Crystal Brook

Crystal Basin Cellars

Renegade El Dorado Red Blend

Tall and straight heavy bottle. Looks kinda cool. CA wine style. 14.0% abv. No specifics on the blend. They say it arose from the wrong hose in the wrong tank ;-). Color is ruby red with a translucent shimmer. Smells like some other red wines in that it’s fruit and the smell of old places. (Like attics, cellars and libraries full of old books). Hint of savor. Like fresh steak or lamb. Flavors are excellent. Supple and fairly elegant. There’s a cherry streak, a black licorice streak, and brightness. It’s pretty Italian styled. I’d suggest there might be some Sangiovese and/or Barbera in it. And these are excellent CA Foothill grapes, so no surprise at its finesse and grace. This is a nice El Dorado red. I’d love to try the rest of their portfolio.

Website says, “…it’s a 4 way blend of Zinfandel, Grenache, Merlot and Mourvedre that will make your Tuesday night glass of wine Exciting Again.”
— 9 days ago

Douglas and Daniel liked this

Brook & Bull

Columbia Valley Malbec 2019

2019 very smooth that do not believe it’s Malbec. Fruit forward with structure. A fruity Malbec. Wow imho — 3 years ago

Tom, Skip and 4 others liked this

St. John's Road

Peace of Eden Riesling 2009

Mid Gold in colour - crystal clear. Kerosene/mineral notes with some chalky aromas. Pristine citrusy flavours coming into the stone fruit spectrum. Medium minus acid but medium plus intensity. (12.5% ABV). A well made Eden Valley Riesling drinking at its peak. — 5 years ago

Serge, Ira and 10 others liked this

Salvestrin

Le Blanc Crystal Springs Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2022

Decisions decisions… Both very comparable styles. Salvestrin is a St Helena Suav Blanc with fruit derived from the foothills and elaborated by a female winemaker, it’s got great balance and composure. Very elegant on the palate, it has this sublime honeysuckle component somewhere in the mid palate. — 3 months ago

Ted, Peter and 9 others liked this

Hope Estate

Wollombi Brook Semillon 2018

Drinking this one just three years after the vintage, this is all fresh and crispy. The nose is Honeycrisp apple... On the palate, that apple gets really dry and crisp... Dried sage here too... Quite acidic which will be great for food pairings. — 3 years ago

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

On Crystal Serenity cruising the Mediterranean. In Livorno tonight. Had 1/2 the bottle last night, the balance tonight. Always a dependable wine. — 5 years ago

P liked this

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC)

La Tâche Pinot Noir 2001

Garnet core , quite wide bricking terracotta rim . Quite Subtle on the nose , red fruits , orange rind , sous bois , spice , violets . On the palate very refined , crystal clear red fruits , raspberry , cherry , touch of black currant , black tea , pin point acidity , very fine tannins . Very long and complex. Drinking well though will go on for ages still and certainly improve over the next 10-15 years. — 2 years ago

Ira, Bob and 9 others liked this

Pipers Brook Vineyard

Pinot Noir 2019

Pale to mid Ruby in colour with great clarity. Aromatic red and black Cherry notes with rose petals. A stalky whole bunch note with a little spice. Those fresh cherry notes of medium weight but medium plus intensity transfer through to the palate. Very fresh, young with great potential for future complexity. I can see why it won the Trophy for Best Pinot Noir at both Royal Adelaide and Royal Hobart - both shows with extensive and high quality Pinot entries. Too young but I had to try the first of 6. Next in a year plus. Technical background: (whole berry ferments with 20% whole bunches. Aged in 25% new puncheons and Barriques). Ended up having the 2nd bottle 195 weeks later on 25th October 2024. Just a stunning Pinot Noir and even improving on that 2 Trophies standard. — 4 years ago

Severn, Dawn and 17 others liked this
Bob McDonald

Bob McDonald Influencer Badge

@Greg Gosselin Yes Greg. They have been high quality producers in the Tamar River for a while now. Also make a good sparkling.
Byron Hewett

Byron Hewett Premium Badge

I visited them in 1990 when Andrew Pirie was still there!
Bob McDonald

Bob McDonald Influencer Badge

He was certainly a giant of Tasmanian viticulture. Matthew Jukes (UK) once said that a wine he made was”the greatest sparkling wine made outside of Champagne “.