Wine Blog
Welcome to SippedReviews wine blog. The reviews you see here are partly appearing because we love to taste, tear apart and review wines — and partly because of the Level 3 WSET course I’m taking currently. I like a rating on a wine simply because it means someone else has taken the time to share theirs, and also, I’m not buying a wine blind. I might not agree with the rating after I taste it, but at least I have some data to go on to let me know what I’m purchasing.
ARCHIVE #1: The archive for the Wine Blog is here with reviews from November 2023 to February 23, 2024.
ARCHIVE #2: The archive for the Wine Blog is here with reviews from February 23, 2024 to July 23, 2024
Wine
Vintner: Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reviews
Description: Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Vintage: 2020/1
Varietal: Rhone Blends
Notes: See the five review below for our Chateauneuf-du-Pape reviews.
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: See Below
Date Tasted: 2/22/2025
Vintner: Domaine de la Janasse
Description: Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Vieilles Vignes
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: Oh . . . my . . . gosh!! This is the favorite of the five Chateauneufs we have reviewed (see four reviews below). Oh jeez. This is a polished masterpiece. It happens that this is the most expensive of the five, but the second best is the 29.99 bottling that you’ll find below.
If you like black cherry, blackberry, black pepper, garrigue, strawberry, brioche, licorice and plum — you got it all here.
The palate roils with flavor and it so intense and concentrated that you don’t want to swallow it. Just got by some. And get some of the 29.99 stuff below if you can find it. This is wonderful wine.
It runs $114.99 at Wine.com.
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 98 pts
Date Tasted: 2/22/2025
Vintner: Clos Saint Jean
Description: Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Vieilles Vignes
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: This one is an interesting blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Vaccarese, Muscardin. The nose is pure fruit with a hint of graham cracker crust, rosemary and sage. But strawberry, dark cherry, black raspberry, lime leaf and vanilla predominate.
The body is full. The concentration and intensity are impressive. The finish is sweet and long. Acidity and tannins are lovely and balanced. This is a wine to sip over an evening, being blown away by the flavor at every sip. We are not sure it even needs food. Just drink it slowly and let it breathe along the way. Enjoy the ride!
It runs $58.99 at Wine.com.
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 95 pts
Date Tasted: 2/20/2025
Vintner: Vieux Clocher
Description: Chateauneuf-du-Pape Symphonie des Galets
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: Oh, my goodness. Two Rhone hits in a row. This wine is intense, loaded with strawberry, black cherry, raspberry and blackberry. This wine has the most intense scent of garrigue that I’ve ever tasted. It’s like juniper, rosemary, sage and lavender — the herbs that grow around the southern France vineyards. These scents merge seamlessly into the wine’s fruit. The wine would smell too sweet without it! There is also some smoke, meat, licorice and granite in this nose as well. I mean, the scents in here are some that you just don’t get in California wines. It is so refreshing.
It has a super intense palate with massive concentration. It has some great, tooth-coating tannins that feel granular and taste like ripe berries. The wine is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault. It runs $36.99 at Wine.com. Gonna let this breathe for an hour and see how it changes.
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 94 pts
Date Tasted: 2/20/2025
Vintner: Domaine Galuval
Description: La Montagne Selection Parcellairre, Cru Des Cotes du Rhone, Cairanne
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: Syrah 60%, Grenache 40%
$29.99 on Wine.com — get it while it lasts, folks! This is a very complex wine with a lovely nose and even more beautiful mouth-feel. It has all classic Cotes du Rhone notes of raspberry, blackberry, cherry, granite, meat, dried fruit and herbs.
Folks, on the palate this is full bodied, long finishing, high acid, wonderful concentration and intensity. This is all about lovely balance between the fruit, tannins and acidity. This is a keeper!!!
And two hours of breathing, this thing shoots to a 97 on the palate. So delicious!
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 95 pts
Date Tasted: 2/19/2025
RhonVintner: Beringer
Description: Single Vineyard, Stagecoach Vineyard, Atlas Peak, Napa Valley
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: This is one of the darkest monster wines we’ve ever tried. We found it on the Treasury Friends and Family website. Stagecoach is one of Napa’s highest sought-after vineyards, so we grabbed a bottle. Delivery in two days. But with a pedigree like Stagecoach, why is this wine discounted?
The nose on this wine is black fruit, cocoa, leather, coffee bean, vanilla and darkest molasses. The concentration and intensity on the nose are outstanding. It is packed with nose.
The palate is high/long everything. There is a little touch of bitterness in the center of the tongue, but other than that this is a very intense experience as wines go. It’s just so black, so dark. It needs some raspberry or something bright to balance this out.
So, with that said, this wine is dark and intense, a little bitter. But man, what a chunk of wine that never lets you forget where it came from!
Update 2/19/2025 – We sealed over half this bottle and came back to it today. Slight changes such as tightening the flavors, the lack of bitterness make this wine so much more pleasant. The fruit has emerged and there is a great brioche sort of scent in it now.
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 94 pts
Date Tasted: 2/18/2025
Vintner: St Francis
Description: Artisan Collection, Sonoma Coast
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: The nose on this wine is faint. It hides in the glass a bit. We called its intensity med-. You get hints of berries, earth and dried herbs.
But get past that and just taste the wine. Then you get this wine. It has a body and finish that defies the nose. There is sweet fruit there: cherry, raspberry, strawberry, rhubarb, herbs, earth and stone fruit pits. The acid is high. The concentration is high. The tannins are medium.
This is an excellent sipping wine for after dinner. Food would overpower it. It wants to be on its own. And the price on this is great at around $22 bucks.
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 91 pts
Date Tasted: 2/17/2025
Vintner: Turley
Description: California Old Vine
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Zinfandel
Notes: On the nose you get plum, blackberry, raspberry, vanilla, dried herbs, raisin, coffee and cocoa.
The wine is so pleasing on the palate. It is rich, lush, full bodied, concentrated, long finshing and high alcohol.
This is the full deal when it comes to Zinfandel, and you’ll find it for around $30 bucks! Check Wine.com. It is a pleasure to sniff, sip and revel in. It has so much concentration and intensity and texture. It’s an education in a glass.
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 95 pts
Date Tasted: 2/12/2025
Vintner: Lombardi
Description: Sonoma
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: We set up a tasting with the winemaker for Lombardi wines today. My friend had seen his wines raved about on a Facebook Pinot page. The effort getting up to Windsor was not wasted. Let’s just say that. We did try a number of his Chardonnays, but that’s not what we’re here to talk about. This is Pinot time.
Tony’s wines are exceptional. And talking to him, you learn that he knows everyone in the Pinot community. And he has learned from the best.
