Tree Kilpatrick

9.1

From some research I found this is Syrah and Grenache from two vineyards in Bennett Valley. Dark color. Like India ink dark with a purple lip. Smells lovely. Fresh berries meets European salt licorice. Also little fresh paint. A few wet stones as well. Flavors are dense and extracted. Plenty of tannins, but floral and complex. There’s plenty of minerality here. This might age well. Loosen up and gain a softer edge. Lots of leather, cherry pits and olives in there. Bennett Valley sure is great for Rhone grapes, especially Syrah’s. — 3 years ago

S.S. Mandani

9.3

Perfume of black cherry, leathery, dried out plums, fig marmalade, and the deep essence of a fistful of ruby saffron. A menacingly intoxicating bouquet.

So much flavor. Smacks of chewy raspberries, and the tartness of a cherry pie. Balanced with the brightness and liveliness of fruits of the tropics. I’m thinking a tart, unripe mango, the type that grows in India, but that my grandmother planted a decade ago in our backyard in Florida, which now bares hundreds of wonderfully tart green mangoes every year.

A little sweet spice right at the end, and you get a complex dance of flavors. One that makes you think that wine is the manifestation of a miracle growing from the ground. — 6 years ago

Chris Durall

8.9

A Fantastic Voyage from Connecticut Valley Brewing. New England Style IPA 6.5% ABV — 8 years ago

Debbie Shing

9.2

Crushed blue fruits, india ink, opened up to graphite and petals. Quite a whole, complete palate throughout. Deep and dense. Grapey. Gentle tannins, persistent flavours and finish. Needs time at least in a decanter but ideally 1-2 years in cellar. — 9 years ago

David Kline

9.3

12 years and tightly wound, but made leaps and bounds coming to the fore. Incredible rim to rim India black. Botanically rich in licorice and rosemary bordering on Ünderberg. Raspberry liqueur, blackberry jam and charred oak aromas mellowed by sweet madura tobacco and clove. Mint chocolate and vanilla, black currant, hazelnut coffee, and just enough smoke and graphite, to keep it complex and real. A powerfully structured wine from ancient, storied vines! — 9 years ago

with Courtney

Scott Wiegand

9.2

Typical northwest IPA but very well done. Obviously they have the best selection of hops available given that the brewery is literally in the middle of their own hop fields. The beer has good citrusy and somewhat grassy hop nose and sweet malt. On he palate, it is well balanced with hop bitterness and slightly sweet and lightly biscuity malt. Very local, so this is an easy go-to beer for me. — 10 years ago

Marshall Todd Herron DPM

9.5

The cork was all messed up, but the wine was amazing. I am at Taste of of India! The wine is amazing. It is Freemark Abbey 2011 cabernet sauvignon. The color is black and purple with no light passage. The legs are long, slow, and thick. It is 13.5%. The bouquet is gardenia and plum with a hint of raisin - rem I just had chicken Cashmere at Taste of India. The initial palate is blackberry and green apple. There is a hint of rhubarb pie. The finish is long and reminds me of granny smith apples and spice. There is a hint of black pepper dark chocolate . This is a great wine!!!!!
It is very dry. I need water after every sip. — 10 years ago

Suhneel Roye

9.5

Drank at home while cooking with India, paired with homemade Veggie Casserole. — 5 years ago

Chris

9.4

Valentine's Day dinner with my Bahama mama at The Landing; a 200-year-old estate in Harbour Island's downtown. Originally the home of the island's first doctor, the colonial-style building served as Customs House and then a private club. It was built when Harbour Island was a ship building center. With the help of supermodel India Hicks, The Landing has been transformed into a charming 12-room boutique hotel with one of the hottest restaurants in town. — 5 years ago

with Beth

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

For me, there is one Napa winery that was great in the pioneer days and lost their edge for a time but, has seriously reclaimed it. That winery is Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. It is largely overlooked with so many modern quality producers rising in the Napa Valley.

This 09 Fay is outstanding in a way that is truly unique to Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars.

The nose reveals, dark currants/cassis, deeply extracted; blackberries, black raspberries, black raspberries, black plum, black cherries with faint, creamy raspberries on the high nose & glass edges. Dark expresso roast, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, mocha, caramel, nutmeg, clove, vanilla, black licorice to anise, medium intensity dark spice, limestone minerals, dark, rich earth, dry crushed rocks, volcanic minerals, steeped tea, fresh tobacco, graphite, dark liqueur notes, Provence herbs with dark, florals, fresh & withering, candied florals with bright violets.

