Ira Schwartz

9.3

Consumed over several hours and this was all about “a point in time”. The rotation of red and green flavors reminded me of a roulette wheel. Olives and red fruits played a game of hide and seek, occasionally teaming up with tobacco and darker fruits. Intense yet so seductive. Would have liked a longer finish. A wine that I can see being very polarizing due to the assertiveness of its many components.. — 2 years ago

Rhonely Boy

9.0

26 year old Santa Cruz Blanc de Blanc.17 years Triage according to label. Some sediment noticeable.

Dark gold color, surprisingly still has some bubbles. Cork broke during opening, corkscrew to the rescue. Notes are toasty, yeasty, and a bit funky in the finish (not horrible, ?rubber-ish, hard to describe, food would hide).

Good for curious geeking, not luxury seeking.



— 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

I don’t hide the fact that I’m a massive fan of Brovia and their Freisa which they produce in a dry, still style is among my favorite values in all of Piedmont. The grapes for this wine come from the Villero cru and are aged exclusively in stainless steel. Production is extremely minuscule with under 1000 bottles made per year however, tracking some down is well worth the effort. The 2017 version has aromas of dark blackberries, roses, and tar while the palate is packed with strawberries, mulberries, blueberries and dried herbs. Impressive structure with mouth-drying tannins and snappy acidity leading to a long, tongue-smacking finish. Capable of aging? Yes, and probably would be an interesting one to follow over the next five to ten years. That being said, these are really meant to be consumed on the younger side while we wait for the Barolo’s to mature 😉. This bottle was paired with the “kamikaze” lasagna we got last night from Au Courant which, as it happens, was also my source for this bottle. — 6 years ago

Joseph Barsky

9.5

2012 Vintage. 15.7% Alcohol. 71% Syrah, 28% Mourvèdre, 1% Viognier. Very good showing for this wine. Fruit bomb with enough to hide the alcohol. — 8 years ago

Eric Godin

9.5

Even after you smell those big tawny port style raisinated fruits and Tootsie rolls, this wine still surprises you on that first sip. Acidity drives big, ripe, raisins onto the tongue as the wine shows off some lovely organic earth and fruity cocoa. The whole experience is a little boozy though, hard to hide that 16%! Paired up with some tangy bbq for one of my favorite pairings to date. — 8 years ago

with Jay

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.7

On the nose, bold, ripe fruits of; blackberries, boysenberries, huckleberries, blueberries, dark cherries & black plum. Warm baking baking spices, mocha, light caramel, black cherry liqueur notes, rich dark soils, perfumed violets & lilacs. The body is round and full with powdery tannins. The fruits sing on the palate. There is waves of fruit, earth and florals that swirl and dance across your palette. The fruits are ripe, sweet and lush; blackberries, boysenberries, huckleberries, blueberries, dark cherries, black plum with juicy strawberries coming on strong at the mid palate. Black cherry cola/licorice, vanilla, light caramel, mocha, semi-sweet loamy dry soils, just a touch of crushed rock powder, soft spice-box, fresh tobacco leaf, perfumed violets & lilacs, round, rich, palate raining acidity and finish that is simply long, well balanced with perfect structure/length/tension and above all beautiful and elegant. It just swirls and dances endlessly & gloriously in the mouth. What mouth harmony! Photos of, vines in Stags Leap, Charles Hendricks, ripe fruit for the picking and one of mine and Charles favorite paintings. Producer notes and history...Charles Hendricks is one of the best Winemakers in Napa Valley. He is well grounded in the science of winemaking. As a 1982 UC Davis viticulture graduate, Charles was able to tailor his own curriculum, and was one of the earliest to integrate winemaking and viticulture course work. Having knowledge of both viticulture and enology forms the bases for well-rounded winemaking under varying circumstances; this is the making of a great Winemaker & consultant. His greatest gift is the ability to make wines the are elegant, beautiful and smooth young but will age effortlessly. Charles Hendricks sees himself as an assistant to the natural bounty of the vineyards. Using his knowledge and experience to guide and coax the very best from the wine grapes. Charles believes in minimal intervention in the wine cellar, but knows that if we leave nature completely on it own, we would be in the vinegar business! To quote him, “It is a wonderful game of hide and seek that we play with Mother Nature…It is natures glory to conceal, and the winemakers glory to reveal, to discover and to persuade the grapes to unveil their highest potential, It is the playfulness of guessing when and how much to step in, that is at the heart of the winemakers’ task." So true in his case. Charles makes his own label wines only when he has the very best of fruit. He is also is the Winemaker for Hope & Grace and until recently was the Winemaker for; Regusci, James Cole and T-Vine. In previous years, he's worked with; Viader, Barnett Vineyards & Paoletti Vineyards. He is truly a gifted Winemaker. If you are able, seek out and try his Henrick's Cabernet & Santa Lucia Pinot Noir, you absolutely won't regret it! @Paul Treadway Huntington Beacher — 9 years ago