His wines are in the $50-75 dollar range. And they are well worth it. Each of these three Pinots are rich, concentrated, powerful and intense with extreme fruit. The finish and body are amazing. They are what you want in pinot noir and more.
Specifically, the Russian River pinot is extremely intense and is now on our top 5 list of desert island wines. See scored below . . .
2021 Sonoma Coast – 94 Pts
2021 Petaluma Gap, Gap’s Crown, Sonoma County – 96 pts
2021 Russian River Valley, Sonoma County – 97 pts
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: various
Date Tasted: 2/8/2025
Vintner: Clarice Wines
Description: Santa Lucia Highlands
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: This is a review of two of Adam Lee’s new wines under the Clarice label. Adam used to be the winemaker/owner of Siduri. And recently we have been hearing about his new endeavor, Clarice Wines.
My friend Steve set up a tasting with Adam today. We had great hopes after being fans of Siduri all these years. And to make a long story short, Adam’s new wines are even more intense and interesting than Siduri. Adam has obviously learned a lot is his long winemaking history. The new Pinots are so thick in texture and intense in classical pinot fruits — and other flavors like molasses, beef broth and seaweed that make these wines so fascinating.
2022 Clarice Santa Lucia highlands Pinot Noir – 94 pts
2022 Clarice Santa Lucia Highlands Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot – 96 pts
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: various
Date Tasted: 2/8/2025
Vintner: Moret-Brealynn
Description: Lakeview Vineyard Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Spent some time talking to Moret’s fiance’ today at Custom Crush up in Windsor, Ca. This lady makes some amazing Pinot. At $60 bucks this is insane. The nose is concentrated, pronounced and intense. We got raspberry, blackberry, cooked strawberry, earth, mushroom, seaweed, molasses and blueberry.
You just don’t get wines this rich for this price. The texture on the palate is like Jello that sticks to your teeth with a berry sweetness. The finish doesn’t end! Two minutes later you’re tasting it in beautiful, gorgeous fruit.
Don’t even wait to seek this time out!
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 97 pts
Date Tasted: 2/8/2025
Vintner: Wrath Wines
Description: McIntyre Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Oh, goodness. This is insane wine. The nose is like ginger, carrot, cinnamon, cedar, clove, blackberry, Bababing cherries and wet tree bark.
The palate is so thick that it is like Jello. The concentration, intensity, body, finish are all just high. The balance between fruit, acid and tannins are perfect.
This wine is incredible. It is one of the 5 best we’ve tried this year . . . so far . . .
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 96 pts
Date Tasted: 2/2/2025
Vintner: Regis Bouvier
Description: Gevry-Chambertin Cote D’Or
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Just loads of bright fruit on the nose. Strawberry predominates. There is raspberry, red currant, red cherry, jam and fresh cremini mushroom.
The palate shows high acid, med+ tannins, full body, good concentration of fruit and a long finish.
Between the two Gevry-Chambertin here and just below, this one takes the cake. It is a really nice wine with good intensity of fruit on nose and palate. Keep in mind, for this one, drink it up in the first hour after opening. Oxygen thins it out a bit after time.
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 92 pts
Date Tasted: 1/30/2025
Vintner: Domaine Phillipe Livera
Description: Gevry-Chambertin Les Evocelles, Grand Vin de Bourgogne
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Plenty of dry flowers and herbs on the nose and palate. Imagine, dry cherry, red currant, medicinal qualities and red plum.
The palate has a medium body, medium finish, high acidity, medium tannins and med+ concentration.
The wine is worth a try. It is best when the bottle opens. It does not benefit from oxygen.
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 88 pts
Date Tasted: 1/30/2025
Vintner: Walt Wines
Description: Rosella’s Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County.
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: On the nose, concentrated sweet jam, raspberry, strawberry and red cherry. The intensity on the nose is amazing. There is a lovely brioche note in there as well.
The whole palate is intense. Concentrated flavors, high acid, full body, long finish, high alcohol, soft tannins and an incredible thickness. Something this delicious isn’t legal! 🙂
We though the Sierra Mar was amazing. This one beats it.
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 97 pts
Date Tasted: 1/29/2025
Vintner: Domaine Follin-Arbelet
Description: Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Les Vercots, Cote d’Or, Grand Vin de Bourgogne
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Red berries, red currants, wet river stones, medicinal, minerality, cocoa, white pepper.
Elegant complexity on the palate, high tannins, high acid, med+ complexity and intensity, med+ finish, med alcohol and full body.
A rather complex wine with lovely harmony between fruit, tannins and acidity. Not ever having tasted an Aloxe-Corton pinot before, this is a real experience to us. This is a good introduction to a great Burgundy sub-region.
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 93 pts
Date Tasted: 1/28/2025
Vintner: Walt Wines
Description: Sierra Mar, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: This is super intense wine. The scent and flavors are concentrated and balanced. The nose has raspberry, black cherry and brioche scents. It’s almost like cake. There is pepperiness, baking spice and elements of floral lilac.
The palate has full body, long finish, medium tannins, high concentration, high acid, high intensity.
You can take this one to the bank. And like the Testarossa Sierra Mar, this is a real catch. It is well worth seeking out.
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 95 pts
Date Tasted: 1/27/2025
Vintner: Walt Wines
Description: Various
Vintage: Various
Varietal: Pinot Noir/Zinfandel/Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: We stopped by Walt today to try some of the new 2023 Pinots. And we also tasted a number of other wines.
2023 Sta Rita Hills Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir – 95 pts
2023 I Spy Vineyard Howell Mountain Zinfandel – 94 pts
2021 1873 Cabernet Sauvignon – 95 pts
So, for the money, the Sta Rita Hills Pinot at $50 dollars is a must-have!! And there are more releases coming!
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: See above
Date Tasted: 1/27/2025
Vintner: Sojourn Cellars
Description: Various
Vintage: Various
Varietal: Pinot Noir/Chardonnay/Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: We stopped by Sojourn today to try some of the new 2023 Pinots. And we also tasted a number of other wines
2023 Sangiacomo Vineyard, Sonoma Coast Chardonnay-92 pts
2023 Sangiacomo Vineyard, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir-93 pts
2023 Gap’s Crown, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir – 93 pts
2023 – Walala Vineyard Pinot Noir – 92 pts
2021 UV Lucky Well Vineyard, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir-94 pts
2022 Home Ranch Cuvee, Sonoma Valley, Cabernet Sauv-95 pts
2022 Beckstoffer Vineyard George III Cabernet Sauv-97 pts
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: See above
Date Tasted: 1/27/2025
Vintner: Remoissenet Pere et Fils
Description: Beaune Premier Cru Les Teurons, Cote-D-Or France
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Right off the bat this is a lovely pinot noir. Reviewing Cote-D’Or vineyards, we found that Les Teurons is one of the most prestigious. Not gonna act like we are Burgundy experts, but we always want to learn. And one of the hinderances to getting better at Burgundy wines is the price. But recently, at our local Raley’s store we found some great prices. This one lands in $30 dollar range.
