4/25/2024 - Cyclist Likes this wine:

Have heard about this wine for years. Touted as the best domestic US Chardonnay people have ever had. An absolute treat, this lives up to the talk, even with several years of age on it now. A beautiful, French-styled white that is so effortlessly balanced, while remaining quite bold at the same time. I would be glad to have more of these in my cellar.

4/25/2024 - Cyclist Likes this wine:

Probably one of the most interesting “cab-like” wines coming out of Napa valley right now. This has all the hallmarks of a great Cabernet, yet has such an interesting backbone of other components with incredible acid and tannin structure that doesn’t bite, along with fresh plums and dark fruits that come out with a good amount of air.

4/15/2024 - csimm wrote:

Punchline first: And ‘the Ks’ have it!! Kaannos and Kodo! I know I’m supposed to find beauty in all creatures great and small, and that love is discovered in all forms of doe-eyed unicorns and rainbows, but after sampling over 70 wines over the course of a three-day weekend, the Kaannos is THE BEST wine. It just is. If you dare take your in vogue flat leadership model and go old school vertical with it, then the Kaannos is on the top, like the very top. #1. Numero uno. The cat’s pajamas, and even the cat’s meow for that matter. The Kodo is… also… the best…!

Punchline #1 to the punchline: Kaannos TN – Not surprisingly, the first word in my notes just says, “perfect,” along with some hyphenated expletives that remind me this is, you guessed it, the best wine hands down. Dark fruit, but ever so balanced, with rays of succulent acidity (ya, that’s a thing), providing both elegance and speed. A nervy finish gives way to a second wave of flavor and energy. With air, it grabs ahold of more richness, akin to its Kodo brother. Darker, faster, even livelier with each sip. Block 4 powers, activate! The stamina here is worth waiting a few years, though Nigel puts it out at 8-12 years. But it’s a shakin good time right now without question.

Punchline #1(a) to the punchline: Kodo TN - And of course, because every kind of exception has an exception, I will confidently say that Kodo is also the best wine. But since I just made up a rule that says I have to choose (science and law and all that), the Kodo for me is the #1(a) to the Kaannos #1. Other Galloni sympathizers at the table pegged the Kodo for grand prize winner, not that I can blame them. But my iconoclastic side gave the Kaannos the edge. That is to say, they are both solid 100 point wines, but since GPAs these days are like 6.0 to get into community college (not sure what happened to 4.0, but I digress, again), I’ll go with the Kaannos at Harvard and the Kodo at Stanford. Kodo is a darker knight, with the depth of a thousand gallant chevaliers that parade through silky seas of dark chocolate and black cherries. Unctuous. Precise. Enveloping. Balanced, but with personality and attention-grabbing gothic gumption. The initiative here is fantastic, especially on the slowly building finish that envelops the back of the mouth. I feel like this is an earlier drinker than Kaannos.

I think I phonetic-a-sized my way through how to say Kodo, but I can’t for the life of me pronounce Kaannos, especially with all those little umlaut thingamajigs over every letter. I don’t know if it’s Kay-nohs, Ka-nos, Kaw-nohs, Can-os, or Ka’a-na-nah-na-nah-nah-nos. I know it means something to do with ‘translation’ in Finnish, but I can’t claim to know what the Fins have done to influence what I now consider the best 2021 wine I’ve had thus far out of Napa.

“Save the best for last” is typically prudent advice, and it’s normal decorum to build up to the ‘best’ wine when one is toured through various wine tasting experiences. However, in this case, the esteemed Nigel Kinsman simply said, “I like to jump around,” giving us novice geeks free rein to pick among the four glasses in front of us. A creature of habit, when I reached to my left and took a sip, not bothering to look at the name, the Kaannos hit me square in the jaw. Epic! There is a sliver of me that wants it not to be so amazing, like “here we go again, another fanboy tasting note from me on Kinsman.” I wanted to be neutral on these and just write a couple lame short tasting notes (and the crowd cheers). Better luck next time I guess. So, obviously, the Kaannos was completely rad! (not Rhad – but which is also rad, by the way). And the Kodo is also a mega hit-out-of-the-park showstopper.

… wishing Cellar Tracker had a word limit right about now…?… I don’t…. :)

3/10/2024 - sean7711 Likes this wine:

Drank over two nights. Opened after coming home from the hospital with my first child (boy). While still exhausted, the wine was a great treat and had that trademark Sacrashe rutherford hills notes. Plush but not overdone, 2013s are still drinking well now and still have many years left. The fruit is still plenty there. Not worth the initial ticket price, but much better for the secondary price.

12/17/2023 - csimm wrote:

Ya, so, I don't want to like this wine at all, but there is no denying this is top shelf stuff right here, so much so that the only reason I'm not jumping to 100 is because I am in one of those moods where trying to imagine stomaching a credit card swipe for a few of these beauties is pretty much a root canal while crunching on tinfoil kind of scenario. But... if you have the means and it doesn't make you whimper every time you take a sip, it is for sure "worth" it in the sense that this delivers exactly what I want in a wine, especially one out of Napa these days: Dark black fruit and graphite profile, not overly sweet or ripe at all, framed and controlled without being angular, delivering the goods now but shows even more promise with a bit more time (the 2013 vintage works perfectly here), and a sense of power and weight without pummeling the palate or tiring out the taste buds. Great as a standalone and with food.

I recall having the 2016 version of this in a blind of 2016 Napa powerhouses and it too performed outstandingly. In fact, it tied for first place for me. Ugh...What..now I gotta throw Futo on my list and put some other Napa producer from my cellar out to pasture?! ...Cuz robbing Peter to pay Paul is the only way that's going to happen. Time for another garage sale.

With a bit of air, this really gets singing. The finish is super honed, and some might even find it slightly strict, but that's just the way I like it. Drink or hold. 99+ points (100 points if it was half the price).

10/7/2023 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine:

Fairly neutral experience with this bottle. I randomly picked up two bottles from BMG as I want to explore some CF and La Jota is a reputable producer. I liked it but did love it in comparison to a recent 2012 Hourglass CF that just blew me away.

