12/20/2023 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Totally have the same review as Grapescott. I couldn’t agree more. This really surprised, I wish I had more. This is among the best 66s I’ve had and the others are pricier.

6/1/2021 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Shockingly, this was still good. I was on a big Sparkling Shiraz kick back in the day and enjoyed a couple trips to Oz. I kept a few and always found they worked well with Asian cuisine especially if spicy. Lighter on its toes than I recall, it’s kind of like a light port nose that is hard to explain. Went really well with BBQ short ribs.

9/19/2020 - Gabe Likes this wine:

My last bottle of case from the winery. A big rose, still going strong if you like this style, lots of fruit still and even a tad sweet(my wife asked for provincial rose when I opened this as she finds it too much for her). Agree it goes well with food, it holds up for sure. Kudos again to Kapcsandy. Unfortunate this wine is no longer made.

9/14/2020 - Gabe Likes this wine:

My last bottle from a case of this wine. The first EMH wine I had probably 13 years ago when first meeting Merrill. Still drinking well and holding, I expected more development than I got. It seems younger that it should be, I'm not sure if that means that it's simply linear or if it's just not going to develop the secondary and tertiary characteristics. Anyhow, for the price point and it's zip code an excellent deal.

5/16/2020 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Last bottle of a 6 pack purchased from Dana directly. This wine was singing, might be the best bottle of the bunch. Makes me wish I sat on the others a bit longer. Certainly it's a luxury item given the price point but very fortunate that I've got an allocation. Huge nose of flowers and muted plums, crazy silky mouthfeel and long finish. Bravo!

5/9/2020 - Gabe Likes this wine:

A big wine, bought a case of this back on release and just drank the first bottle of it. Was a bit unsure of what to expect, was a huge fan of these wines when I discovered OE but haven't drunk many of them in recent years as my palate has changed. Drank this bottle over 8 hours, killer nose, silky mouthfeel, tiny bit of heat on the finish but not overwhelming. Should improve with more air and time.

9/1/2019 - Gabe Likes this wine:

The first Saxum! Still going strong at 19 years old, While my palate has diverged from Saxum over the years they are still incredibly well made wines by a great guy who I hope continues to have great success. I had a couple bottles buried of this and as I was reorganizing the cellar figured I should drink one. I was pleasantly surprised that this was holding together so well.

8/11/2019 - Gabe wrote:

A perfectly stored bottles at least since an ex-chateau purchase from JJBuckley. Mixed vintage wood case. Cork was soft and disintegrated. Bottle itself looked new. Wine was basically awful. I concur with the two previous reviewers that didn’t like it at K&L tasting. Too bad, undrinkable.

8/9/2019 - Gabe Likes this wine:

As I was organizing the cellar and realizing how much Oakville East I have I thought I better start opening them. As i read my prior tasting notes, I laugh at how much my tastes and preferences have changed. This is a wine that wowed me in my earlier wine collecting days. It is still going quite strong and still has a wonderful silky mouthfeel, a bit creamy too. Fruit is falling away and the secondary notes are there, it's just a bit one-dimensional on the finish with a hint of alcohol coming through on the finish. The rating would be higher if the alcohol wasn't present. I think it'll last awhile still if this is a style one likes. I actually have become quite the francophile and like how this bridges the gap between Napa and Bordeaux to some degree.

8/5/2019 - Gabe Likes this wine:

I haven’t had a Bond in quite awhile. Just opened this as I was reorganizing the cellar and realized how much I needed to drink or sell. Dropped off their list a few years ago but this wine made me reconsider given it’s an “off” Napa year. Very Bordeaux like with some Napa flair. Silky smooth with an elegant but slightly muted nose. A long mouthcoating finish with none of the greenness of 2011 at all.

7/13/2019 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Opened at Benu, San Francisco. Among the best old Bordeaux I've had. Awesome, amazing fruit, if served blind I never would have guessed it to be 60 years old. I wish we had opened it earlier and followed it longer but it was sublime.

