bubbles made into this vibrant pink hue thanks, in part, to the “saignée method.” A method that’s actually rooted in red winemaking; used to concentrate grape must before fermentation.

Saignée is the French word for “bleeding.” The method gets this name because, as the crushed black grapes are macerating – extracting color, tannins, aromas / flavors from the grape skins – a portion of the juice is “bled off” into a separate vessel for production of rosé wine. The original vessel, now with a greater skins-to-juice ratio, increases concentration during the remaining red-wine maceration.

As a result, Saignée method rosés tend to be a little deeper in color concentration and may adopt more of the aromas and flavors that come from the black grapes used to make them. Certain regions, like Champagne, are well known for producing rosés in this way.

Here we have a Drappier Rosé de Saignée Champagne (NV) made in a Brut style using Pinot Noir grapes. It is deliciously concentrated for a rosé, not just in color, but aromas and flavors of just ripe red cherry, raspberry, redcurrant, apple, pear, bread dough, and toasty notes. — 2 years ago

with Deked1

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

The one thing I get from this wine w/ this age is cognac notes and the 07 is just starting cognac notes on the long set. Still, rounded, medium plus, velvety tannins.

The fruits are ripe, juicy, lush; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum skin, darkest cherries, & red cherries on the long set, strawberry hues. Chocolate/ cake/pudding/mousse, dark berry cola, mocha, dark chocolate, caramel, dark spice, nutmeg, clove, vanilla, anise core to black licorice, dark spice w/ palate heat, dry, crush rock, limestone powder, dry top soil, dry twig, liquid, dry herbaceous notes, fresh to withering; dark, red, slightly blue flowers framed in a field of violets & lavender, round, summer rainfall with a softly tensioned state, tall structure, well balanced, finely but deeply knitted & evenly polish finish that is nearly endless.

If you can have patience, Tapestry is one of the best Napa Cabernet for the money & this one has plenty of life ahead. 10 plus years.

Photos of; sunset on a BV vineyard, their tasting from many vantage points & old Victorian House. — 8 months ago

John Willison

9.2

Cherry, sarsparilla, mushroom, sweet tea. — a year ago

Richard Rosensweig

9.2

Other raters may have opened this baby too early. Now Clos St. J is deeply intense with blackberry, Garrigue and fennel. Very pure flavors. No alcohol burn at all. A real decadent pleasure. — 3 years ago

Matt

9.2

Great showing, perfect cork, completely alive, complex, beguiling mix of dried petals, exotic spices and deeply alluring black fruit character, crushed to roasted. Tannins have integrated and made for a supple but postured sip. ‘05 still has my attention but this was showing very well. — 4 years ago