Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

1 of CA's oldest wineries, Far Niente, founded 1885 by John Benson. Winery flourished until Prohibition, when it was abandoned & fell into complete disrepair. Stately stone shell of a winery purchased in 1979 by Gil Nickel. A big wine! Tropical and stone fruit aromas with complex spice and oak notes. On the palate apple, peach and citrus flavors, creamy, with buttery toasty oak, fig/honey tones. Long finish ending with vibrant acidity & mineral character. Consistent. — 6 days ago

Sam Friedland

8.9

Minerals and Mellon. — 2 years ago

Harvey Raben

9.0

This is an intriguing wine with a Cab core and spice from the Petit Sirah and Petit Verdot. Some structure with refined tannins. Ripe raspberries and other red fruit on the medium weight palate. — 2 years ago

Will Stanley

9.3

In many ways a baby Tondonia, this ‘Crianza’* from López de Heredia is a great entry point to the wines of one of Rioja’s oldest wineries, and in many ways mimics the styles of its more upmarket reds. Not dissimilar in style to Viña Tondonia, this medium-bodied red cuts a leaner profile with dried red fruit, bags of vanilla and characteristically fierce orange zest acidity. The aroma is intoxicating and packs the leathery, savoury punch that is the hallmark of classical Rioja. It lacks the purity and depth of fruit of its bigger brother, and finishes slightly shorter, but for the price (£17/btl) it’s an exceptional - and of course traditional - Rioja that any lover of the region should seek out, and one which should provide ample enjoyment over the coming decade or more.

*this wine spent enough time in barrel and bottle to easily qualify for Gran Reserva status, but of López de Heredia’s wines it is always the ‘youngest’. — 5 years ago

Scott E. Becker

9.1

[Tasted on January 10, 2025 at Tom’s House with Tom]

Jerusalem Hill vineyard is in Eola-Amity Hills AVA. Raspberry and red currant fruit, with earth, minerality and spice. — 3 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

#kosherWineSunday

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Fruity nose with blueberries, black currants, cooked plums, Indian spices, light oak, licorice, earth, herbs, light vegetables, chocolates, black tea and peppercorn.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, black cherries, oak, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco leaf, bitter herbs, light vegetables, earth, black tea, peppercorn and Indian spices.

Long finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 8 year old GSM blend from Israel is drinking beautifully now. Elegant and fruit forward. Feels like a Washington State red blend. Easy drinking and engaging.

Needs an hour to open up properly, so be patient.

Peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next few years.

Delicious by itself as a sipping wine, and good with food too.

A blend of 47% Syrah, 35% Grenache and 18% Mourvedre. Kosher and not Mevushal.

15% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$55. — 10 months ago

Eric

9.1

Really well balanced zin. Pagani ranch is a Sonoma producer of berries to several wineries. Indigenous yeast. Well made. 14.8 ABV. Cheers my friends!!! — 4 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

A blend of Cab Sauvignon (46%), Cab Franc (32%), Petit Verdot (12%), Shiraz (12%) combined to a Terroir of Jerusalem, Israel, offers an unique style along with experience. Solid notes of licorice, dark red fruits, a hint of caramelized and toasted notes. A hint of a rustic finish creates an interesting complexity. This wine screams food pairing most of times. — 6 months ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Zwebner Estate Vineyard Judean Mountains 35.6.18 Red 2017, Bethlehem

#KosherWineSunday

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, black plums, currants, raspberries, light oak, spices, chocolates, licorice, coffee, tobacco leaf, herbs, earth, peppercorn and black tea.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 6 year old red blend from the Judean Mountains in Israel, is showing nice complexity with a soft mouthfeel. Elegant and spicy.

Fruit forward right out of the bottle, and even better after an hour of airtime.

This Single Vineyard is good by itself or with food. A great sipping wine.

I Had the 2015 a few years ago, and it is very consistent. Delicious stuff.

A blend of Grenache, Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged in French oak barrels for 12 months. Kosher.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$50. — a year ago

Boris Mathiszik

8.9

Nice cab. I found it lacking a bit of refinement considering we were at one of the best wineries in the Valle de Guadalupe. But solid wine, and amazing winery. Syrah leading the way in this region I strongly believe. — 4 years ago