Kurt Schuster

8.9

Everybody seems to have glowing opinions of this, but mine was just a good wine and all the complexity in depth that I’m hearing about here I just didn’t get. A very good balance of strong flavors drank it across three days, dark pepper, and tobacco notes and ripe fruit and I will say without any overwhelming attendance. The structure was just incredible. Very good wine, maybe I’m just different than the other reviewers.  — 2 months ago

Dawn E.

9.1

Rated previously, better each time! I find Alexander Valley most enjoyable of the three Napa, Sonoma). Great balance between fruit and earth...cocoa, pencil lead, plum, underripe dark berries, mild oak, sassafras, and crushed river rock. Med body and tannins, great long finish! — 5 years ago

Carter Pelham

9.1

Pinot night - tasted these 3 blind
Brief notes
A great tasting - all wines quite good
Interestingly the Anne Amie was the most California esque - cherry cola and crushed rock. Nice intensity

The failla- beautifully balanced but probably the shortest of the three

Smith&sheth- well done, would have called it burgundy village+ ...savory, elevated, forest floor. Great acidity. The most complex of the 3 — 5 years ago

with Linh and Larry

Willie Carter

9.1

It’s pretty rare that a House’s entry level bottle can challenge other House’s more prestigious offerings. A pale gold hue with truly a plethora of lively bubbles. Impressive perlage. The nose is powerful and engaging. Strong notes of honey and green apples with butterscotch and lemon peels. A smorgasbord of delightful citrus aromas and brioche bread really elevate this.

Almost equal parts of the three Champenois grapes with a dosage of 7 g/l. Disgorged on 7/20 and using 35% of reserve wines, there is a depth to the champagne that many others simply can not compare with. It starts off a bit angular but soon develops nicely in the glass. The acidity is bright, the body full, and the mouthfeel rich. Biodynamic without certification.

The palate is the definition of precise with crisp fruit and beautiful chalky minerality. Pears, grapefruits, and light red cherries shine. Toasted bread, nuts, and more autolytic touches. Marzipan and a little oak just for kicks. This is outstanding wine and can stand proudly next to some of the bigger boys out there. — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

I’ve had a a fair amount of older Williams Selyem Pinot Noirs, this one is the most different. It seems more extracted and darker than the bright; cherries, strawberries & pomegranate Pinots from them that we’ve had a run on over several years.

The noses reveals, deep, dark, ripe; currants, blackberries, black cherries with liqueur notes, baked black plum, black raspberries with hints of blue fruit. Touch of smokiness, cinnamon, clove, vanillin, black licorice, mid intensity, sweet tarriness, herbaceous notes, mint/eucalyptus character, touch of tree sap, black, rich earth, steeped fruit tea, limestone, dry rock powder, dark chocolate bar, mocha notes with fresh, withering & dry, dark, red florals and just a hint of violets.

The body is medium full. It has gorgeous mouthfeel. There are still round, softened, teethe & tarry tannins here. Tannins were in the bottle neck which, is not always traditional even in older Pinot’s. The structure, tension, length and balance are really nice with another three to five years of good drinking ahead. It’s right around its peak. Perhaps, just the other side of the bell curve. Dark, ripe; currants/cassis, blackberries, black cherries with liqueur notes, baked black plum, black raspberries, cooked rhubarb, raisins with more blue fruit showing vs. the nose. Touch of smokiness, cinnamon, clove, light nutmeg, vanillin, black licorice, mid intensity sweet tarriness, herbaceous notes, mint/eucalyptus character, touch of tree sap, black, rich earth, steeped fruit tea, limestone, dry rock powder, dark chocolate bar, mocha notes with fresh, withering & dry, dark, red florals and violets beaming on the finish. The acidity is excellent. The long finish is; ruby, ripe, elegant, gorgeous, extremely well balanced and persists on the palate with warm, dark spice.

IMHO, Williams Selyem Pinot Noirs do not score well early and really shine at 10 years plus in many vintages. They are a Sonoma Pinot pioneer and a gold standard comparison for other producers and Pinot lovers to take note.

Photos of; Williams Selyem winery, Sofia’s great handy work with flowers and one of our two raised garden boxes. 💐 🌸 🌺 🌹🌼🥀 🌽 🥒🥬 🍅

Happy Memorial Day weekend all! Hope you are grilling & enjoying some of your favorite wines. — 7 years ago

Ryan Vento

9.2

Wine club gathering with dear friends. Two whites and two reds, all tasted blind.

