Practical Matter

The Atom

Dark Matter California Cabernet Sauvignon 2027

Nice, simple cab. Nothing nutsy but really enjoyed it — 7 months ago

Espectacle del Montsant

Montsant Garnacha

A very well made and balanced wine with extreme clarity of raspberry. The problem is 16%(!!!) alcohol. I think no matter how well you make wine trying to keep that in check will be difficult. There were some sore heads this morning 🥳 — 2 years ago

Anthony, Lyle and 5 others liked this

Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin

Montée de Tonnerre Chablis 1er Cru Chardonnay 2014

The nose is made of lemon, crushed rocks, chalk and there is little touch of juicy pear that pops up after a while and when the wine is warming up slightly. We could add a tiny touch of vanilla from the barrel but it's very discreet. Lovely. This is everything I'm expecting from a 1er cru chablis. The palate is made of a massive acid backbone, almost overwhelming! There is matter to balance it but it's trodding on a very thin edge. Notes of chalk and lemon, and lemon peel are showing all around the way making for a super dynamic, vivid mouthfeel. The finish lasts for ever with this lemony and chalky notes but that vanilla touch that appeared in the rear on the nose makes a discreet comeback in the end and on the sides and that almost reminds me of white burgundies from way down south around meursault and puligny. Awesome, intellectual wine that delivers! — 3 years ago

Mario, Scott@Mister and 15 others liked this

The Ojai Vineyard

John Sebastiano Vineyard Grenache 2013

This was absolutely fantastic. Every once in a while, Adam Tolmach and Fabien Castel cull away a few barrels of something for these Special Bottlings. Bought this at the winery a number of years ago, and it is awesome. A totally underrated winery in my opinion, I’d put this version of grenache up against pretty much anything coming out of CA (or southern Rhone, for that matter). Adam used to get criticized years ago because he left his grapes on the vine “too long”, and now he gets grief for picking too early. I think he does it just right. His wines have terrific fruit and great acidity that are perfectly in balance yet provide for fantastic aging potential. Great stuff, with an even better QPR. If you can get your hands on this specific wine, though, do yourself a favor and snag it! — 4 years ago

Vanessa McCaffrey
with Vanessa
Shay, David and 4 others liked this
Shay A

Shay A Influencer Badge Premium Badge

New to me. What does it usually run a bottle?
Jim McCusker

Jim McCusker

I think it was ~$100.

Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1995

1995 vintage. Great fill, foil and label. Perfect cork. From a top-notch cellar. Decanted and tasted over the course of two hours. Volcanic ash-styled sed vs chunky-style. Big funk on the nose that resolved after 7-8 minutes. Wine was showing decently (in the 69-72 degree range) but lacking any tannic structure. Placed the decanter atop an ice bucket bath to drop the temp down to 60 degrees or so. Took about 20 minutes but the tannins kicked in the door to say hello. Fruit components stayed constant. Pauillac tendencies were all there. As is the case often with older BDX, the decaying matter/leaves at the onset transitioned to graphite/lead pencil and espresso flavors. This was a superior bottle in great shape. Top of this wine’s specific bell curve. Comparable bottles would look to be drinking this well for the next 5-7 years without dropoff. Out of larger format…could possibly push this into 9.4 status. 2.5.24. — 9 months ago

Ron, Jan and 17 others liked this
Ron R

Ron R Influencer Badge Premium Badge

Gonna do a “fly by” one of these days. Buckle up…
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

@Ron R Let me know if you’re headed to SD. E-mail me at: scott@asrestaurant.com
Ron R

Ron R Influencer Badge Premium Badge

👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

Von Winning

Win Win Riesling 2019

Excellent every day Riesling. It combines fruit, acid and minerality in an ideal matter. Very good value for the money. — 3 years ago

Dark Matter Wines

Limitless Howell Mountain Red Blend 2016

Two hour decant for this 2016. Big ripe fruit up front-blueberry, blackberry, black raspberry, plum. Baking spices. Tannins smooth but strong. Structured well. Nice long finish. — 4 years ago

Cesari

Classico Amarone della Valpolicella Corvina Blend 2017

Tasted too young and not airy enough. Nevertheless: exuberant nose, big matter in the mouth, omnipresent tannins, alcohol present, sweetness, acidity, aromatic bouquets, everything is marked! The breeding is already relatively melted. A wine carved for the guard. To forget a few years in the cellar. Very nice product!

Bu trop jeune et pas assez aéré. Néanmoins: nez exubérant, grosse matière en bouche, tanins omniprésents, alcool présent, sucrosité, acidité, bouquets aromatiques, le tout est marqué! L’élevage est déjà relativement fondu. Un vin taillé pour la garde. À oublier quelques années en cave. Très beau produit!
— 2 years ago

Bob, Ira and 13 others liked this

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2007

Shay A
9.5

Curiosity finally got the best of me as it was a buddy’s birthday and he wanted to try this 2007. I think this received a three digit score, so whether points matter to you or not, it’s fun to try and get a data point.

Tried a glass right at pop, then drank from the decanter over the next 4-5hrs.

This was quite the rollercoaster. It was big and bruising the first hour, then blossomed in to an extremely smooth and balanced Bordeaux style blend. Dark red and black berry fruits, violets, mocha, dark chocolate and pipe tobacco all dominate the rich mid-palate. It seemed to somewhat shut down after 3+hrs, so either pop and enjoy or hold another three years for this drinking window.
— 2 years ago

Jan, Jonathan and 40 others liked this

Gilbert Picq et Ses Fils

Chablis Chardonnay 2019

Wet stone over honeysuckle flowers and crisp apples make for a nose that really bloomed on the second day. As a matter of fact, with this type of Old-world French appellation, taking 24 hours to fully open is not unusual. This value-conscious Chablis boasted depth and clarity of flavor you’d expect in wines with twice the price tag. We paired it with grilled eggplant and roasted chicken casserole. It was delicious! — 4 years ago