Carlton Hill Vineyard

Liquid Farm

White Hill Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay 2024

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of 90min. The 2024 “White Hill” pours a pale straw color with medium viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing with bright notes of star fruit, passion fruit, stone fruits, lemons, a touch of freshly struck matchstick, some white flowers and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and slightly saline. I love the character of these wines. Really tasty stuff. Drink now through 2034+. — 5 days ago

Zach, Tom and 11 others liked this

Diamond Creek Vineyards

Volcanic Hill Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1998

Decant and pour. An amazing still dark garnet with bricking. On the nose: subtle notes of dark fruit, worn leather, herbaceous, pencil shavings, mint. Taste: savory, silky, elegant wine with some dried cherry/red plum, currants, tobacco, spice, earth, coffee grounds and a medium plus finish. YUM!!! Drinking beautifully for its age on this rain for an hour cool afternoon in Napa. — a month ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Tom, Dave and 10 others liked this

St Innocent Winery

Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021

Initially a bit closed, after two hours in the decanter this really opens up. Black cherry and sage come through on the nose and continue onto the palate with additional notes of cassis, bay leaf, and cloves. Has a persistent finish with herbs, spice, and black tea lingering on the palate. The herbal and spice flavors were really vibrant when paired with basil pesto pasta and mushrooms. Medium+ acidity, medium+ body, and medium tannins. This is the 2021 vintage. — 2 months ago

Tom, Neil and 7 others liked this
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego Premium Badge

@Joel Lara Nice write-up. This is consistently their most difficult Pinot offering to "figure out." Oodles of subtleties vs a few markers/demonstrative tendencies. NOT for the average Pinot Noir drinker.
Joel Lara

Joel Lara

@Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego that’s interesting because as I was drinking it I was thinking about how different it was to a lot of pinots I’ve had. The savory elements are not as loud as they are in other good pinots, but I still found them an intriguing backdrop to the beautiful fruit. The tannin really helped add some complexity on the finish too. I also bought a 2019 Temperance Hill, so looking forward to seeing how that compares.

Soter Vineyards

Mineral Springs Brut Rosé Blend

Beautifully pink! Strawberry pastries with vanilla! Bubbles so tiny! — 4 months ago

Natasha Bray
with Natasha
John and Ryan liked this

Cakebread Cellars

Vine Hill Ranch Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Cherry, vanilla, black berry.. on sweeter end of a cab. I know there are finer wines out there, but cake bread has consistently been some of my favorite wine for years now. I always look forward to a package when it arrives! — 5 months ago

Dave and Paul liked this

Frank Family Vineyards

Winston Hill Napa Valley Red Blend 2008

Solid bottle. Juicy dark fruit that didn’t cross the line. Meaning not over extracted and not old school either. — 6 months ago

Tom, Dave and 3 others liked this

St Innocent Winery

Temperance Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir 1999

Cherry cola, black tea, aged toasted oak, excellent acidity and balance, long, lingering finish, very fine aged Oregon Pinot to go with grilled Copper River (Alaskan) wild salmon!! — 17 days ago

Jim Powers
with Jim
Tom, Bob and 1 other liked this
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

Oooooo. Sounds great!
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

Oooooo. Sounds great!

Rutherford Hill

Napa Valley Merlot

Enjoying this oaky, chocolate, great tannins with my brothers in Visalia. — a month ago

Chappellet

Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

hour decant(decent sediment).  A still dark garnet with bricking.   On the nose:  subtle notes of dark fruit, licorice, tobacco, forest floor, herbaceous, olive brine, mocha java.  Taste:  silky, layered, creamy wine with blackberry/dark plum, tobacco, baking spice, mocha java, earth, minerals, dried herbs and a long dry finish.  YUM!! — a month ago

Tom, Rick and 12 others liked this

Kumeu River

Hunting Hill Chardonnay 2019

This is the 2019 Hunting Hill, same vintage as the recently tasted Kumeu River Coddington. The Coddington remains the more opulent of the Kumeu cuvées. A mouth watering salinity. In this one. As Bob Campbell MW said, this is a Burgundian style (lacking the stone fruit of the Coddington). Although several previous vintages of Mates Vineyard have proved, at least to my palate, that it is the premium Cuvée. — 3 months ago

Somm, Andrew and 18 others liked this
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

@Bob McDonald, and this note looks like it posted without issue?? Maddening, hang in there!!
Bob McDonald

Bob McDonald Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@Doug Powers Yes I seem to be having a lucky run lately.

Philip Togni Vineyard

Tanbark Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

AEL
9.0

Tight, structured, took over an hour to really open up. Crushed raspberries, balsamic. — 5 months ago

Grosset

Polish Hill Clare Valley Riesling 2017

Often the Grosset Polish Hill doesn’t live up to its billing as perhaps Australia’s finest dry Riesling but with this 2017 it probably exceeds expectations. It is simply fabulous. Some ripe lusciousness to the mid palate amid lime and lemon notes, but finishes bone dry. My first of 4 bottles so I will enjoy the journey over the next 5+ years if I can keep my hands off it. HH said it is shaping up as one of the greatest Polish Hill Rieslings. — 5 months ago

Jan, Ira and 22 others liked this

Gran Moraine

Yamhill-Carlton Chardonnay 2017

Delicious and still young — 7 days ago

Ted and Jose liked this

Vine Hill Ranch

Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2023

Big polished and showing a hint of heat. Happily the oak isn’t too pronounced. For me this baby needs time. — 5 days ago

Tom, Joel and 2 others liked this

Penfolds

Koonunga Hill South Australia Shiraz Cabernet 2021

Good but nothing great only buy the small bottles for mid week wines — a month ago

Stony Hill

Napa Valley Chardonnay 2023

Refreshing and good mouthfeel, it was lacking in depth, length and on the simple side. — 2 months ago

Scott@Mister, Hermes and 3 others liked this

B.R. Cohn

Olive Hill Estate Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

Great wine. Elegant dark fruits. Rich. — 3 months ago

J. Rochioli

Little Hill Pinot Noir 2018

We had a vertical tasting of 2018 and 2020 Little Hill Single Vineyard PN. Both have similar bouquets and palates. Black cherry and minerality. 2020 is a little more floral. 2018 has a more darker tone; and that is good. Both have nice mouthfeels with smoothed out tannins. 2018 is a little more velvety. Both very good. It seems these PN need more time in the bottle — 4 months ago

Chalk Hill

Estate Red Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2021

Ming L
9.0

Drinking alongside the Sliver, the ‘21 Chalk Hill comes across as richer and more extracted, offering dense layers of blackcurrant, blackberry paste, dark chocolate, and roasted herbs. The palate is deep and mouth-coating, showing ample oak sweetness and firm tannins, but the concentration slightly outweighs its sense of balance. Power and ripeness dominate, giving a bold, muscular Bordeaux style expression. — 5 months ago

Tom and Bob liked this

Kistler

Vine Hill Vineyard Chardonnay 2016

Some lift on mid-palate with acid on finish. I’ll allow it. — 6 months ago

Scott@Mister, Dave and 18 others liked this
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego Premium Badge

Can still taste the 1988 vintage.