Jay Kline

9.3

Splash decanted about 90min prior to service. The 2022 “Les p’tits bouts” pours a deep purple color with an opaque core; medium viscosity with significant staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with wild notes of brambles, dried purple flowers, animale, wet rocks, minerals, funky herbs and spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and packed with rocky minerals giving a tart, Fun Dip sensation. It’s maybe a touch mousy, retro-nasally (and considering the winemaker and his mentor, it’s somewhat understandable). Perhaps this bottle went a little rogue, (previous experience with this vintage was a touch cleaner) but still giving the sense of place and loads of delight! Drink now with patience through 2042+. — 3 days ago

Robert Murray

9.1

Excellent - liked it immediately. Not too dry , not too sweet. Mentor showed us a thing or two about Portuguese wine. — 5 years ago

Ross Bathgate

9.0

A nice surprise. A gift for my 50th from a good friend and mentor. Typical ripe fruit and exotic spice of Zinfandel but restrained and fresh. Really enjoyed it. 👍 — 6 years ago

Shay A

9.3

WNH Morgado Virtual Wine Tasting with winemaker Kimberley Hatcher and mentor Russell Bevan.

When I saw this as an option to try for the tasting, I immediately jumped at the opportunity to try Sugarloaf mountain cab franc and merlot fruit. I love these types of blends. In the glass, it sports my favorite color of wine...deep red and black, and a hint of purple. At this point, I noticed a Jekyl & Hyde with this wine when it came to temperature. Right at pop and at cellar temp, the cab franc was very expressive with notes of violets, potpourri, herbs de Provence and a brambly character. When it warmed in the decanter following a few hours, the merlot dominates and sports fondue dipped black cherries, underripe blackberries and high percentage dark chocolate. It gets a bit clumsy as it warms, so I suggest keeping this cool. The palate shows added notes of tobacco leaves, black currant, juicy dark fruits and a youthful finish. Powerful, but sexy. I think this improves with another few years in bottle. — 6 years ago

with Mike, Shawn and 5 others

Severn G

9.1

Nose has cold raspberry and sliced strawberry.

Palate has strawberry mousse and raspberry grated into limestone slabs.

Simple notes, yes, but a very nice bottle. A sparkling wine (Brut) from Provence, or the more wider Méditérranée IGP. This IGP shares its land with AOC appellations as varied as Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Bandol and Côtes de Provence. Information as shared by my dear wine mentor friend, David T.

First time I've ever had a sparkling wine from Provence, neat stuff here. — 7 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.9

Tribute to Romain. In one word, transcendent. For the most part because of the wine, but I can't deny that the occasion and company was also a major factor. A blind among people I hold dear to and one I consider my mentor.

I admit that there isn't much on my tasting notes. I remember how intoxicating the nose was on the 96' and how fast the bottle went from full to nil. A true succees! Notably, the 96' is in that drinking window where the fruit and terrior shone brightly, while the 95' was still blocky and dense. — 8 years ago

Mark S.

9.0

It took a time to wake it up. Later, getting balanced. Elegant type. Forest floor, oak, clove, nutmeg. Mentor. Boyd Cantnac 92 @, , 250910 — a year ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

Brief notes. I’ve never rated Cabernet from the Barossa as high as Cab from other SA areas like Coonawarra or McLaren Vale but this Mentor was very good. Very dark in colour with leafy black currant notes. Matured for 18 months in French oak hogsheads the influence from which has been totally absorbed/resolved. Perfect balance. See previous note from February 2020. — 3 years ago

Jeanne gills

9.3

From my mentor Sharon. — 6 years ago

Nancy Pan

8.9

It shows complexity on the nose, savory and gamey, but still full of dark fruits, herbs and spices. Silky tannins, hard to tell it is a 8 years wine. Lack of complexity on the palate, juicy and attractive. May develop complexity after further aging. Barossa Cab is under evaluated comparing to its Shiraz — 6 years ago

Alec Jeffery

8.9

A full weighted Barossa wine, lacks structure to be top draw Cabernet. — 7 years ago

Hum

8.9

Trying not to be partial because I love the grape, Descombes is approaching his old mentor in Lapierre here, but a little more focus on Brouilly’s vinous and herbal qualities. Fruit still is fresh. — 7 years ago

Shay A

9.3

Day 2 of Napa in the books!

Quick lunch with my friend Jason Moore of Modus Operandi Cellars. He was Weston’s (of Montagu Wines) mentor and is a fellow Texan! He submitted his wines for review for the very first time last year after 10+yrs, and received multiple 92-97pt wines. This SB is so much better than expected...tropical and explosive. Not quite on Arkenstone or Aesthete SB level, but the richness and round texture are very similar. Kiwi, stone fruit, nectarine and a melon/cantaloupe finish. If you enjoy big style SB, not sure there is a better Napa Valley one at $40. — 8 years ago

Harry Pratt

9.6

Shared this bottle with Lisa, Claire and her mentor Robin. — 8 years ago

Jose Lorenzo

9.5

Last night with my mentor in life and business. Thx Wally. — 2 years ago

Thien Bui

9.2

My mentor Chef Emile lead me to this lovely wine thank chef , — 3 years ago

Ellen Clifford

9.3

A wine complex both in flavor and personality, keeps me guessing keeps me going. Salmon pink fun to the eye then smell…earth. This is more than frilly fun. Sip, amd whoa! This is neither a partier nor someone tied to the earth. It’s a sophisticate. A sophisticate who dabs Rosé water behind their ears. A sophisticate who sips mineral water and pomegranate juice. A sophisticate who also maybe picked those roses and likes a strawberry jolly rancher at the end of the day, taking it all back to frilly fun. What a time to drink rosado. I want this rosado as a mentor. — 5 years ago

Shay A

9.3

WNH Morgado Virtual Wine Tasting with winemaker Kimberley Hatcher and mentor Russell Bevan.

Coming from Steiner Vineyard in Bennett Valley (not familiar with the vineyard at all), this 2016 is, for me, in the same vein as a Kongsgaard or Hudson Chardonnay. When poured in the glass, it was golden and appeared oxidized. I anticipated it to be heavy and overly rich, but it wasn’t. Aromatically it showed honey roasted nuts, touch of orange marmalade, and herb crusted yellow fruits. On the palate, there is really nice acidity followed by more herbal yellow fruits, lemon cream pie crust and a finish showing a mix of cotton candy and lanolin. This goes through a similar “death and resurrection” type winemaking process (if I’m not mistaken), a process that John Kongsgaard made famous. It has a very Hudson/Carneros feel to it. Very enjoyable now. — 6 years ago

with Carl, Eric and 6 others

Steve Anderson

9.3

Fifth and last bottle of the 1992 over the past seven years, and all have shown well. Red fruits, spice, earth and still relatively fresh. Thought this wine fit the loose theme of Scythian/Nomadic wines since it was an Oregon Pinot made by a Santa Barbara winemaker (Jim Clendenen). Had the privilege of pouring this for @Rajat Parr at the event, not knowing that Jim was his winemaking mentor. A fun, entertaining and educational evening last week! — 8 years ago

Ali

9.5

Gracias mentor!!!!! — 8 years ago