Ted

8.9

Ripe fruit. Flat cola. Enjoyable at the beach. — a month ago

Charles Nebolsky

9.8

An amazing sake, clear, crisp and completely delicious — a year ago

Paul J

9.6

This was great! Multiple hour decant. Silky texture. Nice balanced between fruit and terroir. Elegant and high quality! — 2 years ago

Tom Garland

9.5

1.5 hour decant (little cloudy sediment). An incredible medium murky dark garnet color. On the nose: stunning aromas of black currants, some of that Cayuse funk(luv it), smokey roasted meat, herbs, tobacco. Taste: elegant, chewy, energetic, savory medium plus body wine with some blackberry, iodine, orange peel, touch of blueberry, earth, and a bacon fat mineral medium plus finish. YUM!! — 4 years ago

with Brenda

Jakub Kalinowski

9.0

Lovely aromatic with red fruit, pomegranate, some cassis and an undertone of dark, moist earth. A hint of pencil shavings, too.
On the palate this is medium bodied, cool, fresh & juicy, the tannins adding a nice, firm frame. Nice interplay between the sweet & sour red fruit and savoury undertones. Long silky finish with a touch of mint & sage.
Fresher & cooler than 2016, but consistently v. good & brilliant value for a Bordeaux blend! Yum! — 4 years ago

Shay A

9.5

This was a real treat to enjoy courtesy of @Bryan Kesting being in town, and since we both share an affinity for Antica Terra wines, he was kind enough to bring a 2012 Antikythera.

In the past month, I’ve had the 2012, 2015 and 2017, and this 2012 shows just how incredible these wines can age. I would say this is probably the most impressive OR Pinot I’ve had to date. So much balance here. On the nose, it is quite expressive with potpourri/red and purple floral notes and herb crusted black cherries. The palate is supremely balanced between the herbal/earth/clay like notes encapsulated by underripe red and black fruits and a kiss of sweetness...kirsch like? The core here nods to burgundy with structure. While I don’t think this gets any better, I do think it will cruise for years and evolve in to a somewhat different wine. Thanks again @Bryan Kesting for opening this! — 5 years ago

with Bryan

Eric

9.2

Sweet earth, if that’s a thing. Very good. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have mentally thought about doing this post for quite awhile. Opening this 2003 Verdignan brought on the appropriate moment. I am a believer in paying respects and it’s the basis of this post.

We learn to drink certain wines from the regions we live near or from the people we learn & enjoy wine with as we walk the road to understanding what we really enjoy. I started as an exclusive CA Chardonnay drinker for many years before moving on to nearly every varietal and regions offer. Next was Napa Cabernets which, led me to my true love, red Bordeaux. It was a bit of curve getting there but, once I had them with proper aging, I was hooked for life.

While my curiosity got me to Bordeaux wines, there one person that helped shape my Bordeaux palate and I agreed with more than anyone else’s, including every well known wine critics at that time and even today after spending 10 weeks learning from several Master Sommeliers on my way to passing the Court of Master Sommeliers exam and becoming a Sommelier myself. This person is Clyde Beffa Jr., Owner of K&L Wine Merchants.

Clyde has been traveling to Bordeaux for over 40 years and sometimes multiple times in a year. His palate and experience are second to none. Especially, when it comes to Bordeaux.

I owe him a lot. He taught me the importance of letting good Bordeaux’s age 20 years plus. What were the jewel value producers. Brought in Bordeaux wines direct from the Chateaus that had 10 years of bottle age and older. Bordeaux’s that critics did not like young but, he knew something special had taken place over time as he was tasting them much later in their lives and often. I bought and drank a lot of these wines. They also kept temptation at bay in me reaching for my too young and more expensive wines.

He is very kind and kind enough to allow me to travel with him & key staffers to the 2014 En Premier to taste what was a very difficult 2013 Bordeaux vintage. You can go to En Premier and then there is going with Clyde. You have all the key appointments, Chateau accommodations/dinners and taste somewhere around 1500 plus wines in 6 days. He is loved by the Bordelais and for good reason.

