David Kline

9.3

Deep black heart with star bright reflection. Nose of pipe tobacco and black plum are pierced by bitumen, pepper and licorice, black bread toast and grilled meat. On the palate, tart black cherries lead red cherries with dark juice bordering reduction, tobacco is prevalent but moist and sweet; graphite, smoke and charred oak just hinting. 2015 vintage in magnum making a more cohesive statement on day two. Baked fruits and bricking show the years, but unwavering quality and tannin keeping it chewy, luscious and solid rim to rim. Lovely Rosso Veneto to champion all comforts.



#LaCappuccina #rossoveneto #carmenère #oseleta #veneto #CampoBuri #Tessari #TessaridelaCappuccina #estatebottled — 3 years ago

with Courtney

David Kline

8.9

Light golden color reminiscent of apple juice. Warm apples, baked pineapple, grilled lemon, walnut brioche, pine nut, hazelnut, and Bosc pear and vanilla cooking aromas. There is light Spanish cedar trailing. NorCal wildflower honey meets pine nettle and orange peel on the palate. Cedar plank, green peppercorn, currant leaf, lemon zest, grapefruit oils, and flash of cinnamon oil paints a pleasantly complex narrative of autumn comforts and campfire smokes with brittle caramel bits and bee pollen place it squarely in the meadow. Packs a surprise for those who underestimate it based on pale color. No caramel color here, and no dark shadows. Bright, lively, alive. #compassboxgreatkingstreet #compassbox #compassboxwhisky #scotch #blendedscotch #edinburgh #scotchwhisky #whisky #whiskey #artistsblend #johnglaser #nonchillfiltered — 6 years ago

with Courtney

S.S. Mandani

9.5

Quarantine materials ready. Creature comforts are getting me through this thing. Give me good coffee, pavement to pound, a pen that dances on the page, a worn notebook with still empty pages to fill, jazz weaving the air, and a bottle of wine, and I will kill all the time there is.

A magenta shawl in the glass.

Earth’s fragrance caught in a bottle. Sweet, sweet clay. Leather. Intense plums and orange zest. Sea breeze. This is a memorable and rich bouquet.

Subtle smoke quality reminiscent of the char in the bark of good brisket. A reserved dark fruit quality which is there, but just teases you as a spicy black peppercorn note swings in for a jab. It’s smooth.

An eloquence in the expression and structure. Like a mathematical proof or a line of poetry you cannot easily forget.

It slaps. — 6 years ago

Kirk F

8.9

Nice IPA from the Perth area. Crisp and refreshing with a nice balance of hops, bitterness and citrus. These IPAs are not as plentiful here so I do look forward to the ‘comforts’ of home. — 8 years ago

Randy Fuller

10

The wine has a rich, golden hue and shows an absolutely gorgeous oak effect, just enough to put me in mind of classic California Chardonnay. There is tropical fruit, lemon chess pie and caramel in the whiff as well. The palate is where the old world comes into play. The acidity is right on the money, and only a slight touch of vanilla comforts the apples, pineapple and citrus flavors. The wine is very well balanced and shows great weight, the result of malolactic fermentation which occurred in the barrels and aging on the lees - the spent yeast cells. Eight months of aging in French oak was just right. About a third of that oak was new, the rest neutral. Could be the best Chardonnay I've had. — 11 years ago

Romain Fitoussi

8.9

Cherry dress, charming nose of the Burgundian PN between strawberry, cherry, mushroom, cloves; discreet breeding tip between vanilla and tobacco. In the mouth it is lively, with a mineral marker that imposes itself. Semi-Light body that comforts the breeding tannins. Chanson lays the foundations of Burgundy in what is most essential, magnifying the PN. Easy to drink, elegant. 2019 at its peak.

