Jeff Clement

9.2

Got at total wine — 3 months ago

Kevin Murphy

9.2

One of the nicer, more balanced Portuguese wines that we have had. — 3 years ago

Graham

9.2

Really nice. My second S&H wine. Liked this Mindego Risdge better. Used to be my mountain biking haunt when I lived in Palo Alto. — 4 years ago

Misuzu Ksza

9.0

Enjoy the change of taste in a few days — 6 years ago

Gary Warriner

9.2

Been a while but this was really very good - 3rd bottle of this we’ve had this weekend on lockdown. £10 a bottle at M&S. Let it breathe a bit and the rewards are fantastic. You feel it though - 14%. One to savour. — 6 years ago

Ned Gray Creed

9.0

W&S Top 100. Now, this one is debatable. Bring it in here. I dig that a current release is almost 20 years old. But man I want to know what this tasted like 5 years ago, 10 years ago! The great aspect of owning a cellar and releasing at the will of ownership, you could “traunch-it”. Right? The leather and soft integration here seemed a bit too far. Certainly not gone. But 5-10 years prior, that is the decade I would have loved to try this. — 7 years ago

with Mark

Camille Offenbach

9.7

👃 fruity, sweet, 🍍
👅 peppery, apples, lingering, hot finish.
Light Amber liquid. Purchased at Bottles and Bitters in S. San Francisco for around $50. Yasss. Cuts the richness of artichokes and mayo nicely. — 8 years ago

with Giuseppe

Mark Rosse

9.3

Just 100 cases made of this single vineyard. Showing great character, depth and fine tannins. — a year ago

Kevin Murphy

9.7

Very nice, drinkable wine. Great color, body, and mouth feel — 4 years ago

Seth Masterson

9.0

A fortified late estate harvest of their estate Santa Cruz Mountains pinot noir.
I didn't like this when I first poured some from a couravin - too much oak and residual sugar. But now I revisit after 4 month of sitting in the bottle with that micro amount of oxygen and it's much better- I smell leather and desicated fruit over the oak and taste less sweetness than before, more of a tannic front with a nice balance of savory jam and subtle smoke notes.
Nice. I guess the lesson is that these 2014's need to sit in the bottle for a few more years. — 5 years ago

Raun Kupiec

9.2

Lot No. 16 - don’t know exactly what the “lot #s” mean, and the website is under construction. Vintage? But it isn’t a vintage or LBV. Predominant year in the blend? Bottled in 2018. I found this really unusual, in a good way, for a ruby port. It has a dusky, dry tannic character. But silky smooth. Reminds me of tea and raisins, and maybe dried blueberries. Really like this. — 6 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

No formal notes as I drank this bottle in a line-up of other great wines but oh man, woman and child...these are killer right now. Balance and authenticity typical of McHenry; leaning more towards the darker edge of the red fruit profile. This has depth that I rarely find in Pinot Noir short of drinking one of Hubert Lignier's stunners from M-S-D. I realize that seems like an exaggeration but it's the honest to God truth. Structure that will allow this to last for another decade and possibly longer. My WOTN with the 2014 Rafanelli Zinfandel and NV Christopher Tynan "Le Sucrier Velours" a close second (or third, if you will). Only 96 cases produced. — 6 years ago

Seth Morgen Long

Broker • Arterberry Maresh / Winemaker • Morgen Long

9.3

This was so much crunchier and vibrant than I recall Rhys Horseshoe Chardonnay being from my stint living on the property and helping vinify the 2011 wines. What I recall from Rhys is that Alpine was electric richness, while Horseshoe tended towards a fuller, rounder, bright expression. I think it’s time to start tasting the 2010’s and 2011’s I have. From 500mL. — 7 years ago

Francisco de Assis Melo Lima

8.9

Francisco Melo Lima — 8 years ago

Martijn

9.4

Fruit driven Cab S however at 13 years the tertiary notes are sometimes showing.
— 3 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2016 vintage. Mount Eden Vineyards wine dinner @Mister A’s Restaurant-San Diego. Decanted and tasted after opening and after 4hrs. Opening notes showing the baker’s pantry and a distinctive, crumbled Graham cracker vibe along with plenty of baby fat and meandering. Fast forward four hours…wine had dropped all the above and gained actual structure along with some richness, cinnamon (more the heat than the flavor) and darker fruit components. Still needs a decade plus but coming along and all the building blocks are slowly being laid in place. A small chance this wine is the best Cabernet JP has ever made. Have had more than a few (including the Old Vine Reserve (that 1991 tho, 1990 didn't suffer either)-no longer made-through the '90's) in the 90’s and 00’s laying down defined, kick-*ss parameters. 4.20.23. — 3 years ago

Jay Kline

9.2

My first time trying the 2017 Estate, the latest release from this tiny yet remarkable producer way up on Bonny Doon Road. The wines from McHenry vineyard typically show their best with 5-10 years of age but I love to try them in their youth, you know...for science. I opened this bottle about three hours before dinner and allowed it to slow-ox in the cellar. At first, the aromas were predominately red fruited in profile; strawberries and spices…almost like a Christmas fruitcake. However, the profile evolved in the glass and with more air, this began to take on a darker fruit profile that I find to be more characteristic of McHenry’s wines. This is a beautifully perfumed wine. On the palate, this is very bright and full of precocious energy. Plums and red berries with baking spices and minerals. Tannins are medium at best but there is no shortage of acid, which is a hallmark for this estate, ensuring that the 2017’s will in all likelihood enjoy a long life. Excellent now and likely to be a stunner down the road. Only 100 cases were made. — 5 years ago

Shay A

9.2

I wanted to open a Ceritas bottle during @Antonio Galloni ‘s interview with Ceritas winemaker John. I initially opened a 2015 Heintz Chardonnay, but it was corked. I moved to this bottle and it was intriguing to hear John say this is their earliest harvested vineyard, but their richest in profile wine. Crazy.

Upon opening, it had a very thin finish. I think there was a two part reason: it was too cold and it needed more air. This got substantially better once it warmed above cellar temp and was at its best with 3hrs of air. Very Chablis like with an oily texture and hardly any trace of oak. Hint of reduction. Very pure fruit...lemon oil, underripe melon, crushed seashell, and honeysuckle aromatics. Shockingly, the acidity here was fairly mellow. Not as razor sharp as I expected or have experienced with other Ceritas chards. Tart stone fruits, steely and grilled lemon rind round out the palate and finish. I’d hold this another few years to see how it blossoms. — 6 years ago

Boxer Briefs

10

Great wine. Distinct Ridge barrel profile. Vanilla and baking spice, tobacco...Absolutely pure fruit but definitely got the fruit ripe in a cold year. I love good 11’s, this wine is incredibly elegant with power. Really incredible balance, going to age for a long time because of the acid, ripeness and barrel. Baby Monte Bello, you cant ask for anything more in a wine for the price. One of the best values in California wine. — 7 years ago

Patrick Derdeyn

9.4

Wanted to check in and see how the 12’s are coming along. In a word- slowly. The only major change so far is that the green notes from whole cluster have evolved into a nice spice. Along with that is some of the darkest fruit profile i’ve ever had in a pinot. Wonderful depth yet so light weight. These have a long slow age curve ahead of them. — 8 years ago