Todd Scurci

9.4

#californiasyrah — 4 months ago

with Annie

Shay A

9.3

I’m fortunate to have had a lot of Kobayashi wines, both with and without Travis, but his “regular” Syrah is a wine I’ve probably had the least amount of times. I brought this as a part of a massive Syrah lineup (‘83 Voge Cornas, ‘91 Chapoutier Hermitage, ‘18 SamiOdi HD, ‘13 and ‘20 Lillian, etc) and it showed very well.

Compared to Travis’s other wines, this showed very primary/fruit forward. Deep purple in the glass and the aromatics were, astoundingly, similar to the ‘18 SamiOdi HD next to it (sweet perfume/potpurri)…so deeply floral and intoxicatingly intriguing. The palate is commanding with an interplay of ripe and juicy black berry fruit and savory/smoky notes toward the finish with just a kiss of sweet blue fruit. The finish is massively structured (even after following this for a few days). Wish I had an older vintage to see how these evolve, but it’s undeniably balanced and a tasty expression of WA state Syrah. — 2 years ago

KA

9.1

Lilian No 7 — 3 years ago

Deborah M

9.3

I feel glorious, glorious. Macklemore

A chance to try the Glories, Antica Terra, and Lillian wines by Maggie Harrison. These were spectacular. Truly elegant wines. (The Glories were 2018 & ‘19, Syrah was 2013). @Classic Wine & Storage — 4 years ago

Shay A

9.4

My contribution for a massive Grenache theme wine tasting (being as socially distanced as possible). This was alongside Cayuse God Only Knows, a 2011 No Girls Grenache, SQN Female, Saxum Terry Hogue, Lillian Grenache, 06 and 07 Beaucastel, and others.

Broken record, I know, but these wines are insanely delicious and so well crafted. Very much in the “love it or hate it” style, as typical with Cayuse wines. Much more spice and herbal lift here compared to the 2011. Stemmy, black peppercorn dusted rhubarb, olive, and smoked cherry jerky aromatics. Vibrant, almost nervy, on the palate with beautiful acidity. On the palate, it’s a back and forth between saline, iron driven savory notes and underripe fleshy red fruits. Compared to their Syrah, this is always a bit lighter and more bright. Seems to be drinking at peak. — 6 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.4

Whoa mama! I think I might have found a near-rival to the Sami-Odi. Emphasis is on 'near.' This wine has POWER. Next to a 2012 Lillian, it just seemed to have more going on. This one in my opinion does not go to the savory meaty side, and is maybe a little bit more to the fruit side. Powerful black fruit, baking spices, nutmeg, caramel apple, plums, hint of grilled meat that I was getting more on the finish. Also quite peppery on the finish. Really nice. This one could probably be cellared for another decade at a minimum, but a really nice wine opened tonight! — 7 years ago

with Dan, Shay and 1 other

Shay A

9.3

93-94

I believe this was the inaugural vintage for Lillian’s Grenache. I am a fan of Maggie’s wines and while I was sadly priced out of Antica Terra years ago, Lillian remains a nice value for this style (central coast Rhône style). Maggie has a unique touch to her wines.

Similar to her Syrah, this Grenache represents a nice middle ground between SQN (bigger, more oak, more ripeness) and cool-climate producers (more acidity, less oak/new oak, more whole cluster, etc). At almost 10yrs, this wine is likely in the zone. Very Grenache. Deep red in the glass. Nose was a bit shy initially but blossomed on day two (violet, dark florals, brambly red and black fruits, green/herb). Great palate…peppered rhubarb spice, fleshy black cherries, stemmy. Nimble on the mid-palate with good acidity but a powerful finish. Kiss of sanguine/iron too (more prevalent with some smoked meat that accompanied it).

Followed over two days. Slightly better the second day where the nose and palate caught up to each other. Wish I had another. Good to go in this profile for a few more years. — 5 months ago

Shay A

9.2

My last of three bottles. The first one back in early 2021 and second one last year both showed a more fresh and vibrant profile, whereas this seemed a bit more evolved.