The body is full, silky and velvety. The tannins are rounded, soft yet tarry and teethe, 40% resolved. There are 10-20 years of life ahead depending on how you enjoy & store wine. The tension, structure, length and balance are just starting to climb to its peak. Dark currants/cassis, deeply extracted; blackberries, black raspberries, black raspberries, black plum with skin, black cherries with faint, poached strawberries & creamy raspberries. Dark, well pressed, expresso roast, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, mocha, caramel, nutmeg, clove, vanilla, dark, Asian & India spices with heat, black licorice to anise, medium intensity dark spice, limestone minerals, dark, rich earth, moist clay, dry crushed rocks, volcanic minerals, steeped tea, fresh tobacco, touch of black pepper, graphite, dark liqueur notes, Provence herbs with dark, florals, fresh & withering, candied florals with bright violets and lavender. The acidity is phat, round and fountain drippy. The long finish is; big, round, elegant, ripe, ruby, well balanced and persists deeply for minutes.

Photos of, their tasting room & Estate vines, barrel room, non-stop swinging pendulum ball and aerial view of their Estate. — 7 years ago

Howard Yang

9.4

Inky deep purple color, smells of blueberry, tar, India ink, graphite, raspberry, and cinnamon, a very bold and intense wine with full body and gritty tannin, very balanced acidity, tastes of blueberry preserve, cranberry, raspberry jam, clove, black plum, dark chocolate, and Earl Grey tea, this wine has quite and reserved power, fruit driven yet with excellent structure, smooth and long finish, aftertaste of prune and dark chocolate. — 9 years ago

David L

9.5

I want to thank everybody who came to the tasting last night. These are just a handful of people that attended from all over the country. Kristen and I had a fantastic time hosting the party! Cheers to each one of you. @Martin G Rivard @Ron R @Anne-marie Beausejour @Sean Smith @Alan Cohn @Andy Strand @Randall Brater @Harmony Knutson @India Okoh @Greg Ballington @Kenneth Aung @stephanie culberson — 10 years ago

David Foster

9.0

Light as water. Berry. Dry. Long tail taste. Named after Mirabai poet-seer saint of 16th century India. — 5 years ago

Yash Gala

8.9

President during lockdown. Plummy with a hint of fruitiness. Medium bodied. Would order again one of the decent chilean reds available in India — 6 years ago

Kurt Schuster

9.2

When I saw that it was unfiltered the color made perfect sense. Inky black like India ink. It opened with incredible spicy notes and write fruits that mellowed out quickly to smooth round right fruit. Good Tanic structure to it that didn’t leave it flabby. Developed baking and old-fashioned spices at the front end that finished with baked fruit at the back end. Delicious — 6 years ago

Jeffrey Long

9.5

Soft mouthfeel with a touch of dankness and a tremendous tropical complexity that merges with the sweetness from 8% abv. Well done and pretty much everything you could want from this style. — 8 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.8

Have to spoil @India Okoh for your celebration dinner. Stunning wine!

Deep and dark ruby red and purplish hues. Thick and dark nose, a bit of bark with tons of dark berries, cinnamon, even a bit of herbs and baking spices. Heavy tannins (8/10) and full bodied. Can feel a touch of heat, with layers of cinnamon, vanilla, spiced herbs and black berries. Absolutely delicious. Extracted and voluptuous. Excellent work. This will only get better over time, will wait another 5 years at least for the last bottle. Drink till 2030. — 9 years ago

with Sean and India

David L

9.3

04' David Arthur Meritaggio. This price point is I can't mess. Aging magnificently. With @Greg Ballington @Kim Stanbro @Jo Anne B @Daniel Wisner @India Okoh @Sean Ballington Baltimore was in the house last night. Thanks so much for stopping by. We had such a great time! — 9 years ago

with Greg, Kim and 1 other

David Annis

8.9

Solid but unspectacular. I doubt this will get any better than it is. Syrah/cabernet sauvignon blend. The nose is all cabernet, but it's all syrah in the mouth. Blueberry notes, still tannic. The parts are good, but the whole doesn't quite get there. — 10 years ago

Sanjay Chandra

9.7

Had a 2012 with Dips in India. — 10 years ago