7/11/2019 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Thought this would be over the hill. Bought on release from the winery. I have fair bit of these rose's of varying vintages when they still made them as I'm a big Kapcsandy fan. It's definitely a red wine lovers rose. My wife is not a huge fan so more for me. Really fragrant big nose of pears and apples. Mouthfeel is heavy in a good and coating way. A great summer drink far different than other Napa/Sonoma oversweetened still rose attempts.

7/9/2019 - Gabe Likes this wine:

This really surprised me. I'm not a huge white fan but I am a huge Realm fan. These got buried in the cellar and am just now drinking the first of 6 bottles. I'm glad they got buried or they might be gone by now.

Stellar SB, i agree with other reviews when folks refer to a nice Chard/SB combo. it's light on its feet with lots of melon on the nose and a nice mouthcoating viscosity. We drank it without food and it was fine that way.

Benoit knows how to make his whites too. Impressive, certainly worth a try.

7/3/2019 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Hadn't opened one of these in awhile. 2nd bottle from a case. I've been a fan of Oakville East and Eliot Stern's wines from the beginning. This wine was no exception. Lots of blue fruit but not overpowering tannins, ageing well.

6/17/2019 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Excellent wine, well made and big as one would expect. My score is based upon my day two tasting. It was a very tight elegant fruit bomb to start in day one but it really was singing on day two. Just corked the bottle for 20 hours and honestly could be better day three if there was any left. Lots more complexity and nuance appeared the more air it got. I look forward to my other bottles in the future to see how it develops. As good as it is, lots of aged Bordeaux I’d rather drink at the price point. Also agree with previous review of lots of sediment.

Edited to include the fact that this property is unbelievable and should be visited. Ownership is certainly not going to recover the initial investment anytime soon. Price point is a function of investment in the property and the limited production.

9/9/2018 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Surprisingly still going strong. Lots of wonderful minerality, fruit is slowly disappearing. Always impressed by this producer.

4/25/2018 - Gabe Likes this wine:

The best bottle of these I’ve had. Still fruit on the nose with strong cedar. Super silky mellow mouthfeel. The finish on this bottle went on for quite awhile! Wish I had more! Thanks to my late Dad for leaving a few!

9/30/2017 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Still drinking well. Very mellow with fruit surprisingly remaining. A unique wine

7/10/2017 - Gabe wrote:

Nice wine, lots of jamminess. Given the price point, not outstanding but good.

7/4/2017 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Cloudy almost orange color. A bit acidic but enjoyable. Long mouth coating finish for a rose. Definitely Californian and definitely for red lovers. Given its age and alcohol level only a touch of heat from the alcohol. Should have drunk one of these young for comparison but drinking fine now.

1/6/2017 - Gabe Likes this wine:

This is stellar, far too young but I couldn't resist. Infantacide for sure! I love what Tor has been doing with these wines. The partnership between he and his winemaker Jeff Ames has produced some stellar wines. Crazy that the 2014 when I had it in August was better.

1/4/2017 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Still solid for it's price point. A velvety mouthfeel full of blue and black fruits, hint of sweetness on the finish with a touch of heat from the alcohol. The finish does linger nicely. Not much complexity but a nice drink.

12/25/2016 - Gabe Does not like this wine:

NR, I think this is essentially gone, drinkable but gone. Nose is okay but fruit is faded and bits of forest floor with a harsh finish. Similar but worse than review 3 years ago. Yet another bottle from my late father that he should have drunk earlier.

12/17/2016 - Gabe Likes this wine:

This is still going strong. It has smoothed out and is drinking well. I don't see any sign of it fading at alll

8/28/2016 - Gabe Likes this wine:

This is still singing. I've made some positive comments on previous bottles of this wine. it just kept getting better and better. i was inspired to bring out an older Tor today as I attended his tastings of the 2014s at Meadowood in Napa and was blown away by how good they were. Tor and Jeff Ames definitely have a winning combination and I feel fortunate to be able to drink these wines. Nose originally was a bit austere but developed into a very complex floral, espresso, black fruit nose, on the palate, incredibly supple, smooth and light with a firm and great finish.