Might be a dumb phase for all I know. 2013 is a tricky vintage.

92

7/22/2023 - Franken Berry Likes this wine:

First meetup with The Cyclist and our spouses for some shared plates and central coast reds. I gave this a splash decant and back into the bottle 2 hours ahead of our meal. I would agree with others that this was not a rich or complex compared with the 18 or 19, but it is still a delicious and fruit forward red that is well balanced.
The blend is 75% Grenache with smaller proportions of Syrah and Mourvèdre . Terrifc nose of ripe strawberries and raspberries, with wild flowers and some tobacco. All of these elements follow on the palate. There was a brief whiff of smoke when I first opened it, but this wasn't present later in the evening and I did not detect anything on the palate. Overall medium i body, balanced and elegant mouthfeel.

Such a pleasant summer evening of great wine and good conversation

6/12/2023 - AGELVIS Likes this wine:

Three hour decant. Deep dark magenta color. Blackberry, stewed plum, cotton candy, flax seed bread, rose petal, milk chocolate, and lemon zest. Smooth, dry, full bodied palate, with engaging, tongue coating acidity. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish.

This has really opened up since I tasted it at the winery almost 18 months ago. Great complexity. Looking forward to see how this develops.

5/20/2023 - sfwinelover1 wrote:

Second of 4 from LB about 2 years ago brought to dinner at Barry & Beth’s to accompany striped bass tacos. No advanced aeration, but dumped into a decanter and consumed over the better part of 2 hours. This was a bit all over the place when I had it in 8/21, but still a worthwhile experience (91), but the fruit was never there tonight, and while it’s possible it could have come out with more time—and I’ll give the next bottle that next time, since I still have 2 left—it didn’t give any indications it was getting to that point. The structure is intact and there are some interesting secondary notes, so, like the first time, this was better with food than without, but it still disappointed, which I hate when I bring a wine, even if the recipients aren’t serious wine lovers (B&B aren’t, and Barry in particular liked the wine). I had 2 disappointing bottles of the ‘13 Fonterutoli GS, then the third, which I likewise brought over to Barry’s, shone, so my hopes were up for this, particularly since the Tuscan ‘13s seem to be generally performing so well. This didn’t, keeping my batting average with chiantis at a disappointing level, especially when compared to their BdM and non-classified sangio peers. The TNs for this are all over the place, so I’m hoping for better luck with the last 2 bottles.

3/12/2023 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:

At the Tesseron-Pontet/K&L Winemaker dinner at Mathilde (SF). It’s pretty much unprecedented that I’m the one writing the first TN for a wine, unless it’s some 20 case wine made by a friend of Cyclist’s. This was the first wine served as we walked in the door at K&L, with the ‘16 and ‘17 being served with dinner, and unlike the Pontets, all were similar in quality and qualities (and in light of that and, believe it or not, sfwl *does* have other things to do than write and respond to TNs, this note will have to stand in for the others). On the moderately potent nose and palate, blue and black berries, black and a slight hind of red currants, dark florals, rocky minerality, lavendar, graphite and a hint of tobacco. Dark purple, medium+ bodied, thick legs. Medium+ acidity and tannins, both well-balanced and fairly well integrated, no heat. VG++ complexity, VG+ persistence, VG intensity. With a suppleness, elegance and slight savoriness of BDX suffused with the sweetness, in a good way, of Napa fruit, these PR wines stood above, for me, the PCs, albeit at a 2x+ price. This was lovely to sip on its own, and its ‘16 and ‘17 siblings were great complements to the duck confit. I’m always trying to put wines I taste in the context of wines I’ve had previously, and these seem to come closest to the Verite Joies, although these were younger vintages, and, unlike in the case of the ‘06 of that bottling, this was just a half glass pour, rather than having the bottle in front of me for several glasses over multiple hours. Whatever Messr. Tesseron and his K&L friends did had all 3 of these wines drinking very well, with nothing sticking out and wonderful mouthfeel, and while underlying structure is clearly apparent, future iimprovement, at least if this is correctly decanted at present, will likely be more in the way of depth than balance. These wines were uniformly lovely, and after I failed to make the cut for 2022 Napapalooza, this producer has been on my list as one to try and certainly didn’t disappoint and outshone the PCs. But—and I know this is unfair since these are so young (by my standards), my tasting was small, over a short time, blah, blah, blah—these, at this point, didn’t have the density of Abreus, the litheness of Spottswoode or Promonotory, nor the intensity of the Ovids at price points at or above what I’ve paid for my Colgins or Abreus (although I did see the ‘17 at Chateau Costco for a bit under $300), so I’d be unlikely to be a buyer. But hey, that’s why BDX wine shops pour $100+ half glasses of the ‘00 Latour or I go to dinners like this, right? 96-97++, and if anyone wants to pop one of these in a decade and I’m still extant, I’d love to revisit my evaluation.

11/21/2022 - Cyclist Likes this wine:

Opened and poured into a decanter at a dinner in Philly with a visiting SF at Sally (great dinner by the way, delicious place). This is a super interesting wine made in the style of Amarone (grapes air-dried etc.), but with a mixture of heritage and almost extinct Italian varietals (sometimes 15) from Zyme in the Veneto region. Really, really interesting and quite closed still at first sip. But as the dinner went on this opened up spectacularly in the decanter into some sweet coffee-like notes, along with some beautiful red cherry and mint that left a fresh and timely finish on the palate. As the wine opened up more there were jammy notes of berry and just an exquisite, yet powerful balance to each sip. Definitely will age into even more impressiveness in the next ~5 years I would think. Either decant for a couple hours now or hold for a few more years! Excellent and very unique wine.

10/13/2022 - Cyclist wrote:

Purple for days. Incredible color on this from first sight. This was absolutely juicy and absolutely focused. A very unique combination of two attributes not usually able to coexist in any sort of harmonious entanglement. However, Mike has blended them into co-habitation here, and done so quite well. From pop and pour this was juicy and delicious, but not too revealing. Very interested to see where this goes in the next couple years.

