1/15/2024 - Paul Lin wrote:

This is the best Rhys I think I have ever had. Notes of silky black cherry, black plum, and kirsch liqueur over an elegant and restrained frame of sweet baking spices. Balance and a delight to drink. In a very good spot now; I see no reason for holding on to it much longer.

10/21/2023 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

When I first tasted this 12 years ago, my impression was that this was the greatest Insignia I've ever had. This bottle not only reaffirms that, but it's even better than before. What is striking now is how the tannins have resolved into a velvety texture that engulfs the palate. No signs of decline and barely any hints of secondary notes. My last bottle, but if I did have more, I would have no concerns about cellaring this in another decade.

8/23/2023 - Jonathan T wrote:

This is a high quality cabernet and just entering a nice drinking window. Massive amount of fruit with a nice mineral streak on the back end. Still tight and dense and could benefit from some more time in the cellar. At this point, you do feel the considerable alcohol level. I think this is a fair value at $150, but I'm not sure if it it's worth $200.

3/24/2023 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

Delicious. Popped and poured, and ready to go. One of the best Broken Stones I've had. This cuvee has really come a long way. For what it's worth, this one can easily be drunk by itself or with food - surprisingly well balanced. I can't always say that about the bigger Saxum. There's obviously no rush to drink this, but I think it's entering a nice drinking window.

5/31/2022 - DesMarteau Likes this wine:

wow...doesn't get any better than this! opens to perfection after 20 mins...perfect integration...fruit forward profile of course...really smooth silky...blueberries, kiwi, strawberry, spice....perfect long finish.

11/13/2022 - winesavant68 Likes this wine:

An underrated star of the vintage. This is the tenth bottle I’ve had with consistent notes. The fruit is almost all secondary at this point. Consistently this wine opens slowly not reveals a roasted coffee Carmel core of flavors underpinned by sage and bramble. Almost rocky on the palate this is a value that will be hard to replicate.

10/13/2022 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

Absolutely delicious. Confirms my belief that the best wines from cool, dry years such as 2011 are from the mountain vineyards. May be the best Napa cabernet I've had from the 2011 vintage. And might be the most "TRB" of the Output wines I've had, as strange as it sounds. Many Outpost wines I've had tend to be less extroverted than Schrader or R-M. But this is plush and velvety, rounded tannins, tons of delicious blueberry fruit that you would expect from TRB. Most definitely a crowd-pleasing style.

1/4/2022 - guitarguy wrote:

Smoke and cranberry in the nose with a significant tannic mouthful of boysenberry, saddle and prune. There is a significant frizz to the wine which could acidity or some type of minor bad fermentation going on. Perhaps malolactic ongoing? Very dry on the finish. Not impressive especially for $90 on release.

7/29/2021 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

In 20 years of drinking wine, I really haven't drank much California sauvignon blanc, so I don't have a lot of knowledge for comparison, but this was awfully tasty. Vibrant, aromatic, clean, tons of lemon, tropical fruit. But what I really liked was the minerality on the finish and the acidic backbone. Very light on its feet and dances on the palate. Excellent with chilled seafood.

6/25/2021 - Jonathan T wrote:

My thoughts on this wine echo the recent reviews. The wine was surprisingly closed (I hate to use the phrase "dumb phase", but it’s not wrong) on pop and pour, despite the 9 years of bottle age and in contrast to the appellation 2012 Myriad Napa Valley Cab which is singing. I probably should have decanted this, as it did improve after 3 hours of air in the bottle. As other reviewers have said, it probably needs more time. I mentally scored it 92 at first, but raised it to 93 after the few hours of air started opening the wine and showing the classic Mike Smith cab characteristics we know and love.

6/21/2021 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

Tannins completely integrated and currently in a beautiful place for pop-and-pour. The 2010 is a little less potent than other vintages but wonderfully balanced and drinking fantastic right now.

