William Goldsmith

9.7

Elegant as Bevan goes. Not quite Parker 100 but quite good, esp for 2011. I’ve raised the rating twice. — 19 days ago

with Harry and Ryann

Bob McDonald

8.9

Tasted the red version from 2015 a few nights ago. This is pale to mid Lemon in colour. Citrus peel and a tiny bit of oak on the nose. Light to medium bodied with nice texture and citric acid tension. The majority of this cuvée is drawn from 60 year old vines rooted in a single site in Meursault called Les Millerands (so named because of the small bunches and berries that result in this terroir. ) Les Millerands is on the Puligny side of Meursault. The wine was raised in 12 hectolitre cask for 12 months before spending a few months resting in tank. Not complex - juicy and ready to drink. — a month ago

Evgenievna

9.7

I’ve been scripting the life philosophies of those closest to me:
1. My parents’ determinist universe: born into a predetermined script, Can’t veer too far from you class, status, culture, genetic talents. You still have to work hard to attain what can be yours. You can fail, become an alcoholic, waste your birth given place in life. But you can also ease in to life knowing things were meant to be certain ways for everyone.

2. I see life as a pinball game. You get spat out like a ball. Bump up against various circumstances. Some can keep the game going by feeding it more quarters. Others learn the rules or teqnique better. Some enjoy it. Some just float through. In the end we all end up in the same hole.

3. Ivison’s are in an action adventure. No plot. Typical characters. Loads of special effects and a ride.

4. Tim? He has a strong sense of right and wrong, fair and unfair. His life philosophy comes close to a balance board.
— a month ago

Doug Cranmer

9.5

A Santa Barbara County Proprietary Red Wine. Unfiltered and unfined. Entirely constructed of Estrella-clone Syrah from two ends of the Santa Rita Hills and a sprinkling of Viognier. Native-yeast fermented with 40% whole cluster inclusion and raised in large neutral barrels for 26-months. Matthias’ expression of great Syrah from a great Syrah growing region, cool coastal vineyards north of Santa Barbara. Recommended to a little above cellar temperature.

NOSE
Young boysenberries. Steeping Darjeeling tea. A hint of barbecue smoke drifts by.

COLOR/MOUTHFEEL
The color of a deep burgundy Chrysler Cordoba. Big, velvety mouthfeel, but not Corinthian leather.

TASTE/FINISH
Taste: Black cherries, just before 100% ripe. A touch of blueberry pie, but savory, not sweet. Finish: A finish of black pepper with a touch of cocoa nib at the last few touches of finish. Juicy, bustling tannins right to the point where you think they’re a touch too bold, but then the finish reaches over and says “I believe you were mistaken”.

MUSIC
Jazz trumpeter Jeremy Pelt with the track “I’ve Just Seen Her” on his album “The Art of Intimacy”. The Jazz Crusaders with the track “Young Rabbits” from their “Festival Album”, 1966, recorded live at the Newport and Pacific Jazz Festivals. — 4 days ago

Paul T- Huntington Beach

9.2

👍🏼
Retail notes,

Perched above the Dão river that snakes its way through granite valleys, the Adega de Penalva is one of the leading cooperatives in the area. The group boasts around a thousand member growers, but it’s important to note that the average holding per member amounts to barely over a hectare. From these small plots they craft simple but delicious wines with a real sense of place. This wine is 40% Encruzado, with 30% Malvasia and 30% Cerceal, hand-harvested, fully destemmed and fermented and raised in stainless steel. — a month ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

Every major holiday demands a celebratory wine. This Saturday Labor Day weekend, it’s a 1986 Leoville Las Cases.

The other weekend, we had Ribcap’s with a good Bordeaux & Napa Cabernet but, it was not what I was looking for with an Allen Brothers Ribcap. Allen Brothers steaks are the top 1% of beef in the country.

This 86 Leoville Las Cases started slow but, in short order excelled. The cork (not from my storage) made me hesitate to an extended decant. Even with the Durand corkscrew, it was a little tricky to remove the cork. However, the wine was still sound.

My favorite pairing is a Ribcap & an old Bordeaux. For me, no meal is slower or better. I grew up the youngest in a family of seven...raised by a single mother. My father passed away while I was four months conceived. So, we ate fast and fought for every scrap.

The nose reveals classic Bordeaux notes & style. Ripe, funky barnyard fruits of; cooked; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, strawberries, black plum, dark cherries, slight dry cranberries, pomegranate, blueberries & rhubarb. Steeped tea, cola/red licorice, anise, golden brown to slightly burnt pie crust, dark, rich, turned earth, dry stones, limestone, cedar notes, old tobacco, underbrush, graphite, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, bay leaf, hints of eucalyptus/mint, old, soft leather, touch of mushrooms, just a hint of band-aid/va, with bright, fresh & withering; dark, red, blue, purple flowers framed is soft violets.

