Alyssa Hague

9.7

Sonoma cab from Total Wines. Very similar to Caymus. Very good. Phil and I both liked it. — 7 months ago

Paul Secombe

9.4

Would never normally cellar a Pinot, but found this in the back of the cupboard … SUPERB. Mint, spearmint and just a hint of dark berries, and exceptionally smooth — a year ago

Doug Powers

9.0

Lighter color and less ABV than the 2022 to follow, love the subtlety and balance of this lovely rose from Seguret, served with garden fresh goat cheese and heirloom tomatoes, and a separate pesto pasta, very nice!! — 2 years ago

with Monique and Jim

Eric Urbani

9.2

Still great, love it. Lodi, Heirloom Ranch, Mokelumne River 13% ABV. Gorgeous — 4 years ago

romo

9.3

Heirloom tomatoes, burrata, basil. Figs, too. A super summer pairing. — 6 years ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

10

The 18 is DRC quality a unicorn there is no other Pinot like it right now. It takes hour/days to reveal its layers and power. @40 min: Tannins soft and super well managed no rough edges here a hint of mint, faint touch of black tea bitters, herbaceous @ 15h: More round no oxidative disturbances.
Dark cherry, tart and closed. Finally @7days under Argon: Black Forest meadow, tannins resolved, glorious fruit, long. Dark black heirloom black forest cherries. The 18 E & M Muschelkalk beats out at Pinot I had in the last years . “I wish you where here”. — 6 years ago

PM

9.1

Bedrock never disappoints me. — 7 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Etude – Heirloom Pinot Noir 2012
Grace Benoist Ranch, Carneros AVA – California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
Estate-grown from the celebrated Grace Benoist Ranch, this Heirloom Pinot underscores Etude’s mastery of Carneros terroir. Over a decade since harvest, it has aged with remarkable poise, offering proof that Carneros Pinot can rival the greats for longevity. This one delivers the wow-factor in spades.

Aromas & Flavors
Dried cherry, black raspberry, and plum layered with rose petal, tea leaf, and subtle leather. Mature accents of forest floor and truffle bring savory depth to the fruit core.

Mouthfeel
Silky and seamless, with tannins fully resolved into finesse. Bright acidity carries the wine gracefully, while the finish lingers in layers of spice, earth, and fruit. Quite literally, the wine dances in the mouth.

Food Pairing
A natural match with duck confit, wild mushroom risotto, or aged Comté cheese. The wine’s silky texture and earthy notes intertwine beautifully with savory, umami-rich dishes.

The Verdict
A captivating Pinot Noir that reaffirms Etude’s finesse and Grace Benoist Ranch’s pedigree. This 2012 shows the sweet spot for Etude Heirloom around the 10–12 year mark, where fruit, earth, and structure harmonize in peak expression. Among Carneros’ top benchmarks for age-worthy Pinot. Cheers! — 9 months ago

Bruce Dunbar

9.2

Loaded with minerality and acidity, this is a fantastic and versatile food wine. Pear and slate on the nose. Hits the palate dry and opens beautifully. Melon and fleshy white fruit balanced by lemon pith. A great version of this blend of German grapes from Sonoma. — a year ago

Brad Jensen

9.0

Green apple citrus, slight pear and alcoholic notes, maybe a little nutmeg or cinnamon on the nose, with a brandy like delivery. Medium bodied on a golden hues body with a slight greening to the rim. The palate is similar, with a Calvados or brandy like presence, with prominent pear, baked apple, and a slight spicy around the gums, with a little crème brûlée on the finish. — 3 years ago

Brian Hearty

9.0

2019. Herbal, saffron, saline aromas. Seemed thin at first, but quickly gained weight. Limey acidity. I didn’t have too many bottles in the wine fridge, but this turned out to be a perfect match with a fennel-grapefruit salad that accompanied a great roast chicken. — 4 years ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.2

Popped for Zoom tasting with Morgan Peterson and his father, Joel Peterson. Very stylish well-mannered mature field blend. Wine was lighter than expected both in the glass and on the palate. Silky smooth and light textured, with plenty of ripe red fruit and enough acidity to effortlessly dance the wine across the tongue. Long, textured finish. The wine is fully evolved and drinking well now. Don’t see any reason to wait. Cheers for two lives given over to love of wine...Joel and Morgan... this glass is raised in your honor...Salute! — 6 years ago