5/5/2021 - csimm wrote:

If your nose is woke and you’re eyes are blind, black cherry stems and kirsch you’ll find. And if noble Grenache is what you guessed, you’re equally smart as you are blessed. So sip my friend, and sip once more, cuz Fingers Crossed is what you’ve scored. And though you’ve tried with all your might to hold these wines a thousand nights; it’s just too hard to sit and wait, my Cyclops mouth will salivate, and like the eye be to the fork, I’m stuck impatient and pop the cork.

The palate is fuzzy with tannins and zip, earthy berry pop and garrigue grip. It’s covered in fur on the first PnP; it’s got salt rock, mulch, and bark from a tree. The mid-palate drop skirts quickly on by, to a youthful finish that’s taut and spry.

You say Janasse or a pro Pegau? I say try again and bolster your know. Cuz it’s better than Pape and hangs over Spain, it puts most of California rightly to shame. It’s great right now; it’s great with air. But word to the patient, to rush is to err. The beauty, the depth, the stuffing is there, so just chill for a while and cellar with care. And in 5 years when it’s rightly time, it’ll be good and ready to start its prime.

Whether Paddington, Pooh, or Mr. Baloo, it’s a tense but flavorful bear-hugging brew. So prep your liver and clean your spleen, Fingers Crossed killed it in 2018!

5/23/2020 - soyhead wrote:

the legend returns, and invariably snuck into a bordeaux tasting and brown bagged, fooling us all. it had all the elements of a lovely wine - poise and power. The patriarch had a real hoot, shamelessly i might add, as he had just reprimanded us for the exact same trick minutes before.

1/13/2021 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

I know I'll probably get flamed for giving this wine a higher score than everyone else. But in my defense, Antonio Galloni, a reviewer I respect for Italian wines, and has 1000% more knowledge about wine and Italy i than I will ever know, gave this a 95. Also, it is a little stylistic preference as this wine has a funky, mushroomy, truffly nose with hints of tobacco and charred rosemary that brings me to my knees, but might not be in everyone's wheelhouse. This super-tuscan wine clearly has its personality from sangiovese while the merlot and cabernet just give it some additional weight and structure. I think wild boar bolognese with a little shaved pecorino would be the perfect pairing for this wine.

12/22/2020 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

Fantastic traditionally styled Brunello. If you’re expecting a big Tuscan steakhouse Brunello, you might be disappointed. Instead, it simply smells beautiful and tasted delicious and paired wonderfully with classic Italian dishes. What more could you ask for? It’s light on its feet but it’s not built for the long haul, so there’s no reason to wait if you have a few bottles. I understand why there are some high scores. Those publications taste blind and there’s not much to dislike about this wine if you’re just judging what’s in the glass as a snapshot in time.

6/21/2020 - J @ y H @ c k Likes this wine:

An excellent wine that proves that with some age a patience, California pinot noir can be as good (or better) that comparably priced Burgundy. NOTE that this is the appellation wine, not a single vineyard. The rough edges are gone, the fruit is balanced by some herbs and spice, the acidity is a reasonable balancing factor, rather than a searing annoyance, and it goes down very smoothly. There is a bit of classic California Pinot Funk, which a lot of people like and is not my favorite flavor, but it is not overpowering and does not get in the way. I have another bottle of this under would really like to wait to see what it does five years from now. I have a bottle of the 2006 RRV, so may be a highway to a year or two and just drink one against the other. Sounds like a plan. Anyone who believes the community drink dates of 2013 to 2019 needs to learn something about the complexities of age and ignore the naysayers claim that wines like this will fall apart with age. I don't even know what fall apart means, and I certainly haven't ever tasted it in an aged California wine.

3/5/2018 - tplskylrk wrote:

This never really opened up and gained weight. Not typical Alban and certainly nothing close to the scores and love being laid out here. Bit of a hot alcoholic mess tonight.