9/22/2022 - Cyclist Likes this wine:

Been awhile since I’ve gotten around to writing something up so here’s two nights in one note for ya! Night 1 was with 2-3 hours of slow ox in bottle in the cellar. Great structure and fine tannins with an abundant, but approachable backbone of black berries and cigar. The door was ajar but I couldn’t quite fit through. Put the cork back in and bottle back in the cellar for a nice little nap.

Night 2 is where this Howell Mountain Cab really starting howling. Incredible upon reopening and ready to play with fig and dark, brooding balanced power and elegance. A real treat. Don’t drink much Sinegal but after this I will likely explore this estate some more!

6/27/2022 - csimm wrote:

Saturday get-together: This is my fourth time with this wine, so I’ll just mention some particulars that I think might be noteworthy. This presented as advertised and expected for the most part, with a rich and chewy presentation that speaks to quality black and blue fruit and alluring texture. On the initial pop of the cork, the expression was somewhat muted, and it took a ton of swirling to finally get it into 3rd gear. Once it began to show some of its personality, the flavors began to meld (and melt) in a way that added to an improved mouthfeel. On first pass, it was not especially inviting or in balance, with a prominent cassis note dominating the flavor landscape over the blacker berry, earth, and spice notes. The final sips were the best, but I have to admit that it never fully blew past the stratosphere in a way I have experienced with previous bottles. A small disappointment to be sure, but not a catastrophic one.

The day before this event I would have recommended consumption now and within the next 5-7 years. I’ll take a more conservative route due to this latest experience – where I was given pause due to my impression that this bottle just needed more time to open (and no, not to make excuses for the wine). Bottom line, it was not a perfect showing. It was a good showing, but I can’t help but wonder if rushed/end of the night service had something to do with that. All the parts were there, but for me, they didn’t fully amalgamate the way the could (and should) have. I’ll try to hold remaining bottles to see what 15 years from vintage looks like.

5/19/2022 - Cristal2000 wrote:

I have similar feelings to what I see in some notes here. Harlan is releasing a 2020 at all its properties it seems, which is an amazing risk. I can think of no other winery near its status doing so. If these wines end up with taint down the line, it will be ruinous for their reputation. No matter what anyone says, there was a ton of smoke in the valley well before harvest, even if by some stroke of luck they picked before the second fire (not sure how convinced I am of that either).

The barrel sample was thin, primal and really not indicative of this property. Did it overtly show taint? No, but the finish did end on a bitter note, which of course leads one to wonder. No matter how you look at it, this will be a loyalty test for their list, and I am afraid I will not pass. If rating, not good.

5/3/2022 - sean7711 Likes this wine:

Napa 2022; 5/2/2022-5/5/2022 (Napa Valley, CA): Like many others, an AM tasting at the MacDonald cottage after a walk in the vineyard. Another highlight of the trip. The conversation with Alex alone is worth the price of admission.

I honestly don't have any formal notes and won't give a score because I was mainly just focused on taking it all in. To say the obvious, the wine was incredible. Dark purple, this wine begs for you to let it rest for many years. But at its core it was welcoming, velvety tannins, tons of structure.

Bottle was double decanted I believe overnight for the tasting.

4/22/2022 - sean7711 wrote:

Napa in Philly - Benefiting CureDuchenne (Fitler Club): Wow, up there with the A&B Vine Hill as wine of the night among the 15+ samples I had. Inky, but precise, pure fruit. Boldest of the Covert offerings, I also thought the '18 Covert Sage Ridge served next to it was good, but needs more time. The '18 Covert Estate was lighter body, more cool climate Coombsville. May need to seek out JF's own label after this tasting.

4/8/2022 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:

Brought to our CC Rhône+ tasting by the generous cyclist and served with fabulous, and fabulously dear, bits of highly bespoke chocolate. On the nose and palate, dark berries and black cherry, black currants, wet soil, oak, dark chocolate, dark florals and vanilla. Deep purple/magenta, full-bodied, thick legs. Medium- tannins and acidity, less heat than I’d have expected for a port (I didn’t check the abv). Great persistence, VG intensity, good complexity. I’ve commented elsewhere that my knowledge of dessert/fortified wines falls well short of that of their non-fortified, non-dessert brethren, and my consumption of them is rare; my comments should be viewed in that perspective. Perhaps this also got a boost from the joy I felt that being able to share this wonderful and beautiful afternoon on my deck with great CT friends cyclist and A_M, pair it with the extraordinary chocolates and contemplate with awe my past year. All that said, I enjoyed this immensely, found it smooth, creamy and fulsome without it ever being over the top or boozy, something I’d enjoy sipping with said chocolates, on its own, or, ssssh, don’t tell the Palo Alto Spa and Medical Clinic, puffing something from the A_M humidor. My lack of sophistication again comes in with predicting aeration—we PnP’d this—or its development arc, but it was wonderful yesterday, and with the long lives of these better fortified beverages, would be surprised if it drops off anytime soon and could incrementally improve. Thanks, A_M and cyclist, for hanging out and sharing some fun pours with the old guy on a meaningful day.

3/13/2022 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Never had a bottle from this producer but friends brought this one out after we had finished a couple of bottles that I brought to the table for our dinner....much like Cyclist's notes below, but I need to add: this is refined, it is soft and feminine and it is beautifully balanced and well put together. I would def look for more of these......a very nice wine, a perfect example of Stag's Leap wine.

