Tom Garland

9.4

+1hour decant(decent sediment). A wondrous deep purplish magenta color. On the nose: expressive perfumed notes of blackberry, dark plum, eucalyptus, herbaceous, cigar box, dark chocolate. Taste: silky, opulent, structured teeth staining wine with dark cherry/blackberry, loamy soil, dark chocolate, and long minerally cedar finish. YUM!! 1st vintage and aging nicely...from the famed To Kalon vineyard and made by Andy Erickson. — 2 months ago

with Brenda

Jeremiah Diaz

9.2

Clear, deep ruby in color (almost purple); on the nose, it's clean with pronounced primary and secondary aromas of black cherries, cassis, and graphite; on the palate, it's dry with medium acidity, medium tannins, medium alcohol, medium body, and pronounced primary and secondary flavors of black plum, violets, blueberries, and wet slate with a long finish. This wine is intense and complex, but could use a bit more acidityto balance the fruit. Overall, I rate this wine as very good. Nellie liked it with food. — 9 months ago

with Nellie

Bruce Dunbar

9.1

Really fantastic with many years to become more refined. The 2022 Areio from Bedrock’s Evangelho vineyard is deep and dark and full of violet on the nose and light pinkish purple in the glass. It’s incredibly smooth then there’s a bite of red berry and a finish of leather and baking spice as you work through its structure. — 2 years ago

Neil Valenzuela

9.0

Deep purple. Aromas of black cherry, black currant, raspberry and earthy tones. Juicy, black fruit and black tea finish. My favorite of the Hobo Wine Co. tasting. — 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.4

Blend of 90% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot & 5% Tannat, aged 20 mos French oak. LaJota has deep roots in Napa, in 1888, wine pioneer W.S. Keyes planted the first vines on Howell Mountain, 10 years later LaJota Vineyard established, named for location on Mexican parcel Rancho La Jota. Deep Ruby, rich berry fruit aromas & herb spice. On the palate blackberry & cherry flavors with sweet spice, licorice & cacao notes, rich & tangy. Soft full tannins, long finish ending with oak & earthy herbs. Just starting to drink now, will cellar for a decade. — 5 years ago

Alton Komori

9.3

2016 - Luscious bouquet, deep garnet hue, great mouthfeel and long, smooth finish. — 6 years ago

Mark

9.3

Not as good as the 2015 but after a few hours gets really good—deep and layered. — 6 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.4

Michael Cruse’s wines deserve more recognition than they receive. His single vineyard bottlings are spectacular. His style is lean, fruity, and a dedicated employment of whole cluster press.

This Evangelho Carignan has a deep purple color in a medium, full body. There is bright blackberry, oak, and sandalwood. Intensely concentrated, on the serious structured side of the spectrum for the Cruse portfolio. — 7 years ago

Chris Zitzman

9.3

A blend of Zinfandel, Grenache, Mataro (among others) combine to bring a deep, lush, and leggy ruby hue to what’s already a stunner as it’s just begun to breathe. It’s a full-bodied, rich wine without a doubt. The nose is pronounced and reveals oodles of macerated raspberries. The quick decant has really helped to soften the acidity and without a doubt has helped to reveal both the texture and depth. This is a big, bold wine that has received massive scores from top critics, but I feel I may be missing something here in the translation. While the depth of the wine is clear, it really required the steak we had with it in order to lighten the sheer intensity of the wine. It needed to be paired to unveil its complexity, at least to me. Could be the wine’s youth as the Old Hill Ranch will undoubtedly become more and more accessible with some bottle aging. The famed critic Antonio Galloni gave this wine a 98 point score, so who am I to argue with it. Could be this one just flew over my head. I’ll be happy to revisit this puppy in a decade though ;). — 8 months ago

with Beth

Joan Mutschelknaus

9.1

Deep & hearty/jammy red blend of cab franc, cab sauv, & ? — 9 months ago

Jason Sliwa

9.2

Deep straw color. Elegant full body. A bit fizzy perhaps. Very enjoyable. — 4 years ago

with Vicki

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Founded 1972, Tom & Sally Jordan, from CO, went to CA’s wine country & produced inaugural vintage in 1976. A Fav of mine with a steak, and the ‘17 hits the mark! Blend of mostly Cab Sauv with Merlot, Petit Verdot & Malbec. Deep Ruby with aromas of red fruit, floral & spice. On the palate flavors of cherry, blackberry and fig with oak, sweet spice, leather & cacao notes. Rich tannins, well balanced and integrated with fruit & oak. Very Nice! — 4 years ago

