Rob N

9.2

This was a bright, crisp, medium to medium-high acid French white burgundy that was a little less mineral than Chablis. $375 at Joujou, I preferred the champagne for $325. — 2 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

A blend of 6 vintages - 2020 (51%), 2019 (31%), 2018 (3%), 2017 (8%), 2016 (5%), and 2015 (2%). From the Hoffmann’s Dallwitz vineyard. 6327 bottles filled. Aromatics of old vine Barossa Shiraz. The fruit is so plush and ample together with liquorice, chocolate, blue fruits, and spices that it masks the M plus tannins. I note that Fraser likes to taste these Little Wines “when primal and vital, a year or two after vintage “. I totally agree. I have tasted Little Wines with over 5 years of cellaring and find that you are giving up that freshness and vitality for a limited increase in savoury profile. The secondary value of Sami-Odi wines have increased dramatically in recent years. I paid $55 per bottle on release and note that United Cellars are now selling for $325. All the more annoying when I broke a bottle unpacking the tricky little cartons of 3 when I received them. The odd 4 letter word was uttered!!! Therefore I have one left for future enjoyment. I ended up having the last bottle 68 weeks later on 4th May 2025 with consistent notes taking into account Fraser’s note that he likes to drink Little Wine in its first couple of years. Blackberry currant and chocolate. — 2 years ago

Kevin Sweet

8.9

Nice, Wynn 325 — 4 years ago

David Shaw

9.0

Been awhile since I had one of these; the label looks promising: 38/28/21/7/6 blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, aged in used oak, 325 cases made. Dark garnet red, very good clarity, moderate to high pigment extraction. Blackberry, raspberry and butter aromas, red fruit flavors, followed later by a note of tobacco and cooked vegetable, quite rounded mouthfeel, soft, not much tannin expression initially. Mint, wintergreen and white pepper aftertaste. A light skin astringency emerges after 30 minutes. A decent flavor-dense, almost syrupy red table wine, balanced perfectly for whatever hearty winter dishes you are consuming. Roasted root veggies and cheese or red meat entrees seem the best match to me at the moment. — 4 years ago

Ken Z

8.9

Drank 12/7/20.

A selection from the Costco Wine Advent Calendar.

From 325 ml.

Bordeaux Clairet. Though technically red wine, this looks like a rose due to limited skin contact. Drinks like rose as well. Nose more pronounced than the average rose with red cherry and strawberry. Similar flavors, with a touch of pepper and light tannin. Average finish.

3/22/7/4/3 +50 =89 pts.

Ok with mushroom Ravioli, bit would be nicer with a roasted chicken or possibly thanksgiving fare. — 6 years ago

