Reviews

Martinelli Zinfandel Jackass Vineyard

A powerful and spicy Zinfandel, with a decent push of power and tannic fortitude washing over the wild blackberry and black pepper notes. Thankfully, this steers away from being jammy or overly…

Martinelli Pinot Noir Lolita Ranch

Much more fruit-driven than the 2013 Bondi Pinot, with ripe red raspberry and cherry notes. A good delivery of flavor; a bit simple across the board, especially when compared to the more earthy and…

Martinelli Pinot Noir Bondi Home Ranch Water Trough Vineyard

Earthy black and red cherry, citrus rind, mushroom, tree bark, smoke, black Darjeeling tea, and some sea salt. A complex and deliberate delivery, with medium weight mid-palate and agreeable intensity…

Martinelli Chardonnay Sea Ridge Meadow Three Sisters Vineyard

Vibrant and focused, the Three Sisters delivered its yellow citrus and white stone fruit flavors with notable purpose. More exacting and Burgundian than the rounder 2014 Lolita served before it; the…

Martinelli Chardonnay Lolita Ranch

Plush, round, ripe, and fruity, the 2014 Lolita delivers all the goods up front with a straightforward hit of ripe yellow citrus, lemon curd, lemon butter, glycol, and vanilla notes. A little simple…

Martinelli Pinot Noir Rosé

Dark pink/red in the glass, almost veering toward a light grenadine color. Notes of ripe strawberry, ripe red peach pulp, and some melon. A richer and sweeter version; a bit heavy and saccharin-laced…

Cayuse Syrah Bionic Frog

I'm just curious to know if the beef jerky in this wine is biodynamically farmed locally from Slim Jim, or if it is sourced from a Kangaroo salt farm somewhere near Ayers Rock...and at what stage of…

Saxum Booker Vineyard

So this dude acted like an adolescent 2013-year-old instead of a decade-old adult at first. Insert all the comic book quotes of "Pow," "Bam," and "Kablamiboom," all stampeding massive black fruit…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir The Fire Messenger

Initially served blind. Somewhat subdued fruit flavors of dark raspberry and woody black cherry. A strong herbal/evergreen note encompassed the core fruit, with some cardamom and cumin spice as well.…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Cautionary Tale

Previous notes apply. This showed more upfront hedonism and sappier black and red cherry and raspberry notes than the Shadow Voices or Three Wishes. Darker and a bit richer, the Cautionary Tale's…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Three Wishes

The 2016 Wren Hop Three Wishes is a 3 barrel "reserve" of the Shadow Voices. As advertised, this delivers exactly how one might expect a BBS version of an already amazing wine (Shadow Voices) to…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Shadow Voices Estate

A truly complex and layered Pinot Noir, expertly displaying what seems to be a signature level of focus and sophistication from this house. Exacting and methodical, but also exciting and flavorful,…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Flight Risk

The 2015 Flight Risk showed a fascinating interplay between strong rhubarb and black tea notes, as well as an alluring vegetal (almost garrigue) tinge that provided lift and cut for the bright red…

Wren Hop Chardonnay Ritchie by Proxy

The 2016 Wren Hop Ritchie by Proxy opens up with a straight-lined, attentive attack of sprightly yellow citrus, lemon crud, lemon zest, lemon grass, ripe green apple pulp and skin, and some subtle…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Rosé

So you've all been through the drill before... You show up for your tasting all eager-eyed and anxious about trying the winery's newest releases. You're in Sonoma; so naturally you have Pinot and…

Laherte Frères Champagne Extra Brut Les Vignes d'Autrefois

Same as my tasting notes from a couple of months ago. Paired fantastically with an array of raw and broiled oysters from Saltwater Oyster Depot!

Realm Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Fidelio

Tight yellow citrus, green apple, and white stone fruit notes. Some pumice, wet cement, and grass notes added an elevated experience overall. A slightly bitter acacia note on the back end helped with…

Bevan Cellars Ontogeny

Same as 8 months ago. Drinking solid on PnP, with some slight acidic constriction on the back end with the initial pull. Improved/deepened more with some air in the glass. Good now, but I'll try to…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Mortal Coil Phendler

Consistent with my notes from a year ago. This is aging very nicely, with an enhanced, progressing profile that especially stands out for its deliberate and focused display of flavors. A beautiful…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

Finished the remaining bottle after a Coravin pour a few days earlier. When allowed just a short time to open up in the glass, this really shines. Previous specific notes apply. Drinking great now,…

Hartford / Hartford Court Chardonnay Far Coast Vineyard

Previous notes apply, though this wine started to make more sense to me tonight. Decanted and put back in the refrigerator to keep cool (but not overly cold). Probably served at around 50 degrees…

Aubert Pinot Noir CIX Estate Vineyard

Deep, dark red raspberry, ripe red and black cherry, forest floor, mushroom, and faint orange rind and evergreen notes. A fairly rich and ripe rendition, with gobs of sappy fruit coating the palate.…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

Black and red raspberry, black cherry, cassis, sour cherry, dried red and black currant, blackberry seed, red licorice, cocoa powder, and just a faint hit of vanilla alcohol. My previous specific…

Launois Pere et Fils Champagne Grand Cru Veuve Clemence Brut Blanc de Blancs

Bubbles faded fast in coupe stemware. A blasted-out white winey effect occurred almost immediately. More air equated to a quick decline in tension and effervescence. Not a fan this time around. Some…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Like a few other wines served with it at dinner, this NV unfortunately suffered from a temperature issue, where it showed nice flavor, but was missing some focus. It came off a bit fruity for my…