David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Tasted this at the property & bought three & three of the 14 Moose. It is even better than I envisioned at this stage and will only continue to evolve to something even more grand.

The nose shows a little paraffin wax at first with gentle, beautiful, elegant floral, ruby, ripe, fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, black plums, black raspberries, plum, baked strawberries & hints of raspberries. A weave of faint; molasses, brown sugar & dark chocolate, some of the sexiest, gently layered baking spices of; cinnamon, clove, even lighter cinnamon & vanillin, hints of sweet tarriness, blossoming tree sap with a touch of bark, melted caramel, amazing, caressing, Marilyn Monroe, mid, dark spice, steeped fruit teas, limestone volcanics, a little dry, crush rocks, black licorice with gorgeous, candied, ruby, florals that are fresh & slightly withering; dark, red, blue that are set in violets & quiet lavender.

The body is wet, supple, rich and as good as it gets. She is flat out gorgeous with perfect viscosity. A little paraffin wax with gentle, beautiful, elegant floral, ruby, ripe, fruits of; blackberries, dry dark cherries, black plums, black raspberries, plum, baked strawberries & dry cranberries & hints of raspberries. A weave of faint; molasses, melted, brown sugar & dark chocolate, some of the sexiest, gently layered baking spices of; cinnamon, clove, even lighter cinnamon & vanillin, hints of sweet tarriness, blossoming tree sap with a touch of pine bark, melted caramel, dark cola, amazing, caressing, Marilyn Monroe, mid, dark spice with perfect, soft heat, steeped fruit teas, haunting here & there fresh herbaceousness, understated eucalyptus & mint, Christmas pudding over a touch of Christmas fruit cake, limestone volcanics, a little dry, crush rocks, black licorice with gorgeous, candied, ruby, florals that are fresh & slightly withering; dark, red, blue that are set in violets & quiet lavender. The acidity is simply insane. The finish falls into fantasy. It’s; sexy, gorgeous, elegant, round, rich, the definition of balance that persists for minutes falling on to a spice ending.

Most interesting Pinot of the year(s).

This will add a couple of points in 5 years.

The one is another bottling of Christmas Magic. Shots around the house on Christmas Eve-Eve. Yup, I even have a Wine Santa to enjoy wine with my Wine Snowman.

Merry Christmas Eve-Eve. 🎄🎁🎅❄️🌟⛄️

@Jason and Jennie Thank you for the introduction to DR Stephens. The 14 Moose is still better & will further stun one day but, their 15 Pinot is outstanding now. We will hold our other two bottles of their 15 another 3-5 years before opening. The first 14 Moose in 2026.

12/23/20 — 3 years ago

Cassie Nelson

9.2

W Frank and Marilyn — 5 years ago

Michael B

9.3

Stunning California Cabernet Sauvignon. Decanted x2hrs. Medium depth, Red fruits (red cherries, raspberries, strawberries) followed by soft leather and cigar box haze. There was an evolving spice that grew more prominent as the hours went by. Fiery Peppercorn and red peppers were very lively. — 4 years ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Here is a nice one from Napa Valley.

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Fruity nose of blueberries, black plums, black cherries, spices, cedar, vanilla, earth, coke, chocolates, dark coffee, black pepper, pencil lead and light vegetables.

Full bodied with medium plus acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, light vegetables, pencil lead and earth.

Medium plus in length on the finish, with fine grained tannins and tangy cranberries.

This is a very enjoyable Merlot from Napa Valley. Nicely balanced and fruit forward with a great mouthfeel. Showing nice complexity with more vegetables notes than I expected.

Still young and needs three to five years to mature, but already very yummy.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up (90 minutes).

I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon.

14.4% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$36. — 4 years ago

Amanda Barth

9.6

This is all the simultaneous sweet and dry of your best friend’s well-timed sarcastic remark. Would pair well with sushi and best friends. — 5 years ago

Cassie Nelson

9.3

W Frank and marilyn — 5 years ago

Shay A

9.1

I find myself between scores on this wine, but the reason I’m pushing it to 91 is because it showed better (for my preferred taste) on day two, suggesting more time in the cellar could slightly improve this. To me, this is almost totally Chablis like, though it’s just missing a hint of steeliness. Lemon oil, honeysuckle, and crushed rocks on the nose. Day 1 showed razor sharp acidity...electric like. Day 2 it became a touch more rounded. My first remark about this wine to someone was “it’s like licking fresh squeezed lemon juice off of limestone”. Tart, vibrant and definitely best with food. Day 2 added some stone fruits and a touch more sweetness to the finish. My thanks to @David T for introducing me to this producer, who I’m starting to hear about more and more often. — 4 years ago

Bhuvana Husain

9.0

Delicious full bodied red wine courtesy of Marilyn — 4 years ago

Ryan Mullins

9.7

Like riding in the back of a motorcycle that a topless Marilyn Monroe is driving — 5 years ago

JKT

9.0

Neuro reunion at 10/13/18. Excellent bubbles though not at level of that 2005! Was bought when visiting region with Marilyn Thor. — 6 years ago