8/31/2023 - Glenn Gilbert Likes this wine:

13.9% alcohol; composite cork, with a maximum of 3 mm wine penetration; cork aroma of sour, sweet, and fruit, including a sprinkling of spices defining the limit of aroma and taste; medium weight foil; very dark purple with medium legs; nose of fruit, rhubarb, citrus, alcohol, minerals; opened, oxygenated via Vinturi, and tasted 15 minutes later at 14 degrees C; medium to full bodied, lots of tannins and alcohol, overlay of fruit and minerals, little trace of wood, a bit of butterscotch in the short to medium finish; pair with umami foods

8/14/2023 - Sansanlover Likes this wine:

Nice as an everyday wine, nothing special - had it at Paul and Heather’s house in Chester

9/23/2022 - TheFifthMusketeer Does not like this wine:

I poured the Raeburn Chardonnay 2021 and found it at 14%, the alcohol overpowering all the other flavors on the palate. For this reason, while the wine is correct in every respect, I lowered its rating. To be fair, my girlfriend enjoyed very much.

11/7/2020 - chablis28 wrote:

I've wanted to try this producer for a long time. Delighted I finally have! From the price point it appears this great address still mostly flies under the radar. There is outstanding; transparency, purity, concentration and verb reminding me of Cerbaiona ( Molinari) selling at 4X this producer. Aged 24 – 30 mos in Slavonian oak casks of 25/30 hl. The only thing holding my score back a smidge is the need for further resolution of the tannins. Finding this a bit stern on opening I immediately decanted for 75 minutes prior to dinner. I also decided to use my Burg glasses which really opened this up aromatically. The color is at best, med dark ruby red. There are terrific aromas of wild berry, herbs, lavender and underbrush. The palate offers a vineyard fresh array of; fresh picked dark & red berries, mineral, licorice, hint of herbs, earth and underbrush. If this producer isn't organic it sure taste like it. The tannins could use another year or two to relax but even so, there is a good sense of elegance. Happy to have 2 more and won't touch my 2nd btl for at least 3 years. I'll have my antenna up for the 2016s and back vintages. A cool example of a classic producer tempering a ripe vintage. Alc 14% but feels & taste more like 13%. So tempted to raise my score to 93.

11/14/2020 - Ed Manville Likes this wine:

Lemon blossoms, Asian pear, candied orange peel and lime sherbet notes are pure. Has a lemon verbena finish.

2/26/2020 - SMHalps Likes this wine:

Steak and Syrah Night (Tuscany Steakhouse): A big hit with my wine group. Most called it a Chardonnay right away, without reading the supplied tasting notes (or looking at the bottle). We have had a few bottles of this vintage and its always a hit.

3/21/2020 - jsternh Likes this wine:

This is a nice cab, well balanced and with a sense of the Sonoma terroir. Vanilla, oak, restrained fruit. Good stuff at a reasonable price.

7/14/2020 - Glenn Gilbert Likes this wine:

14.1% alcohol; imported, vinted & bottled by Naked Wines, Acampo, CA, which commendably acknowledges the exact provenience of the wine, Argentina's Uco Valley, and reproduces the grower's sentiment 'I am honored to make wines that allow you to experience a little slice of what Argentina has to offer'; medium weight foil; long legs, dark maroon/purple; nose of alcohol, vanilla, wood, apples, cherries; opened yesterday and kept in the fridge for 24 hours; tasted at approximately 11 degrees C; full mouthfeel, which hits you with waves of wood, cherries, and tannins; notes of oak, vanilla, dark chocolate, apples, basil; medium to long finish; pair this wine, one of the finest Argentine Malbecs I have yet tasted, with St. Louis ribs, slow grilled over smoldering pecan wood chips

6/17/2020 - the.vino.bambino Likes this wine:

Excellent blend- tightly knit with rose, plum, and hint of pepper

6/29/2019 - jsternh Likes this wine:

Limited fruit profile, barnyard, some raisin. Brown on the edges. Still drinkable but in a rustic, old style. Very little fresh fruit left. If you like old style, you will like this. Hetting toward its end but not there yet. 30 minute aeration prior to tasting.

