3/14/2024 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

Opened and decanted for 30 minutes. This is a beautiful Sauvignon Blanc, with tons of stone fruit and tropical fruits on the nose. We both enjoyed this wine and it went very well with our food. I will get more of this as it isn't over the top like some Cali SBs and the oak is only present in a hint of vanilla on the finish.

1/5/2024 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

Such a beautiful Pinot. Still very young, amazing mouth filling fruit, good structure. Very enjoyable.

7/15/2023 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

This is a beautiful expression of Chardonnay. It has an incredible wall of flavor in the mouth, with a great backbone of acidity. This compares well to great White Burgundies. Simply one of the greatest Chardonnays from anywhere in the world. This will age fantastically well, so no need to rush to drink them if you have them.

6/20/2023 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

This is a great bottle of American Sauvignon Blanc. Great varietal typicty. No oak influence, nice green flavors with lovely honeydew. Really delicious, sad that Clark-Claudon is no longer making wine, they made really delicious wines for many many years.

1/31/2023 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

This was an incredibly beautiful, perfumed, nuanced wine. Sorry it is my last bottle. Such an enjoyable experience, great flavors, smooth tannins. In a word, delicious.

1/2/2023 - aaronfeigin wrote:

This is a decent Pinot. It had good fruit and balance was good. I found it very much lacking finish, enjoyable upon first taste but it was flat as I continued to drink.

12/23/2022 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

This is a beautiful wine, everything I look for in a St Joseph. Not for those who like light wines, this is big and delicious.

8/29/2022 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

Frankly, this was good, but I was expecting better. Flavor was nice, depth was lacking. I bought this 7+ years ago and waited patiently for the right time. I think this is not a long ager, drink 'em if you got 'em.

7/6/2022 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

Impeccable balance with such great flavor. Loads of great wild berry fruit, soft tannins and a long finish. This wine has greatly rewarded my patience. I look forward to drinking the remaining bottles over the next 5-8 years, it should easily go that long or longer.

5/18/2022 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

A really nice bottle of wine. Soft tannins that are very well integrated, lots of red and black fruits. Great QPR, this is drinking really well right now. Drink now.

3/27/2022 - aaronfeigin wrote:

Decent, but too much oak influence for my taste.

1/10/2022 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

Intense fruit with tannins that are just starting to soften. 3 hour decant, easily could have tolerated more. This is a baby, I would suggest if you have any, hide them away for at least 5 more years. Delicious now, it could be epic with more aging.

1/5/2022 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

This bottle was even better than previous consumption. Great grapefruit and peach flavors with really nice acidity backbone. I think this is right in drinking window. Decanted with an aerator, so lots of air. If I had any more left, which I sadly don't, I would say it is best to drink within the next 2-3 years.

11/18/2021 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

Opened and decanted about 3.5 hours before drinking. This wine was awesome with incredible QPR. Beautiful red fruits with tart cherry and bit of pomegranate, lots of warm spices. Oak was not heavy or intrusive at all, this wine was very enjoyable. Paired well with a red sauce. Simply delicious. This wine has benefited from bottle aging, it is right in the drinking window. Enjoy now for another 6 - 8 years.

11/17/2021 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

A very nice Weissburgunder. Really great fruit with good acidity. Enjoyable.

9/10/2021 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

This wine is EPIC. Such a great example of 2 things:
1. How great California Cabernet can be;
2. How useless some ratings are.
So beautiful, soft lush tannins, great fruit. Perfect balance. This has been in the cellar a long time, and patience has been greatly rewarded. This wine is so beautiful.

12/18/2020 - aaronfeigin wrote:

Sadly this wine was flawed. Perhaps stored at a temperature too high. I acquired this a year or so ago. Bummer.

12/16/2020 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

Beautiful wine that is all about balance. Great flavor strawberry, mint, leather and a bit of chocolate. Great sweetness, smooth, round, lush tannins. This wine is probably right in the drinking window. I suspect it might get slightly better in the next few years, but it has the stuff to go another 15 years or so. Delicious.

12/14/2020 - aaronfeigin wrote:

I think I may have caught this too early. I tried to compensate by giving it a fair amount of air. Flavors were very muted, tannins almost indistinguishable. Will wait a few more years to try the next bottle. Clearly this wine is shut down.

