5/24/2024 - Sasha the Bear Likes this wine:

Beautiful wine. Earth, tannic, medium body, electrical wires for an hour. Then fruits appear, still hanging on to the tannins. This wine has a few more years but it’s wonderful right now.

5/24/2024 - Cabfrancophile Likes this wine:

Now we're talking. The Donna's reminded me of the typical Estate in 2019, and this bottle of the Estate is more like Donna's than usual.

Cool climate Syrah aromas of olive, black pepper, roasted poblano, petrol, blackberry, basil, and jerky. Complete, complex aromas. Ripe blackberry and fresh herbs on the attack, with a silky, oak-free mid-palate. Ripe, integrated tannins glide on the finish, black fruit, herbs and a splash of Italian amaro carry the finish for like a minute.

Really strong vintage, sneaky structure that will allow this to age, and deeper mid-palate with better integrated acidity than usual. Open for business, drink or hold.

5/24/2024 - Dannyfu Likes this wine:

nice flavors but a little weak on the back end

5/24/2024 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:

Popped and poured. Right off the bat, showing brilliantly and probably at its apogee. No sign of rust, it is a beautiful ruby that falls just short of opaque. The nose is simply gorgeous, indeed haunting and memorable. Fresh Tempranillo fruit that I am sure is the purest example of this grape I have ever smelled. Shines on the palate as well, with a purity of fruit and just plain CLASS that only great bottles can achieve. Absolutely fabulous. This wasn’t cheap but for wine of this caliber, worth it. 5-14-19-9: 97/100.

5/24/2024 - joraesque wrote:

One of the better Barbaresco wines I've had, drinking like a Barolo. 14% ABV.

5/24/2024 - whits Likes this wine:

Fresh scents of ginger and citrus, medium weighted with great lift and balance, dry, with flavors of apple, banana, salty air and mineral, opens up in the glass, focused and lively, hitting a nice drinking window, lots of promise

5/24/2024 - bestdamncab Likes this wine:

Nose of black berry, raspberry, mint, minerals, earth, and allspice, more of the same on the palate, medium/big body, very tasty, this bottle slightly showed its age storage wise, lovely wine best part was the nose, then the palate, with a medium finish.

5/24/2024 - RichEB1 Likes this wine:

Excellent zin. Deep, dark, raspberries and cranberries with some pepper and spice on the finish. Excellent balance thanks to the acidity, and drinking at peak. Love Hartford zins!

5/24/2024 - dyasbek1 Likes this wine:

Incredibly delicious and seductive! Amazing color, fruit, and nose for a fortified wine.

5/24/2024 - bestdamncab Likes this wine:

Nose of black cherry, black berry, chocolate, briar, and roasted coffee, same on the palate, medium/big body, very tasty, mouth filling fruit, and a long finish and lovely aftertaste, lovely cabernet for 30 years old, holding well.

5/24/2024 - bestdamncab Likes this wine:

Nose of black berry, spice, and earth, same on the palate, medium body, tasty, fairly mouth filling fruit, at peak with an hour decant, better the third night than the second night, medium/long finish.

5/24/2024 - premiercru1973 Likes this wine:

Excellent and beautiful! Very well crafted and a serious rosé. Still a bit young but lovely!

5/24/2024 - Collector1855 wrote:

Expressive nose, very pleasant, my wife who is more a BdN than a BdB drinker liked it immediatly for its charm and succulence. Generous palate, rich with butter croissoant on the attack and some bitter greens on the finish. Good acidity. IF you are a lean / low dosage friend this may not be your wine, for all others, a great, plush Champagne.

5/24/2024 - Scottwhipp Likes this wine:

Soft and supple mouthfeel with nice dark red fruit gliding over the palate with flavors of ripe Santa Rosa plum, dark cherry and a bit of sandalwood, with a moderately long finish with smooth light tannins. Very nice, mellow and flavorful.

5/24/2024 - premiercru1973 Likes this wine:

Excellent bottle. Still young, but good potential. Wonderful nose that would easily lead you towards white Bourgogne if tasted blind. The taste is still held back but there is good tension and structure not unlike a Chablis. Very well crafted and a pleasure to drink now.

5/24/2024 - bestdamncab Likes this wine:

Nose of minerals, citrus, with floral notes, same on the palate, medium body, at peak, drink soon, tasty, fairly rich but not mouth filling fruit, medium finish.