2/20/2022 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:

Brought by cyclist to our last, at least as co-SF residents, wine shindig. An experience qualitatively and quantitatively not unlike last week’s Occidental, brisk red fruits led by cranberries, cherries, raspberries and currants, florals, earthy minerality, forest floor and mushrooms. Medium light garnet, medium bodied, light to medium legs. Really racy acidity, moderate tannins, and with a blessed 12.7% abv, not a trace of heat. Good complexity, VG persistence, outstanding intensity. Well, who’d have guessed cyclist, he of giant cab and Central Coast leanings, would love Pinots with Burgundian typicity? I guess we all contain multitudes (for more on that, read my soon to be added note on the ‘16 B LPV). I wished I’d had more a chance to sample these wares, but I tilted toward the cabs. From my taste, this had a wonderful, springy youthful energy which balanced out a good bit when I went back for a second small taste about an hour later. It was really good with diverse snacks, but I think it would hit an even higher gear with salmon, poultry, maybe even lean meat. Just as Gothic is a compliment for me with cabs, angular is with Pinots, and if you want to grab that feeling, sooner than later and less air than more is probably a good call, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see this fill out, even if I’m not sure I’ll like it more at that point. Hadn’t heard of this label, an Uber micro mini boutique led by one of cyclist riding pals, but he also brought a chard, almost equally excellent, and cyclist, if you’re reading this and can help out someone with a 20th century tech capability and can add that, I’ll write that up as well. As with the One Post, I will look for more of these. 93-94+

2/20/2022 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:

Brought by cyclist to our final CA tasteoff, at least for a while. As mentioned in my TN for the ‘13 of this bottling, I’d not been aware of prior to cyclist—and I always appreciate learning of new wineries, especially of this quality—but was quite impressed. Very similar performance here, with a wine impressively drinkable out of the chute (opened today, as opposed to the ‘13, which cyclist coravined), good mix of well-balanced and integrated structure, black and red cherries and berries, florals and earthy minerality. Subtle and interesting with deceptive depth, but not at the expense of good power and persistence. Despite its impressive drinkability now, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this add some weight in the future. Great complement with diverse snacks, this has the bandwidth to excel on its own or with diverse food (I wouldn’t pair it with fish or white meat chicken, but it would at least be in the conversation with anything else). More than respectable choice at its price point. Even without cyclist, I’ll have to seek out these folks. An interesting contrast to, and a surprisingly close choice over a ‘16 B LPV, as the WOTD. Although I’m not sure where or when it will be, look forward to more great pours with you, cyclist, and thank you, CT, as an accidental social network in facilitating our friendship.

2/16/2022 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:

From the wine list ($110) at Glen Ellen Star. On the nose and palate, everything red: cherries, strawberries, currants, rhubarb and raspberries, rose petals, earthy minerality, piquant spice, a bit of forest floor, and a peppery note. Lighting medium purple with a slight brown tinge, light to medium bodied, light legs. Very brisk acidity, a bit of a tannic bite, no heat (13.5%). Good complexity, VG persistence, excellent intensity. As you might expect in a restaurant, this was a PnP, and this came out of the bottle with a charge, singing the body electric. This was pretty much a cold slap in the face, especially on its own, on opening, but it was dead on point with diverse food, a whole pan roasted branzino and lamb puttanesca rigatoni, fresh, light and lithe enough to complement the former, and, with its zingy acidity, able to cut through the richness of the latter. As readers of my TNs know, cocktail Pinots aren’t high in the desiderata (sorry Messrs. Kosta and Browne), but when the structure is there with relatively low alcohol, this varietal can be a refreshing and versatile companion, even if the best of the breed I’ve had so far falls well below my faves of other varietals (and yeah, if anyone wants to hold me down and pour a good DRC down my throat to convince me otherwise, DM me). Still pretty primary at this point, my question is whether the zing will run out before more secondary notes peak through, but right now, I’m enjoying its angularity just fine. This is my first Occidental, a favorite of my ordinarily non-Pinot loving CT friend cyclist, but I’ve had surprisingly mixed experiences with the proprietor’s chards with the eponymous mothership. This effort will definitely earn this label more looks. 93-94+

I note that this was reasonably priced at $110 on the GES wine list, since I’m seeing it at about $65 retail (should a winery’s entry level Pinot be $65? Another question for another day). All the more notable since the ‘16 Ad Vivum Sleeping Lady I paid $115 for was $375. Ouch.

1/17/2022 - sfwinelover1 wrote:

Generally similar to my 11/7/20 TN, but I notice tobaccco, olives and anise this time, and the wine has a murkiness, especially as I get toward the bottom of the bottle. I also noted more of a boozy note on the nose on opening, which gradually dissipated over 2-2.5 hours. I write now mainly to wade into the drinking window debate, noting that several writers have said that this is over the hill, with a few others weighing in that it hasn’t hit its prime. I’ll choose the least popular option, stated by Cave D’Argent (great nom de vin, btw) that this is at its apogee (great word, too, as long as I’m throwing compliments around). While the time to integrate the boozy nose argues that more time could be beneficial, that the fruit, acidity and tannins are not only balanced but perfectly integrated says otherwise, at least to me. (All that said, I note significant bottle variation for older CdPs, so some of this might be not so much different tastes as different bottles). Anyway, while I think improvement, at least material improvement, is unlikely, I think that, based on my 2 bottles, holding this level for another for 2-5+ years is very feasible. 95-96 if scoring.

12/8/2021 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:

Brought by Dennis to walking and wining Wednesdays. On the opening, lots of sweet cherries, blueberries and cassis, dark florals, sweet spice, pipe tobacco, leather, anise, plums, coffee, graphite charcoal and tannins, tannins, tannins. Deep crimson, medium to full-bodied, thick legs. Intense tannins, medium- acidity, no heat. Very complex, powerful and persistent. I hadn't had a straight Shafer cab (I've had several vintages of the HSS) since this was called "cabernet", but when I went into Dennis's favorite small wine store and looked at the cabs in his price range, this stood out. Inhospitable to my tastes out of the bottle but wildly promising, 3 hours of air tamed this to the point where the tannins still roared, but the fruit and secondary notes were a good match. In the sweet spot between traditional and modern Napa, skewing more powerful than elegant at this point, this wine kept improving during the additional 2 hours we had it open, and even with the air we gave it, appears several years away from its peak, which it's likely to hold for quite some time. Great with soft, stinky cheese, even better with deep dish pizza. At $100 in Dennis's small gourmet store, this represents more than solid value in the realm of Napa cabs, especially if you can lay it down for a few years, when it's likely to add a point or 2. Reminds me of why I like Shafer, particularly the cabs, so much, and even if it's not the most fashionable or absolute best, you'll never go wrong with them. As an aside, and fully copping to preferring my cabs with more age on them and not having many '17s, this is another more than solid entry from the year, making me think I may be less gloomy than my CT friends on this maligned vintage. 93-94+

