Sipping Fine Wine

9.4

The “King of Chardonnay” Mike Grgich farms w/o pesticides and certified organic. Aged 10 months, no MLF. Medium lemon color with aromas of stone & citrus fruits. On the palate flavors of apple, pear & lemon citrus flavors, with honeysuckle, vanilla & toasty oak notes. Nice balance with acidity on long finish with a toasty mineral ending. Not your typical CA Chard, very nice! Consistent. — 25 days ago

Scott E. Becker

9.2

[Tasted on October 3, 2022 at Home]

This wine is marketed as Willamette Valley Estate Grown Pinot Noir, not “Incline.” Blend from Estate vineyards in Dundee Hills (Iron Filbert Vineyard) and Yamhill-Carlton (Quartz Acorn Vineyard) AVAs. Roses and bright red fruit on the nose. Cherry, cranberry and plum fruit, with graphite, violets and spice. Great QPR. — 2 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

Pardon the water damaged label. Aromas of pepper, spice and fresh garden herbs. Almost like the garrigue aromas you get from a Southern Rhone red. Medium weight palate but M+ Intensity. Even though Hawkes Bay is home to probably New Zealand’s best Cabernets like Te Mata Coleraine it also produces excellent cool climate Syrah like this one. Not so special with Pinot Noir here which is grown by a few optimistic producers. Had another bottle on 7th February 2024 with similar notes. I love the pepper but it does need more mid palate fruit. I have a couple of bottles left. I can’t see the need for extended cellaring and will probably drink these in the next 12 to 18 months. — 2 years ago

George Booth

8.9

Having this delicious wine with chicken stuffed with home grown sage pesto wrapped in prosciutto. Has a nice dry slate flavor with a hint of pear. — 6 hours ago

Scott E. Becker

8.9

[Tasted on November 20, 2022 at Home with Michael and Rachel]

Purchased during visit to winery in September 2022. Red fruit and roses on the nose. Rich, fruit forward wine with raspberry, dried cherry, earth, spice, saline and an effervescent note. Nice wine, but spice on the finish is a touch overpowering. — a year ago

Jan de Weerd

9.2

Chianti number 2 for the evening. Vibrant and more upfront red fruit and a wonderful underlying earthiness and slight hints of rustic barnyard. Perfect match with our sun ripened home grown tomatoes. — 2 years ago

with John and Tammy

Eric Urbani

8.9

From my home state of Michigan comes this surprisingly good rose of Pinot. — 2 months ago

Andrew Holod

National Sales Grapes of Spain

9.1

Paired with a similarly aged Cote Rotie and poured in a blind tasting at my home to a group of interested wine drinkers.
This showed a more generous, fleshy expression of the grape as expected and still had a finely chiseled structure of finely textured tannins that echo a dryness of the vineyard's limestone soils.
Very good new world Syrah. — a year ago

Scott E. Becker

9.0

[Tasted on October 1, 2022 at Home]

Purchased during September 2022 visit to the winery. Wine is produced from Estate Carneros fruit. Dried cherry, raspberry and red plum fruit, with cinnamon spice, carbon, minerality and an effervescent note. Spice and fruit driven with nice backbone of acidity. — 2 years ago

David Walser

9.5

Valentine’s dinner at home with a 12 year old Insignia. — 2 years ago