Amazing depth. Never thought I would like a British red wine! Pop-up in Shoreditch Nov 19 — 5 years ago
Great cab blend…really came alive after being opened an hour or so. — 2 months ago
BETZ Family Winery ~ Pinot Noir offering from Willamette Valley — 2 years ago
A little Distracted by good company, I would have liked to see it open up a touch more before we finished it. It had a confident structure and was set up well to handle the food. It was firm and lively and very enjoyable. — 4 years ago
Fields Family Wines ’14 Stampede Vineyard Zinfandel (SRP $28): Ain't no fun if the homie—The Spaceman—can’t have none (lol). This delicious Zinfandel is produced from 75-85 year old vines and made in small lots (only 100 cases made) with minimal intervention in the vineyard and cellar. A bright ruby color, this medium-bodied wine is juicy with beautiful raciness—showing a good sense of balance between richness, freshness and finesse. It offers appealing aromas and flavors of cherry and tart plum (gorgeous fruit), with notes of dill, spice, perfume, and loam adding complexity. This wine paired exceptionally well with the cherry/pecan baby-backs I smoked over the weekend. If you enjoy vibrant, food-friendly Zins that flirt with elegance, then this is your ticket. Put this producer on your wine radar if they’re not on it already. You can visit fieldsfamilywines.com to learn more. And for the record, of the four 1978 [Kiss] solo albums, Ace had the best one! — 6 years ago
Dark fruit, earthy tones, solid finish. — 8 months ago
Another Grand Cru from my favorite Alsacian producer.
Poura yellow, I get canary melon, botrytis honey comb, passion fruit, lychee.
Just slightly off dry, the acids have a mustard like quality. (the area is surrounded by mustard fields and I swear that I can smell and/or taste mustard greens/flowers in many wines of Berckem). Follows up with roasted apple flavors, and an incredible clean but long finish.
I wish I could open a bottle of this every night. — 2 years ago
Jay Kline

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Equally enjoyable on both nights however, the nose was most powerful on Day 1. “Ampodium” (formerly Classique) is 100% Syrah sourced from a dozen or so vineyards and made in a largely traditional style; plenty of whole cluster and a very judicious use of new French oak. The 2010 “Ampodium”pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and signs of light sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe, some desiccated and some tart, black and blue fruits: blackberries, blueberry pie, fields of lavender, black pepper, bacon fat, iodine, and granite earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (mostly integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and laden with rocky minerals. Totally in balance and at peak. Lovely. Drink now through 2035. — 6 days ago