Joel Lara

9.1

Medium to full-bodied, and pours a garnet with bricking on the rim. Initially, I was a bit worried about this one. Upon opening it was closed and austere with a super-tannic finish, and the recent reviews on CT didn’t leave me optimistic. But after a three hour decant it loosened up and improved considerably. Scents of balsamic, dried fruit, and leather came through on the nose. On the palate, an initial surge of violet is combined with some interesting notes of black cherry, cloves, leather, and forest floor. Overall, very tasty. It has a smooth mouthfeel up to the finish, which is tannic-centric with primarily black-tea coming through along with some black pepper and balsamic hints as well. Still has nice acidity. I wish I had another bottle to see how this tastes five years from now. — 4 months ago

Taavi Davies

9.1

Yellow colour, slight diesel on the nose, at first clean and light before the honey and dried apricot surge forward — 4 years ago

Josh Morgenthau

9.8

Seamless, beautifully transparent and light, tannins fallen away and left a surge of transparent energy. At first, an animal quality, horse stable notes, musk, and mincemeat. Then this resolves into pure, incisive peony, lavender and white truffle. Stunning.

Wow. Can’t keep my nose out of the glass. Every sip is like a new passage. With time, I’m increasingly taken with this wine. Increasingly acknowledging it may be as close to perfect as just about anything else I’ve tried. — 5 years ago

Lyn Farmer

9.2

This medium ruby colored wine is a beautiful blend of A blend of 50% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre with the remaining 10% coming from Cinsault and Syrah. The Grenache gives it a lovely fresh juiciness and it picks up enticing depth from the Mourvèdre. It’s a very aromatic wine, with a fresh surge of blueberries, cassis and wild strawberry, a waft of garrigue herbs, lavender and pencil lead on the long, enticing finish. For a wine that retails around $15 its wonderfully complex - it doesn’t have the depth of some of Xavier’s other wines, but it makes an undeniable statement of “come drink me now.” — 6 years ago

Stuart Robinson

9.3

Singing. Still a big surge of wine, paired excellently with roasted lamb. Much ahead of it. — 9 years ago

Christine Havens

9.1

A deep plunge, Ellipsis’ 2013 Red Hills Lake County Petit Sirah is subdued on the nose. What it lacks in aromatic intensity, it makes up for on the palate. The effect is enveloping—a surge of black fruit, powerful and baritone in tempo, shot through with swirling embers, dried herbs, cedar, spice and a well-structured acidic heartwood. 15.3% ABV | Sample — 9 years ago

Natalie Harper

9.1

Coastal surge - sauvignon blanc - 2023
Chile — 2 years ago

Vin d’Ottawa

8.9

Dryish and with a surge of fruit toward its finish — 2 years ago

with Dan, Evelyn and 1 other

Adam Beasley

9.3

Wonderfully unique. Softish tannins (without sacrificing structure), high acid, and loooong. Electric surge of cranberry juice in the mouth with leather, dried herbs, and dust. Completely it’s own thing, in all the best ways. — 4 years ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

8.9

Big surge of bramble fruit, tastes like a lot of Zinfandel in this #redblend . Pretty well balanced overall with enough tartness, nicely integrated oak and trailing spice on the finish. Josh is upping their game in recent vintages. — 6 years ago

Jason Brater

9.0

Lots to like here. Medium mouthfeel w lots of citrus. Almost ripe mango gives way to a lime surge and a dash of grapefruit. Maybe a touch of white pepper? We r happy spring is here in MI, at least for a few days. 👍 — 6 years ago

with Heather

Roger Dupont

9.1

Surge of fruit, while well balanced in acidity and texture, smooth and light. — 8 years ago

Kathleen Bradley

9.0

Third most planted variety grape in Germany--huge growing surge after WWII, easy to grow, traditionally sweet -- maserated with skins for 3-4 days, then add skins back -- slightly cloudy, peach tang colour, really alkaline nose, high acidity, slightly tannic (almost like tea), peach, apricot, stone fruit, honeycomb, dry — 9 years ago

Ira Schwartz

9.3

Yes I know I always say the same thing when it comes to Egon Muller. He will get you from the first 👃. An 💥 of 🍍🍐on the 👅. The fruit starts to surge but is overtaken by ⚡️of acid. The only "fault " I found was a lack of complexity but that might change with time. — 10 years ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.5

Another winner at $25.00

K&L notes as follows,

Oakridge's Single Vineyard wines are renowned for their stunning transparency, allowing the unique characteristics of each vintage to shine through. Among the Chardonnays produced by Oakridge in 2021, the Willowlake stood out as the undisputed star. Situated on a distinctive, 900 ft elevation site in the Upper Yarra, the Willowlake vineyard is planted on red, volcanic soils, wrapping a hilltop with a predominantly northern aspect. This unique location yields Oakridge's most robust expression of Yarra Valley Chardonnay. The aromatic profile of the Willowlake Chardonnay is incredibly striking, beginning with a foundation of stone fruit, complemented by notes of brioche and lemon. As the wine breathes in the glass, a subtle oak character emerges, revealing hints of baking spice. On the palate, a powerful surge of Meyer lemon takes center stage, accented by nuances of mandarin and saline. What makes this wine truly special is its weighted center, balanced by agile outer edges. This duality grounds the core fruit flavors while maintaining a lively dance around the palate's edges. The wine's acidity is perfectly balanced, making its presence known in the mid-palate and persisting through a long, umami-rich finish. This is classic Oakridge - a harmonious blend of power and finesse. The Willowlake Chardonnay is substantial and serious, yet simultaneously refreshing and vibrant. It stands as another testament to the exceptional value of Oakridge's Chardonnay. — 2 years ago

Klaus Denecke Rabello

9.0

Syrah, Grenache e Carignan.

Criado por respeito à tradição.

O Mythique surge a partir de 1990 com a reunião, no sul da França, de diversos vinhedos que se propuseram um desafio mítico : dar origem a um vinho que expressasse toda originalidade de seu terroir Languedoc.

A coruja foi escolhida como símbolo de seu trabalho paciente em vinhedos de regiões intocadas em homenagem à deusa Minerva que ensina a humanidade o segredo de se aproveitar a natureza.

Servir este vinho de vermelho rubi intenso a 16-18⁰C acompanhado de queijos que acompanham o gosto sutil e concentrado e que oferece em sua estrutura tantos suaves e aveludado com sabores de temperos e fruta negra. Aromas de garrigue (ervas silvestres), pimenta e groselha preta. — 4 years ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

8.9

Quintessential #marlborough #sauvignonblanc; surge of tropical fruit, kiwi aromas, delicious acidity though a bit more ripe than typical which was a welcome surprise. I bet this is already sold out at Costco - great value for $7. — 6 years ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

8.9

100% #cabernetsauvignon ; Surge of dark fruit aroma, not much earthy or cigar box notes so it evokes a New World style, but racy body and structure speak of classic #bordeaux. Good wine but would prefer more weight for a full Cab. #wsjwineclub — 7 years ago

Sarah Oettel

9.2

Nice notes of honeysuckle and pineapple. Nose and initial palate surge hint at more sweetness than this (fabulously) dry wine offers up. — 9 years ago

John Svoboda

9.7

Deep inky purple color with a powerful, tannic bouquet of currant, smoked meat and tobacco. Huge surge in mouth, lots of glycerine that was powerful but not overpowering. Well balanced despite big tannins that will take years to melt away. A freight train that provided a long, powerful ride. — 9 years ago

with Lee