Jay Kline

9.3

100% old-vine Marsanne from the Les Murets lieu dit which is predominantly east facing on the hill. This was the most powerful of the three Hermitage Blancs tonight. The nose was redolent of marmalade, honey, butter cream frosting, and slate. Luxurious texture with a long finish. Lovely with monkfish, sweet potato, leek, and winter truffle. Drink now through 2034+. — 2 months ago

Luigi Maresca

9.3

First year of production: 1997
Vineyard: Corvina 50% and Cabernet Sauvignon 50%
Geographical Location: Veneto – Italy Northeast of Verona, in the hill that divides Montorio from the Valle d’Illasi
Extension: 27 hectares of new shoulder pad
Plant date: 1960 to 1999.
Composition of the soil: Limestone with prevalence of iron red clay in the vineyards The Perlar and Palazzina, medium tufa clay dough in the Mount of the Dragon
Strains per hectare: 5/7000 to shoulder.
Harvest: From late August to mid-September.
Yield per plant: 1 kg.
Climate trend: Cold and dry winter. High temperatures arrive in March
moving the shoots well in advance, the flowering already begins
mid-May. Heavy rains at the beginning of summer, which
keep productivity low. Hot and dry summer, almost
without precipitation. Early harvest start at the end of August and
excellent harvest until the end of September. Great vintage.
Winemaking technique: Cabernet Sauvignon harvesting is about a week ahead
Corvina. Both grapes are placed in withering
, but the Cabernet is already being pinched after two weeks,
corvina is left for up to three weeks in the boxes.
Separate vinification and rest for 18 months in new tonneau for the
Cabernet and one or two years old for the Corvina. After
assembly waits a few months before bottling. — 4 years ago

Nik Levin

9.3

This maybe the best wine I have ever tasted. I hate rose. I love this. When I drink rose it’s in the summer. It is winter in chicago and this rose Hit the spot!!! I’m going back and buying a case! Flavors or roast pear and baking spice. Flavors of winter and maple trees. Wonderful! — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

8.9

Aromatics of bright red cherries which extend through to the crunchy palate. Made for drinking in its youth. Mike Bennie pretty much sums it up by saying “right in the zone of complexity and drinkability”. Barb thought too light. Probably a better summer drink than the middle of winter. — 10 months ago

Nick

9.4

Nutty umami winter weather stuff, brightens up with citrus and zest and green herbs, deep and full wowwee — 4 years ago

Corson Fidler

9.5

Great winter warmer wine! — 6 years ago

with Kelly

Ellen Clifford

8.9

Continuing in my Napa cab education this showed up at the door for me. It is excellent winter wine. It would warm you even if chilled—at 15 % abv no doubt but the taste is coziness defined too: ripe cherries, blackberry preserves on some sort of cheese on an earthy whole whole wheat cracker. The tannins could use, say, one or two more years to fully integrate but they aren’t objectable. Holiday spices and a whiff of forest floor and a long plummy finish round it out. Take this wine to an ice skating party if such things exist in your life. — 6 years ago

Ciana Bonfiglioli

9.6

Delicious! Warm caramel apple flavor. Very unique ice cider - sweet but a natural apple sweet. — 3 years ago

with Luke

Matt

9.0

Day 1: Peppercorn, olive, and forest floor drove the wine. Plenty of spice on the palate and mod acid/no oak/agreeable tannin made for an excellent partner to winter squash and chicken vindaloo. Fruit almost brambly, just ripe across the bored. Day 2: fading quick, showed marked oxidation over night, lost a lot of hillside syrah character for more fruit, beginning to move towards compote. Juicy and still appealing, but makes me wonder about future evolution of the wine. Anyway, I’m always stoked to have these soulful wines and find their Syrah project to capture a more St. Joseph style, delicious, aromatic, and approachable early. Happy we didn’t cellar this any longer — 5 years ago

Ned Gray Creed

9.5

This is the Hollister Hill Rosé. And and and it is high quality rosé. Cab Franc rosé like this is a year round wine. You can drink this with Cassoulet in the winter with a warm fire in the hearth. You can drink this at sunset with cheese and charcuterie. So far my favorite pink of 2018. — 6 years ago