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”. — 6 days ago

with Tiva

Will Stanley

9.4

What a joy to drink this 9 year old Marlborough Chardonnay in a near perfect spot with little sign of age. This is so bright, fresh, vibrant but carries a depth that I didn’t expect from this region.

Complex palate with white peony, pepper, lemon, grapefruit and mouth watering acidity. The finish is so, so long and couldn’t be more buttery. Like, minutes later buttery. Could this be barrel age, could it be malo fermentation - not sure. But I love it. — 5 years ago

Tom Casagrande

9.0

Solid, modestly-priced Zin. Zinny thinks the moniker “old vine” is hooey. He says he’s older in dog years than this is in Zin years.

This has lots of plummy blackberry fruit and warm sandstone earthiness. Full- bodied but not jammy or hot (14.4%). — 6 years ago

Andrew Belzer

9.6

Love to target those “bad” vintages the critics dog on, it really forces winemakers to make an old school style wine that hold up over time! This was still fresh, with plum, cassis, leather, spice, soft tannins with great acidity on the finish — 9 months ago

Ali H

9.5

Bought Dec 2022, $20 Wise Old Dog in West Hartford
Stored in 1st floor bedroom closet ~64F
Nose- Freshly opened: Clean, floral, apples & pares, sage??
Palette- Freshly opened, sweet w/ slight acidity, may have been a touch warm, light-medium body — 2 years ago

Hugh O'Riordan

9.5

This 19 year old is lovely.aged very well. Bought at winery . Even meet 3 legged dog. Fruit has dropped back. Lots of earth, some funk.. just a delicious wine — 5 years ago

Connor Smith

9.5

#Nebbiolo is a surprisingly rare grape. Even in its native Piedmont, it accounts for only 8% of vineyard land. There are fewer than 100 hectares planted in the United States. 🕵️‍♂️🍇
Over 80% of prewar Italian immigrants came from Sicily and Southern Italy. Piedmont was the wealthiest and most politically dominant region. But if fortunes were reversed, could Nebbiolo have taken Primitivo/Zinfandel’s place as a grape relatively uncommon on the boot but dominant in California? 🤔🇮🇹🇺🇸
Probably not. The Nebbiolo vine is *not* for beginners. It flowers early and ripens late, making it susceptible to both spring and autumn frosts. It loves the occasional fog bath (some say the name is derived from ‘nebbia’, Italian for fog ☁️☁️☁️) but is prone to the mildew that may result from such humid conditions. Its fussiness would make Pinot Noir blush: it demands southwesterly exposure, a proper gradient, constant sun above, and fog licking at its toes. #diva
Sound anything like California’s Central Coast? 🌅
In the Santa Maria Valley, where the East-West Transverse Range bends back into the North-South Coastal Range, it’s possible. Vineyard selection still requires extreme discretion - an eye like @JimClendenen’s, perhaps.
Jim began the Nebbiolo program at the legendary #BienNacido vineyard in 1994. Production is small, but if you track down his “The Pip” Nebbiolo, it will only run you about $30. You’ll believe anything is possible when you have real California Nebbiolo of this quality come wafting out of the glass at you! 🙌🙌
🏞.“The Pip” is named after Jim’s old cellar dog Pip, a border collie. So it only seemed right to include one of our own pips! 🐈 — 6 years ago

Kirsten Spalding

9.9

So excited to drink this. Leathery, pipe tobacco on the nose. Forrest floor, old attic mildew, dusty, decomposing musty leaves. Stringent. Tastes like a old leather bound book you found at your grandparents and were like, “what’s that?” and pulled it from its shelf and instead got a face full of dust. But you love it. I love this. It’s everything I love about an old Bordeaux— pure decomposed earth. I would love to pet a lovely, giant Scottish Deerhound while drinking this— a dog as regal and mythical as this wine. — 2 years ago

Amy Wundersitz

8.9

With mum, dad and Chris. All enjoyed — 3 years ago

Adam Zell

9.1

Moving day, why not drink a 15 year old Pinot? — 5 years ago