Jay Kline

9.4

Served double-blind at Tasting Group. The wine pours a deep ruby color with a near opaque core. Medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. No signs of sediment or gas. On the nose, the wine is clean, developing and very expressive. Very attractive notes of dark and red fruits: cassis, ripe plums, dark brambles, dark cherries, leaf tobacco, cedar box, cocoa, Flintstones vitamins, a touch of eucalyptus and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes on the nose. The finish is long with lovely texture and some crushed gravel minerals. Alcohol is medium+. This is a very easy wine to like. It’s beautifully balanced but it leans more towards the fruit rather than the structure. The fruit is just so lush that it’s very hard to me to place this in the Old World. I called Cabernet Sauvignon (and blends), from California, from Napa Valley from 2017. Close! Wow…my first Tor and what a generous contribution to Tasting Group! Obviously, I'm not complaining. This is drinking very well in its youth but considering the undeniable balance and quality of the fruit, I think this will continue to be awesome through 2039. — 3 years ago

May Congdon

9.3

Loved it! Found this bottle hugely discounted at Berkeley Bowl, and greatly enjoyed drinking it while watching the Democratic Debate (a shit show - wine was necessary) and sharing a special HQ dinner with my roommates. — 6 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.1

Inky ruby color. Ripe dark berries, singed plum, candied licorice and woodsmoke on the deeply perfumed nose. Made in a weighty, ripe style, offering bitter cherry, cassis and fruitcake flavors that are energized by a late jolt of spiciness. Broad, chewy and smoky on the clinging finish, which features mounting tannins and impressively persistent dark fruit liqueur character. (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, April 2019) — 7 years ago

Shay A

9.5

Finally getting around to posting Day 5 in Napa, our final day. 5 years in a row visiting...hope to make it 6 next year!

A wonderful wine, with room for score improvement over the next few years. Signature SLD to me. Mocha, dark cocoa, blackberry pie and a streak of ripe/rich red fruit down the middle. Dusty. Cinnamon and baking spice finish. Very good. — 7 years ago

Kapyrick Wine

9.4

V14. Wow. Dusty, smokey nose. Rich, creamy, jammy black cherry fruit. Zippy, pepper finish . Not a typical Pinot style. Nice with any rich gravies on roasted meat. — 8 years ago

JFP

9.3

A real treat. Definitely need to find another. — 4 years ago

Daniel DeSantis

9.7

Well balanced, a little fruity, very good with steak — 5 years ago

Justin Colby

9.0

Deep garnet. Yeasty plum, oak fragrance with a hint of saddle. Liquid suede mouthfeel. Black cherry, toasted oak, supple and lengthy tannins. Smooth finish with smoky vanilla notes. Went with our California style vegan burritos so well! (Fried papas and fajita veggies, avocado, and olive oil flour tortillas.) For $7.99 at Trader Joe’s, the value can’t be beat! — 6 years ago

Nicole Jacobson

10

Excellent, full bodied. A bit jammy, very slight. Spicy notes on finish. — 7 years ago

Cody LaRocque

10

Finally a Spanish red I like — 7 years ago

Rhonda Stone

8.9

A very average tasting, inexpensive Spanish Monastrell wine. — 8 years ago

John J

9.1

Nose a bit funky like black olive, the syrah component to this wine really amped its complexity. A bit more brooding than full tempranillo crianza offerings, this has integrated notes of cedar and ripe red fruits, and that touch of earthy, savory, lightly pungent syrah in support.

Good complement to garlic toast, roasted peppers and grilled salchiccons. — 8 years ago

Jared Silvia

8.9

Deep Purple! Lovely full bodied red wine and a great value. The blackberry and blue berry notes pair with the vanilla and hints of cocoa. Think pie with cookie dough ice cream. The taste is smooth, spicy. — 8 years ago

with Brandi

Ty Clark

9.0

Great Italian white. Loved it. Light/crisp — 5 years ago

with Mande

Chris Hiromura

9.4

Great young petite Syrah. Going to get a few more bottles to age. Benefited from time to breath. Really enjoyed this!!! — 6 years ago

Cristóbal Arellano Borges

9.1

Herbaceous, and slightly vegetal. Good fruit/acid balance. Screams for some bivalves in a cream sauce — 6 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.5

The 2016 Figgins Red Wine is a stunning new bottling by superstar winemaker Chris Figgins. On the nose you can really smell the Petit Verdot undertones as this shows off gorgeous blackberry compote with blueberry pie, sagebrush and green pell pepper aromas that all build marvelously in the glass. The palate is gorgeous, showing a silky texture and wonderful sense of minerality. A bright beam of salinity runs through this beautiful wine, slowly unveiling bright black cherry and Turkish coffee flavors that collide with blueberry pie and Chinese black tea flavors. Polished and layered, this is seriously good in its youth but it will evolve well for decades to come. Drink 2020-2040- 95 — 7 years ago

Jeff Hasmann

9.2

Wow! This is really good! Made with 100% Prieto Picudo, an indigenous Spanish grape. Intense dark red color with beautiful aromas of ripe red fruit, licorice, and a touch of oak. Well-balanced on the palette with soft tannins and fleshy mouth-feel. Awesome wine -highly recommended. 2016 vintage on Dec 15, 2018 — 8 years ago

Norman

9.4

This was better than when I had it in Seattle a few years ago. Maybe bottle shock is real? I do think it approaching end of life. Trying to move through these older whites. — 8 years ago

Asi

9.0

Light earthy bit fruity — 8 years ago