So, I dedicate this post to him. He is the one who told me to buy this little known 2003 Verdignan at the same “Affordable Bordeaux Tasting” I mentioned in my Chateau de Candale post on Friday. As of Friday, that was the wine of the tasting. Well…until I coravined this slowly over the weekend. This 2003 was under $25 and it is one of the very best Bordeaux’s I had in some time. As well, perhaps the best QPR in my over 20 years collecting wine. Clyde knew that day just how good it would become. He said, forget about this for 20 years. So, I am a little early here.

Clyde has recommended more great Bordeaux’s to me that most people don’t hear about, let alone try. He told me to buy the poorly reviewed 91 Pichon Lalande when he brought more into the store seven years ago Chateau direct. It was a very difficult vintage with spring frost, hail storm and a difficult growing season. He described as “Heaven in a Bottle” and It most certainly the case. To this day, Pichon Lalande is my favorite steak wine and the 91 is still my favorite vintage. I purchased a 3L from him recently that he brought in direct from the Chateau for my 60th next year. Can’t wait to open that with our good friends and celebrate.

As for the Verignan, the nose reveals; dark brooding & slightly bake fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum, some poached strawberries & haunting blue fruits. Black tea, forest floor with leaves, anise, limestone, moist clay, dry crushed rocks, dry stones, beautiful, mid intensity dark spice, dry tobacco, graphite, mixed dark berry cola, understated, well layered baking spices; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, dry herbs, mint with candied; dark, red, blue and purple florals.

The body is full, rich, lush, satiny with plenty of well rounded, soften tannins. The tension, structure, length and balance are excellent and will continue to improve. This will last another 15 years and beyond with proper storage. This is a very classic Bordeaux well balance in fruit and earth. It is sheer elegance on the palate. It’s why I love Bordeaux more than Napa and I love Napa Valley Cabernet. Dark brooding & slightly bake, ripe fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum, boysenberries, some poached strawberries & haunting blue fruits. Black tea, dark chocolate bar, touch of mocha powder, light caramel notes, Expresso notes, forest floor with leaves, anise, limestone, moist clay, dry crushed rocks, dry stones, beautiful, mid intensity dark Asian & Indian spices with just right amount of palate heat, dry tobacco, graphite, dry twigs with a little sap, mixed dark berry cola, understated, well layered baking spices; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, dry herbs/sage, mint with candied; dark, red, blue and purple florals. The acidity is round and nearly perfect. The long finish is, classic, elegant, well balance fruit and earthy Bordeaux that persists softly on the palate for minutes with just the right amount of spice.
This is a heady wine that you really think about as you slowly sip and it affects your whole body. Can’t wait to have another in five years.

Photos of; Chateau Vergignan in Medoc near St. Estephe, their vineyard that reveals where Bordeaux gets its earthiness, Owner Jean Miaihle who acquired the property in 1972 and a wide shot of their vines. — 6 years ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish /brick rim.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Very dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing red and black fruits with light wood, spices, barnyard, blood, dried meats, dark chocolates, tobacco leaf, earth, herbs, peppercorn and licorice.

Nice finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This Single Vineyard Grenache from Walla Walla Valley is very stinky and austere on the nose.

Complex and very interesting, but not what I expected at all. Feels more like an old world wine.

Wine Advocate 95 points. Wine Spectator 94 points. Wine Enthusiasts 94 points.

I had a recent vintage a couple of years ago and it showed much better. Might just be this particular bottle, or it could be past its prime by now.

A good quality wine and still very drinkable.

13.2% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$120. — 4 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.3

Vintage 1989 | When and with who you taste can influence your appreciation tremendously. After a blind tasting with terrific wines I poured this wine (blind) in the glasses with sourdough bread and goose rillette. Combination made in heaven. The well known tension between sweet and acids completed it. A treat. With wine friends @Liselotte Brouwers @Berry Marinussen Maarten Drop. — a year ago

Vino Joe

9.5

Annata Biondi-Santi. This is absolutely delicious. Always special from this producer. Love the color. Classic Sangiovese. Orange rimmed next to the pale red. Balanced between some grippy but delicate tannins and approachable fruit. The nose has some spice and some earth but they don’t bring a kick so much as depth. The bottom line is you can tell it’s great because the wine drinks so fast! — 4 years ago

Matthew Cohen

9.4

Needs 25 minutes. Water on open.

Then … this is why these guys are among the top natural wine producers on earth.

The color of rose saignee

Nose is cranberry flower. A hint of lemon pith. As this opens nose is like very expensive 25 year old Burgundy.