12/9/2019 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

This is drinking beautifully now and one of the best cabernets I've had this year. Very classic in style. Delicious red and blue fruits with acidity and tartness eventually make way to cocoa powder and bitter-sweet dark chocolates. In between, there's the aromatics of saffron and rosemary. A beautifully balanced wine that, as a previous reviewer mentioned, makes you sad when you reach the end of the bottle. No one will ever grow tired of this wine. I'm not sure if it's any winemaking shift or simply the time at which the bottles were opened, but I seem to enjoy the Spottswoode estate cabs from the latter part of the decade (such as 2008-2009) more than the more heralded earlier part of the decade (such as 2001-2002). On a random side note, among estate vineyards, I've visited places like Colgin's IX vineyard on Pritchard Hill and Shafer's vineyard in Stag's Leap, and they are utterly majestic sites. Spottswoode's vineyard appears humble by comparison, but it is equally "grand cru" with the fruit that it delivers year in and year out.

9/24/2018 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

The 164eme is based on primarily the 2008 vintage and if this cuvée is any indication, the 2008 vintage Krug will be outstanding. Many of my friends actually prefer the NV Grande Cuvée over their vintage bottlings as the Grand Cuvée always presents itself as wonderfully balanced and harmonious. The wine today was no exception. The differences between different NV blends is splitting hairs, but I found this 164eme a little more energetic and rich and maybe a little less minerally and crisp. While elegant, I would not consider this a delicate Krug. Rather, a more majestic Krug, meant to party with a King.

10/17/2019 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

I’ll put it succinctly. This is my WOTY so far. The best bottle of the ‘96 Pahlmeyer Merlot and the best bottle of any 1990’s Pahlmeyer Merlots I’ve had. The caveat is that the provenance of 1990’s California wines is always hit or miss, but this particular bottle was clearly impeccably cellared. When you have a bottle of any Helen Turley Pahlmeyer from the 1990’s that’s well cellared, it’s generally glorious. If this wine is thrown in as a ringer in a blind tasting, it’s confusing, as it has all the earth, bay leaves, Rosemary, cedar, smoke you might expect from an older Bordeaux, but it has tons of vibrant sweet berry fruit you would expect from a California wine. Absolutely delicious.

6/22/2017 - Jonathan T wrote:

This was one of the more complex and fascinating syrahs I've had in a while. I think 5 years ago I might not have appreciated this flavor profile, but after being immersed in the worlds of craft beers and craft cocktails, I really like this wine. The juicy and sweet berry fruit plays almost a supporting role while the wine is has wonderful bitter herbaceousness, smoke, peppercorn, a subtle funkiness, with just a hint of sour fruits. Definitely a combination I like in my cocktails. There's even a hint of floral notes (violet maybe?) to add even more complexity.

3/11/2019 - Jonathan T wrote:

I have to confess - I haven't quite had my Barolo epiphany yet, so this review is not coming from a seasoned italian wine drinker. I keep buying and opening more and more expensive Barolos to learn what makes Barolo special, to be called the Burgundy of Italy. This one, from a strong producer and a top vineyard, and wasn't cheap, still didn't wow me. To be honest, I still don't get it. I thought Barolos were supposed to be feminine, but this felt very masculine to me - rustic and savory with tar and leather. Very grippy tannins make it hard to drink without food, which it certainly does pair well with. It's not a bad wine, by any means (hence the 90+ score) but doesn't have much charm or sizzle to make me want to go back for more.

3/5/2019 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

I opened this bottle in celebration of John Shafer, who passed away yesterday at the age of 94. He has to know how much his wines have participated in joy in this world. Shafer has always been my favorite winery to visit, and in no small part due to fact that more often than not, Mr Shafer is there to greet his guests. Always charming, humble, welcoming, and generous as if he's still surprised people love his wines. This Relentless is wonderful. The best Relentless I've had. I've never tasted the 2008 vintage which was named Wine Spectator WOTY, but I can't imagine that wine being better than this one. Every incarnation of Relentless needs a little bit of time in the bottle (one reviewer described a young Relentless as "pissed off" and "tortured" and that's about right without bottle age. This 2010 vintage is just starting to come together beautifully, so feel free to open a bottle but it will be great for another 10-20 years. I love the nose on this wine, very rustic and rhone-like with rosemary, dill, lemongrass, charcoal and a number of other herbs. On the palate it is deep and rich, perhaps a little more bordeaux-like with sweet black and blue berry fruits. Amazing on its own, or pair with rich foods. Delicious. Rest in peace, Mr Shafer.

