Jan de Weerd

9.8

And Yes! There she was, where have you been hiding??? Always great to run in a near perfect wine. That is what we live for, searching every day (actually every other day, try not to drink wine every day 😊). Bold dark fruit framed by angular tannins and a robust backbone, all in an extreme intense harmony, taking over your senses and putting you in a hypnotic trance. We set the palette with a few different hard cheeses, an aged Gouda cheese, a Harvarti and P’tit Basque (all at Costco!) which lifted the wine to outer orbit. I am writing this the next day and still haven’t quite returned to earth. — 2 years ago

with Tammy

Jan de Weerd

9.5

Black gold. Liquid gold that is. So intense, deep dry dark fruit. How did they squeeze even a drop of liquid out of it? Lingers for 2 minutes gripping your throat and keeping you in trance. — 7 years ago

with Tammy

Craig Wallace

9.0

Magic. Good beer and n-trance. Top saturday! — 9 years ago

Jay Kline

9.7

Casually poured double-blind from a brown bag at the very end of the night while our heads were still spinning from the incredible quality on display. The senses were overloaded. It was blood lust. And then…I smelled my glass. An overwhelming feeling of serenity washed over me. It’s was almost as if a pair of noise-cancelling headphones were placed in my ears. This was different. It commanded attention. This wasn’t a wine from the Rhône. It smelled like Burgundy…and it was special. There was brilliant structure accompanying the most sublime fruits and exotic spices. I looked up at my buddy Matt who was also nosing his glass and our eyes met. He was also spellbound. He then quietly declared to me, “this is DRC”. I thought to myself, surely no. This late? After everything we just had?? Until now, I had never tried DRC so I had no frame of reference but Matt seemed pretty confident. Then some of the others started to fall into the trance. Everyone was falling over themselves. The bottle was pulled from the bag by our host. And there it was. A 2011 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Échézeaux. It was just beautiful. I was different now…almost like losing my virginity. What a sensational nightcap. — 2 years ago

Jack Cranley, Backroads Wine Club & Cascadia Premium Wines

9.5

A profound and stunning white wine. A white wine to change the mind of a white wine skeptic.
For starters, the color is gorgeous - a rich golden hue with a subtle milkiness.
A veritable farmer's market on the nose that evolves wildly over time. Through the course of enjoying my glass, I experienced peach, apricot, orange blossoms, lemongrass, kaffir lime, cinnamon, clove, melon, sandalwood, ginger, galanga, and more that I can't put my finger on.
On the palate it is smooth and round. It offers a zip without being specifically "acidic." I'm having a hard time conceiving what kind of food this would go with, but that's okay because it is so delicious to just sit and drink.
The wood comes out on the finish. There's sort of a bitter melon aspect along with a faint oakiness.
Overall, just a beautiful, trance-inducing wine that is almost erotically charged. It evokes grace, elegance, seductiveness, and gives you the sense that you are experiencing something special. A winner! — 9 years ago

Steve Blazek

Owner, bin 105 Quality Wines

9.4

Forgeron Cellars Malbec/Merlot 1.5
Got to go big for Mother’s Day. — 5 years ago

Tia Subramanian

9.1

First had this overlooking the Chianti hills and went into a trance, but wasn’t sure it would survive being drunk in Murica. I was wrong. Bright, energetic fruit (especially the sour cherry), vibrant fruity and floral aromas, very well integrated. Could go for ages, but the freshness is the best part, so I wouldn’t (and didn’t) hold onto it. — 6 years ago

Allyson Vaccaro-Pelton

9.2

Mildly sweet — 8 years ago