Robe cerise, nez charmant des pinots-noirs bourguignons entre fraise, cerise, champignon, girofle, pointe discrète d’élevage entre vanille et tabac. En bouche c’est vif, avec un marqueur minéral qui s’impose de lui-même. Corps demi-Léger confortant les tanins d’élevage. Chanson pose les bases du Bourgogne dans ce qu’il y’a de plus essentiel, magnifiant le Pinot-Noir. Facile à boire, élégant. — 3 years ago

Willie Carter

9.0

Sometimes you just want the usual comforts without sacrificing any quality. The customary pale gold in the glass with a creamy mousse and abundant perlage. A very easy going and aromatic nose of citrus fruit and floral accents. Pencil shavings, pears, and biscuits. As far as entry level bottles, this is head and shoulders above many. Not lacking in elegance or balance whatsoever.

Impeccably fresh with a luscious mouthfeel and classy structure. This improves considerably after some time in the glass. The palate follows the nose closely with more floral and yeast notes. A little elderberry, honey, and green apples to compliment. Long refined finish. Really nice and pleasant from first sip to the last. — 6 years ago

Belinda

9.5

Really delightful fruit with depth, and for the price of ~$13 from Astor, an absolute bang for the buck. A versatile red that can fare well with takeout, upscale meals, or home cooked comforts. — 6 years ago

Thomas Ng

9.1

Crisp, light, and dry. Hints of pear, not much on the nose — 8 years ago

Richard Rosensweig

8.9

Looking for a classic white burgundy made with restraint? This one is for you. Bright acidity, honeysuckle, pollen, bit of oaky vanilla. All the good Chardonnay comforts are here. — 10 years ago

Chris Paradis

10

Big, jammy, spicy, lots of flavor. A definite winner — 12 years ago

Cassie Rieser

9.8

Initial pepper spice, dark berry fruit, lavender and violet nose. Bright, light entry. Good acid. Long subtle finish. Eaten with petit sirloin roasted baby potatoes and asparagus in the comforts of our napa cabin :) wonderful. — 13 years ago

Jen Boland

9.9

Delightful red blend. Light and refreshing with plenty of depth. — 4 years ago

Aaron Rankin

9.2

Very much ‘No Girls’ in that this tells exactly you what it is and how it’s feeling. Feed it simple comforts and it’ll love you forever. Interesting and earnest, if uncomplicated.

Very approachable young while showing the Cayuse funk kiss. This is going to enter my rotation of burger wines. — 4 years ago

Pat Taylor

8.9

For those that haven’t read any of my previous posts about this wine, here is the conclusion: buy this. Buy any vintage, and buy a lot. There’re all consistently yummy.

As for bottle number 052330 from vintage 2005, this was no exception. Not decanted; we let it breathe as we poured. Roughly 2 hours. The legs were thin and numerous, hinting at alcohol. As usual, this wine transports you to the sun baked-earth of Granada with a nod to the familiar comforts of breaking camp and taking your first swig from the wine skin. Standardly solid, if not the absolute best vintage. — 6 years ago

with Ryan, Chris and 1 other

Sean Wallner - WSET II

9.0

Delicious! Actually has a lot of similarity to Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Blanc. I’m not an expert, yet... but if I blind tasted this I would have guessed a New Zealand Sauv Blanc. Notes of Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Mandarin Orange, Green Apple, Lychee, Pear, Nectarine with hints of Slate and some Salinity. Low alcohol at 11% and good acidity with a medium finish. — 8 years ago

Jonathan Lipsmeyer

9.2

2010. Strict lemony acid, fresh stony bite with the tiniest hint of honey and green banana. Lovely wine which comforts me in my affection for Mikulski's higher end whites, and I'll age my last bottle a couple more years to see if it adds a honeyed heft of the midpalate... but no regrets today. — 10 years ago

Chris Bidleman

9.3

Best of class merlot 2014 — 10 years ago

Rob Mondavi

Owner/President of Winemaking Folio Fine Wine Partners

10

Love the elegance of this wine with all the modern comforts of fruit and oak. Elegance can be sexy and this wine does it. Of course dark fruit, fresh plum, lovely tobacco and hidden exotic spices from the oak. Superbly long and enticing finish. Buy it. — 12 years ago