Bright Willow Winery

L'Aventure

Estate Cuvée Willow Creek District Red Blend 2018

Quite a gem from L’Aventure — a month ago

Jan liked this

Produttori del Barbaresco

Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2020

Yet another outstanding vintage (2020) of this consistently excellent Co-Op produced Barbaresco. Aromas of red fruit, dried rose petals and anise. Flavors of bright red cherry and raspberry fruit, mint, Asian spices, minerals and orange zest. Long and earthy/smoky finish. Fantastic balance, structure and depth. Fine grained tannins and a silky texture yet still firm and powerful. So delicious now, but built to age for at least another decade. The quality consistency of this wine vintage to vintage is incredible. Outstanding value! Thanks so much for opening this one, Keith S! Happy 60th Birthday, Karyn! — 2 months ago

Tom and Dave liked this
Dave

Dave

Yes!

Louis Roederer

Cristal Brut Champagne 2016

Elegance in a bottle. Bright, pale straw color, with big bubbles. Nutty, ripe peach, lemon and chalk aromas. Grapefruit, lemon and a mineral finish. Superb!

🏅96 Points - Wine Spectator
— 4 months ago

Billy, Doug and 24 others liked this
Tegan Marriott

Tegan Marriott

Des bulles pour la vie!!!

Marcel Lapierre

Raisins Gaulois Gamay

M S
9.0

Bright and cloudy with a slight funk finish — 6 months ago

Krug

Brut Champagne Blend 2006

From mag. Bright and sharp and light. Distinguished. Very good — 7 months ago

Bex Green
with Bex
Ira, Juan and 6 others liked this

Domaine François Raveneau

Montée de Tonnerre Chablis 1er Cru Chardonnay 2008

From mag. Beautiful stuff. Lime, slate, honeysuckle, pear. Fresh and bright with a light salinity. Great texture and mouthfeel. Delicious and long. This is all in place- the best mdt I’ve tasted. Lovely. — 8 months ago

Bex GreenWalker StrangisDavid Schachter
with Bex, Walker and 1 other
Bob, Jan and 8 others liked this

Bonneau du Martray

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Chardonnay 2020

Pop and pour 375ml. A brilliant medium gold color. On the nose: lemon, floral, oyster shells, saline. Taste: bright, chalky wine with apple, lemon, floral, caramel and a nice never-ending finish. YUM! young and will improve. — 10 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Brenda, Dave and 14 others liked this

Produttori del Barbaresco

Langhe Nebbiolo 2023

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2023 pours a bright garnet color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of raspberries, pomegranate, rose bushes in bloom, licorice, gravelly earth and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. This was a perfect red for duck confit outside on a warm day. Drink now through 2033. — a month ago

Tom, Joel and 9 others liked this

L'Aventure

Optimus Estate Willow Creek District Red Blend 2022

2022 vintage. Fave of the three new 2022 red releases-Côte A Côte, Optimus Estate Estate Reserve-and also the most affordable. 3.11.26. — 3 months ago

Ted, "Odedi" and 11 others liked this
Daniel Bloom

Daniel Bloom

Send some to the East Coast at a West Coast price Si Vous Plait.
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego Premium Badge

@Daniel Bloom Not the biggest Paso Robles guy but this winery makes great stuff. Gorgeous wine country to visit-especially in Spring. Summer is a tad toasty.

Dom Pérignon

Brut Champagne Blend 2008

Gorgeous pear and bright lemon. Minerals and salinity. Great focus. Excellent — 5 months ago

David Schachter
with David
Douglas, Jay and 8 others liked this
Jay Kline

Jay Kline Influencer Badge Premium Badge

This is only going to get better

L'Aventure

Estate Willow Creek District Rosé Blend 2018

[Tasted on November 23, 2025 at Home]

Purchased during October 2019 visit to winery in Paso Robles. 40% Syrah; 25% Grenache; 24% Mourvèdre; 8% Petit Verdot; 3% Graciano. Strawberry, watermelon, white peach and mandarin orange fruit, with notes of rose petal, herbs de Provence and saline.
— 7 months ago

Gramercy Cellars

Lagniappe Red Willow Syrah 2020

Purple in color with medium intensity and a wide purplish rim.

Fruit forward on the nose with earth and chocolate notes.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing red and black fruits with light wood, spices, coffee, earth, dark chocolates, light vegetables and black pepper.

Nice length on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This Single Vineyard Syrah feels more like a Grenache than a Syrah. Showing nice balance between the fruits and earth notes.

Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years and see how it evolves.

Easy drinking and good by itself or with food.

