Mark Chandler

8.9

Always love a Sancerre! This one from the M&S collection hits the right citrus and green fruit (lime and apple) notes with a subtle yet distinct note of fennel right at the end. Crisp with a high acidity and medium alcohol. Dry to medium body. Can be enjoyed on its own. — a month ago

Jay Kline

9.4

A lovely, luxurious and archetypal version of Syrah that showed very well alongside the other late-90’s examples from Hermitage on the table. I felt this showed a little bit better than the “La Chapelle” but it was really close. It’s showing some charming secondary characteristics but has plenty of gas left in the tank. — 2 years ago

Kamall

8.9

This was the sans soufre “N”. Not a patch on the S that I had in a restaurant recently, but maybe that’s bottle variation? I loved the 2019 S I had. One of the best vintages in the last 5 years I thought. Now I’m not sure! — 2 years ago

Scott Cowan

9.0

Total Rhône Ranger: 56% Syrah, 16% Mourvèdre, 13% Petite Syrah, 11% Grenache, with 2%, each, smoothing things all together, of Viognier(!) and … Alicante Bouschet. I bet the Alicante was added for color more than for flavor, though also to smooth the tiny ping of pepper notes I assume follow the teensy bit of Viognier. All in all a delightful crowd pleaser. Inoffensive to sensitive palates and yet bold+complexly layered just enough to please those who want some drama in the bowl (present 🤚 ).

Pairs well with… just about everything: mild chicken to game and lamb… also all cheeses from mildest to most piquant — it’s that kind of utility player wine!
For this reason, I give it the full 9.0 instead of the 8.9 I’d planned on mid-dinner last night. I had been straddling that fence between best of a strong platoon player who’d see 80 games a season, some starting and some pinch hitting/fielding, vs an everyday starter who could cover the infield as passably as the outfield and bat just about anywhere in the lineup, 1-8, save the super power 3 and 4 spots — though a few sips hit the spot sweet just right to serve as barely clearing the fence home runs during a brief period that this wine lingered at just-right aeration time.

Darker red pour with flecks of bear black and hues of orange highlight… Bing cherry skin color center to lighter Rainer cherry reds near glass sides. No tears to speak of from alcohol and this wine does not feel as if it’s high in alcohol at all, but the label reads 15.2%. I wonder if someone transposed those last two numbers which straddle the decimal.

Zero cherry flavors — just those colors. The mix of velvety raspberry, very mild dried laurel leaves, under-roasted coffee, and mild chocolate all muddle together more than layer over one another, as I prefer, but they do so in a way that forms a comfy soft blanket of flavors and those tiny peeps of black pepper do make that blanket more interesting. Medium finish says good-bye with a soft wave to the smell of cardboard-surrounding a delicious dark chocolate bar…if that smell could be distilled into a thick liquid that coats the top of the throat before evaporating away slowly.

This 2018 seems to be nearing peak of flavors and has the potential to drink pretty well until 2023; probably not much pizazz will be left to extend its contract after that. I’d be glad to drink this again anytime. A good wine for Justin S. and/or David M.
— 3 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

The 3rd matching wine in the degustation at Restaurant Dan Arnold. I’ve been a long time fan of Yarra Yering back to the 1980’s, pretty much exclusively with their reds. This Dry White is a blend of Semillon and Chardonnay. ( not as per the title) Lemon and lime notes on nose and palate with M plus acid I recall. Certainly drinking this in its infancy. — 3 months ago

with Byron

Tree Kilpatrick

9.0

Classic looking bottle. Lovely deep purple color. Smells like berry ice cream and smoke. Flavors of the Rhone if a bit on the big/heavy handed side of the style. Coffee and berry pie with a scoop of ice cream. That’s what I’m tasting here. Sorta short on the backside, but I’d be quite pleased with a glass of this at my favorite wine bar or bistro. It’s even mostly Grenache! Good job blending the S(yrah) & the M (ourvèdre) in there Romain D. — 2 years ago

Jakub Kalinowski

8.9

Fresh & surprisingly light.
S/G/M blend with pure black fruit with some earthy spice aromas and a whiff of Mediterranean garrigue.
Nicely balanced on the palate with fresh acidity, fine tannins & good length. The fruit fresh & crunchy. Good length, too.
Good food wine. — 3 years ago

GV

9.2

Another very good bottle by M&S in their own "Classics" label offerings. Nice deep colour, plenty of cherry and plum, and a pleasure to drink with food or on its own. — 5 months ago

GV

8.9

Solid and punchy red with a deep, dark hue. Lots of fruit and hint of violets on the nose. Cherry, berries and red fruit. Went very well with a pork loin in a tuscan bean tomato sauce. — a year ago

Ed Chin

8.9

This is misidentified as Pinot noir as the back label lists about 5 other varieties. Then again the back label is generic enough that it seems they put them on all their bottles back then. No vintage noted but is an early 60’s bottling. Still bright with loads of red fruit. What I seem to detect is a slight VA but others with more experience with older vintages says that it was on point. I’m good on the palate just not the aromatics. For a 50yr old wine I’m good with it. — 2 years ago