Doug Powers

9.3

Lemon, sweet oak and buttery notes, rich and medium-full on palate, good balancing acidity, long finish, very fine Central Coast Chardonnay!! — 7 months ago

with Jim

Jim McCusker

9.3

Wow. Totally surprised by this wine. As I understand it, La Voix is an offshoot from Steve’s flagship operation, Palmina (the best Italian varietal-based wines outside of the Old Country, IMHO). I was a bit skeptical at first - was concerned about it being over-oaked like the one vintage of John Alban’s Perra Docs North offerings that I’ve had - but this is terrific (and an amazing QPR). Definitely has an old-world flare to it in terms of acidity and minerality (more Chablis than Burgundy), but with CA fruit through and through. Do yourself a favor and try one of these! — 4 years ago

with Vanessa

Jim McCusker

9.4

A fantastic wine from Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton, this wine has notes of honeysuckle, lemon, as well as a hint of spice (maybe cardemon?). Full-bodied on the palate - no doubt due in part to the 15.9% alcohol - but there's enough acidity to envelop it and lead to terrific balance through a lingering, seamless finish. Hard to believe this is 9 years old. It probably can last another 5-7 years, but seems to be peaking. Drink up and Happy New Year to all! — 8 years ago

with Vanessa

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

2021 vintage. Medium bodied. A little leaner than the majority of Central Coast Syrahs but plenty of power, structure and length of finish aboard + some tawdry dirtiness. Doesn't hurt that it's Ballard Canyon juice and that the resto cost was the nice price. They make a solid Vermentino as well. Steve Clifton (of Brewer-Clifton) the winemaker. A producer to keep an eye on. 4.3.24. — 9 months ago

Jim McCusker

9.3

Terrific pinot from Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton. Absolutely love their wines after a few years in bottle, they come across as a central coast version of a premier cru burgundy. The nose screams Old World with earthy notes, but the rich palate says New World with evolving layers of red berry flavors, all supported by enough acidity to keep the wine alive. Awesome pairing with Vanessa’s poached chicken with a tomatillo and jalapeno salsa on a bed of steamed spinach with onion and bell pepper. In short, life is great! 😊 — 6 years ago

with Vanessa

Jim McCusker

8.9

A good example of this wine from Steve Clifton at Palmina, this is 100% sangiovese. Bright cherries on the nose, relatively soft tannins, good acidity for pairing with food, this is a very enjoyable wine! — 9 years ago

with Vanessa

Jim McCusker

9.4

Great example of a New World malvasia. Outpaces what Steve Clifton at Palmina does with this varietal in terms of depth and length (chalk that up to winemaker’s preference). No idea about how well it might age, but I wouldn’t bother waiting! — 4 years ago

with Vanessa

Jim McCusker

9.2

Another terrific white wine from Steve Clifton at Palmina. IMO, the best italian varietal-based wine outside of Italy. Period. — 6 years ago

with Vanessa

Andrew Scherer

9.3

A stunning Cab Franc from Winemaker Steve Clifton. Well balanced ripeness and structure. — 7 years ago

Jim McCusker

9.2

A terrific sparkling rose from Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton. You can just see from the color that this had a lot of skin contact time, and it really shows in the complexity of the aromatics and flavor profile. I suspect that this can age so it might actually get more interesting in a few years, but a really tasty way to bring in 2016. Happy New Year everyone! — 9 years ago

with Vanessa