Jessica Williams

9.4

Amazing @ 325 — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

They should have called the Winery Floral Springs based on the nose. Beautiful; blackberry, black raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries, dry cranberries and plum floral fruits. Nice spice, vanilla, touch of clove & cinnamon, used leather, dark rich soil, crushed volcanic minerals, black fruit tea, black raspberry cola and dark fresh florals with violets. The tannins are 95% resolved. The body is lush & ripe. The length, tension & structure are nearing the end. Just a few years left of being worthwhile. However, the balance is stereo tuned. The fruit on the palate shows even more elegant & ripe floral fruits than the nose. Blackberry, black raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries, dry cranberries and plum floral fruits. Nice spice, vanilla, light clove & cinnamon, used leather, dark rich soil, crushed volcanic minerals, black fruit tea, black raspberry cola and dark fresh florals with violets for days. The acidity is like a waterfall. The beautiful, long, elegant finish is a little lean yet has a nice richness. Beautiful wine that just missed 9.2. Photos top to bottom and left to right. The Winery; which is separate from the other tasting room only on Hwy 29. The tasting room on Hwy 29 in St. Helena, Flora Spring caves and the front of their tasting room along Hwy 29. Producer notes and history...the stone winery on the grounds were built in 1885 by two immigrant brothers from Scotland, James and William Rennie. They were in construction, built the winery and planted 60 acres of grapes. The brothers had some bad fortune when phylloxera consumed the vines, and then a fire in 1900 destroyed their wine press and cooperage. In 1904, they sold the winery and fifteen years later Prohibition started. The winery was then closed until 1933. That year, Louis Martini, looked into their magic eight-ball and saw Prohibition collapsing and bought the Rennie property. They built a new stone house and also made a reserve wine from the hillside vineyards. However, the old winery remained empty until the Komes family bought the property, 325 acres, the old farm house, the newer stone house and 60 acres of vineyards. The son thought he’d persuade his dad to restore the old winery and proposed to call it Chateau Jerome. Although it had been designed by Hamden McIntyre an architect of several other classic 19th-century Napa wineries, by 1977, the place was a wreck. The tin roof of the building had so many holes in it. They called it the starlight roof. His father looked at it and stated, “I’ve worked all my life for my good name. I don’t want to squander it now.” John’s mother, Flora, however, sided with her son on the potential of the property. Carrie Komes suggested they could name the winery for her mother-in-law. Combined with the abundant springs on the land, they decided the name would be Flora Springs. It was a sure way to their mom’s heart and father’s wallet. Komes put his construction expertise to work on renovating the old winery, which still had scorch marks on the walls. So skeptical was his father about his son’s wine-making project, they divided the winery building. John rented half where he put his first fermenting tank, which he named R2D2. He invited a couple of friends from his wine-making class to help make wine at the new place. He also hired Mary Ann Graf, who in 1965 had been the first woman to graduate from the viticulture and enology department at UC Davis to help manage the project. She told John, “if you don’t hire a winemaker, I’ll quit.” He did and the 1979 Flora Springs chardonnay won a gold medal at the Los Angeles County Fair. In those days, it was fairs, not ratings. This was his first lesson in marketing as they sadly sold all the wine before they won the medal. Fairs were the big news instead of ratings as Parker had not yet risen to fame as he was the only one to call the grand 1982 Bordeaux vintage correctly. They submitted their 1981 Cabernet to eight fairs and won seven gold medals. From there, the winery just kept growing. They were the 67th winery in the county. Over the years, they had their ups and downs, but kept growing. One of their highlights was the creation this wine, Trilogy. It was one of the first Meritage blends in the valley. By 1984, they planted all the Bordeaux varietals; Malbec, Merlot, Cab Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. They wanted to create a blend “by taste”, not by formula for a nice smooth wine that goes deep into the palate. They worked with a little of this and little of that. The first Trilogy was Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cab Franc. It was dubbed as velvet in the mouth. A lot of what they do is taming the tannins. One man who bought Trilogy by the case said, “it’s the only red wine his wife would drink young.” From the leftovers, they began making single-varietal estate wines. Another highlight was the discovery of a unique clone of Sauvignon Blanc in vineyards his father bought in Oakville. UC Davis could identify nothing like it in their vast library of clones. They were a bit ahead of the times, but this clone showed Flora Springs how different in that time period what Sauvignon Blanc could be like as it took all the grassiness out of Sauvignon Blanc. — 8 years ago

Rob N

9.5

This was a great bottle of champagne with tiny pinprick bubbles that reminded me of Cristal, with a slightly more unique flavor profile. $325 at Joujou. — 2 months ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Inky in color with a short purple rim. Not showing age at all.

Fruity nose, but not very pronounced.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, spices, dark chocolates, light vanilla, coffee, black pepper, earth, tobacco leaf and herbs.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 10 year old Syrah is starting to drink nicely now, although still very young. Rich, extracted and definitely in your face kind of wine.

Needs a few hours to open up. I gave it 2 hours in the decanter, but it was not enough, and unfortunately it finished too quickly.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 15 years.

Big, bold and beautiful.

Robert Parker 96 points.

A blend of 90% Syrah, 3% Petite Sirah, 5% Viognier and 2% Grenache. Aged for 38 months in new French oak barrels.

16.2% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$325. — 2 years ago

"Odedi"

9.3

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a gorgeous one.

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Dry and very fruity on the palate, with medium acidity and long legs.

Showing black fruits with cedar, vanilla, spices, espresso, earth, licorice, tobacco leaf, herbs and peppercorn.

Nice length on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley. Showing nice complexity with a great mouthfeel.

Smooth and elegant, with a gorgeous nose. Rich, extracted and so enjoyable by itself.

Robert Parker 94 points.

This 10 year old is good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime.

Love these Napa Bordeaux Blends, especially from this great 2013 vintage.

A blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc. Grapes are from Oakville and Stags Leap regions, and were fermented together. 559 cases produced.

14.7% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$325 (current vintage). — 3 years ago

PS Michaels

9.3

Bottle 325 of 582 — 5 years ago

Ken Z

9.0

Drank 12\15\20

A selection from the Costco Wine Advent Calendar.

From 325 mL.

Nose of black cherry, plums, and flowers. Think Rhone, without the garrigue. Similar flavors. Firm, but well integrated tannins, with a long, dry, dusty finish. Probably my favorite selection from the box thus far. 89-90 pts, we'll go 90 due to the excellent pairing with lamb kebabs.