And it’s well worth it. We found the nose on this thing to be loaded with med+ concentration. There was cranberry, raspberry and strawberries. This was balanced out with great acidity, dried flowers, wet river stone, garrigue and fresh floral notes.
The palate is concentrated, full bodied, long finishing, high acid, med+ tannins, low alcohol and intensely flavored.
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 1/27/2025
Vintner: Roar
Description: Santa Lucia Highlands
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: A friend brought this over to the playoff party yesterday. Among other wines, this was one of the best. There was a Wrath 2020 Lemoravo Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands that beat this by two points. But this was a lovely wine. It has great complexity, balanced acid and fruit. The fruit was dark and intense.
We have yet to visit this place, but it is on the radar for this year.
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 1/26/2025
Vintner: Beaulieu Vineyards
Description: Clone 6, Napa Valley
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: Finally trying the 2017 Clone 6 Cab.
The nose has elements of raisin, blackberry, dried fruit, a hint of volatile acidity (VA), raspberry, licorice, leather, cassis, pie crust, bay leaf, pencil lead, oil.
The acidity is high on this one. The tannins are high and firm, the concentration and intensity are high. The finish is long. The alcohol is high and tastes high. This wine has full body.
We are working out way through the BV Clone 6 wines. So far 2016 has been the best. This one shows its age, but it is still very pretty. It needs time to breathe. After an hour the intensity increases. But the nose and the flavors never become cohesive and leave a harsh note.
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 1/25/2025
Vintner: Regis Bouvier
Description: Fixin, Red Burgundy Wine
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Red raspberry, cranberry, soil, medicinal, jello, blueberry.
The acid is high, the tannins low, the body is med+, the finish is med+, the intensity and concentration are med+, the alcohol is low.
This is a great wine we picked up at Raley’s grocery in Napa of all places. They had a great selection of Burgundy wines. All that this wine is missing in concentration on the palate, it makes up for with the lovely nose.
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 91
Date Tasted: 1/25/2025
Vintner: Holly’s Hill Vineyards
Description: El Dorado
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Mourvedre-Syrah
Notes: Deep, dark, meaty with lovely intensity. It is a mouth-filling wine with intense flavors.
The nose has blackberry, meat, toast, smoke, black cherry, dried herbs deep backing spice.
The color is really deep. The acidity is medium, the intensity and complexity are, well, insane. There are no missing notes here. The tannins are medium and the finish is long
Here is another wine that Cotes du Rhone and Chateauneuf-du-Pape fans will love.
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 1/23/2025
Vintner: Holly’s Hill Vineyards
Description: El Dorado
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Cinsaut
Notes: This is Rhone through and through. The alcohol is low as well, which makes this wine really special because all of the spice on the palate is coming from the wine itself and not the alcohol nose.
Great notes in this wine of raspberry, strawberry, bramble, dried herbs and flowers and game.
The tannins sizzle a little, but they are medium intensity. The body and finish are full and long. The intensity and complexity are just lovely. Great acidity as well.
This is such appealing wine at $32 bucks. You can’t go wrong with this. It tastes like so many Rhone wines we’ve tried over the last year. I really think it could fool Cotes du Rhone aficionado in a blind tasting. It almost smells like a Chateauneuf blend.
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 1/23/2025
Vintner: Testarossa
Description: Sierra Mar Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Black raspberry, black cherry, cranberry, strawberry, baking spice, vanilla, bay leaf, gaminess, mushroom.
The body on this thing is full, finish is long, acid is high, alcohol is high, tannins are medium, great concentration and intensity.
This wine isn’t missing any beats. It has no missing holes in the nose or palate. Every aspect is full and concentrated. It’s a lovely wine. As it breathes over an hour it just gets more intense.
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 96
Date Tasted: 1/20/2025
Vintner: Testarossa
Description: Rosella’s Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Blackberry, Raspberry, black cherry, forest floor, mushroom, baking spice, bell pepper, licorice.
The palate has firm tannins, high acid, full body, high alcohol, long finish, good concentration and intensity. The flavors are spicy with blackberry and cherry.
We visited this winery last weekend. The pinots were amazing. The best were from Santa Lucia Highlands. But all of them were very good, and we would recommend this place highly. The prices were in the 60-85 dollar range.
Our full wine review on all wines can be found here.
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 1/20/2025
Vintner: Etude
Description: Hallberg Vineyard, Sonoma Coast
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Notes of black cherry, black raspberry, smoke, toast, strawberry, wet forest, cinnamon, baking spice, cayenne.
The acidity is balanced and high, the tannins are medium, the body is full, the concentration is med+, the intensity is med+. The finish to this wine is long.
This is possibly the best of the three wines we tried from Etude’s 2020 releases. It has a hint of sweet to the balanced fruit and acid. Only an edge of intensity more and this would be a fabulous wine.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 1/13/2025
Vintner: Etude
Description: Temblor Vineyard, Grace Benoist Ranch, Carneros
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Notes of cranberrys, blackberry, mushroom earth, toast, baked sugar, wet sand.
The acidity is high, the body medium, the finish medium, the concentration medium, the intensity medium. Tannins are soft.
This wine got better ratings than this from others. We find it a bit washy, missing notes on the palate. It doesn’t ever resolve into a coherent whole. The palate concentration is lacking competely. As a wine, it has enough flavor to rate an 89.
Rating: 89
Date Tasted: 1/12/2025
Vintner: Etude
Description: Deer Camp Vineyard, Grace Benoist Ranch, Carneros
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Notes of dark cherry, black raspberry, burnt sugar, lake water, mushroom and rose.
The body is full, the finish long, the acidity high, the tannins med+, the concentration high. The alcohol is high, 14.4%.
If you can find this, it is really worth the try. For a Carneros pinot, this one has a much darker profile than the usual strawberry/red cherry Carneros offerings.
This wine is in a series we will be trying over the next few nights. Check back for the others.
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 1/11/2025
Vintner: Il Poggione
Description: Brunello di Montalcino
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Red Wine
Notes: Notes of black cherry, red and black berries, smoke, meat, bay leaf, tar, dried herbs and flowers.
The acidity is high, the tannins med+, intensity med+, concentration med+, full bodied with a long finish.