5/13/2016 - Gabe Likes this wine:

This was in surprisingly good shape and performed better than we expected. it tasted amazingly young for it's age with plenty of fruit still apparent. Amazing what old Napa could do with these wines, this would have beaten many bordeaux of the same timeframe. Definitely Old World with some new world fruit.

5/13/2016 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Hard to rate this given the rarity and my lack of experience with old champagnes. This was from a 750, the only one I could find on winesearcher to celebrate my wife's birthday. It was surprisingly fresh with a tiny hint of strawberries and lots of butterscotch on the nose. Totally different than anything I've every had as it almost had some old Sauternes tastes without the sweetness. It improved the entire time it was open until it was fully consumed.

1/22/2016 - Gabe Likes this wine:

This bottle was singing on this night as it disappeared much too fast. No detailed notes as i was enjoying the event and it followed a small vertical tasting of Solaia and Tiganello I feared it would be past its prime but I wish I had bought another couple of bottles at the event I was attending. It was hosted by Stefano Antinori and this bottle came directly from Antinori so best provenance possible.

1/6/2016 - Gabe wrote:

Surprisingly drinkable given the age and suspect storage. Cork was soaked but came out intact. Had some noticeable eucalyptus on the nose but in general a wine well past it's prime but with a nice nose and mouthfeel. as it was open it started falling apart on the finish with noticeable heat which made sense given it was a 15% alcohol wine. Just surprised that a Zin this old was still drinkable

7/30/2015 - Gabe Likes this wine:

This was phenomenal. Decanted 8 hours before drinking. My first 2009 Bordeaux so maybe I'm a bit biased but I believe the hype.

7/17/2015 - Gabe Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this but given the price point not worth the price at release. Current auction values maybe. Decanted and drunk over about 2 hours. Silky smooth mouthfeel with a nice finish, not too over the top but also not complex enough given it's price point.

6/20/2015 - Gabe Likes this wine:

We agree with recent reviews. It's in a great spot but seems to have aged more than I expected. Recently drank the 2002 which is a tough comparison but the 2002 is still remarkably fresh where as the secondary notes are coming out in this. Really enjoyable but depends on the style one likes.

5/24/2015 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Still drinking well but time to drink up I'd think

3/22/2015 - Gabe Likes this wine:

I really enjoyed this. First vintage from this producer. Decanted and drank the first 3/4 of the bottle and found it quite elegant and more fruity than I expected. These wines always drink well with a few years of age. Left a bit of the bottle in the decanter overnight for over 12 hours and poured the glass the next afternoon and wow. The nose was a bit muted but the mouthfeel was elegant and the finish was huge, dark chocolate, espresso only after about 16 hours open did I start to notice a bit of heat from the alcohol. I was concerned this was past its prime but I think it's quite the opposite.

3/22/2015 - Gabe wrote:

On board with some of the other notes. Decent nose, a bit light on the palate in a good way but finish has too much yeast for my tastes. Lacks a bit of finesse.

1/17/2015 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Really good stuff, far too young, needs a long decant or many years in the cellar!

12/14/2014 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Drinking well but time to drink up. Still some nice fruit left but not sure how long it'll be there. Very enjoyable bottle.

12/7/2014 - Gabe Likes this wine:

From a split, popped and poured. This was unreal, can't imagine how good it'll be with some age. Brooding brick nose with very dark fruit. Not giving up a lot, mouthfeel is off the charts along with the finish which goes on forever. So much fruit it reminded me of a big California wine with lots of polish and refinement. Of course at this price it should be great!

11/9/2014 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Not sure what the guy who have this 75 was tasting. This is a solid Pinot with a great complex candied black fruit nose and a supple Burgundian mouthfeel. I sense no heat on the finish and it goes on forever. I'd rather drink this than some of the overpriced burgundies I've had

11/5/2014 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Consistent with my previous notes. Didn't decant this time, it's still dancing in my mouth. I plan to keeps hands off my remaining bottles for awhile as this continues to improve, need to hold off on immediate gratification.

