Shay A

9.5

One of the wines I supplied for an annual lunch hosting (co-host this time). I was really hesitant to open this given the fanfare of this specific wine, but also how DrCrane can be an in-between wine for me (so explosive young, shut down at 5-10yrs, re-open 10+). Decanted two-three hours.

Classic deep purple-black DrCrane in the glass. Aromatics are immediate with ripe blue and black fruits, baking spices, mocha and graphite. Just a little bit of high-toned EA to make it pop, along with this roasted character I always get from DrCrane wines. Opulent and polished in every way on the palate, this is a tidal wave of flavor with no hard edges. It’s a towering wine in the sense of so much concentration and depth on the mid-palate, but it’s so incredibly polished at the finish…almost shockingly so. The ripe fruits and the dark chocolate linger longer than any Napa cab I can remember. Iron first in a velvet glove.

No need to worry, these are open for business. Plenty of structure to carry a while, but this window seems like it was made for how this wine is drinking now. — 11 days ago

Peter Coulthard

9.5

Waitrose. Excellent. Zesty lime notes, but then with undertones of peach and tropical fruits. — 3 years ago

Joseph Barsky

9.5

2018 Vintage. Heat wave in San Jose again, went to 107 deg F! Consistent with prior notes. — 5 years ago

Ira Schwartz

10

Wine stimulates our sense of smell and taste but in this case it also created a tidal wave of emotion. Through a tremendous act of generosity a dear friend shared this special bottle when he heard me lament I was not able to secure a bottle of wine to celebrate my mother’s 100 birthday. My friend stood the bottle up for several days. We decided it made sense to PnP. As you can see the cork was intact and the color of the wine defied its age. The excitement to take that first sniff was overwhelming for me. Old but alive scents wowed me. Lots of tobacco, leaves, leather and dried fruit. In the mouth those same scents were transferred to my palate thanks to a tsunami of acid. At about the one hour mark the wine quickly entered a death spiral. I cannot imagine another bottle of wine that will ever conjure up that amount of emotion and happiness. When I described my experience to my mom, a very broad smile came over her face. A blessing to share this experience with my mom and a privilege to taste a wine like this. — 4 months ago

with Richard

Delectable Wine

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8.9

The 2019 Sangiovese Superiore Le More explodes from the glass with a perfumed wave of chalk dust, wild berries, shavings of cedar and pine. It’s soft and energetic, with mineral-tinged plums, cherries and savory herbal tones. The 2019 tapers off with a sour twang of citrus and inner rose. $14.00 (Eric Guido, Vinous, November 2021) — 3 years ago

Kyle Zeman

9.2

Vanilla, light, sage — 5 years ago

heidi schlegel

10

Catherine Marshall tasting room. Fabulous chenin with flinty Influances. — 6 months ago

Ann Kelly

9.0

Hawaii ❤️ hibiscus/plumeria specialness — 10 months ago

Skip Smyser

9.4

Rolls over the tongue with a wave of red fruit, followed by flint, tobacco and a very pleasant minerality.Goes great with braised oxtail tenderloin. Outstanding 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 2 years ago

Aravind A

9.6

So much more open than my last btl, and stunning. Notes from 2 hrs open. Loads of lemon and soft underripe peach, leesy notes, and then wave after wave of minerality. On the palate: fantastic acidity; lemon peel, which is so dense. Lemon oil and loads of minerality. So long on the finish. Just amazing, but still so primary. Wow. — 4 years ago