Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

2011 vintage. Not the best vintage nor the longest-lived. Drinking pretty decently currently. Would I want to slide-tackle this in a decade? No. In the next 5 years? Yes. Plenty of love aboard the ship now. 2.28.24. — 8 months ago

Maggie J

8.9

This is actually the 2020 Jurassic Park Chenin blanc - served with Thai dinner and salmon dinner. Low to no acid, smooth yet crisp and complex. Yellow apples, peach, and gravel. Really enjoyed it with the food pairing would love to try with spicer dishes. — 2 years ago

Lyndsey Wegner

9.4

I love Carhartt wines and this Petit Verdot was no exception!! It was big, bold and smooth with notes of violet, black cherry, currants and leather. Perfect with a medium rare Ribeye! — 3 years ago

MICHAEL COOPER DipWSET

Owner TomeVinos wine shops, WSET Level 3, Blogger www.spanishwinesandmore.com, blog.tomevinos.com

9.0

Really ripe and rich. Too much me thinks. The freshness and crisp texture that I love in the #sangiovese grape has been lost in a blend with #cabernet and #merlot Oh yeah and then there’s the price! Completely too expensive, average price is about 120€ in Europe with no VAT included. #biondisanti #toscano #tuscany #italy Castello di Montepo is a Tuscan wine estate in the Scansano district of #Maremma Toscana, founded in the 1990s by Jacopo Biondi Santi of the famous Montalcino family.

The winery is housed in the castle Montepo itself, a single fortress building set on a rocky outcrop
In contrast to the Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino estate, where large Slavonian oak casks are used for maturing wines, the wines here are aged in French oak barrels. — 4 years ago

Rich Bluth

9.0

love this wine! Santa Clara Co gets no respect! but should! GO — 8 months ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.3

Light, limpid lemon color…very light nose. Clean, crisp, lemon, tart apple notes with a hint of stem. Delightful long finish with a smooth, supple base note and hints of savory basil. Structured, layered, complex and lively. I love Chenin… particularly Californian with early summer simple lemon roast chicken and cucumber/onion salad. I like the producer and wish I had more. Easy to like as a young vibrant wine. — a year ago

MaJ CappS

8.9

A touch barnyard on the nose,
Heavier bodied with some great classic SA characteristics, green pepper, garden stalk, cocoa. Bitter acidity, tiny tannins. I love everything about this wine, except the wax encapsulation. I find this closure method rather short sighted, as no sommelier in the world wants to struggle with a wax dipped cork closure during service. Certainly no beverage manager would allow this on the list. — 4 years ago

Shay A

9.4

Always enjoyed the Reynvaan offerings, but this was my first time with their Contender. It is co-fermented with Marsanne (as opposed to the traditional Viognier). 97 Syrah/3 Marsanne. Quick one-hour double decant.

I opened this alongside a 2015 No Girls Grenache and while there were obvious similarities in profile, this was distinctly different and the preferred wine from the group. Both sport the classical “funk” of Rocks district Rhône varietals, with perfumed dark florals, black olive and smoked meat. The co-ferment obviously lends toward a more aromatic wine but the palate was even more intriguing. Again, classical notes of peppered strip, spiced raspberries and blackberries, but the texture brought about a sweet-tangy finish as opposed to the typical overly savory profile of similar wines. It’s a note I’ve gotten on older Cote-Rotie wines and I love it. Drinking beautifully. Acidity is still vibrant and food pairs wonderfully at this point. Followed over two days and no change. Pop and enjoy. — 8 months ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; no formal notes. A mix of dark and red fruits with tobacco, earth and spices. The wine is finally matured and drinking very well now. It has lost all of the green tones that were more apparent in its youth. Everything is now fully fleshed out and should continue to drink well for another 5+ years. Really, these are some lovely (and age-able) wines from the Four Corners area of CO.
— 2 years ago

Vanessa

8.9

👁 Nice clarity, medium ruby hue, pink rim variation, strong tearing. No sediment.
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👃 Nose is clean and offers medium intensity red fruit notes that are ripe and jammy, such as cherry, strawberry-rhubarb, plum, along with spicy notes, such as dark baking spices, vanilla, and some green, herbaceous elements. Aromas are developing.
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👄 palate is dry, medium acidity, medium+ tannins, high alcohol, medium+ body, with medium red fruit and baking spice notes, which are consistent with the nose. Medium+ finish with lingering flavors and warmth.
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Love this producer - Grgich Hills Estate, Napa Valley, Zinfandel. Especially love the Chardonnays, but this was a balanced Zinfandel from Napa. Co-founder of this estate (Miljenko “Mike” Grgich) also crafted the ‘73 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that won the 1976 Judgement of Paris. Vintage 2015. ABV 14.9%. Made with organic grapes 🍇 Enjoying it as a complement to brats and Brussels sprouts on the grill. — 4 years ago

with Deked1