6/6/2018 - Motz wrote:

Tasted over three days, alongside a 2013 Gramercy Forgotten Hills Syrah and a 2015 Saint-Damien Gigondas Les Souteyrades. Minimal bricking.

A few American producers craft Rhone (and environs: Languedoc-Roussillon, Bandol, etc.) variety wines that convey notable umami elements. Gramercy, Turley, Cowhorn, Reynvaan, Thackrey, Cayuse, and, of course, Bedrock come to mind here. Very few American producers craft wines that offer savory essences. Indeed, savoriness might be the consistently rarest element found in American wines, and in New World wines overall. This wine features both: umami and savory! As such, it ranks among the finest, most complete, and profoundly satisfying New World Rhone variety wines I have crossed paths with, perhaps the best. The bouquet and profile offer pepper, (dialed back and not too 'sweet') sarsaparilla, coal, smoke, sun baked black stones, lavender, industrial rubber mat, cured meats, fennel (anise), hoisin, soy, Medjool date, dried fig, Turkish apricot, and unsweetened guava paste, along with the ethereal umami and savory notes. The sarsaparilla element so common to Bedrock offerings is toned down here, and thus plays harmoniously with the savoriness, creating a mind-bending sweet-savory effect that even few French wines convey. Impeccably balanced! Generous, expansive, and spectacularly long. It separated itself from the other two wines by a noteworthy margin, and showed best on the third day, the last ounces making the strongest impression. This can age for quite a while longer, and I intend to hold a bottle for as long as I can manage. Utterly compelling. Let it breathe. 95-96.

3/5/2018 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

This is One. Sexy. Beast. It was delicious from pop-and-pour to the end. Wonderful layers of fresh black and blue berries, charcoal, melted dark chocolate, dried fruits, grilled peppers. The texture was luscious. And the age has certainly benefited this wine - silky and no hard edges, no flabbiness. We had three wonderful cabs today and at that level, you unfortunately force yourself to nit-pick. Sort of like the Olympics figure skating in PyeongChang. At the elite level, the top tier competitors are all amazing but only one can win gold. For me, there were a few sips where the alcohol level (15%+) caused the finish to unravel a little bit. But, again, this is trying really really hard to find a fault. Otherwise, I doubt anyone would not enjoy this wine.

4/26/2018 - csimm wrote:

These adorable little .375s make it too easy to grab-and-go with one when you’re headed to a restaurant and want a crazy ace up your sleeve during dinner. This wine is bringing all sorts of fun with every blackberry chocolatey liqueur sip. Flavor, flavor, flavor... Needing to work on tightening up its belt a bit more at present.

Currently, it is 300 L-Bs of a wild elephant. You can’t take your eyes off of it, but just be prepared for a wacky wrestling style delivery on the palate for the time-being. It’s awesome, but in that almost embarrassing kind of way where you feel the need to apologize every ten minutes to your friends for bringing them to this WWE goofiness.

Previous notes apply otherwise. Hold these pillowy pudgy muffins for another couple of years...unless you just can’t satisfy your current cravings for grape juice cellulose. Have at it if you love the ripe ones.

