Jakub Kalinowski

9.1

Nice spicy nose, full of exotic notes (ground black pepper, anise, nutmeg, vanilla cinnamon), a bit of white pear plus a touch of honeycomb cake. Exotic & ripe yet very fresh.


Hits the palate quite bold & self assertive - honeyed grilled peaches and (over)ripe cantaloupe with a healthy pinch of nutmeg & vanilla then the mineral & juicy acidity cuts through bringing balance and leading towards a long mineral, salty finish. Quite layered & complex. And yet highly drinkable.
A very nice one! — 2 years ago

Donald Williams

9.5

A great substitute for my first choice. Excellent with both the chicken and sea bass entrées. At Patina 250. — 4 years ago

with Bonnie

Jay Kline

9.4

Popped and poured. This was absolutely slamming tonight and by far the best of the bottles I’ve cellared since release. The cork was in pristine condition. The 2010 Reserva Field Blend pours a dark garnet color with no glaring signs of age. Moderate staining of the tears; some sediment “patina” on the bottle but very little sediment in the glass. On the nose, this wine was bursting with character: a mix of dark fruits; plums and brambles with leather, tobacco, earth, flowers and beautiful baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry, medium+ tannin (that was beautifully integrated) and medium+ lip smacking acid that begged for more of the paella we were enjoying alongside. The finish was looooooong. A stunning wine that captivated all of us at the table. A word to those who buy these wines: hold them for at least 10 years post vintage to get the most out of them. I so wish I had more. — 5 years ago

David Gobberdiel

9.0

Evocative of place- rich body, golden patina — 6 years ago

with Tyler

Bryce Wiatrak

9.1

What a pleasure it is to taste this three decade old Tuscan icon. Vino da Tavola at the time, Coltassala is now Volpaia’s Gran Selezione bottling. Fully mature with a distinctive patina, it still captivates with a dusty, figgy aroma and classic Sangiovese elegant rusticity. — 8 years ago

Bryce Wiatrak

9.2

I don’t get to taste aged dry Portuguese wines all too often, and this bottle makes me believe that’s a shame. Soft red currant flavors meet a more savory patina in this nearly three decade old Baga. Game, rose, smoke, and cherry. — 8 years ago

Isaac Pirolo

9.3

While the 2012 was impressive last week, it also had me nervous that the 2014 might need some time. This is not the case. Immediately approachable, with generous crème de cassis and blackberry ganache, and stopping just short of being a fruit bomb. Sourced from several small Napa vineyards, each vineyard lot is fermented separately and then spends a year in American oak before blending and then another year in barrel. The lush, ripe fruit is ever so lightly tinged with a pyrazine patina, reining-in the otherwise boundless fruit. ZD’s 2014 has received numerous gold medals at such competitions as the San Francisco Chronicle Int’l, San Diego Int’l, and TEXSOM, but if I’m really being honest, most of my attention is on the Curling tonight. 🥌 🥌 🥌 🥌 — 8 years ago

Susan Sachs

9.7

Near perfection. Full of fruit and tannins. BlackBerry and tobacco. Like a leather slipper with a soft patina. — 2 years ago

Donald Williams

9.4

A lovely accompaniment for both braised beef short ribs and seared yellowfin tuna. — 3 years ago

with Bonnie

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

9.3

A big thank you to Patina and Define Wine for sending over to this sample of your 2018 Pinot Noir from Orange, NSW. We’ve had a number of Australian Pinot’s lately and I have to admit this juicy cherry 🍒 bomb has been my favourite.

It’s a garnet shade in the glass with notes of cherries and raspberries coming through on the nose alongside hints of oak, violets, earth and truffles. In the mouth it’s super silky in texture and simply oozes elegance.

Enjoyed out of a Riedel OUVERTURE Magnum glass.