Palate is cranberry. Mountain stream. Geek heaven. Off the charts internal aromatics. A hint of Barolo chinato. Yeah. That off the beaten path. Cinnamon. Clove. Bark. But it’s all grapes ? The magic of God himself revealed to man in a glass.


Amazing. Orgasmic nose. In a perfect market this cost thousands. The ultimate goal of the elite is to experience what no one else can. And this is that.

Nothing like this.

Bought from fass selections — 4 years ago

Vanessa

9.1

I’m excited about this acclaimed Washington State Bordeaux blend from Andrew Will, named after the founder’s (Chris Camarda’s) nephew, Andrew, and son, Will (now winemaker).

Sorella is a single vineyard wine coming from the Champoux Vineyard, just five miles from the Columbia River, in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA of Columbia Valley, Washington. This particular wine was named Sorella – meaning sister in Italian – a tribute to the winemaker’s late sister when it was first produced in 1994.

It is comprised of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot.

This is a deep ruby wine.

On the nose it has medium(+) intensity of developing aromas. Aromas include baked blackberry, cassis, black cherry, also potpourri, licorice, green bell pepper, chervil, anise, black licorice, black pepper, clove, leather, earth, and sweet tobacco.

On the palate, this wine is dry. It has medium acidity, a medium(+) body, medium alcohol, medium(+) tannins, and medium intensity of flavors consistent with the nose. This wine has a medium(+) finish.

Andrew Will, Sorella, Champoux Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington. Vintage 2011. ABV 13%. — 5 years ago

with Deked1

Alex Moura

9.6

Wine of the year (2021) — 5 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Château Cantegril – Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle / 2019
AOC Barsac – Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A Grand Vin de Sauternes crafted by the Dubourdieu family in Barsac, this 2019 vintage blends the region’s classics: Sémillon dominant, Sauvignon Blanc, and a touch of Muscadelle. Botrytis cinerea (noble rot) weaves its magic here, concentrating sugars and intensifying aromas.

Aromas & Flavors
Lush notes of apricot, candied orange peel, and pineapple rise from the glass, layered with honey, acacia blossom, and a hint of saffron. The sweetness is deeply expressive but never cloying.

Mouthfeel
Silky and opulent, yet balanced by Barsac’s hallmark freshness and mineral tension. A luscious golden core with excellent length, pure heaven in a glass.

Food Pairings
Perfect with Roquefort, foie gras, or blue cheeses, but equally divine alongside fruit tarts, crème brûlée, or spicy Asian cuisine. For a daring contrast, try with fried chicken.

Verdict
2019 Château Cantegril is heaven on earth, an elegant and classic Barsac that shows the Dubourdieu family’s mastery. A wine that proves Sauternes and Barsac remain unmatched when it comes to liquid gold.

Did You Know?
Barsac AOC wines can legally be labeled either “Barsac” or “Sauternes.” Château Cantegril is often described as one of the “entry gates” to the Dubourdieu family’s sweet wine heritage, offering top quality at a more approachable level than their Château Doisy-Daëne.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight: This is one of those wines that makes you stop mid-sip and smile, it’s just that magical. — 8 months ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Trothe Winery Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Washington State

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Horse Heaven Hills.

Dark purple in color with a purplish rim.

Very pretty nose of blueberries, black plums, black cherries, currants, oak, spices, tobacco leaf, pencil lead, wildflowers, vegetables, earth, dark coffee, dark chocolates and black pepper.
Showing great complexity already.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Very dry on the palate with currants, cherries, oak, light vanilla, spices, tobacco leaf, dark coffee, black pepper, vegetables, herbs, chocolates, earth, black tea, wet leaves and pencil lead.

Nice length on the finish with dusty tannins and raspberries.

This is a very interesting Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington State. Much earthier than I expected.

This 3-year-old is showing very nice complexity already. Still very young, and needs 5 years in the bottle to mature properly. A good quality wine that will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

Feels like a good quality Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon. Really enjoyed the nose here.

Needs 4 hours in a decanter to open up properly, and balance itself out.

Will pair nicely with a nice piece of steak. I paired it with cheeses and crackers. Paired nicely with the Double Brie cheese.

Aged for 23 months in (77% new) French Oak barrels. A tiny production of only 9 barrels.