2/8/2018 - csimm wrote:

3-Day Napa Cab Taste-Off: Vice Versa, B Cellars, Memento Mori, Alpha Omega, Purlieu, Janzen, Realm, Myriad, MACDONALD, Maybach, and more...; 2/7/2018-2/9/2018 (Napa): I remember when a 4.0 GPA actually meant a perfect "straight A" average. Now there's 4.5s, 4.8s, and even 5.0 GPAs?! A perfect of the perfect of the perfect?! Whatever a kid has to do to get into college these days I guess. Well, I'm a little old-school, and still believe not everything is a sliding scale, and not everybody gets a trophy. There are winners and losers, those who who get the job, and those who don't. Not everybody is perfect, and certainly not all of the time. However, in the case of Vice Versa, there truly are varying degrees of perfection...and well earned I might add! I scored the 2016 Vice Versa Magnificent 7 100 points. It was one of the best damn wines I've ever had. It was a 5.0 GPA and a perfect SAT score...with extra credit!

So then, along comes the 2016 VV Crane BBS, and here we are presented with yet another version of perfection. One of the singular best versions (SVD-wise) of the Dr. Crane site I've ever had. This wine was a standout, with unreal, concentrated flavors of black cherry, black raspberry, blackberry compote, bitter chocolate, vanilla bean, charred oak, and violets. I cannot begin to effectively describe the drive this wine has, coming at you like a stormtrooper on ice skates, fast and intense on the attack, but utterly seamless and effortless on its glide across the mid-palate. The finish just won't shut up, constantly beckoning you, reminding you it's the best wine on the table. It almost wasn't fair to the other awesome wines in play.

If you can find it, get it. If you can't afford it, have a garage sale get rid of all the other lame wines cluttering your closet and check this wine out. I'm all in. 100 points. Utter perfection. A special thanks to Patrice and Samantha for sharing some of the best wines on the planet.

2/7/2018 - csimm wrote:

3-Day Napa Cab Taste-Off: Vice Versa, B Cellars, Memento Mori, Alpha Omega, Purlieu, Janzen, Realm, Myriad, MACDONALD, Maybach, and more...; 2/7/2018-2/9/2018 (Napa): Classic meets modern. Tight and coiled-up, like a snake ready to strike. Pretty massive overall, but also displaying an intriguing sophistication that draws one back for another sip. Needs air! Lots and lots of air! Specific notes of black and red currant, black cherry, black (and some red Kauai) rock, tobacco leaf, and asphalt.

Currently, this wine is painfully backward, needing 7-10 years before it is even worth having the conversation. Clearly this is the flagship wine of the house, but this pissed-off bear needs to hibernate for a while before it should come back out into the world. 94+ points for now, with the stuffing to make a convincing argument for some upside after 2025.

2/7/2018 - Jonathan T wrote:

I really miss Kris Curran. There is nothing wrong with this Sea Smoke, but there is nothing special or distinctive about it either. It is light-to-medium weight, driven by more tart fruits (like cranberries) rather than the strawberries or cherries that define most pinots from the Central Coast. It has nice balance, and pleasant acidity, but still, aside from the lack of sweet berry fruit, it doesn't stand out from other nice pinot noirs from Santa Barbara. The older Kris Curran Sea Smoke wines, whether you love them or hate them, at least they were unique and I can usually spot them in a blind lineup. On a side note, I saw the authenticity tag on this bottle, and authenticated my bottle on-line to try it out. Does Sea Smoke actually get counterfeited by the Rudy Kurniawan's of the world?

1/11/2018 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

Inspired by a recent CT conversation with msuwright, I thought I would sacrifice a baby and open this recently released 2015 R-M Panek. Whoa. This wasn't quite what I expected. It was rockin-and-rollin right out of the gate, although it was a little bit wild and heavy on the oak at first, but after decanting, things began to settle down and integrate. This is the richest, most opulent R-M cab I've had and I gotta say it was delicious. I don't know if it's the vintage character or winemaking intent. Dense blackberry/blueberry-driven fruit, dark chocolate with a very sweet perfumed vanilla oak nose. Very plush and creamy mouthfeel, and soft tannins. Stylistically, I would say somewhere between a Myriad and a Maybach. If blueberry and vanilla aren't your thing, probably should stay away from this wine. But, I think most drinkers of a modern-style American cabernet will really enjoy this.

