Reviews

Sine Qua Non Grenache Rattrapante Eleven Confessions Vineyard

There is a celestial weightlessness with this wine that highlights its ability to be both powerful and harmonious. Textbook Grenache flavors of kirsch, red and black cherry, garrigue, and herbs are…

Konverterra Pinot Noir Rio Vista Vineyard

Warm black cherry compote and spice flavors make it easy to land Santa Rita as the home plot here. Broad shouldered without being overly rich, this Pinot Noir is signature California from beginning…

Lutum Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard

Predictable California Chardonnay flavors of lemon curd and vanilla. Not a bad execution of flavor necessarily in that it doesn't come across overly gummy or nauseatingly cloying, but it really…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Cautionary Tale

As it's always been, the Cautionary Tale is a Vegas Bionic Cowgirl machine that pumps out Spice Girl sultry to the nth degree. It's loud and splayed on the toasted spice and saturated and sappy on…

Lutum Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard

This took some time to get over a bit of a flat affective response on the palate on initial PnP. Similar in flavor profile to the 2012 and 2013 served next to it, this 2014 started out with some…

Lutum Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard

The most accessible and giving in the flavor department compared to its 2012 and 2014 siblings served beside it, this 2013 impresses for its ripe red cherry, red raspberry, orange rind, pomegranate,…

Lutum Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard

Decidedly tight and a little unforgiving in the early onset of PnP. Some swirling coaxed out crunchy cranberry, red cherry, pomegranate, and butter pulverized stone notes. Finished linear and…

Liquid Farm Chardonnay White Hill

Lemon, rock, vanilla, and faint vegetal notes. Simple, medium-bodied, and round. Some alcohol makes for a more obtuse delivery. Decent flavor, but no fireworks. 87-88 points.

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Architects & Saboteurs

Held up great over the course of two days. A decent amount of power and fortitude, but balances-out with spicy, ripe, and saturated black and red raspberry and cherry flavors that make for a fairly…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Cautionary Tale

Similar to my previous notes. Definitely an upfront, gushing fruit type of Pinot. A deeply pitched red raspberry core, with additional notes of red and black cherry, spice box, and some subtle earth.…

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…

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

One of the few Pinots on the entire planet that could successfully follow a lineup of Bevan's Cabs and red blends, the massively endowed 2016 Rita's Crown drinks (or rather, eats) like a Cabernet…

Sine Qua Non Grenache Patine Eleven Confessions Vineyard

From magnum. After about 4-5 hours of decanted air, this wine blossomed into a massively concentrated beast, with sexy, deep kirsch, ripe raspberry, bruised strawberry, soft-warm leather, garrigue,…

Sine Qua Non Syrah Patine Eleven Confessions Vineyard

From Magnum. Not surprisingly, the initial pull was pretty tight and linear, with higher register funky plum popping out in the front end. Finish was clipped and somewhat bitter. It essentially took…

Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Ten

Vertical of 2012/2013/2014 Sea Smoke TEN. All were very similar, with only the vintage characteristics standing out (if barely at all).

Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Ten

Vertical of 2012/2013/2014 Sea Smoke TEN. All were very similar, with only the vintage characteristics standing out (if barely at all).

Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Ten

Vertical of 2012/2013/2014 Sea Smoke TEN. All were very similar, with only the vintage characteristics standing out (if barely at all).

Château Boswell Pinot Noir Absolutely Eloise Rita's Crown Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills

Once again, I concur with CRISTAL's on-point description of this wine. Much more modern indeed, especially in comparison to the Sun Chase served before it. Dark, dark black cherry, muddled ripe…

Melville Pinot Noir Block M

Similar to previous notes. Ripe red and black cherry and red raspberry core, with some strawberry, orange rind, wood, and spice. Drinking fine now. A tad heavy on the fruit, but the flavor push is…

Sine Qua Non Syrah Touché Eleven Confessions Vineyard

Served side-by-side with the '12 SQN Stein. Not surprisingly, the Touché was one of the wines of the night, and especially unfortunate for the 2012 SQN Stein, which received a serving up of a good…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Cautionary Tale

Not one ounce of doom and gloom here with this "Cautionary Tale." PnP with wonderful black cherry, saturated and sappy black raspberry, bark, cacao bean, and some incense and cinnamon stick. Most…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Architects & Saboteurs

Previous notes apply. A massive Pinot with a massive attack of ripe black and dark red core fruit, glycerin-laced blackberry and black cherry, saturated black raspberry liqueur, black spicebox,…

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…