Unlike many of the Brunellos we have tried, this one does not need much time to breathe. We did give it a couple hours to see if it would change, but it remained solid, firm flavored and flinty. We hoped it would soften a bit with oxygen. But all in all, this is a study in Brunello art. On its own, it feels rough and begs for some smoked meat.
This was a Costco find at around $56.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 1/3/2025
Vintner: Beaulieu Vineyards
Description: Ranch 2
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: Notes of licorice and cocoa, Rutherford Dust earthiness, blackberry, baking spice, burnt brown sugar and baked goods nose.
The acidity is high, tannins high, body full, concentration high, intensity med+ and finish long.
This wine needs a good two hours to breathe (see the Ranch 1 below. These reviews go hand in hand). This was really closed up at first. Compared to 2020 Ranch 2, this is an elusive ghost. Ranch 2 2020 is ready out of the gate and is gorgeous. This wine is going to be interesting to watch over the years — and it might take years before it gets to the point where it is like the 2020. So, for my money I’ll be picking up 2020s for now. Keep this review in your back pocket for the years to come.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 1/2/2025
Vintner: Beaulieu Vineyards
Description: Ranch 1
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: So tightly wound up. We let this wine open up for hours. And after about three hours it finally started giving us a peek at what it really wants to be. It has some red licorice, blackberry, cocoa, bright raspberry, lilac and Rutherford earth. Andre’ would have been proud. But this wine isn’t like the 2020 Ranch 1. That wine is ready to drink the second you open the bottle. But this wine is a teaser. You have to give it time, be patient with it. And it will reward you.
The concentration grows at it breathes. The finish is long, the body full, the tannins high, the acidity high and intensity impressive.
This is a wine to lay down. The 2020 is so expressive, demands nothing but your taste buds to enjoy it. We think this wine is going to need years to get to that point.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 1/2/2025
Vintner: Fulcrum
Description: Brosseau Vineyard, Chalone, Monterey
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Another installment of the Fulcrum wines. I went in today and did a tasting just to check them out. Brosseau Vineyard and the Gap’s Crown were the stand outs. We will be adding a winery review of Fulcrum as well.
All the wines have a nice mineral nose, medicinal notes, black raspberry, black cherry,, red licorice, mushroom, pie crust.
The body is full, the acid high, the tannins light, the finish really long, the concentration med+ and the intensity high.
This wine runs in the $50 dollar range. Some are less than that. So, this is reasonably priced compared to other wineries in Sonoma Square.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 12/26/2024
Vintner: Lucienne
Description: Lone Oak Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: After trying this on Christmas Eve as a cousin’s house, we tried to find it online. We could not find a winery website. Well, come to find out, Hahn Winery had purchased this winery years back. And then Mondavi bought Hahn. So, we’re on the hunt to find more of this.
This wine has great structure, medium tannins, nice finish, great body and high acidity.
The nose has raspberry, cranberry tartness, cherry, strawberry, pine needle earth, white pepper and spice. Every bit a Santa Lucia Highlands wine.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 12/24/2024
Vintner: Fulcrum
Description: Alexander Valley
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Petite Verdot
Notes: The tannins in this wine are really ripe but not high, more like medium+. The acidity is high, the finish is med+, the body is full. The intensity and concentration are med+. We will start with that.
So, let’s talk about the nose. This wine has an intensely floral, perfumed complexity. It is bright, the opposite of a dense, dark cabernet. It would be an excellent blending partner for a left bank or right bank Bordeaux.
This is very kirsch cherry, bright red berry, raspberry jam, rose blossom, pomegranate, phreesia scent, fruit leather bomb. If you like a fruity, intense wine, this is for you. The only thing this wine lacks is more depth of flavor. The question is, would it be too intense at that level of depth?
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 12/22/2024
Vintner: Fulcrum
Description: On Point, Winemaker’s Selection
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: A caveat to this review: we had this over dinner at Carpe Diem in Napa last night, so, I don’t remember the details. But here goes — this is a dark cherry, strawberry flavored wine with great acid, lovely minerality. What really stood out was that this wine had an interesting medicinal note to it reminding us of children’s vitamins, but only on the nose. And this isn’t a negative. The body is full, the tannins medium. There is good concentration on the nose and palate.
My friend, Steve, went to the winery yesterday and picked this up. With his industry discount the wine was under $30 dollars, so it is one to go get. They are located in Sonoma Square. They have four pinots, a cabernet sauvignon AND . . . a 100% Petite Verdot!! We will be reviewing a few of these this week.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 12/21/2024
Vintner: Patz & Hall
Description: Pisoni Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands / Monterey County
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: The nose has intense raspberry jam, strawberry, black cherry, forest floor, incredible vanilla, coffee cake scent — and a slight hint of key lime pie. What??
The palate is incredible. The acidity is high, the minerality is phenomenal, the finish and body are full and long. The tannins are med+. The balance here is amazing. The wine coats the teeth with ripe berry tannins. It is lovely.
This wine is the real deal. Intensity, concentration, not missing a beat anywhere. This might be the best wine we’ve had all autumn.
It’s $85 bucks at the winery, but seriously, it is worth it.
Rating: 96/7
Date Tasted: 12/11/2024
Vintner: Wrath Wines
Description: San Saba Vineyard, Monterey
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Strawberry predominates with raspberry, red cherry, amaretto, powdered sugar notes, green chili and a gamey note.
The acidity is med+, the body full, the finish long, the tannins, medium and the concentration full. The wine is really intense, but has a few holes in the flavor profile that push this one down to a 93.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 12/11/2024
Vintner: Wrath Wines
Description: Pommard 4 / 777
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Green pepper-corn notes, cayenne spice, a hint of lemon peel, raspberry, red cherry and mushroom.
The palate has high acidity, med- tannins, long finish, concentrated flavors and full body. The intensity is incredible.
The sweet berries, cayenne spice, great acidity and lovely minerality make this wine really well balanced. But more than that, it’s really interesting with all these fascinating notes in it! The 2018 and 2020 versions of this wine were much darker in fruit. This is very bright.
This is why this wine is better than the two Wrath wines below. The two ratings below are missing the minerality. This is the pick of the three so far.
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 12/10/2024
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 12/9/2024
Vintner: Wrath Wines
Description: Monterey Swan/828
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Raspberry, intense red cherry, strawberry jam, cinnamon spice, forest floor, white pepper.
The palate shows very concentrated flavors, med acid, low tannins, long finish and a plush body. Oh, guys, this is intense (see below).
This wine has one flaw. it starts as a 95 pointer. However, it fades to a 92 fast after just breathing for ten minutes. But that’s the beginning of the bottle. Give it time. After an hour it settles down to a gentle 94. This wine is a joy to drink — bright, fruity, jammy candy and young.