1/4/2018 - msuwine Likes this wine:

This ripe but tart wine is drinking well now, but it needs another year or two in order to unfold and come into its own. Dark purple in color, full in body, nose of boysenberry and gravel road. Tastes of black cherry, raspberry, and rosemary, with a lingering yet sour finish. 14.8% alcohol. Drinks best after two hours of air.

This is an interesting comparison to Mike Smith's wine from the same site (Three Twins), since the Myriad is more opulent and forward. At the same time, I appreciated that this wine - unlike many TRB wines - had a touch more restraint and energy, which allowed the fruit to come to life. I probably lean towards the Myriad, but this is the first TRB wine I've had in a while that has a real signature (beyond well-constructed ripeness) - tight, but promising.

1/28/2016 - Jonathan T wrote:

This may be one of the more complicated wines I've tasted. And that's a great thing. My notes are consistent with two of the most recent (and contrasting) notes on this wine. One scoring it 96 points and lauding it for its dark forest floor, spices and harmonious balance between sweetness, richness, earth, acidity. No doubt this wine has enormous depth of flavor. And one note highlighting the deep soil notes, reminiscent of fresh mulch and compost and leather. And noting a wife would suggest selling this wine. What's amazing is that these animalistic components never seem wild or untamed. They are composed, deliberate, and elegantly executed. Unfortunately, my palate has been bred on central coast rhone rangers, so this might not be my style. You kind of have to like the horse stable aromas with this wine. I would it score it 96 based on the exquisite winemaking and 90 based on my own personal preference. So I'm going to split the difference and give it a 93.

8/29/2017 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

This was one of the best zinfandels I've ever had from Carlisle, and rivals the best Hayne zins I've had from Turley. This wine feels 100% true to Carlisle as it clearly honors this revered vineyard and the price I paid for this wine is shocking. I believe Mike probably made very little profit from this Hayne fruit. For those who say that 2011 is an "off" vintage is not true. It is a great vintage for north coast zins and even more so for old-vine zins that scoff at consecutive years of drought. This Hayne is more fruit driven than its Turley counterpart and less greenery, but it certainly has a spicy, peppery element that makes it a great pairing with a variety of meats. I would have scored this wine a little higher, except that I think I enjoyed the first two hours of this wine more than the last one. I was sort of sad when I drank this wine, as I know that Beckstoffer purchased a large parcel of the Hayne vineyard and replaced some old vines with cabernet. I know Turley has been trying to save the old petite from Hayne, but I don't know if this zin fruit for Carlisle comes from vines ripped out by Beckstoffer.

4/1/2017 - tkoby11 Likes this wine:

Radiant and transparent Cabernet showing excellent purity and very good typicity and acidity. Spottswoode is always so consistent for me and always so impeccably pure. The 2008 is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc that shows beautiful Cabernet traits, something the best Napa wines excel at. What many wines in Napa do not necessarily excel at is revealing the terroir of site, this vintage of Spottswoode shows terroir in spades. Cassis and currants, a dash of mocha, a touch of graphite and rock, with white floral and violet aromatics in the background. A nice streak of minerality shows up on the mid-palate and finish. The tannin are ripe, full bodied, but fine and supple. The acidity here is key, it elevates the aromas, as well as adds lift and energy to the palate, while refreshing the finish.
@spottswoodewinery makes some of the most consistent and honest wines from #cabernetsauvignon not just in Napa but the world. #spottswoode #cabernetsauvignon #sthelena #napa #spoton

8/7/2017 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

I think PEPMI either had a bad bottle, or did not aerate it long enough. When I opened this bottle, it was muted, and somewhat quiet, lacking any expression or energy. It was the hoof beats in the distance of a possible Dothraki army, but showing nothing. Like, what's the fuss? After an hour, though, it was Daenerys and Drogon gloriously raining fire on on the poor Lannister army. Ohmygosh, Wow!! What a transformation! Breathtaking. Even though I'm not usually one to decant, this wine does need decanting at this stage. I think this vintage will last another 20+ years easy. Hours later, I'm still tasting all the density of sweet red berries, dried, baked, aromatic jammy black and blue fruit and dark espresso and mocha. This is very pure St Helena cabernet.