Gold in the glass. Right off the bat, the aromatics here are honeyed and semi-rich. Honeysuckle, but mostly Truffle honeycomb and those Bit-O-Honey candies come to mind. Didn’t detect any orange marmalade type profile I normally get with roussanne. On the palate, the honeyed notes continue with only real faint fruit notes (peach, dragonfruit). Quiet zing of acidity to keep the wine from being flabby, but it has a distinct texture.

Followed over two days and held strong. I’d rather drink these sooner rather than later, at least this vintage. — 2 years ago

Eric

9.5

Still a total baby. Needs a lot of air but after that a smooth beast. — 4 years ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.4

The unicorn Rosé from Valentini! I’m not really a fan of still Rosé generally, other than Prieure Roch, Lillian and now this one! Deep, intense and complex with wonderful texture and density. Some reduction. Crushed cherries, blood orange, red roses, smoked herbs and wet stones. Finishes with very good length, precision and energy. — 6 years ago

Brett Bullington

8.9

This was great tonight. Another Maggie Harrison wine! — 6 years ago

Brian S

9.0

Pencil shavings, graphite, blue and red fruit, slight fig, hints of bitter sweet chocolate, leather. — 6 years ago

Timmer McCarthy

9.2

Antica Terra/Lillian tasting — 8 years ago

with Laura

Michael Walker

9.7

4th of the K Laz tasting - this is the Lillian John blend - maybe it’s too young but find it very thin - apparently next door to Screaming Eagle but pretty sure this is a very pale imitation - nose is slightly off, good fruit but again on the sour side — 2 years ago

Shay A

9.4

I’ve had a few Law wines and have enjoyed them all, but this bottle of “The Nines” was a total stunner. In a lineup of 16 bottles of Grenache (Andremily, SQN, Fingers Crossed, Saxum, Lillian, Alban, Pegau Capo, Prefert, Clarendon Hills, etc), this was one of the more surprising wines of the day (in a good way).

100% Grenache. Removed the cork for about an hour ahead of time. Undeniable Grenache aromatics of red florals, cherry/kirsch liqueur, black peppered strawberries, and fruitcake. As Grenache so wonderfully does, it has a weightless yet commanding palate…kaleidoscope of red and black berries, sweet jerky, and an interplay of both sweet and spicy spices. Doesn’t show whole cluster/green hints like some of the others, and it also doesn’t show overwhelming vanilla/oak tannin either. Elegant and delicious.

May have underscored this… — 2 years ago

Shay A

9.5

Last of a 3-pack and another wine (and producer) that I always ask “why don’t I buy more of this?”, especially as prices climb for so many others, yet these stay fairly consistent. Consumed from bottle over the course of an afternoon.

Gold label (extended barrel age). It’s tempting to want to compare these to SQN (or Andremily) due to winemaker, and while they share many similarities, Lillian seems to have a more elegant and floral profile. Deep black/purple in the glass, immediately smells of green whole cluster spice, black peppercorn, lavender and black berry fruit. The palate is very spice driven (herbal, pepper), with ripe red and dark fruit (raspberries, blackberries), and potpurri. Nothing about this is rich or extracted. Still sports a grippy finish, but the acidity right now keeps this well balanced. May get a tiny bit better, but this seems to be in the zone at the moment. — 3 years ago

Jaz

9.1

Surprise banger, tropical fruits on the nose but lovely textual palate — 6 years ago

Jaz

9.1

Creamy, delicious — 6 years ago

Bryan Kesting

9.3

Antica Terra and Lillian wine event

Very aromatic, red berries and cola. Young wine with its best years ahead...but tasty now. — 7 years ago

Timmer McCarthy

9.3

Antica Terra/Lillian tasting — 8 years ago

with Laura