5/29/2020 - Jon Harrison Likes this wine:

2018 Kermit Lynch Languedoc AOP (Terra Viva).

Smply one the best values in French red wine that I know of. If you can buy this wine for $11-12 usd?? Are you kidding me?

Medium-dark ruby color. Beautiful, perfumey, nose of Southern France, redolent of garrigue spice, dried cherry, purple plum, wildflowers (violet with a touch of herbs de Provence). Medium to medium-full body (14% alc), but deep flavor concentration and excellent length. Soft finish.

Definitely tastes more Grenache driven to me than Syrah driven. But that's okay. This is like a baby CDP. Drink now.

The balance of this '18 is spot-on. Absolutely delicious and beautifully reflects its southern French terroir. This wine has "soul." According to the importer (KLWM), the grapes come from high-elevation, schist terroirs in Cabrières. The beautiful wild countryside midpoint between Montpellier and Carcassonne.

Label days: 55% Syrah. 30% Grenache. 10% Carignan. 5% Cinsault

Red wine does NOT get better at this price!
(88-90 pts.)

-JGH sommelier CMS-III, San Francisco CA

5/6/2020 - finlero Likes this wine:

After an hour of air, a truly outstanding, traditional CCR. Nose of plum, leather. On the palate, raw black and red fruit, a bit of brown sugar, a hint of wet earth. Chewy tannins, medium finish. Nicely structured, great sense of place. At just over $20, phenomenal QPR.

NB there appear to be several different labels for this wine, which makes me wonder if these CT reviews might actually be for several different wines; my bottles have a sans-serif font and a drawing of a unicorn and foal: https://cdn.ct-static.com/labels/fe1d8aac-0d3a-45db-9374-b3473369caca.jpg

5/21/2016 - jsternh wrote:

Great nose and great length. Jammy on the start. Not as much depth as a good hermitage. An improvement on your typical California syrah as they keep the alcohol to 14%. Price level to price level, I would look to Hermitage.

1/31/2020 - jsternh Likes this wine:

My bottle indicates a Monterey County appellation. This an inexpensive Pinot with some balance and alcohol in check. $9.99 at Publix which makes this a nice bargain for a servicable pinot. At $20, pass on this.

12/3/2019 - Tahlequahdave1972 Likes this wine:

Decent entry-level cab with the majority of fruit sourced from Monterrey County with a smaller amount from Napa County. Slow ox for an hour. Garnet red in the glass. Aromas of petrol, violets and licorice that carried to the palate while adding a distinct raisin element along with tart cherry. Reasonably well-balanced and approachable with a short to medium finish.

2/1/2019 - kevrob822 Likes this wine:

I’d raise this bottle to 90 Points. And I believe I found THE trick with this baby. I had it with a Grilled Cheeseburger & Fries and THAT'S the trick for this wine. It was MUCH better with the nice char of grilled red meat with grilled onions, cheese and fries. Yes, it was only an “In ‘n Out” cheeseburger and fries, but that ain’t bad and they BOTH improved each other. Yummy!

I’d also raise this to a Very Good QPR. Love it when something like this happens to a wine one has had before!

8/25/2018 - gsiokis wrote:

I really want to like this wine but I can't. Opened this 2.5-3 hours and left in the cellar to open up. I then used my aerator and still I struggle with this wine.

3/21/2018 - Cliff A wrote:

FROM SOME LEADING CRITICS

Wine Spectator: 93 Points
A hint of warm ganache melds quickly into the background, while fig, blackberry and black currant confiture notes emerge steadily, picking up smoldering tobacco, pastis and tar details through the finish. This is stacked. Best from 2020 through 2030. 1,000 cases made. --James Molesworth

Wine Advocate: 91 Points
The 2015 Saint Joseph Les Côteaux was aged in a combination of barriques and demi-muids. It’s a fruit-forward Saint Joseph, bursting with blueberries, cassis and blackberries. This medium to full-bodied, supple wine should drink well for a decade or so.–Joe Czerwinski

Vinous: 90-91 Points
Lurid violet. Heady aromas of cherry, cassis, violet and licorice are sharpened by a smoky mineral quality. Juicy and nicely concentrated, showing very good energy to the smoke-tinged dark berry, cherry and floral pastille flavors. Finishes with very good mineral-tinged persistence, harmonious tannins and repeating smokiness. -- Josh Raynolds