Pinotman /// Andreas

9.3

Magnum. Usually squirreled away buy the Michelin’s. Flat out gorgeous at first sip. What a wine. I have these things with wines. Decanted or not warm cold poor storage the good ones impress at the first sip! Diam 5 Cork! Is perfect! Why is it not used more? Orange peel, faint cherry notes, black cherry. 13%. Fresh. Touch chocolate, touch lime juice. Whiff of cardamom on the back palate. A masterpiece from a very peasant not familiar or fancy plot. Not even a 1er! Light and elegant for a NSG. Drink up at its peak! — 8 months ago

"Odedi"

9.3

This is a delicious Bordeaux blend from Columbia Valley in Washington State.

Very dark in color, and looks very young.

Full-bodied, smooth and bold, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, raisins, dried figs, vanilla, cedar, licorice, cola, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, spices, earth and coffee.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This 8 year old is peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years.

Smooth and elegant. Rich and extracted, with a great mouth feel.

Good by itself or with food. A great wine to sip on and talk about.

Robert Parker 94 points.

Needs 3 hours to open up properly, but good right out of the bottle as well.

I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Petit Verdot, 17% Merlot, 7% Cab Franc and a splash of Malbec. Winemaker is Philippe Melka.

15.4% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$65 (current vintage). — 4 years ago

Eric

9.4

Astonishing color and depth of concentration. Chewy, fat and full-on. Needs beaucoup years to settle down. Made by Penfold Grange’s winemaker. This guy does NOT f*ck around!! — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Winemaker Joseph J. Wagner is a 4th generation winemaker from a family with farming and winemaking roots in the Napa Valley since 1906. Met Joe several times. Deep Ruby with red berry fruit aromas and sweet spice notes. On the palate flavors of raspberry and ripe blackberry with sweet oak, cacao and espresso notes. Soft fine tannins perfect acidity and balance long finish ending with mineral character. Nice! A Fav! — 6 years ago

Jason Brater

9.1

This carignan was really nice. Deep tastes of black cured olives, grapeskin, and some black raspberry. A dash of white pepper to round it out. — 6 years ago

with Heather

Justin Hart

9.8

Holy crap! 10 years and tasting amazing!! Tons of plum, blackberry, and roses are backed up by hints of leather, black cherry, and faint white pepper on the finish. Yum! — 7 years ago

with Cherish and Jen

Kevin Berkowitz

9.2

Wonderful Pinot. Well balanced, hints of Oak & plum . Went well with the steak. — 7 years ago

Shay A

9.3

Cheval des Andes tasting with their technical manager who is also an assistant winemaker. Tasted ‘05, ‘07, ‘14 and ‘15. Very cool story behind this winery (and its affiliation with Chateau Cheval Blanc).

This contained the largest percentage of Malbec they’ve ever used at 83%, rounded out by petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Decidedly darker and more dense on the mid palate than the ‘15. The texture was more plush and this seems to be open for business now...not sure it has the structure to hold as long as the ‘15. More plum, added black currant and licorice. — 7 years ago

with Dan

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

‘Las Alturas' Spanish for 'the heights', a fitting name, this vineyard located on one of the highest grape-growing benches in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. 4th gen Winemaker Joseph J. Wagner from family with farming & winemaking roots in Napa since 1906. Met Joe several times. Deep Ruby (darkest Pinot I have come across). Nice berry and floral spice aromas. Rich cherry/plum flavors with oak, spice and vanilla. Long finish, bold ending with sweet oak notes. Very Nice! A Fav! — 2 years ago

Ted

9.3

Really nice Bordeaux blend from Napa. Cool resume of the winemaker and his wife. — 3 years ago

with Jeni

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

A blend of 70% Cab Sauv, 21% Merlot, 7% Cab Franc & 2% Petit Verdot, aged for 18 months in 60% new French oak. Deep Ruby with aromas of dark fruits and spicy notes. On the palate flavors of black cherry and blackberry with cacao and tobacco adding in oak and leather. Well balanced with acidity, fine tannins, long finish ending with oak and sweet spice. Has room to age. Nice! — 5 years ago

