David Kline

9.6

Bent Water Brewing G.O.A.T. Premium lager

Rose Gold half opacity with a snowy bucket. Arched lacings eyebrow bullseyes in rushing tribute salutes hash marks and laurels. Nose shows yeasty citrus shimmers deep reed echoes and Indian gum as well as flaky croissant. Bold and generous palate with real resonance, astounds on entry. Toasty sesame, toasty toast and tasty, yeasty blood orange and round citrus echo the rhino-impressions. The finish smacks of the lightest oak. Solid.
I see a future KC collab with Brady and Mahomes. A double Bock perhaps? I know,; sacrilege.

#BentWatwrBrewingCo #BentWater #BentWaterGOAT #GOAT #GoATpremiumlager #premiumlager #lager #TomBrady #MAbeer #LynnMA #beer #bier #biere #birra #crrveza #patriots — 8 months ago

Vanessa

9.1

Burgundy 🇫🇷 is renowned for its Chardonnay, but did you know that Aligoté is the second most planted white grape in the region? 👀

Some of the finest Aligoté comes from ‘Bouzeron,’ an appellation in the Côte Chalonnaise region (north of Mâconnais, south of Côte d’Or).

In a land of Pinot Noir & Chardonnay, Bouzeron AOC is 100% dedicated to producing Aligoté 🙌🏻. In fact, it first became a legally-recognized AOC in 1998 thanks in part to the efforts of Aubert de Villaine, the winemaker behind this beautiful bottle. 👏🏻

Interestingly, Aubert is also a co-owner & co-Director of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) (and, as an aside, was on the tasting panel for the 1976 Judgement of Paris 😆)…

Yet, instead of devoting himself exclusively to DRC — one of the world’s most famous and prestigious estates — he and his wife, Pamela (a California native), were enchanted by the possibilities of Aligoté, and terroir of Bouzeron, where they put down roots through “Domaine de Villaine”.

This wine is Domaine de Villaine Bouzeron AOC (2019). It has a shimmering lemon robe and bouquet of white blossom, just-ripe white peach, yellow apple, pear, citrus, fennel, and wet slate notes. It’s remarkably fresh on the palate with mouth-watering acidity balancing the warm (14% ABV) and fruit-driven profile. It’s positively delicious!

We’re pairing it w/ pan-seared sea scallops, roasted asparagus, & lemon-herbed farro…

Cheers to nurturing the diversity of Burgundy in all of its splendor! 🥂
💙🤍♥️ — 3 years ago

with Deked1

Willie Carter

9.1

Outstanding right out of the gate. A pretty yellow robe with intense perlage initially. An abundance of fine bubbles and innate creaminess. The nose positively explodes with dainty white flowers and salinity. A pinch of cherry and fresh herbs. There’s enough oak to say hello along with lemon peel and almond slivers. Mirabelle plums and warm yeast.

Pure Pinot Noir from one of my favorite areas, Bouzy. Benoit Marguet has long been one of the standard bearers in Champagne of terroir driven, naturals wines with bare minimum dosage and minimal use of sulfites. And that makes a difference. Terroir driven indeed, the essence of Bouzy. Bone dry and full bodied, I love how vinous of a champagne this is. Elegance is not sacrificed in any way with a premium mouthfeel. Almost four years on lees and disgorged in March of 2019.

On the palate you’ll find pure bliss. Intense minerality and toasted brioche. Rich and generous with orchard fruits and just the right amount of oak. Plenty of citrus and high acidity with a touch of really nice red fruit. Long courtly finish. This is special stuff. — 5 years ago

Tom Elliot

Founder Northwest Wines

9.1

The first Alchemist vintage, here at age 10, an exploded brett bomb in the Burgundy mold, displaying beaucoup detractive attractions. A wine with an honest soul intertwined with corrupt flesh and blood. One feels one shouldn’t hang out with it but then there’s it’s unabashedly flawed, yet honest and generous company deserving of respect. — 7 years ago