5/24/2024 - bobadopolis Likes this wine:

This particular bottle must be at peak. Was excellent on opening, probably slightly better after 30 minutes of air, and last glass 4 hours later is still fantastic. Nose of dark red fruit but with occasional wafts of lighter and more playful red fruit. On the palate, Kirsch, dark stewed luxardo cherry, bramblebush and maybe some cherries jubilee at the 4 hour mark. Based on this bottle, at peak, but think this will coast along for several more years.

5/24/2024 - bestdamncab Likes this wine:

Nose of black cherry, raspberry, and earth, same on the palate, big body, decanted for several hours, mouth filling fruit, very tasty, still young, and a long finish.

5/24/2024 - Conocedora Likes this wine:

Plush, big juicy red raspberry and dark cherry with dusty earth and pepper on the nose. Full to medium body, fantastic with big Italian red saucy dishes or bold cheese. Let it breathe in the glass at least 20 mins. Very fun.

5/24/2024 - Yack Man wrote:

This is not a pop and pour type of Cabernet, this wine shows better with food. The color is a bright and lively, purple, reddish with a candy like, attractive nose. On the palate, dark red berry fruits, dark tart cherry and cranberry, currents, tobacco, tannins and acidic. A decent wine that’s holding up pretty well for Cali Cab that’s 20 years old. There’s still some considerable life to this wine. 90-91 Points, maybe higher for those who like this style.

5/24/2024 - Sookin1 wrote:

A great Cabernet Franc. This 2018 is smooth. Tannins are not agressive at all, very well blent into the wine. This 2018 was at its peak I believe.

5/23/2024 - WineKnut Likes this wine:

This was rocking straight from the bottle! Gravelly dark fruit with purple flowers on top. Opening act easily out played a 3x more expensive headliner.

Reload!

3/2/2024 - Golf_Wine Likes this wine:

Excellent Bourgogne

5/24/2024 - WineGuyX Likes this wine:

Nose of black cherry, raspberry and vanilla-tinged oak. Med-full bodied with loads of sweet blueberry and blackberry fruit, pomegranate and spice. Delicious. Drink now-2031 91.

3/2/2024 - Golf_Wine Likes this wine:

A light food wine

5/24/2024 - Incon Likes this wine:

Janet liked

3/2/2024 - Golf_Wine Likes this wine:

I was surprised to see that this wine have come back strong. A good Rhone. Decanted - and poured - lots of sediment .. as expected.

5/24/2024 - B_F Does not like this wine:

It's not great. Kinda tastes like a jolly rancher.

Let it be a warning to never buy a mystery box from last bottle.

5/24/2024 - Dwilso wrote:

Should be good until 2030. In May 2024 it still had big tannins.

5/24/2024 - TheFoodieTraveler wrote:

Beautiful, complex, red fruit, soft velvet tannins ,

5/24/2024 - Siegelaa Likes this wine:

Excellent. Fresh, red-fruited, spicy, stemmy, spicy, elegant pinot noir, the kind you expect from the coast, showing elegance, restraint. Excellent wine

5/24/2024 - J To The Mo wrote:

Tropical fruit. Golden yellow.

5/24/2024 - Jay Hack Likes this wine:

I lucked into this bottle. I committed infanticide and drank it 10-15 years before I should have, but at age 72 and with someone having removed a few ounces and then given it to me, I had no choice but to share it with my wife and some skirt steak with smashed fried baby potatoes. So let's be honest. This has such a wood backbone that it was close to removing splinters, but OMG was everything else about it outstanding. Explosive flavors of dark full fruit. The tanin has softened a bit after a few ounces were removed and then 5 hours into a decant. A bit of vanilla and spice is appearing. The rating is based upon where I think it will end up. 20 years ago, I would never have written a note on a Cali Cab this young, but having enough years of experience in watching these wines develop, I think I'm ready to predict where it will end up, which is a great wine. WZill I buy it? No. There's that 72 years old issue. Should you buy it? If you can afford it, back up the truck. I have been drinking Heidi Barrett wines since the 1990s, and she is one of my favorite wine makers. This wine does not disappoint.

5/24/2024 - Captain806 wrote:

Deep ruby. Jammy nose, but not overly ripe. Raspberry, blueberry, and strawberry. Medium body, medium acidity, light tannins. Kind of limp on the palate. Not really showing much except some minerality. Did not improve after an hour and half of decanting.

5/18/2024 - FrenchAmericanGuy Likes this wine:

Very nice NZ pinot noir. Plums, cherries and more on a smoky layer.

5/24/2024 - BernieMSY Likes this wine:

I gave it a 90 minute decant prior to tasting.
Wow!
Deep purple color; fresh black fruit nose.
Tons of dark fruit, undergirded by granite and crushed stone. Really impressive bottling, this one will only improve with age.
Outstanding effort.

