A day opened from another dinner, and shared during our cheese course. Honestly didn't focus much on this wine after the insane Comté and 13' Les Chalasses Marnes Bleues pairing. Plus, let's not forget about the battering of Rieslings that came before. One taste and I knew this just didn't have a fighting chance during the night. Too rich and creamy to match the energy of the Rieslings, yet not quite rich enough to match the 09' Lafon Perrieres. Nothing wrong per say, but it was just so average among the other wines of the night. Another one to look into again on better circumstances. — 3 years ago
‘Las Alturas' Spanish for 'the heights', a fitting name, this vineyard located on one of the highest grape-growing benches in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. 4th gen Winemaker Joseph J. Wagner from family with farming & winemaking roots in Napa since 1906. Met Joe on a trip to CT, my last autographed bottle! Deep Ruby (darkest Pinot I have come across). Nice berry, floral and sweet spice aromas. Rich cherry/plum flavors with oak, spice and vanilla. Long ending with sweet oak notes. Nice! A Fav! — 5 years ago
Deep Ruby with aromas of berry fruits, oak and floral spice notes on this Joe Wagner creation. On the palate blackberry and cherry currant flavors with hints of cedar and leather, adding some herb notes. Fine chalky tannins, good acidity, well balanced, ending with fruit and earthy mineral notes. Nice! Grab a filet! Well done Joe! — 5 months ago
Only so much cheap wine a person can take. The 13 is definitely not feminine in style.
I’ve been eye balling this for months now.
Down to my 2005 & 12 stock wise. This I could drink everyday, needs hours of decant per norm.
Grab a glass re cork then decant 4 hours on the 2nd day.
I’ve had 92,03,05,06,07,08,11 & 12 — 3 years ago
$81 @ Domestique — 5 years ago
The 2021 Riesling Poet's Leap is decidedly green in character, wafting up with notes of lychee, lime zest and crushed green apple. This flows across the palate with grace, displaying a pleasant inner sweetness, as tropical citrus and saline-minerals add a lovely tension throughout. This tapers off with young mango notes accentuated by a salty flourish through the long and crisply refreshing finale. The 2021 is so balanced and refined, just 12.5% alcohol, and at just under one gram of residual sugar per liter. (Eric Guido, Vinous, March 2023) — 3 years ago
Unbelievable wine, the typical Okanagan flavour profile that has balanced out over 8 years. Well worth the wait. — 5 years ago
Tom Casagrande
Truncated cookout notes. Damn this is spectacular. The flavor density and balance is so old school. The nose is ethereal. None of that 15% alc. chocolately bullshit that now seems to permeate Napa Cab orthodoxy.
UPDATE: Next morning, the wine long gone, I’m sitting here watching college football highlights from yesterday still thinking about how much I liked this. There’s usually only one wine per year that has that effect on me. — a month ago