12/12/2020 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

Not sure Cornas gets much better than this. At 20 years of age, this was still young and beautiful, simply a joy to enjoy. Lush a round tannins, tons of lithe red fruits with a hint of iron and meat, this is the perfect expression of aged Syrah from Northern Rhone.

12/12/2020 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

A beautiful expression of California Pinot. Great fruit with incredible balance, this wine is drinking really well. Very enjoyable.

12/9/2020 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

Lots of dark cherry and plum flavors. Tannins are a little big, which is to be expected from a Burgundy that is too young to be consumed. Faint hint of oak rounds out the flavors. Very enjoyable, I will save the remaining bottles for several (5+) years down the road to give this time to integrate.

12/3/2020 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

A very nice Cali Cabernet Franc. Lots of cherries and plums with a hint of pine and savory flavors. Enjoyable, good firm tannins that are well integrated. Very nice wine from a family owned winery in Napa.

12/1/2020 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

This wine is one of the wines that might convince me to love Syrah even more than Cabernet Sauvignon. Lots of Blackberry and currants with a strong vein of minerality in every sip. Beautiful balance, lovely tannins, this benefits from a few hours of air. Simply lovely, a great example of Northern Rhone Syrah.

12/1/2020 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

Drink 'em if you got 'em! This wine is so beautiful right now, all patience is fully rewarded. Lots of fruit, a bit of earth and savory, so enjoyable. Tannins are smooth and integrated, such a enjoyable treat. This wine stood all on its own before dinner and it was so enjoyable. Top 5 Napa estates, still somehow under the radar.

11/26/2020 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

This wine was a revelation. Expected it to be starting the downslope soon, it was clear this wine was right in its prime, close to peak. Lots of black fruit with great structure and smooth tannins. No sign of bricking yet, this wine has many years before starting down. Drank from a magnum, which helps ageing, this wine was beautiful. Perfect for Thanksgiving foods. Wish I had more.

6/19/2020 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

This is a beautiful bottle of wine, I wish I had some more. Drinking really well right now, I think it has the stuff to last another 10 years. Great purity of fruit, excellent acidity, and in perfect balance.

5/29/2020 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

A wonderful Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley. Without the typical heavy oak influence, this is a lovely nuanced wine with lots of tropical fruits and hint of pineapple. Solid acidity, this wine goes down very easily. Simply delicious wine from a small, family owned winery.

5/4/2020 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

This is probably the greatest bottle of Syrah that I have ever had the experience of drinking. Beautiful red fruit with sweet lush tannins. Wish I had more.

4/16/2020 - aaronfeigin wrote:

It doesn't happen often, but I believe I caught this wine in an awkward phase. The experience was very muted. Light on fruit flavors, tannins were not very pronounced. Disappointing, will revisit in a few years.

4/15/2020 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

A beautiful Côte-Rôtie. Gamey, lots of olive and some sweet fruit. Lovely tannins that have started to integrate well. Simply delicious, this will go for many more years.

3/20/2020 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

Everything I expected from a Cote-Rotie. Meaty, earthy, gamey with lots of fruit backbone and acidity. Seems like it might be perfectly in its prime with several more years to go. So beautiful, lithe smooth tanins that haven't started to fade, lots of olive and smoked meat, this is simply delicious. Opened around 2:00 PM for drinking around 7. Wonderful long finish.

3/20/2020 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

Very enjoyable. Opened midday and left in cellar to breathe. Hazelnuts, heavy floral notes with a hint of green apple and butterscotch. Good acidity, fairly long finish. Balance is excellent. I think this is right in the drinking window. I think it could go several more years, not sure if it will get better than it is now. Very nice, drink them if you have them. Another good wine from "The Greek" in Tain-L'Hermitage.

2/9/2020 - aaronfeigin Does not like this wine:

In reading the other reviews, perhaps this bottle was corked. Flat, very little fruit. Will try another bottle soon and revise my review if it is warranted. Even at $20 this was not worth the purchase price.