This was the Merlot I had so many years ago that changed my perception on what could be done with the varietal. Love this stuff. It can hang with many of the big boys and exhibits nice finesse and depth with loads of espresso, ripe red fruits, and tar/balsamic. — 8 years ago

with Krystal

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.8

I have posted a number of older vintage Jones Family Cabernets. Many 20 yrs and older. Three to four 97’s…none better than this one. I give few wines a score above 96. This is different. It is so close to perfect. Some might give it a 100. I struggle to give a wine a perfect 100. I have only done it 4 times in an estimated 25k wines tasted or bottles I’ve enjoyed. One was a port made before 1886 and tasted in Oporto at Taylor Fladgate’s tasting room in 2015, it was their Scion. Only sold there and at the time 5k at bottle. You end up there purchase the Scion taste regardless of the current cost. They put on a tasting show for you. I am half tempted here to give out a 100 but will refrain.

I am not sure what to add to that but will attempt to do so.

The nose is a beautiful, perfectly evolved Napa Cabernet. Nothing overpowers any of its singular components. I think the word I am looking for is harmony. Lush, plush, ruby dark currants/cassis. The best, mid, subtle/gentle/soft, dark spice box I certainly can remember, lush blackberries, both plums, dark, not quite liqueur cherries, a mix of subtle purple fruits, poached to baked strawberries, some light hints of raspberries, dark sweet tarriness, melted dark chocolate, anise to black licorice, steep fruit tea leaning into black tea, sweet/soft leather, moist tobacco, sandalwood, dark, rich forest floor, sweet graphite, hints of dry twig, a flutter note of eucalyptus, dry, withering & slightly candied florals that are; dark, red & blue & framed in light lavender with more pronounced liquid violets.

The palate wire to wire is even & stupidly, gloriously, grand. It mirrors the nose very closely. Lush, plush, ruby dark currants/cassis. The best mid, subtle/gentle/soft, dark spice box w/ some light palate heat, best I certainly can remember, lush blackberries, both plums, dark, kirsch not quite liqueur cherries, a mix of subtle purple fruits, poached to baked strawberries, some light hints of raspberries, dark sweet tarriness, melted dark chocolate, anise to black licorice, steep fruit tea leaning into black tea, beautifully layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & vanillin, caramel, sweet/soft leather, moist tobacco w/ a hint is ash, sandalwood, dark, rich forest floor, dry, crushed rock powder, dry top soil, crushed limestone powder, sweet graphite, hints of dry twig, a fluttering note of eucalyptus, dry, withering & slightly candied florals that are; dark, red & blue framed in light lavender with more pronounced liquid violets, perfect, rainfall acidity, extremely well balanced, even & subtle tension-structure that stands up on the long set, refined elegance with a finish that goes on and on and eventually lands on spice & beautiful, refined earthiness.

What a bottle! 98 that leans into 99. I paid somewhere between $80-$90 on the secondary market for this bottle. — 7 months ago

Brad Draper

9.0

Very strange yet delicious wine. Huge smell to taste disparity. Smooth reds and begs you to keep drinking it — 5 years ago

Jim McCusker

9.4

This wine is a beast: took three days for this to open up. Once it did it was excellent, but sampling in the days leading up it was incredibly closed. Admittedly the wine was in the fridge with the cork in it, but if you’re going to drink this anytime soon, I’d strongly recommend decanting it for at least 3-4 hours in advance (maybe longer). — 5 years ago

with Vanessa

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

We met & visited a number of Bordeaux producers while 2005 was still in the tank or just into barrel.

In talking with Winemaker-Owners about the 2005 vintage, you could see the twinkle in their eye as they were asked questions. They knew they had Bordeaux magic for the first time in five years.

We tasted this at what was deemed an “Affordable Bordeaux Tasting.” This was on the higher end of that tasting at $35. It is delivering a little better than its young expectation and the jewel to date from that tasting.

With and without protein, the 05 Chateau de Candale moved between 92-93.

The nose reveals; warm alcohol, immersed fruits of; black raspberries, blackberries, mulberries, dark cherries, poached/slightly baked, dark cherries, dark spices, purple fruit, cola mix, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, dark, rich, candied, forest floor, fresh & dry tobacco, graphite, slight, moist clay, stones, dry, crushed rock chunks, whiff of bay leaf & sage, dry stems, pepper quality with candied, dark, dark red, purple, blue with violets & lavender.

This is a very good first look at this 2005. God willing, I have another look in on bottle two of three in another five years. This 05 has another 15 plus years of good drinking ahead with proper storage.

The body is full, tarry with big, sticky, chewy tannins. Baked/poached, floral fruits of; black raspberries, blackberries, mulberries, dark cherries, black plum, pomegranate, dark spices with a heavy, heated presence, purple fruit, cola mix, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, dark, rich, candied, forest floor, fresh & dry tobacco, loads of graphite, slight, moist clay, stones, dry, crushed rock chunks, dry top soils, whiff of bay leaf & sage, dry stems, muted eucalyptus, pepper quality with candied, dark, dark red, purple, blue with violets & lavender. The acidity is round & full just holding, for me, the slightly higher ABV in check. The long, heavy, dark, well knitted, more earth/spice dominated finish is showing the quality of the vintage. Yet, it still needs more time to be its best.

