Scott Soren

9.1

Lovely Bordeaux blend from Paso Robles. Wife of Herman Story wines makes great juice herself. — 3 days ago

Ely Cohn

9.3

A little bit upset. This might be my last time with the wonderful Broc Cellars Sparkling Chenin. It would appear they’ve moved on, dedicating the 2017 sparkling to Valdigue (which I’ll review shortly). But the Chenin is so stinking good. It has an elegance and lighthandedness that you wouldn’t expect. It has the spirit of Cremant.

Aromatically there is tarragon, white flowers, and damp dough. Then there is underripe citrus with lemon drop, nutmeg, and light honeyed flavors that become a spiced poppyseed lemon coffee cake I remember eating as a kid.

Been real Broc Chenin. — 21 days ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

From Clos Pepe, Radian, Fiddlestix & Bentrock vineyards, aged for 10 months in French oak (45% new), aromas of ripe red berry fruits and complex spice. On the palate cherry and raspberry flavors with notes of tea and pepper wrapped in smoky oak. Fine tannins, nicely balanced lingering ending with an earthy mineral tang. — 2 days ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

JWC founded by Craig Jaffurs, known for his Rhone blends, & released his first commercial wine in 1994. Craig turned the business over to Dan & Janelle Green in 2016. This is made with 100% Roussanne, which is a bit unusual as there is usually a blend. 100% of the Roussanne is aged on French oak (12% new), reflecting aromas of tropical fruit, floral and notes of honey. On the palate pineapple and apricot with bright acidity and a touch of citrus spice. Medium finish, elegant, ending with a gentle sweetness. Very nice! Tasting Sample!
— 9 days ago

Chris England

9.4

II’ve loved all the Sandhi 2012 range of whites & this £65 S&B is superb 👍 Paired with enough curry to get a small village going regular for a week 🤣 💨 sorry I didn’t take pics of that feast 😁

📍 Sandhi Sandford & Benedict Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay 2012 @sandhiwines

🏵 94 points

🍷 Golden yellow

👃 Chopped pineapple, crushed rock mineral, lemon oil, key lime pie, honey gloop & white jasmine flowers w/ light oak, vanilla & apple

👄 Med+ body of creamy refreshing clean tropical & citrus yummyness without being overly syrupy & a hit of green apple, pineapple, honey & minerality in med acidity

🎯 Med+ fresh apple, citrus & tropical trickle w/ a dry mineral honeyed pineapple slapette — 12 hours ago

Bill Bender

9.0

It’s been called “the greatest wine you’ve never heard of” or a true “unicorn” wine but is inarguably an under the radar California legend. In the early 2000’s it ran away with the title at a CA recreation of the 1976 Judgment of Paris. Google the wine and learn a little about Mario Gemello and this vintage in particular. Fun stuff. This was over the hill IMO but gets a 90 for coolness factor alone. From the master of the Durand @Matthew Beckman — 2 months ago

Tom Casagrande

9.3

Fantastic wine. Nose has a lot going on. Ripe pear, cold butter, lanolin, wet stones with algae clinging from them plucked from a (non polluted) river. Rich and large-framed in the mouth. A nice bitter note builds, along with a nice bit of acidity, in the very long finish. I popped it with pasta carbonara, and it was magical. — 3 days ago

"Odedi"

8.9

Time for #MerlotThursday. Here is a great Merlot from California.

A pretty color of dark ruby, with a wide reddish/ burgundy rim.

Great nose of cherries, blueberries, cedar, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco leaf, earth and mocha.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with cherries, sweet strawberries, raspberries, light vanilla, oak, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, leather, earth, peppercorn, pencil lead and red candy.

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

This is a nice surprise. This 5 year old Merlot from Santa Clara Valley in California is drinking very nicely now. Showing a nice mouthfeel with nice complexity.

Needs an hour to open up properly and come to its own.

At some point the nose reminded me of a Napa Cabernet, as it changed in the glass every 10 minutes, which was a wonderful experience, as I got to taste different wines in the same glass 😉

Would age nicely in the next 3 to 5 years.

I paired it with cheeses and light appetizers.

A blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec. Aged for 36 months in oak barrels (25% New).

14.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$24. — 10 days ago

Ned Gray Creed

9.5

One sniff and I can already tell. That is going to be good. Real good. Like scary good. Not messing around good. Good in the way that winning the lottery would be good. — 10 days ago

Shay A

9.3

Hello whole cluster! Wow, this is so delicious right now. For my palate preference, I enjoy whole cluster pinots with a bit of age on them. Very floral and potpourri dominant aromatics. It’s got that streak of pepper/green stem down the middle of the palate sandwiched between underripe blackberry and sage. — 2 days ago

with Dan and Mark