Martin Sher

9.1

Returning after a hiatus of more than a year. Not sure why now. I have been drinking, just not posting. 🤷‍♂️. Great 4-course meal at Vinkkeli in Helsinki, started with this super fresh Albariño. — a year ago

Byron Hewett

9.1

Back from a 10 day hiatus. Lovely fully mature white burg. Fresh, harmonious with a slight nutty finish. — 3 years ago

Shay A

9.3

After a couple months of hiatus, the Friday City Club group was able to get back together (albeit a smaller, more spread out group) for an epic hosting by @joe leatherwood . 1 sparkler, 2 whites, 5 reds and 1 dessert wine, all served blind.

A palate revitalizer after the reds! Like a shot of vitamin C to your taste buds. Apricot, ripe peach, and mango all drizzled in orange blossom honey. Didn’t have the nuttiness of Sauternes but there was really nice acidity here. I called this late harvest Cali SB/semillon. — 4 years ago

with Jid, joe and 3 others

Shay A

9.6

After a couple months of hiatus, the Friday City Club group was able to get back together (albeit a smaller, more spread out group) for an epic hosting by @joe leatherwood . 1 sparkler, 2 whites, 5 reds and 1 dessert wine, all served blind.

And the hits just keep coming. A total monster. I found this to be the most extracted of the 5 reds. Could smell it five feet away. Dark chocolate dipped blueberries and blackberries, graham cracker, mocha, violets all jump from the glass. Velvet like texture revealing a streak of ripe red fruits and an herbal/mineral like note down the middle of the palate. Dusty. So much beautiful freshness but commanding power here...longest finish of the day. I called this 7-10yr old Napa cab (specifically Shafer Hillside Select). — 4 years ago

with Jid, joe and 3 others

Brian Reedy

9.2

It’s back after a 25 year hiatus. Delicious black currant and soft tannins. Look gored to a bit of time on this blend — a year ago

with Sarah

JJ Lumia

9.5

Celebrating a good day after a minor hiatus from the sauce. Just awesome. Lush, complex, elegant. Oozing with cherry, blueberry, cola, and baking spice. Supple tannins and a long finish. Maybe I should start writing in haiku to mix things up. — 3 years ago

Shay A

9.7

After a couple months of hiatus, the Friday City Club group was able to get back together (albeit a smaller, more spread out group) for an epic hosting by @joe leatherwood . 1 sparkler, 2 whites, 5 reds and 1 dessert wine, all served blind.

Here’s your finisher. Tied with the L&M for my favorite of the day. This seemed to take the best of the L&M (lifted profile, elegant) and the best of the Harlan (dense, rich, powerful) and marry them together perfectly. Iron fist in a velvet glove. It sported the entire fruit spectrum on the nose (red, blue and black) with added notes of sandalwood, espresso, cinnamon and nutmeg, and scorched earth. It pulls you in immediately on the palate with tantalizing notes of fondue dipped dark fruits, cherry-vanilla pipe tobacco, crushed gravel, before letting you go softly with elegant floral notes like jasmine. Stunning. I called this 7-10yr old Napa cab. — 4 years ago

with Jid, joe and 3 others

Shawn Powar

9.0

Some old grapes, after a long hiatus.

Things may not be going in the best direction right now, but I’m glad to have my SO by my side.

January 15, 2023 — a year ago

Angelo Casagrande

9.0

Lovely fruit, spices linger, solid but not cloying tannins. Nose has some barnyard scents to it. Really enjoyed this after my 2 week or so hiatus from drink. — 2 years ago

Jim McCusker

9.3

No, this is not a QAnon cuvee - that would be an empty bottle because we all know wine doesn’t really exist: it’s a lie created by the Deep State to steal your money - it’s another awesome chard from Greg Brewer’s Diatom operation. For those who haven’t had it, the Diatom wines are truly unique. Fermented at low temperature to suppress malolactic conversion (around 40 F if memory serves) and never seeing oak, this is like a Grand Cru Chablis on steroids. Incredibly pure fruit with bracing acidity, but high enough in alcohol to produce a beautifully balanced wine. The label took a hiatus for a couple of years during Greg’s transition away from Melville (I still have one bottle of the 2005 Clos Pepe from the first vintage), but its been back for a few years now. At ~$40 a bottle, you will not find a better QPR chardonnay anywhere. Great stuff! — 3 years ago

with Vanessa