Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2002 vintage. Last tasted 10.06.22 (9.4). Similar "gliding along" impressions with feminine characteristics. This bottle (nice fill, cork and decent sed) was a goody. Decanted and tasted after 5 mins, 30 mins and 2 hours. Bit more structure evident after two hours open as to be a different, yet fantastic, wine. Funny how some of these underwhelming, less than aggro wines can take on another life of their own, on their terms, by gently removing all doubt. Still another 5-7 years-easy. 11.21.24. — 3 days ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2021 vintage. Retasting after a week (9.3), Gorgeous entry palate with medium body. Pretty start and continued beauty for the duration of the motion picture show. Fine-grained tannins rarely far from the action but never intrusive. 10.22.24. — a month ago

Timothy Eustis

Wine Director, Red Lion Inn

9.3

Old school. Balanced tannins and fruit. Really great. — a month ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2021 vintage. So tasted alongside sister property Cade (and Plumpjack) Howell Mountain Cab. If I weren't so familiar with the Cade HM, woulda sworn this was mountain fruit. This is the leanest, dirtiest SLD effort I've ever had spanning a multiplicity of SLD producers since the 1986 vintage. It's got the underlying structure of Stags Leap District but none of the top layer of richness. It all got scraped off and you are just left with the steak-no sizzle. Comes courtesy of the old old Steltzer property (hadn't heard that winery name in decades and it was the durtiest in SLD!) and the new powers that be turbo-charged it and turned shizz up to 11. Fascinating and phenomenal. Light-medium body and has the color but packs an unexpected Barolo-styled punch. Not your average SLD bear. Watch out for Mr. Ringer...err...Ranger. 10.30.24. — 25 days ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2021 vintage. Medium-heavy body. Some frontal opulence. Excellent mid-palate. Enduring finish. It didn't suck. 10.16.24. — a month ago

Jason Phillips

9.2

Excellent nose and balanced. Great cab at The Restaurant at North Block in Napa. — 2 months ago

Kevin Dale

9.3

Great out the magnum. — 9 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

An absolutely alluring nose with cloves, spice, dried meat and a trace of pepper. Barely medium weight on the palate. Barb loved it for that. Very different to Barossa or McLaren Vale Shiraz. Without a doubt the best Shiraz Viognier blend in Australia although Yarra Yering Dry Red No. 2 (with a few other Rhone varieties in the blend) would give it a run for its money. Really very good with a few years to go but pretty much at its peak. — a month ago

Bryan Florendo

9.3

I loved it. Wasn’t Carolina’s favorite. — a month ago

Neil Valenzuela

9.0

Pale straw color. Aromas of stone fruit, citrus and toasted almond. Apricot, white peach and lemon on the palate- great Chardonnay! — 2 months ago