12/3/2021 - Cyclist Likes this wine:

The things I had to do to this bottle... After a double decant where I poured into a decanter in the cellar for an hour or so and then back in bottle and left to slow ox in bottle in the cellar without a cork for about 6 hours. Then recorked and left in cellar overnight and brought to SF's. There we re-opened it and let it slow ox for about another hour before it finally started to show its colors. I'd say hold these bottles for 4-5 years before even looking at them, don't tempt yourself as this baby is incredible but so locked up. I'd wager this goes up, perhaps to perfection, in the coming decade. Behind the locked walls of this are a sexy, concentrated, dark, oozing, and expressive beast. Once the actual wine (as opposed to whatever pure black and concentrated liquid this was filled with) started to peek through after the immense amount of air, you could get cocoa, stone, incredibly silky black fruit, tannins (but not enough to make you put down a glass), and legs for days that somehow don't kick you with any heat. 97+++

11/28/2021 - csimm wrote:

A penetrating and pungent candied red cherry fruit flavor dominates the profile in a frank delivery that pushes pronounced ripeness and alcohol to the forefront of the attack. It’s a cocktail-driven “Boom” of a conveyance, detonating in a jammy and overflowing Sara Lee cherry pie release of electric fruit. A heady and overt showing, and one that somewhat blurs varietal conveyance due to the apparent stylistic predilection toward a prouder presentation of flavor, like a dialed-up-to-11 brazen Grenache playing tug-o-war with a neon inflamed Pinot Noir. Pomegranate seed, cranberry, mashed raspberries, and spice show up to the rave as well, further pushing the scarlet berry profile contour even further into the radioactive ruby zone. Finishes with a gushing array of (you guessed it) red berries and red cherries, like a flush-filled red-faced sanguine swine Carrie prom night. Red is the new red.

Through a decent amount of parental aeration calisthenics, be it Coravin over a few weeks, decanting for hours, reading it “Wheels on the Bus” in an attempt to develop its deportment (“…the profile on the wine is red, red, red. Red, red, red. Red, red, red. The profile on the wine is red, red, red; all day long…”), this glaciated in schmaltzy ripe cake baby choo choo mode throughout consumption.

So, what to do? Give it time in-bottle and hope the mega-fruit settles down a bit and learns the wine ABCs of Acidity, Balance, and Complexity (Ya, I think I just made that up. So, if you’re gonna retweet it or Instaweb it or whatever the kids are doing these days on the misinformation superhighway, I just want my 20%).

And this didn't have much to do with comparing new world vs old world Sangios for me because honestly I don't think Sangiovese would have ever come up in the conversation had I not known that was the varietal here. If anything, I had a hard time finding a place for this wine in the spectrum beyond "sweet red wine." I'm not mad at it necessarily. It just confuses me. I liken it to the power animal penguin "slide" scene in Fight Club - I like the movie, but even in a narrative based on rando twists and turns, that particular clip was a little too hard left to keep the continuity of reality suspension on track. Anyway, a numeric is hard here...88-90+? points for now. Perhaps there is good reason Tuscany and Paso Robles are far apart from each other? Can't call it ey I guess. Time in bottle may be a friend to ya'll here.

11/24/2021 - csimm wrote:

Big boned and beefy, with a bit of a grapey mid-palate that is luckily saved by some extra intensity and frame, the Honey Bunny is a predictable but pretty tasty Paso purple bumpkin. It’s a bit one-note, but that note has decent yum factor. Blackberry, plum, and some faint, faint roast beef. Hold for another 5+ years in hopes of more nuance. 91-92 points.

11/13/2021 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:

Old world, new world; old friends, new friends (sfwl's deck in warm and sunny Noe Valley): Brian's wonderful red contribution to wineapalooza; I know he opened it beforehand, but don't know for how long or if it was decanted, but it was definitely ready to go when we broke the seal. On the very vibrant nose and palate, sweet and savory black currants and cherries, blackberries, and plums; charred earth; ground spice; leather; minerality; dark florals; cinnamon, and tobacco. Deep purple, full-bodied, medium to full legs. Medium+ tannins and acidity which were partially integrated, but to the extent not, well balanced by fruit and secondary notes, no heat despite the 15% abv, but with that wonderful incandescence like the Dal Forno. Tremendous persistence, complexity and intensity. My first bottle of Ornellaia, and while youthful and energetic, it wasn't unharmonious in any way. Terrific Bordeaux style blend in which the CS gave complexity, the merlot roundness, the CF lift (I must confess I'm never sure exactly what I'm supposed to be tasting in a PV). As mentioned, shockingly good to go on the pour, but it deepened and became more expressive over the course of the afternoon, all the more so with the small pour left over--thank you so much, Brian, for leaving!--on night 2. The fruit is extraordinary, but unlike the Covert, the structure and savoriness really add profundity, which, while already impressive, seem certain to increase greatly over the coming years, nay, decades. Great with the charcuterie and on the second night, lasagna, but more than balanced and elegant enough to stand on its own. If I had one or 2 bottles, I'd hold or give them plenty of air, but if you're lucky enough to have a bunch, no reason not to find a special occasion--except for my fortunate CT friends for whom this kind of thing is a regular occasion quaff--and let it rip. Like the Tusk at the prior tasting, if this esteemed group of wines were to be reconvened in the future, this could well climb to the top of the medal stand, but no disgrace being just a bit behind the Favia and Dal Forno on this date. As a side note, this bottling is a bit of a mystery to me, as it has the same grapes in the same proportions as the "standard" Ornellaia, and for the 12 vintages of this wine, there are zero (yep, a big goose egg) TNs, so, at the risk of violating CT protocol, I'm copying this TN into the "standard" Ornellaia section (yeah, I also love attention). I note that some Solares have a particularly artistic label, but this one did not. 96-97+++

11/11/2021 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine:

Just started buying these AB wines and really enjoyed the 2018 PS I had a few months back. Jeb, the guy who gives Welch's grape juice a 95, handed this wine a 90. Based on that alone, I would think this is basically sewer water. Yet on CT here, I see a great score and a good following. So I figured something had to give. I decided to have it blind next to the 2019 Turtle Rock Plum Orchard, since that is 87% grenache, received a 97 from Jeb and I know it's pretty good. I figured that would negate any bias.