3/21/2017 - Colima74 wrote:

Yet another SI that is damaged. Real corks please. Or screwcaps.

3/17/2017 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

I thought this was an excellent, extremely well balanced Bordeaux. It appears I enjoyed this wine's profile more than other CT reviewers. The dark cabernet fruits are there, but I think it's the Merlot in this blend that nicely rounds out the mid-palate with earth, smoke, graphite. I had to double check the price I paid on this wine, because it might be one of the best QPR Bordeaux varietal wines I've had in a while. Definitely an overachiever at this price point and even more so from a region where affordable, high-quality wines are becoming more scarce.

12/4/2016 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

This was awesome, but has barely budged at age 8. To me, it feels tighter and less evolved than a '11 Monte Bello I tasted a couple years ago. A hint of sweet american oak surrounds the dark fruit, cassis, tart berries, graphite, smoke. This is the first year that Ridge changed the name of the cuvee from Santa Cruz Mountains to the Cabernet Estate. Despite its lineage, it tastes like a very different wine than the 2007 SCM. To me, the '07 was softer, more elegant right-bank bordeaux style, while the '08 is more sturdily built and masculine like a classical medoc. In particular, it reminds me of a St Estephe, such as Cos d'Estournel. Needless to say, this is easily one of the best values in California for <$50.

8/17/2016 - fish1 wrote:

Cork came out and was very soft and broke.
After opening there was a real funk to the wine and in the end we decided it was indeed corked.
First time ever for a Shafer corked wine.
Yes it was stored properly in my cellar.
36 more bottles hope the rest are ok as Shafer is one of my favorites.

7/16/2016 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

This wine was utterly beautiful and clearly reaffirms Littorai Thieriot's place in the Mount Rushmore of California pinots. But this actually reminds me more of a Grand Cru from a producer such as Jadot. Not flashy, but solid. The core of soft juicy red fruits surrounded by subtle earth and baking spices. "Balanced" is an often overused word, but it really does come to mind. Enormous depth without being heavy and elegance without being lightweight. I need to find more of this stuff.

7/18/2016 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

This is probably the most charming, most approachable-in-its-youth Rhys pinot I've ever had. The adjectives that instantly come to mind are: "fresh", "clean", "pure". It has less complexity from terrior than other bottlings I've had, but the simplicity and purity of ripe strawberry and raspberry flavors shine through. I don't know if it's been discussed elsewhere, but I sense a stylistic shift at Rhys. I can't say for sure, but I sense less stem in their pinots and more oak in their chards beginning with the 2012 vintage. The pinots are more fruit forward. This wine is more "Sea Smoke" than a recent Sea Smoke I had from the same vintage, which was clearly leaner in comparison. And the chards are more opulent in almost an Aubert style. I wonder if anyone else has sensed this?

2/25/2016 - pakabear wrote:

Do NOT drink this in the next 5 years. I can't even score the wine as it was very hard to drink, and yes I know that was my fault, but I was curious. I gave it a 5-6 hour decant in wide-base decanter and it was still nearly undrinkable, huge/massive doesn't begin to describe it, but the tannins and oak were a real problem this young in it's life. Already has tons of sediment, so I can only imagine what will happen with age when the tannins start to drop out. This reminds me of a young Dunn which are also undrinkable in their youth, I honestly don't know how many years it will take to come into balance, but I won't try another one for 5 years min. HOLD HOLD HOLD

8/17/2010 - Li6 wrote:

A real knock-out, with surprising grace accompanying the balanced savory and fruit notes. Initially, showed lots of raw meat. Evolved into gorgeous notes of crushed blackberries, currants, even orange. Love it, and it's drinking great now. (As an aside, I'm convinced that tasters who complain about this and other Alban wines having excessive alcohol are not drinking the wines at the proper temperature, i.e. at or close to cellar temperature of 55-60 degrees. It really does make a difference.)

