Jocholla

9.0

Intended to get a Chablis for oysters as I love that pairing and couldn’t resist the label. Pleasantly surprised and was $20 cheaper than the others I normally buy. Not quite as complex as some other serious whites but completely ok with that. Paired extremely well and drinks just as nicely on its own on a patio. — 23 days ago

Randy Fuller

9.5

This wine has a burnished look, deep brown. The nose is a treat all on its own. There are aromas of brown sugar, coffee and orange zest which combine for an amazing olfactory experience. The palate is just as joyful, with caramel, raisin and mocha notes. The acidity is fresh and exhilarating. Although the wine is described on the label as “cream,” it does not strike me as creamy. The viscosity is nice, though. It will pair well with dessert, or serve as one by itself. — 2 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

Mid Ruby red in colour with a tawny edge. Sour cherry with touches of pepper and cloves. Not as raspberry as I was expecting from old vine Mataro. With a couple of hours of aeration the raspberry notes started coming through finishing with Sandy tannins. This wine is made by the multi talented Andrew Caillard who is the supremo of Fine Wine retailer and auctioneer Langtons who allowed Andrew to make his superb range of wines under his own label using old vine Mataro and Shiraz; painted the exquisite labels himself and who achieved a Master of Wine in his spare time. I am lucky to have 5 of these beauties left. 96 points from James Halliday. — 4 years ago

Chris Zitzman

8.9

Hints of stone fruit, pear, and a bit of minerality lead to a smooth and juicy mouthfeel. While somewhat refined, the effervescence of the Francois Seconde is a Grand Cru by name due to its origin and is notably muted- though the mouthfeel is delightful and juicy in its own way. Sillery, as noted on the label refers to the village where the fruit is sourced from multiple vineyards, and blended over several vintages. In sum, this is an affordable champagne that will not blow the doors off- but is a simple delight both in its personality and its uniqueness. — 6 years ago

with Beth

Nik Kannan

9.3

Tag isn’t exact. Very very good.. got on auction 1 of 1 during sale.. so I like canine too so.. ya lol.. hoopla hoopes and the vintner vineyard is on point.. solid drink on its own.. really darn good compliment def a 9+ .. + a dog jumping through a hoop on label.. sign me up a crate if there was 1.. 😁 — 6 years ago

Al Shikoh

9.0

* appearance: medium ruby core with slightly amber rim
* aromas: red cherry, strawberry, cinnamon, cloves, red roses, hints of damp earth
* palate: red fruit, minerality
* structure: high acidity, medium+ tannin/silky, 13% ABV
* finish: tart with silky tannin
* winemaking: made under his own negociant label separate from the family domaine “Domaine des Comtes Lafon” although almost all fruit comes from vineyards he owns or has contract to farm
* recommendation: very nice villages level wine, drinking well now
* cost: $80 — 7 years ago

with Kelly

Isaac Pirolo

9.5

90° at 7pm calls for more Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.
.
Cloudy Bay was founded in 1985 by David Hohnen of Margaret River’s Cape Mentelle along with its first winemaker, Kevin Judd, who would go on to spend 25 years there before creating his own label, Greywacke. Judd is widely considered as the pioneer responsible for elevating New Zealand wine to its current status. Judd also happens to be one of the best wine photographers in the world (I highly recommend his ‘The Landscape of New Zealand Wine’).
.
According to Master of Wine Bob Campbell “the genesis for Greywacke Wild Sauvignon was Cloudy Bay Te Koko; a funky, barrel-fermented sauvignon blanc that bent all the rules when it was made in 1992 and initially sold only through the cellar door. Greywacke Wild Sauvignon is a blend from 10 different Marlborough vineyards which are machine-harvested at night. After pressing the juice is settled before being pumped into mostly old barrels and fermented using indigenous yeasts (about 15-20 different strains). The wine undergoes a partial malolactic fermentation and lees stirring.”
.
Incredible aromatics... an almost vibrant herbaceousness... red bell pepper, grapefruit zest, tangerine, apricot, and cucumber, with a silky smooth mouthfeel unlike most Sauvignon Blancs. Extraordinary. — 8 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of dinner. The 2019 “Roccalini” pours a garnet color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with gorgeous notes of ripe Morello cherry, raspberry, roses, new leather, dried orange peel, dried green herbs, a touch of anisette and dried gravelly earth. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and savory. IIRC, before Paolo started making wine under his own label, the fruit from Roccalini used to go to Giacosa. Regardless, the quality and character is special which is why it is consistently one of my favorites in all of Barbaresco. Now, if only I had more access to it. Maybe @Lyle Fass can do something about it? Drink now through 2039+. — 7 months ago

Tom Penney

9.3

For the money it does not get much better! Full fruit, full body. I cannot say enough about this wine. Had it St a lunch with my daughters, both loved it. A few weeks later again at dinner with friends, all took pictures of the label so they could get it on their own. Friends and daughters like say more than I could write — 3 years ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.5