This was initially a coravin pour when blinded, but later I opened it and had at dinner. The aromas here have a bit of creme de cassis and blackberry, which set it apart from the TR. It also displayed traditional grenache notes of rose petals, red fruit and some spice box. Starts out really nicely on the palate, with excellent texture and a big burst of blue and red fruit. As it transitions to the mid palate, it starts losing that luxurious feel, overall concentration and body, becoming more sharp and acidic. That general trend continues through to the finish. It may put on some weight over time, since this is obviously young, but next to the TR it's clear why it isn't quite at that level yet. This is somewhere between a traditional bold Paso style and a wine like L'Aventure. It seems caught in the middle a bit, and I am sure it will evolve as the the vintages progress. Still definitely enjoyable.

11/9/2021 - csimm wrote:

Halloween in the Vice Versa Cave: Ya this is pretty darn good juice right here. There was a 2016 Vice Versa LPV BBS that was thrown into the mix too, so of course my palate preference instantly gravitated to the LPV. That said, there is no question that Vice Versa killed it in 2019 with this here Crane. Showing more on the black fruit spectrum compared to my previous go-arounds with this wine, the dark cassis and melted licorice elements do everything right to fashion an elixir of both fruity lusciousness and broad-shouldered oomph. It’s a chewy mouthful that sticks to the side of your mouth, finishing juicy and mouthwatering. 96-97 points.

10/24/2021 - Cyclist Likes this wine:

Tasted at the new production facility with Michael and Andrea on the rainiest day California has seen in years. I'm going for a lot of water and rain-based puns here so stick with me. Some not-so-dry humor. While it was pouring outside, we were pouring inside. After thoroughly drying ourselves from the walk from the loading dock to the door, we tasted through the line-up of 2018, 2019, and 2021 from barrel. Both the 2018 and 2019 had a plethora of black fruits but the 2019 was more approachable than the 2018 and was my preference of the two. The 2019 also seemed to have a bit more depth and more layers and just more balance overall. The 2018 was great too, just more of a tannic wall stopping the fruit from flooding the mouth, should hopefully catch up to the 2019's performance in a couple years, but I think the 2019 will perhaps pull a bit ahead in that time as well. Great QPR on these wines. No more specific notes or thoughts you ask? Well let me tell you why. After about 30 minutes of hanging out, checking out the new facility, and tasting...Russell Bevan (consulting winemaker) walked in and dragged us to the table to taste all of the facilities ferments and barrels so he could make any alterations necessary before dryness and to check on the barrels. Who would say no? Who could say no? Well about 20 or so progress checks later and a total of around 1000 grams of a river of sugar coating my mouth, all rational thought left my being and I was stuck with these notes. Spitting never works as well on sugar for me. The 2021 was coming together great in barrel from what my poor palate could tell at that point and also, some new vineyards coming online for the 2021 wines that should be fun. A real fun-soaked afternoon.

9/30/2021 - csimm wrote:

At first shy on the nose but eventually presenting faint puffs of freshly washed plums, peonies, and hints of menthol, the aromas on this curious petite sirah signal a fragrantly lifted and refined version. On the palate, a remarkably smooth and suave delivery of blackberry, olallieberry, dark plum, ripe black raspberry, subtle wood spice, and lavender. The execution is extremely nuanced, with a textural superiority that I can’t ever recall having experienced with this varietal. Far from some of the other dark and brooding Paso/Rhone berry bashfest beasts running around out there, the Allbaer has all the sophistication you’d expect from an upper-echelon house. No overt sweetness. No over-ripeness. No scorching tannins.

There is a slight influence of vanilla (not sweet or cloying) wood here, but it is barely detectable, and luckily it’s not because massively pruned fruit is bombasticly gobbling up the wood. Instead, the fruit here is pure and balanced, not attempting nor needing to over-flaunt its exhibition of flavor. The touch of spice works well to add a delicate seasoning, but it is without exaggerated panache. Finishes with the fruit turning a bit inward and direct, honing the tail into a more linear finale, reminding you it is a young wine that stands to peacock into something more stunning with short-term cellaring.

What sets this wine apart from other Central Coast projects? Above all, Alex Baer clearly nailed the polish here. It is truly a beautiful petite sirah, which is a phrase you don’t often hear when referencing this varietal. But be without worry my firends, this ain’t no mamsy-pamsy PS if that’s what you’re worried about. There is gladiator breadth here; it’s just a gladiator on a magic carpet ride and not some spikey chariot with maces and tridents.

I suppose it’s worth noting that I used to be a huge petite sirah fan back in the day. So, some of my historical references of mega-fruit PS monsters parading around as chocolate-covered fig bombs don’t seem to have a locus here - thankfully. I’m reminded of Mike Officer’s Carlisle Dry Creek Petite Sirahs back in the late 1990s (1998 to be exact) and early aughts, but which were a little more brooding and less honed when compared to the slightly fresher and slicker Allbaer. Oh, and here comes another reference that I can’t help but make: For those familiar with Krankl’s textural prowess with SQN et al, it’s certainly not a stretch to find similar luster in the Allbaer. This is a less ogre-concentrated version when compared to other Paso hulks, so if you’re looking for a Gone with the Wind Scarlett slap in the face, maybe look elsewhere. 96-98+ points for this exquisite example of petite sirah. An excellent inaugural production.

NOTE: This was the second of two bottles. The first (from the same box) was horribly corked, with wet newspaper and moldy cardboard skunking the cork and the wine. With air, it became even more significant. On the palate, the fruit was deadened and bitter. Without question a TCA’d bottle. The next (second) bottle opened in response to the first’s failure was indeed sound and impressive. Hopefully bottle #1 was a one-off and doesn’t rear its ugly head in any kind of batch form. Best news of all, Alex Baer has offered a replacement bottle. THAT is always the sign of a top notch operation and gives one the confidence to buy going forward.