Vintner: Wrath Wines
Description: Monterey 115/667
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: The wine has an intense nose of red cherry, strawberry, forest tree bark (really!), baking spice, raspberry and red licorice.
The acidity is high, the body full, the finish long, the flavors concentrated and intense. The color is pale and the tannins very light.
This is the like a Carneros pinot. Not what we’d expect from Monterey, but who cares! This is brilliant wine. For under $40 bucks you can’t do better.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 12/8/2024
Vintner: La Sirena Wines
Description: Napa Valley
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Red Blend
Notes: Sort of a goofy label and the description of the wine on the back is all in pirate-speak. But aside from that, this is a really nice blend of Cab Sauv, Petite Verdot, Grenache and Syrah. The nose and palate are soft and velvety. The nose is concentrated and intense with notes of black berry, black cherry, black plum, dried raisin, floral notes, chocolate cookie and perfume.
It just wants you to sit, watch TV, and sip it. It doesn’t need food at all. The palate is soft, thick, full and long finishing. It is earthy and vegetal at the back of the palate, balancing wonderfully with the dark fruit and dried flavors.
This is a great wine to find and try. It runs around $65.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 12/6/2024
Vintner: Domaine du Grand Tinel
Description: Chateauneif du Pape
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Red Rhone Wine
Notes: Blackberry, black cherry, plum, red licorice, weedy herbs, meat, olives and toasty oak.
The palate is intense and concentrated. That needs to be defined first. Then the acid if high, the body is full and firm, the finish is long and rich — upward of 30 seconds long.
This needs breathing. It doesn’t open up till an hour later. At first, it has missing elements — it’s full of holes on the palate. But as it breathes this damn wine gets thick, intense and concentrated. The nose goes ballistic as well — it becomes a plush monster. Just try it!
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 11/24/2024
Vintner: Tenuta Cucco
Description: Serralunga d’Alba DOCG
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Nebbiolo
Notes: The nose has notes of spicy phreesia, plum, cocoa, dried herbs and flowers. There is a hint of meatiness.
The tannins a pretty firm. They took an hour to settle down. The acid is medium, the concentration is med, the intensity is med+, finish is long. And the body is med+.
This is another WineAccess.com buy. Their stock changes a lot, so we check the site about once a week. This wine was well rated and we thought we’d try it. And it was really nice.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 11/22/2024
Vintner: Figli Luigi Oddero
Description: DOCG
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: Nebbiolo
Notes: Aged notes of raisin, prune, plum, red cherry, light oak, cocoa, game, black pepper and vanilla.
The tannins are high, but fine. The acid is high, the finish is long, the body is med+ and the concentration is med+.
Got this on WineAccess.com. It received good reviews and we thought we’d try it. For a 2017, it is holding its own really well. The intensity is light. The color of the wine is like a pinot noir. It comes across as delicate, but has a lot of flavor and texture. The texture reminded us of Rutherford Dust actually. Definitely a good wine to check out.
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 11/22/2024
Vintner: Mommessin
Description: Limited Reserve Kenefick Ranch, Napa Valley
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Cabernet Franc
Notes: Blackberry, pencil shavings, licorice, leather, perfume, dusty rose, black currant, black cherry, pine and potpourri. The nose is really intense — you can smell the wine 6 inches from the glass.
The palate has fine, high tannins, long finish, high acid, amazing concentration, intense flavor and full body. There are no holes in this wine.
This was a gift from a friend and what a gift! The tannins in this beast are lovely, thick and ripe. But it still has a huge ability to age. We wish we had a couple cases of it.
This is one of a trifecta of wineries owned by the same folks including Aonair and Blue Oak. Try them all!
Rating: 95
Date Tasted: 11/11/2024
Vintner: Mommessin
Description: Julienas – Grand Vin Fin Du Beaujolais
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Gamay
Notes: Purchased this from a sale table at JCB. There were a dozen bottles and I kind of poo-poo’ed the beaujolais. And I should not have. This is a richer beaujolais than most with a nice nose and rich mouth feel.
The more it opened, the more the richness increased. It has nice fruit, mild tannins, good acidity and a fairly long finish. Whether this is available elsewhere we don’t know. But if you can find it, it is a nice beaujolais to try out.
Rating: 90
Date Tasted: 11/6/2024
Vintner: Beringer
Description: Single Vineyard Bancroft Ranch Vineyard, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: Cabernet Franc
Notes: A hugely intense nose with notes of blackberry, cassis, licorice, cocoa, leather and dusty black cherry.
The finish is lengthy, body full, tannins full, acid high and amazing mouthfeel like thick cocoa.
If one can find this, it is a lovely treat. The texture of this wine is fabulously granular. The intensity on the nose and palate are incredible.
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 11/4/2024
Vintner: Markham Vineyards
Description: Anniversary Cuvee’ Stags Leap District, Napa Valley
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Merlot
Notes: The wine has an ample nose with lovely concentration. There is plenty of berry, cassis, leather and a bit of anise.
The concentration on the palate is almost full, but lacks a touch of richness. The body is full, the length is med+, acidity med+.
All in all, for the price, this is a wine to seek out. With air the wine gained some concentration. A touch more cohesiveness would have pushed the rating higher.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 10/24/2024
Vintner: Siduri
Description: Various
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Here are the notes on the recent Siduri release.
Zena’s Crown Vineyard, Willamette Valley – 87 pts
Van Der Camp Vineyard, Sonoma Mountain – 90 pts
Skycrest Vineyard, Anderson Valley – 92 pts
Gary’s Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands – 95 pts
Sealift Vineyard, Sonoma Coast – 96 pts
Sierra Mar Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands – 96 pts
A couple lackluster offerings up there on top, but the rest are amazing. The bottom three are just thrilling wine with huge concentration, finish and body. We called and bought more!
Rating: 87-96
Date Tasted: 10/9/2024
Vintner: Beaulieu Vineyard
Description: Tapestry Reserve Red Wine, Napa Valley
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Red Blend
Notes: Oof, this is magnificent wine. The last few releases have rated 91-93. But this one got a 96. We can see why.
The nose has aromas of cocoa (from BV Ranch 1 on the Rutherford Bench), anise, leather, black berry, raspberry, black cherry, black pepper.
The alcohol is medium, the acid high, the tannins med+, the finish massive, concentration high, body full. The intensity of this wine is high.
