A favorite from the Floridian Restaurant in St. Augustine — 4 years ago
Rustic, farmer wine. Loved it. — 4 years ago
Excellent wine, the style is minimalist but very focussed. The sensation is that of a natural but elegant wine, some sort of a gentleman farmer style, I love it. The nose starts with some leathery hints and with some air it gets quite fruit forward with an accent on black currant and small red fruits. The mouth shows very youthful with firm tannins and a vibrant acidity. I'll buy again. — 5 years ago
Quite nice with Farmer John baked ham ($20) — a year ago
Simply delicious Burg! Light colored. Intriguing and attractive nose of forest floor red berries and an interesting mysterious note of woodsy perfume of some kind carrying through to a liveliness and dancing texture. More pure pleasure than the complexity and depth folks chase after. Excellent finish to cap it off. Hard to find. Hopefully another bottle left. Yum. What a GL 29 buy back then! A traditionally made wine, 50 barrels with no sulfur. Gardener than farmer as DR says! — 3 years ago
Roasted paprika, salmiac, drying tannins, figs, broth, cigar, sweet rhubarb, stewed pears, juniper. Printing, ink. Clay, blackberries. An old gentleman. — 2 years ago
1978 Chuck Hope left beverage job, moved to Paso Robles, became farmer, & top grape grower. Working with his father, Austin led family into winemaking in ‘95, creating his label in 2000. #7 on Top 100 list, Grapes from 5 small blocks of Paso Robles AVAs, aged in 75% new French oak, 18 mos. Dark deep Ruby, aromas of sweet ripe black fruits & dried smoky tobacco spices. Flavors of ripe blackberry, sweet cacao, espresso & vanilla oak. Big wine, fine tannins, long fruit finish, vanilla overwhelms fruit. The 15% ABV has slight burn. — 4 years ago
Nose has mashed blackberry, ripe black current, ripe black cherry, wet saddle leather, horse barn, dried mint, fried green herbs, chopped bacon, muddy garden soil, constantly developing...
Palate has mahogany shavings, black cherry 🍒, dried garden soil, day old bacon bacon 🥓, over-ripe black currant, warm dark chocolate, (minor) baking spice with a very long and intense finish. This wine has at least a decade in front of it tonight. Perfect, supple cork on extraction.
Still quite tannic, decanted 4h, needs much more time to reveal it's true self.
My retailer commented this was not a standard CA Cabernet, more Bordeaux-like, and he was fully on point. The stink on the nose really pointed us away from CA right away.
Paired to some expertly grilled, medium-rare Delmonico steaks from my favorite, local farmer in Columbia Co. NY (Kinderhook Farm), well salted (in advance). Finished with Maldon smoked sea salt, best which exists in the world, IMHO. Also roasted beets with goat feta from VT, where I can only image goats listen to Phish and eat Ben & Jerry's ice cream daily, because only a stress free life like that could yield cheese this good.
I'd like to know the blend on this, should anyone know, I can't believe it's 100% Cab based on the stinky nose, which we appreciate. — 4 years ago
Diane M. Napolitano
From White Horse Wine and Spirits. Creamy lemon meringue pie with a bit of salt on top 🤤 — 6 months ago