Shay A

9.4

Today was my annual hosting of the Wednesday Wine Committee. There was 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 4 reds and 1 dessert, all provided by me. Tasted blind, as always.

White number three. Copying notes from my recent note about 6 months ago. No surprise here, but this was rich and powerful. After it warmed up, the fruits became more honeyed, and there was an added smoked butter note. I enjoy Ritchie vineyard Chardonnays, and with Bevan’s take, I always get a very pronounced nutty type note...this vintage isn’t as pronounced at this stage. Not a bad or a good thing...just a thing. This vintages seems a bit more focused compared to previous vintages. In my opinion, the best vintage of Bevan’s Ritchie chard I’ve had. — 5 days ago

with Dan, Andrew and 3 others

Shay A

9.3

Monthly WTF wine group meet up. This month is new world vs old world Rhône’s. All wines tasted blind. 3 flights.

This was one of my contributions and it may have been due to the comparative style of the night, but this was more ripe than I expected. Many called this Aussie Shiraz. I decanted for about 2hrs by the time this was enjoyed and it was open for business. Ripe blue and black fruit, oak, and a hint of savory notes (sage, charcoal). To its credit, there was a nice lift on the mid palate that gave this a lighter than expected feel. — 12 days ago

with Bill, Jack and 2 others

Neil Valenzuela

9.6

Wow! Medium ruby color. Aromas of raspberry and dark fruit- amazing flavors of golden raspberry, Pink Lady apples and a touch of black licorice. — 3 days ago

Mark Flesher

9.0

This wine was definitely structured, but I wonder if it was also a bit shut down too. This wine has a good Asian pear nose and a hint of peach. Very viscous opening. But a little muted throughout. Very satisfying by itself, but I imagine that any substantial fare would probably crush this one. I am hoping this wine might just be in a weird spot right now because I have had other wines from this producer and they've all outdone this one. — 2 days ago

Scott Soren

9.4

As Pinot is not my go to, this was incredible. The nose is massive, floral with red fruit. The mouth feel is burnt raspberries and pepper with medium+ acidity and a longer finish. The acid will lend to longer aging. American Pinot in a class of its own. — 5 days ago

Kimberly Anderson

9.0

Reserve bottling. Scents of pineapple, apple and butterscotch. Honey, almonds and some oak. Full bodied, but not overpowering. Great with cedar plank grilled salmon. — 3 days ago

with Chad

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

A fav with some great Sushi. Pale yellow with pleasing aromas of citrus and peaches. One of the few barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc's which adds a wonderful toasty oak flavor setting this wine apart from the rest. Complex palate of flavors, fresh fruit, lemons, grapefruit, peaches and Asian pears. Slight earthiness with a smooth and creamy well balanced finish ending with a gentle sweet character. Very nice! — 2 days ago

Sam Lando

9.2

Well, I’m a little biased...I like this Chardonnay a lot. It is our interpretation of white burg meets CA. Lively tropical/floral notes, and great texture and mineralogy (unfiltered and unfined). A hint of toasted brioche leads to a luscious and creamy finish. — 9 days ago

Randy Fuller

9.4

The wine has an intriguing nose which shows apricot, Meyer lemon and tropical fruit. The palate shows why people like California Chardonnay. Tropical notes highlight the flavors, with a strong layer of minerals underneath. The 15 months of oak don't interfere as much as one might think, adding a noticeable - but not dominant - aspect to the profile. Racy acidity begs for a food pairing, and I'm thinking swordfish. The finish carries the fruit, not the oak. — 14 days ago

Hayden B. Oothout

8.9

Bold and robust Pinot Noir...one of those Pinot noirs for people that don’t necessarily enjoy Pinot noir. This is a great wine that is wonderful on the nose and bountiful on the palette. — 8 days ago