Danny O'Brien

9.2

Very pretty Oregon Pinot, loads of strawberry on the nose as well as violet & whipped cream, lush on the palate without being an overbearing fruit bomb. Present, somewhat grippy tannins and a touch of acidity, feels like a bigger, bolder Pinot but doesn't buckle under its own weight — 6 months ago

Tom Garland

9.4

Only 10 cases produced (best Pritchard Hill cabernet lots, 22 months new French oak). Premiere Napa Valley - auction of very unique small lot one-off wines from Napa.

1.5 hour decant (lots of chunky sediment). A stunning inky dark purplish garnet color with little signs of aging. On the nose: dark plum, currants, floral, spice, cherry, tobacco, creme de cassis. Taste: WOW, had to buckle my seat belt....soft, rich, juicy, elegant, and balanced wine with blackberry, minerals, cedar, red plum, crushed rocks, and a beautiful black licorice long finish. YUM. Cheers! — 5 years ago

Tom Garland

9.5

+3 hour decant. An intimidating inky dark purple color. Served just above cellar temp. On the nose: perfumed with blueberry/cherry, meaty with a little funk, soil, pencil lead, leather all burst from the glass. Taste: Buckle Up......Big, pure, rich, creamy wine with black cherry, milk chocolate, tar, crushed rock, cinnamon and a grapefruit leather dry long finish. Tannins not fully resolved....had to pop one bottle young and will wait a few years for the next bottle....still, really enjoying the ride tonight! — 6 years ago

with Brenda

Tim Casady

9.0

1, 2, buckle... — 6 years ago

with Kristin

Tom Garland

9.5

2014 - year of the horse

Double decant and pour. A medium dark ruby red color. Buckle up, your going to enjoy this ride. On the nose: sweet raspberry, forest floor, some vegi, slight menthol, with a little cinnamon. Taste: black cherry, gravel, minerals, currents, with a smokey graphite long finish. A rich, soft, savory mouthfeel (this is no cherry cola Russian River bomb).

West slope is a limited production wine from the middle portion of the west slope block in their Carneros vineyard...get some if you can and give it some time in the cellar.. — 6 years ago

with Brenda

Shay A

9.2

Jack & Arden put together a wonderful evening of delicious food and great wines, and a few of us attendees contributed some bottles to enjoy as well. Great night!

The epitome of full throttle. Buckle up and hold on. Like rocket fuel! Baked blue and black fruit pie and dark cocoa shavings on the nose. High octane on the palate, with a chocolate a-la-mode and creme de cassis finish. Very cool @Benjamin Keator — 8 years ago

with Arden, Jack and 3 others

M. Christopher Roebuck

8.9

It's got that thing that I hate. Will do my best to give it time.

Well, I can't buckle under the pressure of pros and prior reviewers. This sucks. I don't like their base cab nor this reserve. I'm not sure what I'm missing. But no.....

89 points — 8 years ago

Amelia

9.7

Love this blend. It's very smooth with a vanilla front and plums and cherries in the back and just a hint of pepper. Just beautiful colors of dark burgundy. I think the bourbon barrel does really have an influence on this wine! — 4 years ago

Tom Garland

9.5

Abreu....really needs + 10 years to shine. A 1.5 hour decant. A glorious deep murky dark burgundy color with just a little bricking. On the nose: Kaboom! Big nose of dark cherry/plum, funky stewed meat, cassis, sweet mocha, wet forest floor, and a slight menthol. Taste: Buckle up and hold on to the guard rails!!! A creamy, rich, layered full body wine with dark cherry, chocolate, cassis, minerals, and a long earthy cedar finish. In its drinking window, pop one if you got em. Cheers! — 5 years ago

with Brenda

Ely Cohn

9.3

I buckle for the strawberry blonde color in Free Mouse every single time. Fall spiced Chenin apples and bright red cherries. — 6 years ago

Tom Garland

9.5

2 hour decant (lots of chunky sediment). A triumphant inky dark ruby red with just a little bricking. Wow!......Buckle your seat belts for this Stags Leap "iron fist in a velvet glove" wine!! On the nose: BIG nose with creme brulee, currants, red fruit, touch of smokey bbq. Taste: velvety mix of red/blue fruit, chocolate espresso, pencil lead, and currants. Some slightly grippy tannins slide into a spicy tart cherry long finish. What a treat to drink this Sat. night. — 6 years ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.5