People, when you find this in the stores buy it! We are so excited about this release. It reminds us of the BV single clone 6 from the BV 1 and 2 ranches, which sit on the Rutherford Bench. Really impressive and worth every penny. It is listed as $70 bucks at the winery but will surely be more reasonably priced online and possibly at Costco when it makes it there.
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 10/2/2024
Vintner: Andre Brunel
Description: Cotes du Rhone Villages, Cuvee Sabine
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Rhone Blend
Notes: The nose is rich with raspberry, red currant, strawberry, red cherry, cocoa, bitter herbs and a reductive note, cayenne, allspice.
The body is full, acid medium, finish long, alcohol medium, concentration full, tannins medium and alcohol medium.
What can you say. This Cotes du Rhone is wanting to be more. The wine grows on you as it breathes, but it has huge holes in the flavor. Between the ripe fruit on one end and the cocoa and baking spice on the other, the wine has a butter herb component that did not vanish with the airing of the wine. It seems a bit wild. All the flavors are a bit extreme and disunited. It’s very worth trying. Wine.com has this for just under $22. 92 points for having some really lovely moments. With unity of flavors this could have been a 95 pointer.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 10/1/2024
Vintner: Avancia
Description: Nobleza, Old Vines
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Mencia
Notes: The nose has mint, rhubarb, thyme, pungent red berry, cranberry, iron, raspberry, stone, red currant, black pepper and anise.
Wow, the mouthfeel is amazing. Full bodied, med+ acid, long finish, med alcohol, pronounced flavors, and medium tannins.
Great textures. Mencia has an iron-like flavor and texture. It has a fruit like wild berry and cream. It is reminiscent of a berry cobbler. The nose is remarkable with so many unique scents. This wine is a keeper. $36 on Wine.com. Seriously, check it out!
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 9/30/2024
Vintner: Etude
Description: Coombsville, Napa Valley
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: Right out of the gate, this wine needs no breathing. It is immediately powerful and concentrated with aromas of black currant, black cherry, cocoa, black pepper, black plum, leather, warm oak.
The wine is as full bodied as you can get. The finish is long. The acidity is high, the tannins high but ripe. The alcohol is on the high end. And the flavors are very concentrated.
The texture of this wine is what stands out. Once you get a mouthful, you’ll be loving it. It’s got a feel like cocoa on the palate, thick and rich.
Usually, at a pinot shop, we give the Cabernet a miss, but this one is surprisingly delightful.
Rating: 95
Date Tasted: 9/28/2024
Vintner: Stags’ Leap
Description: The Leap Stags Leap District
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: The intensity on the nose if med+ with aromas of blueberry, black currant, incense, leather, coffee, dark chocolate.
The body if full, the finish long, the acid high, med+ ripe tannins, good concentration.
This is a big wine with great tannins. And as it breathes the incense and blueberry emerge. It has a very dark figure and is lacking some brighter fruit to make this the full package.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 9/24/2024
Vintner: Heitz Cellar
Description: Napa Valley
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: Concentrated nose of Blackberry, black currant, cassis, fennel, cocoa, leather, brioche.
The wine has full body, high acid, ripe, full tannins, long finish, concentrated flavors.
This is the Heitz base model and can be found on Wine.com for $85 bucks. It has lovely, ripe tannins. The acid balances out the fruit perfectly. We loved the luxurious texture of the cocoa/licorice on the palate. If you can find this cheaper, it’s worth it.
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 9/23/2024
Vintner: Sojourn Cellars
Description: Rodgers Creek Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Lovely red fruit on the nose and palate. Heavy minerality and tart acid balance out the fruit. A very pleasant pinot that finishes long. It is full bodied with light tannins.
We picked this up on Wine.com for $55, which is a bit less than the price at the winery.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 9/19/2024
Vintner: Penfolds
Description: Bin 407 South Australia
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: The nose is concentrated with notes of cassis, black currant, rich blackberry, cocoa and mint.
It’s really a pleaser with full body, long finish, ripe tannins and concentrated flavors. It’s best drunk up rather than left standing. It did fall apart a little after an hour.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 9/19/2024
Vintner: Etude
Description: Fiddlestix Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Black plum, raspberry, black cherry, earth, herbal, minerality.
The palate holds rich flavors, pronounced concentration of fruit, med+ acid, full body, long finish, med tannins and med alcohol.
As this wine breathes it gets richer. We sipped it over two hours, and it kept rewarding us with richness. The nose was a 93 but the palate was a 95. So, we took the average. If you can find this, get some.
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 9/13/2024
Vintner: Patz & Hall
Description: Sonoma Coast
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Mint, medicinal, minerality, raspberry, black cherry, strawberry, baked peach, forest floor, cabbage leaf, cola.
high acid, high alcohol, med tannins, full body, long finish, med+ concentration.
It is a little simpler than the vineyard specific wines that Patz & Hall put out, but as it breathes it starts to solidify. You cannot beat the price point on this one blended with the 91 pt score.
Rating: 91
Date Tasted: 9/12/2024
Vintner: Holly’s Hill Vineyards
Description: El Dorado
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Counoise
Notes: On the nose we got sour cherry, strawberry, raspberry, rhubarb, black pepper, lilac and dill.
Lovely dry pale wine with Med+ acidity, med tannins, full body, long finish, pronounced intensity and high alcohol.
This is so Rhone. It even has the garrigue type notes in there. This is a commanding Counoise with deep, rich, intense nose and flavors. It has great balance between acidity, sweet fruits and sour fruits. And guess what? It is around $30 bucks a bottle.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 9/8/2024
Vintner: Holly’s Hill Vineyards
Description: El Dorado
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Southern Rhone Blend
Notes: 69% Mourvedre, 14% Grenache, 10% Counoise, 7% Syrah
The nose has pronounced intensity with notes of blackberry, black plum, meat, game, earth, leather, dark chocolate, brioche.
The body is full, the finish long, the acidity is high, the flavor pronounced, medium tannins and medium alcohol.
The wine is very dark, dusky and had it not been for a burnt bitter bite on the back of the tongue this would be really brilliant. We would have liked to have a little more bright fruit.
Rating: 91
Date Tasted: 9/8/2024
Vintner: Sequoia Grove
Description: Napa Valley
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: Oh, the grove. I picked this up at Nugget Market in Vacaville. It is available on Wine.com for $49.99. I recently had a bottle of their Cab from Atlas Peak that was phenomenal. But enough of other wines.
This one has blackberry, black cherry, cassis, black currant, licorice, leather, wet soil, meat aromas.
The whole wine is full body, acid, tannins, long finish, great intensity.