5/24/2024 - EvanJB wrote:

Drinking very well still

5/24/2024 - SingleTrackRide Likes this wine:

Dark fruit on the nose, mostly blackberry. On the palate, very little tannins, blackberry, light cherry, cinnamon, tobacco, mushroom, prune and savory notes. Mid weight on the palate with a medium savory finish.

5/24/2024 - shklotz Likes this wine:

Beautiful classic C-du-P

5/24/2024 - MateusPetrus Likes this wine:

Superb with smoked grilled duck and currant sauce.

5/24/2024 - Sdurani01 wrote:

Light and crisp, with some lovely acidity. Drank with some fish tacos

5/24/2024 - bravo.solares Likes this wine:

Still drinking very well. Fruit is somewhat in the background, but still present on both nose and palate - mostly cherries and rhubarb, maybe some pomegranate. Notes of tea, spices, maybe a hint of pine. Some acidity. Best glass was the last one, after 90 mins of slow ox or so.

5/24/2024 - SnobNouveau Likes this wine:

What a lovely showing. Drinking in full swing now, not certain it will improve much more. Bouquet of dark rose, vanilla, and spice on the nose. Very seductive. Big, linear, straight shot California cab. The vanilla carries through the opening and mid note of an otherwise bold, dark fruit blast. Then the long tail starts its transition into a velvety and glowing finish like a firework rocket that keeps on blasting away. Lovely tannins.

5/24/2024 - TurFam wrote:

The 2012 Justin Isosceles pours a deep, garnet hue, indicative of its age and richness. On the nose, it captivates with aromas of ripe blackberries, blackcurrants, and dark cherries, intertwined with elegant notes of vanilla, cedar, and a touch of graphite.

On the palate, the wine offers a harmonious blend of dark fruit flavors such as blackcurrant, blackberry, and plum. These flavors are enriched by undertones of dark chocolate, espresso, and a subtle smokiness, adding depth and complexity. The wine’s full-bodied texture is framed by well-integrated, silky tannins and a vibrant acidity that ensures balance and a smooth finish.

The finish is long and lingering, with echoes of dark fruit, spice, and a hint of minerality.

5/24/2024 - Mother of Orchids Likes this wine:

Beautiful California cab. Smell reminds me of the leaves of a maple tree turning red in the fall. Cherry, sherry, and sweetness.

Smooth front, fills the mouth with earthy notes and wood. More cherry and fruity notes arise as the finish coats the back of the mouth.

5/24/2024 - jmcmchi Likes this wine:

With Basque chicken

Smooth savoury spice, pepper emerging suddenly on finish

5/24/2024 - Wine Canuck wrote:

[Tasted Double Blind] This pours medium ruby in the glass with light bricking. The nose is beautifully complete, complex and aromatic blasting seaweed, cigar ash, spice box, sandalwood, decaying rose petals, cardamom, coriander seed, black pepper, plum, black currant, leather, and dark cherry. Needless to say the complexity is wild here. The palate enters on black currant with silky medium minus tannin and medium plus acid. The finish closes on spice, cigar ash, and cedar. In the end I waffled between Bordeaux and Burgundy, around 30 - 40 years of age. On reveal was happy to see yet another amazing showing from an old Pesquera. Up there with some of the most undervalued wines on the market today for this traditionally oriented palate. All in all this is astoundingly good.

5/24/2024 - B_F Likes this wine:

Really surprising wine, I wouldn't guess Livermore.
It doesn't have much complexity but it is really delicious, somewhat lighter bodied and has a pleasant mix of blue/red fruit.

5/24/2024 - jdp89 Likes this wine:

Purchased recently off the shelf at Spec’s.

In the glass green-tinged light gold.

On the nose a whiff of matchstick reduction, but mostly lemon curd, light pineapple, yogurt/cream, tasteful oak, white mushrooms, and a stony character.

On the palate, round and full bodied, some alcohol heat, medium acidity. Mid-long finish. Nose carries through to the flavors on the palate, plus some developing mushroom and caramelly/maillard flavors.

Solid California chard in a good spot. Nowhere near tired so for those who like them older fear not. Right now there is a good balance between incoming/available developed flavors and retained freshness. My only gripe is that the 14.5% alc is not well hidden here.

5/24/2024 - WineGuyX Likes this wine:

Oaky nose of creosote, pencil shavings and black currants. Med-full bodied, this is fully mature, but developing with more and more air with flavors of crisp pomegranate seeds, black currant and berry as well as a Graves-like scorched earth. Drink now-2028. 93