Jody Scharf

9.1

well balanced well valued blend...I'm always a buyer.... — 2 months ago

Jody Scharf

9.2

pleasantly surprisingly delicious 😋 — 3 years ago

Erica Wheeler

9.0

Spicy, easy to drink red. — 4 years ago

Barry Grossman

9.1

Rich, smoky, meaty, but well balanced. — 5 years ago

Julia Geisler

8.9

Thank you so much to Holly at The Whitby for sharing this pick! Very pleasant to talk with and a wonderfully versatile palate.
I received for Xmas one of those nice sunlight alarm clocks that goes off with chirping birds in the morning and weirdly that’s what I thought of when I took the first sip of this. Acidic but not in a way that makes you want to throw it out the window. A nice little wake up call (but for the evening! not the morning) with just a nice lil fruity kick to make it pleasant for sipping.
A reminder that I’d really like to try more orange wines for the sake of simply Understanding. — 6 years ago

with Chantelle

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

This is a young wine that I opened last weekend and enjoyed but, had to seal it up and put back into storage until tonight. It’s a touch faded (10%) but, like all young wine, resilient.

The nose reveals, ripe & candied; blackberries, dark cherries, plum, well extracted pomegranate, the blue fruits he does so well and I love in Pinot, dry cranberries, poached strawberries, raspberries, beautiful layered baking spices, medium intensity dark spices, steeped fruit tea, red fruit cola, hints of dry crushed rocks, limestone, dark, blue, purple flowers with hints of lavender.

The body is full with a fair amount of tannin presence. Nicely knitted structure, tension, length and balance for such a young Pinot. Ripe & candied; blackberries, dark cherries, plum, well extracted pomegranate, the blue fruits he does so well and I love in Pinot, dry cranberries, poached strawberries, touch of cooked rhubarb, raspberries, beautiful layered baking spices, medium intensity dark spice with shades of palate heat, steeped fruit tea, red fruit cola, saline notes, dry herbs, menthol, eucalyptus, hints of dry crushed rocks, volcanic minerals, dry & moist clay, limestone, leathery, wood staves, amazing dark, blue, purple flowers with hints of lavender. The acidity is excellent. The ripe, elegant, balanced, polished finish is delicious and persists nicely for minutes.

Paul makes beautiful expressions of Pinot, Rhône styles & Chardonnay. If you have not had them, well worth your time & investment to seek out.

Photos of; his Sierra Madre Vineyard...netted to keep the birds from eating his fruit, fruit near harvest time, my picture meeting Paul for the first time last week weekend at a “Matter of Taste” in Napa last weekend and their barrel room. — 7 years ago

Shawn Thompson

8.9

Imagine walking through a blueberry patch, munching on the freshly picked, sun-warmed blue beauties. This wine is blueberries for days, on the nose and on the palate with a mildly spicy undercurrent. Well rounded, soft tannins with a finish reminiscent of grape jelly. Paired with a strip loin and grilled veg. Enjoyed. — 8 years ago

Her Mir Tage

9.6

Henry Jayer certainly live up to his name!

The wine possesses a profound, healing, oriental herbal bouquet. It's not like fresh mint or basil; it's more like opening a traditional apothecary cabinet filled with premium Chinese Angelica Root (Dāngguī), Astragalus (Huángqí), and dried lily bulbs, or walking through a damp forest after the rain, with scents of ginseng, licorice root, and dried citrus peel warming the air, all interwoven with the luxurious undertones of black truffle and moist earth. It's an aroma that evokes serenity, warmth, and nourishment.

Upon first opening, it presented an aroma of traditional Chinese herbs. After breathing in the glass for half an hour, the wine truly began to unfold, releasing intense notes of red fruits, woody fragrances, and those distinctive herbal nuances. The body is a remarkable fusion of elegance and power. Despite its age, the 1988 vintage retains a finely structured and layered profile, with a clean palate and velvety, silky-smooth tannins. The finish is exceptionally long, evoking the delicate scent of morning dew on bamboo leaves. Overall, it’s an utterly captivating wine that leaves one truly enchanted.
— 10 months ago