9/29/2021 - Cyclist Likes this wine:

I think Allbaer's 2019 releases are the single most exciting release this year for me on the Central Coast. When I had them a couple months ago they absolutely blew me away, especially the Grenache. However, the Sangiovese shouldn't be taken lightly, this is one of the best Sangiovese interpretations I've had the pleasure of drinking. I used to drink a lot of Italian Sangiovese before I dove head first into the Northern California deep end, and this has all the best parts of those with an unmistakable California flair. A great wine to have with any type of food. It has a delicious tinge of acidity all while not giving up the beautiful concentration that some of the Central Coast producers seem to have mastered.

9/29/2021 - Cyclist Likes this wine:

This Grenache blew me away. I mean, it was just absolutely incredible. I drank this awhile ago and don't have any notes on me anymore but since it is releasing soon I figured I'd post a short review. This honestly sits in the 99-100 range for me, but I will score it 99+ since I drank it a few months ago and don't know its exact state right now. I think it may have been the best Grenache I've ever had, yet. This was dark and brooding, but still retained the sexy brighter notes that great Grenache tends to express, all in balance with its absolute beast of a core that holds this all together beautifully. This definitely needs air though to shine currently. A 2-3 hour (or more) decant to get all the flavors and aromas pumping will make your body happier. This is definitely going to last a while, if you can hide bottles from yourself, because its scarily drinkable now too if you like bigger wines. 99+

9/27/2021 - csimm wrote:

A very darkly postured red at first sip, giving way to beautifully sweet and deep plum, black raspberry, fig, coffee cake, black licorice, cedar chest, and unsmoked cigar notes. There is a gorgeous acidity that methodically swoops in and provides sophisticated lift to the darker-pitched core. A full and rich wine that also delivers definition and refinement. In a great spot right now with some air to allow it to stretch its legs, though I suspect this also could age for a decent clip depending on your preference for aged wines. There are certainly tertiary notes of tobacco and cedar that signal its age, but this is nowhere near tired nor ready to quit. The fruit here is flat-out delicious and savory, with a dark red raspberry streak that appears at the tail just in time to kick it up yet another notch. Everything here seems deliberate and with intent.

I admittedly don't have much experience (and even less knowledge) with Amarone. That said, this particular wine makes a super compelling demand to explore this rabbit hole further. A generous contribution to the group from our host. I felt like I needed about three solid hours and a warm fireplace to sit with this wine and do a dimly lit 20/20 interview with it... "When did you go to Yale? How did you increase your New York clientele at the firm? How long were you part of the Ugandan humanitarian mission? What issue of Men's Health were you on the cover?"

9/25/2021 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:

My greatest day of wine (over)consumption. Ever. (Aaron and Tiffany's pad): A_M contribution #2 (more accurately, wine contribution #2, since he contributed an immeasurable number of other things) to the wine wingding. A_M knows that, in my prodigious free time, I like to noodle through his wine holdings--csimm has become savvy and put such behind lock and key, more durable than Fort Knox--and I've told him with enduring frequency that, while he may have any number of higher rated, even more dizzyingly expensive possessions, that this was desiderata numero uno, both on its own, and out sentimentality, as Amarone was the gateway drug to my beloved, Italian vino, particularly after a visit to its only real competitor, to the best of my knowledge, Quintarelli, and for this, the day before a birthday of dread and wonder, and after 9.5 months of so far surmounting something of equal dread and wonder, my ever-perceptive friend put it onto the tasting carte. It didn't disappoint. [How's that? Saul Bellow followed by a Hemmingway chaser.] As black and impenetrable as the double V, you could put this into a swimming pool, dive in, and never be seen again, not that you'd want to, and emitting a feeling of being in the deepest, darkest, moistest wood, with elves lighting incense and unseen bakeries selling Xmas fruitcakes. Revelatory for those drinking Amarones redolent of two parts milk chocolate bar one part black licorice, this bottling, my first DF, does have huge underlying tannins and acidity, seamlessly blended with the sweet fruit. I didn't get the reds csimm did, but then, he was spitting and I wasn't, so who are you going to believe, me or your GD eyes? Anyway, I found everything from black cherries, black currants, and cassis to figs, plums and prunes and all of the dark chocolate, espresso, tobacco and cedar notes you'd expect. There's no booziness, but my, there sure is warmth, like sitting in the most beautiful 5 star lodge in the Dolomites on a 20 below night in front of a roaring fire (sorry for the plagirism, csimm, but it won't be the last time!) under a cashmere blanket. The intensity of a fire drill bell, the persistence of Berlin Alexanderplatz, the complexity of Mulholland Dr., and the overall feel of Napa cult cab meets 100 year old Spanish port meets the witches' cauldron in MacBeth. Precision, subtlety, balance and elegance wouldn't be my first descriptors for this, and yet, against all odds, it's far from diametrically opposed to them. Rather like John Coltrane playing "My Favorite Things", this has a recognizable start and a recognizable finish, but the 95% in between takes you here, there and everywhere else you might ever want to go, and a few places you're not so sure about it until it finishes. It was just a bit big, IMO, with the bouef, although on paper, that would be one of its better pairings, and since A_M had something even more on point with my wife's plum torte, I didn't have a chance to pair it with that, although that might be more promising, but like most amarones (along with some other old world new world wines like priorats and some CdPs), this may excel most as a solo act. Far from a dowager, this is drinking fabulously with no end in sight, with the structure to keep it burning like a Roman candle for many moons to come. Could it get better? Well, it could, and I'm leaving one point for upside, but if you've got one, especially if you didn't buy it from the Dal Fornos themselves upon release and give it 4 star storage and perhaps even then with the fickleness of many Euro bottlings, I'd frankly pop it sooner than later, as it was so fabulous on Saturday. Joins an illustrious group of wines I've given this score to ('90 Montrose, '12 Ovid, '16 Spottswoode), although other than the fact that it's wine and it's red, it has about as much as common as it does with them as I did with MJ around the time we were both playing (or in my case, attempting to play) b-ball. After said visit to Amarone land in '06 and watching the matriarch at Quintarelli put labels on the bottles manually--who says bespoke is dead?--then taking a couple of bottles off of their hands which we enjoyed immensely, I've had no more of that divine juice, but have had entry and middle level offerings from Allegrini, Tomassi, Masi, Zenato and although I haven't consumed one, have a Bertani at home, and while I've enjoyed all and found them very good to excellent, none have come close to the Q's, or at least my memory of them, and I've moved on to BdMs, Barolos (yes, I'm aware that the proper plural is "Baroli", but can't type that with a straight face) and STs as primary objects of desire. I conclude with a sentiment similar to csimm's and say that this plants a flag in the ground for Amarones, or at least this Amarone, as a great wine, at least in discussion with the best of Napa, the Piedmont, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Tuscany, and, maybe, the Rhone. 98-99+. Colossal shout out and thank you to A_M.