1.5 hour decant (lots of fine cloudy sediment)...really needs a 2 hour decant for the nose and taste to open up. A phenomenal deep dark garnet color..little signs of aging. Buckle your seat belts..the wine was fresh, full body with great structure. On the nose: floral, pine tree, cedar, dark fruit, currents. Taste: Big chocolate, dark cherry, tobacco with a touch of tannic bite on a smoky pencil lead long finish. — 6 years ago

with Brenda

Roman Sukley

10

2005 Sine Qua Non "The 17th Nail in My Cranium" Sta. Rita Hills Syrah
Buckle your chinstraps folks because tonight we’re headed to the wine world equivalent of the summit of Mt. Everest. The absolute pinnacle in the Universe of wine for yours truly. The “it just don’t get any better than this” moment as far as grapes are concerned. Let me begin first with the name of this magic elixir. If memory serves, it was derived from a combination of the fact that this was the 17th Syrah produced in the Garage d’Or otherwise known as Sine Qua Non, and, in that same year, Manfred was felled by a rogue barrel requiring several staples to close the gash to his cranium, hence... "The 17th Nail in My Cranium"
The wine is a blend of 96.5% Syrah and 3.5% Viognier which was aged 38+ months prior to bottling. % alcohol. 4 hour decant at cellar temperature. Achromatic Raven black motor oil in my Zalto. Undoubtedly, the wines I find most compelling are of the “swirl, sniff and contemplate” variety, and this one might just set the benchmark. Explosive aromatic potpourri of blackberry jam, roasted coffee, fresh ground black pepper, graphite and spice with a faint floral arrangement lurking somewhere in the background. On the palate, sweet cherry compote and black currant with undertones of roasted game and black olives. A big, full bodied wine that’s light on its feet. A tightrope walker. A powerhouse with impeccable manners. Elegant and lithesome. A ballet dancer. Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov in his prime. Complex, with layers of flavors in beautiful, perfect harmony. Crosby, Stills & Nash singing “Suite Judy Blue Eyes.” The Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations.” Perfect balance. Pure, silky mouth feel. Immeasurable finish. And I mean that literally, as in it just continues on and on. Just utter perfection. A wine that is in fact so entirely perfect as to eliminate the need for a search for an alternative. The last word. To paraphrase The Bard, this wine “might (just) be the be-all and the end-all.”

— 8 years ago

Ron R

9.4

Just a really good IPA. It checks in at 8.6 % abv, so buckle up. Very hazy in the glass. I assume this is unfiltered. Lots of citrus fruits are moderated by the tart hoppy notes. Finishes with caramel and bright acidity. If you can locate this, fill yer boots! — 5 years ago

Tom Garland

9.5

1.5 hour decant(decent chunky cloudy sediment). An imposing inky purplish garnet color. On the nose: A beautifully expressive nose with sweet blackberry, currant, anise, smoke, floral, chocolate creme brulee. Taste: Wow! Had to buckle my seat belt...elegant , rich wine with dark cherry, spice, charcoal, earthy, leading to a cocoa cedar Dry long finish. Firm tannnis.....this powerful (15% alc) still coiled wine wants 3-4 more years to start showing its best and a better score to come!!! Cheers! — 6 years ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.6

One hour decant(decent amount of sediment). A sumptuous dark ruby red with some bricking. On the nose: Sweet perfume jumps from the glass with black cherry, floral, black olives, and a minty menthol. Let's you know to buckle up....a 4 point harness system buckle up!! Taste: Sweet tannins coat the mouth with dark fruit and jolts of red plum, mocha, cedar, and toasty oak.

A full body, juicy wine with great acidity. A pencil lead/mineral looong finish. Drinking great now and will go another 10 years. Got 2 more bottles...YES!! — 6 years ago

with Brenda

Sean Herriott

8.9

Loaded with blueberry jam flavors...and notes of blueberry jam. Buckle up! — 7 years ago

Bobby Gilbane

9.5

Just make sure you buckle up before engaging the warp drive. — 7 years ago

Fredrik Finn

9.1

Such a cool wine and wonderful interpretation of this obscure variety. Perhaps not for all, but do embrace it, buckle up, and experience the rowdy playfulness of the tannins and the vibrant freshness that is keeping the wine tight and bone dry and bringing the wine forward, everything balanced by a complete mid palate that is keeping the wine far from being hollow. Transparent but with plenty of substance, both to drink without thought and for more philosophical drinking occasions. — 8 years ago

Nicholas Costin

9.2

Buckle in for a wild ride on the funky train — 9 years ago