Doug Powers

9.0

Candied red fruit aromas and flavors, rich but also shows nice depth and complexity, lingering finish with just a touch of heat (15.2% ABV). — 4 days ago

with Jim

Doug Powers

9.0

Spivey, brambley, red fruits, definitely ripe (15.2% ABV), but nicely balanced and with a long, lingering finish, very enjoyable Contra Costa County field blend!! — 8 months ago

with Jim

Andrew McIntyre

9.4

The best of the three Guigal wines at the moment. Juniper and bay leaf dominated the palate in this wine that seemed more integrated and developed than the other two. Went well with venison. — 2 years ago

carmen

9.5

this beauty was lost in the files. it was a chilled red enjoyed at n7 in new orleans. i don’t remember the notes. i do however remember it was great — 3 years ago

Doug Powers

9.0

Nice red and black fruits, good weight and depth, solid old vine Mataro!! — 3 years ago

with Jim

Kristen Grimes

9.6

Very fruity. Black cherry and blackberry aromas and some notes of cinnamon, then balanced fruit and baking spices that tingle the tongue and linger on. What Goes with That: Fall Sweets Class, pairing: pumpkin pie. — 4 years ago

Vanessa

9.1

Cheers to the wines of South Africa 🇿🇦

This Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir is unique in that the grapes used to produce it primarily came, not from Hamilton Russell vineyards, but rather from neighboring vignerons.

Hamilton Russell made this unprecedented decision in the aftermath of devastating wild fires that imparted smoke taint to its estate-grown grapes. Unwilling to compromise on quality, I applaud Hamilton Russell for its tenacity and willingness to forge ahead to create this delicious Pinot Noir for its customers. 👏👏👏

This wine is comprised of fruit hailing from three different Hemel-en-Aarde (aptly meaning “heaven and earth”) Wards within the Walker Bay District, in the Cape South Coast Region of South Africa’s Western Cape.

This wine is a reflection of community, camaraderie, and commitment to excellence.❤️

👁 It is medium ruby with pale fuchsia rim variation.

👃 On the nose this wine has a medium(+) intensity of youthful aromas. The aromas include candied cherry, strawberry rhubarb preserves, violet, dried orange peel, white pepper, star anise, clove, and nutmeg.

👄 On the palate this wine is dry. It has medium(+) acidity, a medium body, medium alcohol, medium tannins, and medium intensity of flavors consistent with the nose. This wine has a medium finish.

Hamilton Russell, Pinot Noir, Walker Bay, ABV 13.5%. Vintage 2019. — 5 years ago

with Deked1

Les Glosby

9.1

Lots of chocolate and fruit notes. Genuinely great once aired. — 2 months ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.0

14 year old #mataro aged at a famous steakhouse. Substantial acidity up front, blackberry pie, warming spices and just an undertone of fig fruit from the time in bottle. Tannins must have been fierce upon release but now they are firm and well-integrated. Delicious. — 8 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

I drank a fair amount of Regusci back in the day, but that was when Charles Hendricks was the Winemaker. His last full Regusci vintage, birth to finish was 2013. He did work most of the 2014 growing season, but didn’t vinify it. I guess if you’re going to go out 2013 is a grand vintage to do it. He trained their current Winemaker, but he makes a different style than Charles. Every Winemaker wants to do their own thing. I can’t say blame him/them, but I can decide whether I want to buy & drink them.

When I find older, well preserved Regusci vintages Charles made on the secondary market, I buy them. Not many pop-up anymore.

Owner Jim Regusci inspired the creation of “The 1932.” It is an homage to Regusci's estate vineyards and dedicated to Gaetano Regusci, who acquired the ranch in 1932. They farmed agriculture long before they made wine. First time having this bottling. 2012 is primarily Cabernet with Merlot & a splash of Cabernet Franc.

This is a classic Charles-Regusci creation. Notes after a 45 minute decant. It’s a strong 93 that pushes 94.

The nose is dark & brooding. Ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum skin, dark cherries, some blueberries with raspberries on the edge of the glass. Steamy oak to cedar, dry tobacco, used leather, dark tarriness, anise that rounds out into licorice, black tea, dark spices, some dry herbs-light sage & bay leaf, dry crushed gravel w/ limestone, clove oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanillin, baking soda, melted, dark chocolate, caramel, sweet, black turned earth w/ leaves, dark, red flowers framed in violets & lavender.

Ripe but with a dry-ish feel; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum skin, dark cherries that has a liqueur feel to them, ripe, juicy strawberries as it opens up further, some blueberries with raspberries hovering over the top. Shaved oak to cedar, dry tobacco, used leather, dark tarriness, anise that rounds out into licorice, black tea, dark spices with some palate heat, some dry herbs-light sage & bay leaf, dry crushed gravel w/ limestone, dry stone with dust, charcoal notes, clove oil, nutmeg, cinnamon stick, vanillin, baking soda, melted, dark chocolate, caramel, sweet, black, turned earth w/ leaves, dark, red flowers framed in violets & lavender. A slight burn of alcohol on the center tongue, not the back of the throat, which is a bit odd, dark & red slightly withering but candied flowers framed in prominent lavender & violets, full round acidity with a well; tensioned, structured, balanced, elegant finish that lands squarely on evolved earth, dark spice and lasts minutes.

