Austin Blackwell

9.3

Drinking well but should get better. Dark cherry, black licorice, anise. — 4 months ago

with Angelina

Gene Buonviri

9.0

A dark garnet red wine. Balanced with dark ripe black plum and the a finish of sea mist and pepper. The Piedirosso grape delivers a wine full of life and down to earth. Open and drink this wine to remove all of your worries and focus on the important things in life….your family and wine. Excellent when paired with juicy rib eye, spinach and mushrooms. — 3 years ago

with Justinian

Adriana Fabbro

9.2

Hey, Delectable— this is the Visions 2018 North Coast Pinot, but the ID wasn’t available.

Unabashedly ripe and warm, but with a distinctive umami flavor (hoisin sauce?) that I’m really digging. Black cherry, black plum and even blue fruit on the nose and palette. Lovely satiny texture. Medium + finish.

Hedonistic in the way you’d expect from a winemaker mentored by the Wagners, but the suppleness and umami notes make this wine stand out in a sea of north coast Pinot Noir, and the absence of new oak lets the fruit do the taking. Perfect with chicken lettuce wraps and haricot verts smothered in Madeira mushroom cream sauce.

Owner/founder, Mac Macdonald, has been making his own California Pinot Noir for more than 25 vintages now and it shows. Side note: he’s also one of the better story tellers in the biz.

Initially sampled as part of a tasting with the #AAAV (Association of African American Vintners) and took the bottle home.
— 5 years ago

PussNBeets

9.2

Current and black cherry flavors. Smooth finish. — 6 years ago

with Rusty, Jenny and 1 other

S.S. Mandani

9.5

Quarantine materials ready. Creature comforts are getting me through this thing. Give me good coffee, pavement to pound, a pen that dances on the page, a worn notebook with still empty pages to fill, jazz weaving the air, and a bottle of wine, and I will kill all the time there is.

A magenta shawl in the glass.

Earth’s fragrance caught in a bottle. Sweet, sweet clay. Leather. Intense plums and orange zest. Sea breeze. This is a memorable and rich bouquet.

Subtle smoke quality reminiscent of the char in the bark of good brisket. A reserved dark fruit quality which is there, but just teases you as a spicy black peppercorn note swings in for a jab. It’s smooth.

An eloquence in the expression and structure. Like a mathematical proof or a line of poetry you cannot easily forget.

It slaps. — 6 years ago

Shay A

8.9

Wednesday Wine Committee hosted by Dan. 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 4 reds and 1 dessert wine. Tasted blind as usual.

Seemed over the hill to me. Little bit of burnt rubber on the nose, which took me to South African Cabernet or Chinon. Not much acidity. Good bit of pepper. Old black cherry. Not sure how common this is for the vintage. — 7 years ago

with Jeff and Dan

Brandon Boesch

9.4

What a unique and awesome wine. Definitely full bodied white. So much fruit, flowers, tropical, star fruit, sea shells, honey, maybe even passion fruit. Also some stone fruit. Wax. I feel like this would be amazing with roast chicken or pork. Super complex. Also a great winemaking team! — a year ago

Neil Valenzuela

9.6

Deep ruby color. Delicate aromas of raspberry, black currants, pencil, menthol and a hint of sea water. Soft, delicate black fruit, dried herbs. Unbelievable wine.

🏅93 points - Robert Parker
🏅93 points - Jeb Dunnuck — 4 years ago

John W

9.0

Ruby coloration. Can see through to the bottom of the glass for transparency. On the nose, black cherry, cherry cola, forest floor, and smoked oak. On the palate, medium body, nicely balanced, cherry, strawberry, sweet fruit forward flavors. Some oak, minerals and earthiness present. Long finish with the fruit. — 5 years ago

Aravind A

9.6

I picked this bottle up and put it down trying to decide if tonight was a special-enough occasion. In the end, glad I leaned this way. Perfectly mature, and better than.my past btl from a bit over a year ago. Helped to warm up a couple of degrees above cellar temp. On the nose: damp earth, floral perfume, touch of brown sugar, black raspberry, tea leaves, asian spice...a panoply of flavors. On the palate, lovely acidity, tart cherry, great density, hi-toned wild strawberry, mineral notes, sea salt..fantastic complexity. Tannin still showing grip on the finish, but this is perfect aged red burg for my palate. — 6 years ago

Ian Hamel

9.2

2020/4/15-16 with Venetian red tonguebsole roasted with potatoes and onions and chicory salad, and black sea bream linguine and fava, pancetta and onion ragu. Monteraponi is always so good - up there with Montevertine among my favorite Chianti estates. The 2017 edition is a light to medium weight with a nice transparent texture, and that dried orange peel and cherry thing. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Four day weekend. Gotta get it off to a good start. Been awhile since we had our 375ml of Ruinart.

