Tom Casagrande

9.1

Too young but very good and should get better. Nose has loads of cigar box and ground sandstone, dark oozy berries. Palate is rich and complex, with a little alcoholic pepperiness in the back half. Lots of tannin. Acids are a bit low and the alcohol is a bit high at 15%, so the tightrope is to find the number of years of aging to let the tannins settle but before the alcohol starts to burn through. 9.1+ (the + is if you find that sweet spot). — a year ago

boyd

9.5

In a delicious spot, walking the tightrope of meat/beef bullion, while still having great fruit. Shy at first, then a great drink until it started to fade a bit. — 3 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.1

This wine does a good job of walking the tightrope between mineral driven and rounded. This wine has a nose of peach, citrus, some brioche. Enters very rounded: mango, honeydew, peach. This wine then goes to more of a mineral-driven middle with a steely character. Finishes with a sharp acidity, lime. Went really well with herbed chicken and an apple-cheddar-shallot-spinach salad with olive oil dressing. The remaining chards will be held a little longer. This wine is not as complex as the Barrel Reserve Chard for sure, but is a solid wine considering the price. — 5 years ago

Anthony Lombardi

9.2

Walks the new/old world tightrope gracefully. Has the savory, structured character to show depth & complexity, yet loaded with aromatic, fleshy dark fruit. Insane value at $20. — 6 years ago

Andrew Schirmer

9.5

Fabulous bottling. Singular exemplar of what albariño can do at the highest level. Tightrope between grassy, herbaceous Sauvignon blanc opening & smoky Riesling finish. Reminds you why albariño was thought to be a Riesling clone. Zippy acid, lime, smoky apple fruit, fabulous texture and long penetrating finish. 200 y/o vines. 😍 — 2 years ago

with Alsu

Andrew Schirmer

9.4

Brilliant fruit - rocks - acid tightrope. Peach, kiwi, lime, unyielding structure, huge finish, stunning, enjoyed over three hours with a decant. — 4 years ago

with Alsu

Roman Sukley

10

2005 Sine Qua Non "The 17th Nail in My Cranium" Sta. Rita Hills Syrah
Buckle your chinstraps folks because tonight we’re headed to the wine world equivalent of the summit of Mt. Everest. The absolute pinnacle in the Universe of wine for yours truly. The “it just don’t get any better than this” moment as far as grapes are concerned. Let me begin first with the name of this magic elixir. If memory serves, it was derived from a combination of the fact that this was the 17th Syrah produced in the Garage d’Or otherwise known as Sine Qua Non, and, in that same year, Manfred was felled by a rogue barrel requiring several staples to close the gash to his cranium, hence... "The 17th Nail in My Cranium"
The wine is a blend of 96.5% Syrah and 3.5% Viognier which was aged 38+ months prior to bottling. % alcohol. 4 hour decant at cellar temperature. Achromatic Raven black motor oil in my Zalto. Undoubtedly, the wines I find most compelling are of the “swirl, sniff and contemplate” variety, and this one might just set the benchmark. Explosive aromatic potpourri of blackberry jam, roasted coffee, fresh ground black pepper, graphite and spice with a faint floral arrangement lurking somewhere in the background. On the palate, sweet cherry compote and black currant with undertones of roasted game and black olives. A big, full bodied wine that’s light on its feet. A tightrope walker. A powerhouse with impeccable manners. Elegant and lithesome. A ballet dancer. Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov in his prime. Complex, with layers of flavors in beautiful, perfect harmony. Crosby, Stills & Nash singing “Suite Judy Blue Eyes.” The Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations.” Perfect balance. Pure, silky mouth feel. Immeasurable finish. And I mean that literally, as in it just continues on and on. Just utter perfection. A wine that is in fact so entirely perfect as to eliminate the need for a search for an alternative. The last word. To paraphrase The Bard, this wine “might (just) be the be-all and the end-all.”

— 6 years ago

Josh Eichorn

9.7

Slight brickishness on the edges but mostly a deep garnet. Throwing very little sediment. Oak jumped out of the sniff from the bottle (40 months!) but the red and black fruits became dominant. Typical of Mitch Cosentino’s style, letting the fruit show through but with a solid core of structure. Lithe. Drinking well right out of the bottle, but still rewards with some air. This wine has a LONG way to go, but is at its peak. I’m always impressed by the (pre-bankruptcy) Cosentino wines for how drinkable they are immediately and yet benefit from aging. It’s a tightrope not many can walk. The finish is incredibly long, dominant merlot, (60/40 with cab) but not a “soft” wine with the Oakville cab backing it up. Listen, this is a great wine. It’s almost 15 years old and it drinks much younger but I also know this was equally drinkable 9 years ago. More velvet glove than iron fist, but you don’t drink this well after this long without some iron to sustain it. Medium to big-bodied and it is all pleasure. Integrated tannins, red and black fruit, spice, cedar. Drink now...or wait a few years. It’s got a long way to go. I mourn the loss of Cosentino. Had this with filet roast for the inauguration and it made the special occasion even more special. If you can get your hands on it, do it. Only 40 barrels made. All. Pleasure. — 3 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Nice meeting Paul Lato and talking about his wines.

This Zotovich Vineyard offering is delicious young but, will evolve into even greater pleasure in 5-6 years.

The body is full, round with beautiful texture. There is nice mix of perfectly ripe red & dark fruits with excellent blue fruits that hover around the plate. Gentle, soft wood use and subtle baking spices. This bottling walks the tightrope of Burgundy with its perfect waterfall acidity and round, soft structure and has Californian well ripen fruits.

He is one of few Southern California producers that doesn’t over extract and brings out those wonderful blue fruits I love in good Pinot Noirs.

Paul’s cousin was also nice to pour us a glass of one of their 2011 Chardonnays that was really beautiful and drinking at its peak. I didn’t get the vineyard designation as it was at the end of the event and security was being aggressive about clearing the hall. But, again, a beautifully textured Chardonnay that was round with beautiful fruit, great acidity and just the right amount of heather-honey notes. 9.5 on the Chardonnay. — 5 years ago

Sean Grullon

9.7

What a wine - a must try for fans of Spanish Reds. Made in a modern style, the hallmarks of great Tempranillo are all there - nose of leather, tobacco, spice, and some cherry, but there is noticeable expression of dark fruits and other notes, including chocolate and mint. The wine is dense, but the tannins are velvety and it has fresh acidity. It should age well, but it’s completely drinkable now. The finish just lingers, unveiling layers of flavor that walk the tightrope between fruity and savory. Absolutely stunning. — 6 years ago