Lee Pitofsky

9.5

The sleeper vintage, one at this time I bet to be even more showy than the illustrious 2000. It’s simply just ready to go after a short decant wafting from the glass with layers of cassis, black truffle, violets and licorice. This is a wine of texture and elegance, as Margaux should be—It’s liquid cashmere in the mouth with melting tannins and a black truffle and mineral inflicted finale that keeps on going. Superb showing tonight, with still a long life ahead. — 3 months ago

Peter Heyboer

9.0

Berry forward, complex, full bodied with just a hint of chocolate and oak. Easy drinking but stands up to whatever you're pairing it with. Was the go-to wine for my late grandmother and I see why. I would absolutely drink this again and raise a glass to her. — 6 months ago

with Matthew, Ethan and 2 others

Jose Lorenzo

9.2

So great full to still have my allocation of these amazing Pinots every year for the holidays. Never an off vintage. Cheers — 2 years ago

Tom Garland

9.4

45 min decant(decent chunky/fine sediment). A remarkable medium garnet color with bricking. On the nose: beautiful perfumed notes burst from the glass with sour cherry, mint, dusty earth, currants, wet cedar, green bell pepper....could sniff all night! Taste: soft and round, smooth, elegant wine with raspberry, cedar, currants, musky earth, and a nice dark chocolate cherry finish. YUM! A wine that has hit its stride over the past few years with time to go. — 3 years ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.4

Decant and pour. Nose: enticing perfumed dark fruit, mint, pine, floral, pencil shavings. Taste: creamy, balanced, savory wine with blackberry, milk chocolate, earth, leather, graphite, and a lingering long finish with some slightly grippy tannins. YUM!! No hurry, time to go. — 3 months ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.4

+2 hour decant(decent chunky/fine sediment). An amazing dark garnet color. On the nose: You must breathe in this captivating nose of dark red fruit, herbaceous, smoke, sweet florals, worn leather, licorice. Taste: layered, balanced, silky wine with brambly raspberry/cherry, peppery tobacco, gravel, smoked leather, tar, and a long drying finish. YUM! No need to hurry plenty of time to go. — 6 months ago

with Brenda

McCue Enright

9.3

Great sauvy b. Another Trader Joe’s buy. I go there sometimes cause my therapists office is right across from one. I like to pop in to get Hillary and I snacks and some wine. — 2 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Getting ready to leave France, so let's go out with a bang! It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Fruity nose of black currants, black plums, black cherries, tobacco, cedar, light vegetables, licorice, chocolates, coffee and light peppercorn.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, cherries, plums, light oak, spices, chocolates, licorice, light vegetables, black pepper, tobacco leaf, earth and black tea.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 8 year old Merlot based blend is still very young. In most vintages, it is a Cabernet Sauvignon based blend, but in the 2017 vintage it was a little different.

Spicy and entertaining. Well balanced and complex, but a little tight and restraint right now. Much earthier than I expected it to be.

Needs 5 years in the bottle to mature properly, and will continue to age nicely in the next 20 years.

A good food wine right now, that will pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

A blend of 56% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc. Aged in (70% New) French oak barrels for 18 months.

14% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$450. — 6 months ago

Ericsson

9.4

Tasting notes during visit to the winery where absolutely everything is done in-house by hand; preserving centuries old winemaking traditions. In the Tondonia offering one can really appreciate the time and patience dedicated to crafting this wine. The wine evolves to a rustic yet graceful profile with strong notes of dark berries with slight oak and dark chocolate. On the palate the wine is bliss, medium bodied, fully integrated, with balanced acidity and a long finish.

The juice is fermented in old large wooden “tinas,” then transferred to American oak barrels (made in house to medium toast specifications), stored underground in their +100 year old cellars for at least a year. After that it is bottled and stored in the same underground cellars and finally released about ten years later. Learning about their curated winemaking process was inspiring. — 9 months ago

Steve Gerths

9.2

Whitehall is my go to Merlot. Nice dark fruit with vanilla finish — 3 years ago