David Shaw

9.3

Ruby red with a purple tinge. Floral and dusty in nose. Tastes of table grape pulp with dilute cherry initially. Others online mention strawberry and intense cherry flavors but give it time to open, at least 30 minutes. Cedar, cinnamon and orange peel also mentioned and accurate. Balanced structure too. Worth seeking future vintages of this one. Layered flavors are impressive here. — 5 months ago

David Shaw

9.3

Beautiful cherry red color, excellent clarity. Tart, great complexity of flavors going on. See others’ tasting notes on this vintage. Exceptional. — 5 months ago

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

8.9

Weeknight steak wine — 6 months ago

romo

9.0

White Madeira with a scotch note and orange zest. A nice science project. — a year ago

Raul Puga

9.3

Really good. — a year ago

Brit Young

9.4

Syrahs might be my new favorite. Deep, rich, velvety smooth. Shared with Adam and Amanda with their homemade pizza! — a year ago

Andrew

9.0

2017 drunk in 2025. Rich and delicious; but maybe a bit flabby. — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 2023 San Benito County pours a deep ruby/purple with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of blackberries, black plum, black pepper, purple flowers, licorice, gravelly earth and a mix of cool and warm spices. On the palate the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. Delicious stuff and a perennial favorite of mine. Drink now through 2043. — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Best on Day 2. The 2023 Amador County pours a bright, deep straw color with medium viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of tart orchard fruit: peach, lemon, tangerine, white flowers, lanolin, and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with high acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and the texture is waxy. Obviously young but I can’t help but feel that these Chenin’s from Tegan just keep getting better and better. Drink now through 2039. — 5 months ago

Clay Bullwinkel

9.3

Excellent well balance Zin — 10 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Delicious throughout. The 2016 Contra Costa County pours a deep, slightly hazy garnet/purple with an opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and signs of light sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and tart, mostly black and blue fruit: blackberries, blueberries, plums, Montmorency cherry, purple flowers, black pepper, dry gravelly earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. I’m very happy to have holed away some bottles from the first few years of Sandlands. Not only do I believe these older vintages are showing well, but I also believe his newer vintages will be even better. Drink now through 2031. — a year ago

Raul Puga

9.3

WOW. Well done Tegan. So delicious — a year ago

Brit Young

9.0

Very good! I like Grenache, very similar to last night’s. Light bodied, fruit forward. — a year ago

David Shaw

9.0

Amador County Semillon, 12.6% alc/vol. yellow white, excellent clarity. Lemon in nose. Lemon and tangerine flavors. Bright, lemony finish. Good acid for food. Not typical flavor profile at all for a California Semillon; less viscosity, less richness than I usually encounter with this variety. — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Best on Day 2. The 2023 Lodi pours a deep ruby color with a translucent core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with lifted notes of fresh brambles, licorice, mixed floral bouquet, exotic spices and dry earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and has a really spicy quality to it. Really solid stuff but super fresh and patience will be required to enjoy the best from this vintage. Better after 2028 and through 2038. — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of three days. Best on Day 3. The 2023 Coombsville Merlot pours a deep ruby/purple color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of black plums, black cherries, cocoa, purple flowers, dry inorganic earth, and old wood. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+; fresh and juicy. Early days but fun to try while the energy is so high. Drink now through 2043. — 6 months ago

Jonathan Wall

9.1

Started out sharp and tart… but after a few hours balanced out into a beautiful wine. Floral dark berries. Medium everything in a good way. — a year ago

David Shaw

9.0

Purple, slightly cloudy. Blackberry and graphite in nose and mouth, light alcohol in the house style. Light seed tannin bitterness.. Only allocated one bottle. Beef ragu overwhelmed the wine, so I’d advise drinking it on its own first. Still not sure what this varietal should taste like, even with two hours decanting. Gotta drink more of these — a year ago

Raul Puga

9.4

Delicious. One of the better domestic Cinsault’s I’ve ever had — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a couple hours. The 2023 RTW Lodi pours a bright ruby color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of tart and ripe mixed fruits: blackberries, blueberries, strawberry, red rope licorice, flowers, dried green herbs, sandalwood and dry stony earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Best wine from Lodi. Incredible versatility. It just gets better and better. Bravo! Drink now through 2033+. — a year ago