1/12/2020 - aaronfeigin wrote:

Very enjoyable. On the nose an explosion of white peach and flowers. Great acidity and balance, white peach and jasmine on the palate. Good length, this wine is quite typical of a well made, easy to drink condrieu.

1/12/2020 - aaronfeigin wrote:

This is a fantastic wine. Drank from Magnum. Tannins still strong, great fruit dominated by cherry with lots of savory notes. This is drinking beautifully in its prime, with no signs of slowing down. No need to rush to drink this, seems to be holding steady.

12/6/2019 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

A beautiful wine with great balance. Lush and full, lots of blackberry with a bit of tobacco and hint of cedar. Mouth filling but not overwhelming, this wine is drinking perfectly. Drink now or within the next few years. Very enjoyable.

9/20/2019 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

Wow! Everything I desire in Côte-Rôtie . Smokey, meaty, so delicious. Lovely tannins, delicious red fruits so enjoyable. Old world Syrah, made in the traditional style. Enjoyed a great tasting with Christophe Billon, fond memories envelop me as I drink this wonderful wine.

5/25/2019 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

Simply a beautiful wine in a great drinking window. The black fruits were very lively and lush, tannins were smooth and this just tasted great. Very enjoyable with impeccable balance, wish I had more, but this was my last bottle. Drink or hold for another few years.

5/2/2019 - aaronfeigin wrote:

This is a decent wine but I was expecting more. The fruit is a little muddied. Tannins are smooth. This is enjoyable but not amazing. I suspect this has started the downslope. Drink it if you have it within the next year or two at most.

4/6/2019 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

With air, this is a lovely bottle of wine. Lots of cherry with a hint of mint. This is medium bodied wine with good structure and soft, smooth tannins. Very enjoyable, I think this wine has several more years to go. Benefits from lots of air. I opened this at 2:00 and started drinking 2 1/2 hours later. First glass was tight, but second glass was wonderful.

3/21/2019 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

This wine is very enjoyable. Smooth tannins, good fruit flavor of cherry and cranberry, with some tobacco, earth and a bit of cedar. Brownish hue on the edges, still deep red in the middle. I think this wine is a drink within the next 2 - 3 years for maximum enjoyment, but give it plenty of air before you drink it.

2/3/2019 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

This as an exercise in patience. Opening and let sit for 30 minutes. Still not great. At the 45 minute mark, this was a revelation. Wonderfully aged Cali Chardonnay that was made to last. Almonds, a bit of honey, mouth filling. It was wonderful. About 30 minutes after that, it was probably done, but everyone who had it enjoyed it before that. We never got to see the downside. Wonderful reward for our patience.

1/17/2019 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

This wine definitely needs some air. As it opened up, a gorgeous bouquet of red and black fruits. Smooth lush and silky tannins. This is a great middleweight Napa Cab. Great balance, done right. So enjoyable.

9/15/2018 - aaronfeigin Does not like this wine:

This wine was really not enjoyable at all. It had little fruit left, maybe a bit of citrus. Color was bright orange. Opened earlier in the day and left in the cellar until I poured it. Disappointing. From magnum. Hard to say if this would get better with air or had already been exposed to too much air.

9/7/2018 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

This wine was amazing. Rich fruit, smooth but big tannins, lush, mouth-filling and lithe. One of the greatest wines I have ever enjoyed. Feminine, simply beautiful. Old style Cornas the way it is supposed to be.

7/11/2018 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

Overall a very enjoyable wine. Great fruit, perfectly balanced, and smooth lush tannins that are quite prevalent in a well-made Sonoma County Cabernet.

7/9/2018 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

So delicious. Juicy with great acidity, lots of great fruit. Really enjoyable, paired well with shrimp cakes.

6/6/2018 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

Opened at early afternoon and left in the cellar. Poured in glass thru an aerator and left for about 1.5 hours. This wine is still VERY young and primary. Black cherry, black pepper, very smoky, gamey, typical Cornas. Big smooth tannins. Won't approach another bottle for at least 2 years, this one seems like a long ager. Beautiful.

5/17/2018 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:

Juicy with a bit of "lift". This paired perfectly with homemade Indian Butter Chicken. Cut through the cayenne and cumin. Overall a nice wine, decent QPR. Probably won't get any better but still has a couple of years left.