8/16/2021 - Trout Season wrote:

Sweet citrusy

10/15/2021 - StewartWent wrote:

Fine bead, easy going, freshly cut apples, sweet dry finish (does that make sense). Not French dry (if that makes sense!). Just a bit 'beginner' but I'm being a bit hard. Does prove that the general standard of Oz fizz is somewhat higher than NZ and I say this in the context that this particular wine is considered near top-of-the-tree for Kiwi fizz.

4/24/2021 - Neecies Likes this wine:

A perfectly nuanced/balanced summer sipper with serious intentions. 50% cinsault, 26% Grenache and 24% syrah. I bought some and they won't last until September, but bottles held over to next year should be even more interesting.

4/7/2021 - jmcmchi Likes this wine:

Over a couple of days

Strawberry and watermelon acidity.

Crisp and refreshing with nice depth

5/30/2020 - MC2 Wines wrote:

Very light and basic rose. It doesn't totally jump out at me, but it's a pleasant wine. Easy to drink. Bone dry. I miss some of the fruit that has been in earlier vintages. This brings to mind almost a slightly herbal style. Very nice food pairing in general. We had it with empanadas and it did a nice job of bringing out the flavors.

1/21/2019 - Neecies Likes this wine:

A brawny, inelegant wine. At ten years old, heavy on the palate with more chocolate than fruit and a hot finish.

9/27/2018 - tastark Likes this wine:

A very nice wine, but not what I was expecting. The wine is a little more "new world" than what Savage Grace usually produces. To be sure, the wine is eminently enjoyable. The nose is incredibly fragrant; I could immediately smell the bouquet from about 2 feet away upon opening the wine. The fruit is much more intense than expected on the palate. The oak, while noticeable, was not overbearing. The finish was long and the acid sufficient. A well made Chardonnay. Very enjoyable.

3/17/2018 - srh wrote:

Winebar [4 Whts, 8 Reds, + 3 Shared Bottles] from 3/16/18 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): N: RIPE berries, poss with some stems? Almost a Central Coast character?

P: MF body; RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) braced by firming astringency that morphs into a LONG, very, VERY slightly spicy finish with hings of very, VERY fine tannins yet with that initial swtness remaining. I'd give this at least a yr in hopes it comes together, though it may have gone over the ripeness "edge", IMHO. However, if NOT, my G+/VG- is a definite underrate. [Tough to evaluate this vendor's $41.95 as this wine is currently not listed on wine-searcher.]

10/28/2017 - Patrik H Likes this wine:

On the nose: Citrus, apple and mineral
On the palate: Citrus, mineral, green apple
Medium + finish

4/16/2017 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:

Still one of my favorite Roses. It's very light and good minerality. Nice refreshing fruit (often get watermelon here). Paired with some pizza and was a nice combination. Great for the first really hot day of the summer.

1/30/2017 - Neecies Likes this wine:

This chard is really hitting it's stride. Though on purchase 18 months or so ago I didn't think it had baby fat, our trip through this case, in which every bottle is better, firmer and more characterful, proves that it did.

5/14/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:

One of my favorite roses hands down. This wine also punches above it's weight I think when it comes to price. It's again a very dry, Provence style rose. There's watermelon and lighter red fruit, but also this almost herbal quality to it that I can't quite put my finger on, but makes it a bit more interesting. Great wine. Glad that we bought the case this year.

3/5/2016 - TastesGoodToMe wrote:

A lot of Brett here. The nose had too much barnyard funk for my taste. On the palate got red fruit with a lot of bacon, saline, and horse leather. The back end did not quite balance out the whole package. Not my cup of tea.

2/4/2016 - *Vine* wrote:

Popped, vigorously shaken and chilled slightly below cellar temp. Pale straw, quite cloudy. Lively aromas of nectarine, grapefruit zest, tropical fruit juice, honeysuckle, beeswax, rainwater and a touch of green. Deceiving presence with a smooth mouthfeel, the plus acidity enhancing a peculiar, if not completely odd flavor-set of lime, under-ripened cherry, gooseberry, almond, raw carrot, the tropics, sweet tart and...? Kinda crazy.
Great with or without food, this unique CA white is delicious, fun and full of complex nuance.

12/2/2015 - Anthony Lombardi Likes this wine:

Pop & pour. Pale golden color. I'm a fan of Columbia Gorge wine and adding a small co-ferment of Maria Gomes prodded my curiosity & the purchase of this bottle. There is a little extra floral aromatic lift to go along with the citrus & light spice. Well balanced fruit & acid. One of those that doesn't jump out at you, but is highly drinkable & easy to enjoy. Good tension, decent concentration. It feels like it is caught between a new world fleshy Chardonnay & an acid forward mineral laden old world example.

A finessed wine, yet not the most nuanced or remarkable. The Columbia Gorge continues to be a well kept secret for balanced wines that show Grace & elegance. I'm interested enough by this to follow the producer a bit more closely.

6/7/2015 - ccotton8 Likes this wine:

Nice bouquet out of the decanter with red berries and a hint of apple. We decanted the wine for an hour prior to dinner. The pinot is lighter than most but has nice medium body with balanced level of acid that rocked with smoked salmon. The wine has has nice sour cherry and raspberry flavors.

6/5/2015 - tooch wrote:

I think it's worth giving this wine a touch of air. The first sips were very lean and mean. Delicious...but LEAN. With some air, the wine seemed to flesh out a bit...flavors built up a bit and had a great watermelon, strawberry/banana tone to it. Very impressive.

3/20/2015 - ucbeau Likes this wine:

Chilled in the fridge for approximately 1 hour prior to serving. Pours a pale salmon-gold with very find bubbles. Intoxicating aromas of cranberry, blood orange, iodine, and subtle pie crust. Onthe palate the mousse is quite fine and vibrant. Similar flavors as the bouquet, with impeccable balance and a rich, delineated mouthfeel. The depth and persistence is incredible. I love the subtle savory element of the finish too, leaving me wanting another sip right away.