14.7% alcohol by volume.

$190. — 4 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Presented double-blind. Visually, showing a garnet color with an opaque core. Some slight browning at the edge; could be varietal characteristics…could be signs of age? On the nose, there’s lovely cherry fruit with a kiss of barnyard, some tomato leaf, earth and spices. There seemed to be signs of oak but likely large format (thinking botti or foudre). On the palate, cherries again with some bramble fruit, earth, and mushrooms mixed in for good measure. Medium + tannin; medium + acid. I vacillated between Italy and Southern France, ultimately settling on Brunello from a very good, traditional producer. I was so impressed to see this was Beaucastel. My first Beaucastel with some real age. If this is what these wines become with age, it’s no wonder why they are so beloved. Loads of life left. Bravo. — 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured, consumed over three days with very little evolution over that period but if I had to make a call, I would say best on Day 3. It presents a turbid, deep ruby in the glass. On the nose, purple flowers, dried leaf tobacco, tomato leaf, and freshly tilled earth. On the palate, currants, tart blackberries, kalamata olive brine, dried blood...it’s saline, sanguine and ferrous in a real way. The 2012 Champoux Vineyard is a structured, high acid/high tannin Bordeaux blend of predominately Cabernet Franc with some Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon for good measure. Long, long finish. A very earthy and mineral driven wine. Blind, there is no way I would call this New World. This bottle is yet another reminder why I truly believe Andrew Will makes some of the very greatest wines in Washington State. This has at least another decade of life left in it. — 5 years ago

Ross Baldassaro

9.3

Oof, lovely balance of power and finesse. Wild-grown red and black cherries/berries with a tug-of-war between earth and fruit. Some clay. Tannins still need some integration and this vintage would be best with a few more years; 4-8 ideal. Lovely to drink; enjoyed with duck which was a treat to pair. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

2002 is such a beautiful vintage IMHO. In many ways, I think even better than 07. We’ll see in five years from now as I lack a time machine.

I’ve said this a couple of times over my nearly 4,200 Delectable notes. There is no amount of decanting a young wine that can reproduce the beauty, elegance, florals, integration, balance and finish as long bottle age. If you are buying expensive Cabernets and drinking them young, you are simply short changing yourself out of your deep investment.

This largely under known Napa producer is a shining example of that tonight. Proof in the pudding so to speak.

The nose reveals, sweet, ripe, lush, ruby, slightly baked/liqueured fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, black plum, understated blueberries and baked strawberries haunt the backend. Dark Asian & Indian spices, black licorice to anise, sweet tarriness, black tea, dark expresso, crushed dry rocks, limestone minerals, herbal notes, mint, incense, graphite, dark chocolate, caramel & mocha, dry top soil, moist clay, dark rich, turn earth with fresh & withering; dark, red, purple, blue flowers & just a touch of violets.

The body is; round, rich & luxurious. The tannins still have baby teeth and show chewy tarriness. The tension, structure, length and balance have hit their peak. It’s not going to improve, it will simply show you descending changes which, can be quite enjoyable but, not necessarily for the ones that appreciate wines young. Interesting, none the less, for the ones that enjoy all sides/aspects of wine evolution. Sweet, ripe, lush, ruby, slightly baked/liqueured fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, black plum, mulberries, boysenberries, more blue fruits than the nose, cherries and baked strawberries haunt the backend. Dark Asian & Indian spices with just the right amount of heat, black licorice to anise, sweet tarriness, black tea, dark expresso, crushed dry rocks, limestone minerals, herbal notes, mint, graphite, dark chocolate, caramel & mocha, dry top soil, moist clay, dark rich, turn earth, fresh tobacco, suede style leather, saddle-wood with fresh & withering; dark, red, purple, blue flowers & just a touch of violets. The ABV on this wine is really nice given today’s hotter wines. Climate change, it’s a bitch. The round acidy is as good as it gets. The long, excellent, elegant, rich, ripe, ruby, gorgeous, sexy, floral, perfectly balanced finish falls into persistent heaven.

This is a gorgeous example of what Napa Valley is capable of in grand vintages, if you have good storage & can show patience.

Photos of; an arial view of Jones Family Winery, patio tasting area, beautiful Jones Family Cabernet fruit and their amazing vineyards. — 6 years ago