2018 vintage. Mint, cinnamon, molasses, spent coffee grounds, cassis and orange peel compose the bouquet. Medium body but medium/big tannins. Orange-based tea and earthy finish. Meanders in an endearing manner with just enough richness to coat and mitigate multiple astringent flavors…and ultimately…comes into focus pushing a really delicious balance. Ignore at your own peril/price point. — 5 years ago
Lots of floral notes, and a little bigger body than I'd expect for PG. Tasty! — 6 years ago
Double decant (lots of chunky sediment) and pour. A noble dark garnet color with little browning on the edges. On the nose: beautiful.....that sweet aged cab aroma with blue fruit, black olives, green veggies, eucalyptus, crushed rocks. Taste: Red plum, chocolate espresso, pencil lead, some blackberry. Beautiful sweet tannins coat the mouth....such a elegant, rich wine with a long finish. — 6 years ago

Tasted single blind - Rich and spicy. Baking spices think nutmeg. Stewed strawberry. Lifted rose pedal aromas. Darker fruit, black cherry, with linear acidity and coating tannin. Firm, needs air and likely more time in the cellar. — 7 years ago
Dear friends of ours, a couple so delightful in spirit that they adopt aged, abandoned dogs, clean them up and make sure they have the most sublime last few years of their lives, invited us over to visit their latest pooch. Their newly rescued fourteen year old terrier, Audrey, was looking vibrant with glossy coat and waggy tail. A far cry from the dusty critter from the shelter's photograph.
Audrey wasn't the only aging beauty that our friends shared with us that evening. They very kindly opened this 1986 Robert Mondavi. Despite its age, at thirty two the wine retained a good deal of freshness with focused aromatics. High toned fruit, dried leaves and subtle leather combine on the palate and evolve through the long finish. Like Audrey, my tail was wagging. — 8 years ago



Big nose of yellow fruit preserves and alcohol freshness, with notes of brûlée and vanilla weaved within. Medium bodied and golden hued, this is such a refined wine at such a young age, with a zippy acidic energy and flavors of overripe yellow fruits, oranges. and a loooong lingering finish. — 3 months ago
Not a usual Cali drinker so am surprised by the depth and drinkability from a petit syrah. — 5 years ago
Very tasty light and not sugary Sauvignon Blanc! — 6 years ago
2000 Ch. Smith Haut Lafitte. Nose of dry dusty earth with dried cherries. Color is plum red with lightish edges. Dried cherries coat the tongue with essences of french oak and cool gravel. Well rounded body with light tannins. Finishes balanaced with dryness, tart, cherries, and slight eucalyptus. Decanted two hours. 94. (1-5-2020) — 6 years ago
Well balanced field blend that goes with just about everything. — 8 years ago
1 hour decant (lots of chunky/fine sediment). A stunning still dark ruby red with some purple hues. On the nose: blackberry, rich potting soil, slight menthol, little green veggie and black olives, floral. Taste: smooth wine, silky tannins coat the mouth with some dark cherries, bitter chocolate, soy sauce, pepper, and a metallic cedar dry finish. Seems like it should be drunk sooner than later, but holding its own at 20 years. — 4 years ago

This Gamay looks like a Cabernet Franc as it is so tightly wrapped in a fruity coat. But at taste the suppleness of the fabric immediately betrays it and tells you straightforwardly about Gamay, the better to invite you to even more festivities. A little sunny summer jewel in the heart of a winter.. Happy, fresh. Easy. Red-fruited with raspberry and strawberry, no noticeable tannin, but a finish. — 5 years ago
I may have given other sour beers a 10, but this takes the cake. Insanely well balanced. What sets this apart is the underlying creaminess with tannin. I wonder if it’s from apricot pits. Huge apricot flavor and sour complexity. Perfect bubbles coat your entire palate. I was not expecting to buy into the hype of this so hard. Would love to do an apricot sour tasting to see what others (SARA, Rare Bareel) are like next to this. — 5 years ago
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


Had another bottle, Wow! Laura Catena, 4th gen winemaker, grew up in Argentine-Italian winemaking family in Mendoza. Wines, named after her children - Luca, Dante & Nicola - background of the label is the McDermott coat of arms of her American husband, Daniel McDermott. Single-vineyard wine from land belonging to the Laborde family. Deep red with big ripe fruits & smoky oak. Palate plum & jammy blackberry, spice with nice earthy character. Tannins are a bit rustic, lingering ending with toasty oak & spice. — 7 years ago
Kurt Schuster
One of those times they can’t claim to be a professional and just describe what I’m saying. Unfiltered, the wine is cloudy intention because it definitely affects the taste. You just get a bit of Dusty greediness in the flavor and while the smell is pure and clean crisp. The taste has a bit of exposure you gonna have to chew what’s going on. Lemon curd, waxy, unripe peach, some greedy dust from you not washing your fruits before you eat them. The acidity is there, but with the unfiltered nitrate seems like it doesn’t fully express the structure but it’s interesting because I haven’t had a wine like this so I don’t really know what I’m talking about. It seems like it’s a tight wine at the same time. There’s something in there that just makes it linger and chew and coat your tongue. Really enjoyed it completely.  — a month ago