Mike Lang

8.9

Really enjoyed this Cabernet. — 2 months ago

Vino Joe

9.3

Tight as a drum at open. Loosened to trampoline tension after 2 hours. Finally was loose after 4. Spicy and hefty. More inward. A sophisticated mix and quite good but as with most Leoville Las Cases it needs to sit longer for the next iteration. — 2 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

So, many of you have not had the pleasure of having Dan’s wines. It is largely due to the fact he doesn’t have a US importer. He sells all his mid production level wines through his mailing list. That makes importing from his mailing list as restrictive as the import fees. They are equal to the price of the wines you order. Not something you’ll do. I didn’t. You need to find his wines on the secondary market to be cost effective.

We had the privilege of visiting his Cellar Door in the Spring of 2017. What a fantastic visit and walk of his Estate with him. The age of his Estate vines are 100 plus years old and their yield is less than a ton per acre which, does not make for a lot of wine but, instead a very concentrated wine.

Dan traveled to and worked in many of the key wine regions before settling in as Torbreck’s Winemaker and then marching to his own drum doing his own thing as “The Standish”, his way. No compromises.

The first thing you need to know about Dan’s wines is you can drink them early but, that would be a huge mistake. This 03 is sensational now but, is worthy of more cellaring. It has 10-20 years of life ahead of it...proper storage of course.

This is a second night wine for us and it is still big.

The nose reveals smokey; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum skin, black cherries, blueberries, mulberries/boysenberries, baked/poached strawberries & some raspberries, sweet tarriness, dark berry cola, black pepper, steeped tea, eucalyptus, mint, tree bark with sap, herbaceous, dry crushed rocks, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, vanilla, moist, forest floor with dry leaves with withering; dark, red, purple flowers framed in violets & strong lavender.

The body is full, round, lush & ruby. The tannins are still big, round, tarry & meaty. The structure, tension, length & balance are just there & yet still not there. It is still a monster on day two. Smokey; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum skin, black cherries, blueberries, mulberries/boysenberries, baked/poached strawberries & some raspberries, sweet tarriness, grilled meats, dark berry cola, black pepper, steeped tea, eucalyptus, mint, tree bark with sap, herbaceous-sage & rosemary, used charcoal, graphite, dark spice with palate heat, burned ambers, incense, rubber toy, dry crushed rocks, moist clay & top soil, dry stone, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, vanilla, moist, forest floor with dry leaves with withering; dark, red, purple flowers framed in violets & strong lavender. The acidity is round and a rushing river. The extremely long finish is, big, round, elegant, floral, well balanced, runs juicy to dry with persistence for days falling onto earthiness & dark spice on the long set.

Photos of, a plaque that hangs above my kitchen sink that speaks to me always, Dan Standish, his Cellar Door and surrounding buildings. — 6 years ago

Bryan Kesting

9.5

This was also relatively open but more complex than the Zotovich. It was my favorite Pinot of the evening. We also had the 2017 Pisoni but I failed to get a pic. The Pisoni was more complex like the Drum Canyon but I feel it will be better in the long run.
Paul Lato was in town and I had the chance to spend some time with him and taste through several of his new releases. His wines are great across the board. — 7 years ago

Ron R

9.6

Disgracefully good. Drum tight. Leave this for a little while. Better still, leave it for me!!!
Another selection from @Joe Lucca’s cellar 🙂 — 7 years ago

with Mike, Diana and 3 others

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2019 vintage. Don’t come across this producer often but this example is firing on all cylinders currently. Not as oaky as many C-M’s and truly in a great spot now. No rush to crush with exceptional balance. Unfortunately, last bottle. Will see if I can rummage around and drum up a few more bottles. 1.2.26. — 6 months ago

Gene Buonviri

8.9

Straw yellow. Medium body with light apples and .citrus notes with hins of grapefruit. Good balance and finish. Excellent pairing with Johnny Mazetti. — 3 years ago

Jennifer C

10

Dense, rich and juicy, sweet on first opening and the tannins bloom pleasantly as you let it breathe. Would certainly buy again. — 6 years ago

LeMel Humes

9.3

One of my favorite Pinot noir‘s I’ve ever had introduced by Paul Gaiser — 6 years ago

with Suzanne

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

Happy Valentines Day!

