Above Ground Winery

Adelsheim

Breaking Ground Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir 2021

Red fruit, cola, spice. Long finish. Medium tannins. Balanced Pinot noir — a month ago

Teusner

Avatar Barossa Valley Red Rhone Blend 2022

Very enjoyable Barossa Shiraz which consistently punches above it’s weight


— 8 months ago

Tom, Bob and 4 others liked this

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1989

It's Open That Bottle Night(last Sat in Feb), and thought this would be a nice pull to celebrate the occasion.

1 hour decant(decent sediment). A striking still dark garnet with some bricking. On the nose: perfumed stewed cherry/plum, smoked meat, worn leather, cigar ash,milk chocolate, rich soil, some band-aid(brett) Taste: smooth, polished, vibrant wine with plum, tobacco, bitter chocolate, worn leather, earth, and a long graphite coffee ground finish. YUM!!!!
— a year ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Brenda, Tom and 27 others liked this
Rick Phillips

Rick Phillips Premium Badge

Just show out brother! Great selection!
Tom Garland

Tom Garland

@Rick Phillips Thanks. Cheers!
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

Nice treat.

Domaine Didier Fornerol

Côte de Nuits Villages Pinot Noir 2018

Really a nice drinking Burg that drinks well above its price. Consistent with my prior notes. — 3 years ago

Rob, Ira and 4 others liked this

Claude Dugat

Bourgogne Pinot Noir

Approachable now with red fruit aromas, cranberry, cherry; modest structure and acidity. Clean medium long finish. Good quality and drinks above its level. — 5 years ago

Domaine Lucien Boillot et Fils

Bourgogne Pinot Noir

Really focused blackfruit leather floral tones and soft oak back ground — 6 years ago

Aravind, Daniel and 6 others liked this

Château Cantemerle

Haut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

Plenty of time in the bottle but still somewhat of a rowdy teenager. Deep red, bordering on purple in colour, relatively savoury in flavour with dark fruits, minerals and a liquorice undertone. There’s still quite a bit of tannin and acidity but neither are overpowering. The issue is that all of the above features have not yet fully blended together and although the finish is restrained it is also a bit rough around the edges. I think this will smooth out over time and there are still many years in this. — 6 years ago

Ted, Kirk and 15 others liked this

T-Vine Cellars

Hallowed Ground California Red Blend 2020

Jammy & concentrated. Good bulk find — 3 months ago

Fornacina

Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese 2020

Balsamic scent with a hint fennel on the nose. Red plums on the front. A solid tannic structure dominates the middle palate and the finish. I would describe tannic flavors as Black truffles combined with the scent of wet cobblestones. A mineral tartness asserts itself above these flavors at the end. And it has a long finish that seems to go on forever.

DAY 2: I left it corked in a bottle overnight. The distinctive nose faded into a more generic leathery smell. The red plum fruit is still present, but the tannic structure has become less intense, revealing a softer minerality. The truffles are gone. And the wet cobblestones are gone. And the tartness of the finish has mellowed. It’s still a long finish, but it now leaves a chalky texture on the tongue. Once it opens, this wine is less unique, but it’s still a fine tipple.
— 8 months ago

Dupont-Fahn Raymond

Chaumes des Perrières Bourgogne Blanc Chardonnay 2020

Wine geek wine! From a vineyard above Perrieres that was filled in and as a result this wine has to be called Bourgogne. Very stony, somewhat austere, but tasty. — 2 years ago

Billy, Bob and 5 others liked this

Cantina del Pino

Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2018

From the Piedmont region, Barbaresco sub-region, 100% Nebbiolo grapes grown in the hills above above Barbaresco. Ruby with aromas of sweet dark berry fruit with herb notes. Aged for 2 years on oak showing flavors of black cherry and strawberry with hints of black pepper and tobacco, nice balance and structure. Fine soft tannins on long finish ending with earthy tones. Will age well. Pair with a veal piccata and roasted vegetables. — 3 years ago

Anthony, DD and 5 others liked this

Mas de Boislauzon

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 2019

McCarthy & Schiering, $50

Bittersweet occasion and went way above my budget to celebrate my birthday and also mourn Grandma Julie's passing. She loved CdP so thought I'd splurge on one. I've only had a couple but have loved every one I tried. This was a bit different, I'm used to bright fruit forward but this was very muted cooked dark fruit with a lot of emphasis on the baking spice and earthy tobacco notes. Incredibly complex - licorice, coffee, clove, tobacco with an underlying subtle dried/cooked dark fruit. Crazy smooth, but I'm comparing it to sub $20 wines that I'm used to, and you can barely tell that it's 15% alc. Nice tannins but I think it would benefit from a touch more acidity. I'm being picky since I paid so much for it but in summary it's one of the best made wines I've ever had, but not among my favorites. But it's still a great experience and I don't regret the purchase
— 4 years ago

