Tom Garland

9.5

1 hour decant(lots of chunky/fine sediment). A splendid still dark garnet color with a little bricking. On the nose: sweet red/blue fruit, pencil shavings, forest floor, little stewed meat, cigar box. Taste: silky, lengthy, deep, polished wine with red berries, charred earth, dark chocolate, tobacco, and a spiced mocha long lingering finish. YUM! — 2 months ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.4

1 hour decant(lots of chunky/fine sediment). A fabulous dark crimson color with just a hint of bricking. On the nose: subtle notes of dark cherry, smokey oak, vanilla toast, sweet tobacco, cedar and green veggie. Taste: smooth, layered, dense wine with a hint of blackberry, smokey, pencil lead, mocha, pepper, and a earthy cedar finish. — 3 years ago

with Brenda

Frank Kuo

9.2

Color of purple , just a bit cloudy. Nose of blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, a bit honey and spice, a bit hickory, and a bit bourbon note indeed. Taste is quite sweet from dark fruits, with some zest and warm peppery feeling. A bit grassy tobacco and bourbon woody note again. Aftertaste shows some more ripe grapes. Quite interesting. — 4 years ago

GV

9.2

Delightful Moscato. Fresh with a rounded sweet taste with hints of peach, pear and subtle orange.

An Italian wine I will return to, especially for balmy late summer evenings. — 5 years ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland

9.5

A dark ruby red for sure. Cassis, red fruit and perfume blast off the nose with notes of sandalwood, menthol and chocolate espresso. Taste — smooth, concentrated and dense giving it its textured layers. Dark cherry plum, spice and vanilla are the initial flavors on the palate followed by spice, graphite and minerals adding to its med-long finish. Tannins are sweet and resolved. Drink now; it won’t disappoint! — 5 years ago

with Karin and Jill

Aaron Tan

9.0

Enjoyed this, though it does comes off a little harsh, which can perhaps be attributed to its youth. A NAS, but as I understand, the blend is at least as old as the standard 10 year old. It definitely has a pretty similar profile - pepper, brine, peat smoke, and citrus. Would be good to taste them side-by-side given the general consensus that the Storm's essentially the 10 taken up a notch. There's a really "sweet" inner core that pushes through to peaty, somewhat-medicinal finish. Medium length. Really liking this profile (particularly the saline character) so I'm definitely going to be checking out the rest of the range. — 5 years ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland

9.2

Color a is murky red brown. Nose—a sweet red cherry plum and forest floor barn yard funk with green veggie. A slight menthol lingering. Taste— Sweet strawberry tea flavors hit the pallet. A slight smoky and tobacco medium finish with touches of currant, tea and spices hanging around making the wine soft and pleasant and wanting more. Tannins have sweeten but definitely still there! — 6 years ago

with Karin and Jill

Tom Garland

9.1

Double decant and pour(lots of sediment). A splendid medium ruby red color. On the nose: a little stewed red fruit, herbaceous, worn leather, mint, sweet smokey oak, loamy soil. Taste: smooth, elegant, savory wine with a touch of dried red fruit, dried herbs, cocoa, damp earth, minerals, and a spiced iron/meaty medium finish. YUM! Mature and on the long downside, but still drinks nicely at 28 years. — a year ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.4

1 hour decant(lots of chunky/fine sediment). A monumental dark purplish crimson red color. On the nose: expressive perfumed notes of cherry, sandlewood, smokey vanilla, sweet dirt, licorice, and raspberry. Taste: elegant, soft, smooth, creamy, silky elixir with black cherry, currants, minerals, crushed gravel, and a smokey spiced tar long semi dry finish. YUM! Still has some time to go, but drinks well now with the decant. — 4 years ago

with Brenda

John Bratincevic

8.9

Nose: sweet baking spices, vanilla. Plum and dark berries - but the aforementioned flavors much more prominent than fruit. Taste: Amber herbs, distinct tobacco (it distinctly tastes the way tobacco smells, I can almost picture loose tobacco), the tannins add a nice bitterness to balance the sweet impression of the spices - bitter plum. I am having trouble picking out a lot of distinct flavors, but “simple” doesn’t seem like the right word - more subtle than simple. This seems very well made for the price ($10). Not my preferred style, but may buy again - worth it. 89. EDIT: black pepper and a lot more fruit (very ripe raspberry) shows as it gets air. I may have liked it better right out of the bottle. — 5 years ago

Rob Brobst III

10

2018 Materium comes from the Weitz Vineyard in Oakville and is all Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in mostly new barrels. It's a very different wine than the Amoenus release and has more elegant, seamless aromas and flavors of crème de cassis, black raspberries, tobacco leaf, flowery incense, and sandalwood. Château Margaux-like in its elegance and complexity, this brilliant wine has loads of sweet fruit, flawless integration of its tannins and acidity, flawless balance, and just a heavenly overall profile that I wish every reader could taste. This extraordinary effort can be drunk today or cellared for 30 years or more. — 5 years ago

Simon Weston

9.0

Orange pink color. Nose of fresh strawberries & raspberries & a just sweet enough taste of summer berries. Refreshing but its not as good as when I first got it. Slightly better on day 2. Oddly I had it with pizza this time and last time. — 5 years ago

Tom Garland

9.1

2006 magnum!