8/10/2015 - Jonathan T wrote:

This is a very masculine style of NV champagne, fully of toasty, yeasty puff pastry that rolls into a nutty sourdough tartness. I probably did not do it justice by using mediocre stemware and did not chill it much lower than cellar temp. This champagne is dense with terrific weight, but it is not quite my personal stylistic preference in sparkling. Sorry once again, I forgot to note the disgorgement data.

6/5/2015 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

This Futo has rounded out, integrated, and even better than the bottle I had last November. The last bottle was slutty in a way like a girl walking around your house naked. This bottle, at least she bothered to put on some lingerie. It it still a sexy, opulent wine and the knockout nose is absolutely irresistible and intoxicating. Still not for the faint of heart, but just be prepared and you will have a fun time.

10/22/2011 - Mattshank wrote:

Nose: Rustic aromas of moss and sandlewood with raspberry ganache. Palate: Some of the rustic components of the nose present with cherry and raspberry. The wine is somewhat rich but good tannin and acidity levels keep everything in check. The finish is medium length but not terribly inspiring. Overall a nice Pinot but nowhere near the $95/bottle price I paid when on the list years ago (let alone the $150-180+ cost on the secondary market). Drank out of my Riedel Sommelier Burg stem. Perhaps with more air this will inspire. If so an addendum will follow. If not; the 91 points stands.
Addendum: With more air additive blueberry qualities emerge on palate. Still only 91 points tops for me. Will consider selling my last bottle as there are far more interesting wines I could obtain for the value of this bottle. It is unfortunate that none of the high end (Cuvee series) Kistler Pinots owned have replicated my taste of the 2000 Cuvee Elizabeth (99 Parker Points) which was ethereal and the best Pinot I've ever drunk (about 7 years ago).

4/23/2015 - Jonathan T wrote:

This is a monumental wine. It shocked me, as it was so much better than the last bottle I had 2 years ago. I have to say that this 2002 might be better than most of the Bond wines I've had from other vintages. Stylistically, it evenly straddles the line between "fun" and "serious". It's teeth-staining, palate-coating with a ton of tannic grip, with no decanting. It's rich with minerality, and an abundance of dark fruits, leather, tobacco. Couldn't stop drinking this. I wish I had more, as I would not hesitate to cellar this another 10+ years.

2/25/2015 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

I've had a bottle of the 2003 or 2004 Reva or both in each of the last few years, and the 2004 has consistently lagged behind the 2003. Not today. The 2004 Reva has caught up, and was absolutely mesmerizing today. This was a particularly fantastic bottle, purchased retail, and it was simply popped and poured. It was incredibly pure, fresh juicy red and blue fruits, surrounded by game meats, finely ground white pepper, grilled tomatoes, lavender, thyme. The exotic floral notes in particular kept evolving through the duration of the meal. The nose blew me away and the finish lasted an eternity. Texturally it was liquid velvet. I am shocked by the alcohol content on the label. There was less noticeable heat on this than just about every Saxum I've ever had.

1/29/2015 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

This was an impressive showing from a young wine. This is my first experience with Myriad, and I found it an intriguing intersection between a rich, modern style of Napa cabernet, and an "old school" cab. The Myriad was dense but not overly tannic. The minerality that evelopes that fruit reminds me of a mountain cab like Lokoya, but the balance of the components actually made me think of an older Duckhorn where the oak is gently peaking through underneath the surface but barely makes its presence known.

6/24/2014 - Jonathan T Likes this wine:

Sadly, this was my last bottle of this wine. Easily one of the most over-achieving syrahs I've ever had, with a ridiculous QPR. This wine is an authentic syrah, deep and rich, but not a fruit bomb. Instead, it's more rustic and gamy. As always, this bottle performed waaay above its pay grade. Still going strong after all these years. It's still shedding its tannins, and doesn't seem to be in much of a hurry to go anywhere. If I had more bottles, I wouldn't be in any rush to drink them.