If Sassicia is 💯 points for 2016 you had to figure their other wine was good as well, give it another 5-10 years without any issues. 2016 was a great year over-there. This at $45 or 2016 Sassicaia at $400.00 if you didn’t buy at $175.00 early
Wine Advocate 94+ review as follows,

This wine is showing exceptionally well in this classic vintage. The 2016 Guidalberto (Cabernet Sauvignon and a smaller percentage of Merlot) opens to a full and generous bouquet and a beautifully rich and velvety appearance. This edition of Tenuta San Guido's mid-level wine offers a bigger aromatic profile, more texture and more volume as well. Dark cherry and blackberry segue to spice, tar, leather and sweet fruit at the end. The mouthfeel is elegantly shaped, silky and nuanced. This may well be the best vintage of Guidalberto I have yet to taste—and you can get this wine at a great price too.
Just south of Livorno, Tuscany, lies the Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC, and the Tenuta San Guido estate, where Sassicia is produced. The estate was originally owned by Marchesi Incisa della Rocchetta, and has been managed since WWII by his son, Niccolo. A true pioneer in the Italian wine industry, his experimenting with the introduction of non-native varieties to Italy, resulted in the world-famous Sassicaia. In Italian, Sassicaia means "the place of many stones" and is used as the proprietary name for the estate's Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The vines of the Sassicaia vineyard were originally planted with cuttings from the prestigious Chateau Lafite-Rothschild. The wines of Sassicaia were so instrumental in creating the "Super-Tuscan" sensation that 1994, the Italian government granted Sassicaia its own DOC status in a sub-zone of the Bolgheri DOC. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats, and the wines are then aged in French oak barrique for 18 to 24 months prior to release. Sassicaia produces a second label called Guidalberto and recently released a third wine, Le Difese, that is virtually unavailable in the U.S.
— 4 years ago

Ron R

9.3

Heidi’s own cab label. Lovely expression of a blend. Needs more time n the bottle. Eclipsed by the prior tastings. Still excellent. Leave this for another 3 years.
Another stellar gift from @Mike R and Rhonda’s cellar 😚 — 7 years ago

with Mike and Anne-marie

Andy Hall

9.3

This wine just gets better with age. Still a baby and the remaining bottles will be laid down for another 5+ years. This wine always gets referred to as the second label of Buccella but it really does stand on its own. — 8 years ago

Spinning_spins

9.3

100% Airén aged 24 months on American oak. Medium gold, with aromas of oak, straw, baked apple, and beeswax. Golden apple, slate, and more beeswax flavors, with medium-plus body, a silky texture and a long, dry, mineral finish. Balanced and cellar-worthy. Very much like a Viña Gravonia, but without the oxidative note. Give it time to open up, or better yet, decant, as recommended on the label. Great with fish, but this has enough stuffing to hold its own with heartier dishes like chicken and mushrooms, etc. — 8 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Champagne Cattier – Brut Rosé Premier Cru (N/V)
Montagne de Reims, Champagne – France 🇫🇷

Overview
Produced by the Cattier family (vinegrowers in Champagne since 1763, now in their 13th generation), this Premier Cru Brut Rosé blends 31% Chardonnay, 26% Meunier, 43% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims. Crafted with precision, it highlights the house’s reputation for balance and finesse.

Aromas & Flavors
Delicate raspberry and wild strawberry notes, lifted by citrus zest and a whisper of brioche. Hints of red currant and rose petals add charm.

Mouthfeel
Crisp, creamy, and elegant with fine bubbles. The mousse is persistent yet delicate, and the finish is both refreshing and silky.

Food Pairings
Pairs beautifully with smoked salmon, tuna tartare, charcuterie, or fresh berry desserts. Also excellent as an aperitif.

Verdict
A well-made Premier Cru Champagne rosé that delivers finesse, freshness, and subtle complexity. A fine choice for those seeking elegance at a relatively approachable price point. 🥂cheers!

Did You Know? 📌
Cattier is also the family behind the ultra-prestige label Armand de Brignac (“Ace of Spades”), but their own Cattier-branded Champagnes often deliver outstanding value for their pedigree. — 9 months ago

M F

8.9

Nice Provence rose.
From the label:
COTES DE PROVENCE ROSE

Owned by the Quiot family from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the 200 acre estate lies at the foot of Mont Sainte Victoire near Aix-en-Provence. Its winemaking facilities have been completely renewed over the past 3 years.
This is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvèdre.
Special efforts are made to preserve freshness and fruit by the use of CO2 gas to exclude oxygen during the harvest. This is a fresh rosé with a pretty salmon-pink color, elegant flavors of red berries, mineral notes and a clean finish. Serve this wine lightly chilled. Very nice on its own, it goes well with most dishes, specially sushi, salads, pizza and mild cheeses. — 4 years ago

