Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

There is an origins story for me w/ this producer. You can read about it by clicking my post from 55 weeks ago.

This bottle fazed between 92-94 while enjoying. I opened it and let it breathe in bottle for 45 minutes and then decanted it in stages…a 1/3, 1/3 & 1/3. I believe that was the right decision.

This 97 still has not ridden off into the sunset, it is just the other side of its peak. 28 yrs from creation & 26 yrs in bottle. I look at a Cabernet/reds from when it went into bottle vs its birth yr. All my opening decisions are made from that point. Humans don’t count their time in womb, I see wine similarly.

The fruits are still beautiful & its evolution is amazing. There is a core of dark currants surrounded by cassis. Ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum with heavy skin, black cherries, secondary; raspberries, dark cherries & strawberries. Cherry cola/licorice. Dark spices w/ a touch of heat-hard to find better, moist clays, soft, layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, dark chocolate baking bar, mocha powder, caramel, anise to black licorice, dryish tobacco with ash, used leather, dry crushed rocks, limestone powder, volcanic ash, fire ambers, saline, some black pepper, tumbleweed, dry river stone, black tea, very lightly grilled pork, florals for days that are; dark, red, blue, lavender framed in violets, perfect acidity with a great balance, well structured/tensioned, elegant finish that lasts minutes and falls on dry earth & spice as it long sets. Wonderful style!

To quote Robert Lewis Stevenson, “Wine is Bottled Poetry!” — 6 months ago

Kim Sharpton

9.0

Fundraiser dinner with Jack & Barrie — 8 years ago

Catherine Anderson

9.3

Smooth pinot with great after taste, very nutty earthy flavor — 8 years ago

Brent Mayeaux

Production Burn Cottage Vineyard

9.1

Label is awesome. Juice is great too. Really soft tannin structure with loyalty of flowers and juicy fruit gum. — 10 years ago

Brash Higgins

9.2

Textural and chalky, nice drink, acid not screaming, touch of RS — 10 years ago

Paolo Orso

9.1

A bit more fruit driven style than an Italian Montepulciano but a good drop! — 11 years ago

Ceccherini Cristiano

9.0

It falls in the chilled red category
I am starting to appreciate why here in Queensland this typology is so popular.
Cinsault, grenache, shiraz and mataro
Very easy and pleasnt
No edges.
Quite long too — 2 years ago

Tara Rudo

9.1

Ginas favorite! From paradox in Stevenson — 6 years ago

Anuja Agnihotri

10

Bought at Barrie LCBO, drinking at winter staycation. Loved the taste. — 7 years ago

Clifton Jackson

9.1

A shocking surprise that the cork was sufficiently intact to provide a quality wine experience ... no corking, and improved immensely over the hour while four of us sipped it. The wine had more acidity than expected, but very light on tannins and fruit ... a lot of cedar I might say, but enjoyable to see how it evolved in the glass! I’d owned the wine since 1970, with storage limited to cool basements in different houses, but no “cooking” experiences. I was hopeful since there had been no wine leakage, and the level was only 0.5” into the shoulder, but we were all still surprised. No cork debris at all went into the bottle, and upon decanting, sediment levels were revealed as extremely low. Great fun for all! Tasted with Florence Jackson and Tom and Renee Stevenson! — 8 years ago

Chris DeBarr

9.4

This is actually the Vista Hills Vineyard, known for tarry depths with a hint of licorice & fennel & almost a Mourvèdre sense of blueberries & smoke. A big bruiser at 14.8% but damn...it suits my mood for a contemplative late night sipper. — 10 years ago

Sherwood

9.2

Awesome new world style Pinot noir. Smooth but full of elegant character — 11 years ago

Peter Scudamore-Smith MW

9.4

Avoca -based maker Blue Pyrenees had a major triumph with this wine in a European fizz comp headed by Tom Stevenson; linear chardonnay with subtle yeast and contrite lemon length; unusual for a blanc de blancs to outscore the usual bigger pinot wines of Arras and Chandon; property estab 1963 by original Krug owners; picked under floodlight at night to achieve the higher night flow in acidity; AUD 35; 12%; expect long life in wine like this; exceptional flavour, few artifacts. — 11 years ago

Austin Hohnke

8.9

Biodynamic Aussie Grenache from the Hongell Vineyard’s 90 year old vines. Partial whole cluster and neutral oak. Cherry cordials. Just shy of reading jammy. Not sure what’s crossed out on the label, maybe Australian drink units?
Thoughts anyone? — 4 years ago

Kate Rothen

8.9

Recco by som at Big Poppa. Kooky winemaker with made up name. A pirate! Looks super big and starts tannin-y but softens up nice. — 7 years ago

with Michael

Clifton Jackson

9.5

My wife and I enjoyed this sparkling Blanc de Blanc/Noir with two close friends (Tom and Renee Stevenson) on our deck looking out on the water near St. Michaels, MD. The wine exploded into a creamy flood of aromatic bubbles with every sip, and proved the perfect foil for the dazzling array of both creamy and firm cheeses that our friends, both French Champagne lovers, knew would complement it. Gloria Ferrer is always a favorite stop when we visit the Napa/Sonoma area, both for the quality and diversity of their wine offerings, and the warm friendliness of the greeting that they always provide on their gorgeous elevated patio! — 8 years ago

Nick Davis

9.6

Tom Stevenson was there, and didn't quite like it, but Jay Fletcher approved, so who's to say. — 10 years ago

Keith Watson

9.5

Fen Restaurant in Port Fairy — 10 years ago

Thomas

8.9

I came across Michael Stevenson by chance on a visit to the Willamette Valley. Wine maker at Elizabeth Chambers this is Michael's own label. Off dry with notes of pear, stone fruit and beeswax. He also makes some nice Pinot Noirs. — 10 years ago

Georgie Lee

9.0

Oooooh yum. Syrah macerated on Marsanne Rousanne skins. Elegant tannin, fresh juicy fruit with cheeky spiced candy sweetness. Biodynamically grown on 140yr old Syrah vines in Vine Vale, south of the Barossa Valley. Winemaker - Steven Crawford — 11 years ago