Austin Hohnke

9.2

What a delicious treat. Mount Saint Desire indeed. Sexy. With Pierre Rovani at Oceana. — 2 months ago

Bruce Dunbar

9.0

The ‘23 Lichau Hills is a showcase for the fruit, starting off lean, pure, and elegant. With a long decant, some softer edges, redder fruits, and the rocky soil of the vineyard started to show through. Mild acids and tannins. A bit one dimensional but it is very, very young. Food friendly. — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

This is the standard Côte Rôtie from Agnes Levet that’s a blend of different parcels. However, the philosophy and approach remain the same as “La Chavaroche” and “Les Journaries”. In the past, this bottling was known as “Améthyste” and only recently became more widely available in the US. “Widely” is a relative word, lol.

Opened about an hour prior to service. The 2021 pours a deep garnet/purple with a transparent core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with a gorgeous bouquet all of the different varieties and colors of brambles your heart could possibly desire along with all of the seeds and stems, freshly cracked black pepper, dried herbs, some of the animale, purple flowers some hints of old wood and yes, perhaps a kiss of brettanomyces. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is forever long, drying and loaded with even more black pepper. This is giving me total 2014 vibes and if you liked that vintage in the Northern Rhône (as I did), you’re gonna absolutely love this. Drink now through 2036. — a year ago

Kurt Schuster

9.4

Smells of honeysuckle and ripe honeydew. Scream in the city, mouthwatering deliciousness. A perfect balance to dry and sweet. I can’t pick out if it’s a little sweet or a little dry but it’s wonderful for whatever it is. Thoroughly enjoying this one, you just have to be ready for the acidity. Drinking this reminds me of dating a Latina, sweet and fire and everything you desire. 🤣 — 4 years ago

Luis Arguero (@winefromAtoZ)

9.6

Paul Lato Atticus John Sebastiano Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016: Bright elegance. Fine balance. Perfect structure. Nice primary fruit flavors of strawberry, cherry & blackberry, followed by some secondary flavors of vanilla & spice. The finish was soft & silky, leaving you with the desire for another sip! Overall, a high quality Pinot, leaving me beyond impressed. Hands down, the best California Pinot Noir I have tasted this year. Great weekend to all! Cheers🍷 — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

8.9

In 1989, Melville Vineyards, was founded in Sonoma, where Ron Melville grew high quality, Chard, Merlot, and Cab Sauv. In 1996, Ron's desire to grow Pinot Noir brought Melville Vineyards to Lompoc's Sta. Rita Hills, in Santa Barbara County. Ruby with aromas of sweet red fruits and vivid spice. Flavors of raspberry and strawberry, currant like, adding cinnamon and leathery notes. Fine tannins, long ending with nice mouthfeel bringing back fruit and subtle spice. Drink now starting to lose luster! — 5 years ago

Bruce Dunbar

9.0

Recently released, the ‘24 Kick Ranch Sauvignon Blanc offers floral, grapefruit, chalky minerality and even a surprising undertone of caramel in the back end. It’s very nuanced and balanced, and not at all overpowering in the traditional SB flavor profiles. Food friendly and delicious with room to mature. — 3 months ago

Bruce Dunbar

8.9

A powerful Syrah in its youth, the Winds of Change 2023 (released March ‘25) opens with a dusty nose full of minerals, rose and kirsch. On the palate, its drying tannins are at the forefront now, adding to the dusty feel, but there is a nice peppery bite, dark cherries and tar. It felt a bit reserved and perhaps a few more years in bottle will mellow the tannins and let the rest shine. — a year ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2021 vintage. Old-school styled, Napa cabbage. The solitary nod to new-school is the medium-heavy body. Focused, dark fruit presence (not as much as Freemark Abbey but not far behind either). Plenty of value to be had here. Grip if you want it. Fruit if you so desire. Obvious balance. Nicely done. First Neal product visit/tasting but it won’t be the last. 1.24.24. — 2 years ago

John Knudsen

9.0

Delectable, this is the Desire Lines Wine Co. Experimental Series No. 10 Old Durney Massa Vineyard Reisling.

Slate, tropical fruits.

12/22 — 4 years ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.0

Multi Generational producer. Aromas and flavors of fresh green apple, almond and lemon. Just a touch of brioche and ginger spice. Nice minerality on the beautiful creamy finish. Extremely fine line of tiny and pallet scrubbing bubbles. Refreshing! — 5 years ago

J Levenson

9.1

The quality for price is outstanding. In 1936 “Caillou’s owner had no desire to join the governing ranks of anything, let alone a wine appellation. This brazen act excluded the estate from the AOC and essentially carved out a chunk of Châteauneuf-du-Pape‘s border. Today it continues to be an ‘unclassified’ section in what is otherwise some of the most prized vineyard land in the area“-Ian Cauble, master sommelier — 5 years ago

Eric

9.0

Nicely crafted and unpretentious. Good fruit and a bit tangy on the finish. My first Carignan from California. Small producer. — 6 years ago

Tom Casagrande

9.0

I opened and double decanted this more out of curiosity than a desire to have it accompany our braised lamb shanks. I had a bottle of it back around 2013 or 2014 and it was about as impenetrably tannic as a wine could be. Undrinkable at that time. So I kept the other bottle in the cellar and forgot about it. At age 20, it’s actually pretty good, and I think it would appeal especially to those (looking at you @Doug Powers ) who appreciate aged wine. My brother Angelo’s notes from a bottle a few months ago nail it. Rich nose, full of interesting tertiary scents. There’s still some fruit though. Piercing acids. And the tannins still there but has softened considerably. It’s not my jam, pleasure-wise, but it’s quite interesting and I have to give this credit for aging quite nicely. — 4 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2019 vintage. Last tasted 4.3.24 (9.3) and 10.18.23 (9.3). PNP. Light medium-medium body. In a great spot already with some of the overtly, machismo dryness in previous visits now double-live gonzo. Big camphor/eucalyptus, cola nut, tree bark, semi-ripe cherry, rhubarb. Tannins not far from the proceedings. Maybe, just maybe, gets to 9.4 status in a few years. Seems to have enuff stuff(ing) to handle a 10-15 years hibernation period should you so desire. 03.16.25. — a year ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.3

Light, limpid lemon color…very light nose. Clean, crisp, lemon, tart apple notes with a hint of stem. Delightful long finish with a smooth, supple base note and hints of savory basil. Structured, layered, complex and lively. I love Chenin… particularly Californian with early summer simple lemon roast chicken and cucumber/onion salad. I like the producer and wish I had more. Easy to like as a young vibrant wine. — 3 years ago

Brett Rogosin

9.3

This is beautiful. The nose lasts long and smells thick with rose, dry dirt, potpourri, dark ripe fruit. There’s still pretty grippy tannin structure and acidity that makes your mouth salivate and desire more. The rose really comes out on the palate, maybe a touch of lavender, moist funky dirt, ripe mulled blackberries. The finish is long. The ripeness of the blackberry really hits right at the finish and hangs on. Give this a bit of a decant, at least 30 minutes. I want more, but have none. — 4 years ago

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.1

One killer domestic syrah — 5 years ago

Youngdon Kim

9.3

좀 단맛이 있다고 추천 - 기분좋은 당도에 바디감이 좋음 — 5 years ago

Bryan Kesting

8.9

Fun Trousseau. Serve chilled. — 6 years ago