Jay Kline

9.4

Celebrating my 4000th TN on Delectable!!

I opened this bottle of the 1982 about four hours prior to dinner. It was a little tight and old smelling so I poured it into a wide-bottomed ship’s decanter where I left it until I needed to head to the restaurant. I then poured it back into the bottle. By the time I poured the first glass, the wine had freshened up and it was positively singing! It’s a beautiful garnet color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with no staining of the tears and definitely quite a bit of sediment to watch out for. On the nose, after all of the air, the wine is vinous with gorgeous notes of ripe and dried, red fruits: Morello cherry, raspberry, dried roses, tar, truffle, cedar chest, leather, dried herbs and gravelly earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This is such a lovely bottle of Pio Cesare Barolo annata and perhaps proving once again that the 1982 vintage was very special throughout Europe. Drink now through 2042+. — 19 days ago

George Ko

9.5

Just fantastic. Perfect with marinated meats or steak. Juicy, with a little tartness. Incredibly smooth, easy drinker. Cranberries, black spice and slight olives. — 2 months ago

"Odedi"

9.0

Reddish in color with medium plus intensity.

Pretty nose of wild flowers, red cherries, currants, light wood, tobacco, chocolates and coffee.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, spices, oak, licorice, earth, tobacco, herbs, peppercorn, dark chocolates, coffee and light tar.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a tasty Barbaresco. Elegant and nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel.

Still very young, and needs a few years in the bottle to mature properly. Needed a few hours to open up, so be patient. Tannins show up after 2 hours of airtime, and bring structure to the wine.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 15 years, and showing good potential to become a 93+ point wine.

This Single Vineyard Nebbiolo is very complex, engaging and a good food wine.

100% Nebbiolo grapes were aged in French and Hungarian oak barrels for 24 months. A limited production of less than 8,000 bottles.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$150. — 4 months ago

Tom Jenkins

9.0

Hugo’s menu, GM recommended. Soft, delicate. Light on the tongue, hints of tart fruit. — 6 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Sant’Urbano, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2020, Veneto, Italy 🇮🇹

Overview
Produced by Speri in the historic hills of Valpolicella Classico, the Sant’Urbano Amarone is one of the estate’s flagship wines and a benchmark expression of the style. Crafted from the traditional Amarone blend, primarily Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella, the grapes undergo the classic appassimento drying process for several months before fermentation, concentrating flavors and structure. The 2020 vintage shows remarkable balance between richness and freshness, delivering depth while maintaining precision and lift.

Aromas & Flavors
Subtle yet expressive layers of dried raisin, marmalade, and dark fruit compote emerge alongside notes of ripe cherry, fig, and delicate spice. The aromatic profile reveals the classic Amarone character without becoming overly heavy, allowing fruit purity and complexity to remain in focus.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied yet remarkably lively, the wine moves across the palate with impressive energy. Structured tannins and vibrant acidity provide a firm backbone, giving the wine lift and elegance. The texture is rich but polished, and the finish is long, layered, and persistent, suggesting a wine that will continue to evolve and climb with further aging.

Food Pairings
This Amarone pairs beautifully with slow-braised meats, roasted lamb, venison, and rich game dishes where its concentration and acidity complement savory depth. It also shines alongside aged cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino, where the wine’s structure and lingering finish enhance the richness of the pairing.

Verdict
A beautifully balanced Amarone that combines power with finesse. Structured, energetic, and elegant, it delivers both immediate pleasure and strong aging potential.

Did You Know?
The Sant’Urbano vineyard from which this wine takes its name is one of Speri’s historic crus in Valpolicella Classico and is considered among the estate’s most important sites for producing Amarone with both structure and longevity.

🍷 Personal Pick
An Amarone that truly danced across the palate, rich yet vibrant, with subtle dried fruit, marmalade, and compote supported by strong structure and acidity. Delicious now, but clearly a wine that still has room to climb. — 8 months ago

Justin Manni

9.4

Great structure. This one could go 10-20 — 19 days ago

Skip Smyser

9.0

Nice restaurant wine — 11 days ago

John Howard

Harvest production at Hirsch and Cobb Wineries

9.4

Not as good as expected. A little tired. Nice tho. Day 3, so good! Time and air made this insane. Love, — 2 months ago

