Sipping Fine Wine

9.4

Blend of five vineyards from two appellations in Santa Barbara County; Solomon Hills and Gold Coast; from Santa Maria Valley, Peake Ranch and Zotovich; and Drum Canyon from Sta. Rita Hills. Ruby color with aromas of red fruit, baking spice and earthy notes. On the palate flavors of raspberry and cherry with white flower notes and an array of spices. Fine dusty tannins, long finish ending with fresh fruit, spice and earthy tones. Nice! — 3 months ago

Jeremy Pollard

9.4

Well this was an excellent choice! Couldn’t decide on dessert and wine so opted to combine them into one. Didn’t take a sip for a good five minutes as I was too engrossed in the nose. Blossom and citrus and sweet tangerine. All sorts of lusciousness and concentration and sweetness but finishes clean and lingering. What a delight to wrap up the night. — 3 years ago

Willie Carter

9.3

Oh my, what an absolute joy. This right here sings the song I want to hear. A pale old gold color in the glass. Perfectly precise perlage with a plethora of tiny, fine bubbles and showcasing innate creaminess. The nose is slightly intense opening with aromas of hazelnut, chalk, and lemon zest. Warm buttered brioche takes over for a moment full of bliss then a bit of smoke. Juicy peaches and pears commingle with fresh herbs and spices.

100% Chardonnay from the five Grand Cru villages of Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Oger, and Mesnil-sur-Oger. The tête de cuvée of Champagne Taittinger and it shows. It’s a very noble, prestigious champagne that matches complexity with downright deliciousness. The juxtaposition between luxury and comfort is evident here. Like coming out of a bath and slipping on your finest robe. The racy acidity and exquisitely dry nature of the wine belies the dosage of 9 g/l.

Very creamy in the mouth and though it starts off a bit demanding, it soon becomes so inviting after some time. Every sip demands the proper time and contemplation. Chalky and rich, positively bursting with citrus fruits. Apples and toast everywhere along with gun flint and more smoke. Medium long finish with traces of spice. A powerful, graceful champagne that’s full of finesse. This can go for decades longer but if you open it now sit with it for a while. Give it the proper time. You might fall in love just a little. — 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.4

Deep Ruby with aromas of rich berry fruits, oak and floral spice notes, aged 16 months in French oak (20% new). On the palate flavors of blackberry, plum and cherry with hints of cacao, cedar and leather, adding some herb spice notes. Fine tannins, good acidity, well balanced, ending with fruit and sweet mineral notes. Nice, will age! Grab a Rib-eye! — 5 months ago

Daniel M

9.0

Riesling from down under (Clare valley) with a tiny bit of age on it. Why not?
The wine is sporting a bright gold color which is not usual in dry Riesling examples I'm used to.
The nose is typical with lemon zest and petroly notes, some flowery touches too and a tiny vanilla thing. The palate is fresh, very long and acid driven but as well a bit more muscular, wide and thick than the usual German dry Riesling examples I'm used to. The mid palate is wide and there is almost a tannic thing with a vanilla note that develops over the finish. Lemony notes complement that vanilla tune and make up for a long, joyful and structured wine. Good stuff and more complex than what I expected. Thumbs up 2 hands 😆 — 2 years ago

Ericsson

9.5

This is big, broad and bold. Hundred percent cab aged in seventy-five percent new French Oak. Limited production to just over two hundred cases.

Visibly the wine is a deep ruby color with a tight rim.

The nose is intense with dark fruit, cassis, coffee, dark chocolate, but also earthy humid forest aromas.

The mouthfeel is luxurious and enveloping with the perfectly ripe dark fruit, just a touch of dried spices, vanilla, oak, and a long savory earthy finish. The wine is dry, full bodied, ultra smooth with round but persistent tannings with medium plus alcohol and medium acidity.

It’s extremely surprising to me how approachable the wine is at release. Although, I may know the reason: the cave wine making and cellaring facilities at Porter; I can certainly feel the humidity of the caves in the wine. Praying I can keep my hands off my other couple of bottles for the next 5-10 years, just to see how much better the wine will be then. — 5 years ago

Gene Buonviri

9.1

Enjoy a Champagne that has a tradition of five generations, fresh, delicate, fruity and refreshing. Pale gold with hints of red berries and bit of honey. Pleasing acidity with a delicious finish.
— 6 years ago

with Justinian

Daniel M

9.1

After Thorne shotfire barossa shiraz which was round, very oaky and lacking a bit of acid, I wanted another expression of the same varietal from the same region, but with more zing to it.
Boy this one is zingy!
The nose is showing blackberry, black pepper, a tiny soy sauce note along with an eucalyptus thing. This is very inviting and quite complex! The palate shows a massive acid drive, extremely powerful, but not overpowering at all. A big and bright blackberry note shines through and through, some width, some matter on the sides, a silky mouthfeel that turns into a great tannic wall in the rear with a strong grip and a drying effect that continues till the very end. The finish is all about blackberry and a reminiscence of that eucalyptus /mentholy note that could be felt on the nose. The finish is long and the after taste of blackberry keeps on for almost a minute. Great take on Australian Shiraz, without the artificial, sometimes overwhelming oak treatment. I like it very much. Two hands deserve a high five! — 2 years ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.6

Great with some Snake River Wagyu Gold label New York Strip
According to some website the following information is helpful
Located on a small hill above the village of Bages in Bordeaux, lies the Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste. The estate was classified as a fifth-growth in the 1855 Classification of the Medoc and its Cabernet Sauvignon-based grand vin is known for its velvety opulence. The winery makes a second label called Lacoste-Borie that is made from lots of its declassified fruit which is mostly Merlot. The soils are a classic mix of gravel of differing depths, mixed with sand and some clay, and allow excellent, much-needed drainage for the vines. After centuries of evolving ownership following the 1855 Classification of the Medoc, the estate landed in the hands of François-Xavier Borie who has guided the estates fortunes elegantly and successfully since 1978. — 4 years ago

Chris A

9.0

A very well and perfectly balanced big French Bordeaux...blanc! It’s not all red gold from the old world, sometimes that special corner of the wine world turns up golden whites like this one: soft, buttery and supple that then transforms into a light creamy mid-section and joins hands with a citrus bite at the finish. Full mouth feel and just perfect. Paired with a white pizza, but this will go with anything you’d drink a Chard with - even solo. Viva la Bordeaux!! — 5 years ago