Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2013 vintage. Both excellent fill and cork. Decanted with infinitesimal sed. Slightly silvery color. Tasted after 1.5 and 2.5 hours open. Medium body. Nose slightly reticent during both tastes. Black tea and eucalyptus prominent first go round with both those still present but minimized second pass. Sprinkle in some cracked black pepper and white sage for round two and we have a winner. Finish lasted over a minute and the concentration was as expected given the decent street cred. No rush to crush but open waay early/decant this if enjoying in the next handful of years. 10.24.24. — a month ago

Beth Hamilton

9.5

Raspberries, cherries, strawberries, and a sprinkle of white pepper on the nose. Smooth texture, blueberry, blackberry, vanilla, white pepper on the palate. Goes down super easy. You gulp this right down. Went with Christmas Day pernil. — 3 years ago

Jody's Mostly Natty

9.2

Like a crash course on what a natural wine should be...beautiful deep orange color, funky, earthy nose with an orange blossom surprise. Then lots minerality, bits of apricot, some tartness and a sprinkle of salt to keep it interesting. — 4 years ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.0

Opaque dark with barely any ageing in the rim. Still very tight in the nose, youthful, with shy black currant & black cherry, pencil shavings, a tiny bit of cigar leaf. Nice austere purity here. Powerful yet v. restrained.
On the palate this is more open & evolved. Amazing quality of tannins, so finely polished, so velvety, coating & juicy. Black currant jam with a hint of plum, a sprinkle of savoury herbs. Finishes off on the dry, herby side, not too long.
I was expecting a bit more depth on the mid palate & a bit more length.
Will it improve over time…?
9.0 (mainly for the amazing tannins)
— a year ago

Aaron Tan

9.3

I'd still prefer wine after a dry run, but this whiskey sure did hit a spot. The balance and complexity of the Machir Bay is just undeniable, evident from the score achieved here. Fresh, zesty fruits are starkly juxtoposed with pastry-like nutty, creamy vanillin notes. The peat straddles the line between salinity and camp fire smoke. A rockstar finish that just lingers with sweet, malty flavour and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Needs a little air to sort out some initial aggression, but once that settles, I felt nothing was out of place. Best entry-level Islay for me! 2019 bottling here. — 3 years ago

David L

9.3

15’ Aubert Ritchie. Best Ritchie I’ve enjoyed from Mark to date? 🤷🏻‍♂️ Medium + bodied. Beautifully balanced Chardonnay. White peach, splash of pineapple core, apricot, white toast, sprinkle in a bit of floral spices. 3 favorites from this vineyard are Château Boswell- Arista- Aubert. Cheers. -at BLT Honolulu, Hawaii — 5 years ago

Wil Chow

9.0

So. Damn. (Elegantly). Crushable. Rangpur lime, a petrol-y olive oil, memories of a summer fruit pie, a sprinkle of tarragon, crisp mineral-y tang that fades into a beautiful calcium carbonate lime zest finish and a hit of aromatic joint…oh, wait… — 2 years ago

Frank Kuo

9.4

Color of purple, quite dark and thick. Nose of dark fruits plus vanilla and milky chocolate, a bit hickory and minty, and raisin. Nose is pretty decent. Taste follows the nose with sweet note plus tart, good mellow tannins, more vanilla chocolate and dark fruity notes, and sprinkle of zest. Aftertaste shows some more warmth and oaky note. Clean and tasty overall. — 2 years ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.3

Medium gold, shiny and bright. Beautiful actually. Opened with a burst of pineapple, with time, on the palate, turns to just ripened grapefruit, peach, and honeysuckle. A sprinkle of white pepper on top. To backtrack, it's perfectly balanced for my taste: dry, medium plus bodied, medium minus acid, and medium long finish of toasted caramel. Spectacular wine.

93 points — 4 years ago

Elliott Morgan

9.1

2/25/19
Renz sprinkle party for Sloan — 6 years ago