Hendry
Blocks 7 & 22 Napa Valley Zinfandel 2021
2021 vintage. The best, sub $20 resto cost Napa/Sonoma Zin I've had in ages. May hafta pick up a few cases. Excellent balance and concentration throughout. Gives me hope for CA Zinfandel that I've not had in nearly two decades. That's a whole lotta Zin under the bridge. 0 — a day ago
Grace Family Vineyards
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
2021 vintage. No 2020 made for obvious reasons and only 90 cases of the 2019 vintage made so realistically not in the marketplace. 2018 (9.6) yielded a whopping 152 cases. 2021 was slightly more prolific but not exactly easy to run into. Same eternal, quiescent pace and style as the 2018. The rare Napa Cab effort inviting conversation versus attempts to dominate/control/stifle it. You can keep all your assorted vintages of Beckstoffer This and Thats. I'll take this, any vintage, over any interpretations/producers of that, any time. And, frankly, once you taste it, you likely will too. 01.29.25. — a day ago
Château Montrose
Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1989
1989 vintage. Opened but not decanted. Just got a (generous) side sample of this as I was entrenched with the weekly wine rep tastings. Tasted after 30 mins and one hour after opening. Definitely bretty (as expected) for the first tastes but that mostly dissipated by the end of the glass. Light-medium body with mostly bowed tannins initially. Longer it remained in the glass, the more the tannins came out to frolic. Still plenty of structure, fruit and front-palate intrigue (usually hidden/buried by tannins). Not improving at this point but-depending on storage and/or bottle size-still more than viable and deserving of massive respect. 01.29.25. — a day ago
Château Haut-Brion
Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 1990
1990 vintage. This was the start to the weekly tasting day with the reps. A fave guest brought this in. Was summoned to open it immediately despite having just strolled in. Grabbed the Durand and pounced. Didn't get the opportunity to see the fill but the foil, label and cork were all pristine (too little cork saturation for a 3+decade-old bottle). Screamed château reconditioned. Opened but not decanted. Good color. Great nose immediately. Tasted after 15 mins and 45 mins open. Tasted around noon but bottle needed to have been opened at prior midnight. Showed pretty well, however, with the delicate intricacies this wine is renowned for. Would have presented better with more air time but you can only control so much. 01.29.25. — a day ago
Poderi Aldo Conterno
Conca Tre Pile Barbera d'Alba 2021
2021 vintage. A bit of everything. Esteemed producer. Excellent nose. Front-palate richness. Mid-palate power and presence. Pleasantly astringent and beyond substantial finish. I usually eschew Barbera d'Alba for the resto list but couldn't deny this one. Picked up two cases and may pick up more to have laying around for 1.5-2 years. At the ridiculous resto price of $26.67, I can't afford not to. So delicious. 01.29.25. — a day ago
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego
2019 vintage. Medium body. Plenty of frontal palate richness. Middle currently MIA. Finish is loamy and plush with some espresso bean. Wanted a bit more dark plum structure but wasn’t forthcoming. Maybe in a few. 01.29.25. — a day ago