Dave Parker

9.3

Happy Valentine’s Day — 2 months ago

Tom Garland

9.4

1 hour decant (lots of cloudy sediment). An amazing medium dark ruby red color. On the nose: bursting out of the glass are notes of strawberry, smoked meat, that Cayuse funk(luv it), dry forest floor, bacon fat. Taste: Wow...smooth, savory, silky, rich wine with cherry/raspberry, earth, gamey notes, spice, and a cedar tea intense long finish. A must try if you like the savory funk! Cheers. — 2 years ago

with Brenda

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. — 3 years ago

Matthew Cohen

9.3

Cherry flower on the nose.

Cherry with some bitterness on the palate. Classic liaison.

That sexy interplay between sweet fruit, bitterness, acidity and minerality. No one else on earth does it like this. No one.

Fass selections — 4 months 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! — 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!! — 2 years ago

with Brenda

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%. — 3 years ago

with Deked1

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

There are good steak wines and then there are steak WINES! Not that this is the best wine or steak wines I’ve had. It was simply birthed for steak. Allen Brothers Strip Steak. Seasoned with coarse Garlic Salt/ Pepper and Napa Valley Rub from wholespice.com. If you haven’t had your steak this way, my highest recommendation. The fat & gristle are perfect w/ the 08 Belle-Vue. If you olive oil, heavy coarse salt & pepper your bake potato at 475 for an hour & a half, you’ll discover how great, crispy/crunchy/complex a potato shell can be. Older Bordeaux can be good on its own but with beef or lamb, it’s just a marriage made in heaven. Here’s the rub for my friends & I, we can’t find a steak better than we make. That’s what the Covid years firmed up for us. The 08 vintage was saved with late good weather. It sits somewhere between the good and very good vintages. Drinks better earlier than great to grand vintages. Slightly over achieving its young critical reviews.

The palate shows; drier dark currents-blackberries, black raspberries, black plum dark, not quite ripe cherries, raspberries edges. Dark chocolate baking bar (that’s what French oak does), lead pencil shavings, dark rich earth with dry leaves, limestone powder, dry river stone, dry tobacco, chewy leather, dark, intense spices, nutmeg, some cinnamon, vanillin, caramel hues, saline, fresh & withering, dark, purple flowers with lavender hues, nice acidity with a well structured & balanced, rounded meaty tannin, floral finish that lasts minutes. Medoc is always the place to look for nice wines with value…even better in excellent vintages. Even better in 5 years.

It has another 10 years plus of good drinking ahead properly stored. — 7 months ago

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! — 2 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! — 3 years ago

with Bryan