Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

1999 vintage. This review a bit of a mixed bag. “Inherited” this bottle and had been looking sideways at it for the better part of three years. Fill decent but both the front and back labels pretty trashed. The foil up top a tad crimped in places. Ugly duckling syndrome. See a ton of this at work and occasionally able to resuscitate what appears to be an abused bottle. Cut off the foil and there was some seepage at the top trapped between the cork and the foil. Not good. Extracted the cork in three passes (3!!!) with the Durand. Cork was half saturated and dunzo. Did not decant. Color was on point at least. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.1% ABV. Less than expected sed. Poured out a fifth of a glass and let sit for 2-3 mins. Nose was big white pepper, roasted cashews and white sage…three notes that I don’t come across often over the years with Napa cabbage and flavors were hidden beneath for a spell. Gave it 15 minutes. That initial nose dissipated and a bit of magic unfolded. Light-medium body, cocoa powder, graphite, feminine, sumptuous milk chocolate, a little sweaty, dried legumes, spearmint, supremely resolved tannins. Echoes of Haut-Brion/La Mission Haut-Brion. This old-school, Stags Leap District Napa cab came through in the clutch. Seemed to gather strength the longer it was open. Given that this particular bottle was not exactly mint, more than a bit curious as to how a decently stored example of this wine would perform. Van the Man was right. Wild night is calling. Come on out and dance. 05.16.25. @Shay A — 22 days ago

Aaron Tan

8.9

Another misunderstood traditionalist? Fattoria La Gerla is another producer in Montalcino often lumped into the modernist category, probably because of the presence of new oak in just one of their many cuvées - the Burba. At least, that’s what I gather from my research and in tasting this too. Not a trace of new oak here, but this Brunello was a weird one. Started off very earthy and musky, and at one stage even took on an odd soya sauce character (odd because it led with the note and not as a nuance often found in Burgundies). Took a good four hours to finally reveal high-toned dark berry fruit, with shades of Balsamic vinegar and leather. The palate tracked the nose fairly well, with nice acidity, and a grip that went from firm to almost-plush at the end of the night. I didn’t mind it, but frankly, this bottle fell below expectations, especially when comparisons were drawn against the Stella of the same vintage. In a dumb phase perhaps? — 3 years ago

Matt Perlman

9.5

So precise and refined. Just starting to gather a head of steam — 4 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

8.9

This is an interesting blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Syrah from the Maipo Valley, an iconic region of Chile, a bountiful area that gather the perfect conditions for quality wines for terroir-driven wine seekers.
A wine that can be an acquired taste, showcasing a unique character and definitely a high levels of complexity. The wine has a striking deep, intense violet color, quite aromatic profile that pleases the nose with some dark chocolate, dark cherries and blueberries. On the palate, it provides a balanced acidity, chewing tannins with a very long-lingering finish. It pairs amazing with Manchego cheese, Braised short ribs and even lasagna. — 2 months ago

Aaron Tan

8.9

A unplanned Brunello study, courtesy of the boys! Despite being the lowest tiered among the wines of the night, I was drawn to the Valdicava Rosso the most. I was rooting for it essentially - tasting to see if what short time we had could have unravelled the tightly-knitted palate to match the sublime nose. Aromas of high-toned cherries and plums, cedar-spice, tobacco leaf, dried flowers and herbs, and a whiff of shiitake. It’s complex, yet I felt it offered poorer delineation than the Stella Brunello. In fact, all the other wines did too - a function of storage perhaps, or was the Stella just in a different league? Alas, the palate never caught up too. It started with nothing but drying tannins, and developed into a spicy-tannic character, eventually giving way to ripe red fruits and a really dusty-tannic finish. I can’t say that was all so enjoyable, but it certainly provides a compelling reason to age this Rosso.

"A misunderstood traditionalist" - at least that's what I gather from my research of Valdicava. The producer of the revered Madonna del Piano often gets lumped into the modernist category of Brunello due to the typically "obscene" concentrations in their wines, yet uses very traditional vinification techniques like elevage in large Slovenian oak. Can't really make any conclusions from this experience alone, but with all the information in hand, it's safe to say that these are very long-lived wines. — 3 years ago

Randy Fuller

9.6

This Carmignano DOCG wine marries Sangiovese and Bordeaux grapes like they were made for one another. Medium dark in the glass, the wine shows a bright cherry aroma, which turns into black cherry over time, as tar and smoke gather on the nose. The palate continues the dark theme, with a savory coat hung on the shoulders of the black fruit. The acidity is fresh, while the tannins provide plenty of power to take down beef, the fattier the better. — 4 years ago

Jay Kline

9.5

As Rhône or Nôwhere 2.0 concluded, our heads were spinning. Spinning not only due to the consumption but from the out-of-this-world lineup. As we tried to gather ourselves, a bottle of 2011 DRC Romanée St. Vivant was generously opened to toast the evening’s frivolities. I mean, wow. The 2011 R-S-V pours a bright but deep ruby with no signs of age. It’s dark fruited and slightly green, probably still needing another decade+ to flesh out. There is some beautiful use of oak with gorgeous baking spices. Way more closed than the 2011 DRC Echezeaux we enjoyed a couple years back. Clearly amazing. Clearly a baby still. Afterwards, a friend with more experience than (in respects to DRC) mentioned that Echezeaux usually shows well when young while R-S-V typically needs the most time. Something that I’ll keep in mind. To my palate, this will be best after 2030 and should be excellent through 2050+. It’s got that kind of guts and balance.
— a year ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.0

2016 vintage. Was disappointed with the same bottle tasted a week ago so popped another. This one showing better. Improved nose of spearmint, leather, dust, dark chocolate covered raspberry and sea salt. Light-medium body. That dark choco-covered raspberry flips to a dark choco-covered strawberry flavor along with graphite, menthol and cedar tones. Still big mouthfeel and dry but not nearly as pronounced as their 2014 vintage in that regard. This could still use an extended vacation of, say, a half decade to decade before revisiting. A hint of softness on the finish now may gather momentum in that time period and make this slightly more approachable then. — 4 years ago

Brucie Harvey

9.0

Loved this for an afternoon of Greek, Portuguese and Eastern Mediterranean apps. It’s almost orange, with strawberries grounded by loads of minerals & salinity. Reminds me of the wines grown on the volcanic soil on Santorini. I gather the growing is similar, low to the ground to protect the vines from sea winds. — 4 years ago

Shay A

9.6

Though not the same as it was pre-COVID -19, a handful of us were able to gather (while keeping our distance) to celebrate being back together and opened some fun wines to share. Wine is always better with good company.

Here’s one you don’t see very often. Tiny producer who has a track record of doing magical things with this vineyard. This falls in to the hedonistic type bucket. My first glass was like smelling a freshly baked mixed berry pie being pulled out of the oven. Dark chocolate, Andes mint, baking spices, charcoal and sandalwood jump from the glass as well. It was both elegant but rich on the palate. Decidedly dark fruit driven on the palate (less of the red fruit profile I typically get from GIII vineyard) as well as lavender, plum and currant. Lengthy finish that is delicious but still very youthful. Thanks for opening @Benjamin Keator — 5 years ago

with joe, Dan and 2 others