Aaron Rankin

9.1

I tasted this bottle 1 and 2 years ago and can say this has evolved nicely with life ahead. It is fuller and more palette-coating than I recall. This time I drank it over 1.5 hours open and it kept positively evolving and blossoming. At the end: Large aromas of succulent red fruit, graphite, and a trace of cracked black pepper. Palette is very tannin forward with med acidity and notes of red fruits, mineral, and a little something green. — 8 years ago

Vadim T

9.2

A young beauty it is, the light bodied wine, gentle on alcohol and tannins, generous on cherry-ished fruit, but without vulgar sweetness, the true Oregon workhorse, reliable as growth of green grass. — 8 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Clos du Val – Cabernet Sauvignon “Hirondelle Vineyard” 2021
Stags Leap District AVA, Napa Valley, California, USA🇺🇸

Overview
A beautifully structured blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec, sourced primarily from the estate’s historic Hirondelle Vineyard in Stags Leap District. Known for its elegance and precision, the 2021 vintage reflects the unique terroir of this famed sub-AVA, balancing power with finesse.

Aromas & Flavors
Deep and inviting bouquet of ripe blackberry, cassis, and plum, lifted by violet and lavender florals. Subtle touches of vanilla, spice, and pine add layers of complexity. On the palate, dark fruit richness is framed by notes of cranberry, espresso, and toasted oak.

Mouthfeel
Silky and full-bodied with velvety tannins, a generous mid-palate, and a long, smooth finish. The freshness of the 2021 vintage shines through, balancing its concentration and depth.

Winemaking Notes
The wine undergoes careful sorting and vinification to showcase the purity of Stags Leap fruit. Barrel aged in French oak, lending elegance and integrated spice while preserving freshness and varietal character.

Food Pairing
Outstanding alongside grilled ribeye, lamb chops, short ribs, or venison. Also pairs elegantly with truffle risotto, wild mushrooms, or aged cheeses like Comté and Pecorino Toscano.

Verdict
A powerful yet graceful Napa Valley Cabernet, showing off the pedigree of Hirondelle Vineyard. Already drinking beautifully, yet has the structure to evolve gracefully over the next decade. — a year ago

Will Stanley

9.6

My word, what a disarming wine! Ready from the get-go, you can spend a long time with just your nose in the glass before wanting to take a sip of this. It has the freshest, coolest of dark brambly blue fruits, with smoked meat, graphite, lavender (garrigue, almost), a herbal note and myriad spices adding complexity. The palate is gorgeous, absolutely radiant and chock full of flavour without being over-extracted - and only medium weight, really, at 14 degrees. The finish is positively smoky. Wonderful stuff. This is a generous, sensuous and pure Syrah that exceeded my expectations. My first wine from Boekenhoutskloof - and certainly not my last. — 3 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Malbec and 5% Cabernet Franc, co-fermented and sourced from vineyards in Vista Flores and Altamira in the Valle de Uco, deep Ruby with aromas of dark berry fruit, floral and spicy notes. On the palate flavors of blackberry and blueberry with herb and generous spice. Fine tannins, long finish ending with fruit, spice and mineral character. Nice! — 4 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.6

The 2016 ‘The Funk Estate’ is a stunning new wine by superstar winemaker Richard Funk of Saviah Cellars. Chosen to co-ferment 4% Viognier with Syrah, this immediately entices with bright citrus blossom aromatics that combine with the deep dark fruits, green olive, bacon fat and horse manure aromatics that all shine brightly in unison. Soft, round and generous, there is a seamless quality to this wine that is apparent. Black tea, clove, cigar ash, Umami, red cherry puree and suggestions of wild blackberry cordial all marvelously combine in this utterly thrilling palate. I really enjoy this sensational Syrah at this stage in its development, and my feeling is there is no reason to cellar it for more than another seven years. Drink 2019-2026- 96 — 7 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.3

