Bob McDonald

9.7

Last bottle of this very impressive Chardonnay. Still very flinty and burnt match on the nose with a slightly sweeter palate than the last note. That grapefruit in its youth is now more yellow peach. Technical notes - using the P58 clone. All grapes were hand harvested prior to whole bunch pressing to French Oak puncheons - 30% new oak. Malolactic conversion was prevented. Drinking at its peak - made by one of Australia’s leading exponents of Chardonnay In David Bicknell. This is world class! — 7 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

After pressing dried grapes from making Amarone, Valpolicella wine is passed over the still warm skins of Amarone for 2nd alcoholic fermentation, increasing the alcoholic content, aromas and color. Blend of 85% Corvina, 10% Rondinella, 5% Oseleta. Deep Ruby with aromas of sweet dried berry fruits and pepper spice. On the palate ripe blackberry, currants and sweet cherry with complex spice. Well balanced with acidity and alcohol, full-body with soft tannins on long finish. Nice value. — 3 years ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.2

More and more I will be getting out of my comfort zone. This is a single vineyard Chenin Blanc from South Africa, Stellenbosch. Hand-picked whole bunches, kept on the skins for 12 hours after harvest before gentle pressing. 12 month fermentation and maturation in 225L French oak barrels. The skin contact produces a beautiful medium gold color that's as shiny as a wedding band on a honeymoon. Indeed, honeysuckle is among the aromas that also include pear, peach, apricot, marmalade, and a twist of lime. Everything gets confirmed on the palate, with a touch of brioche. Medium plus bodied, dry (with a hint of residual sugar on the tongue), medium acidity. A great wine.

92+ points — 3 years ago

Paul T- Huntington Beach

9.6

Winery notes, Sun Chase Vineyard is planted on the west-facing hillside where the cool Petaluma Gap collides with Sonoma Mountain, this site overlooks a broad sweep of the county from the San Pablo Bay to north Santa Rosa. Our Chardonnay block with an east-west row aspect sits on a sun-drenched, rocky incline at 1000' where fruit yields are naturally limited with small clusters and aromatic fruit. Technical Notes: 76 clone, Whole-cluster pressing, 100% native yeast primary fermentation, 100% wild malolactic fermentation, 11 months in low toast, air-dry 3-year-old French oak, 25% new."
My notes , Aubert style without Aubert price. — 4 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

2006 vintage. Decanted and tasted after 3 hours. Ummm...yeah. Not the greatest vintage for the Right Bank. It matters not. This wine redefines the word "brooding." Massive body (still!) after 1.5+ decades and a nose chock full of black truffles and fudge. Flavors added pine forest mud and a fines herbes ensemble. Generally not the biggest Pomerol fan but this wine casually tosses out both exquisite brusque and delicate tendencies in the same draw. This has at least two decades to stroll around the grounds until it feels at home. Goo goo koo joo. Simply, effing magnificent. WOTN! Happy birthday, Dermott! 3.5.23. — a year ago

Rhonely Boy

9.1

2016 Sparkling Pinot Gris orange wine.

Ryan, yes, more please and thank you!
A fan of the orange Pinot Gris, geeked to of received an email regarding the release of a personal winemaker stash of sparkling orange Pinot Gris.

“To quickly explain, an “orange wine” is made from white grapes, but instead of pressing the white grapes and discarding the skins like normal white wine production, they are kept in contact (just like red wine production) with the juice for 21 days extracting the orange of color. For fun, I produced a small personal batch that was made like a traditional method champagne. Perhaps the only one of its kind.

I hope you enjoy!

Ryan”



Perfect amount of bubbles, lightly carbonated, any more and it would of been a bit rough.

— 3 years ago

Byron C Mayes

9.0

Pale gold with tiny persistent bubbles. Inviting nose and palate of ripe golden apples, ripe peaches, and clover honey. Light and fizzy on the tongue. Sweet (of course) but balanced with refreshing acidity. Short-ish finish, but you’re likely taking another sip before that matters. The gold standard for Moscato. A lovely treat on its own, with fresh fruit, or with lightly sweet dessert crepes. Also a great pair with the exceptionally spicy dishes that my dining partner likes to make (remember, “Sweet beats heat!”). Stop fronting. You know that you like this stuff. Drink now. — 4 years ago

with Jay

Deborah M

9.2

2015 Renieri Brunello Di Montalcino - This wine gives lots of richness and structure. Tannins are still not fully integrated, but improved from my last try a couple years ago. FWIW, James Suckling gave this wine 100pts. This was my second time with this one, and while I still don’t see the 100pts, I do see it as delicious and for me that matters more than points.

Winemaker notes says it best - this wine opens with earthy aromas of bark, sand, truffles, graphite, rust, terracotta and sandalwood. Fruitier orange zest and lemon. Ripe, incense and with dense forest of aromas. Rich to the center palate, the fruit is vivacious and elegant. Robust and generous tannins. The finish is long, the after effects of the acidity unworldly. — a year ago

Ellen Clifford

9.2

Elegant as all get out. I can’t get over Palo Cortado, even with its shady requirement to be called “Palo Cortado”—pretty sure some are no more accidental “failed Finos” than chocolate chip cookies were a ‘whoops I dropped chocolate in the dough’—but that matters not. Mixed nuts and lemon and amaretto don’t sound like things I’d want to consume all at once but they are elements of this wine I love all at once. — 3 years ago

Shengli Hu

9.1

A Soave Classico cru. The vineyards in Casette Foscarin are situated to the north of the Soave Classico area. In calcareous soil of volcanic origin. Multiple passes through the vineyard for picking, soft pressing with low temperature maceration, and aging in barriques and tonneau for 6 months. The signature cherry blossom jumps out of the glass, CHERRY, CHERRY, CHERRY, stony minerality, hefty salinity, mushroom, dried herbs, cherry pith, yellow apricot, and Meyer lemon. Medium+ finish. Elevated acidity. — 4 years ago