Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2021 vintage. So tasted alongside sister property Cade (and Plumpjack) Howell Mountain Cab. If I weren't so familiar with the Cade HM, woulda sworn this was mountain fruit. This is the leanest, dirtiest SLD effort I've ever had spanning a multiplicity of SLD producers since the 1986 vintage. It's got the underlying structure of Stags Leap District but none of the top layer of richness. It all got scraped off and you are just left with the steak-no sizzle. Comes courtesy of the old old Steltzer property (hadn't heard that winery name in decades and it was the durtiest in SLD!) and the new powers that be turbo-charged it and turned shizz up to 11. Fascinating and phenomenal. Light-medium body and has the color but packs an unexpected Barolo-styled punch. Not your average SLD bear. Watch out for Mr. Ringer...err...Ranger. 10.30.24. — 2 months ago

Scott Cowan

9.0

Total Rhône Ranger: 56% Syrah, 16% Mourvèdre, 13% Petite Syrah, 11% Grenache, with 2%, each, smoothing things all together, of Viognier(!) and … Alicante Bouschet. I bet the Alicante was added for color more than for flavor, though also to smooth the tiny ping of pepper notes I assume follow the teensy bit of Viognier. All in all a delightful crowd pleaser. Inoffensive to sensitive palates and yet bold+complexly layered just enough to please those who want some drama in the bowl (present 🤚 ).

Pairs well with… just about everything: mild chicken to game and lamb… also all cheeses from mildest to most piquant — it’s that kind of utility player wine!
For this reason, I give it the full 9.0 instead of the 8.9 I’d planned on mid-dinner last night. I had been straddling that fence between best of a strong platoon player who’d see 80 games a season, some starting and some pinch hitting/fielding, vs an everyday starter who could cover the infield as passably as the outfield and bat just about anywhere in the lineup, 1-8, save the super power 3 and 4 spots — though a few sips hit the spot sweet just right to serve as barely clearing the fence home runs during a brief period that this wine lingered at just-right aeration time.

Darker red pour with flecks of bear black and hues of orange highlight… Bing cherry skin color center to lighter Rainer cherry reds near glass sides. No tears to speak of from alcohol and this wine does not feel as if it’s high in alcohol at all, but the label reads 15.2%. I wonder if someone transposed those last two numbers which straddle the decimal.

Zero cherry flavors — just those colors. The mix of velvety raspberry, very mild dried laurel leaves, under-roasted coffee, and mild chocolate all muddle together more than layer over one another, as I prefer, but they do so in a way that forms a comfy soft blanket of flavors and those tiny peeps of black pepper do make that blanket more interesting. Medium finish says good-bye with a soft wave to the smell of cardboard-surrounding a delicious dark chocolate bar…if that smell could be distilled into a thick liquid that coats the top of the throat before evaporating away slowly.

This 2018 seems to be nearing peak of flavors and has the potential to drink pretty well until 2023; probably not much pizazz will be left to extend its contract after that. I’d be glad to drink this again anytime. A good wine for Justin S. and/or David M.
— 3 years ago

Jon Ebsworth

9.0

Great value red in the rhone ranger sytle — a year ago

Aloke Mukherjee

9.0

Opened for Mother's Day 2022. Still good. — 3 years ago

Billy L.

9.3

CDP White & Paso Rhone Ranger Whites - $60 or less Blind Tasting Winner @$53
Great CDP Chateau history, Old Vines,etc.
Flowery aromatics, amazing 🤩 topaz color, medium-Full concentration of 🍊 citrus & 🍐 pear fruits for days with a long finish. All enjoyed this wine, easy winner! Cheers 👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 — 4 years ago

William Feinstein

9.3

Every time I drink a Two Shepherds wine I wish I had more in my cellar. A true “Rhône ranger” producing some of the best rhône-style wines in California. We all need to drink more Two Shepherds and support innovative winemakers who think about product quality before profit and ratings. Thanks to my dear friend Bruce for introducing me to Two Shepherds and supplying me! — 4 years ago

with Maryalice

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.0

2020 vintage. First wine I’ve had from Qupé since founder Bob Lindquist no longer with this winery. This effort is a little sweeter and less earthy than 5-6 CC-designated syrahs I tasted under his Rhône Ranger hand over the last three decades. For the price, it’s pretty delicious tho. The single vineyard Qupé syrahs really set the benchmark for what was possible in the Central Coast area for syrah…and grenache…and marsanne…and viognier…and…Part of Bob’s legacy is raising the overall quality of (esp Rhône) varietals in the various CC areas, even with an entry-level effort such as this. For that, we should all be eternally grateful. Thank you, Bob Lindquist. 11.24.23 — a year ago

Ron from VA

9.0

Very fresh “grape” taste…56 Grenache, 30 cinsault, 13 syrah, 1 ps…Almost Mediterranean, more like Santa Barbara… Happy and slightly candied. Fun take from the Rhône ranger — 3 years ago

David Kline

9.1

Pineapple-grapefruit look blasts a big-bubbled white puff with even stacking. Igneous lacing formation churns into Pahoihoi. Grapefruit and pineapple match the drapes, with the pineapple turning jell-o with cream topping. Papaya and mango make the rounds, ripely. Clean palate of zesty lemon wrapped around just ripe mango, and a tangerine thing that rounds it to mango texture. Minerally pineapple suggests a weightless and steely finish, but the lime drops the dime to call it home. Good rotation back to white raspberry! #newbelgium #newbelgiumbrewing #voidooranger #ipa #indiapaleale #newbelgiumvoodoorangernineteeneightyfiveipa #voodoorangernineteeneightyfive #newbelgium1985 #1985ipa #beer #bier #biere #birra #rotatingseriesbeer — 4 years ago

Scott Soren

9.9

Massive extraction and elegance. Almost like an oxymoron. As a Rhône ranger this is near perfection. Will stand up against anything from anywhere. Charcuterie and crushed blackberry are predominate on the nose. Macerated cherry and smoked meats push the palate. Medium acidity and super long finish,make is so enticing. Still has a few years left on it. Find it and enjoy — 5 years ago