Bob McDonald

9.5

Very dark Ruby - almost black - opaque at 19 years. Herbal and minty with cassis and tobacco leaf. On the palate still tasting young. An exceptional vintage for Moss Wood. I bought a dozen on release and have 5 left which I will drink over the next 10+ years. A brilliant cross between the black fruits of SA Cabernet and the Herbaceousness of Margaret River Cabernet. In the end the latter wins out in this exceptional Cabernet. See previous 4 Delectable notes on this vintage. — 2 years ago

Bret Small

9.2

Complex, balanced, bit of apricot on the nose, nice long finish—do NOT drink too cold, leave a glass at room temp for 20 min after coming out of frig — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

Herbal aromas (typically Margaret River) with Geranium Capsicum and a touch of menthol. Some green notes - medium weight. Savoury wins out over Cassis and black fruits. Not in the upper echelon of Margaret River Cabernet. Just a silver medal. We went to the Cellar Door some years ago and the story goes that the Reserve Cab was served at the wedding of Prince Frederick of Denmark to Sydney Real Estate agent Mary Donaldson originally from Tasmania now Crown Princess Mary and one day will become the Queen of Denmark. Fred is a keen sailor who was representing Denmark at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and they met at Sydney hotspot The Slip Inn where Fred was flashing his Black AMEX so the story goes and was captivated by Mary and the rest is history. — 6 years ago

William Douglas

9.8

3/6.75/9.75 = 19.5 out of 100 say 98
Eight year Kevin John - lovely with pear on the nose and pear with perfectly balanced acid on the palate. Sets a high benchmark for all premium Chardonnay. — 2 years ago

S.S. Mandani

9.0

My new love is Barbaresco. I’ve recently become friends with a few guys down the block who own and work at a wine shop in the West Village.

From time to time, they enjoy opening up a couple of bottles on slower days like Sunday eves. One night, we tasted an amazing Barbaresco. That’s the thing with wine, the longer you learn, the pricier your taste gets.

This isn’t quite the same level of bottle we had opened, but as an entry at about $40, it’s something I can open up on a casual Thursday night.

The crushed rose petals are there, but it’s muted by a bit more of a soil-forward bouquet.

I see the similarities, but it’s lacking in a bit of elegance that can come in a level or two higher.

A bit more tannins than acidity. It’s out of balance. I think I’ve been spoiled because I’ve had a great example. But this is still fine Italian wine, happy to be drinking it. — 3 years ago

Bob McDonald

8.9

Funky solids notes on nose. The palate was just medium weight with grapefruit, under ripe stone fruits and plenty of acid reflecting its youth. Would cellar for up to 5 years - not sure how much mid palate fruit would be left by then. Good modest price drinking and great QPR at $21 AUD. Had another bottle 174 weeks later. Has filled out nicely since the previous tasting. Amazing quality for the price. Now rated at 92 points. — 5 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

First found this wine probably 11 years ago at the Annual Cape Mentelle Cabernet tasting where Cape Mentelle pits their wine against leading Cabernets from around the world including Bordeaux, Napa, NZ, and other Australians. On this occasion the 2008 vintage. This Houghtons stood out on the day. Dense in colour Barb said pitch black. Dusty cassis notes - oak is there but it doesn’t dominate - balanced and delicious. — 3 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

Aromatics of Talc, white flowers a little peach and grapefruit. On the palate citrus and peach with diminishing acid. Just a fabulous mature Riesling with just a hint of petro chemical developing in the form of paraffin. It stamps the Great Southern in Western Australia as one of the premium Riesling districts in Australia. One of the 1001 wines and deserves to be. James Halliday wrote “year in, year out, one of Australia’s best Rieslings”. — 4 years ago

Johnno Harris

9.5

Fantastic. Nothing out of place here. Open ripe cassis & blackberry fruit notes with a subtle lick of mint and dried herbs supported by some classy sweet mocha oak. Good to go now with a bright future ahead. — 5 years ago

Connor Smith

9.5

#Nebbiolo is a surprisingly rare grape. Even in its native Piedmont, it accounts for only 8% of vineyard land. There are fewer than 100 hectares planted in the United States. 🕵️‍♂️🍇
Over 80% of prewar Italian immigrants came from Sicily and Southern Italy. Piedmont was the wealthiest and most politically dominant region. But if fortunes were reversed, could Nebbiolo have taken Primitivo/Zinfandel’s place as a grape relatively uncommon on the boot but dominant in California? 🤔🇮🇹🇺🇸
Probably not. The Nebbiolo vine is *not* for beginners. It flowers early and ripens late, making it susceptible to both spring and autumn frosts. It loves the occasional fog bath (some say the name is derived from ‘nebbia’, Italian for fog ☁️☁️☁️) but is prone to the mildew that may result from such humid conditions. Its fussiness would make Pinot Noir blush: it demands southwesterly exposure, a proper gradient, constant sun above, and fog licking at its toes. #diva
Sound anything like California’s Central Coast? 🌅
In the Santa Maria Valley, where the East-West Transverse Range bends back into the North-South Coastal Range, it’s possible. Vineyard selection still requires extreme discretion - an eye like @JimClendenen’s, perhaps.
Jim began the Nebbiolo program at the legendary #BienNacido vineyard in 1994. Production is small, but if you track down his “The Pip” Nebbiolo, it will only run you about $30. You’ll believe anything is possible when you have real California Nebbiolo of this quality come wafting out of the glass at you! 🙌🙌
🏞.“The Pip” is named after Jim’s old cellar dog Pip, a border collie. So it only seemed right to include one of our own pips! 🐈 — 6 years ago