Ryan Vento

9.1

Last minute late night pour. On the nose succulent dark berries laced in spices, eucalyptus and shrouded in youthful funk eager to be blown off with the proper amount of aeration. On the palate dark chocolate, holiday spices, cobbler, and blackberry jam. Nice acidity, pronounced tannins. I’m looking forward to day two. — 6 years ago

with Krystal

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.5

Made by superstar winemaker, Randy Dunn, of Dunn Vineyards, the 2017 ‘Feather’ by Long Shadows is a masterful effort from this exciting warmer vintage in Washington. Once on the nose there is a lovely round core of toasty oak that wraps around the rich dark fruits, sagebrush and chocolate fudge aromatics that all meld in the glass. The palate is silky smooth, revealing a round and generous mouthfeel. The seamless effect created mid-palate is utterly fantastic. Black currants and blackberry cordial dance with shades of Black Forest Cake and espresso bean on this highly complex palate. This finishes long with dark fruits and a beam of minerality. While enticing to savor now, the 2017 ‘Feather’ will have a long life ahead of it. If enjoying in its youth, be sure to afford a two hour decant prior to enjoying. Drink 2021-2040- 95 — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

I like the Patrina for its quality and QPR. Its quality is not all that far from the Reva but, about half price.

I also find the roasted or roasted chestnut quality I find in Rostaing wine out of Rhone. It is my belief, they have more or less styled their wines from Rostaing.

The nose reveals; dark, ruby & slightly candied, currants, purple fruit mix, blue fruits, blackberries, dark cherries, creamy black raspberries, baked, spiced plum, roasted chestnuts, smoke, grilled meats, touch of bacon fat, heavy expresso roast, dark, rich earth, dry crushed rocks, dry brush, pepper notes, some caramel, mid, nicely layered baking spices, dry herbaceousiness with bay leaf dominance, with fresh, blue, dark flowers with greens topped of with field of lavender.

The body is rich, lush and full. The tension, structure, length and balance are about five years from its peak. The tannins round yet, grainy and speak to another 10 years of excellent drinking ahead. Dark, ruby & slightly candied, currants, ripe; purple fruit mix, blue fruits, blackberries, dark cherries, creamy black raspberries & baked, spiced plum. Anise to black licorice, roasted chestnuts, smoke, grilled meats, touch of bacon fat, heavy expresso roast, dark, rich earth, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil with clay mixed in, dry brush, pepper notes, some caramel, mid, nicely layered baking spices, dry herbaceousiness with bay leaf dominance, with fresh, candied, purple, blue & dark florals with greens topped of with field of lavender. The acidity balances the alcohol like a waterfall over the palate. The long, ruby, ripe, slightly candied, well balanced finish slides into dry tannins & earth and persists several minutes.

Paired well with our slightly spicy Kentucky Bourbon Chicken Skews, Rosemary Roasted Fingerling Potatoes & Green Beans.

Photos of; the Patrina Vineyard, Owner/Winemaker-John Alban and imagery inside their barrel room. — 7 years ago

"Odedi"

9.1

This is a delicious Rhone style white wine from Horse Haven Hills in Washington State.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel.

This Single Vineyard feels very much like a Rhone white.

A blend of 55% Roussanne, 30% Marsanne and 15% Viognier.

