Brad Jensen

9.3

Very rustic and musty, from what I hear this amount of time must have really softened its rough edges because this has some refinement to it. Amber red color, with slight coppery hints, the nose is musty like an old felt book binding, or some velvet church pews, with prominent fruit as it’s allowed to open up, and even some hints of dusty bubble gum and deep floral notes towards the edges. Looong legs on a medium body, the tannins are well integrated and grippy, with a strong foundation, but melt after a little while. There’s serious graphite and minerality here, but that opens into some savory notes, black currant and olive, as well as some balsamic, but after the tannin let go you get some serious cacao or dark chocolate notes, even some tobacco smoke, with fig and blood orange at the finish. I don’t know why people dog on this wine, it just needs time to mature, more than folks realize. Paired with spek, sheep’s milk cheese, and the film “A Prophet”. — 3 days ago

with Tiva

Chris Zitzman

9.3

Right off the pop of the cork, Tuck Beckstoffer’s entry-level “1975” California Cabernet acts as a simple-yet profound introduction to a whole series of extremely highly-regarded wines from one of the most legendary names in all of California. The nose provides a lush and surprisingly broad array of flavors from stewed cherry to a Smokey- bit of charred oak- and its caliber is defined by how those aromas find their way to melt together- even as young as it be. As it breathes and evolves the structure softens and the tannins begin to more gently explain as well as reveal the flavors that are, sip-by-sip, emerging on the palate. Medium-bodied but with plenty of structure to spare, the (just unbelievably) inexpensive 2018 Beckstoffer “1975” Cabernet is one to try. Then buy, by the case. — 5 years ago

with Beth

Adam Kincaid

9.1

Small white flowers and wet stone from snow melt. Soft and mellow, slightly nutty. It’s spring up in the high mountains. — 5 years ago

Jason Brater

9.3

Absolutely beautiful BdB! Ethereal bubblrs that melt away. One of the few examples where the wine is as beautiful or better than the amazing bottle. Would put this up against most any BdB at 1.5/2.0x the price! — a year ago

Matthew Cohen

9.4

Absolutely Needs a 30 minute decant. Discombobulated on open. Do NOT drink on open.

Nose is medium cherry and cherry flower. As it opens nose is a basket of flowers. Violets. Lilacs. Lavender. Daaaaaamn negri. Really crazy assed addictive. Like a drug. An alternative reality that sucks you in.

Palate is silky cherries. Some spice. Grippy tanins that melt after 30. A hint of chocolate. A hint of cherry licorice. Juicy. Such sweet hedonistic fruit. Jamalamadingdong.

Nice juicy licorice finish.

Bought from fass selections.
— 5 years ago

Adriana Fabbro

9.1

Felt like a justifiable extravagance during quarantine. Surprisingly aggressive mousse: bubbles were audible and hit the back of my tongue like pop rocks. Austere but pretty, like an early spring day, when it’s sunny but still too cool to ditch the winter coat and when some trees are blossoming but most are still bare. Aromatics: brioche, orchard fruit & blossoms (underripe apple, pear), early spring wild flowers, a touch of something tropical (passion fruit?). Flavors: baked apple, buttery notes quickly give way to alpine snow melt and reverberating, enamel-stripping acidity. A peculiar, but perfect date for Easter brunch. — 5 years ago

Russelton Handleberry

8.9

Paired perfectly with my patty melt — 4 years ago

K. Syrah

9.1

2016. Merlot-based Bordeaux. Rich purity of fruit makes it very approachable for a young wine. Firm tannins up front melt into sappy purple fruit. Some minerals and stone but a fairly one-dimensional fruit bomb at this point. $43 at Bottle King. — 4 years ago

Mereze Visagie

10

Doesn’t have a strong aftertaste like most other chards. Not too sweet. Very light and nice! — 5 years ago

Dave Schneider

9.3

The only fun thing happening now is “RIPPING” through my wine cellar. I’m always worried that I leave things too long before I drink it but I’ve been pleasantly surprised with my patience of late. This wine took a few minutes to melt the angular hard edges away revealing a beautiful Pinot noir with complexity and a zesty kick and a long 30 second finish. I bought this wine from Garagiste during the last crisis of 08/09. Timing couldn’t be better. Stay well and healthy! — 5 years ago