Tom Garland

9.4

Heitz/Stony Hill/Haynes/Burgess
La Paulee Dinner
Guest Chef: Shota Nakajima

WINE:
1997 Heitz Martha Vineyard
2012 Heitz trailside
1987 Heitz Bella oaks
2009 Heitz Martha Vineyard
2021 Burgess blanc de blanc
2022 Haynes Corazon Chardonnay
2022 Ink Grade estate merlot
2022 Heitz Martha Vineyard cab
2023 Stony Hill Cote Rouge cab
2021 Burgess Clos Abeille cab

FOOD:
Mushroom tart, corn tempura, Dashi w/uni
Chawanmushi with crab, sweet corn
Cured Kanpachi
Cedar smoked black cod
A5 waygu
Matcha Turamisu

Home ranch, Napa — 9 days ago

with Brenda

Jay Kline

9.3

Presented double-blind at dinner. The wine pours a deep garnet with a near opaque core and a slightly orange rim with considerable variation; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and desiccated fruit: black currants, blackberries, plum, pipe tobacco, capsicum, pencil shavings, a touch leather, organic earth and a mix of dried herbs and some fine 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+. Really tasty stuff.

Initial conclusions: this is an old wine, likely 30-40 years old. That being said, it’s still very distinguishable as it’s showing varietal characteristics. This could be Cabernet Sauvignon (or a blend thereof), Cabernet Franc (or a blend thereof), or Merlot (or a blend thereof). I can see this being Napa because the fruit is still showing some generosity. But there’s a lot of non-fruits there too. Regardless, this was giving Left Bank vibes so I could also see this being Bordeaux from a great vintage like 1982. And that’s my call, Cabernet Sauvignon-blend from France, Bordeaux, Saint-Estèphe, from a classified growth like Calon-Ségur. Shucks. But I’m not mad about my choice! Old Opus One’s are tricky to differentiate. Drinking very well right now but this will live well past 2035. — 8 days ago

Andy Krell

9.0

Tastes of plums, dark cherry and rick dark fruits. Love it. Will buy again — a day ago

Joe Flo

9.3

Great improvement from the last btl. Unfortunately my last & not on the top of my list to replace. — 22 days ago

Boris Mathiszik

9.2

Beautiful cab. Smooth and elegant. — 6 days ago

Dave Moench

9.7

West Bank golf league party — 11 hours ago

Gladys Xiques

9.2

Aged purple fruit. Paired with meat chili — a month ago

Andrea Watt

9.1

Dark and earthy with blueberry and cherry over oak and cocoa powder. Rich and bold but pretty smooth for the age and size. — 5 days ago

"Odedi"

9.3

Light golden in color.

Beautiful nose of honeydew, apples, honeysuckle, tropical fruits, spices and melons.

Full-bodied with high acidity and long legs.

Sweet on the palate with apples, citrus, mangoes, spices, honeysuckle, herbs, honey and light earth.

Long finish with sweet honey notes.

This delicious 9 year old Sauternes is drinking beautifully now. Complex and interesting. Elegant and fruit forward. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel.

Feels very fresh, but a bit subdued and earthier right now, compared to other vintages. Will continue to age nicely in the next 40 years.

Loved the nose more than the palate here. So expressive.

Wine Spectator 96 points. Robert Parker 99 points.

A blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc. Aged in all new French oak barrels for 24 months. Drank from a 750ml bottle.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$450. — 10 days ago

Joe Flo

9.7

Very good for a difficult & irregular growing season. — 15 days ago

Tom Garland

9.4

Insignia Masterclass

1998 Insignia
2001 Insignia
2004 Insignia
2008 Insignia
2013 Insignia
2023 Insignia

With:
David Pearson, President
Ryan Knoth, winemaker

@Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Napa — 3 days ago

with Brenda

Jan A

9.6

A lovely glass of wine that is already surprisingly easy drinking — 3 days ago

Louis Martin

9.3

Honey flavor with a pit fruit finish, smooth and rich, paired perfectly with an apple pie desert at a Commanderie de Bordeaux dinner at the Hope Club. — 4 days ago

Allison Frazier

10

Oh loved loved loved it! Gift from Radek, Piotr, Marcin. — a month ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Opened about two hours prior to service; enjoyed over the course of a couple hours. The 1985 pours a deep garnet color with an orange rim and a slightly hazy, near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of dried, desiccated blackberries, pipe tobacco, leather, organic earth and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin (integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. A lovely, mature wine that should be enjoyed over the next several years. Drink now through 2030. — 18 days ago

Henry Fuseler

9.0

8/2026. Bold , good fruit and sits well on the palate.

Mr. Friendly’s — 15 days ago

Matt Schwartz

8.9

This bottle is a special one because it is the last bottle I have from when I worked at this winery back in 2012. On the nose, there’s dark fruit up front, blackberry, blueberry, currants, layered with leather, tobacco, a little campfire smoke, and a hint of forest floor. On the palate, there’s still a thread of acidity, but the fruit has mostly stepped back. What lingers is a touch of dried cherry and more of those earthy, evolved notes: turned soil and well-integrated oak. — 24 days ago

Sharon B

9.5

It’s National Red Wine Day! Let me see your wine! — 18 days ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

8.9

2007 vintage. Nice fill. Used a Durand to open but good cork nonetheless. Decanted and tasted after 15 minutes. JFC...does the oak ever die on this nonsense? Tried to bushwhack through it without success. Even the Alexander Valley product has the good sense to have the oak minimized/integrated/drop off after a decade. Not the case here. There's a reason why I haven't even considered carrying this on a wine list since the late 90's. This go round didn't exactly convert my opinion. 8.16.26. — a month ago

Frank Soldano

9.8

Love this wine! Thick long lasting legs. Bouquet rich with raspberry and blueberry, very jammy! Smoooth flavors with a rich finish, slight hints of oak and charcoal on the back end. Great wine!!! — 22 days ago