Freddy R. Troya

8.9

Cambria Estate Winery — Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 — Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County, California. United States 🇺🇸

Overview:
An estate-grown Pinot Noir crafted entirely from estate fruit at Cambria’s Julia’s Vineyard, delivering a fresh, approachable expression of cool-climate California Pinot with bright fruit purity and everyday elegance.

Aromas & Flavors:
Red plum, strawberry, cranberry, cherry compote, hints of sage, lavender, rose petal, and light leather.

Mouthfeel:
Medium-bodied with smooth tannins, lively acidity, and gentle spice through the finish. Bright red fruit keeps the palate energetic and easy-drinking while maintaining enough structure to feel polished.

Food Pairings:
Roast chicken, salmon, mushroom pasta, grilled vegetables, pizza with prosciutto or mushrooms, soft cheeses.

Personal Pick:
This is my kind of reliable weeknight Pinot — easy to love, versatile at the table, and always satisfying without demanding too much attention. A bottle I happily keep in regular rotation.

Verdict:
A charming, estate-driven Pinot Noir offering freshness, balance, and excellent everyday value. Perfect for casual dinners and relaxed enjoyment.

🍷 Did You Know?:
Santa Maria Valley’s east–west orientation funnels cool Pacific winds deep into the valley, extending hang time and preserving natural acidity — a key reason the region excels with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. — a year ago

Melodie McGeoch

9.5

Memorable drinking indeed! Salty west coast winds, reminiscent of Strandveld wines. — 7 years ago

with terry and Steven

P A

9.5

This invigorating and unique IPA lives up to its label which says “this distinctive West Coast IPA stands out the juxtaposition of ripe tropical fruit esters and Wild Yeast Funk”. Perfectly bitter and balanced at 50 IBU and 6.5% alc/vol this smooth clean IPA so well represents the contrasting vibrancy of its birthplace Delta British Columbia. I recommend this to all my IPA loving Delectable friends as well as a trip to beautiful Delta BC located between the US border and Vancouver. Not the perfect 10 but oh so close. Cheers 🍻🇨🇦 — 8 years ago

Eron Garcia

9.5

The blend of a 16 and a 6 year old rye winds up delivering a vibrant & spicy whiskey. Pepper, vanilla, and toasted nut flavored roll across the palate. Smooth! — 12 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

A beautiful top shelf Margaret River Cabernet drinking well at 16 years of age. Deep Ruby in colour. You would never know it was that age from the colour. My 2nd last bottle. A blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc. Trademark herbaceous notes with mulberry and spice. 2008 was a hot and dry vintage in Margaret River. Severe winds at flowering drastically reduced the crop to the lowest yet recorded - under 1 tonne per acre. Shelley Anne named after Stuart Watson’s wife. Stuart is the chief winemaker and one of the owners. Had my last bottle on 2nd April 2026. Starting to think these top Woodlands Cabernets are better earlier in life when there are more black fruit cassis characters. Good nevertheless but certainly not improving. — 2 years ago

Rob

8.9

Solid standard gin, bit of sweetness — 4 years ago

KDouglas

9.2

Delicious and refreshing. Great botanic flavor w/ vanilla flavor. — 8 years ago

with Grace

Patty Denny

9.8

First bottle drink with Joannie. Yummy crisp perfect. — 9 years ago

Doug Burress

Sales K&L Wines

9.5

Santa Cruz mountain gin of balance and deliciousness. A list of organic herbs make this gin a top pick. Visit the distillery if you find yourself out West. — 10 years ago

Julia Weinberg

9.1

New treasure made by stalwart favorite Ehren Jordan. West of West fest in effect — 13 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

Typical nose of an Art Series Chardonnay with that dried pear character. On the medium weight palate a nice combination of ripe grapefruit and under ripe yellow peach. Medium minus acid. One can’t help but love this Chardonnay. A wonderful terroir, the Gin Gin clone, great winemaking, and an excellent vintage - ticks all the boxes. At its peak but enough acid for a few more years if you wish. That was my last bottle of the 2011. — 2 years ago

MICHAEL COOPER DipWSET

Owner TomeVinos wine shops, WSET Level 3, Blogger www.spanishwinesandmore.com, blog.tomevinos.com

9.1

This #cabernetsauvignon is very good. I didn’t like the Titan Shiraz though.
#mclarenvale is located around 30 km south of Adelaide at the northern end of the peninsula with the Gulf St. Vincent to the west and the Adelaide Hills to the east.
The region has warm to hot summers although winds blowing in off the Gulf and down from the Adelaide Hills moderate the climate and also keep the risk of disease low. Rainfall levels are relatively low during the growing season (usually less than 200mm), although winters can be fairly wet.
McLaren Vale has a particularly complex geology: many major soil types have been identified, varying from sand to loam to clay. In general, the soils in the north of the region are poor with lower levels of nutrients, whereas those in the south are deeper and more fertile, producing higher yields.
McLaren Vale is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in Australia. By the late 19th century, Thomas Hardy & Sons was producing wine and exporting to the UK. Fortified wine production dominated the first half of the 20th century but after World War II a wave of European immigrants, particularly from Italy, encouraged the return to dry red wine production. In the 1970s, the focus was on full- bodied, ripe Chardonnay and Semillon but, since the late 1980s and early 1990s, this has returned to red wine
It is a large region, with vineyards covering around 6,200ha , and so has a great diversity of microclimates. Proximity to the sea is one factor influencing vineyard climate, as is altitude: vineyards stretch from sea level to around 350m, with most planted on flat or gently undulating land between 50 and 250m.
Over 90 per cent of plantings are now black grape varieties.
premium priced wines, covering both single-varietal and blends. Shiraz is the most planted, with over half of total plantings, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. McLaren Vale reds tend to be deep-coloured and full-bodied with high alcohol levels and pronounced dark fruit flavours. Many have spice characteristics from oak. In the hotter, lower sites, the fruit flavours can become cooked or jammy. Higher elevations give wines with higher acidity and tannins.
Production ranges from inexpensive, high volume bottlings to super-Premium — 6 years ago

Jeffrey Long

9.1

This is actually Breakside Brewery Pathfinder double IPA aged in gin barrels. Classic west coast double IPA infused with a potent floral gin character. — 10 years ago

Louis Schofield

Sommelier/Wine Merchant East End Cellars

9.9

Great Aussie gin — 13 years ago