12/2/2014 - StevePDX wrote:

From Greg Harrington - founder/winemaker for Gramercy Cellars on Dec. 2, 2014: The John Lewis release email is always a love/hate exercise for us. It’s always extremely exciting, as we have the opportunity to share a wine we truly love. We hate it because the quantities are extremely limited and this is a wine we want to share with everyone. The 2012 vintage, however, offers great news. First, it is an absolutely classic vintage. If a winemaker didn't excel in 2012, well, there is always... (insert other profession here). As we have said before, it is a vintage that will drink well in both the short and long term. Second, we were able to produce more John Lewis in 2012 than any other vintage, without making any compromises. It's still a mere 185 cases, but far more than the scant 90 from the 2011 vintage or the 50 from the 2008 vintage.

Its interesting to me that as I read last year's John Lewis release letter, I began with "the 2011 vintage was the year for the Rocks area of Walla Walla." The 2012 John Lewis could not be more different. 2012 is about hillsides. So, we return to the classic vineyard for John Lewis - Les Collines and the steep Block 46. While this block always finds its way into the blend each year, it was also the major block for the 2006, 2007, and 2009 John Lewis blends. So it means intense perfume over meaty funk. More elegant than muscular. Cote Rotie vs Hermitage. (Yeah, I name dropped.)

Our winemaking formula remains consistent: harvest early, ferment slowly in open top fermenters, stems, and leave it in a puncheon for 18 months.

The 2012 John Lewis is pure Syrah elegance. Right now, its all about the nose - raspberry, blueberry, sweet cherry, violet, white flowers, Asian spice, smoked meat, pepper, tobacco, slight vanilla. It's a bit more sour on palate, dominated by red fruits and a bit of stem. Both the acid and tannin are firm. Super long finish. Maybe the most Old World on the palate to date?

Although Jeb Dunnuck of the Wine Advocate hasn’t officially rated the wine, he did sample it last year during his visit:

“the 2012 Syrah John Lewis offers extraordinary aromas and flavors of blackberry, pepper, herbs, bacon fat and plum to go with a full-bodied, layered, deep and decadently styled profile on the palate. Possessing fabulous density and concentration, with an awesome finish that doesn’t lack for tannin or length, this rock star Syrah will benefit from short-term cellaring and drink well through 2032."

(96-98 pts)

While the 2012 vintage is much more open at this stage than the 2011 or 2010 was at release, we think holding this wine for at least 12 months will get the wine a chance to greatly improve. Currently, the nose is fantastic, while the palate is a bit backward and closed, showing mostly primary red fruit. We expect, however, that this will will be a long term ager - perhaps 25 years. From tasting past vintages, however, we find most of the John Lewis Syrahs start to blossom at 6-8 years after release.

Bottom line - both Brandon Moss (assistant winemaker) and I feel this may be the finest Syrah made at Gramercy to date.

11/24/2014 - rylanreynolds wrote:

I'm not convinced on the Washington State wine scene. Subpar in my book. I was hoping for more from this maker.

8/18/2014 - tederf wrote:

This didn't stand out to me. It was an OK Rosé. A bit too dry with not enough flavor. Not off-putting and did go well with our food.

2/16/2014 - ToySanAba Likes this wine:

I drank a bottle just to see what it taste like now. It is not ready to drink. Need more time in the bottle.

11/11/2013 - KeithSurg wrote:

Decanted 1-2 hrs and poured through Vinturi. Nice aromatics of sage, eucalyptus and mature dark fruit. Palate still somewhat closed and tannic. Short, uninteresting finish. Overpriced if drinking at this stage. Hold.

9/22/2013 - SFDoug wrote:

Fruity Pinot good for the masses. Miles above other inflight wines I've had recently. Soft palate, lingering medium finish.

6/20/2013 - ccotton8 Likes this wine:

Wonderful dark fruit with some mineral meatiness, but the wine is light on the palate that will pair very well with most meals. Had with spaghetti and it complimented the dish very well. Glad I have couple more.

The cork was very saturated, so probably these need to be consumed sooner rather than later.

6/1/2013 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine:

This wine is normally all about exhuberant and very explicit elegance. Tonight though, it is a bit too creamy and actually "oaky". A first sniff reveals the classy white flowers, elderflower blossom and lilac. But then then the tones of vanilla just takes over completely and the wine reminds me of a Roussanne/Marsanne. The palate is nicely integrated and there is absolutely no sense of heat. Of course this is a wonderful wine and the first sniff certainly puts in the high 90s, but we made a big mistake and served it to food - which it really cannot take because of the very low acidity. My suggestion is to serve the Doriane as an aperitif before dinner to get the lovely fruit to speak for itself. Despite being full-bodied and rather "immense", the fruit in the Doriane balances on the verge of elegance. It is easily pushed over the limit if served to even the gentlest food.

1/15/2013 - SkeBum wrote:

Wine is past it's prime, very little left on the nose and the palate, kind of lifeless.

12/20/2012 - JonnyG Likes this wine:

Shockingly shut down: closed, tight & tannic despite a several hour decant, something other tasters did not note. Does this wine go through a dumb phase in anyone's experience?

10/23/2011 - DonWinspear wrote:

Stunning. Initial nose of delicate lemon curd. Palate reveals rich textures of citrus, apple, melon. But all in a delicate, refined manner. Wonderful acidic balance. Overall drinkability of this wine is exceptional - it's one where you you will wonder a) where did it all go and b) why is there not more? Moderate finish that remains balanced and does not exert the palate. If you see it, buy it.