This is still ascending and will reach its peak in three to five years. It will slowly descend over the next 5-8 years.

Photos of; their tasting room/bar, fantastic picnic area, for sale vegetable/fruit cart and a long shot of their estate vineyard & winery. — a year ago

Gene Buonviri

9.1

A dark red blend from three Chiles Canyon vineyards. Blackberry, cherry and raspberry flavors with hints of bay leaf and clove. Excellent pairing with fresh caught Dungeness Crab. — 5 years ago

Daniel P. Drake

9.4

Welcome to the weekend! Looks to be a wonderful weekend and lets try to enjoy it. This afternoon I have opened for a close friend of mine the 2017 Duckhorn Vineyards Three Palm Vineyard Merlot. The blend is 91% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.

On the nose there is black cherry, plum, raspberry, bay leaf, herbs, spice, violet and cedar.

The palate is beautiful complex fruit of black cherry, strawberry, plum, fig, chocolate, clove, vanilla, graphite and stoney slate.

This wine is full bodiedwith a velvety mouthfeel, medium + acidity and medium + to high medium grained tannins with a long dark fruit tannic finish. What a beautiful wine this is and what a way to start the weekend off. Have a great weekend and please be safe and stay healthy. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 5 years ago

Collier S. Wiese

9.0

Well balanced for a blend with 15.7% alcohol. — 6 years ago

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

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Welcome to Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2025.

2012 in Bordeaux is a great memory as Sofia & I had a great 5 year anniversary trip to Italy where we were married, ending in Bordeaux. Picking Mouton Merlot for a day, lunch with the Baroness, having steak and sipping 82 Mouton. Pinch me is what I said to Sofia.

Saint Julien is the elegant region on the Left Bank. While 2012 was an ok to good vintage it will always be packed with great memories.

Branaire-Ducru in grand vintages is still a great value. Always elegant with this kind of bottle age and more.

Hour decant starting notes.

Tonight smooth, ripe, round, juicy; brambly blackberries/black raspberries, dark cherries, cherries, black plum, some strawberries, raspberries with blueberry tones. Dry tobacco with ash, leather, spice box with some heat, lightly grilled meats, volcanics, moist clay, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, light vanillin, mid berry cola, dark chocolate bar, forest floor with leaves, sandalwood, steeped black tea, bay leaf, dry thyme, mocha powder, dry caramel, crush, dry rock/limestone, dry river stone, bright red flowers mixed with dark withering flowers, nice round acidity and a balanced, smartly tensioned, elegant finish that lasts 90 seconds & lands on herbs & earth. — a year ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Bruce Phillips and his wife were pouring their 2021. Talked w/ him at length. Very nice couple.

The 2021 showed well young with room for improving with 10-25 years in bottle and beyond. It showed some evolution, wasn’t all primary. Elegant, very well balanced with excellent structure and finish. Drink 2033-45 properly stored.

The general Napa consensus on 2022 vintage will be a story of did you pick before or after the 6 days of extreme heat during the harvest window. One producer told me his would add 5% of 2023 to some of his 2022’s, which is allowed. He mentioned that he was going to add 15%. But, I think he just misspoke? Get ready for an amazing 2023 vintage from Napa. It was a cooler, not hot-hot, which was a near perfect growing season for long slow even ripening. Some say a vintage of a lifetime and others would only say exceptional.

The Saturday-Sunday Pavilion tasting at Pebble Beach Food & Wine is an excellent four hours to taste a lot wine, taste curated dishes from chefs from all over the country and meet the people behind the bottle. These short ribs were one of the top two or three things I tasted at the Pavilion Saturday. — 2 years ago

LaShondra Berman

8.9

Spiced jam with a hint of floral notes. Layered and hard to nail down the exact bouquet, but it’s delicious. — 3 years ago

Jan de Weerd

9.2

Fresh dark cherry juice with earthy undertones. Wonderfully integrated soft but present tannins giving it a soothing finish. A Bordeaux blend from Hawkes Bay. Brought it home three years ago or so, when one could still travel around the world to places without limitations. — 5 years ago

with Tammy

Josh Morgenthau

9.5

Beautiful cherry and fruitwood aroma. Lipstick and liquer. Some herbs- black tea, bay, oregano. Super perfumed. Elderberry. Purple fruited with lovely prickly tannins on the finish. Absolutely has the structure to age 10+ years.

Day three and this is just so earthy and beautiful and completely vibrant. Up to 9.5. Love. — 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Part of a double-blind, side-by-side between the 2017 Once & Future Mataro, “Oakley Road” which also happens to be from Contra Costa County. Opened and allowed both bottles to slow-ox about three hours prior to our guests arriving. As typical with Sandlands wines, this was a pretty little thing to behold in the glass. Bright ruby with a magenta rim. The nose is vigorous with loads of fresh mixed fruits; drupes and stone fruits with a sort of middle eastern spice that immediately reminded me of the mandi rice dishes that use saffron, cumin and tumeric. Drop dead gorgeous! On the palate, fresh plums, dried herbs, a dash of pepper. The finish is long and tannic with great acid.

This is a slightly more faceted wine than the O&F at this stage. It can’t help but take over a room with its distinctive character and compelling energy. The vineyard was planted in the 1920's and only 4 barrels were produced. 13.9% alc. — 6 years ago