| Wine Type | Vintage Name Variety Locale | Date Posted Score Helpful Comments More... |
|---|---|---|
| Red |
2014 Checkerboard Vineyards Coyote Ridge VineyardNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
3/24/2024 - e-r.portzline wrote: 96 pointsVelvet. Dark fruits. Integrated tannins. Elegance. The open, mid, and finish are elegant, long-lasting, beautiful. It is still a bit hot on open and could benefit from more time in the bottle. In every tasting we've had at Checkerboard, the Coyote stood out. It's something about the vineyard being at the fog line. Blend of cool and hot climes that really bring out the best of Cab in this bottle. |
| Red |
2017 Realm Cellars The BardNapa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more |
2/7/2024 - e-r.portzline wrote: 85 pointsOpened and poured over three plus hours. Upon open, there were dark fruits on the nose and at first taste. The mid was flat, with a non-existent finish. After three hours, the tanins are really well integrated, but this wine is really flat. There is just a hint of fruits on the start and then nothing but warm tasteless alcohol. It may just be in a dormant period, so I’ll look to open others between now and ‘33. Falling from the Realm realm, but hoping what I have is worth keeping. |
| White |
2019 Clos Solène Hommage BlancPaso Robles White Rhone Blend more |
12/31/2023 - e-r.portzline wrote: 93 pointsChilled at 54 opened and enjoyed over 3 hours. Served with lobster, lobster Mac n Cheese, drawn butter. Lovely wine with tropical fruits medium finish and saline at the end. Slight sediment in the bottle. |
| Red |
2014 Law Estate Wines Beyond CategoryPaso Robles Red Blend more |
12/21/2023 - e-r.portzline wrote: NRLoved it - drinking beautifully- beautiful balance of fruit and black tea- gorgeous- just fantastic |
| Red |
2013 Failla Pinot Noir Whistler VineyardSonoma Coast more |
7/29/2023 - e-r.portzline wrote: 92 pointsLovely, beautiful, elegant, wine. Upon open and a breathe for about one hour, dark fruits, bramble fruits on the nose. On the pallet, dark fruits giving way to hints of herbs and mushroom on the mid and finish. This has held up at 10 years really well. After all these years, still my favorite vintage and vineyard from Ehren. |
| Red |
2017 Failla Pinot Noir PearlessenceSonoma Coast more |
11/18/2022 - e-r.portzline wrote: 93 pointsThis is still a young wine that will benefit from breathing a bit before or during drinking. Pop and Pour, the initial nose is all bright cherry and cola. Two hours later, the nose is dark cherry and hints of cola. The nose has changed so dramatically after 2 hours the wine almost looks darker in the glass! The wine is slightly pink at the edge with moderate legs. Two hours after open, it starts to sing. The fruits on the palate are dark berry, berry compote, hints of sage, thyme. A really beautiful but light Pinot. It needs more time to settle - to let the acidity get in balance with the dark fruit. I'm going to extend my drinking window for this vintage to at least 2027. |
| White - Sparkling |
1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom PérignonChampagne Blend more |
11/19/2022 - e-r.portzline wrote: 97 pointsThe nearly perfect champagne ... soft sparkling, dry, hints of almonds and macadamias. Simply beautiful brioche on the nose. Since the last bottle, the citrus has all but disappeared, but the nose, front, mid, and finish are all elegant, long and lingering. If I had more in the cellar, I don't think I would wait another 11 years to open. This has changed quite a lot from 2011 when we last opened one. |
| Red |
2015 Failla Pinot Noir BohanFort Ross - Seaview more |
9/4/2022 - e-r.portzline wrote: 93 pointsThis was served with a Burrata salad of heirloom tomatoes, basil, olive oil (nach) and a whiff of fig balsamic. This wine SANG with that dish. The harmony of the dark fruits in the wine with its balanced acidity stood up to, and harmonized beautifully, with the dish. Beautiful dark fruits and blackberry jam with hints of forest have emerged at the end of its run. This was not the light “drink now” wine that we drank two years ago…. I would have held these longer, had I known this would happen…. |
| Red |
2018 Slacker Wines StereotypePaso Robles Red Rhone Blend more |
9/4/2022 - e-r.portzline wrote: 92 pointsPopped and Poured. Served with braised Short Ribs (braised with Olives, tomatoes, and thyme), the Slacker provided the right acidity and lift to this otherwise really dark and heavy dish. Nice fruits, balanced tannins, a even nicer wine than you would expect for the price point. |
| Red |
2013 Jones Family Cabernet SauvignonNapa Valley more |
8/21/2022 - e-r.portzline wrote: 95 pointsDrinking beautifully now. Tannins smooth and integrated , dark berry fruits and violets, earth. Lovely wine. |
| Red |
2016 Booker Vineyard Vertigo 22Paso Robles Red Rhone Blend more |
4/30/2022 - e-r.portzline Does not like this wine: 89 pointsHeavy fruit and alcohol bomb. |
| Red |
2013 Seghesio Family Vineyards Grenache 1942 blockDry Creek Valley more |
12/19/2021 - e-r.portzline Likes this wine: 94 pointsThis is a lovely wine, really surprising for the price point. Tannins are beautifully integrated and present, fruits lively and fresh, with a finish that keeps going and going … wish we had more for the future. |
| Red |
2016 Ceritas Pinot Noir Porter-Bass VineyardSonoma Coast more |