1 hour decant(min cloudy sediment). A magical murky dark purple/ruby red color. On the nose: subtle notes of sweet aged Bordeaux, plum with some blueberry, nutty vanilla, green veggie, little stewed spiced meat. Taste: a little lean, medium body with red fruit, cassis, chocolate espresso, and a spicy leather medium plus dry finish. Soft tannins, a little still there...decent job from Chateau Palmer working from a not great vintage. — 6 years ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.4

1 hour decant(lots chunky/fine sediment). A wondrous still dark garnet color with some bricking. On the nose: beautiful savory notes of black cherry, graphite, sandalwood, chocolate, pine. Taste: elegant, polished, layered wine with dark plum/cherry, dark chocolate, dusty earth, sweet spice, leather and a nice long finish. YUM! Drinking well now with some time to go(unlike the 02s which seem to be fading faster). — 3 years ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland

9.3

A rustic tawny color. Nose - initial aroma of cherry and funky earth followed by a musty herbaceous, and vanilla nutmeg. Taste - elegant and juicy coating the mouth with dark cherry, pepper spice, wet earth and crushed rock. Secondary notes of orange peel, cedar and sweet currants. Is still drinking well indicating it’s aging ability. Could lay down for a few more years, — 3 years ago

with Leslie, Karin and 1 other

Tom Garland

9.3

1 hour decant (lots of very fine sediment). A fabulous tawny ruby red color with decent bricking. On the nose: expressive aromatics of cassis/currants, forest floor, delicate aged Bordeaux perfume, sweet spice, tobacco, touch of creme brulee. Taste: A soft, smooth, delicate, refined, supple tannin wine with savory notes of pencil lead, crushed gravel, leather, brambly red berries, touch of cinnamon. Interesting to see where it goes over the next couple hours. Wonderful bottle for a celebration tonight, and then onto Napa for an event filled weekend. — 4 years ago

with Brenda

Frank Kuo

9.2

Color of different shades of purple, with a bit copper and grey tones on the rim. Nose of fruity dark fruits, aldehyde, spicy and fermented cabbage, and just a touch of oak. Taste is smooth, marginal tannins and easy, a bit sweet mixed with zesty bitterness and right amount of acidity, fresh raspberry, some oak, and warmth of alcohol. Aftertaste is medium long , with more berries note and a bit touch of mineral. Not bad. — 5 years ago

Tom Garland

9.5

1 hour decant (decent chunky cloudy sediment). An astonishing dark ruby red color still, with just a little bricking. On the nose: that sweet aged cab perfume, old leather, menthol, eucalyptus, touch of plum, little funky earth. Taste: smooth, soft, rich, precise and structured wine with dark fruit, smoke, chocolate espresso, pencil lead, cassis, spice, and plummy cedar long finish. What a delicious representation of aged Cali cab!!!!! YUM. — 5 years ago

with Brenda

Sipping Fine Wine

9.5

Tried a few years ago, tasting great now. Founded in 1998, Achaval-Ferrer is a team of friends who make great wines. Was lucky enough to get a taste of this beauty again. Deep Ruby with aromas of fresh berry fruits with complex spice and floral notes. On the palate flavors of cherry and rich blackberry with tobacco and cacao. Sweet fine soft tannins, long finish, well balanced with acidity ending with mineral, spice and berry fruit character. Tasting Sample. — 6 years ago

Tom Garland

9.4

Happy Mother's Day part 2!!! 1.5 hour decant (lots of fine/chunky sediment). A bewitching dark crimson color with a little bricking. On the nose: aromas jump from the glass..blackberry, cedar, pine, spice, currents, hint of vanilla/chocolate. Taste: plum, that COS spice, cedar, pencil lead, a raspberry chocolate finish. A rich wine with elegant and sweet mostly resolved tannins...in its drinking window with plenty of time to go.....a wine showing components for aging beautifully!

A special bottle for us...holding a 6 liter for our son's 21st b-day in 4 years. — 6 years ago

with Brenda