Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.0

1991 vintage. Last tasted 4.22.26 (8.4). It was quite the saga then with a triple-decker self-loathing, regret and sorrow sandwich. This visit...bottle #2 of 3. Opened with a Durand. Cork 25% saturated. Color a ridiculous, majestic purple. Decanted and tasted after 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 45 minutes and one hour. Decent sed vacillating between powdery and Dippin' Dots sized. Gamey, smoky, meaty Côte-Rôtie-styled rhythm guitar nose that definitely rolled over into the flavors. The lead guitar went on an extended rhubarb, cranberry and boysenberry solo. Fascinating wine and will open the last bottle in exactly a month. We can't wait for June. We're on surfari to stay. 5.22.26. — a month ago

Tom Garland

9.4

Poetry wine Dinner at Cliff Lede winery. Shot of the Poetry hillside vinyard.

WINES
2022 Cliff Lede sav blanc
2022 Cliff Lede Crossfade..cab & cab franc
2024 Cliff Lede Marla Blanc..semillon
2022 Cliff Lede Rhythm cab sav
2022 Cliff Lede Poetry cab sav
2012 Cliff Lede Poetry cab sav

FOOD
App:
Gilled peach/burrata crostini, ahi tuna tartare, mini beef wellington, mushroom duxelles.
Main:
Heirloom tomato and melon salad
Pappardelle with wild mushrooms
Grilled Creekstone farm filet
Dark chocolate tart — 10 months ago

with Brenda

Dylan Thomas

9.2

First swirl—legs run slow, got that elegant grip,
Ruby red robe with a velvet-laced drip.
Nose hits like poetry, rhymes from the vine:
Crushed cherries, rose petals, and that forest floor pine.
Hints of cola, dry herbs, and a whisper of clove,
Silky aromatics from the Sta. Rita Grove.

On the tongue, it’s finesse—ain’t no flex, just flow,
Bright acid in the rhythm, tannins smooth like whoa.
Strawberries play jazz with a mushroomy groove,
Earthy mid-palate got that terroir move — a year ago

Ely Cohn

9.3

So pretty from so many angles. I love the reflections of green on yellow coming together like Chartreuse. I love the subtle complex aromas playing hide and seek with no logic or rhythm. Freshly shaved orange zest, thyme, jasmine flower and pressed wheatgrass. I love flavors of pepper dusted yellow apples, a squirt of lemon and acidic finish that doesn't give. 100% agreeable, not without an aspect of mystery. — 4 years ago

Peter Wassam

8.9

So pleasant. Cherry and red berry and all that jazz, but electric on its feet. The person who just knows everybody at a wedding and has rhythm and moves on the dance floor. Delightful — 5 years ago

John Davidson

8.9

Damn nice Pomerol. Heavy black cherry nose and honestly there’s a lot of that same flavor on the front. Tannins were a bit high on day one but better day two, I get plum and pomegranate coming through, and thankfully there’s still some acidic soil to stave off the sugar rush. Alcohol burn seems balanced and I’m not gonna lie, I paired Night Two with some Sea Salt Organic Beet Chips by Rhythm. Worked well for me. — 6 years ago

Severn G

9.4

On the Lawn at Tanglewood this afternoon with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our conductor Andris Nelsons is leading GERSHWIN (Piano Concerto in F), GERSHWIN (Variations on “I Got Rhythm,” for piano and orchestra) and STRAVINSKY (Petrushka) with the amazing Jean-Yves Thibaude as the piano soloist on the two first works presented today. Jean-Yves is by far among our favorite pianists to grace the Koussevitzky Shed stage, so graceful, yet poignant!

Hot days call for cool wines, today there are some fun ones planned for sharing.

Nose has blackberry jam on toasted brioche, violet,
bruised Tai basil, blueberry seeds and crushed ripe black currant.

Palate has peppered black raspberry, black cherry, tomato leaf and well concentrated blueberry jam.

@Carla Hine Thanks for sharing, top candidate for wine of the afternoon, along with the Minges Scheurebe!!! — 7 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Makphelah Cabernet–Merlot 2020 – Judean Hills, Israel 🇮🇱

Overview
A structured red blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon · 30% Merlot showing a more polished, progressive expression of the Judean Hills. Cabernet drives the backbone with depth, structure, and dark fruit intensity, while Merlot softens the frame with texture and approachability. Already climbing into its prime drinking window, this wine opens beautifully with air, gaining clarity, integration, and finesse over the first hour. A confident, well-balanced blend that balances power with refinement rather than brute force.

Aromas & Flavors
Ripe black cherry, blackberry, and dark plum layered with subtle vanilla, baking spice, and light cedar from oak aging. Hints of graphite, warm earth, and gentle savory tones add complexity. The fruit remains deep and focused while staying clean and polished rather than jammy or heavy.

Mouthfeel
Medium-to-full bodied with a firm yet silky structure. Polished tannins provide grip without roughness. Smooth texture through the mid-palate with steady acidity keeping the wine lifted and energetic. Evolves nicely in the glass, becoming more expressive and harmonious with oxygen. Long, balanced finish driven by dark fruit and subtle spice.