Jim McCusker

9.2

From Gerhard Reisacher’s now defunct Delectus winery (actually, the winery might still be active, but he’s long gone and has his own excellent eponymous label out of Knight’s Valley), this is drinking quite well! — 5 years ago

with Vanessa

Mic Naranjo

9.1

Held on to this bottle for a couple of years. Couldn't find the actual vintage on the label but I believe it was a 2017 (maybe 2016?). I remember it being mineral, funky, lean and mean early on, but left to its own devices, it has turned rich and complex. I think we caught it just before it was a too late, but still so delicious! — 6 years ago

Ryan Vento

9.4

Casual wine club with friends tonight over a steak dinner. My wife & I supplied the wines, our friends hosted and cooked.
.
Having sold its organically farmed grapes for 116 consecutive vintages, Napa Wine Company decided to set aside 15% of their crop in 1996 to produce their very own private label wine with. After approximately 20 months of aging in both new and used French oak barrels the wine was bottled and released. However, NWC withheld a small portion of their offering, thus relegating it to the secure confines of their cellars to lie & wait until the right time. Needless to say, the time is nigh. Produced under the masterful guidance of winemaker Randy Mason, this inaugural vintage of 1996 Cabernet from Napa Wine Company was sourced exclusively from Oakville's iconic Rock Cairn vineyard and is as classic as matured Napa Cab comes. This is a truly special bottle.
.
This opened up beautifully with a highly perfumed nose of saddle leather, mushrooms, cherries, Luxardo cherry syrup, licorice, mint, pipe tobacco, dark chocolate, and Christmas spices. On the palate very feminine, balanced, and downright elegant. So delicious. I was very happy with this. — 7 years ago