R. López de Heredia

Viña Cubillo Crianza Rioja Tempranillo Blend

Exceptional. Price value ratio, outstanding. Anyone who knows these wines knows that they are traditional, old school style riojas with that extra layer of finesse that sets them apart, but many of the other vineyard bottlings require extensive aging beyond even what the winery sometimes deems appropriate. This, on the other hand, has many of those characteristics we all love, but with the freshness and lift that makes it so drinkable and food friendly today. Having had 2008 and 2009, the 2010 is truly a cut above. — 7 years ago

Jones Family Vineyard

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

Somm David T
9.8

I have posted a number of older vintage Jones Family Cabernets. Many 20 yrs and older. Three to four 97’s…none better than this one. I give few wines a score above 96. This is different. It is so close to perfect. Some might give it a 100. I struggle to give a wine a perfect 100. I have only done it 4 times in an estimated 25k wines tasted or bottles I’ve enjoyed. One was a port made before 1886 and tasted in Oporto at Taylor Fladgate’s tasting room in 2015, it was their Scion. Only sold there and at the time 5k at bottle. You end up there purchase the Scion taste regardless of the current cost. They put on a tasting show for you. I am half tempted here to give out a 100 but will refrain.

I am not sure what to add to that but will attempt to do so.

The nose is a beautiful, perfectly evolved Napa Cabernet. Nothing overpowers any of its singular components. I think the word I am looking for is harmony. Lush, plush, ruby dark currants/cassis. The best, mid, subtle/gentle/soft, dark spice box I certainly can remember, lush blackberries, both plums, dark, not quite liqueur cherries, a mix of subtle purple fruits, poached to baked strawberries, some light hints of raspberries, dark sweet tarriness, melted dark chocolate, anise to black licorice, steep fruit tea leaning into black tea, sweet/soft leather, moist tobacco, sandalwood, dark, rich forest floor, sweet graphite, hints of dry twig, a flutter note of eucalyptus, dry, withering & slightly candied florals that are; dark, red & blue & framed in light lavender with more pronounced liquid violets.

The palate wire to wire is even & stupidly, gloriously, grand. It mirrors the nose very closely. Lush, plush, ruby dark currants/cassis. The best mid, subtle/gentle/soft, dark spice box w/ some light palate heat, best I certainly can remember, lush blackberries, both plums, dark, kirsch not quite liqueur cherries, a mix of subtle purple fruits, poached to baked strawberries, some light hints of raspberries, dark sweet tarriness, melted dark chocolate, anise to black licorice, steep fruit tea leaning into black tea, beautifully layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & vanillin, caramel, sweet/soft leather, moist tobacco w/ a hint is ash, sandalwood, dark, rich forest floor, dry, crushed rock powder, dry top soil, crushed limestone powder, sweet graphite, hints of dry twig, a fluttering note of eucalyptus, dry, withering & slightly candied florals that are; dark, red & blue framed in light lavender with more pronounced liquid violets, perfect, rainfall acidity, extremely well balanced, even & subtle tension-structure that stands up on the long set, refined elegance with a finish that goes on and on and eventually lands on spice & beautiful, refined earthiness.

What a bottle! 98 that leans into 99. I paid somewhere between $80-$90 on the secondary market for this bottle.
— 7 months ago

Paul, Andrew and 14 others liked this

Domaine A. et P. de Villaine

La Digoine Côte Chalonnaise Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2017

punches far above its weight. Gorgeous Burgundy nose. Silk. — 3 years ago

Lyle, Severn and 4 others liked this

Azienda Agricola Ronchi

Barbaresco 2019

WotF. Rising above to hit the notes. — 3 years ago

Severn, Andrew and 7 others liked this

Arnaud Ente

Bourgogne Chardonnay 2016

C R
9.3

Long and medium bodied, this is shooting way above the generic Bourgogne appellation. Definitely worth decanting. — 5 years ago

Daniel, Ira and 1 other liked this

Solid Ground

California Pinot Noir 2017

Bright Red Cherry front to clove and finishes with light smokers oak. Soft tannins & youthful acidity that worked well with fatty meat. We enjoyed it with Chuck Burger topped with Provolone, Avocado, Tomato, Mayo on Egg Bun and side of Root Veggie fries🍷 — 6 years ago

Château Poujeaux

Moulis en Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

Dark rubi robe, discrete nose of plums and black fruit. Very smooth and medium length on the mouth, another one that punches above its weight. Really good now but absolutely no rush. — 7 years ago

Adriana Pagliano
with Adriana
Anthony liked this