It’s just a plush little bomb. But there is a little bit of bitterness on the back of my palate and the tightness of flavors lack a little cohesiveness. But other than that, this is really nice wine with concentrated flavors of dark cherry/berry and licorice. The tannins are ripe and well-integrated.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 8/26/2024
Vintner: Pride Mountain Vineyards
Description: Napa Valley
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Merlot
Notes: Back Room Wines in Napa provided this bottle, meaning, that’s where I bought it. It was in the 70 dollar range. And it’s worth it.
Open the bottle and pour a little. Without even swirling the wine, you put you nose in and you get cream, raspberry and baked cheese cake. I love this. Now swirl it. You get raspberry, blueberry, cream cheese, red cherry, kirsch, chocolate, leather, coffee, lilac, bramble, cassis, red currant.
Yah, it’s a bomb. High acid, full body, long finish, pronounced intensity, high alcohol. Everything is balanced. The Kirsch follows you to the palate, balancing out the acid and the bramble that had a little bitterness.
I’d buy more of this but try to find a deal somewhere. h,
Rating: 94
Date Tasted: 8/20/2024
Vintner: Clos du Val
Description: Napa Valley
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: This wine has a pronounced intensity with aromas of licorice, blackberry, raspberry, cassis, black and red currant, coffee, chocolate, leather, bramble. It is definitely developing and young.
The palate of this wine has full intensity, high acid, high alcohol, full body, high tannins, pronounced intensity and med+ finish.
I picked this up at the Oakville Grocery in Napa Valley today. It was $60. I has a few missing pieces which make it feel like it lacks some connectivity. But it has everything else it needs to get a 93 points score. If you are a club member or industry, this could be a bargain for you.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 8/19/2024
Vintner: Napa Valley Wine Academy – Atlas Peak Master Class
Description: Various Atlas Peak wineries, see below
Vintage: Various
Varietal: Various
Notes: These master classes put on by NVWA are excellent. I haven’t attended a bad one yet. But this one put the others to shame. These wines (see image below) were so concentrated, balanced, rich, etc . . . I was blown away. There were a couple wine that, when tasted, made me stop breathing. They were so intense that I was overwhelmed. Below are my ratings.
Rating: See above
Date Tasted: 8/15/2024
Vintner: Alexandria Nicole Cellars
Description: Various Washington State Vineyards, see below
Vintage: Various
Varietal: Various
Notes: It’s a love story, according to the plaque on the wall, about the guy who made the wine and his muse. All I know is I’ve never been so impressed with the concentration of flavors in a set of white wines before. Very impressive.
They have a few tasting rooms and they’re all pretty. The staff took the cake though. They were a hoot.
2023 Albarino – 93 pts
2023 Sauvignon Blanc – 92 pts
2022 Crawford Viognier – 94 pts
2023 Shepherds Mark – 93 pts
2021 Gravity Merlot – 94 pts
2021 Jet Black Syrah – 94 pts
2021 Block 17 Syrah – 95 pts (3% Viognier)
2021 Cinsault – 93 pts
Rating: See above
Date Tasted: 8/12/2024
Vintner: Delille Cellars
Description: Various Washington State Vineyards, see below
Vintage: 2021-23
Varietal: Bordeaux Varietals
Notes: These guys do Bordeaux varietals and they do them well. They have Malbec blends, Cab Franc blends, Merlot blends, left bank, right bank.
Here is what we thought:
2022 Le Dessein Columbia Valley GSM – 94 pts
2021 D2 Columbia Valley – 94 pts
2021 Chaleur Estate Red Mountain – 95 pts
2021 Grand Ciel Red Mountain Cabernet Sauv – 95 pts
2022 Chaleur Blanc Columbia Valley – 92 pts
2023 Chaleur Blanc Columbia Valley – 93 pts
2021 Le Colosse Merlot – 93 pts
2021 Shaw Red Mountain Cabernet Sauv – 94 pts
Rating: See above
Date Tasted: 8/12/2024
Vintner: Covale Cellars
Description: Quintessence Vineyard, Red Mountain, Washington
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Bordeaux Varietals
Notes: Marv Crum is the wine maker here. Just a tip: he started working for Quilceda Creek in 1987, a few years after I did. So, know each other. But we lost track of each other. And I just learned recently, he was making wine on his own. The guy went to school at Quilceda Creek under Alex Golitzen. And guess what? He learned a lot.
These are giant, ripe, rich, complex, long finishing wines that you can sit and sip or eat with steak. And at this point, the prices are low compared to where he used to work.
2021 Quintessense Vineyard, Red Mountain Cabernet Franc – 96 pts
2021 Quintessense Vineyard, Red Mountain Merlot – 95 pts
2020 Quintessense Vineyard, Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon – 96 pts
2021 Quintessense Vineyard, Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon – 96 pts
The two cabs are quite different. But the ratings are the same. The 2021 is a lot brighter, but I think I liked the 2020 for its duskiness and giant finish. Get some, try it. Get in on the bottom floor.
Rating: 95-96
Date Tasted: 8/11/2024
Vintner: Walt
Description: The Corners Anderson Valley
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Bright, bright, concentrated raspberry, strawberry, red cherry, minerality, cinnamon and toast.
Medium tannins, high acid, full body, long finish and really concentrated flavors of bright berries. The acid is perfectly matched with the brightness leaving a snap.
This is a Walt new release. I was unsure of this wine when I tasted it at the winery. Here at home, I always get better results in our neutral scent environment. It’s a really super wine with lots of flavor, nose and morish finish.
Rating: 95
Date Tasted: 8/6/2024
Vintner: Todd Taylor
Description: Reserve The Heights, Hagen Heights, Coombsville
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: Imagine every dark berry, fruit, item you can toss into the scent of a wine. Todd has it here. Frankly, the Clone 337 reserve is slightly better, but hell. This is insane stuff.
Ok here we go — blackberry, black currant, black plum, baba bing cherry, licorice, coffee, cocoa, leather, meat and darkness. Oh, hell.
The mouthfeel, finish, body, tannins are all huge. The acid is med+.
This is the best of the clone 8 and 337 reserve barrels. Todd is knocking it out of the park. And this is still available. Around $90 retail. That is his MOST expensive Napa cab. Enough said.
Rating: 95
Date Tasted: 8/5/2024
Vintner: Walt
Description: Bob’s Ranch Sonoma Coast Sonoma County
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Notes: Walt just released their new 2022 Bob’s Ranch Pinot Noir, 2022 Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir and 2022 Corners Pinot Noir. See the other ratings here: Pantomimehorse. 2021 was a good year for these releases.
The nose on this thing is big, rich and fruity with nice berry notes. The tannins on the palate are almost non-existent. The acid is medium and the concentration thick. The finish is nearly long, but not quite.
