Joe DAscoli

9.2

Auction wine. Broken cork. Again. Wine was at base of the neck. I think cakebread got a batch of bad corks. No wine into the cork and they all broke right at the end. Not sure how it affected the wine but it’s been a consistent issue

Wine exhibited some decent fruit but no real depth or grip. Very smooth and medium body but missing some power and complexity expected from this site.

— 3 days ago

Brandon Boesch

9.1

Typical vanilla, high abv, tons of jammy fruit CA zin. It’s fine for what it is. Super smooth. — 2 years ago

Scott Layne

9.4

Blackberry, cherry, spices, jalapeño, even smoky chipotle aromas — 3 years ago

Alex Lallos

Owner No Limit Fine Wines, Private Wine Consultant

9.3

Wild cherry love! Sublime — 3 years ago

John Malcolm

9.4

An excellent wine from a not great year. Gorgeous on the nose. Plum, cassis, lavender, and milk chocolate. Just a bit weak on the finish. — 17 days ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.5

First of all Kudos to Ant Hill love the wax seal over cork! Deep Ruby with aromas of dark Berry fruits with notes of herbs, citrus, floral and earthy spice. On the palate flavors of blackberry and cherry, tea, vanilla and herb tones, well balanced with acidity. Firm fine tannins on a long finish ending with fruit and floral herb character. Very nice! Will age well! — 8 months ago

Eric

9.2

Over the hill but better than expected. Great earth fruit. — 3 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Light golden in color.

On the nose ripe lemons, yellow apples, oak, light butter, citrus, vanilla, Indian spices, light honeysuckle and light tangerines.

Full bodied, creamy and bold, with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with red apples, oak, vanilla, citrus, spices, sea salt, white pepper and light earth.

Nice length on the finish with lemons and almonds.

This is a very tasty Chardonnay from Russian River Valley. Showing nice complexity, especially on the nose. I really enjoyed the nose more than the palate.

This four year old is drinking very nicely now with lots of oak and vanilla notes. Still very fresh.

Good right out of the bottle, and much better after 30 minutes of airtime.

This Single Vineyard Chardonnay is a good quality wine, that will continue to age nicely in the next five years. I've had this vintage a year ago, and it is much better now.

Nicely balanced with a great mouth feel. Buttery and creamy, and better when not very cold.

Aged in French oak barrels. A small production of only 350 cases.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$90. — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

My first wine after a two-month hiatus. I ended up buying a case of this in increments at Costco for a price not even close to what I’ve seen anywhere else for their 2021. Since I think highly of this producer and the vintage, I didn’t bat an eye acquiring w/o tasting first. Also, I was aware that every major wine critic gave the 2021 VHR flagship Cabernet a score of 98 w/ Lisa @ TWI a 💯.

Only coravined a glass & let it stand for 30-40 minutes and consumed over the next half-hour detailing my notes.

Baker & Hamilton is the other or second wine of VHR depending on how you see it. If you didn’t know this was another or second wine, you would never know it. Both bottling's come front the same vineyard in Oakville.

When I first put the glass to my nose, I almost thought for a few seconds & wanted to say that’s Coombsville it’s that dark & brooding, but make no mistake it’s Oakville fruit.

The nose is full & brooding. Dark currants & cassis and inky as is the color. Candied violets leap out of the glass. Ripe rich; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum and dark cherries wrapped in dark chocolate. Sandalwood, sweet tarriness, fresh tobacco, crushed limestone, volcanics, dark spices with aromatic heat, clove oil w/ withering dark flowers, sweet lavender & endless lift of candied, lush violets.

The body is full, lush, ripe & brooding. It drinks rather well for such a young wine baring a bit of alcohol throat burn. 14.8% ABV. Cellaring time will tame it. The 21 is a two decade and more wine. It needs 7-8 years to integrate everything in this full & packed Cabernet. Lush, ripe; blackberries (almost pie), black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum & raspberries around the edges. Melted dark chocolate, anise into black licorice, dark spices w/ heat, clove oil, nutmeg, cinnamon stick hovers, vanillin, fresh & dry tobacco, dry top soil with limestone mixed in, crushed rock & stone, strong sandalwood to cedar, light rain on clay, dry herbs-bay leaf & a hint of ground sage, notes of iron pan, dark withering flowers, lavender & candied violets for days, round acidity-maybe a bit to high for today’s consumption, huge length & structure, not quite in balance but it will get there, well made/knitted with a full elegant finish that lasts minutes & lands on spice & earthiness. It’s a huge wine that will end up adding two points as it evolves & integrates.

A few things about the producer & this wine. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard aged 23 months in French oak, 85% of which was new. Most of the Vine Hill Ranch fruit from 71-acre Oakville vineyard is sold off. What they keep, 40% of that fruit goes into their VHR flagship wine and 60% makes the Baker & Hamilton. The label of Baker & Hamilton is an homage to the hardware and agricultural implements of the company co-founded by third-generation grape grower Bruce Phillips’ great, great grandfather R.M. Hamilton, who emigrated from Scotland to California in 1849 hoping to make his fortune in gold.

Photo’s of, VHR vineyard, Bruce Phillips-Managing Partner and Winemaker-Francoise Peschon. — 2 months ago

"Odedi"

9.3

This is a delicious Petit Verdot from Napa Valley.

Tasty right out of the bottle and better after 2 hours in the decanter.

Showing black fruits with cedar, vanilla, leather, chocolates, tobacco leaf, spices, tar, peppercorn, dark coffee, earth and licorice.

Full bodied with medium acidity.

Dry and fruity on the palate.

Loved the nose here.

14.7% alcohol by volume.

93 points. — 4 years ago