ESF

9.4

Delicioso! Love this producer, saw this on list at Nunzio in Hilton Head - paired beautifully w/fusili chinghiale & chicken marsala. W/out decant it smelled beautiful, so floral, so full of violets and cherries, raspberry, very elegant, earthy, mineral, tar, tea, spices, etc — just textbook nose. Smooth silky on palate, with well-integrated tannins. Balanced & harmonious, long finish. — 3 months ago

GaryWEdwards

9.5

In a perfect drinking window, showing everything from mint to tobacco and leather. A silky long finish in this right bank gem. Special thanks to Vine on Hilton Head Island for allowing to bring for corkage fee. Pairs perfectly with their duck flambé with orange moonshine. — 4 years ago

David Shaw

8.9

Label says Homestead Cider, Dry, 8% ABV, produced and bottled in Port Townsend WA, but “crafted from heirloom apples grown in homestead orchards in Washington’s Olympic Peninsula”. Pale yellow with green tinge, hazy clarity with pinpoint bubbles. Slight head after pour, ring of foam and bubbles persists on edge of glass. Funk and complex apple profile in nose. Rich dry complex flavors, difficult to pull apart but my initial reaction was “Wow”. Style is consistent with a farmhouse or craft style production, but very well done. Good stuff, rich, fruity and at times it does taste like applesauce (Gravensteins?), with an interesting combination of acidity, flavors and aromas, but definitely dry. It does seems pricey given the simple package and label, and the bottle is elegant with a resealable closure so it’s also reusable but yes, there is really great cider inside. Worth seeking out, and worth every penny spent. — 5 years ago

David Kline

9.3

2019: Blackest stout with a grainy, dark chestnut head that quickly reduces to
Polished black marble with a lunar nebula central. Single arches lacing. Molasses and licorice nose, dark chocolate, rich Turkish coffee, tobacco, caramel, coconut oak smolders through the last sniff. Really well integrated first sip. Powerful and sensually abundant, black licorice extract, chicory coffee, vanilla extract, pecans, dark brown sugar, toffee, mocha for the mileage.



#gooseisland #bourboncountystout #gooseislandbourboncountystout #stout #barrelaged #barrelbeer #oakaged #imperialstout #originalbourbonstout #bourbonstout — 3 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Just an outstanding Pinot Noir from Nigel. Everything I expect and more from an amazing region for Pinot Noir.

If you make it to Queenstown, drive out to Central Otago for the vistas & two or three tasting appointments. These photos are from our visit and what would be their early fall. It’s God’s country.

Central Otago has the warm days, cool nights, soil structure and the long growing season that is perfect for Pinot Noir grapes.

The nose shows ripe, candied, floral; black cherries, baked plum, blue fruits, raspberries, blackberries, black raspberries, poached strawberries, cranberries, pomegranate, mixed berry fruit cola, soft spices, mix of red & black licorice, limestone powder, cherry kirsch liqueur notes, smokiness, understated, fresh tobacco, crushed volcanic powder, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, light cinnamon, lightly grilled meats with bright florals of; red, dark, blue, purple flowers framed in a field of violets.

The palate is complex, lush, lively and light on its feet. It’s flat out stunningly gorgeous! Wine candy. Ripe, candied, floral; black cherries, baked plum, blue fruits, raspberries, blackberries, black raspberries, poached strawberries, cranberries, pomegranate, mixed berry fruit cola, soft, dark spices with just the right shade of palate heat, mix of red & black licorice, limestone powder, dry crushed rocks, stones, dry top soils, cherry kirsch liqueur notes, smokiness, understated, fresh pipe tobacco, crushed volcanic powder, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, light cinnamon, lightly grilled meats with bright florals of; red, dark, blue, purple flowers framed in a field of violets. If you are an acid head like me, the acidity is one of the reasons you love the wine. It’s like a cool, gentle river. The long finish last minutes. It is a tremendous, glorious balance of fruit and earth that slides into mid minerals & dark spice.

If you haven’t heard or only thought about this producer’s wines, you owe it to yourself to buy a bottle & see firsthand how incredible they are, both Chardonnay & Pinot. I’ve had other more expensive Pinot Noirs that were not as good as this 2014.

Photos of; my Q&A walk the property with owner and winemaker Nigel Greening, concrete tanks, open top fermenters and their beautiful early fall vistas from the property. — 4 years ago

Lee Johnson

9.1

Hilton head Christmas — 6 years ago

Steve Cooper

8.9

Good wine. Hilton head. Ela’s — 3 years ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.2

I probably drink too many Etna wines, so for a change here’s a Sicilian wine that is NOT from the volcano. It’s from the center of the island, near the city of Caltagirone, and it’s an unusual blend of two expected grapes (Nero d’Avola and Frappato) and one fairly unexpected one (Alicante Bouschet). Grown in dense vineyards planted with head-trained bush vines at about 1000 feet above sea level, this wine has a deep garnet color and a stony core surrounded by blackberry, licorice, and black cherry fruit. At once ripe and chiseled with acidity, this is a perfect expression of Sicily in many ways. It bears the i Vigneri stamp of consultant Salvo Foti, a good sign if there ever was one on Sicilian bottles. — 3 years ago

Donna Adams

9.4

Drank with family at Hilton Head for Thanksgiving. Wonderful smooth Assyrtiko taste. From a single vineyard on Santorini. — 5 years ago

David Shaw

9.2

Pale golden white. Short brief head in pour, moderate carbonation with medium sized bubbles. Label says it’s part of Heirloom Series, 8% alcohol. Pleasant perfumed apple aromas in nose. Expected McIntosh flavor profile in mouth but much more subtle and complex than that. Ever so slightly off dry, slight astringency in finish so very gently pressed. Slight malic snap in finish. Well crafted and superior product — 6 years ago