Greg Bencivengo

9.0

Wow! Briny Oysters and shellfish nose. Held the most brilliant tangerine color. Tannins registered on the tip of the tongue. — a year ago

Ely Cohn

9.7

Raul Perez, Mencia wizard and human garden gnome, makes some of the most innovative and highly allocated wines from anywhere. I don’t often drink stuff this good. Sometimes you need to be reminded that average and good wines are made for relaxation and enjoyment and that extraordinary wines are art.

La penitencia could be the best thing I’ve ever opened at home. It’s elegant and bootlegged. The front label probably designed in an Internet cafe, the back label looks like it was cut and glued by a five year old. These things make it lovable because it’s so bad and it’s so good.

Pours a browned purple motor oil. The aromas fly. Perfumes of red and blue colored berries, clove, spice, leather. Like a brand new catchers mitt that needs some oil and some love. Feels of plush berry fruit and flavors of prunes and macerated strawberries and boxed raisins that seem to hang around for about as many years as I waited to open this thing. — 3 years ago

Jayna Fontenot

9.3

Medium legs, and a pale straw color. Smells lightly citrus-like, with maybe melon. A small acidic bite on the tip of your tongue when you first taste it, followed by a dry tannic sort of mouthfeel. Crisp, refreshing, and not too fruity. Would be great with cheese or fish. I like! — 4 years ago

Joseph LaPanna

8.9

What’s not to love about high elevation, old vine garnacha! Dark purple with an opaque rim. The nose was bright and brimming with minerals, earth and Asian spices. Tons of fruit runs from tip to stern; dominated by black cherry lavender and brambley spices. Great depth and grip! — 4 years ago

Joe Estrada

9.7

Introduction of Saarloos to our new neighbors…..perfect pairing with Santa Maria Tri-Tip — 2 years ago

Kelly Carlin

9.3

Wowee zowee. Layers of strawberry, citrus, savory notes, mousse. Tip-top. — 3 years ago

Andrew Holod

National Sales Grapes of Spain

9.1

Hat tip to @Delectable Wine @Josh Raynolds for the vintage guidance.
Everything in its place for this mid week pairing w grilled peppers and Persian inspired lamb burgers.
Plenty of dark fruits on the nose. Not a lot of funk. Hint of CO2 on palate entry that dissipates w time in decanter. Suave, silky texture and with balanced acids that seem fairly mild. — 4 years ago

Eli Barton

9.3

My last bottle of the 07... it was in pretty good shape, definitely more youthful than the other bottles I’ve opened in the last few years, so I’m guessing it was in a good window - thanks for the tip @Andrew Mecoli! After some decanting it opened up a bit more and was really good with a hearty homemade lasagna. Still plenty of acidity, and the fruit was mature but not old. This is one I wish I’d bought more of! — 4 years ago

with Jennifer

Joseph LaPanna

9.0

Dark purple with gobs of fruit billowing from the glass. Blueberry, blackberry and currant with hints of coffee and leather. Full bodied with silky smooth tannins, the mouthfeel is soft and juicy. The mid palate is round and full of black cherry, currant, plum black olive and toast. The finish is long and lush with hints of smoke and nutmeg. Paired with grilled Tri-Tip! — 3 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

For all of you that drink; SQN, Cayuse & Horsepower, if you haven’t tried a well aged Rostaing, you are missing the best aspect of Syrah.

Côte de Rôtie translates in English into Roasted Slope. That’s exactly what this wine defines.

The Ampodium is a blend of 7-8 different Rhône vineyards. 2010 a dynamic vintage in Northern Rhône.

I bought this recently at auction and it has been decently stored but not quite ideally stored.

The nose reveals; roasted chestnut, stewed; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries on the high nose & backend of the fruit, used coffee grounds, soft leather, dry tobacco, savory meats, dark, moist soils, anise to black licorice, fresh sage & bay leaf with candied; dark, red, blue, purple florals in a field of lavender.

The palate is; fresh, ripe, juicy, elegant and nicely resolved. The structure, tension, balance and length are perfect. It is for the palates that love elegance & beauty, not brawn & ABV. Roasted chestnut, stewed; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, raspberries, dark cherries, juicy, ripe strawberries backend of the fruit, used coffee grounds, soft leather, dry tobacco, savory meats, smoke, dark, moist soils, anise to black licorice, light purple cola, fresh sage & bay leaf with candied; dark, red, blue, purple florals in a field of lavender. The acidity is round & stream like. The finish is in perfect balance, harmony that settled softy yet speaks volumes.

Paired with the Cardiff Chipotle Tri-tip. The best Tri-tip we’ve had. You can order at CardiffCrack.com. Not inexpensive though. The best never is!

Photos of; me in the La Landonne Vineyard, Rene Rostaing and our tour with Pierre Rostaing in their La Landonne Vineyard. What an afternoon!

Producer notes, Pierre (son of Rene & now Winemaker) uses up to 100% of the stems - believing they contribute to Côte Rôtie’s ineffable perfume. Macerations last from 7 to 20+ days, and the wines enjoy a long élevage in a mix of barrels and time-honored pièce for aging, so that no more than 15% of a given vintage sees new wood. — 4 years ago

with James and Christina