9/22/2014 - Gabe wrote:

Enjoyed this, unsure of the storage if the bottle so was pleasantly surprised. Nose of plums and cherries with some earthy mushrooms. Well rounded mouthfeel although a bit gritty at times. Finish was slightly short but enjoyable. I'd concur that it's time to drink them.

8/26/2014 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Great qpr, drinking well now. Just popped and poured but probably would have improved with a decant. Rather low alcohol for Paso at 13%.

8/26/2014 - Gabe Likes this wine:

This wine was just singing, I was pleasantly surprised and glad I have more of it. It maintains the big Foley fruit but without being overpowering or unbalanced. A very long finish as well.

8/17/2014 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Really like this wine. It wasn't crazy complex, obviously an off year in California but this is singing at the moment. I have a note from about 5 years ago that said I should sell my remaining bottles, glad I didn't, it's better now. Definitely a big bold California Cab that was great with a steak, I'd like to see how it gets nuanced as it ages more.

8/17/2014 - Gabe Likes this wine:

This was excellent. Actually opened it over 24 hours before consuming the majority of it. Opened and decanted on day 1, drank a glass and poured it back into bottle. On Day 2 finished the bottle, only corked it, no gas or anything and it was just as good so that tells me it'll go awhile. Well made, kind of wish I kept it for another decade or two.

7/25/2014 - Gabe Likes this wine:

No notes as I took it to a restaurant. It's firing on all cylinders and should hold for awhile, not sure it gets much better though. Wish I had some more!

7/21/2014 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Alright, so the wine no one has ever heard of. All I remember of this wine was my late father dragging me all over the great City of San Francisco looking for this wine one weekday morning. I thought he was nuts. The night before this treasure hunt he had been at a blind wine tasting of local wine lovers and this wine had beaten out everything in the flight including the same vintage Opus One. At that point, I believe it was 2.99 which is confirmed by the price tag I found on the remaining bottles. Anyhow, we went to many stores and they all said, "someone just bought me out of all I had" or "some guy just bought 10 cases of what I had left, what's the deal with that wine". Anyhow, my old man apparently had gotten going too late that day and missed out on much of it. Thankfully he got home with a few cases even some from Safeway that he had found hidden(how many Safeways I can't recall). Alright so fast forward 30 years as I dig through his wine and find these and start laughing, now a wine nut myself. I get it now as may well do the same thing to my son now. Anyhow, this is still drinking well although i'd say on the downslope. It was better upon opening but still good after an hour so open. Bordeaux like nose of cedar, earth and secondary floral flavors, a coating mouthfeel, albeit it muted followed by a long enjoyable finish. The cork broke up upon opening but managed to save it with a Durand. it was soaked about a quarter of the way up. All in all, a nice wine and still drinkable but not nearly as good as the 1976 Diamond Creek we had before it.

7/21/2014 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Not sure on it's storage history but my Dad acquired this bottle 5 or so years ago from a friend. The bottle showed signs of seepage and the cork was soaked all the way through, it came out fine with a Durand, however. I was concerned given the seepage and cork, not to mention a label which was starting to come unglued. I was pleasantly surprised. A beautiful nose of licorice, anise, and muted earth. Mouth of eucalyptus, blue and black fruits. Wow, surprised to say the least. A very nice mouth filing finish which lingered. It was certainly not big but super soft velvety tannins remained. I think it would have hung on longer. Very fortunate to drink a piece of California history with 12% alcohol and price tag that said $10.00.

7/19/2014 - Gabe Likes this wine:

The first couple of times I opened these I wasn't crazy about the wine. Now it's improved greatly. A wonderful nose and great finish. Very good, especially for a Carneros Pinot which is usually not my preference. Glad I have more of it and glad Bob is making Pinot!

7/8/2014 - Gabe Likes this wine:

Tried up against a 1999 Pavie with surprisingly the same alcohol percentage. Initially the Foley was the better wine but the Pavie slowly eclipsed it. The Foley still had a lot of fruit but I got a bit of green onion on the nose which I'm not crazy about. Nice mouthfeel and a medium finish, not too short but not what I'm used to with the Foley wines I normally drink.