Bob McDonald

9.5

A highly awarded Grenache from Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale, possibly the best terroir for the varietal in Australia. Its gnarly old bush vines were planted in 1946. It is dry farmed on a 1.7 hectare block sitting on the deepest sand with the lowest vigour and yield. Not as raspberry as many Australian Grenache - more balanced, restrained and excellent. Wine of the Year at the 2020 Halliday Wine Awards receiving 99 points. On the medium weight palate red berries and cherry finishing with ultra fine tannins. Jancis made the comment, “Might give the odd cult Spanish wine a run for its money too.” — 7 months ago

Bryan Vogt

9.0

Great for a hot day. Not too sweet — 5 years ago

David Kline

9.3

Classic cucumbers, lychee, pear, cold smoke, lime pith, light guava core. On the palate, soft on entry, but dragging a desert dry backbone over diatomaceous sands on a steely chain, til orange-lime citrus twists to lemon that jumps from the glass with a nano dusting of white pepper. — 6 years ago

Ben Abrew

9.2

Lovely sipping on top of Marina Bay Sands Singapore — 8 months ago

Paul T HB

9.4

Needs a couple hours of air & a few oz of 🥩
K&L notes as follows,

We sell a lot of this favorite second wine and the 1999 is quite elegant, with intense concentration and complexity. Plus, it is drinking well now. This estate is one of K&L’s veteran Bordeaux expert Ralph Sands’ favorites. I just tasted (July 7) another bottle from this recent shipment. Wonderful Bordeaux to drink tonight with a lamb chop. Some smoky aromas with cola and red fruit undertones. Typical, elegant 1999 Bordeaux with a sweet middle palate and smooth finish.
Drink from 2016 to 2024 — 3 years ago

Sam Lee

8.9

Luv the vibe
Luv the tone rich and balance as it said
Seconds alongside with my Cabernet merlot, this one is typical California Wine, fruity sweet with all fruit dominates
🍒🍇🥭
So much fruit berry here
With touch of green mango 🥭🥭🥭
blackberry plum blackcurrant black cherry raspberry so much cherry plum lots of plum here like a giant plum ground
🎡
Feels of sun vibe beach sands shore
🗺
Like a yacht boat with smiley captain
👨🏻‍🦰 — 5 years ago

Ichiro Kawachi

9.0

2007 vintage. After it slept in my cellar for 12 years, it turned a deep saffron color. Like an oloroso sherry — 6 years ago

Vin d’Ottawa

9.4

I cannot describe how excited I’ve been for this bottle.

From Portugal’s tiny Colares wine region, this is the famed Ramisco grape, grown in vines in the sands off the coast of Sintra. Back when phylloxera destroyed most of Europe’s grapevines, these survived as the parasite couldn’t make its way in the sands the grapevines grew in. The Portuguese crown then nationalized the wine- unique to Portugal- and used it in diplomacy as a form of soft power.

The wine starts with a roughness that smooths into a beautiful, medium bodied flavour of black cherry and blackberry. Think of a juicy California Pinot Noir that manages the punch of a Rioja.

A wine worthy of its great history.
— a year ago

with Gillian

Luis Arguero (@winefromAtoZ)

9.1

Cantina Tramin Sauvignon 2017. Bright acidity. Lemon. Apple. Nice noticeable minerality. An ideal choice, even for Mr. Penguin! Cheers🍷 — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Pontet Canet tasting and dinner with Alfred Tesseron.

The fruits are ripe, ruby. Blackberries, black raspberries, black plum skin, raspberries & strawberries. Dark rich soils, dark spice, crushed dry rocks, black licorice, tobacco, soft leather, graphite, Great balance fruit and earth. The body is velvety and statin. The structure, length, tension and balance are just coming around. The texture is gorgeous. The acidity is round and excellent. The finish delicious and persists nicely.

Photos of; our dinner group, The K&L Bordeaux Buyer-Ralph Sands and Alfred talking about the wines, Clyde Beffa Jr. -Owner of K&L Wine Merchants and Chateau Pontet Canet. — 6 years ago