Austin Hohnke

9.0

Very interesting wine. Smells like blue cheese and sourdough starter on the nose. Palate is very mineral with nice acidic tension. Neutral oak? Citrus driven, not fruity. Went great with yellowfin tuna and pork loin with braised leeks at Runner Up. Quite the wine list. — 3 months ago

Delci Desiree

9.1

Yummy, got in Culver City at a co op market — 4 years ago

Stephen Lynch

9.0

Yes. Beautiful rich wine for a red blend. Full and bold, yet soft to the taste. World Market. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Charles strikes again.

I said weeks ago, I’d rather drink Charles Hendricks Pinot in futures @ $75 vs. the 09 Marcassin we had two weeks back @ $150+ winery or $225+ on the secondary market. This 14, while still young, proves that point and will only continue to get better.

It’s about as luxurious as Ca Pinot gets. Just supple, soft & elegant as body gets. Candied, floral fruits of ripe; blackberries, dark cherries, blue fruits, lean purple fruits, dry cranberries, strawberries, plums, delicate but darks spices, cinnamon stick, vanillin, nutmeg & touch clove, salted caramel, mocha powder, limestone & grey volcanics, dry crushed rocks hints of peppered grilled meats, fresh & dry tobacco, dry stems/twigs, sage dominated dry Provence herbs, splash of mint/eucalyptus, tree sap with bright candied, fresh & slightly withering florals of; dark, red, purple, blue set in a field of violets & some lavender. The acidity is perfect. The long finish is; extremely well balanced & polished, elegant, fresh, just the right amount of candied with a long, dark spice finish in the long set.

The 14 really started to excel after an hour plus in the decanter.

Photos of; the outside of the Hope & Grace tasting room in downtown Yountville where you will find Charles Hendricks wines. He makes Hope & Grace wines as well. One of my favorite paintings that used to sit behind their tasting bar but, is now in Charles house. It is very Pollock like! Winemaker/Co-owner Charles Hendricks and a vineyard in region of the Santa Lucia Highlands. — 6 years ago

Cake Girl

10

If i knew how to steal wine, I'd steal a case of this. The authorities would locate me from the trail of corks and drops of wine on the ground. — 8 years ago

Josh Trowbridge

9.4

Pleasant Valley Pinot Noir that taste like a Grand Cru Burgundy....#badasswine — 9 years ago

Turd Ferguson

9.3

Mission Trail killin' it. This stuff is crazy delicious. $24. — 9 years ago

Matthew Cohen

9.3

94 vin?

Revel

8 months sur lie

Nose:

Palate: a bit tart. Can taste the sur lie. A bit rich. Yellow fruits.

A bit unusual. — 2 years ago

Kevin Dale

9.1

Interesting wine. Almost a raspberry jam flavor without being sugary. — 4 years ago

Tree Kilpatrick

9.0

Label says Mendocino California, not North Coast. Classic rusty-ruby Zin color. Aroma is burnt grass meets cherry cobbler. Flavors are juicy, jammy and pretty classic for coastal Zin. Slightly toasty and smoky too. Finish has the tannins and lingering cherry fruit that sings so well in good Zin. This 8 year old bottle of North Coast Zin is holding up quite well. It’s a great deal for $6 at Grocery Outlet Bargain Market. — 5 years ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

8.9

The diversity of wines “Made in California” is astounding especially up the coastal area’s of and in the Sierra foothills close to Sacramento. Very nice Rose unfiltered. Lime and red currants - fresh and bright. — 7 years ago

P A

9.0

I’m from British Columbia the home of so many great beers not to mention our own. But San Diego California also has some of the greatest craft beers on the planet. Stone Brewing is among the best in a tough market. It’s hard to beat their IPA and visiting their brewery is on my bucket list. Bill @Bill Bender of San Diego this one’s for you. Stone Brewing well done and congratulations. — 7 years ago

James Forsyth

8.9

Terrific, very hoppy IPA. — 9 years ago

Kevin Goodenough

9.3

Actually pretty good — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.7

Mother Mary of God! Near Pomerol like. Charles Hendricks masterpiece. Menthol & a touch of mint.

Stunning vintage & wine.

This 07 is in perfect shape…at its peak. Still has 7 plus years of life.

Black raspberries, black raspberries, black plum, dark cherries, purple fruits, dark chocolate/pudding, dark spice, clove, nutmeg, softened, cinnamon stick, vanilla, dark, rich soils, moist, limestone mush, black tea, black licorice, bay leaf, salted caramel, dryish twig, menthol, mint, volcanic ash, sandalwood, dark withering to candied, red, blue florals, lavender framed in violets with perfect acidity and a amazingly, structured, well knitted/tensioned and elegantly polished finish that lasts minutes falling squarely on earthy minerality.