(made from old vines in La Consulta and Lunlunta): Bright medium red. Knockout nose combines black fruits, licorice, minerals and savory soil tones. Compellingly intense and alive in the mouth, conveying terrific sappy energy and cut as well as a distinct creaminess to its dark berry and dark chocolate flavors. I love the combination of sweet and salty elements here. Still quite unevolved but the very ripe, subtle, rising finish and mature tannins suggest that this wine will evolve positively for another decade. This was aged in all-new 2,000-liter oak ovals, mostly from Stockinger. It has more stuffing than the 2016 but will it offer as much complexity in the long run? (One of the two sources for this fruit, the Angelica vineyard, actually includes a bit of Sémillon, which is co-fermented with the old-vines Malbec.) (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, July 2018)
— 8 years ago

Roman Sukley

9.7

Evil Twin Brewing Double Barrel Jesus. Yet another masterpiece from my friend, brewmaster Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø. Inky, coal black, ebony color. Aromas of espresso, mocha fudge brownies and the darkest of dark fruits. The absolute creamiest of textures. Gives a whole new meaning to “Mocha Cappuccino.” Positively chewy. Those oak barrels are magic. I’ve never really been a “beer guy.” I could appreciate a good stout, but Jeppe just knocks the cover off the ball. I find his work as contemplative as a fine wine. I’m serious when I say that I’d like to bottle some wine with this guy. Start thinking of a good label name Jeppe! — 8 years ago

ESF

8.9

Decent, generous, well made if a bit generic, fruit driven blend, some complexity & depth of flavor/aromas — 2 years ago

Mon M

9.1

Inky dark purple, with fragrant, heady aromatics of warm blueberry cobbler, elderberry and black currants. Ripe plum and black raspberry notes are accented with cigar box, crushed herbs and fennel. Power with grace, this wine unfurls like a cherry blossom, revealing layers of blue and black fruit flavors. Cherry, olallieberry, and Zante currant, with truffle, lilac and sandalwood notes are integrated and well structured. Silky, fine grained tannins provide ample support for the voluptuous fruit. Positively sumptuous on the long, generous finish. Lingering cherry, red delicious apple and just a hint of mint display tenacious longevity. — 2 years ago

with Jon

Delectable Wine

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9.2

The Madeira New York Malmsey Special Reserve is a rich, heady wine. It offers gorgeous depth and layers that open beautifully in the glass. Dried flowers, cloves, fruitcake, leather, chocolate, cedar and tobacco are nicely amplified in this generous, inviting Madeira. All the elements are so well balanced. This is a stand-out. L22209. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2022)
— 4 years ago

Jim Maynard

9.2

Very good and well balanced at 5 years old. Generous fruit, some earth, and plenty of spine. Tannins not noticeable. I’d buy this. — 5 years ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.2

Co-fermented Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris...8 day’s of skin contact. Lovely medium rose color... bright cherry/ berry nose... dry and well-balanced. Lovely food wine at a winemaker dinner in Chicago. Positively sang with trout tartare, cucumber and creme fraische. — 7 years ago

Gavin Baum

9.1

Absolutely sublime young north coast Syrah. Elegant, transparent, and positively dripping with blueberry, plum, and lavender character. Smoky at first but quickly giving way to waves of fruit. The delicacy and finesse here are really exceptional for a syrah at this price point, and the fresh, almost red-fruited acidity assures that this would be exquisite with food. Drink now for sheer, unadulterated pleasure or sock it away for 3-4 years for added spicy complexity. You genuinely can't lose. — 7 years ago

Eric

9.4

Old school Napa at its best. Perfect cork. Charred flowers, mulberries, burnt cranberries, blackberry liquors, leather, and simple syrup. Another generous share from @David L. Cheers and thank you bud! — 8 years ago

Rob Brobst III

9.9

@Paul Treadway again thank you for being so generous. — 9 years ago

with Paul