Brian S

9.5

One of the best new California Chardonnays. — 4 months ago

Alessandro Dalle Carbonare

9.5

Deep Rich and Polished Nose. The substance is pure, fine and Elegant then comes a punch of Power towards the end.
Really nice buddy here.
94-96 — a year ago

Anders Berglund

8.9

Gott absolut min smak. — 3 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Night two at Bern’s. A backup bottle to replace the 1907 LLC that had a flaw. Went with this choice for its high shoulder fill and great color. Light tawny reddish color. Clear rims with a deep color center in the glass. Fruit forward nose with notes of black and red fruit, some earth and some wood. With air it opened like the others. Decent structure. Good balance. Nice, solid wine for its age but nothing dramatic or exciting. — 3 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!

Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Dry on the palate and fruit forward.

Full bodied with medium acidity.

Showing plums, cherries, light oak, licorice, spices, tobacco, herbs, earth, light vanilla and chocolates.

Medium finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious Single Vineyard Merlot from Washington State. Soft and elegant with nice complexity.

Another delicious wine by Charles Smith. Peaking now. Tangy and interesting.

Robert Parker 94 points.

Better right out of the bottle. Lost some oomph after decanting it for 90 minutes.

Good by itself or with food.

100% Merlot grapes were aged for 21 months in (50% new) French Oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$45. — 3 years ago

Kim Brater

9.0

It’s a great grape for rose. Grenache gets too little attention on its own as it’s typically in a blend. But here this Abacela Rose shines. Cherry. Strawberry. Tart and crisp. Lip smacking. Dry. It’s wonderful chilled on a hot day and equally delicious as it warms to room temperature. The QPR is amazing for the substance of this wine. Ranges $15-20 bottle. And keep some for Fall and Winter too. Rose isn’t just for sunny summers. Goes with a myriad of foods all year long (think turkey at Thanksgiving or ham at Christmas). It goes Especially well with all grilled things. Barbecue season here we come! — 5 years ago

Daniel M

9.4

Coravin pour of the day. A 16-year old wine which is still showing some primary fruit, with black currant and black berry notes, but also some very nice, intoxicating tertiary notes like tar, leather, mushrooms, autumn forest floor. There is even a meaty touch in the rear. Bordeaux meets Provence (mourvedre and syrah) in a glass. The palate is showing a massive acid backbone, carrying this wine for a very long time. There is width, there is matter, in a word, this wine is substance. Blackberry and blackcurrant notes in the front, a chewy, grippy texture, some lively tannins leaving a drying, fine, textural layer over a very long finish which shows multi dimensions : black fruits first, meaty, mushroomy touches then, and a nice bitter note to top it off in the rear. Aimé Guibert was not kidding in Mondovino, his wines show their full potential after more than 7 years of cellar. A wonderful, hedonistic, experience. — 4 months ago

Tree Kilpatrick

9.2

Still great. I was wondering if it would hold 10 years after release, and it’s a hint more rusty, but the flavor has even more of that complex ‘old-wine’ stuff in it. — 2 years ago

Jeremiah Diaz

8.9

Medium straw color; smells like yellow apple and maybe jasmine on the nose; medium acidity; tastes like star fruit, saline, and a hint of butter with a long finish. I'm really enjoying the minerality. — 3 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.2

The 2020 Red Wine (Contra Costa County) is notable because of its complexity. Nothing in particular stands out, all the elements are so harmoniously put together. Red/purplish fruit, lavender, spice and menthol are some of the notes that open with a bit of air, but more than anything, I admire the energy and delineation leading into a finish of real substance. The blend is 65% Carignane and 35% Mataro. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2023) — 3 years ago

David Nicewicz

9.7

Birth year vintages are a roll of the dice but luckily I landed on a pretty solid classic - 1978. So for my birthday this year, we opened an LLC and wow was this perfect. The sommelier was surgical in removing the cork which split in half but he managed to extract it. The nose on this wine was a 10 - loads of cassis, licorice, dusty library and leather. Palate was extracted cassis, leather and great acidity and liveliness, just like my 44 year old self. It’s just pure magic when bottles this old perform - happy Friday everyone. — 4 years ago

Jason Keefer

9.5

A champagne of substance! Toasty and green apple, knocks it out of the park paired with Peruvian! — 5 years ago

with Natasha

Joe Gillies

9.2

I don't tend to drink merlot often so this was a random purchase at $17. And I'm pissed I didn't buy more. This is drinking very well right now. So well balanced and not overly soft.and fruity. — 5 years ago

Kristoffer Roupé

8.9

Pretty light but quite round. Got a feeling of black currant. — 9 months ago

Ian Hamel

9.1

2024 winter. Lovely, open red Burgundy - elegant in the Drouhin style but with plenty of substance as well — 2 years ago

Jess

8.9

Pale ruby color.
Aromas of cherry, blood orange, earthy/herbal.
Dry. Flavors of cherry, earthy, herbal. Soft tannins.

Intensity: 4/5
Complexity: 2/5
Balance: 4/5
Finish: 4/5 — 3 years ago

John Tan

9.0

Gorgeous, flinty nose with hint of barnyard. Grippy tannins. Hint of coffee and soy sauce after 3 hours. Almost Valentini Cerasuolo-ish. Imperial Treasure Teochew Ion with Andrew Dutton.

Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2011 horizontal tasting in Beaune. There I was suggesting that Maume's Mazis-Chambertin 2011 was clearly not the pick from the domaine this vintage and lo and behold, it trumps all in a blind tasting. It has quite an earthy note on the nose with mint-tinged red fruit and black plum unfurling at its own leisurely pace in the glass. Later, this is joined by fennel and rosemary scents, creating an intriguing aromatics profile. The palate is medium-bodied, a touch foursquare on the entry, but with good substance, the texture grainy and quite peppery toward the finish. There is a lot going on in this grand cru and it will be fascinating to see how it develops and if it maintains this stellar quality. RP95, 2011, issued Nov 2014
— 3 years ago

Jason Keefer

9.1

Crisp, tart, rich fruits, a lot of substance! — 4 years ago

with Natasha

Delectable Wine

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9.4

The 2017 Barbaresco Ronchi is darker, richer and more potent than the straight bottling, but ultimately the two wines aren't as different as they have been or should be. I imagine at least some of that is attributable to the vintage. Black cherry, smoke, tobacco, licorice and leather all meld together nicely. The heat of the vintage is a bit more evident here, but is also nicely balanced. The 2017 finishes with notable substance and power. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, February 2022)
— 4 years ago

Neal Ferry

9.0

Thanks Goaley, great as always... Washington Merlots are very good — 5 years ago

with TwiLea