Lyn Farmer

9.3

Deep Ruby color with intense black fruit aromas of cassis, black cherry, blackberry, violet, vanilla, cedar and crushed stone minerality. Light eucalyptus, forest floor, cigar box and graphite. Well balanced tannin and acidity though the wine feels a bit over-extracted. Delicious but a little heavy. Lots of room for development. — 4 months ago

Mark Mannebach

9.2

Peach citrus upfront with a nice mineral finish — 5 months ago

Oscar Chen

9.0

I remembering enjoying it a lot! — 8 months ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.6

One of my absolute favorite California wines. The California Latour. ‘97 is superb—vividly detailed and complex with both power and elegance. A masterful balance of fruit, tertiary character and cooling acidity with a silky palate and melting tannins. Hard to beat for a Wagyu pairing. — 9 months ago

John Knudsen

9.0

Decanted for 2 hours. Still big, no signs of fading. Did not drink enough before it was consumed to review properly, but seemed a touch sweet. — 4 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Ridge Vineyards — Estate Chardonnay 2023
Monte Bello Estate, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
100% Chardonnay from Ridge’s Monte Bello Estate, high in the Santa Cruz Mountains and strongly influenced by the cool Pacific. The exceptionally long, cool 2023 growing season preserved freshness and varietal character, while barrel fermentation followed by nine months on the lees added texture and dimension. At 14.1% ABV, it carries surprising substance without sacrificing its cool-climate identity.

Aromas & Flavors
Fresh lemon, yellow apple, pear, citrus blossom, and subtle stone fruit unfold gradually, joined by mineral notes, gentle vanilla, and restrained barrel nuances. Air brings out additional layers without turning the wine overtly oaky.

Mouthfeel
Beautifully texturized yet remarkably fresh. Bright acidity provides tension while lees aging gives the mid-palate a gentle creaminess and polished weight. It keeps evolving after opening, moving between delicacy, mineral energy, and increasingly expressive fruit.

Food Pairings
Excellent alone, but equally comfortable with scallops, lobster, grilled halibut, roasted chicken, mushroom risotto, or richer seafood preparations. Its combination of acidity and texture lets it pivot effortlessly between sipping and serious cuisine.

Verdict
A fascinating expression of mountain-grown California Chardonnay. Delicate yet substantial, refreshing yet textural, it demonstrates how a cool Pacific-influenced site can deliver ripeness without sacrificing precision or energy.

Did You Know?
Monte Bello sits high above Silicon Valley on the Santa Cruz Mountains ridge, with vineyards exposed to significant Pacific influence. Ridge notes that 2023 was one of its longest and coolest recent growing seasons; the extended harvest helped preserve acidity while allowing slow flavor development—the tension you can genuinely feel in this Chardonnay.

🍷 Personal Pick
This sits comfortably among my favorite coastal-influenced Northern California Chardonnays. What gets me is the evolution: refreshing and delicate at first, then progressively more textural and expressive as it opens. It has enough finesse to enjoy completely on its own and enough structure to sit beside fine cuisine. That versatility, without losing its cool-climate personality, is what makes this one special. — a month ago

P Plusquellec

9.7

Hard to find a flaw — 2 months ago

Robert Swart

8.9

Ruby core, garnet rim. Sour cherry, red plum, dried herbs, a touch of clove. Medium-bodied, bright acidity, fine tannin, restrained oak, clean finish. Workhorse Italian red — pasta, pizza, roast chicken. -Arlecchino Ristorante — 4 months ago

Ali Copp

9.6

Italian Club
100 Sangiovese. Balsamic, balanced tannins, violet. Was perfect with pasta.
We both loved this one — 4 months ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.5

An absolutely fantastic single vineyard Brunello. Dark ruby color with a slight brick colored fade on the rim. Fragrant aromas of red berries, tobacco, leather and purple flowers. Flavors of ripe red and black cherries, coffee, black licorice and minerals. Distinct note of forest floor on the long lasting and luxurious finish. Full bodied. Silky tannins and impeccable balance. Powerful, yet quite suave, polished and sophisticated. Aging beautifully and should continue to improve. Absolutely outstanding! Thank you Kase for the wonderful gift! — 7 months ago

Silvermo

9.0

Buen rioja, aunque no creo que esta cosecha nos de esta textura y bouquet. — 10 months ago

Benjamin Shirk

9.3

McCarthy & Schiering, $11

Bursting with tropical flavors, lots of pineapple and guava, almost reminds me of POG juice. Balanced with a crisp acidity and very easy to drink. Amazing for the price, I immediately went back and grabbed 2 more bottles — 3 years ago