St Innocent Winery

Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021

9.3

Initially a bit closed, after two hours in the decanter this really opens up. Black cherry and sage come through on the nose and continue onto the palate with additional notes of cassis, bay leaf, and cloves. Has a persistent finish with herbs, spice, and black tea lingering on the palate. The herbal and spice flavors were really vibrant when paired with basil pesto pasta and mushrooms. Medium+ acidity, medium+ body, and medium tannins. This is the 2021 vintage. — 18 days ago

Tom, Neil and 5 others liked this

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

@Joel Lara Nice write-up. This is consistently their most difficult Pinot offering to "figure out." Oodles of subtleties vs a few markers/demonstrative tendencies. NOT for the average Pinot Noir drinker.

Joel Lara

@Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego that’s interesting because as I was drinking it I was thinking about how different it was to a lot of pinots I’ve had. The savory elements are not as loud as they are in other good pinots, but I still found them an intriguing backdrop to the beautiful fruit. The tannin really helped add some complexity on the finish too. I also bought a 2019 Temperance Hill, so looking forward to seeing how that compares.

Smith Madrone

Estate Bottled Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Paul J

9.4

PnP. This was great! Drove by the winery on Spring Mountain last week! Dark red color with dark, candied fruit on the nose. Classic Napa cab with nice terroir elements. Great depth and awesome texture. Another excellent Wine Spectator recommendation. — 2 months ago

with Brooke

Scott@Mister, Jan and 5 others liked this

St Innocent Winery

Villages Cuvée Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2024

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

2024 vintage. Blend of five different vineyards. Enchanted Way, Shea, Freedom Hill, Momtazi, Temperance Hill. Less than $20 a btl resto cost. Whoa. 5.8.26. — 13 days ago

Ted, Austin and 8 others liked this

Charles Smith

Stoneridge Vineyard King Coal Cabernet-Syrah Blend 2020

Jan de Weerd

9.3

Concentrated, spicy, intense. Charles’s Smith style! — 2 months ago

with Tammy and

Tammy, Skip and 6 others liked this

Jan de Weerd

Concentrated, spicy, intense. Charles’s Smith style!

Château Smith Haut Lafitte

Grand Cru Classé de Graves Red Bordeaux Blend 2016

Sagee Aran

9.5

Wow!!. A delicate and complex wine. Medium to full body, not overwhelming, perfection of balance. Nose - attributes of cacao, aged prune. Tanins are still powerful and give the structure. A beautiful wine. — 3 months ago

Tom, Dave and 2 others liked this