Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Charles "Champagne Charlie" Heidsieck was one of the first to recognize the importance of the U.S. as a Champagne market. A blend with 40% reserve wines, fruit and floral bouquet, with orange blossom & yeasty notes. Fine bubbles, nice mousse, showing quality. Outstanding rich flavors of apple, pear and biscuit, well balanced, good structure, creamy. Long finish ending with toasty nutty oak & mineral notes. — 8 months ago

Darren Stevens

9.2

Tim’s Wine Market. $65 deGrazia night 2018. — 5 years ago

Connor Smith

9.2

With the Wine Blight laying waste to her vineyards, France went from 8:1 exporter in 1870 to 6:1 importer in 1887. Legions of wine farmers faced total financial ruin. With no cure - or even a proper diagnosis - in sight, many saw no option but to flee to lands not yet affected.

The influx of institutional knowledge that flooded into former backwater wine regions like Rioja catapulted them into relevance, and soon matured into a world-class standard. The farmers had found respite, but couldn't run forever. By the time Phylloxera crossed the Pyrenees, however, there would be new ways to fight back.

French botanist Jules-Emile Planchon had a theory. If the blight was caused by a microscopic American insect as he suspected, perhaps grafted European varieties on American rootstock would be resistant. This would be confirmed by Missouri entomologist Charles Riley, and with millions of rootstocks supplied by Texas horticulturalist T.V. Munson, the Wine Blight was soon in remission.

(This is adapted from notes for Le Dû’s Wines ‘History of Wine 1453AD-Present’ seminar, where this wine was poured) — 5 years ago

Darren Stevens

8.9

Tim’s Wine Market $22 — 6 years ago

Kevin Kaley

9.0

A nice pleasant wine and a great price point of $12 at World Market. Nice and smooth, fruit forward, good nose and great legs on the glass. — 4 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

So, many of you have not had the pleasure of having Dan’s wines. It is largely due to the fact he doesn’t have a US importer. He sells all his mid production level wines through his mailing list. That makes importing from his mailing list as restrictive as the import fees. They are equal to the price of the wines you order. Not something you’ll do. I didn’t. You need to find his wines on the secondary market to be cost effective.

We had the privilege of visiting his Cellar Door in the Spring of 2017. What a fantastic visit and walk of his Estate with him. The age of his Estate vines are 100 plus years old and their yield is less than a ton per acre which, does not make for a lot of wine but, instead a very concentrated wine.

Dan traveled to and worked in many of the key wine regions before settling in as Torbreck’s Winemaker and then marching to his own drum doing his own thing as “The Standish”, his way. No compromises.

The first thing you need to know about Dan’s wines is you can drink them early but, that would be a huge mistake. This 03 is sensational now but, is worthy of more cellaring. It has 10-20 years of life ahead of it...proper storage of course.

This is a second night wine for us and it is still big.

The nose reveals smokey; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum skin, black cherries, blueberries, mulberries/boysenberries, baked/poached strawberries & some raspberries, sweet tarriness, dark berry cola, black pepper, steeped tea, eucalyptus, mint, tree bark with sap, herbaceous, dry crushed rocks, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, vanilla, moist, forest floor with dry leaves with withering; dark, red, purple flowers framed in violets & strong lavender.

The body is full, round, lush & ruby. The tannins are still big, round, tarry & meaty. The structure, tension, length & balance are just there & yet still not there. It is still a monster on day two. Smokey; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum skin, black cherries, blueberries, mulberries/boysenberries, baked/poached strawberries & some raspberries, sweet tarriness, grilled meats, dark berry cola, black pepper, steeped tea, eucalyptus, mint, tree bark with sap, herbaceous-sage & rosemary, used charcoal, graphite, dark spice with palate heat, burned ambers, incense, rubber toy, dry crushed rocks, moist clay & top soil, dry stone, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, vanilla, moist, forest floor with dry leaves with withering; dark, red, purple flowers framed in violets & strong lavender. The acidity is round and a rushing river. The extremely long finish is, big, round, elegant, floral, well balanced, runs juicy to dry with persistence for days falling onto earthiness & dark spice on the long set.

Photos of, a plaque that hangs above my kitchen sink that speaks to me always, Dan Standish, his Cellar Door and surrounding buildings. — 4 years ago

Vijay Parikh

9.1

I don’t think I have ever had a bottle that so accurately reflected faded grandeur than this one. Well past it’s peak this wine has lush plum fruit, a superb balance but lacking in length and finish. It is likely quite asymmetric to its market prices. Went well with steak, — 4 years ago

V

9.1

Not sweet and not tart. Just right. Monterey Market — 4 years ago

Barb Anderson

9.6

“Wine is the only art work you can drink.” Luis Fernando Olaverri
This 2008 is like drinking seductive poetry! Grapes sourced from the Red Mountain AVA. Lots of sediment to filter out and aeration opens it up. My goodness this is smooth. — 5 years ago

Erin Chaney

9.5

Loved! Light, not super tart. Get it again! No longer at world market. Found at target — 5 years ago