7/13/2020 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

Fabulous Pinot Noir. Had it with a summer salad tonight and it was phenomenal. As Pinots go, it was bolder than most with a dark cherry color. Long on the finish, very nice legs. Hint of chocolate and blackberry combo. Just as good as it gets in the world of Pinots.

11/22/2018 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

Crisp, clean with a hint of vanilla and grapefruit. Very nice. A little short on the finish--decent legs.

11/17/2018 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

Outstanding in every way. The average of 92.8 on this site isn't good enough.

11/15/2018 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

Deep, rich, full bodied wine only to be shared on a chilly winter night with friends. Wonderful texture and finish. Bravo.

11/15/2018 - Mackall817 wrote:

Deep, rich, full bodied wine only to be shared on a chilly winter night with friends. Wonderful texture and finish. Bravo.

11/9/2018 - Mackall817 wrote:

Thought it was very, very good.

11/8/2018 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

Best Virginia wine I've ever had. By far.

10/20/2018 - Mackall817 wrote:

The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry and black currant (cassis). It tastes like black currant (cassis) and blackberry. The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.

10/20/2018 - Mackall817 wrote:

Tom and Nancy Seaver make Hall of Fame wines. Buy as much as you can--their wines are fantastic. Strong, bold but not overpowering. Near perfect blend.

10/20/2018 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

A great value wine to serve at a large dinner party.
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry, gooseberry, black currant (cassis) and a slight hint of chocolate. The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.

10/20/2018 - Mackall817 wrote:

Loring wines are very nice and long on the finish.
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry and black currant (cassis).
It tastes like blackberry and plum. The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has low acidity.

10/10/2018 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

Loring consistently makes really good, rock solid Pinot Noirs. Nothing weak-kneed about their product. Some Pinots are watery and weak--NOT these. They are terrific.

10/8/2018 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

Deep, rich, and strong wines with full body. Deep garnet color, long on the finish.

6/15/2018 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

As good as it gets--LOVE this wine over and over no matter the vintage.

4/3/2018 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

Fabulous finish; beautiful deep ruby color. Long legs--will keep for a long, long time. Spring Mountain does it right. Great wines; great winery.

3/7/2018 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

Outstanding bottle of wine. Long finish, blackberry and cassis with a very nice garnet color. Long legs......a wine to savor every time.

3/7/2018 - Mackall817 wrote:

Tom and Nancy Seaver make OUTSTANDING wine. Deep, dark garnet colored wine that lingers forever and is what a bold, wonderful Cab should be. It is among my most prized wines.

1/15/2018 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

Tom and Nancy Seaver make "amazin'" wines. The color is a deep, beautiful purple. It has an incredible bouquet hits you on the palate just right. Very nice after taste that lingers nicely. Small amount of sediment. Long, slow legs that linger like the after taste. I could drink this and no other the rest of my life. Shared it at a dinner I hosted for my 3 brothers and they absolutely loved it. A great work by the Seaver Family.

1/6/2018 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

Over and over again The Loring Wine Company delivers quality Pinot Noirs. Frankly, I can't tell much difference from vineyard to vineyard--never had anything but 90+ Pinot Noirs from Loring. Outstanding quality over and over.

1/6/2018 - Mackall817 wrote:

Outstanding Pinots from Loring Wine Company time and time again. Love the quality--they always deliver. Very nice bottle of wine that can be paired with anything--we had it with butternut Squash soup and salmon salad.

12/31/2017 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are slow. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry and black currant (cassis). It tastes like blackberry, plum, and black currant jam without the sweetness.
The body is medium/full. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.

12/30/2017 - Mackall817 wrote:

An outstanding bottle of wine. If you like bold, strong in-your-face wine that tastes real, get the Elderton Single Vineyard COMMAND shiraz. Wow. What a treat.....we paired it with Butternut Squash soup and Manchego cheese on a very cold winter night with strong fire in the fireplace. "Twas a wonderful way to close out a good year in our lives. LOVED this wine.

12/25/2017 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis), plum and cherry. It tastes like oak, plum and black currant (cassis). The body is full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.

12/26/2017 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

The wine looks purple colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like cherry and plum. It tastes like blackberry and black currant (cassis). The body is full. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity. It was awesome.

12/25/2017 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

Outstanding value; outstanding wine. Very rich purple color; long on the palate but not overpowering. A very, very nice Shiraz. Had it on Christmas Eve with Filet Mignon.....was very well received by everyone.

12/21/2017 - Mackall817 wrote:

Nothing special; expected more out of this but was disappointed. Wouldn't add it to my cellar in the future. Weak finish; weak body compared to the other Pinot Noir's we had on this night.

12/22/2017 - Mackall817 wrote:

The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis). It tastes like black currant (cassis). The body is medium. The wine finishes short. The wine has medium acidity. I just found this wine to be average at best. Nothing special--wouldn't buy it. This was a gift.

