romo

9.2

2nd place. Brownies in the oven nose, silky texture, some ink press and sous bouis. Very nice. — 6 days ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2009 vintage. Golden color. Heavy body (still!!). Unctuous with a corresponding amount of acidity to keep the proceedings in check for the next decade. This ain’t going nowhere. About as far from my “jam” as is possible but still other-worldly. 5.1.24. — 24 days ago

Kapyrick Wine

9.5

v19. This is really good! Soft white pepper and cedar nose. Fresh, deep, rich black fruit licorice. Tight, chewy, smooth, long, slightly astringent, dried herbal spice and mocha finish. Nicely balanced. — 4 months ago

Paul J

9.7

Exquisite gold color. Insane nose! Minerals, beeswax, and subtle honey. Same on the palate. Oily, dense texture, which I love. This is right in my wheelhouse! I could swirl this in my mouth all night! — 20 days ago

with Brooke

GaryWEdwards

9.6

Deep golden color with a citrus undertone and distinct minerality, if not oyster shells. Delightfully pleasant wine. — 3 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

If you’ve been following me on CT or Delectable for while, you’ve probably read some of my tasting notes on the Pinot Noirs from McHenry Vineyard. Few are aware that this special vineyard, way up on Bonny Doon Road, even exists. Fewer probably know that the McHenry family have been quietly producing wine from this vineyard for over 40 years. It has never been easy. Not only are the vines own-rooted, they have also had to deal with some devastating fires over the years. And yet, despite the challenges, the McHenry’s remain committed to growing Pinot Noir and making truly special wine.

As I have mentioned in the past the winery was destroyed by the CZU Lightening Complex Fire in August of 2020. The vines survived but no wine from the vineyard was made that year (obviously). While the winery gets rebuilt, the fruit from the McHenry Vineyard has been made with care by their neighbor, Ryan Beauregard. The McHenry’s are still making a lot of the decisions but they are working around the Beauregard’s schedule. 2021 represents the first year of this collaboration and the results are nothing short of incredible.

Popped and poured; consumed over the course of a week with the help of a “Repour” stopper. A little austere on Day 1 but it was obvious the quality was super high and unmistakably McHenry. As hilarious as this may read, this was best on Day 7. The 2021 Swan Clone pours very pretty ruby with medium viscosity and no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with beguiling aromas of the tiniest forest strawberries, dark cherries, anise, some tomato leaf, some beets, a touch of clove, a mix of red and purple flowers, limestone minerals and some beautiful, soft baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish lasts forever and it’s got a lovely savory thing going on. This is a wow wine with a long, bright future ahead. You can drink now with patience but this will drink best after 2026 and probably be stunning through 2040. How will I keep my hands off my remaining bottles? Only 100 cases were produced.
— 5 months ago

Gilbert Van Hassel

9.1

This remains one of the greatest white dry wines of France although probably not for everybody. Every year is a surprise and that inconsistency can be off-putting. Golden color, medium weight, quite high in alcohol (14.5) and cloudy. Long burn, apricot, dried raisins, apple and pineapple. — 11 days ago

Jose Lorenzo

9.3

Beautiful golden hue. Creamy, Wildflowers, grapefruit. Probably the best Viura on the market. Cheers — 2 months ago

Byron Hewett

9.0

Some grapefruit, orange peel, apple cider notes. A bit of bitter as well. This has some skin contact. Golden color. — 4 months ago

Neil Valenzuela

10

Golden amber color. Aromas of apricot, dried pineapple,mandarins, passion fruit and honey. Amazing flavors, superb vintage of D’Yquem. Merry Christmas! — 5 months ago