David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Bruce Phillips and his wife were pouring their 2021. Talked w/ him at length. Very nice couple.

The 2021 showed well young with room for improving with 10-25 years in bottle and beyond. It showed some evolution, wasn’t all primary. Elegant, very well balanced with excellent structure and finish. Drink 2033-45 properly stored.

The general Napa consensus on 2022 vintage will be a story of did you pick before or after the 6 days of extreme heat during the harvest window. One producer told me his would add 5% of 2023 to some of his 2022’s, which is allowed. He mentioned that he was going to add 15%. But, I think he just misspoke? Get ready for an amazing 2023 vintage from Napa. It was a cooler, not hot-hot, which was a near perfect growing season for long slow even ripening. Some say a vintage of a lifetime and others would only say exceptional.

The Saturday-Sunday Pavilion tasting at Pebble Beach Food & Wine is an excellent four hours to taste a lot wine, taste curated dishes from chefs from all over the country and meet the people behind the bottle. These short ribs were one of the top two or three things I tasted at the Pavilion Saturday. — 17 days ago

Billy L.

9.2

Sans Liege Pismo Beach Tasting Room:
VARIETAL: 44% Grenache, 36% Syrah,
20% Mourvèdre
— a year ago

David Nicewicz

9.6

Magical Dom for beach weekend in Phuket. Bottle was a little concerning as the cork came out a bit too easily and no pschttt. However the nose revealed right away that this was going to be special. Almost toffee and brioche notes on both the nose and the palate. Classy, complex with caramel and burned sugar notes, but almost weightless. Will remember this one for a while — 2 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

The follow up to the 03 Leonetti. @Paul T- Huntington Beach & I have been telling readers about older Jones Family Vineyards for some time. If you haven’t had or not tried this producer it will be the last time I try to entice to you to try this producer. Talking about it more will only drive up the prices on the secondary market.

This 09 is damn beautiful after nearly a four hour decant but it is still fairly youthful.

It is ruby, lush, gorgeous, ripe fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum with skin, dark cherries, plum, hues of purple, blue fruits & raspberries, poached strawberries, black licorice, mixed, dark berry cola, steeped black tea, dry crushed rocks, limestone minerals, dry top soil, dry herbs, hints of eucalyptus, dry clay, dry tobacco, new leather, spice, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon & vanillin, withering red & dark florals framed in violets & lavender, beautiful round acidity, beautiful; balance, tension, structured, smartly polished finished that lasts minutes.

Still needs another 5-8 years to show its best self.

The Jones Family vineyard is located off Bale Lane in Calistoga and was planted to all five Bordeaux varieties by David Abreu in the early 1990s. Heidi Barrett made the wines until 2008, and Thomas Rivers Brown now makes the wines. — 3 months ago

Sam Wood

9.0

Pretty dark in the glass-bramble, wild grass and raspberry, wet mahogany beach house outdoor shower. — a year ago

Jody Scharf

9.2

Shout out to @Paul T- Huntington Beach
Great recommendation.
Ty — 2 years ago

Ted

9.0

Always wanted to try this. I see it everywhere since I am at the beach it has aromas of seashells that have been in the sun all day. Just reminds me of summer. Suntan lotion. To bad it’s just the start of winter. — 4 months ago

with Jeni

Kelley Raymond

9.3

Really reliable summer beach drinking — 8 months ago

Kai Wright

9.0

Bottled beach day — 2 years ago

Daniel Bloom

9.4

Beautifully Salty, sort of pear/ Green apple goodness. On a hot August eve, that funk is quite refreshing.
As Townsend said” Extra, extra, miracle cure”
Wow…The beach. — 3 years ago