Victor Hsu

9.1

Earthy, dark and serious nose, followed by a smooth balance of fruit, acid and tannin, red berries and earth, not as bright and acidic as other Willamette Valley Pinots and I actually prefer this style. Not too heavy and fruity like some California Pinots can be, not too thin and acidic like some Oregon Pinots, and more approachable than that snooty French stuff. Pleased with this bottle. — 3 days ago

Victor Hsu

9.2

Wonderfully perfumed and rich eight year-old Central Coast Pinot Noir, with fruit, acid, tannins and earth in harmonious balance. Got better as the night went on, and the leftover half bottle the next day was great—soft and approachable yet complex and delicious interesting. Rather Old World, I would say. Enjoyed the 2014 vintage with Livarot cheese and an artisanal country loaf. Magnifique! — 4 months ago

Victor Hsu

9.0

Earthy, rich and delicious. Tannins and acid present but under control. Pleasing aromas of fruit, skins and stems (my 20 year-old son says it smells like ass, but I’m sure he means it in a good way). Vegetal notes combine with minerals, mushrooms and forest floor, making for an excellent food wine. — 7 months ago

Victor Hsu

9.1

Juicy, mouth filling Chardonnay; great food wine. Green apples and green grapes on the nose; followed by citrus, nutmeg and slightly oaky notes. Not too thin and acidic, not too buttery and flabby, just right. 2019 vintage. — 3 days ago

Victor Hsu

8.8

Smooth and approachable; tastes more like California than Oregon. Sunny richness that you’d find in the Santa Ynez Valley, with noticeable fruit and restrained acidity. Perhaps we can credit global warming. Enjoyed the 2018 vintage with my Yale Law roommate Mike (and our significant others), to accompany a white clam pizza from Ma’s Italian in Burbank reminding us of our young New Haven days 35+ years ago. — 2 months ago

Victor Hsu

9.0

Bubbles, berries and funk! Not for everyone but I like it, especially paired with the right food. This is my first Slovenian wine, to my knowledge, and I am intrigued. Dry and fruity, the barnyard notes start with the nose and continue with a lingering finish. Enjoyed the 2019 vintage with Thai food at Night and Market Sahm in Venice, CA. — 6 months ago

Victor Hsu

9.0

Very nice Sonoma Pinot; well reviewed and well regarded. For the price, though, I was expecting more. In fact, I am ever so slightly disappointed, given the hype. Not as complex and beguiling as Marcassin. Other Pinots all over California compare favorably, at half the price. I bought two bottles, so let’s see if this improves with a bit more age. Had the 2018 vintage with Christmas duck, duck, goose (Cantonese roast duck and Peking Duck from Hop Woo and house roasted goose—mmmm!). — 8 months ago

Victor Hsu

9.0

Superb summer sparkler, with notes of strawberry and other red fruits amidst a heady fizz. Pleasurable and well-priced (which compounds the pleasure!). And it’s French! — a month ago

Victor Hsu

8.9

Thin and uninteresting at first , but after just half an hour of decanting this wine blossoms into something quite interesting. Another 30 minutes in the decanter brings very nice Russian River fruity and flowery aromas and flavors—strawberry and earth, gentle tannins and balanced acidity. Quite an improvement from the last bottle I tried four years ago. Enjoyed the 2014 vintage with USDA Prime New York steak. — 2 months ago

Victor Hsu

8.9

I’ve had Samsara Syrah before and was looking forward to a perfumed nose of violets and deep flavors of blueberries and blackberries backed up by muscular tannins. This bottle was different. Faint nose of something red, then mouthfuls of heavy flavor—tannic, yes, but also brambly and spicy. Reminded me of a California Zin/Syrah hybrid. Needed time to breathe and mellow. Very nice food wine to pair with beef. Had the 2017 vintage with steak tartare and boeuf bourguignon at Little Frenchie in Coronado, San Diego, CA. — 4 months ago