If you have not looked for this wine on WineSearcher.com or other, you should. Dan Standish has no American Importer. However, you can mail order off his list. Good luck with the Australian/United States import costs. Very prohibited.

Most quality Barossa wines take 15 years in bottle to show their ultimate beauty. Dan’s wines are no different. His Estate vines are 100 years old and produce 500 pounds of fruit per acre...very concentrated. Contrast that to extremely expensive & high quality Napa fruit, those Napa producers are at 2,000-2,500 pounds per acre.

We visited Standish in April 2017. We found Dan to be extremely talented & definitely marches to his own drum. He is salt of the earth and has traveled & worked in many of the world wine regions honing his craft and landing as Torbreck’s Winemaker in Barossa before starting, “The Standish Wine Company.”

As good as the 04 is tonight, it has 15 years of good life ahead...properly stored of course.

The nose is very intoxicating. It is a nice blend of purple, black & blue fruits. Mulberries, olallieberries, boysenberries, black plums, plums, blackberries, dark cherries, deeply extracted raspberries, some baked strawberries, black licorice to anise, dark fruit cola, black olive skin, medium dark spice, black pepper, charcoal, graphite, dry tobacco & underbrush, some bay leaf, alluvial soils, grey volcanic minerals/limestone with fresh & only slightly withering, purple, dark, blue florals framed in violets & lavender.

The body is full, rich, ripe, lush and creamy on the palate after a two-hour plus decant. The structure, tension, length and balance are a little short of its peak and will hold there for 5-8 years. It’s a glorious glide on the palate. The fruits are ripe & lightly baked. Mulberries, olallieberries, boysenberries, black plums, plums, blackberries, dark cherries, deeply extracted raspberries, some baked strawberries, cherry kirsch, red & black licorice to anise, dark fruit cola, black olive skin, the dark spices are heavier on the palate & bring just the right amount of heat, sweet, dark tarriness, black pepper, used, dark expresso roast grounds, charcoal, graphite, dry tobacco & underbrush, some bay leaf, alluvial soils, grey volcanic minerals/limestone, moist clay, with fresh & only slightly withering, purple, dark, blue florals framed in violets & lavender. The acidity is round, flush & perfect. The long finish is a unique even balance of; lush fruits, spice, herbs and earth that persists on the palate for minutes.

Photo on the left of Sofia’s 2 dozen long stems. Love you so much!

@Oswald — 6 years ago

Chester Baker

10

Very tasty! — 7 years ago

Steve Pollack

9.2

Tight as a drum. Try again in 5 years. — 8 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

I took this bottle from my cellar to a friend who just received his complete allocation of 2022 Wendouree. We obviously compared this 2011 Shiraz Mataro with the latest 2022. If this exercise proved one thing that was that any cuvée of Wendouree should not be opened at under 10 years of age. The 2011 had a gorgeous nose of blackberry, liquorice and spice…..intoxicating! Whereas the 2022 was as tight as a drum…giving very little. The palate was fluid and smooth with those same aromatics coming through on the palate with that amazing old vine opulence and persistence. I had my first bottle back in August 2022. Notes are here on Delectable. — a year ago

Ron R

9.7

My wife to the left, David’s wife to the right. This is drum tight. 11 years in. Superb. Abreu pips this, but still excellent. — 5 years ago

with Mike, Diana and 3 others

Joe Fischer

9.0

Burnt Butterscotch aroma. Quite nice. — 6 years ago

Robert Rothfield

9.5

Muted nose and wound up tight as a drum..... needed more than the few hours of the double decant it received...still was delicious but just a peek at what’s to come — 7 years ago

Matt Nicoletti

9.2

Ardbeg Drum. Sweet, smokey, floral, pineapple nose. Peat, liquorice, and vanilla notes. Ends with a long lingering flavors of peat and spice. A mellower Ardbeg, but still quite delicious! — 7 years ago

with Camilla

Bryan Kesting

9.2

The 2017 Drum Canyon is now called “C’est la Vie”. This was the least open of the Pinots.
Paul Lato was in town and I had the chance to spend some time with him and taste through several of his new releases. His wines are great across the board. — 7 years ago

Turd Ferguson

9.1

All the Lassen ciders are so good — 8 years ago

Alok Sharma

9.0

Great, slightly sweet taste! A notch less than Johnny Walker Black Label! Had it with ice & a little bit of water! — 8 years ago