All opinions are my own. Drink what you enjoy! — 4 years ago

Tom Casagrande

9.2

Fragrant after a few minutes of air, it show notes of smoky, ashy crushed stone, oozy ripe dark berries, and Indian spices. Dark and clingy and savory in the mouth. Flavors just go on for quite a while. Soft textured, a little alcoholic pepperiness is the only detracting note. — 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Oh...wow. This is my first experience with Lapideus which is actually labeled as Giampiero Bea (Paolo’s son). This is old vine Trebbiano Spoletino (80+ years) that has seen 22 days of skin contact and 95 days on its lees. Popped and poured. The most brilliant burnished gold color; slightly hazy. In fact, there is a sediment “patina” on the inside of the bottle! On the nose, this is remarkably fresh with pears and stone fruits dominating. Not really funky at all! On the palate this is fresh and unbelievably quaffable for such an unusual wine. Again, the stone fruits dominate but almost taking on a dried fruit quality (dried apricots and dried mango). Sort of a Juicy Fruit thing too? So dry though and so, so good. Impeccable balance. Fantastic acid. For being so unusual, this is crazy accessible. A sublime pairing with cedar plank, wild caught salmon. Bottle No. 480/999. Brilliant stuff. — 6 years ago

Thomas Ng

9.1

Dry and crisp, full bodied, perfect level of sweetness. Best rose I've had in a long while — 8 years ago

Bryce Wiatrak

9.4

Herbal and still rather tannic and youthful. Leather, mushroom, tobacco, thyme, rosemary, dusted plum. Some redder tones emerge from the black fruit core - strawberry even. A pleasant rusty patina with some gentle, welcome bitterness on the finish. — 8 years ago

Shay A

9.4

A wonderful pairing for some Christmas caviar! From 375ml.

My local wine group has had a lot of fun/discussion regarding Krug’s Grand Cuvées the last 7-8 releases, as there appears to be a style shift. This 170 (base vintage ‘14) reminds me of what classical Krug GC can be (rich, nougat, ginger) whereas 169 and 171 are very sharp, bright and sport a non-typical Krug profile if referencing Krug of the past (168 does a great job of combining both profiles).

Krug’s 170 has an unusually high (about 45%) use of reserve wines due to the crop of pinot noir in 2014 not being great as well as evidently battling Suzuki flies. Thankfully there was plenty of pinot noir in the reserve wine library at Krug, thus this release shows a classical golden patina in the glass with aromatics of hazelnut, orange and lemon cream pastry. Beautifully rich and balanced on the palate with spiced pear, nougat, espresso, ginger and a hint of oxidation and leesy goodness. Wonderful GC that seems to be drinking perfectly. — 2 years ago

Tracy Hall

9.1

Dusty patina (like walking through a Japanese temple) pomegranate and cranberry. Mixed white and black peppercorns. Uplifting acid (in a good way) that super complements food. TBL — 4 years ago

Evan Endicott

8.9

Flinty pear and peach aromas, lots of pineapple on the palate and lovely minerality on the finish. Not cloying or aggressive, just very balanced and pleasant to drink! — 5 years ago

Ron from VA

9.1

Wow! The merlot-led cherry cordial is hitting BP like an all-star. Solid integration even at seven years… Acid tanning with patina elegance. Radically under priced at $25, this deserves another trip around the track. tasty and versatile:) — 6 years ago

Marshall Todd Herron DPM

10

Wow!!! All I have to say is it is worth every penny!!!!The perfect opaque patina against the glass. The bouquet is exquisite. Lavendar and black licorice. The initial palate is delivering explosions of blackberry , dark currant, and black cherry. Just like the color of the wine. And my senses are going wild. Sight, smell, taste : this is a true indulgence. This is what I love about the St Helena area of California. In the middle comes the chocolate and the graphite soil not to mention tobacco and the sensation of brown moss on a giant oak. You can almost crunch this wine in your mouth. The finish is pure butter with a tingle on the tip of my tongue that makes me crazy for more. If you’re tired of the same old same old wine like I am, you must splurge for this amazing 2016, yes I said 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon from Boich family cellars. I promise it is worth every penny and you will not be disappointed. No, I have no affiliation with the winery but boy I wish I did! MASTERPIECE! Great job Boich family!!! I’m coming to California to visit your winery! — 7 years ago

Bryce Wiatrak

9.4

It’s an anomaly to me why we don’t remember to cellar Zinfandel more often. This Turley from Lodi reminds me why we should. The aroma offers a distinctive patina - antique shop and dried roses, sage and thyme. At 21 years, the alcohol is still full throttle, but offers a very gratifying warmth. Thanks for bringing, Esther :) — 8 years ago