Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2020 vintage. Tasted with the winemaker. The "safe spot" in the current lineup. Verry approachable vintage for Barolo and this effort comes the closest to upholding usual expectations. Medium body. Some earth/dirt. Fruit apparent but not nearly the oodles cascading over the infinity juice pool as from this producer's 2020 Cannubi or Mosconi efforts. Structure solidly in place. Delicious. $80 resto cost. 02.07.25. — a year ago

Aaron Rankin

9.6

Quick notes, not to underplay this wine. Tropical fruits leap right into your nose. Texturally incredible. Finish goes to infinity. — 4 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.5

Another knockout from Olivier. Deep and powerful, yet retains such transparancy and elegance. I loved this! For me, it was less about the fruit and more about the chalky, warm earth, saline characters here. Riesling-worthy acidity that just carries the minerality to infinity. Doesn't seem to flesh out throughout the week it remained open, so definitely could use a couple of years in the cellar. Wish I had more. — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

This is Alfred Tesseron’s (Owner of Pontet Canet) Napa Valley’s project on Mount Veeder. You can also clearly see Sugar Loaf from the property.

The previous owner of the property was the late comedian Robin Williams. Robin never made wine and the fruit was sold to other producers.

The name Pym-Rae is an homage to Robin Willams two children.

The Winemaker for Pym-Rae is the son of Jean-Michel (Winemaker of Pontet Canet), Thomas Comme. Thomas has taken out all the drip irrigation and dry farms all the fruit. He has some progressive ideas on farming fruit. Pym-Rae is also certified biodynamic and organic.

This 2016 inaugural vintage is just now about to be released.

The nose reveals; big and brooding dark currants, deep; blackberries, black raspberries, big black plum, purple fruit mix, blueberries, black cherries with poached strawberries. Grilled meats, anise to black licorice, sweet tarriness, touch of incense, burnt ambers, crushed dry rocks, dark, rich earth, cinnamon, clove, vanilla, limestone minerals, alluvial soils with nice, purple, dark flowers with violets and hints of lavender.

The body is huge, brooding and thick. Big, dark, meaty, tarry rounded tannins with dusty edges. The structure & tension say it’s big and meant to be well cellared. The length is nice and the balance sets in as it opens up but, will be much better with 5-10 years plus of cellaring. Dark currants, deep, ripe, lush & ruby; blackberries, black raspberries, big black plum, purple fruit mix, blueberries, black cherries with poached strawberries. Grilled meats, cracked pepper, anise to black licorice, sweet tarriness, black olive, touch of incense, burnt ambers, dark spice with palate heat, lots of crushed dry rocks, dark, rich earth, dry stones, dark chocolate, caramel, cinnamon, clove, vanilla, good presence of dry herbs, cigar box, lots of graphite, limestone minerals, dusty top soil, alluvial soils with nice, dry, withering purple, dark flowers with violets and hints of lavender. beautiful round acidity. The finish starts with ripe, lush fruit and slides into pronounced dry, powdery, tannins and earthiness. It persists until you put something else in your mouth. This is not a pop & pour wine. It needs a very long decant if you drink it young and really should be cellared 8-10 plus years.

Patience will increase my rating by 2-4 points. It is just too young and massive for me to give it a higher score. However, it has all the stuffing for greatness.

Photos of; the yard and estate vines above the main house, 2019 Cabernet grapes that will start harvesting in the next week, a look inside the house Robin built and the infinity pool and view from the terrace. — 7 years ago

Riccardo L.