9/21/2021 - csimm wrote:

Coming off a bit heavy handed and blown out for the first hour or so, this bottle needed significant air to start coming into form. Ripe red and purple berry and plum are washed with spice and alcohol, finishing big, blocky, and rich. This has gone back to being fairly crunchy and is yet another funky ’15 that is in quite the patchy phase. It’s certainly flavorful in a cocktail kind of way, but the weight seems to be pushing heavily on any freshness or lift this could/should have. There is underlying exoticism, but it is entrenched by booze and exceptionally ripe lumps of rich fruit. The floral and herbaceous notes are nearly absent at the moment. What it lacks in finesse it makes up for in mouth blasting flavor, but it’s sorta wonky right now. Best advice is to hold.

7/17/2021 - Cyclist Likes this wine:

Oh wow. This is incredible. The 2016 is one of my favorite wines when decanted but the 2018 takes the 2016, throws it in the back seat and grabs the wheel. This is such a restrained, elegant presentation that still has that Napa power and melds so well with a noticeablly youthful, yet silky, tannic backbone that supports this piece of poetry with perfection. It really starts to fire on all cylinders after a good dose of air. Even though it’s still relatively young as a 2018, I’m fighting the urge to open more.

6/23/2021 - Cyclist Likes this wine:

Coravin pour on a bottle I'll probably open and decant soon. This is quite well integrated from a fruit and tannin perspective and also just so, so elegant for a Petite Sirah. This is going to be absolutely beautiful in a few years. Quite closed now without a decant but the fruit, tannins, and acid are perfectly aligned for what I would say will be an incredible cellar ride. Disclaimer though: I don't normally drink Petite Sirah, mostly because I don't think Petite Sirah normally is done this well. 98++

9/6/2021 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine:

This was my first introduction to Turtle Rock wines, and wow, I am super impressed. Recapping some information I am sure many already know, Don (owner) was Justin Smith's best friend growing up and has worked at Saxum since 2007. He is still working there as assistant wine maker, while also making these TR wines in the same facility. Just about all of his fruit is sourced from the same vineyard's Saxum uses, and while stylistically they have some differences, it is hard to mistake the overall similarities.

Also of note is that 2019 is perhaps the best vintage ever, or at least in recent memory, from Paso. If there's ever been a vintage to target, it's this one. We had 2018's and 2019's from Clos Solene, Linne Calodo, L'Aventure, Torrin, Booker and Turtle Rock over the weekend, and 2019 left little doubt who was king, despite 2018 being a fantastic vintage in its own right.

The 2019 G2 is amongst the top three wines I've ever had from Paso, and without a doubt the best wine on this trip. It is totally stunning and a must have for anyone who enjoys Syrah from this region. The aromas jump out of the glass displaying super expressive notes of blackberries, forest floor, dark flowers, charcuterie, black pepper and fresh herbs. The first sip here is mind blowing, with epic levels of concentrated flavors and supreme freshness, keeping things both lively and powerful. A silky mouthfeel, integrated and refined tannins plus layering for days allows you to enjoy the incredible pure black/blue fruit, along with tons of savory character. While audaciously powerful, the most impressive about this wine is how the acidity keeps everything in balance. The finish is off the charts. Spectacular!

7/27/2021 - csimm wrote:

Vice Versa weekend and dinner: Refined and acutely polished, the 2015 Promontory showed even better than when I had it back in April. Sophisticated red berry fruit and tobacco notes initially load the front end with classicism and judicious restraint, but come mid-palate, the profile shifts to a more purple/black contour, deepening as it rides through its expansion of flavor. Purity of fruit is off-the-charts. It remains somewhat tight throughout consumption, but it never becomes rigid or sterile. Its nucleus is just rock solid and serious business. Subtle herbs, graphite, and dust notes add additional interest. A great showing tonight with this bottle and one of the wines of the night (just barely overshadowed by a 2012 Harlan – go figure). Hold the Promontory for now. Try again in 5+ years. 97+ points.

7/21/2021 - TMOVino2 Likes this wine:

It’s probably no secret now I generally love wines made by Julien Fayard. This comes from Stelzner Vineyard in Stags Leap District. Bright opaque Ruby to the rim. Blue and red fruits, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking spices, sweet oak aromas. A joy to sit, sniff and sip. The palate is well balanced and not overly tannic or acidic. Powerful and elegant all at the same time. Drink now with short decant or hold for 10+ years easy.

7/1/2021 - City Squirrel Likes this wine:

97+. Blind tasted against a '17 MacDonald, '16 Vine Hill Ranch (VHR), '16 Cliff Lede Poetry, '14 Abreu Las Posadas, '13 Abreu Madrona Ranch. This and the Poetry had the best bouquet, ironically similar, but the Top 3 were for the majority of 6 drinkers was the VHR, Cliff Lede BTK and the Abreu Madrona. Hard to call a WOTN, but the VHR and Cliff Lede were both top contenders.

5/1/2021 - Cyclist Likes this wine:

You've saved the girl but now you're on the roof deck in Dubai having an exquisite meal in mixed company. There is no way out of this alive for you...unless. You pull out a 2016 B Cellars Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Cabernet Franc. The perfect weapon. It oozes into your orifice with such silky, velvety mouthfeel breaking apart into a hundred fireworks of fresh dark fruit and gravel with a hint of herbs to wash the weight away. It lingers. It lingers for the rest of the day, letting you know it saved your life.