David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

When TRB started this label, I thought a primarily Cabernet Winemaker is going to make Pinot Noir? I wondered how his first vintage would be and while it wasn’t bad by any means, it wasn’t what this 2014 Silver Eagle is at this point. TRB has/is honed/honing his craft. This 2014 will likely continue to improve a bit going forward over the next three years for sure & maybe five. This 14 Silver Eagle is definitely hitting its stride. The nose shows the blue & purple fruits I enjoy on the Pinots I prefer to drink.

The nose reveals nicely ripe blackberries, black raspberries, plum, baked cherries & strawberries, blueberries, mulberries, dry cranberry & raspberries hues on the glass edges. Mid berry cola/licorice, soft baking spices-clove, some nutmeg & vanillin, dark, Asian/Indian spice mix, light mix of fresh & dry herbs, dark rich soil w/ dry leaves, limestone, dry top soil with fresh & withering dark, red, blue florals framed in a fresh violet field.

The palate shows good mouthfeel & wire to wire consistency. Juicy, ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, plum, baked cherries & strawberries, blueberry & mulberry tones, pomegranate, cranberry & raspberries hues. Mid berry cola/licorice, soft baking spices-clove, some nutmeg & vanillin, warm caramel, toast, steeped fruit tea, dark, Asian/Indian spice mix with deep palate penetration & heat, light mix of fresh & dry herbs, dark rich soil w/ dry leaves, dry brush, sandalwood, grey volcanics. wet clay, sandstone & limestone powder, dry top soil with fresh & withering dark, red, blue florals framed in a fresh violet field. The acidity is excellent with a long, elegant, well; balanced, tensioned & structured finish that lasts minutes and lands nicely on dark spice as it sets.

I really enjoy this vineyard and some of the Winemakers that make Pinot from it.

Plenty of life left in this one. 8-10 years well stored.

Photos of, Rivers-Marie facility (2), Owner/Winemaker-Thomas Rivers Brown & beautiful prime Pinot clusters ready for harvest. — 4 months ago

Brandon Boesch

9.4

This wine is expressive. I read a kids book series called “a year in brambly hedge” to my children and this tastes like the pictures of mushrooms, blackberries, cherries, in their stores under the hedge. There’s also a game/olive component in the background. I like it! — 3 years ago

Vanessa

9.0

Artesana is a small production, low intervention, terroir-driven producer of beautiful Uruguayan wines. 🙌🙌 🇺🇾

This wine was made from grapes grown on estate vineyards, harvested by hand, with sustainable farming practices. 🍇🍇

It is a deep ruby hue, offering concentrated aromas and flavors of tart black cherry, black currant, plum, nutmeg, cedar, anise, pepper, vegetal and green notes, alongside meaty characteristics.

It is balanced with good fruit concentration, refreshing acidity, high alcohol (14%), and soft tannins.

It’s comprised of Cabernet Franc (55%) and Merlot (45%) from the region of Canelones, Uruguay.

Acclaimed female winemakers Analía Lazaneo and Valentina Gatti have left us inspired and excited to try more from Artesana.

@Delectable Wine This is the Cabernet Franc and Merlot blend. 🙏🙏 — 3 years ago

with Deked1

Lars Miller

9.0

Cherry and black pepper on the nose, with a hint of menthol (eucalyptus). More spice than fruit. And OMG. Gorgeous! Not sure if the alcohol content , but it seems higher. Fully flavored, silky mouth feel. More of the cherry with raisin, and again lots of spice. A winner!

After breathing a bit, getting strawberries and some cedar on the palate, along with the aforementioned cherry and black pepper. This is almost 15% alcohol, and it shows. I feel that the alcohol content competes with the luscious flavors, and would have been much better with lower alcohol, but California winemakers love their powerhouse wines. — 6 months ago

Lisa McKinnon

8.9

A little thin at first but opened up well. Mostly black cherries, plum, currants. Not heavy on the tannins. Enjoyed with filet. — 2 years ago

Daniel P. Drake

9.3

This wine I opened was the 2020 Penley Estate Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon. This is from Coonawarra, Australia from winemakers Kate Goodman & Lauren Hansen.

On the nose there is cherry, nkackberry, plum, green bell papper, herbal notes, currant candy and dark rich soil.