The palate is; smooth, elegant, ripe and juicy. The 86 still shows some baby, slightly tarry & teethe tannins. The structure, tension, balance and length are incredible. This 86 has years of life ahead of it if you enjoy them at this age and older as I do. Ripe, funky barnyard fruits of; cooked; blackberries, dark cherries, black, strawberries, black plum, dark cherries, slight dry cranberries, pomegranate, blueberries, faint raspberries notes, & rhubarb. Steeped tea, cola/red licorice, anise, golden brown to slightly burnt pie crust, crispy toast, dark, rich, turned earth, dry river stones, charcoal w/ ash, limestone/sandstone, dry clay, cedar notes, old tobacco with ash, underbrush, graphite, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, bay leaf, some vegetal characteristics, hints of eucalyptus/mint, old, soft leather, touch of mushrooms, used expresso grounds, dark chocolate, caramel, mocha powder, hints of band-aid/va, with bright, fresh & withering; dark, red, blue, purple flowers framed is soft violets. The acidity is a gentle rain shower and perfect. The long finish defines elegance, balance in fruit & earth, well knitted and goes on for several minutes in perfect harmony ending with dry earth & juiciness over the top.

What a treat it is to drink Bordeaux of this age & older. I love the style of 80’s Bordeaux and really appreciate the 12-13% ABV of that decade. Wish that never changed.

Not sure this makes it to 2060 but, there is still plenty of life in it. Don’t be afraid to decant it 1-2 hours without question on well stored bottles.

Photos of; Chateau Leoville Las Cases, old large wood vats, their archway you see as you enter the property from the D2 & staff working their Estate vines. — 2 months ago

Anthony De Blasi

9.2

Raised in ‘cocciopesto’ which is an amphora kind of barrel based on clay and lime. Very fruit forward, soft tannins. Way better than I expected. Good job!
— a month ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Founded by McDonald "Don" Blackburn, born in Virginia, studied and worked in Burgundy before returning to America. Production of this wine aimed primarily for the restaurant business, i recently found a bottle on a wine list for half price, wow what a steal. Aromas of sweet berry fruit with spiced notes. The palate shows developed ripe red fruit, oak, spice and mineral notes. Soft tannins, elegantly balanced, vivid acidity, lingering finish ending with mineral notes. Wow! — 25 days ago

Ron R

9.3

Born from the roots of My Favorite Neigbor, you can taste the pedigree from beginning to end in this second label. Almost bombastic as it explodes on the palate, but just stops short. The components of this blend are not quite fully integrated - something sharpish is protruding, which could be the petit verdot? Nothing that a year or two in the bottle wouldn’t sort out. Huge concentration of dark fruits, are laced with sweetness and loamy soil. Full-throttle tannins let you know that this wine isn’t going anywhere for a good few years. — a month ago

with Anne-marie

MICHAEL COOPER

Owner TomeVinos wine shops, WSET Level 3, Blogger www.spanishwinesandmore.com, blog.tomevinos.com

9.2

We tasted a lot of wines in #montalcino and this is the bottle we bought to take home with us. Delicious and generous. #brunello ANNUAL PRODUCTION:
30.000/35.000 bott.
​
PRODUCTION AREA:
The vineyards are in the hills of Montalcino, at different heights and with a sun exposure until sunset. The age of the vineyards from which we select the grapes destined to produce Brunello is more than 20 years. Average altitude of the vineyards: 250 mt s.l.m.
​
SOIL:
Tuffaceous clay, very rich in fossils.
​
GRAPE VARIETY:
Large Sangiovese 100%.
​
TRAINING SYSTEM:
bilateral and balanced cordon.
​
DENSITY FOR HECTARE:
5.500
​
PRODUCTION SYSTEM:
The vineyards are subject to thinning of bunches, the average criteria is, in good vintages, three bunches of five stay on. The grapes thus obtained are further selected in the cellar, where they are processed according to the old tradition. It proceeds to intense extraction in the early stages of fermentation, followed by long quiescent maceration on the marc; the maximum temperature is raised up to 33 °C and maintained at high values until the racking. The ageing in wood lasts 36 months in oak barrels from Slavonia hl 17.50. It follows bottle ageing for 12 months far beyond the mandatory minimum of four months from production regulations. — 2 months ago