Vanilla, dates soaked in spirits, cream soda, warm, with a long lingering finish. — 6 years ago
A higher end Great Wall from the Great Cellar cabernet sauvignon. Surprisingly good with a short finish and a touch of spice. — 8 years ago
Do yourself a favor and follow Esther Mobley on Twitter. She’s the Wine, Beer & Spirits writer for the San Francisco Chronicle and her reporting on the wine country fires is extraordinary... “1880s vines at Old Hill Ranch in Sonoma Valley. Gone” (photo credit to her also).
I had to open the 2015 Bedrock Pagani Ranch Heritage from Morgan Twain-Peterson MW (pictured right) which is also from 1880s vines and just a few miles north of the Old Hill Ranch along Sonoma Highway. It had me immediately saying prayers that the Pagani Ranch would be spared — it’s stunningly pure and absolutely glorious... think choirs of angels. As if a top Châteauneuf-du-Pape producer, like Janasse or Clos Saint Jean, traded their 100+ year old Grenache for 100+ year old Zinfandel. Giant, but radiant red fruit that has a kirsch and violet edge to it. Add in some dense blackberry to a base of rich minerality and this soars into a cloud of herbs and spices including Herbes de Provence, adding baking spice, licorice, and wildflowers along the way, with some secondary cured meat and cracked pepper which gives this the depth and complexity it deserves. Beautiful. — 9 years ago



Cardinal's 1st ever barrel of whiskey released 12/5/2015. Single malt whiskey made from 100% malted barley from Sugar Creek Malt Co. in Lebanon, Indiana. This is the very first craft single malt whiskey grown, mashed, fermented, distilled, & aged in Indiana. Notes: spicy, malty, with a lasting cinnamon & banana after burn. I can't wait to see how the other barrels turn out after they finish maturing! — 11 years ago

2012/9/13@Shanghai with Winnie — 12 years ago
From White Horse Wine and Spirits. — a year ago
From the spirits wine provisions wine club in Arvada, CO — 5 years ago
Go to at our favorite restaurant, la petite grocery and our favorite spirits shop in New Orleans, Keife & Co. — 9 years ago
OsCo-Oakland Spirits Co "Automatic Sea Gin" is distilled with hand-foraged nori from Mendocino. It doesn't have any juniper in it, so technically it isn't gin, but it is to me. Super fresh, clean flavors. Excellent with a splash of tonic. This is to the Northern California Pacific what the St. George Terroir is to the Nor Cal forests...local California flavors and aromas in a bottle. — 10 years ago
Name:" Tedorigawa"/ subtitle: Shukon, means spirits of sake/ brewery: Yoshida shuzou/ region: Ishikawa prefecture/ category: test brewed junmaiginjo/ clear note, smooth attack, fresh acid and good texture. — 12 years ago
From the Spirits Wine Provisions wine club in Arvada, CO — 5 years ago
Caramel, vanilla, grain smell (obvious given it is a wheat whiskey but still there). Moderately smooth with still a hint of harshness. Got to give some props to a KS/MO distiller. Like it but still have a preference to a CO whiskey and of course, some Japanese whisky. — 5 years ago
So, not sure how to follow up on a night that included an incredible wine dinner featuring Ridge Vineyards... The jammy Zin's have left me looking for something a little sweeter (I have no Ridge in the house as alternative). So off to the wonderful land of pomegranate liqueur over ice. This is a dangerous bottle, hence it hasn't been cracked until tonight, I had to clean the dust off, but now it'll never make it back to the shelf...Seek and be rewarded! — 9 years ago
Uncommon yeast, indeed! Champagne yeast gives it that toasty, buttery, goodness, but the molasses finishes dry & English-style. — 10 years ago
An old Madeira, a good wine that really needs time to reveal itself, very shy and spirits like at first open, but patience reveals a wine with great acidity and very long lasting finish 😊 — 12 years ago
Neil Valenzuela
Medium purple, brick on the edge. Aromas of blackberry, prune, cassis, red currant and leather. Blackberry fruit on the palate, bay leaf and cranberry.
90 Points - Wine & Spirits — a year ago