But there is an issue here. The individual scents and flavors aren’t easily individually identifiable. They all seem to have collapsed together. The fruit is thick, but the acidity does not come close to balancing out that fruit. It feels flabby as though the wine was overworked. Instead of being refreshing Sonoma wine you get a wine that reminds us of a muggy day without freshness.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 8/5/2024
Vintner: Beaulieu Vineyards
Description: Reserve Napa Valley
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Cabernet Franc
Notes: black fruit, black berry, black plum, black cherry, licorice, black currant, leather, tobacco, vanilla.
The palate is huge. It is all full: acid, tannins, body, acid and finish. Concentrated flavors get better as it opens up, but it is drinkable right out of the gate. The tannins are ripe, teeth coating and lightly sweet. My favorite. These guys are really rocking it. And this is just one of the less expensive BVs. They just get better as you move up the list. But this is exceptional for the price. Very glad Treasury is treasuring this gem.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 7/29/2024
Vintner: Turnbull Winery
Description: Oakville, Napa Valley
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Merlot
Notes: Red and black berry fruit, cassis, red currant, red licorice, oak spice, cedar, coffee, dry, toasted oak, red plum and a touch of blueberry.
It has full body, full acid, med+ concentration, but long finishing. The tannins are med+ in that they do not coat your teeth to the extent that I would like. I love heavy, ripe tannins.
We bought this untasted thinking, well, Turnbull has not steered us wrong yet. And we were right to do so. The nose, the flavor concentration and the overall appeal is all here. 92 pts! But this wine was just opened. We will give it time to breath and the impression might change.
Rating: 92
Date Tasted: 7/29/2024
Vintner: Turnbull Winery
Description: Bonne Vivant, Oakville, Napa Valley
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Red Blend
Notes: This was an acquisition from a recent trip to Turnbull. Very interesting blend: Syrah, Lagrein (really!) and Cab Sauv. The wine is really approachable, spicy, red fruited with a touch of leather, cocoa and coffee.
It did not have a huge finish, but the body and acidity were really nice working together. A touch of alcohol was coming off this one.
We blind tasted this against a BV reserve Cab Franc, Todd Taylor reserve clone 337 Cab and a BV reserve Teroldego (of all things). This wine did very well against all that dark fruit.
Rating: 91
Date Tasted: 7/28/2024
Vintner: La Bastide Saint Dominque
Description: Secrets de Pignan
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Notes: Unlike the sister wine below this wine is 100% Grenache. It is a little different. This one has less density and meatiness. Instead, you get grape, raspberry, cocoa, anise and baking spice. Leather, thyme and cool lime come later.
The Body, finish, acid and concentration are high. It’s a huge wine. It has a massive finesse. The tannins are huge and ripe.
This wine loves being by itself. It seemed to fight with food, at least the food we were having tonight.
Honestly, I prefer this wine for density of flavors and nose, but the one below for the price-point at $54.99. This one is $65.99 on Wine.com. The addition of the Mourvedre in the wine below really gives it better depth. That’s where our money will go. Just our opinion.
Rating: 95
Date Tasted: 7/26/2024
Vintner: La Bastide Saint Dominque
Description: Les Hesperides
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Notes: Guy, guys, oh man. Another 96 pointer. $54 bucks on Wine.com. This is just stellar wine. Let’s not talk about the nose much. It’s classic CndP. All the scents are each set apart and balanced. Enough said.
The body and finish and the concentration are massive. The acid high, alcohol high and the tannins are high. I love a wine with huge tannins that are ripe and coat your teeth with berries.
I’d say just go out on Wine.com and check this out. We don’t get anything from wine.com or any other company. No one give us anything. We review what we want to review. It’s fun to do. This wine is 50% Grenache, 50% Mourvedre.
Rating: 96
Date Tasted: 7/25/2024
Vintner: Domaine de la Charbonniere
Description: Cuve’e Mourre des Perdrix
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Notes: Red cherry, raspberry/strawberry cream cheese pastry, cocoa, cranberry, licorice, thyme, lilac, earth and meat.
The tannins are tight but ripe, body full, concentration full, acid high, finish thick and full.
Dang . . . this wine’s nose it like smelling the best berry/cherry cheese pastry you’ve smelled in years. All mixed up with the earthiness and cocoa.
It is a monster of a wine but the bright fruit balances out the darkness of the thick palate. The acid balances the heavy body nicely. Yah, it’s in balance. We gave the 2020 a 95. This one has such good balance that you could age it for 10 years or more.
Rating: 96
Date Tasted: 7/23/2024
Vintner: Domaine de la Charbonniere
Description: Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Notes: Blackberry, cherry, plum, game, earth, leather, licorice.
High alcohol, high acid, full body, long finish, concentrated flavor. Med- tannins.
The wine needed to breathe a little. It was bitter out of the gate and mellowed out later. It has good acid, full body, but little tannin. We do not think this will age well without that structure. But at this point, it is at a good peak. Wine.com has this for $49.99, and at 94 pts is worth the money. There are a lot of chateauneufs that are 70 bucks and up. This one is a bargain.
Rating: 93
Date Tasted: 7/22/2024
Vintner: Todd Taylor
Description: Reserve Clone 337 Hagen Heights Coombsville
Vintage: various
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Notes: As I have said before, Todd Taylor probably saved my life once back in 2006 as I was riding my Honda Shadow 750 down into the Sacramento River Delta. A cold front came through and I was cold. I went into the Old Sugar Mill. Todd and Gloria were there and they had heat lamps. I tried their wine, warmed up and joined their club. I’ve been a member ever since.
Now the vertical (seen on the right). It was about time we tasted these in order. Todd doesn’t mess around with the cabs. He really knows how to get the best out of his fruit. All of these were great wines, but our favorites were all unanimous. There were no arguments. We all agreed.
2015 – 3rd place with 93 pts – a little age showing, but great flavors and long finishing.
2018 – 2nd place with 94 pts – great concentration, shows a little age, great fruit.
2019 – 5th place with 90 pts – We felt this one was thinner than the rest.
2020 – 4th place with 91 pts – Still very nice.
2021 – 1st place with 95 pts. This wine had balance, finesse, great concentration, deep flavors and huge finish.
Rating: Ratings above
Date Tasted: 7/20/2024
Vintner: Big Table Farm
Description: Laughing Pig, Willamette Valley
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Rose’ of Pinot Noir
Notes: Quite simply — this is the best Rose’ we have ever tasted. The concentration of the fruit on the palate is only to be believed when tried. Get a bottle. And it’s not overly fruity either. It is dry, acidic, crisp and intensely flavored.
Rating: 97
Date Tasted: 7/6/2024
