Ed Chin

9.0

The initial taste was candied but quickly turned to tart red fruit The earthy element and light body reminded me of a Pinot. Not a Burg 🤔 — 9 months ago

Andy Weinstein

9.4

Wonderful. Paired well with spiced pork and dark chocolate dessert. — 3 years ago

Brandon Boesch

9.1

Strawberry cola and some blackberry bramble. Nice finish. Not the most complex wine but pretty darn good. Fruit forward pinot with some balance. — 4 years ago

Joe Santiago

9.0

Nice young Merlot. Mild aroma and tannins — 4 years ago

Brandon Boesch

9.5

Love this wine every year. Great nose and palate of white flowers, honey/honeysuckle, stones, a hint of tropical fruit and some underripe nectarine. So easy to drink and great qpr. — 5 years ago

Dani Jensen-DeNofa

9.7

Medium yellow color. Tropical and vanilla on nose. Oak With something I can’t distinguish.. maybe some salinity? Bright pineapple. Then rich buttery creaminess. Slight vanilla into an oak finish. Slightly dry — 6 years ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.1

So this ChMont doesn't hold the line with the prior cab. It's solid, as always, but lacks complexity, depth, and frankly even body. This is medium. A nice smoked wood note makes its somewhat different. But otherwise, it feels underripe, and thin. It's worth laying down for a while (ask @Shay A how long) to look for you improvement. I really wanted to press to 9.2 here but couldn't.

91+ points — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Tasted from 1/2 bottle. They come in handy for dinner for two in many cases, but especially at a restaurant that allows corkage. Most do in California. It is even harder to find vintage champagne in 375ml’s.

The 2018 vintage was good to very good. You need to taste and or read up for its best offerings.

A note, I tasted at the Billecart-Salmon property in later October 2022 with Mathieu Roland-Billecart. As insightful as that was, he was asked other than Billecart Salmon champagnes, what was one of his favorite champagnes? His reply was surprisingly an older vintage Paul Bara he had recently. That’s a producer question that gets asked often. Normally generates a pause with some minor angst to answer.

The nose shows; lemon chiffon/meringue, bruised apple to slightly cider, bruised pear, yellow & white stone fruits, just ripe pineapple, orange citrus blend, lime pulp, tropical melons, whipped, white cream, white spice-ginger, yeasty bread dough, saline, crushed limestone pulp, crumbled chalk, sea fossils, white spring flowers set in yellow lilies.

The palate is round & soft. The mousse is delicate w/ micro oxidation. Ripe; lemon chiffon/meringue, white & yellow stone fruit, slightly bruised apple & Bosc pear, lime pulp, orange citrus rind, some tropical melons, cream, ginger white spice, yeasty bread dough, sea spray, saline, sea fossils, dry crumbled chalkiness, caramel notes, heather honey, warm perfectly toasted toast, graham cracker, nougat w/ nuts, yellow flowers set in a field of white spring flowers, excellent acidity with a nicely; balanced, structured, tensioned, polished finish that lasts a minute and falls on limestone laced with soft, dry, powdery chalkiness.

Photos of; the house of Paul Bara, chalky caves w/ riddling racks, old wood basket press & a vineyard picking party. — 2 years ago

Raul Tamayo

8.9

It was fine nothing to write home about — 4 years ago

Kevin Mullally

9.1

Christmas in a bottle. Spice. Cloves, cinnamon, yummy. — 5 years ago

Jason Troendle

9.4

Sweet and not too strong — 6 years ago

with Mandy

Jodi M

9.2

Gorgeous Barossa shiraz. Not too heavy, very drinkable. — 7 years ago

Lindsay Corrigan

8.9

Full Strawberry nose with white pepper. Taste juicy red berry front settles down to a wash blueberry. Then at back of mouth intensity starts with flavour of roasted red peppers done over oak coals and finish cleanse of eucalyptus.🍷 — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Beautiful, dark red, perfume fruits. Black currants, blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries, boysenberries, lots of blue fruits, expresso, anise, leather, some graphite, sweet dark moist soils, medium intensity volcanic minerals, limestone with blue and dark red floral bouquet.

The body is full. The tannins are round and nicely soften. The structure, length, tension and balance have hit harmony with plenty of life left ahead. Dark currants, blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries, boysenberries, loads of blue fruits, expresso roast, anise, dark chocolate, a little caramel, leather, some graphite, leather, dry tobacco, touch of dry herbs, sweet dark moist soils, medium intensity volcanic minerals, limestone and blue and dark red floral bouquet. The acidity is round and beautiful. The finish is long, very well balanced, elegant, polished and lasts minutes.

Photos of; The barn used for winemaking and to host tastings. The first harvested Cabernet grapes of the season, an old school basket press that decorates their grounds, Estate vines and a giant fan to dry the vines if needed amongst the hilltop mountains that surround the Estate. — 8 years ago

Jan de Weerd

9.8

Another amaaazing wine here in Down Under. The Basket Press only available to the ‘in’ members of Rockford winery. Rich flavors expressing from beginning to end in layers of dark, ripe fruits but firmly anchored by well rounded, soft tannins that carried the experience to a long lingering, pleasant finish. We had lunch with our friend who happened to ‘in’ 😊 with Rockford hence our opportunity to taste this wine and share it with other friends who had been admiring Rockford wines for 40 years. — 3 years ago

with Gareth, Andrea and 1 other

Francisco Perez

8.9

Great Grenache from France. Rhône style red that comes through. The grape is the queen in this wine. Soft but with true flavor of the varietal. Blend of old and new vintage. Glad that I bought this. I am having it with an excellent vegetarian pizza and is wonderful. — 4 years ago

Brendan Devine

9.2

Whoa! This was a surprise. Tart apple, Brie cheese. Slightly effervescent. In that ABv sweet spot as well. Drink with impunity. — 5 years ago

Christian Adams

9.4

Great cider, dry, reminds me of basque style ciders. — 6 years ago

Ceenic

9.0

Super smooth — 7 years ago

Dimes

9.0

Lo que Syrah Syrah 🥰 — 8 years ago