Brett Rogosin

8.9

Beautiful color. Burn copper around the rim. Nose of pomegranate, tart red cherry, dusty minerals, dry dirt, old cellar. Dusty tannins dry out the mouth quickly. Really delicate and quickly fading acidity. Palate has the dusty minerals, sand, tart red fruit, tree bark. The tannins tell me wait another 1-2 years, but the acidity says drink. The drying tannins hide the palate a bit. — 2 years ago

Matt

9.5

Mature and drinking great. Sauvage, savory, with more alluring fruit and savory complexity gaining with air. Hung meat, beef blood, clove, animal hide, stewed plum, ash, dried shiitakes, something briny in there. Loving how beautiful this rustic soul is drinking tonight — 4 years ago

Charles Mires

9.2

Outstanding. Fairly traditional style. ABV a bit pronounced. Tough to hide 15.5. — 5 years ago

Brendan Baker

9.1

Bright, sweet red cherry fruit, mineral, needs a slight chill to hide a bit of heat, great QPR 👍 — 7 years ago

Andrew Lohse

9.3

Red fruit, earth, some animal, hide — 8 years ago

Cameron Etezadi

9.1

Blackberries and ripe raspberries hide under well structured tannins and moderate acidity. — 8 years ago

Eric Godin

8.9

This one confused everyone in the blind. I wanted to call it a GSM blend from rhone(it even has some of that funky wet wool of brettanomyces and leathery animal smells characteristic of syrah). Ive never seen these things in a Malbec yet and I suspect this was the case more often before globalizing their market. Less new oak than I am used to as well. Heck it's not even purple.
That said...
Dried black cherries and blackberries on the nose here, not much fruit, smoky leathery slightly Brett slightly funky nose. Dried dark brambly wild berry smells.
Taste comes through as dark tobacco cocoa leathered hide with berries similar to the nose. Tannins a pretty solid medium along with acid and alcohol too.
While this doesn't quite fit my general expectations of a malbec, it is growing on me. Heck by the bottom of this 2nd glass I might even prefer it. — 9 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2019 vintage. A perennial fave CDP. 14.5% ABV. Blended with a lucky 13 (!!) different grapes but mainly Grenache (80%), Syrah (6%) and Mourvèdre (4%). Plushy, fruity and spicy nose. Medium-heavy body. Big, full fruit and structure frontal and mid palate with the spice kicking in at the end. Drinking great now and this will be a fantastic wine for the holidays but pack away/hide what you can afford to for the years to come because this is a wine worth tracing over the next two decades. — 4 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.1

2017 vintage. A solid effort in a vintage that was unjustly slammed by the press. Little wine was made because of severe frost, but what was left was much better than 2013. Did a vertical tasting at this small Pomerol estate this morning and everything was up to standard with the exception of the 2013 that cannot hide some unripeness. 2018, 2016 and 2015 are all excellent, followed by solid wines in 2017 and 2014 , whereas the lighter 2012 and more rustic 2004 still offer nice Pomerol value. — 5 years ago

Casey Curbow

Sales Associate Windsor Wine Merchants

9.4

I’m constantly floored with their wines, but I couldn’t get over this humble kabinett. Immensely enjoyable now, but I can only imagine if one had enough patience to hide this away. — 6 years ago

Seth Morgen Long

Broker • Arterberry Maresh / Winemaker • Morgen Long

9.3

Quite a bit more wooden and exceptionally denser than I remember this wine. I loved it, but think this Chenin needs time and has much to reveal behind the wood. Hide this away for 10 years. And, I wonder if there are multiple bottlings. — 7 years ago

Kenneth Doll

9.4

Fab. Hide gem. Multiple layers that peel away under your tongue. — 8 years ago

with Tracy

Thomas Anderson

9.8

Lovely malted barley and floral hints hide under a smoky mist. A smooth light pallatre with toffee, vanilla balanced by smoke ashy touches. Complex and long finish. The sweetness fades to leave a dark and smoky linger. — 9 years ago

Randy Fuller

9.4

The wine glows pale salmon in the glass, and smells of fresh cherries, light raspberries and a soft touch of Meyer lemon, which was a bit of a surprise. The mouthfeel is fresh and rich, with a zippy acidity and a full mouth. Cherry flavors dominate, but a mineral aspect does not try to hide. This is a delicious rosé that’s as good at the dinner table as it is on the porch. — 9 years ago