Photos of; Chateau de Candale, harvested Merlot fruit, recent buyers of Chateau de Candale - Thibaut Decoster and Magali Decoster and their barrel room. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.7

The nose is rich, ripe, round with a gummy fruit quality. Dark currants and cassis. Ripe & lush fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, strawberries, black plum, ollieberries, soft well layered baking spices, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, sweet, dark spice, mixed berry cola, crush dry rock powder, dark rich soils, bay leaf/dry herbs and dark fresh dark floral bouquet.

The body is full but so soft and elegant and glides so beautifully over the palate. Ripe, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, strawberries, black plum, ollieberries, soft well layered baking spices, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, sweet, dark spice, mixed berry cola, crush dry rock powder, dark rich soils, bay leaf/dry herbs and dark fresh dark floral bouquet. The acidity is excellent. The structure, tension, length are really harmonious so young. The finish is so well balanced, elegant, rich ripe and goes on & on.

Photos of, Carter Cellars Winery, barrel room, tasting room and Beckstoffer Vineyard. — 8 years ago

Ben Rossen

9.1

This was the last of three bottles I picked up in the Loire Valley in 2014 - and time has worked its magic on this wine. The “Pierre de tuf” cuvée results from a long maceration in an ancient stone vat carved out of the tufa rock and then is aged 14 months in oak. It’s a powerful Cabernet Franc and has aged beautifully - with mellow caramel notes layered on top of vibrant dark fruit and cassis, very round tannins and a long lingering finish of boysenberry and cassis. — 8 years ago

John Tan

9.0

Ovenbird w M and Ritchie. Mineral. Textured. Fresh. Paired well w ankimo.

The 2012 Condrieu Coteaux du Chery, which comes from one of the most heralded sites in the appellation, is also brilliant (as is his 2011!). The most rich and textured of the lineup, it offers thrilling notes of white peach, crushed rock, buttered grapefruit, flowers and tangerine to go with a medium to full-bodied, layered, yet brilliantly fresh and detailed texture that keeps you coming back to the glass. It too will drink nicely for 4-5 years. I had a fabulous visit with proprietor Andre Perret at his cellar located just north of Chavanay. Soft spoken, charming and generous, he runs an immaculate cellar and releases up to three Condrieus in a vintage. In addition to his whites, he fashions elegant, almost Burgundian-styled reds from Saint Joseph that warrant more attention. RP95 — 4 years ago

Paola Bailey

9.4

Loved it. Lush, bold flavors soft finish. — 5 years ago

Jeremy.Buss

9.4

Big shout out to @Ron R for his selection and generosity. I got started on my wine journey later in life and didn’t have birth year wines for my boys. This wine and vintage marks 21 years for our first son. Thanks again @Ron R !! Let this wine decant for three hours and it got better and better over the three hours. Licorice smell to start, modest cherry, currant. More fruit smells developed over time. Incredibly soft tannins with earth tones coming out as well. Not a fruit bomb like some of the CA wines and enjoy having different choices for special events. — 5 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.7

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Three Vineyard Blend is an experimental wine that was bottled a few times in Diamond Creek's history, but never officially commercially released. The 2013, a blend of 70% Volcanic Hill, 25% Red Rock Terrace, and 5% Gravelly Meadow is superb. What a wine. Rich, powerful and savory, the 2013 is just starting to enter the place where it is approachable, in relative terms of course. There is still plenty of hillside tannin, and yet there is so much about the 2013 that is alluring. The aromatic breadth, the intensity of the fruit and the wine's persistence are all so compelling. Wow. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2021)
— 5 years ago

David Shaw

9.0

Three weeks later and I’m craving another taste of this... See my previous notes but this time: moderately extracted ruby red. Some black currant in nose initially. Strawberry and raspberry jam flavors, some seed bitterness and tannin chewiness, otherwise well balanced. Slightly oily, cherry and citrus peel aftertaste emerges after 30 minutes, black pepper on nose and in aftertaste after 45. Light to moderate skin astringency after an hour — 7 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.2

LOCKED. UP. Tasted three 14 Cabs over 3 nights: 1 from Montagu, 1 from William Harrison and this one. Out of all 3, this one is the most tannic. The most restricted. And the one with perhaps the most potential. Opened with a great red berry nose, herbal. Middle is black cherry, olive, medium to full bodied. After 2 hours, showing more in the front. Will be more integrated in 2020. — 8 years ago

Kelli

9.0

MGM minnetonka. Mild. Easy drinker. Little spice at the end. Would buy again. — 8 years ago

Ashly Mitchell

9.6

So velvety and smooth. Starts off sweet but then mellows out with a fine finish. Subtle warmth creeps in after every sip. Why is the bottle so small?!? — 8 years ago