David Shaw

8.9

Label says Homestead Cider, Dry, 8% ABV, produced and bottled in Port Townsend WA, but “crafted from heirloom apples grown in homestead orchards in Washington’s Olympic Peninsula”. Pale yellow with green tinge, hazy clarity with pinpoint bubbles. Slight head after pour, ring of foam and bubbles persists on edge of glass. Funk and complex apple profile in nose. Rich dry complex flavors, difficult to pull apart but my initial reaction was “Wow”. Style is consistent with a farmhouse or craft style production, but very well done. Good stuff, rich, fruity and at times it does taste like applesauce (Gravensteins?), with an interesting combination of acidity, flavors and aromas, but definitely dry. It does seems pricey given the simple package and label, and the bottle is elegant with a resealable closure so it’s also reusable but yes, there is really great cider inside. Worth seeking out, and worth every penny spent. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

I’ve had a number of Paul Bara N/V’s & a few vintage cuvées, all have been ok to good. This 2016 Special Club stands out as one of the very best I’ve had from this producer.

It is a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. Its dosage is 6 g, which makes it just into the lowest level of Brut, which is another reason why I probably enjoy it. Extra Brut has definitely become my wheelhouse. This right now is more 93 to 94. With 5-8 yrs of cellar time, it should improve another point or two.

Paul Bara is one of 28 or 29 special club members currently.

The nose shows; bright, lemon, cream, notes of honey, caramel, lime, zest, pineapple juice, honeydew, and tropical melons, beautiful, chalky powder, yeasty notes, spring, flowers, yellow, lilies and Jasmine.

The mouth entry shows beautiful, mousse and crisp acidity. Meyer lemon, frothed whole milk, cream, notes of honeysuckle & caramel, lime zest, green apple, pineapple juice, honeydew, tangerine, white stone fruits, yellow & red Rainier cherries and tropical melons, touch of fresh herbs beautiful, chalky powder, gritty, grey, volcanic minerals, white spice, limestone, yeasty notes, spring, flowers, yellow, lilies and Jasmine. The finish is; well structured & balanced, elegant, last nearly 2 minutes and falls gently on chalk, volcanic minerals and nice spring florals.

Definitely delicious!

Pairing - green, vinaigrette salad w/ honey crisp apple, pomegranate, heirloom tomatoes, walnuts & more.

Photos of; the Champagne House of Paul Bara, Paul Bara brand Ambassador, library cellar and Bouzy vineyard. — a year ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.4

Light liquid yellow in the glass… explosive first sip. Acid, weight, bright lemon zest, brioche, tart key lime. Long, chewy, stemmy finish lasts at least 30 seconds. Wonderful mid-summer food wine that grows in gravitas and grip as it warms…nice foil to roast Alaskan halibut with heirloom tomato/ricotta topper. Not your average simple Italian white. — 3 years ago

Jennifer Memmolo

9.2

heirloom tomato and tarragon — 4 years ago

Steve Gerths

9.5

The 129th year of this vineyard nailed it. This is Wine Spectator #15 from their 2018 100 Best wines. This is aging well. Dark purple color from 19 wine varietals. This is a special wine! — 5 years ago

LM Segal

9.3

Gracefully aging and med-full-bodied, this Pinot Noir is at its apex and loaded with nutty dark red fruit and balsam wood. Elegant as all get out. Drink up. — 6 years ago

Matthew Cohen

9.1

Nose is stingingly mineral. Some brioche. Some green apple.

Palate has some very good clean fruit. Nice yeast. Mineral but not super mineral. Very fresh. Almost like the best clean green apple ever. Like an heirloom green apple.

This is a very well made wine for what it is. For under $50 it’s a good deal. Over that it’s not complex enough to justify the price.

I dont know why I’m having this with sausage and peppers. It’s been that kind of day.

Bought from fass selections. — 6 years ago

Drew

9.0

Interesting and different taste. — 7 years ago