Jay Kline

9.5

A continuation of some 1981’s that I’ve been opening to celebrate my 40th and this might be one of the biggest revelations yet. Over the last 20 years of my education, I’ve had the honor of being humbled countless times by wines, both good and not so good. However, every now and again, a wine comes along that challenges basic conventions and broadens my perspective. This was such a wine. Popped and poured; served alongside an assortment of grilled fare. The cork was about as healthy I’ve seen from a wine at 40 years. It came out mostly intact save for a small piece that was easy to remove but it served as a reminder that I ought to spend the money on a Durand. The color is deep garnet with some ever so slight browning at the edge of the rim. There is some fine sediment towards the bottom of the bottle but it’s otherwise quite clear. The nose was immediately engaging and full of interest. Predominate notes of old leather, dark cherry, mushrooms, black pepper, tobacco, and sweet baking spices. On the palate, the wine was rich, redolent. A mix of dark, mostly desiccated fruit, pipe tobacco, and baking spices. The real star however was the structure. Everything was still in its right place. Tannins were noticeable though clearly softened with age and very well integrated at this point. The acid provided all the necessary lift and a perfect zip to the finish. A wine of supreme balance. The four of us who shared this bottle looked at each other in wonder and amazement. A truly special wine that has years of life ahead. I have little doubt that it will still be handsome at 50. — 5 years ago

Andrew Holod

National Sales Grapes of Spain

9.1

Vibrant purple. Deep fruit character, subdued spice elements for Syrah. The main palate impression is of dense, extremely fine grained tannins than beg another sip. Paired w grilled lamb chops scented w garlic, oregano and rosemary, which seems an ideal match. — 7 years ago

Neil Valenzuela

9.4

A nice comparison of French St. Julien and French winemaker, in the US with a Napa Cab.
The 1972 vintage was one of the legendary five Cabs selected for the 1976 Paris Tasting.

This 1975, had a deep garnet color with a brick rim. Loads of blackberry on the nose, casis and earthy notes. Fruit forward, black fruit and plum dominate, nice tannins. This wine definitely evolved through the evening.

Previous Notes Apply to the 75 St Julien:
Deep ruby color. Aromas of red fruit, leather and earthy notes. Amazing flavors, blackberry, black currant, tobacco and baking spices.

🏅92 Points - Decanter — 9 months ago

with Quentin

Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Clos du Val – Cabernet Sauvignon “Hirondelle Vineyard” 2021
Stags Leap District AVA, Napa Valley, California, USA🇺🇸

Overview
A beautifully structured blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec, sourced primarily from the estate’s historic Hirondelle Vineyard in Stags Leap District. Known for its elegance and precision, the 2021 vintage reflects the unique terroir of this famed sub-AVA, balancing power with finesse.

Aromas & Flavors
Deep and inviting bouquet of ripe blackberry, cassis, and plum, lifted by violet and lavender florals. Subtle touches of vanilla, spice, and pine add layers of complexity. On the palate, dark fruit richness is framed by notes of cranberry, espresso, and toasted oak.

Mouthfeel
Silky and full-bodied with velvety tannins, a generous mid-palate, and a long, smooth finish. The freshness of the 2021 vintage shines through, balancing its concentration and depth.

Winemaking Notes
The wine undergoes careful sorting and vinification to showcase the purity of Stags Leap fruit. Barrel aged in French oak, lending elegance and integrated spice while preserving freshness and varietal character.

Food Pairing
Outstanding alongside grilled ribeye, lamb chops, short ribs, or venison. Also pairs elegantly with truffle risotto, wild mushrooms, or aged cheeses like Comté and Pecorino Toscano.

Verdict
A powerful yet graceful Napa Valley Cabernet, showing off the pedigree of Hirondelle Vineyard. Already drinking beautifully, yet has the structure to evolve gracefully over the next decade. — a year ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.1

Ripe, deep red, rich and round. Nice balance of dark berry fruit and zippy acidity. Nice aroma of blackberry, plum and earth. One of California’s great QPV bargains. Burgers, sautéed Zucchini, and very fresh mashed potatoes…. Fall/winter comfort food and wine. — 5 years ago

Steve Gerths

9.0

1896 vines. Deep red blackberry flavor. Just south of Geyserville in Alexander Valley — 5 years ago

Chris

8.9

Beautiful deep cherry red. Enjoyed as a casual sipper over grilled steak dinner. Syrah #2 for the evening. — 6 years ago

with Beth

Matt Perlman

9.0

Friendsgiving = Bedrock. Majority Zin field blend. Deep, saturated purple, plush texture, ripe cherries and plums, herbs and flower potpourri, energetic and fresh as always — 7 years ago