David B

9.7

Fantastic. Thank you again Joe and Gail! — 3 years ago

Nick Brandon

8.9

Love a screw top!
Dark, opaque ruby color.
On the nose it's woodsy, earthy, and very berry prominent. Cherry primarily, VERY reminiscent of the heart-shaped cherry lolipops from Valentine's day in grade school.
On the palate, lots of character and a developing finish which brings out tannins that offer a savory chew.
Not as sweet and fruity as it smells. — 4 years ago

Ira Schwartz

10

Flashback 20+ years ago to the Wine Library in New Jersey. Walking with my 14-year-old niece she was drawn to a double magnum sitting in the corner of the cold room. She exclaimed, “ Uncle Ira , that is the biggest bottle of wine I have ever seen.” Excited by her enthusiasm I told her I would buy it and we would drink it at her wedding. That opportunity presented itself this weekend. I decided this was best consumed at the rehearsal dinner. As one would expect the bottle drew its share of oohs & aahs. The cork was pristine. I should have decanted as the bottle had a ton of sediment. On the nose; earth, hints of leather, and tobacco. In the mouth a textbook example of an aged California Bordeaux blend. Concentrated flavors of red and dark fruit, herbs, vanilla, and graphite flow into a stunning finish that still has a tannic structure. An elegant and seamless wine that has years of life remaining . I have been fortunate to taste wines that could bring you to tears. This bottle brought me to tears before a drop of wine touched my lips — 6 years ago

with Randy, Monica and 1 other

K S

9.4

Big Top Tues Dash w/Rebate....super deal of $5.99. Deep Dark Cherry w/low tannin ending. — 7 years ago

Will Hullinger

9.1

Notes of Plum, tart cherries and medium tannin. Damp earth, walking through the woods at a downpour is the nose when you take a deep inhale. Enjoyed in 2018, takes a bit to open up. — 8 years ago

Stephanie Zolynski

10

One of my favorite wines! Definitely can taste the jam and berry flavor — 2 years ago

Kate

9.2

Shared this at a hotel bar with a friend. Love the label with the birds. Too bad no cardinal on it. My friend has an affinity for that bird. Typical Williamette valley Pinot. We enjoyed it. Much better to drink this than the per glass offerings. — 3 years ago

Robert Swart

8.9

Full bodied, velvet texture, medium tannins. Flavors of warn leather, dried cherries, baking spices, vanilla and a little tobacco. — 4 years ago

MICHAEL COOPER DipWSET

Owner TomeVinos wine shops, WSET Level 3, Blogger www.spanishwinesandmore.com, blog.tomevinos.com

9.2

I love this wine. So much ground pepper and chimney smoke on the nose. It’s like walking around on a rainy or snowy winter day and smelling the sweet perfume of your neighbors chimney. I almost totally dislike the white Listan Blanco Benje. I find that tired and lacking acidity and just tired. I prefer this wine to the more expensive Migan. Migan had more reduction and ethyl acetate on the nose and okay okay it’s more Pinot Noiresque but I don’t need a wine from the Canary Islands to be like a Pinot Noir. #listan #listannegro #canaryislands #spain — 6 years ago

Matt

9.7

Smashing! So harmonious and relatively pure/clean. VA adds the perfect lift, balanced components throughout. Keen acid, so youthful in its vibrancy and life. Almost Scotch-esqe with its peaty/earthy tones. It’s spiced, like walking through an exotic spice market. The length and finish incredible, wrapping everything up with roasted walnuts, honey, and succulent dried fruit. Drinks like a great aged Cognac or Armagnac. — 7 years ago

Valerie Bollen

9.1

Smelling this wine is like walking into a candy store, complemented with red fruits. Very full taste with quite some tannins, high acidity and the taste of warm, jammy fruit. — 7 years ago

Jim McCusker

9.8

Absolutely brilliant. This is one of the best grenaches I’ve had in a long time. Incredible aromas of plumbs, blackberries, candied blueberries, along with hints of cinnamon and clove. The palate is absolutely stunning: seamless evolution of fruit coupled with perfectly intergrated sweet tannins leading to a finish that goes on for over a minute. I have no idea if this will improve with more time in the cellar, but I have no idea why you would wait: this is unreal. Manfred Krankle is a GOD!!! 👍 — 8 years ago

with Vanessa