Second wine with an Allen Brother’s Ribcap recently bought on the secondary market for $55.

Photos of; James Cole on Silverado Trail, brass statue that is their bottle logo & their private tasting room. — 2 years ago

Rob Iracane

9.0

Surprisingly refined and restrained expression of Pinot noir. Paired with polenta and chicken not too overly seasoned to hide the subtlety of the wine. — 4 years ago

Adriana Fabbro

9.2

One of my favorite accessible, all purpose Cali Chardonnays on the market right now. Summer night jasmine and faint vanilla, honeysuckle and lemon curd aromas. The subtlest hint of Chablis-like salinity. Light to medium body. Some white peach nectarine creeping in on the finish. Creamy - but more like 2% milk than butter. What it lacks in flavor complexity and finesse it makes up for with zest, precision and balance. Paired with weeknight-whatever’s-left-in-the-fridge carbonara. — 6 years ago

Arden Barnett

9.3

Whole cluster, unfiltered, funky goodness! High acid with heavy notes of underripe strawberries and cherries. Drew Huffine’s latest project. 11.9% abv! — 7 years ago

Michael Meyer

9.3

Finally...a small batch artisanal bourbon producer in Kentucky that hasn’t sold out or taken the easy road to market (like sourcing from MGP). Wheated, bonded, and improved thru modern science. Better than Pappy for 1/10th the cost. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Fresh, ripe nose of; huckleberries, boysenberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, raspberries, black plum, plum, mocha/milk chocolate, caramel, baking spices, sweet rich clay soils, very light presence of herbs and fresh red flowers with violets. The body is full, rich and nicely resolved with round M+ tannins. The fruits are big and ripe; huckleberries, boysenberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, raspberries, black plum, plum with strawberries dancing in the background. Caramel, mocha/milk chocolate, chocolate pudding, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, hints of clove, sweet rich clay soils, darker spices, crumbled volcanic minerals, touch of dry herbs, suede/velvety leather, mouthwatering, fresh round acidity and a long, rich, elegant, smooth as silk, balanced finish that lasts over a minute. Photos of; the the tasting room/bar, the fresh vegetable honor stand in front of the winery, picnic area and the view onto the valley floor from their terrace. Producer notes and history...born near the Italian-Swiss border, Gaetano Regusci journeyed to the Napa Valley in 1891 working at a dairy along today's Silverado Trail. In 1932, Gaetano cashed in his entire life insurance policy and purchased a foreclosed property across the road, known today as Regusci Ranch. For the next 30 years, Gaetano lived off the land, farming; corn, hay, walnuts, plums and grapes. He ranched cattle, ran a dairy and opened a retail market. They survived prohibition and the great depression. Gaetano held onto the Ranch, passing along the historic Stags Leap District property to his son Angelo in the 1960s. Regusci long before making wine were excellent farmers...a nice resume for growing grapes. Through five generations, they were commited to agriculture. Gaetano Regusci purchased a 289-acre estate in the Stags Leap District; which included one of the preeminent wineries of its time, the Grigsby-Occidental Winery established in 1878. At that time, the wine industry was not what it is today. Aside, from growing and making homemade wine and selling grapes. When Gaetano's son Angelo took over the family Ranch in the 1960s, he began planting Bordeaux varieties on the estate. His decision would prove to be visionary within a few decades. As the wine industry flourished so did their vineyards. They planted a 160 acres of grapes that reside on the estate today. Angelo's (Angelo's Vineyard, is perhaps their best bottling) son Jim became a farmer as well, taking over Ranch duties in the 1990's. Having farmed for many of Napa Valley's most notable vineyards, Jim decided to establish Regusci in 1996. Their first crush amounted to 1,900 cases. Today, they produce 6,500 total cases spilt under several different wines designations. It's a fun place to visit and taste. Behind the tasting bar, they have a two foot piece of the cable that was used to make the Golden Gate Bridge. Ask them to see it. However, it's as heavy as a large dumbbell. When you make an appointment, see about reserving one of their picnic tables after the tasting. If you get a table purchase your lunch before you get to the winery as they do not sell prepared food. However, during the growing season, they have a honor system cart for the fruits and vegetables they still grow as shown in the photos. It's a must stop along the Silverado Trail...a beautiful setting with amazing vistas. — 9 years ago