13.2% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$28. — 3 years ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.3

Outstanding - tastes like NSG/Gevrey blend. Quite dark. Dark fruit with a touch of cherry and a raspberry aftertaste. Cloves. Plenty of minerals. Very well managed tannins. This would be 80-100$ if it would be a Burgh. Bought only 2 bottles to sample the wine but will buy this in the future. Very Burgundian. If you want to pay less but still have the Burgh experience this is it. Lyle an of this left? — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.6

Wine honors long-time Shafer Winemaker Elias Fernandez & his relentless pursuit of quality. A blend of 90% Syrah & 10% Petite Sirah, a more bucolic grape than Syrah, providing for lush & rich wine. Aged for 30 months, 100% new French oak, deep Ruby with aromas of concentrated dark berry fruit & hint of smoky pepper spice. Layered meaty flavors of blackberry, cherry & blueberry explode on palate & subtle tannins relax to a nice long finish, great mouthfeel. One of the best Syrah’s I tasted. Aging well! — 6 years ago

Justin Hart

9.3

Wow! Still bright, chalky, and full of youthful grip. Red plum, raspberry, lichee and white pepper notes are most dominant. This could easily go another few years and not be at its peak. — 6 years ago

with Cherish and Jen

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

Happy Valentines Day!

If you have not looked for this wine on WineSearcher.com or other, you should. Dan Standish has no American Importer. However, you can mail order off his list. Good luck with the Australian/United States import costs. Very prohibited.

Most quality Barossa wines take 15 years in bottle to show their ultimate beauty. Dan’s wines are no different. His Estate vines are 100 years old and produce 500 pounds of fruit per acre...very concentrated. Contrast that to extremely expensive & high quality Napa fruit, those Napa producers are at 2,000-2,500 pounds per acre.

We visited Standish in April 2017. We found Dan to be extremely talented & definitely marches to his own drum. He is salt of the earth and has traveled & worked in many of the world wine regions honing his craft and landing as Torbreck’s Winemaker in Barossa before starting, “The Standish Wine Company.”

As good as the 04 is tonight, it has 15 years of good life ahead...properly stored of course.

The nose is very intoxicating. It is a nice blend of purple, black & blue fruits. Mulberries, olallieberries, boysenberries, black plums, plums, blackberries, dark cherries, deeply extracted raspberries, some baked strawberries, black licorice to anise, dark fruit cola, black olive skin, medium dark spice, black pepper, charcoal, graphite, dry tobacco & underbrush, some bay leaf, alluvial soils, grey volcanic minerals/limestone with fresh & only slightly withering, purple, dark, blue florals framed in violets & lavender.

The body is full, rich, ripe, lush and creamy on the palate after a two-hour plus decant. The structure, tension, length and balance are a little short of its peak and will hold there for 5-8 years. It’s a glorious glide on the palate. The fruits are ripe & lightly baked. Mulberries, olallieberries, boysenberries, black plums, plums, blackberries, dark cherries, deeply extracted raspberries, some baked strawberries, cherry kirsch, red & black licorice to anise, dark fruit cola, black olive skin, the dark spices are heavier on the palate & bring just the right amount of heat, sweet, dark tarriness, black pepper, used, dark expresso roast grounds, charcoal, graphite, dry tobacco & underbrush, some bay leaf, alluvial soils, grey volcanic minerals/limestone, moist clay, with fresh & only slightly withering, purple, dark, blue florals framed in violets & lavender. The acidity is round, flush & perfect. The long finish is a unique even balance of; lush fruits, spice, herbs and earth that persists on the palate for minutes.

Photo on the left of Sofia’s 2 dozen long stems. Love you so much!

@Oswald — 6 years ago

Shay A

9.2

Earlier this week, a rep for Crown Point wines hosted a tasting to show off a few of their newer releases. New to me, they are out of Santa Barbara and have the duo of Adam Henkel (former assistant winemaker at Harlan for 8yrs) and Philippe Melka (who came on starting with the ‘15 vintage) making the wines.


This wine is their Estate Selection, which is 73% cab, 16% malbec and 11% merlot. I believe this was the first vintage for this wine. It sports a very soft profile and is made in a riper style. Aromatically it smells of baked boysenberry, fig and mixed berry pie with milk chocolate chips. The ABV is around 15.2% and it shows here. Extracted on the palate with chocolate covered dark fruits, baking spices, nutmeg and Andes mint. — 7 years ago

with Clare and Weston