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Highway 128

Antonio Vallana e Figlio

Spanna Colline Novaresi Nebbiolo 2019

Dave
9.4

Wow, this is spectacular! Plenty of life ahead of it, too. The wine is a very pale brick color. It is fresh and vibrant, but beautifully complex. Red sour cherries, juicy and acidic, leather, mint, a little dust on the rose petals. Medium plus on the tannins. I would love to have this with a lot more age. Should be a great wine for a charcuterie spread, and at $19 I feel like a highway robber.
Listening to Benjamin Gibbard and Jay Farrar — 18 days ago

Paul, Scott@Mister and 19 others liked this
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

@Dave, I knew zippo about this producer until maybe 16-18 years ago. There was an importer/retailer east of California where I purchased bottles of 1996/2000/2003 Vallana wines, I have a few left, but they seem somewhat immortal (I guess Nebbiolo is the key). I also purchased four vintages of the early 2000s Wynns Black Label Cabs from the same source (all sub-US$15), which I thoroughly enjoyed — @Bob McDonald could fill in on what a bargain those wines always are!!!
Dave

Dave

@Doug Powers , your stories never disappoint, and I don't know how you can remember so many wines with such clarity. I can barely remember what I've had this year without looking at my notes.
Bob McDonald

Bob McDonald Influencer Badge

@Doug Powers You are right Doug. Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world’s great wine bargains. Can’t remember exactly but now with a heritage of over 50 vintages.

Blankiet Estate

Paradise Hills Vineyard Merlot 2004

Stefan Lindberg
9.5


This is a wine that need lots of time in the decanter or big ass glass.

Trying to understand this wine from just pouring a glass and drinking it is pointless.

Full bodied (Imagine meatloaf in fight club, may he rest in peace) complex, super tight and vivid yet 18 years young. On the nose I sense tar (freaking new highway asphalt!) probably new and old reused oak. Scent of white spirit in that haze of tar before sweet jammy fruit appears between a rich autumn forrest with leaves that start to decompose in my nostrils. Mineral notes between iron, copper, gravel and a plummers jacket. This is by far a wine that I can’t decide if I like or love I’m intrigued by its mystique and bedazzled by its harsh appearance. These grapes must have grown on vines stuck with its roots deep in some serious steriod soil.
On the palate, long jammy blue fruit, violets, ripe black plum, blackberry, liquorice, tar, rich iron minerality towards licking your own wound. Long lasting finish going to sundried blue fruit, tobacco and jeez this wide palete with its perfectly integrated oak and smooth tannins.

I’m ready to give my verdict after 4-5 hours in the glass, I love this wine so much. — 3 years ago

Carneros Highway

Carneros Chardonnay 2019

Jonas Johansson
9.0

Some how I keep on pouring my glass with this one. Will buy more. — 5 years ago

Three Wine Company

Spinelli Vineyard Mataro 2015

Doug Powers
9.2

128-year-old Mataro vines from the Spinelli Vineyard in Contra Costa County, the dark black fruit aromas and flavors seem unmistakably Californian, quite ripe, still shows lots of structure and old vine intensity, long, lingering finish, last bottle but this is another outstanding wine from Matt Cline!! — 2 months ago

Jim Powers
with Jim
Tom, Vin and 6 others liked this
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

I used to order these wines through Wine Access years ago. I enjoyed them initially but then over time grew a bit weary of them because none of them weighed in at less than 15%. The fruit was impeccable. I love those old CC vineyards. But I prefer it when people like Ridge, Bedrock, and, to a slightly lesser degree, Sandlands, bring in and vinify those gorgeous old vine grapes at a slightly lower level of ripeness.
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

@Tom Casagrande, I can’t disagree with anything you’ve said, I wish these 3 Wines were more 14% than 15%, but I’ve way worse from some “name” southern Rhône wines (my favorite region in the wine world) — I guess it’s “climate change”??
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

If other wineries can source the fruit from the same CC old vineyards and come in under 15, that suggests that the difference is a conscious choice. But in the Southern Rhone, I think your point is more applicable. They’re primarily working with Grenache there, and, particularly in CDP and Lirac, it’s a real challenge to get phenolic ripeness without sugar levels that take you to 15 and beyond. I feel for those folks. Climate change is an existential challenge for them.

Highway 253

Gewürztraminer 2019

Joe Monaghan
9.5

A really great taste and good balance of acidity and taste. — 4 years ago

Marc Hébrart

Cuvée de Réserve Brut 1er Cru Champagne Blend

Tracy Hall
9.6

Winner! Mineral lime chalk soil with slight salinity in the nose. Mouthwatering cleansing palate that lingers. We really like this! 80% Pinot, 20% Chardonnay lot 128 disgorged Oct 15, 2019. TBL — 5 years ago

Shay, David and 8 others liked this

Penfolds

Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz 2008

Bob McDonald
9.2

Deep crimson in colour. Notes of blackberry and other black fruits, quite bold for a Coonawarra (cool climate) Shiraz. In this warmer year of 2008 in South Australia this wine tastes more like a Barossa or McLaren Vale Shiraz than a Coonawarra Shiraz. Dry herbal notes and verging on full bodied. Being a Penfolds Bin No. red it will easily pass 20 years in the cellar. Hasn’t got the usual spice and pepper of a Bin 128 in this warmer year. — 5 months ago

Andrew, Andrew and 20 others liked this
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

Fond memories of drinking older versions of this back in the day!!

Premiere Napa Valley

Tamber Bey Auction 16 Lot 128 Cabernet Franc 2010

Ron Siegel
9.2

This was from a barrel lot purchased from the annual Premier Napa Valley auction in 2012 with 100% Cab Franc. Our group purchased this because it was the most Bordeaux styled of all of the lots offered. It continues to develop & evolve into a nice drinking wine. — 2 years ago

Shay, Ira and 10 others liked this

Highway 12 Winery

SRB Sonoma County Red Blend 2019

Brian G
9.1

Oddly, this red blend from Sonoma from Costco … was delicious. Rich, fruity, deep fruit … like a fresh cab (?) I’d buy this again. — 3 years ago

Château de Beaucastel

Coudoulet de Beaucastel Côtes du Rhône Red Rhône Blend 2016

Mark Eastom
9.0

From magnum. This vineyard is just across the highway from the winery and the chateauneuf du pape appellation, thus cotes du rhone. But made the same way as all of their other reds. Spice, bramble fruit, incense, gravely minerality, medium tannins and nice acid. Should’ve waited, but on vacation, so.. 😁 — 4 years ago

Ira, Romain and 1 other liked this