The 2021 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley is spicy with a bouquet of crushed woodland berries and flowery underbrush complicated by shaved cedar. It’s soothingly round and energetic, with cool-toned acidity and fresh red and blue fruits that swirl throughout. It leaves a subtle tinge of licorice and blackberry, only gently tannic, along with a hint of citrus that adds lovely depth. This is a perfect introduction to the Penner-Ash style. (Eric Guido, Vinous, August 2024)
— 3 months ago
Very nice, esp for $23. Well balanced, light body. Real complexity if you savor and swirl. But very easy drinking too. 13.5% al. I think Nebbiolo? Buy again. — 2 years ago
Light rubi robe, nose of flowers, dark cherries and a hint of top soil. Took time on the glass and lots of swirl and we finally got this very elegant, complex, flowery and spicy mid palate with velvety tannins. Its medium bodied and can be deceiving at first, truly top notch as it opens up. Gentle extraction, no excess wood, mineral, balanced. First bottle of Mr Saouma and we are very impressed. — 2 years ago
Sauvignon Blanc in Napa is having a moment (or had it been and I’ve been neglecting it?). I’ve tasted some fun, elegant, evocative bottlings recently and this Gamble Vineyards example is another lil’ example of how malleable and exciting SB can be. I’ve “dated” about four SBs in recent months and like, I can’t give just one of them the rose they are all special.
This particular specimen has the tropical fruit vibes of passion fruit and ripe citrus laced with good-ol’ honeysuckle florals. The palate is like “surprise I saw oak!” And I was like “I didn’t know we were seeing other people but cool cool” especially as it is well integrated and subtle oak, rounding out the corners and ballasting the further citrus on the palate. I’m not saying forget CAB Sauvignon from Napa but give the Sauvignon BLANC a swirl. — 2 months ago
A gift from a friend and my first taste of a "luxury branded wine designed to fit your lifestyle"(their marketing 😂)....I might not be their target customer since I live in a small bungalow home in Sacramento, but I'll give it the ole swirl/sniff/sip/spit anyways.
1 hour decant (lots of cloudy sediment). On the nose: very aromatic notes of black cherry, nutty vanilla, charcoal, cedar, floral. Taste: smooth, silky, rich teeth staining wine with blackberry pie, licorice, black currants, dark chocolate, pepper and a LONG dry finish.
Not feeling the luxury, just a well made Napa cab like a couple hundred others out there. Cheers!
Tusk..."because there are those who regard luxury and those who live it"...sounds like a deodorant commercial tag line😆 🤣 — 2 years ago
Haven't had a fairly aged red Bordeaux in a long while. It was very good. My wife and I enjoyed it very much. Can see a lot of sediment sticking to the side of the glass after the swirl. Beautiful nose of black fruits, dark chocolate, old leather and cigar box. On the palate, full body, well-balanced acidity and tanin. Long finish. This is probably at its peak performance, so better to drink now rather than cellared. — a year ago
2018 vintage. Dark ruby red, thick rich swirl. On the nose, dark berry, dark chocolate, espresso and earth. On the palate, dark berry, black cherry, some cherry cola, spice, and vanilla. Full bodied, rich, coating tannins. Long jammy finish. After being open 2 hours and breathing more. On the palate, cocoa powder and espresso are more dominate and long in the finish. 90% tempranillo and 10% graciano. — 2 years ago
"How many bottles do you have left?"
Now imagine the nagging I received when I told her that it’s the only bottle we got, and that the importers have since sold out. I guess I should have expected this when my wife was quick to claim that it smelled like the perfume I got her for Christmas the moment the cork was pulled - anybody familiar with Le Labo's Rose 31? I thought it may have been her perfume itself, but alas, she wore none during dinner. Gosh, it really does smell like decaying roses, wood-spice, and musk. Swirl the glass and I was instantly hit with high-toned cherries, tinged with liquorice. Oh, so ethereal on the palate, yet so intensely flavoured. Gorgeous red fruits, earthy nuances, silky texture, and a bright acidity that carries the pure and energetic finish. What a wine!
Not hard to see why my wife’s smitten with this wine - I clearly am too. Thankfully, while I’ve failed with stockpiling on the Rosso, I did secure some of Stella’s Brunello for the household. Now it’s just the arduous task of explaining to her that it’s all cut from the same cloth without popping open one too early. — 3 years ago
Juan Lopez
Very sweet Zinfandel. Nice overall. Goes well with pasta or some light cheese.
— a month ago