Vino Joe

9.7

Sharp and citrusy. I loved the mineral chalky texture and the lightness of the wine. Great length Fruit is plentiful but relaxed (in a good way). Perfect for a snowy indoor holiday evening. Cheers! — a month ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Bruce Phillips and his wife were pouring their 2021. Talked w/ him at length. Very nice couple.

The 2021 showed well young with room for improving with 10-25 years in bottle and beyond. It showed some evolution, wasn’t all primary. Elegant, very well balanced with excellent structure and finish. Drink 2033-45 properly stored.

The general Napa consensus on 2022 vintage will be a story of did you pick before or after the 6 days of extreme heat during the harvest window. One producer told me his would add 5% of 2023 to some of his 2022’s, which is allowed. He mentioned that he was going to add 15%. But, I think he just misspoke? Get ready for an amazing 2023 vintage from Napa. It was a cooler, not hot-hot, which was a near perfect growing season for long slow even ripening. Some say a vintage of a lifetime and others would only say exceptional.

The Saturday-Sunday Pavilion tasting at Pebble Beach Food & Wine is an excellent four hours to taste a lot wine, taste curated dishes from chefs from all over the country and meet the people behind the bottle. These short ribs were one of the top two or three things I tasted at the Pavilion Saturday. — 10 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; no formal notes as it was enjoyed quickly due to the setting and our celebratory mood. What I do recall is that this is a very fine Champagne however, it comes across a touch rounder than most 2008's at this level. The acid is sneaky however and I suspect time will reward those with patience. — 2 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.8

Tasted blind. Dark amber/tawny color. Notes of brown sugar, hickory, earth, saddle leather and some cola. Sweet to the taste with lots of complexity. Fruit is still present, with tannins fully resolved of course. Guesses by the boyz are 50’s Bordeaux, but I think it’s older. I’ve had two really old bottles of Chateau Margaux from the 20s and 30s, and I think it’s in that camp so I go with a guess of Margaux from the 20’s. Bingo. We’re told this was given many hours in the decanter and then we consumed it over 3 hours… it was alive from start to the last drop. What a great experience to drink grape juice that is nearly 100 years old. Bravo and thanks Stan! — 4 years ago

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.3

Delicious and reductive. Pineapple, curry leaf, lemon rind. — 2 months ago

Daniel M

9.2

At first it reminded me of a Normandy craft cider. Then I poured some in my glass and the colour struck me. It's orangey and clearly turbid. Not your casual chardonnay Sunday evening pour. The nose is verrrryyy complex, pear, apple, honey, elderflower, white pepper, some slight apricot touch and some yeasty notes too (?). The palate is great too, good acid drive, pear and apple, honey, good width, soft mouthfeel that turns into a tannic wall in the rear that caresses the tongue before powering a multi-layered finish with honey, apricot, apple, pear, a savoury, salty touch. Wow this is wild. It's absolutely not the same wine nor the same tastes and varietals but this reminds to some extent of Joly's wines from la Coulée de Serrant. Extremist in the approach somehow. These guys will die on that hill with their ideas. — 7 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

One of the few producers that I purchase each and every vintage. I find that Laurence Feraud’s wines are consistently some of the more interesting and enjoyable wines made in all of Chateauneuf du Pape; particularly when value comes into play. This bottle is my first experience with her 2018 vintage and the first bottle of a small tranche that I swooped up upon release. Popped and poured; consumed over 5 hours. The color is deep ruby with a near opaque core; glossy and gorgeous to behold. Medium+ viscosity. On the nose, this is classic Pegaü with loads of dark cherry and bramble fruit, a veritable hillside full of garrigue, lavender, black pepper, and something that reminds me of old books. On that palate, the fruit is equally generous, brambles and cherries, exotic spices, Herbs de Provence and a somewhat sanguine-like character to it. Substantial structure, though it seems to be a notch lower than the previous three vintages at this point in its young life. The tannins are very sneaky. Almost imperceptible for the first hour and yet, by hour four, they were very much making themselves known (in the Medium+ range). Acid is also Medium+ indicating these have an exciting life ahead. The finish lasts for well over a minute. All in all, another lovely Pegaü that will likely live in the shadow of some of the more heralded vintages in the last ten years however, that doesn’t mean this isn’t a stunner. Absolutely lovely stuff and I very much look forward to enjoying these well into the 2030’s. — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

Ruby/crimson in colour - a tawny rim developing. A little porty to begin with - the trademark Wendouree/Clare Valley menthol/eucalyptus. A note of Iodine. Very earthy on the palate. This wine speaks of the ancient terroir where vines have been planted since the 1880’s. Full bodied, intense and powerful even at 25 years of age. A true icon of Australian wine but even Wendouree Shiraz does have an end point and I think this 1999 has reached its peak. — 3 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; consumed over a three hour period. No formal notes. The 2015 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco pours a deeper garnet color with a translucent core. Medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. No signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is currently bursting with red and dark fruits: blackberries, Luxardo cherry, pomegranate, green herbs, red flowers, green herbs, and tar. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. The notes on the nose are confirmed. The finish is long and savory. Really compelling stuff in the context of the night. I think the 2015’s are drinking so well right now. Unfortunately, this is my last bottle of the “classico” but I’ll be on the hunt for more if I can score at a good price. Drink now if you’re going to allow for some evolution in the glass or enjoy through 2035. — 2 years ago

Sage Shimoda

9.1

2001 I Sodi Di S. Noccolo. Castellare Di Castellare

Since I tried their seductive 2006 vintage, I’ve been looking for other vintages. Finally, I got to try their 2001. This was not as memorable as their 2006, it still brought me back the memory of the wine. Garnet color. Dark fruits with leather and spices.

2006年があまりにも印象に残っていて、他のビンテージを探していたところ2001年を入手。あの時の感動の再来を願って試しました。2006年ほどの感動はありませんでしたが、レザーやスパイスの香り、熟成したフルーツ感も十分感じられるワインでした。 — 5 years ago