Food Pairings
Grilled lamb chops or rosemary-roasted chicken. Beef kebabs, shawarma, or braised short ribs. Mushroom risotto or lentil-based Mediterranean dishes. Aged hard cheeses or semi-firm cow’s milk cheeses. Excellent with savory, protein-driven meals that highlight the wine’s structure and depth.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is the kind of blend I love seeing from the Judean Hills, confident, expressive, and already finding its rhythm. It opens up beautifully with air, showing polish, balance, and layered depth rather than raw power. A wine that rewards patience in the glass and feels quietly serious without losing drinkability.

Did You Know?
High-elevation vineyards in the Judean Hills benefit from warm days and cool nights, helping Cabernet Sauvignon retain structure and freshness while Merlot contributes texture and roundness. This climatic balance allows blends like this to age gracefully while remaining approachable earlier than many Old World Cabernet-driven wines. — 5 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2019 vintage. From a 375ml btl Coravin sample. Absolutely rocking. Shredding on both lead and rhythm guitar. And then the bass and drums with a vintage electric violin flourish. Not the cheapest Merlot expression from Sonoma but likely the best. Built to last. 06.18.25. — a year ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

1978 vintage. Okay fill with trashy cork. Decanted and tasted after two hours. Medium body. Fantastic, fresh mint powerhouse with plenty of backup fruit and one helluva tannic rhythm section. This was swinging. If the provenance is/was good, no rush to crush. Absolutely dynamite. 3.5.24. — 2 years ago

Daniel M

9.0

Emma & Christian Sorine - Santenay vieilles vignes 2018.
Very nice nose of cherry, rose petals, hay, vanilla and tiny bit of oak. This is very subtle and nice. The palate is model of balance, strong acid backbone, very wide palate with cherry notes and a floral thing if that's even possible to taste, a teeny tiny touch of oak, a soft and delicate mouthfeel that shivers nicely in mid palate to the rhythm of the tannins. The finish is salivating with cherry, those nice oaky notes, a persisting tannins layer and a crisp, almost fresh everlasting note. This is truly a great effort. I didn't expect it to be on that level. — 5 years ago

James Halsey-Watson

9.5

Yummy yummy. A deep dark, scrumptious red — 6 years ago

Severn G

9.3

On the Lawn at Tanglewood this afternoon with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our conductor Andris Nelsons is leading GERSHWIN (Piano Concerto in F), GERSHWIN (Variations on “I Got Rhythm,” for piano and orchestra) and STRAVINSKY (Petrushka) with the amazing Jean-Yves Thibaude as the piano soloist on the two first works presented today. Jean-Yves is by far among our favorite pianists to grace the Koussevitzky Shed stage, so graceful, yet poignant!

Hot days call for cool wines, today there are some fun ones planned for sharing.

Very interesting, almost like a wine version of a kriek lambic, yum yum!

@Carla Hine Thanks for sharing! — 7 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

2001 vintage. Excellent fill. Used a Durand. Cork perfect. Decanted with expected sed and tasted after 2 hours. Medium body but dark as a closed closet. Dirty graphite nose that rang true in the flavors with some restrained plum, cherry and Valrhona chocolate as the backing, rhythm section. Miles to go before it sleeps. Pretty close to the top of the bell curve now. Wow. 10.17.25. — 8 months ago

Ted

9.1

I have no idea what grapes the cuvée is made from. I suspect Cab Franc and Merlot because those are grown in abundance in this area. Opened and room temperature then threw it in some ice to chill. Very nice wine. Medium bodied with above average acidity. More cherry notes. 😆. You get a lot of that from the Leelanau peninsula. The wines from this vineyard all seem to NV. — a year ago

with Jeni

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

2021 vintage. Exclusively from the old S. Anderson property (remember them?) in Napa, this is softer and definitely feminine-styled. I’d give it at least a year to settle in as the QPR isn’t currently close to being what this winery usually delivers. 6.20.24. — 2 years ago

Lizzy Toreev

9.6

A stunning cherry ride, bright and surprisingly fresh at the beginning, with just enough deepness and tannin to round it out at the end. — 3 years ago

with Greg

MaJ CappS

9.0

A nose of cesar and spice -

Saline is the dominant flavor, as poetic fruits dip in and out of the main rhythm. Pom, Ras, Blue berries vie for attention, yet are tamped down by the saline, cedar, and passion fruit acidity.
A Fantastic wine ! — 5 years ago

Gaurav Tiwari

9.3

This comes from two vineyards with vines planted in 1902 and 1920. The soils are calcareous marl and clay. The wine is a pure expression of its terroir thanks to its élevage in a combination of used oak and clay jars. The wine shows ripe and fresh red-fruit aromas on the nose with Asian spice and rose petals. Medium weight and moderate tannins follow on the palate with a concentration of flavor that is typical of old vines and wholecluster fermentation. They say Michael Magnien follows the rhythm of moons synodic revolution at each stage. — 6 years ago

Severn G

9.2

On the Lawn at Tanglewood this afternoon with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our conductor Andris Nelsons is leading GERSHWIN (Piano Concerto in F), GERSHWIN (Variations on “I Got Rhythm,” for piano and orchestra) and STRAVINSKY (Petrushka) with the amazing Jean-Yves Thibaude as the piano soloist on the two first works presented today. Jean-Yves is by far among our favorite pianists to grace the Koussevitzky Shed stage, so graceful, yet poignant!

Hot days call for cool wines, today there are some fun ones planned for sharing.

Nose has crazy apricot flesh, orange blossom, grapefruit zest and pineapple.

Palate has pleasurable acidity with citrus bias, sweet impressions but dry finish, glass coating viscosity. — 7 years ago