100% whole Cluster Syrah grapes were aged in (8% New) French oak barrels for 21 months.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$65.
— 8 months ago

Tom, Dave and 6 others liked this

Château d'Yquem

Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2001

Outrageous. Intense pretty and bright. Lemon curd, orange rind, lifted zesty fruit. Just spectacular — 8 months ago

Matt LichtenbergDavid Schachter
with Matt and David
Ceccherini, Jeroen and 8 others liked this

Domaine François Raveneau

Butteaux Chablis 1er Cru Chardonnay 2012

Very fresh and bright. Merlin and hints of lime. Slate and salinity. Great presence on the mid palate and a long way to go still. Very good — 10 months ago

Dave, Tom and 11 others liked this

La Caña

Rías Baixas Albariño

An enjoyable summer wine. Starts off with bright acidity and finishes with a creamy texture. — 2 months ago

Jean Foillard

Côte du Py Morgon Gamay 2023

Very nice choice by the Sommelier at Pastis in Nashville to pair with both grilled Branzino and Boeuf Bourguignon. (I know.). Bright, a bit astringent, fruit forward, with some structure but not too much. — 3 months ago

Chateau Montelena

Napa Valley Chardonnay 2023

Pale gold and bright with citrus, higher acidity, pear, and saline. — 4 months ago

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

Somm David T
9.4

I remember when the 2005 Pichon Lalande was reviewed by RP, 89. I saw that & said, you would have to get in the way of the 2005 Bordeaux vintage to be that sad. I still bought 6 at a bargain basement price. A very good idea post 20 yrs+. Both Pichon’s don’t have a modern day history of getting in the way of a good vintage.

I also bought this one. 18 yrs in bottle and still acending. This will hold 5 more yrs and will last another 10 yrs properly stored.

I have visited Bordeaux 11 times. This chateau visually is still my favorite. It was showing a picture of this chateau to Sofia that launched our first visit. Sofia loved it and we have stared at it multiple times on every visit.

It was in our visit in 2007, I stood in the estate vineyard, looked & tasted their soils. After doing so, I said, “I get it.” I understood everything about what I was tasting in Left Bank Bordeaux’s early in my wine journey.

Sofia and I had dinner w/ Christian Moueix not long after the 2005 vintage was hyped/released. She asked him, when did you know you had something special?” He said, “as soon as I tasted the fruit at harvest.”

Tonight, it shows that it is a close relative, a sibling to Pichon Longueville. Cork, perfect.

The nose shows; classic left bank traits. Ripe, dark, brooding fruits, bright, mid berries, red cola, leather, tobacco, sandalwood, leather, led pencil, dark rich earth, limestone, dry river stone, hint of mushrooms, dark, red, fresh & withering florals.

The fruits on the palate show everything outstanding from the 2005 growing season. Ripe, juicy, brilliant; dark currants, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum skin, black cherries, baked/poached strawberries & some hovering raspberries. Dark chocolate bar to pudding, red cola, anise, dark spices w/ palate heat, dark, rich earth w/ dry leaves, pronounced graphite, dry tobacco, leather, limestone, dry twig, dry river stone, moist clays, moist herbs, cedar to sandalwood, withering & dry, dark flowers, red roses, some lavender & violets, beautiful rainfall acidity, excellent; balance, tension, structure, length w/ an elegant finish that lasts minutes and lands on spice & earth.

13.4 ABV. Nice.

#TheTwoHourRibcap

This held up vacuumed sealed the same night, refrigerated & enjoyed exactly a week later.
— 5 months ago

Peter, Scott@Mister and 16 others liked this
Bob McDonald

Bob McDonald Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@Somm David T A wonderful story David and I can see how you could fall in love with that photo of the Chateau.
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

@Bob McDonald Thank you. Cheers! 🍷

Ameztoi

Rubentis Getariako Txakolina Hondarrabi Beltza Hondarrabi Zuri Rosé Blend

The 2024 Ameztoi “Rubentis” carries a subtle, almost rose gold hue in the glass. The nose contains bright red berry notes, but it’s on the palate where this wine absolutely shines.

The blend of hondarrabi zuri and hondarrabi beltza are at the heart of the wine, but its real beauty stems from the method to its marriage.

Both grapes are hand-picked, but then placed in hoppers from where they are de-stemmed together, then pressed together, then allowed to naturally ferment together. Towards the end of the process the tanks are closed to preserve the naturally occurring carbonation.

As is traditional/preferred method in Getaria, the tanks themselves are kept near freezing to solidify the blend’s effervescent character.

The result is a robust-yet-effervescent rose whose roots date back to the late 1800’s.

The craft used to make this very wine made rose popular in the Baque region of Spain LONG before rose became so popular around the world.
— 8 months ago

Beth Zitzman
with Beth

Billecart-Salmon

Brut Rosé Champagne Chardonnay Blend 2019

Bright, fruits, fine mousse, clean, pleasantly sweet, long taste — 2 years ago

Krystal Lemons
with Krystal