Donald Williams

9.4

Niagara Peninsula Cab Franc is hard to beat. More proof of that in this bottle. — 3 months ago

with Bonnie

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.0

1986 vintage. Sampled five bottles for a 1986 BDX tasting @ Mister A's in San Diego. Double decanted and tasted over four hours. Medium body. Pretty rustic early on and that stayed consistent till the end. Opened up a little later with a splash of bright cherry fruit. Should stay the course for another 5-6 years. 3.14.24 — 7 months ago

Ely Cohn

9.4

The Envinate line comes from a group of four friends who make natural inspired, and sometimes incredibly complex wines mostly from a tiny pocket in the Canary Islands. They can be so good they become a rare intersection of the natural and somm worlds, which tend not to play nice together.
Louses is a gorgeous, complex, elegant field blend with heavy accents of Mencia. It has cocoa, raspberries, blackberries, cedar, and the softest plushest pillow texture. — 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Steve & Paula Black pursued a dream in 2003 and purchased a 110-acre vineyard located in the Red Hills of Dundee creating The Four Graces, named after their four daughters. Medium Ruby with surprisingly complex aromas of red fruits, herb and spice. On the palate cherry and raspberry flavors with tea and espresso notes adding a bit of pepper spice. Well balanced acidity with fine tannins, medium(+) length, ending with earthy notes. Nice value! — 4 months ago

Byron Hewett

8.9

Pretty good. Strawberry fruit, minerally approaching saline. Good palate cleanser. — 7 months ago

Will Stanley

9.6

I’ve been itching to try Il Poggione’s 2015 Brunello since buying a case this time last year. I could count on one hand how many Brunellos I’ve had in the past, so this was exciting from the POV not just of this being a very highly rated wine, but from it being a new experience and foray into the world of Tuscany.

It has a translucent crimson robe, with aromas of dried cherry, tobacco, cedar, iron, beef blood and from somewhere an aromatic lift of lavender.

The palate is defined by vivacious acidity, mouthwatering tannin and a core of candied cherry, walnut, dark chocolate, espresso, all cut to a very savoury tune.

Very, very long life ahead. Would love to taste this alongside Produttori del Barbaresco’s 2016 Barbaresco in ten years’ time. — 4 years ago

Fredrik Finn

9.4

Quality check on Le Raganie Brunello di Montalcino 2013 and what a showstopper, starting off a bit shy but evolves into a layered complexity with plenty of finesse, with four hours in the decanter its hard to raise your nose from the glass. Red, very vibrant fruit is backed up by dried spices and pronounced but balanced savoury complexity of forrest floor and crushed stones. A subtle volatile lift brings further complexity. Fresh palate with, fine grained tannins and a tactile sensation that brings the wine throughout its long finish. Not Brunello, its a trademark Ragnaie! — 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.4

“Four” is a single-vintage blend of the most exciting barrels of Chardonnay from Liquid Farm’s vineyards. Popped and poured; enjoyed with friends over the course of an hour or so. The 2017 pours a striking, intensely bright golden color. I’m not sure I have seen anything quite like it before. It’s nearly neon. On the nose, the wine is redolent ripe and tart tropical fruits: starfruit and pineapple along with lemons, green apple, butter, gentle baking spices (this does see extended time in a small percentage of new oak). On the palate, the wine is dry with what I perceive to be high acid. It’s awesome. Confirming the notes form the nose, the finish is long with good minerality. This is titillating wine that hooks you from sight to nose to palate and it’s the latter that drives it home with the remarkable acid to match the fruit. About as good as any New World Chardonnay I’ve ever had. Drink now through 2039. — 6 months ago

Will Stanley

9.6

Such is the way of life at López de Heredia, the 2010 Reserva was only released to the market last year, while most bodegas are currently extolling the virtues of their 2019s. Well, as a fan of Viña Tondonia, I’ve been eagerly anticipating the 2010, fabled year that it is, having enjoyed many a superb wine from other producers in this vintage.

Decanted for four hours, this wine is effusive from the glass, with a strikingly darker, richer aromatic profile compared to vintages such as 2007 and 2001, and more in line with 2008 - but better still. The oak provides a generous chocolate- and vanilla-laced bouquet that also has blackcurrants, blueberries, cranberries and kirsch, and bouquet garni. The palate is, predictably, very austere at this primal stage, but again has a richer, more rounded mouthfeel to prior vintages that is simply wonderful. Needless to say, this is a benchmark wine for the region and will age rather well, and what a wine it will be in decades to come.
— a year ago

Evan McKenzie

8.9

Darker yellow appearance, very light aromatics, minimal oak, lemon, high acid, medium + minerals, 13.9% EtOH

2016 crop of Wente Selection Chardonnay hand-harvested on 9/23 with a yield of 1.05 tons per acre. Whole-cluster pressed and cold fermented in seasoned French Burgundy barrels. 147 cases produced. — 4 years ago