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Ghost Block

Pelissa Vineyard Zinfandel 2021

Inky in color with a wide reddish rim.

Fruity on the nose, and medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate and easy drinking.

Showing red and black fruits with light cedar, earth, herbs, chocolates, peppercorn, cola, Mediterranean spices and light licorice.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious Single Vineyard Zinfandel from Napa Valley. Elegant and rich. Fruit forward and complex. Nicely balanced with a soft mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle and better with airtime. Will continue to age nicely in the next 7 years.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and will pair nicely with burger and fries.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$40.
— 23 days ago

Tom, Robin and 8 others liked this
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

Nice to see this come in under 15%. It takes thoughtfulness and care to do that amid climate change, and is particularly admirable in Napa, where wineries could easily grub up low-profit Zin vines, replace them with Cab and charge higher $$.

Regusci

Block 27 Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Plum and dark fruit with a nice kiss of oak. Delicious. — 4 years ago

Hirsch Vineyards

Block 8 Pinot Noir 2014

Stated to open up nicely after 30 minutes, should have decanted. I think the wine is at its peak and should be drunk now, starting to get a bit of leather and prune elements. Nice cherry, raspberry aromas. — 5 years ago

Ellie K
with Ellie
Ron, Matt and 3 others liked this

Boekenhoutskloof

The Chocolate Block Cinsault Blend

Is so good, finish test of chocolate and vanilla. Love it — 3 years ago

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1986

1986 vintage. Tasting like it was nearish the top on the downward slope. Unified palate push. That great old Bordeaux nose. Light-medium body. Ullage appropriate. The feminine characteristics that are the lifeblood of this producer almost completely absent with this bottle. Had this been blind, woulda speculated this to be a 1985-1989 upper-crust St. Julien. All that said, still very very nice. The near-perfect 1989 specimen tasted a little more than a week ago reminded me more of the previous encounters with the 1986 than this encounter with the 1986. — 3 years ago

Peter, Shay and 25 others liked this
Shay A

Shay A Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Had the 2000 out of mag tonight. Signature green streak down the middle wrapped in left bank richness. When this producer is on, they are on fire, but when they aren’t, it’s so frustrating.
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

@Shay A Heard and agreed. Still waiting for the 1990 vintage to show age-appropriately but as of 6 mos ago, tight as nails.

Grey Stack Cellars

Dry Stack Vineyard Rosemary's Block Sauvignon Blanc 2018

Just in from Jersey, $22.00 no tax free shipping. Buy it by the case all day long. Skip the Bevan & buy this
Retail notes,

There’s a sweet-spot for domestic Sauvignon Blanc found in a special part of Bennett Valley that experiences a strong maritime influence as it flows through the Petaluma Gap to Sonoma Mountain. Within that funnel of cooling coastal air, the Dry Stack Vineyard is in a prime location at 550 feet elevation at the base of Mt. Taylor. I’m continually drawn to Sauvignon Blanc from Dry Stack and the vineyard produces fruit with detailed notes of fresh guava, rocky minerals, ripe tangerine and mineral infused citrus. You might be familiar with Russell Bevan’s version from Dry Stack, and Grey Stack has been a pillar on our tasting list in Yountville.

With Grey Stack, everything begins in the Vineyard with exceptional quality fruit, but from there, the wine is given a voice by winemaker Patrick Sullivan, whose experience includes making wine at Peter Michael, Paul Hobbs, Lewis Cellars and Rudd. This is absolutely one of the finest examples of California Sauvignon Blanc with its superior focus and incredibly vivid, distinctive flavors. If you love Sauvignon Blanc, or better yet, even if you don’t… Try this one and you’ll probably never look back.
— 5 years ago

Bob, Severn and 21 others liked this
Palmer Emmitt

Palmer Emmitt Influencer Badge

Can I send you some Sauvignon Blanc?
Paul T HB

Paul T HB

I’ll definitely try it, I’ve bought some Cabernets from you through @Rob Brobst III
Paul T HB

Paul T HB

Prtwine@gmail.com @Palmer Emmitt

Top Winery

Joule Rosé of Mourvèdre 2022

my favorite ever — 10 months ago

Raul liked this

Venge Vineyards

Block I-4 Stagecoach Vineyard Syrah

Great Syrah from one of my favorite wine producers. — 2 years ago

Bevan Cellars

Wildfoote Vineyard Vixen Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Didn’t realize I still had this, opened for an A5 Strip loin.
Great cut of beef which hid the heat on this bottle. I just can’t handle these fruit forward highly extracted wines anymore.
Parker 95,
— 4 years ago

Tom, Vanessa and 21 others liked this
Eric

Eric Premium Badge

You’ve released your inner @David T !
Paul T HB

Paul T HB

Yep🤷🏼‍♂️,
Normally its the other way around, the older you get the more fruit you like. I’m heading in the other direction.
Eric

Eric Premium Badge

I’m right there with ya.

Viña Ventisquero

Grey [Glacier] Single Block Trinidad Vineyard Carménère 2017

This is a beautiful Carménère, all earthy and full of savory minerality. The blackberry and black plum aromas creep through the smell of that dirt with tar, forest floor and tobacco all over them. A hint of vanilla sweetens the sniff a bit. On the palate, the dark fruit is draped in sweet oak spice, and you’ll find a bucketful of tannins until the glass has been sitting for awhile. This is a steak wine, intended for a big, juicy piece of beef. — 5 years ago

David, Mike and 6 others liked this