Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

First time having this producer.

It was extremely elegant, smooth and dare I say sexy. Perhaps, the most brilliant mid red fruit led Cabernet I’ve had. Well managed tannins & really good oak application. Wire to wire beautiful.

Could make a case for 94 with a few more years of aging.
— 5 months ago

Maggie Thomer

9.6

Very dry and crisp without puckering. Exceptionally clean finish. Minerally, mild salinity. “Like you licked a rock out of the ocean,” says the waitress at the Catbird seat. — 4 years ago

Tetsu Nakazawa

9.0

Ha unatacco sofice primo e dopo viene il gusto complicato piu. Molto minerale. Vare la pene di comprare di nuovo se la enoteca hanno delle botteglie ancora. Mia moglie e daccorda. — 7 years ago

Adam Lord

9.2

Great colour, length and body — 11 years ago

Steve Matthiasson

Owner/Winemaker Matthiasson Wines

9.6

2003 ribolla gialla. Soft, full, giving, lovely flavors of fennel pollen and honey, just delicious. Not just an intellectual wine, not by a long shot. As George Vare always said about Gravner: "he's also a really great winemaker..." — 11 years ago

Paul Mabray

Founder VinTank

10

Ribolla Gialla from Vare Vineyards. Amazing and unique white wine. — 13 years ago

Daniel Sullivan

9.5

Brilliant straw color.
White flowers and pear on nose.
Crisp acidity with light plus body.
Delicious:) — 10 months ago

romo

9.0

A disappointment from the recent library offer. Not oxed, but close. No acid, no energy. — 4 years ago

Adam Gäfvert

9.3

Intressant uttryck, inte speciellt burgundisk utan mer jordig och riktigt aromatisk. Runt 90% hela klasar, mycket lite fatinblandning. Bra struktur och potent utan att ha vare sig mycket frukt eller alkohol. Bär, kaffe, blöta löv, saltlakrits, eukalyptus. De hela klasarna har inte gett någon grön smak alls men väldigt mycket aromatiskt. Lite så att smaken inte är i samma höga nivå som doften. Gynnas massa av luft och tid. — 6 years ago

Christian Bronstein

9.1

Fruit from legendary Vare Vineyard and respectful stewardship by Grassi. Great aromatics, fleshier than I thought it would be, refreshing leading into some weight. Well balanced citrus, floral and light touch of lemon cream. Great accompaniment with burrata/olive oil/lemon flakes — 10 years ago

Rebecca Loewy

9.0

It took a long time to open up, but it definitely took us on a cool ride. Oxidized? Sure. Flawed? No. Lively, vibrant and ultra complex. — 12 years ago

with Steven

Jay Kline

9.3

Opened several hours prior to service and enjoyed over the course of the following few hours. The 2017 Montecillo pours a deep ruby/purple color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with very pretty notes of tart, slightly underripe dark and red fruits: currants, blackberries, Montmorency cherry, raspberry, fresh leaf tobacco, bell pepper, purple flowers, graphite, earth, gentle warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose with a good dose of minerals. The finish is long, tart and grippy. Okay so I’ve had enough of Ketan’s wines by now to expect a certain amount of greenness. Sometimes, particularly with Vare, it’s almost offensive. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case here. It’s certainly on the more elegant end of the spectrum but there’s a lot of character, particularly with the aromatics which are not only precise but rather beguiling. A classic that just needs more time to flesh out. For sure though, this is going to be a polarizing wine for many. Drink now with extended air but better after 2027 and probably has the legs to run well past 2047. — 2 years ago

Erik Longabardi

9.4

Had this beside the Vare Vineyard RG. Both stunningly delicious — 5 years ago

Steve Anderson

9.4

Single barrel, bottled only in Magnum. Delish. Pre-Falltacular dinner in the OC. — 9 years ago

Christy Canterbury MW

Master of Wine

9.1

Salty, savory & orange in the best way. Needs food. Geek love! — 11 years ago

Steve Matthiasson

Owner/Winemaker Matthiasson Wines

10

A special bottle given to Elsa Vare by Enzo pontoni (Miani vigneron), we visited the vineyard whose name is written in the label--one of the magic wine moments. Pure salinity. — 13 years ago