Reviews

L'Aventure The Sibling

A pleasant surprise with this wine. Notes of black and red raspberry, red cherry, kirsch, red licorice, garrigue, and hints of chalky limestone. Medium-bodied and a littler linear on the back end,…

Bevan Cellars Pinot Noir Rita's Crown Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills

Previous notes apply. Big and brash, thick and chewy, sappy and slutty. Even too much for my blood. I found myself having to tolerate it more than enjoying it. 91 points if taking the "style…

Bevan Cellars Pinot Noir Rita's Crown Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills

Previous notes apply. Just a big brute of a Pinot. There is pleasure here for sure, but it really is a bit too much of a good-ish thing. A Wren Hop Night Children served next to it showed just how…

Melville Pinot Noir Block M

A totally different experience than when I had it 1.5 years ago. Sure enough, holding until 2018 proved to be a worthy endeavor. This time around, this wine was a succulent and juicy red-fruited…

Bernardus Winery Chardonnay

"Not too bad" was the phrase we heard most of the night. Certainly some butter and oak on the attack, but some decent yellow citrus notes and some acid to add interest and hold it all together.…

Sine Qua Non Syrah Stock

Notes of blackberry, funky earth, wet hay, limestone, black pepper, hard salami, campfire, and garrigue. A little furry on the palate, with the flavors finishing a bit gritty and fuzzy. Some air…

Wente Vineyards Brut

Notes of Asian pear, grilled lemon spice, ripe red apple pulp, and bread dough. Medium-bodied and a touch heavy for a sparkler, missing some of the higher toned zing on the back end to provide lift…

Clos Solène Fleur de Solène

Black raspberry, cranberry, red and black currant, cassis, white pepper, and tart plum. A lot of unresolved flavors going on here. The stuffing is certainly there, but this needs more time. Give it…

Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard

Following suit with Revas of the past, I was happy to find this was kicking out some nice dark blackberry, deep and ripe black raspberry, wild blueberry, charred oak, fresh layed asphalt, earth,…

L'Aventure Optimus

Similar to my previous note. This needed about two hours to open up and be...well...less stubborn and boring. It kinda reminded me of a pouty little snot kid sitting by himself on a stool in some…

Bevan Cellars Pinot Noir Rita's Crown Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills

As expected, this is a biggin' of a domestic Pinot. Dark and haunting core fruit notes of black cherry, black raspberry, and brambly blueberry. Spice box, clove, cinnamon, black pepper, mulch, and…

Clos Solène L'Insolent

PnP with tight, somewhat compacted notes of dark black raspberry and vanilla alcohol flavors. After two hours in the decanter, some of the "truer" flavors came out. Dark purple and dark red berry,…

Talley Vineyards Pinot Noir Rosemary's Vineyard

Same as last month's notes. Drink now as a PnP, or hold for another year with confidence.

Carlisle Syrah Rosella's Vineyard

Same as two months ago. I had to go back to drinking a KB Pinot Noir (which was barely memorable as it was) just to get some flavor going back on my palate. Not too encouraging when a forgettable…

Talley Vineyards Pinot Noir Rosemary's Vineyard

Same as previous notes. This still hangs out in the 91-93 point arena for me. At its best (about 30 minutes of air), it displayed some nice saturated raspberry and spice notes. Good to drink now with…

L'Aventure Estate Cuvée

Previous notes apply. This performed pretty well this time around. Delivered some nice fruit with decent drive. Still not a blockbuster, but drinking fine now. 93 points.

Carlisle Syrah Sierra Mar Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands

Red and purple fruit, with faint passings-by of olive, railroad tie, and asphalt. Not overly complex or concentrated, with the mid-palate leaving something to be desired. One could hold this for…

Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

Same as last month's notes on this wine. Started out a little tight and linear. Needed about an hour in the decanter at 54 degrees before it unfolded nicely. Sappy dark red raspberry, cola, and…

Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Vista Verde Vineyard

Higher-register red fruit notes of red cherry, pomegranate, light cranberry, citrus peel, wet limestone, and some brush. The "pop" of the red fruit is fairly constant through the attack, reminding…

L'Aventure Estate Cuvée

Possibly one of the best Estate Cuvees from L'Aventure that I've had. PnP had a good deal of dark, pure fruit and mineral flavors surrounded by a tight, encompassing grip. After about 30-45 minutes…

Carlisle Syrah Rosella's Vineyard

Linear and flat across the palate from start to finish. Some purple berry fruit and fleeting hits of black olive (like the kind on a Roundtable pizza). Lackluster indeed (and not "off" in terms of…

Bevan Cellars Pinot Noir Rita's Crown Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills

In a FAR better place than it was nearly a year ago. But be warned, this is still a biggun! Huge fruit. Huge spice. Huge Pinot. Black cherry, black raspberry, blackberry, anise, clove, Chinese five…

Château Boswell Pinot Noir Absolutely Eloise Bentrock Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills

Very similar to the Sonoma offering of the Eloise, with higher-toned, red fruit flavors of cranberry, pomegranate, incense, and alcohol-laced vanilla. Fairly linear on the attack, with a lithe,…

Bernardus Winery Chardonnay Rosella's Vineyard

Same as my previous notes, except that this got a little too warm (room temp), which flattened it out considerably on the back end. The flavors were decent, but the frame lost tension and grip…

Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Southing

From Magnum. Medium-to-light bodied flavors of black cherry, allspice, cedar, vanilla, and earth/soil. A faint herbal tinge on the back end. The delivery on this wine was fairly linear and somewhat…