On the palate is black cherry, nlackberry, black currant, green bell pepper, spice, herbaceous, graphite,cassis, minerality and earth.

This is a full bodied wine with a velvety mouthfeel medium,+ acidity and medium + fine grippy tanninsthat move easily into a long black fruit graphite finish. A bery nice easy to drink with loads of appeal. Fall seems to be upon us and the leaves have started changing quickly. Have a great weekend and get outside and enjoy the change of the seasons. Please stay safe and healthy. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 2 years ago

Ron from VA

9.0

Evidence of a slightly warmer southern Monticello Ava aspect/terroir…from a generally cool/dry vintage. After seven years it has concentrated a bit in bottle/callar and finding velvety texture with plush tannins. Plenty of compote/black cherry energy drives a framed herbally-sweet attack. Above average effort compared to their peers… One of the more overlooked/under appreciated vineyard sites and winemakers in the region. — 3 years ago

Vanessa

9.3

This is a stunning Garnatxa blend from Priorat (Catalonia), Spain!!

It’s comprised of mostly Garnatxa (Grenache), along with Syrah, and, to a lesser extent, Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from three parcels in the sun-soaked village of Gratallops, where Daphne Glorian purchased her first vineyard – Clos Escales – back in 1989 when she founded Clos i Terraces. 🍇

In making this move, she joined equally passionate and pioneering winemakers Álvaro Palacios (L’Ermita) and René Barbier (Clos Mogador) in a rebirth of production practices in the region; as a group (with other similar-minded producers) they altered the trajectory of Priorat’s profile as a source of tip top quality wines rivaling the best on the world stage. 👏🏻

Priorat is one of only two regions carrying the “DOCa” / “DOQ” quality designation (the other is Rioja), subject to various stipulations including regular auditing by a tasting panel. ✅

This particular wine is “Laurel” which is Clos i Terraces’s second wine, next to Clos Erasmus, one of Priorat’s finest and most sought-after wines. Yet it tastes like a flagship wine in and of itself.🫶🏻🫶🏻

It is absolutely beautiful, with a medium ruby hue, medium (+) intensity of ripe and fresh strawberry, red cherry, red plum, violet, black licorice, fennel, clove, baking spice aromas and flavors. It’s dry, with medium(+) acidity, a medium(+) body, high alcohol (14% ABV), and medium tannins that are fine-grained. 😆

This wine vinified and aged in a combination of vessels, including, large oak vats, concrete tanks, second and third fill French oak barrels, and clay amphorae, lending to its texture and complexity.👌🏻👌🏻
— 6 months ago

Vanessa

9.1

Amarone della Valpolicella is known as a deeply-hued, intense, dry (to off-dry) wine produced via the ‘appassimento’ method in Valpolicella region of Veneto, Italy, whereby the grapes are laid out to dry indoors for weeks to months following harvest.

As the grapes dry, they begin to shrivel due to the evaporation of water from within. This concentrates other components of the grape (such as the sugar and aromas / flavors) and increases the % of skin relative to remaining pulp (skin primarily contributes color, tannin, aroma/flavor).

The partly-shriveled grapes are gently pressed and slowly fermented. The resulting wine is matured at least 2 years in oak before release.

Why do winemakers do this? Primarily to enhance complexity, color / aromatic concentration, body, and produce an overall higher-octane wine.

This particular wine comes from the Amarone della Valpolicella Classico subzone, which is known for producing more elegant and aromatic expressions. We’re definitely picking up on that with this beauty! It’s made with the Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara varieties.

This wine is deep ruby. It has ripe, juicy aromas and flavors of black cherry, black currant, stewed plum, violet, anise, resin, cinnamon, nutmeg, dark chocolate, espresso, sweet tobacco, and leather. It’s structured and offers a long finish. The fruit, acidity, alcohol, and tannins strike a wonderful balance. Yum!

Masi, Costasera, Amarone Classico, Vintage 2015, ABV 15%. — 3 years ago

with Deked1

Ely Cohn

9.1

When winemakers devote themselves to the mastery of one grape, every bottling from top to bottom tends to be exceptional.

Such is the case with Raul Perez and his consistent ability to make Mencia bloom.

Vico is aromatically rich and complex. Cedar, new leather, blackberry, black currant, cinnamon, cocoa, coffee.



— 3 years ago