with Krystal

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Had this about a year ago. After stints at Rudd, Dominus, Chalk Hill and Matanzas Creek, winemakers David Ramey and his wife, Carla began their own label in 1996. Sunshine Straw with aromas of stone and tropical fruit with sweet vanilla oak scents. On the palate apple, peach and apricot flavors, citrus zest with toasty oak. Lingering on a smooth finish ending with creamy notes. Delicious! Aged well. You can still find the 2014, so grab one, you won’t be disappointed. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Is there anything better than Ribeye & Claret? From my perspective, no. This is the second wine from one of more prestigious Chateaus in St. Estephe. Bordeaux rule number 2, buy the hell out of good producers second wines in very good vintages, like 2005. You’ll get great wines at more affordable prices. Providing, you exercise patience; which is rule number 1. Decanted for 3 plus hours. On the nose, ripe; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, black plum & cherries pull up the rear. Incense, herbaceous character, anise, scorched dark earth, burnt ambers, anise, baking spices dominated by vanilla, black tea, black cherry cola, loamy dry soils, dry & fresh red florals with violets for days. It’s in a great phase with many years ahead. The body is full and round. The texture has you wanting more. It’s velvety and ripe. Tannins soft and powdery, around 65-70 resolved. The fruits are ripe & ruby...showing the excellence of the 05 vintage. Blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, black plum & cherries pull up the rear. Incense, herbaceous character, anise, scorched dark earth, dry stones, leather, cigar with ash, burnt ambers, anise, baking spices dominated by vanilla, black tea, black cherry cola, loamy dry soils, dry & fresh red florals with violets for days. The acidity is dead on. The length, structure, length & balance is harmonizing like America on the album, “ Horse with No Name.” The long finish is; ruby, rich, elegant, round, beautiful and lasts a minute plus. Beautiful wine. 9.4 with the steak. 9.2 on its own. Photos of; Chateau Cos d’ Estournel, hosting/tasting area, private wine stock and barrel cellar. Producer notes and history...Chateau Cos d’Estournel has a long history in the appellation of St. Estephe. Louis Gaspard d’Estournel, gave his name to the estate after founding it in 1811. It only took a few years before Chateau Cos d’Estournel became famous with wine lovers and royalty all over the world. In the early days, the wines of Cos d’Estournel were not sold through the Negociant system. The owner preferred selling his wine directly to his customers. In fact, Chateau Cos d’Estournel was exported to numerous countries across the globe, with a large portion of the production being sold to India. It was that connection to India that inspired much of the unique, east Indian design we see at Cos d’Estournel today. Chateau Cos d’Estournel was one of the first Chateaus to bottle, label and sell their own wine. This practice continued until the death of Louis Gaspard d’Estournel in 1852. After his death, the estate was purchased by an owner that sold their wines on the Place de Bordeaux, using the negociant system. If the Chateau had not been selling their wines through the negociant system, it would never have been included in the 1855 Classification! Chateau Cos d’Estournel was sold to the Charmolue family, the owners of the neighboring Chateau Montrose. They continued to own the estate until 1917, when it was bought by Fernand Ginestet. The purchase was the next major step in the development of Cos d’Estournel. The next era in the development of Chateau Cos d’Estournel took place in 2000, when Chateau Cos d’Estournel was bought by Michel Reybier, who made his fortune in the food industry. Michel Reybier hired the son of Bruno Prats, Jean-Guillaume Prats to manage Cos d’Estournel. Things improved with the efforts of Jean-Guillaume Prats who helped design the most modern wine making facilities in the entire Bordeaux wine making appellation at the time. A complete renovation of Cos d’Estournel took place in the winemaking facilities and cellars. The wine making facilities are completely modern, using 100% gravity. On October 15, 2012, Jean Guillaume Prats announced he was leaving Chateau Cos d’Estournel to join LVMH. Jean Guillaume Prats was replaced by Aymeric de Gironde. Following the departure of Aymeric de Gironde in 2017, the owner, Michel Reybier took over managing the estate. In 2018, the estate released COS100, produced from their oldest Merlot vines that were 100 years of age. It was limited in production to a 100 Jeroboams, (3 litres) and 10 Balthazars (12 litres) and a few other sizes were produced from only 2 barrels of wine. The proceeds from COS100 go to the charity, Elephant Family, that is devoted to protecting and nurturing Asian elephants in their own, natural habitat. Cos d’Estournel’s new cellar is a joint reflection by the technical team, the architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte and Jean Guillaume Prats. It’s a marvel blend of simplicity and modern technology. Cos d’Estournel is unique to Bordeaux and the rest of world. What makes this special is that the cellars of Cos d’Estournel are entirely operated by gravity. There are no pumps of any kind to force the wine. The purpose is to allow a gentleness to the wine and improve its purity allowing for expression of their special terroir. It set a new benchmark for cellars not only in the Left Bank, but in all of Bordeaux. The new cellars at Chateau Cos d’Estournel include 72 isothermal cone shaped stainless steel vats. The vats are specifically designed for thermal inertia. The 72 vats have a wide range of capacities to correspond with the needs of each parcel of vines. The vats range in size from as small as 19 hectoliters all the way up to 115 hectolitres. 12 of the smaller vats that are designed to handle between 19 and 60 hectoliters that have two levels in each vat. In other words, this offers the technical equivalent of 24 separate vats. Each of the vats are double lined, which allows for more exact and temperature control. None of the vats use interior heat coils. Perhaps the most inventive part of the cellars is the four 100 hectoliter lift tanks or wine elevators that replace the pumps used in the traditional pumping over and racking off processes, which introduce air and often destabilize the marc. From the moment the grapes arrive, everything travels by the flow of gravity. Jean Guillaume Prats called this process a pumpless, pump over. What takes place is, the wine is released from the main vat where the skins remain. By gravity, the juice is then moved into smaller vats which are on wheels. These small vats are sent to the glass elevators where they are moved up one floor and returned back into the vat by gravity to cover the skins. At this point, the process is still unique to Chateau Cos d’Estournel. The wine production of Cos d’Estournel is labor intensive starting the moment the grapes enter their new facility. The berries travel through a tunnel that instantly lowers the temperature of the fruit to 3-5 degrees Celsius. This sudden chilling stops the loss of juice while also slowing oxidation. Next, the grapes are cold macerated at 7-9 degrees Celsius for about a week. Pump overs are done by gravity recycling. The juice from the top of the vat moves to the bottom of the vat entirely by gravity. The fermentation takes place at low temperatures to avoid over extraction or harsh tannins. The 91 hectare vineyard of Chateau Cos d’Estournel is planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The vineyard is located close to the border of Pauillac and Saint Estephe at the southern tip of the Saint Estephe appellation. The vineyard has cultivated 84 hectares of vines. Even though the vineyard has been expanded over the years, the grape varietals planted here have remained consistent. The vineyard, located on the hill of Cos, has gentle elevations of up to 20 meters. On average, the vines are 35 years of age. However, the estate has very old Merlot vines as well, which date back more than 100 years. Part of the terroir is situated on the hill of Cos, which is at a high elevation for the Medoc at 20 meters. Cos d’Estournel is translated from old Gascon speech; which means the hill of pebbles. It describes the terroir along with clay, gravel, sand and limestone soil. However, there is a unique aspect to the soil at Cos d’Estournel, as you find more gravel and less clay here than you do at other neighboring vineyards. Because the fruit is grown close to the Atlantic ocean in a cool climate, Cos d’Estournel is often among the last of the properties in the Medoc to harvest. The vineyard is managed by teams and each team member is given 45,000 vines to look after. The vineyard, which is almost one large block, can be further divided into 72 separate parcels. — 8 years ago