3\22\7\4\4 +50 =90 pts — 6 years ago

Jordi Pazo

9.4

Troba alternativa Montgat. W. Vila. 325 -50% = 162,50. 08.02.20
07.07.20 — 6 years ago

Steve Rura

9.5

Wow! Fantastic California red. 325 cases bottled. Bright, savory and flavorful. With brown braised short ribs and asparagus. #garagiste — 8 years ago

Lin Doyle

8.9

After uncorking, this Italian wine didn't have to sit for more than 15 minutes before it was ready to drink. It was definitely younger and lighter than previously tried Borolos. The taste did get more sophisticated as the night went on. — 9 years ago

David Shaw

9.1

Horse Heaven Hills, 325 cases made. Purple red, moderate pigment extraction. Light herbaceous nose, call it tobacco light. Blackberry flavor with length on initial pour, nice round mouthfeel with fresh blackberry aftertaste. Just a tad tart. Tobacco leaf aftertaste emerges after 20 minutes with some fine seed bitterness. I might have popped this one open too early as it’s got plenty of tannins for further aging. Still, it’s got fruit to spare… — 2 years ago

"Odedi"

9.4

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.

Showing black fruits with earth, vanilla, cedar, leather, licorice, tobacco leaf, peppercorn, pencil lead, dark coffee, spices and dark chocolates.

Nice length on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

What a great Cabernet Sauvignon based blend from Saint Julien.

This gorgeous wine feels much younger than it is right now. Complex and tasty.

This 18 year old will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 4 hours in the decanter.

Wine Spectator 96 points. Wine Advocate 97 points.

Thank you Robbie for sharing this with me.

The 2005 vintage was outstanding, and it's really shining through right here.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses. Will pair nicely with a nice piece of steak.

A blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot. Aged in 100% new French oak barrels.

13% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$325. — 3 years ago

Deborah M

9.5

I am a big fan of Malbecs. I describe them as being a “fuller” Merlot (bear with me and my non-technical descriptions). I find Malbecs to be brooding, seductive, and complex. I like that I can enjoy a glass with or without food. Kudos to Jesse Katz on producing such a gem. I am also giving myself credit for exercising patience and letting this one get a little bottle age before opening.

First off, the label on this bottle is everything! You can’t help but smile with the lady while you are enjoying this wine.

Details: 100% Malbec. Single vineyard. This wine comes from the Alexander Valley hillsides in Northern Sonoma County. The wine is described as being both elegant and powerful. 14.6% ABV (but doesn’t come across that high). Only 325 cases were made.

It is worth repeating that my best wine experiences always involve sharing wine with friends and last night proved no different. Halloween costume shenanigans and Devil Proof’s Farrow Ranch helped make for a memorable night. It should go without saying that this wine wine should be paired with friends, laughter, and costumes. @55Seventy — 4 years ago

Ken Z

8.9

Drank 12/30/20.

A selection from the Costco Wine Advent Calendar.

From 325 mL.

Plum, cherry, leather, and a bit of spice scents lead to flavors of black raspberries, black cherry, and leather. A bit lighter, and higher acidity than what I'd expect from most cabs. I would think this had an Italian varietal blended in, but there is no mention of anything other than cab on the label.

3/21/7/5/3 +89 pts. — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Allen Brothers Lava Cakes/Soufflé & 1977 Port. Pinch me!

Whenever I have wine this old, I always ask the people I share it with, what were you doing in 1977?

The beautiful thing about really old Port is how it softens all the edges & the elevated ABV. Smooth as silk.

This was a 375ml and farther along than a 750ml. The color was more Tawny than Port at this point. Wine on the leaner side. The fruits were; Thompson raisins, dates, figs, prunes, and some dried blackberries. Caramel, molasses, melted brown sugar, Cognac & Brandy presence, subtle wood shaving, nuts, butterscotch, graham cracker, dark withering flowers with beautiful acidity. The long finish was; rich, polished, well balanced, smooth and persistent for minerals.

If we had gone out for this dinner, it would have been $2500 plus tip & it wouldn’t have been this good which, is why we choose to cook rather than go out.

Cheese Course $25 pp
Salad $18 pp
Allen Brothers 6oz Ribcap $85 pp
Carrots $9 pp
Crispy Potato Wedges $12 pp
Soufflé $20 pp
Launois "Veuve Clemence" Brut Blanc de Blancs N/V Champagne $150
Glass of 2017 Pierre Boisson Bourgogne Blanc $25 pp
2018 Enderle & Moll Pinot Rose $75
1967 Bertani Valpolicella Amarone $625
2003 Chateau Lascombes $325
1977 Dow Port 375ml $275
Glass of Ruinart N/V Rose $35 pp
$2591 plus tax and gratuity
7 Hour Dinner

Nor would the music & ambiance been as good.

Interesting exercise penciling it all out.

Photos of; the boats used to transport Port from Douro to Oporto called a “Barcas”, grape stomping in a Lagare and our Allen Brothers Lava Cake/Soufflé. — 6 years ago

with Sofia, Christina and 1 other