12/21/2017 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

The wine looks yellow gold colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like grapefruit.

12/20/2017 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like forest floor, black currant (cassis) and blackberry. It tastes like blackberry and black currant (cassis). The body is medium/full. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has low acidity. It's outstanding. Get some and save it.

12/17/2017 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

The wine looks crimson colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like forest floor.
The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has low acidity.

12/15/2017 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

MacPhail makes excellent wines; this was in the lower echelon of their outstanding roster of very good to excellent wines.

12/15/2017 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

Another solid Turley vintage; delivered yet again. Strong, full-bodied with rich peat and blackberry bouquet. Turley just does it right every year.

12/15/2017 - Mackall817 wrote:

Huge fan of Nin-Ortiz priorat wines. This was excellent. Paired with Filet Mignon and a bearnaise sauce, it was deep, deep ruby in color with a hint of cassis and blackberry. Very strong on the palate, it had no bitter aftertaste. I held up well all evening and was enjoyed by 5 of the 6 of us. Outstanding wine make and winery. Buy it any time it is available.

12/15/2017 - Mackall817 wrote:

Very, very good. Enjoyed it with a steak on a grill and several friends. Outstanding.

12/4/2017 - Mackall817 Does not like this wine:

Just had no after taste; couldn't help but thinking I was drinking grape juice. Not worth buying....winemakers here need to get better. No body, weak color. I'm being kind with the 80. The first hit on your palate was do-able, but it faded like chalk in the rain.

11/23/2017 - Mackall817 wrote:

Very good. Strong, blackberry, solid tannins, wonderful on the nose, very nice finish. Excellent bottle of wine on Thanksgiving Day, 2017.

11/23/2017 - Mackall817 wrote:

Outstanding. Deep dark ruby color; wonderful on the palate with a strong scent of cassis, peat, and blackberry. Terrific wine....buy all you can find. I'm going to. Really good, and we even had it a little before its time.

11/3/2017 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

I'm a huge MacPhail fan. Every bottle I've ever had was superb as Pinots go. Beautiful, deep ruby/garnet color, nice, pleasant after taste that lingered just long enough. A wonderful wine to sip while eating brie cheese, crackers and grapes. You drink a bottle while conversing and can't believe you are done--leaves you wanting to open the 2nd bottle right away.

11/3/2017 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

Garnet/ruby colored wine that paired well with short ribs and halibut cheeks appetizer at one of the great restaurants in DC. This wine was served along with 2 other superb wines from Silver Oak and France so it was in high company. Didn't fare as well when served side by side with those but definitely worth drinking. Pleasant after taste--not quite as powerful as the others but solid on its own.

11/3/2017 - Mackall817 wrote:

Really didn't know how NOT to give this a higher rating but the one I gave it seemed about right. Drank this last out of a superb 3 bottle dinner for 8. It was filled with sediment (I love that!) and deep, rich, dark and beautiful. Special wine for a special night with friends.

11/3/2017 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

This wine was a deep ruby color with strong tannins. Definitely needed time to open up but when it did, it was amazing. Blackberry, currant, and a hint of coffee on my palate....really nice wine that aged well throughout dinner and in the cellar.

11/1/2017 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

Rich in ruby color. Doesn’t finish as well as higher rated wines but I’ve tasted much worse. Went well with a broiled ribeye. I’d say it is a very solid value for what I paid. Great party wine to serve to lots of folks.

10/14/2017 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

Paired with a tenderloin cooked on the grill, this was a good wine--not great--for the meal. Very deep ruby color, strong cassis and blackberry, it delivered what it was intended to deliver. A strong, bold wine to go with dinner of asparagus, tenderloin, salad, and chocolate cake. Frankly, it went as well with the cake as it did the tenderloin. Very good for the value. I recommend anything from Ridge Winery. I agree with the sentiment that another couple of years it may have been better.

10/1/2017 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

Really good wine. Failla consistently delivers very high quality Pinot Noir wine. I have never had even a mediocre Failla wine. Consumed with cheese and crackers in front of a fireplace with an old friend. Get this wine. It's terrific.

2/14/2017 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

Excellent wine. Paired with duck and cassis sauce.

9/26/2017 - Mackall817 wrote:

This wine was inexpensive but served its purpose as it was served at several large gatherings over time.

9/26/2017 - Mackall817 wrote:

Outstanding wine. Was paired with thinly sliced Filet and wild mushrooms. Just tremendous stuff. Wish I had 6 cases of it.

7/20/2017 - Mackall817 Likes this wine:

Excellent. Hint of slice and blackberry. Sampled and purchased at the winery itself in Cours-Cheverny.

7/2/2016 - Mackall817 wrote:

Outstanding.

7/2/2016 - Mackall817 wrote:

Mediocre wine.