Willie Carter

10

I really don’t do a top ten wines of year thing but if I did, we have a clear winner. Deep and oh so sexy. Pale gold with few bubbles but a lovely nose. Roasted hazelnuts and slivered almonds. White floral accents along with pure chalk and oyster shells. Plenty of citrus goodness and green apples. It just keeps going and going.

This champagne soars and it takes you along for the ride. Pure Chardonnay from Mesnil and pure is the word of the day. Purity of fruit and terroir. It’s a thrilling pour, one that demands your full attention. Vibrant and exceedingly expressive at this stage and it has miles and miles to go. Uber refined, this is just such a pleasure.

Explosive joy in the mouth. So much salinity and minerality. With age, it’s become rich and complex. It’s very Chablis like in parts. An initial burst of citrus in the mouth followed by smoke and chalk. More nuts and apples and just plain gloriousness. Long finish and yes you will absolutely want more. An excellent wine. A v sexy wine. Make sure to drink it with the right company. — a year ago

Turd Ferguson

9.1

Grown in alluvial limestone 25 miles east of Monterey/Carmel, 2200 feet up on Mt Harlan, the wine has brisk acid, an intense mineral streak, and go fuck ya mutha — 3 years ago

Lucy Summerfield

9.5

2015 Pinot Noir, Ten Mile East, Adelaide Hills — 5 years ago

Erik Longabardi

9.0

I prefer this after my ten miles. You rehydrate with this. You’ll feel better. — 5 years ago

Deborah M

9.4

The wine that sent me down the rabbit hole. Not sure if it was the silky texture, boysenberry and licorice flavors, or the chocolate. In my mind the 2012 Altamura was brilliance in a glass and I needed to learn more.

Altamura Ranch is located in Wooden Valley. The valley is described as a small, almost round valley, approximately two miles wide at its widest point and located 9 miles northeast of the town of Napa within the Napa Valley appellation. It is is bordered by the Vaca Range to the east and “Napa Mountain” to the west.

I will always remember the first time I enjoyed this wine. Fairly confident I could pick this wine blind. The 2013 is just as good as the first time. — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.4

A blend of younger vines, declassified Clos Erasmus and the remaining Cabernet Sauvignon. In all, 70% Garnacha, 20% Syrah and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Indigenous yeasts and matured in a combination of oak vats, concrete, used barriques and amphorae for 16 months. I’ve been somewhat leery of Priorat over the last ten or so years, largely because the wines were overblown for so many years but after getting offered this wine three years in a row, I finally took the advice of my retailer and picked up a couple of bottles. I should have picked up at least a six pack. Poured into a decanter a couple of hours prior to service. Visually, it’s quite a brilliant wine to behold. The deepest of ruby but it’s the way the light reflects off this wine that transfixes the beholder. The nose is drop dead gorgeous, redolent of red cherry fruit with the brightest, freshest of bramble fruit, underbrush, Herbs de Provence, dusty gravel road. The palate displays more cherry and bramble fruit with some Near East spices. Well endowed with structure and a texture to die for. So much verve! This is unbelievably fresh for 15%. This is a wine (and perhaps a region) that I need to pay more attention to. Paired very well with Osso Bucco and saffron risotto. Outstanding now with some air. — 3 years ago

Ben Atash

10

Unlike anything I've tasted. Asian spices are the trademark, but I picked up the Middle East with notes of delicate saffron and clear fenugreek. Finish for miles. — 5 years ago

Katherine Potter

9.5

Too many sulphates sadly — 2 years ago

with Jason

Martinez

9.0

Pajarete or Paxarete is a traditional sweet wine from southern Andalusia. Historically, such wines came from the Pago de Pajarete, an ancient vineyard site in the Sierra de Cádiz, coveted for its wines since at least the 16th Century. Located about 38 miles north east of Jerez, Pajarete’s vineyards were devastated by phylloxera at the end of the 19th Century and never replanted. But growers in the neighboring province of Málaga continued using Pajarete’s name to describe wines made in this style. This Pajarete is a blend of Muscat of Alexandria and Pedro Ximénez, sourced from vineyards in the Axarquía and Montes de Málaga subregion on slate soils. The Muscat comes from Axarquía, closer to the coast, while the Pedro Ximénez from Montes de Málaga, further inland. They are vinified separately and blended together after fortification. After blending, they are oxidatively aged in old American oak botas for an average of 5 years using the solera system. Expressive nose. Candied fruit, caramel, wood. Smooth, balanced. — 3 years ago

Paul T- Huntington Beach

9.9

Mag,
2nd day is essential, opened yesterday & decanted 4 hours today. This is right there with the 2005.
Its been 4 years since my last 07, it still has plenty of life but why wait when you can decant🤷🏼‍♂️
The 29 Estate vineyard is situated on the east-facing hillside at the base of the Mayacamas range, a couple miles north of St. Helena and just above Highway 29. The soil here is clay loam with gravel deposits, deeper at the bottom of the slope and shallower and rockier toward the top (the Sauvignon Blanc is planted in the rockiest spot, followed by the Cabernet Franc and then Cabernet Sauvignon). The slope and soil content ensure good drainage, while the rocks and gravel allow the roots to penetrate deep, ensuring more stable vines and more consistent ripeness. Average yields here for Cabernet Sauvignon are a moderate 2.8 to 3.2 tons per acre, held down by the vine stress associated with steep vines.

Vineyard 29 is located in the narrow hourglass part of Napa Valley and benefits from consistently good air flow. Even in 2008, there was just a touch of frost at the bottom of the vineyard, according to McMinn, who noted that his Aida vineyard just two miles to the north is typically six or seven degrees warmer. The site also benefits from its eastern exposure, capturing early morning sunlight but with the mountain above protecting the vines against the most intense afternoon sun. The result is slow, consistent ripening of the grapes and healthy sugar levels with much less risk of desiccation, which in turn means rounder, more integrated tannins. Although St. Helena is a very warm region, day-night temperature variation at Vineyard 29 is among the widest in Napa Valley, according to McMinn.

Thanks to Vineyard 29’s well-aerated site and protection from the hottest afternoon sun, the estate Cabernet always has sound acidity; it has never been acidified, according to winemaker Emerson. The pH of the Vineyard 29 estate wine is typically between 3.75 and 3.9, and alcohol levels are moderate by Napa Valley standards, almost always in the high 14s (with 2009 the only vintage to have exceeded 15%). The wines are frequently characterized by black and blue fruits—cassis, blackberry, blueberry—and notes of chocolate, licorice and spices. Compared to the Grace Family Vineyards wine, made from a vineyard barely 200 yards to the north from the same plant material, the Vineyard 29 wine is characteristically a bit less floral and delicate but riper and denser, combining power with typically plush, ripe tannins. Emerson noted that Vineyard 29 is typically harvested at least a week later than the Grace site, noting that the tannins “take a long time to lose their chalky character and come around.” Luckily, he added, “the fruit here can hang for a long time without getting too crazy with sugar.” And the estate routinely picks in two passes, typically seven to ten days apart.

— 3 years ago