9.2

This is the boss of wines. See what I did there? Google translate the word padrone. Good stuff. Still remember sitting by that infinity pool and drinking this in 2014. The 2012 is a stellar vintage. — 8 years ago

Mike Miller

9.0

Apples and grapefruit, most certainly little bit of a mineral in the finish. However, we just spent the whole afternoon drinking gin and tonics in the infinity pool here in Bermuda so pretty much anything will taste good.  — 2 years ago

with Anne

Ellen Clifford

9.2

I want this to infinity. Cherry/raspberry more berries and a hot lick of cinnamon and white pepper. J’adore — 3 years ago

Nathan Renfro

9.0

Nice house Cabernet at Infinity Bar. Paired well with porterhouse steak. Nicely blended, solid fruit, medium tannins and acidity. Nice for a house wine. — 5 years ago

Nate Hards

10

THIS WINE IS THE BEST WINE OF ALL TIME!!! FLAME EMOJIS TO INFINITY AND BEYOND — 6 years ago

Fredrik Finn

9.5

Astonishing fruit concentration with a crystalline freshness that is impressingly managing to interwove the pronounced savory complexity. Mesmerizing presence on the palate that is pulsing through the long finish. Yet it’s only a baby and God knows what this will be as an adult. The legend sure is true, Gonon: St Joseph elevated to infinity. — 7 years ago

Randall Brater

8.9

Cab franc blend; plum, tobacco and eucalyptus on the nose; light, spicy fruit with earthy undertones on the palate — 8 years ago

Neil Valenzuela

8.9

Avengers Infinity War- clear straw color. Aromas of lemongrass, tropical fruits and wet rocks. Crisp, citrus and great balance. Fantastic Sonoma County wine. — 8 years ago

Bill Bender

9.8

Unbelievable. This wine hit all the superlatives. Profound depth, seamless mid-palate, smooth lush finish. This may be a top 10 all time wine for me. Poise and class times infinity divided by epic. — 8 years ago

Jay Kline

9.8

Okay, so we’ve had Gentaz and Verset along with a ridiculous collection of other truly great wines; the likes of which could have easily stood very much on their own and been the showpiece of the night. But we weren’t finished yet. So why not another mythical creature? Chave’s Vin de Paille is so rare. It’s only been made a dozen or so times in history and always in tiny numbers. The 1990 Vin de Paille pours like a liquid Tiger’s eye with notes of persimmons, golden raisins, and peach crisp. So rich and yet, not cloying. An amazing pairing with foie toast and candied chestnuts. Drink now through infinity. Honestly, I don’t know how a wine like this ever dies unless it lives a hard life. — 2 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

2003 vintage. To infinity and beyond. Throwing a vintage portesque amount of sed. In the nose, post-rain earth, dried shrooms, infinitesimal hint of milk chocolate. Light-medium bod. Maan…did that finish, Cranberries-style, linger. Do you have to do you have to bring that much cedar and chocolate-covered espresso bean to the show? At the top of the bell curve and would seem to effortlessly have another decade double-parked there. Imho, consistently shows the best of the 1st growths with the least. Courtesy of @Bill Bender — 4 years ago

with Bill

Aaron Rankin

9.4

I’m a noob to Santa Cruz pinots, and looking forward to exploring the appellation in time.

PnP at cellar temp. Very light in color and body, true to its 12% abv. Nose is immediately intense and complex. Freshly baked cherry pie, sweet baking spices, botanicals, just-lighted bonfire, wet forest floor, soy sauce, and a catch all of funk. Palette is tense at this age, striking in the front and lifted in the mid. The finish lingers to infinity like a sherry would. Beautiful and very Burgundian. But an unusual bedfellow to tonight’s dinner of frozen pizza 🙃. — 6 years ago

Tom Balamaci

8.9

An updated tar and roses. Unusual Greek blend. Austerity of xinomavro tempered by softer and aromatic merlot and Syrah. Grippy then refreshing to finish. Will benefit from 2 or more years of age, as most xinos do! — 7 years ago

Cristóbal Arellano Borges

9.0

Zippy acid, crunchy red fruit. Not too polished, still has that rustic Sicilian vibe to it. Infinity glu-glugable — 8 years ago

Melissa Brooke

9.0

Watching Infinity War!!!!! Also, wine was really good, fruit forward, easy drinking — 8 years ago

Aaron Rankin

9.3

Smells like a Cockburn, or maybe it’s that nuttiness of a bone-dry Sherry. Nuts and gym socks sitting in rubber. Does not disappoint, coming through in the end with a sharp zing of energy and a finish that lasts to infinity; like a Sherry would. Really good. — 8 years ago