The nose shows, ripe, slightly candied; black cherries, strawberries, kirsch cherries, rich, summertime watermelon, touch of orange citrus family blend, pomegranate juice, hints of fruit roll up & haunting apricots. Sea fossils & spray, a little bread dough, grey volcanics, chalky powder, orange, spring flowers with fresh & withering, red & pink rose pedals.

The palate is full & touch gummy/candied. Fruits are well extracted, deep, ruby; black cherries, blackberries, strawberries, kirsch cherries, rich, summertime watermelon, touch of orange citrus family blend, pomegranate juice, hints of fruit roll up & haunting apricots. Ghostly, not quite fruit brandy or fruit liqueur character, sea fossils & spray, a little bread dough, not quite medium, white spice with hints of palate heat, grainy, grey volcanics, chalky powder, orange, spring flowers with fresh & withering, red & pink rose pedals. The acidity lively and crisp. The round, well balanced & polish finish is always consistently satisfying and lingers for minutes.

Photos of; the House of Ruinart, Dom Thierry Ruinart, nicely light caves and rolling, hillside, Grand Cru Vineyard.

Not quite sure where “D” gets $83 when you can buy this all day at just under $65. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

What a really nice Rosé Champange from Drappier and an extraordinary value at Costco at $39.99. I’m not giving up my Billecart Salmon Rosé but, this is pretty close to Ruinart. At this price point, it’s being well added to rotation.

The nose reveals, ripe; black cherries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, watermelon and orange rind citrus. Fruit blossoms, pink rose petals, nice, soft chalkiness, sea spray, sea shells, volcanic minerals and a touch of white spice.

The palate is fresh & lively. Nice micro bubbles. It’s thick and rich. The fruits are ripe and deeply concentrated. Ripe; black cherries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, watermelon, orange rind citrus, nice, soft chalkiness, sea spray, sea shells, strong presence of gritty volcanic minerals that press deeply into the palate, a fair amount of dark spice on the palate with fruit blossoms, pink & red rose petals. The acidity is really good...lively. The long, rich, beautiful, well balanced finish persists several minutes.

Photos of, the Champagne House of Drappier, wide & really chalky caves, different oak vats they use for fermentation and one of Drapper’s Grand Cru vineyards. — 7 years ago

Austin Blackwell

9.4

Wild strawberry and black cherry are complimented by savory herbal aromas and flavors. Super smooth tannins make for a silky texture. Definitely in its prime! — 2 years ago

with Angelina

Mike Holzer

9.1

Pre dinner wine at Dead Sea resort jordan. Med to full bodied. Black fruit tobacco anise. Nice tannins. — 4 years ago

with Ania

Michael Hung

9.4

Nose has cherry, leather, herbaceous and spice notes. Medium plus acidity, smooth tannins, full bodied Pinot Noir. Tons of red fruit, with notes of black cherry, young strawberry. Secondary notes of oak and vanilla. Short finish, but works well as a package. Great with food cause it is after all, a Pinot Noir. High 14.5% ABV for a Pinot as well, but it opens up nicely and is not closed off. Very pleasant wine to drink! — 4 years ago

Galen Hasler

9.2

2016. Dense structured best on day 2. Classic PN fruit black raspberry, forest floor bacon — 5 years ago

Alex Spoto

9.5

Have you ever enjoyed a black arkansas apple? Barraco’s pignatello lifts with a nice acid, savory tart black & blue fruit, and the characteristic sea brine. Plum stew nonne perfume black olive. Spritely ballast to rich tomato bb octopus sugo. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

The White Burgundy was excellent but, still have to have my BSR 375ml. It’s been awhile for us.

It is a little better tonight following the Burgundy & soft white cheese.

The nose on this bottle really flows out of the glass tonight. Beautiful lean fruits of; blackberries, black cherries, cherries, strawberries, watermelon near the rind, blood orange, orange & tangerine & some pomegranate. Crisp volcanic minerals, saline, sea fossils, baguette crust, vanillin, whiff of caramel, soft white spice, pink flowers and rose pedals.

Everything on the palate sings just a little louder tonight as well. Fruits are even a little richer than normal. Ripe & slightly gummy not as normal leaner fruits of; blackberries, black cherries, cherries, strawberries, watermelon near the rind, blood orange, orange & tangerine & some pomegranate. Crisp and grippy, volcanic minerals, beautiful softer, powdery chalkiness w/o quite the sharper edge it normally has, soft, hints of Provence herbs, saline, sea fossils, baguette crust, vanillin, whiff of caramel, soft white spice, pink flowers and rose pedals. The acidity is crisp, lively and dead on as alway. The long, rich, well balanced finish is deliciously refreshing and persists minutes.

Photos of; one of their Grand Cru Vineyards at sunset & inside and the Estate grounds of the House of Billecart, — 6 years ago

Jon Ebsworth

8.9

Nice balance of fruit and tannin. Black currant notes. Bought on a work trip 10 years ago and nice to finally open and try this. — 7 years ago