11/26/2021 - e-r.portzline Likes this wine: 95 pointsPine and forest on the nose, but not a hint on the palate until after the bottle had been decanted for 4 hours. Bing cherry, raspberry, and blueberry on the nose and palate throughout the evening. This is a truly elegant wine, but it needs a lot more time. (I’ve updated my end drink to 2032.) Bright with fruit and acid at the beginning, the mid is thin and lost in all the acidity; the finish is generous with lots of cherry and underripe strawberries. It will be a long while before the other two are opened from this vintage. |
| Red |
2011 Forsythe Vineyard (Alban) Mourvèdre The MasonEdna Valley more |
9/5/2021 - e-r.portzline Likes this wine: 98 pointsThis is a fantastic, elegant, expressive, complex, beautiful wine. We decanted for two hours, rebottled and corked, and took it to friend’s backyard for dinner of short ribs with herbed potatoes. It was the star of the evening (well, it was until they uncorked a 1976 Chateau d’Yquem, but then I’m name-dropping, but still…)! Velvety tannins, beautifully integrated with the fruits and the flavors of herbs, forest floor, mushroom, graphite, pencil shavings dark bramble fruits… this wine is elegant on the nose, smooth on the palate with beautiful tannins and fruit, with a lingering finish of elegance and long lasting beauty. Fantastic!! |
| White |
2019 Domaine des Brangers Menetou-SalonSauvignon Blanc more |
8/19/2021 - e-r.portzline Likes this wine: 91 pointsLovely, crisp, salinity, citrus. Very nice wine, very nice price. |
| White |
2019 Epoch Estate Wines White WinePaso Robles White Blend more |
4/3/2021 - e-r.portzline Likes this wine: 90 pointsA lovely, crisp, Rhône-style white. Just a touch of oak as it warms in the glass, really quite lovely with fried chicken and mac & cheese. |
| Red |
2012 Tanner Dafoe Cabernet SauvignonSanta Ynez Valley more |
1/23/2021 - e-r.portzline Likes this wine: 92 pointsThis is a lovely Cabernet. I wouldn’t describe it as a “light” Cabernet; it is not a bombastic Napa Cab to be sure. There are still beautiful fruits present with really well integrated tannins. Silky, elegant are two words that came easily to mind. Dark fruits, herbs, celery, bay leaf, thyme, all present in the lush middle and long finish. I think the drink window from the community is a wee bit short, however. There are enough fruits and tannins still playing together beautifully, I’m adding 2 years to my drink window. |
| Red |
2012 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 40th AnniversaryNapa Valley more |
1/18/2021 - e-r.portzline Does not like this wine: 78 pointsI was wrong in my last review. It did get better... but not to a great degree. Less Welch's Grape Juice, but still lots of red table grape flavor. Flat, too much fruit, tannins gone, no depth, short finish. Your teeth get stained but nothing in return. |
| Red |
2002 Hanzell Pinot NoirSonoma Valley more |
12/23/2020 - e-r.portzline Likes this wine: 91 pointsElegant, balanced, beautiful Pinot. Fruits still present, and slight touch of tannins all integrated beautifully. |
| Red |
2014 Failla Pinot Noir Keefer RanchRussian River Valley more |
11/22/2020 - e-r.portzline Likes this wine: 92 pointsLovely and drinking beautifully now. Even has a few more years to go I think. Beautiful blend of fruits and cola on the nose, lingering dark fruits on the mid palate, with cola and cocoa - and nicely integrated tannins - in the finish. A distinctive Pinot and beautifully paired with a slightly spicy, grilled pork tenderloin. |
| Red |
2016 Seghesio Family Vineyards Zinfandel Rockpilemore |
11/13/2020 - e-r.portzline wrote: 90 pointsNice balance of fruit and acidity. Integrated tannins. Dark berries, dried unsweetened blueberries, |
| Red |
2013 Failla Pinot Noir Whistler VineyardSonoma Coast more |
9/27/2020 - e-r.portzline Likes this wine: 95 pointsWonderful and herbaceous elegant PN. Served with dinner (to go) from Manresa. Dijon-honey grilled pork with young cauliflower, lentils, and grilled pear. The hints of thyme, oregano, and pine with brilliant red and blue fruit flavors, and a lingering finish, made this wine an excellent pairing and an excellent wine. Oh, we will savor the bottles that remain. The Whistler is drinking BEAUTIFULLY right now. |
| Red |
2008 Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva Alban Estate VineyardEdna Valley more |
9/12/2020 - e-r.portzline Likes this wine: 97 pointsDeep dark and serious with long, long legs… Beautiful dark fruits, with hints of olive in the middle and violets and other flowers on the finish. Truly lovely wine! |
| Red |
2015 Booker Vineyard FulldrawPaso Robles Red Rhone Blend more |
9/6/2020 - e-r.portzline wrote: 89 pointsHot mess. Decanted 99 mins and drank 80% of bottle over course of 3 hours. All alcohol and tannins. No depth, no complexity, no fruit, no defining characteristics except alcohol and tannins. Maybe a hint of olive... it was fleeting. If the remaining 20% is drinkable tomorrow, will update. |
| Red |
2015 Failla Pinot Noir PearlessenceSonoma Coast more |
9/3/2020 - e-r.portzline Likes this wine: 93 pointsI’ve tasted verticals of this vineyard at Failla, over the years. This has always been my favorite Failla PN. (My wife has already preferred the Whistler, which has made for some fun debates and Pinot weekends...) The Whistler is no longer (at least at Failla), but the Pearlessence still remains. |
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- Tasting notes: 126 notes on 108 wines
