Ericsson

9.0

Viognier at its maximum opulence and must say I prefer it in blends. Great wine: dry, complex with substantial nuance but a bit overboard. Cheers. — 3 years ago

Josh Morgenthau

9.2

Juicy, lively black and purple fruit; sappy blackberry, black currant and mint. Pungent, wafting fruit, musty with a touch of earth. Sweet and extracted (but not overboard) on the palate. Finishes with crushed stone, granite and bitter herbs. Only medium acid, but really packed with fruit and minerals that provide an energetic presence. Savory lingering finish. I think it will age nicely. Underrated (way) on delectable in my opinion. — 5 years ago

Adam Beasley

9.0

Full and ripe without going overboard. Dark, brambly fruit, black pepper, tobacco, vanilla. Not the most complex wine but very delicious. This is in the zone at 8 years old. — 6 years ago

Adam Beasley

9.0

I typically enjoy white Rioja and this is no exception. Deep golden color, subtle but apparent oak usage - very tactful. Bruised orchard fruit, dry hay, ripe citrus, and a green celery type thing. Heavy and oxidative, without going overboard with either element. Went surprisingly well with seafood gumbo, which I had no idea what to pair with. — 6 years ago

Shay A

9.4

BBQ & Zin night!

The most decadent of the zins tonight. It was high octane without being overboard. It was full bodied without being flabby. Ripe black and blue fruits in the nose with sandalwood and a baked cherry pie & toasted oak finish. Light on the pepper/spice. Drinking great now with plenty of life ahead. — 7 years ago

with Dan, Clare and 1 other

Corey Zamora, CSW

9.3

Terrific new world Pinot. Just enough ripeness without going overboard. Way to go Gary! — 8 years ago

Mike Mayer

9.4

Elegant aromas of dark fruit and spice on the nose. A full bodied wine with excellent structure that should allow this to be aged for a long time. The fruit comes thru without going overboard. Lots of dark plums, blueberries, figs, and expresso with a very nice element of oak. The finish is fabulous with an elegant expression of spice (maybe cinnamon or nutmeg) and dark fruit. A really nice wine. We will be visiting the winery next Monday. I can’t wait! — 8 years ago

with Lisa

Brandon Boesch

9.8

Is this the best zin in the world? Probably. This year is outstanding. Smell of plums, earth, a hint of vanilla, spice, cherry jam, earth. So freaking good! You get all the flavors you want from zin without the 15% abv and vanilla/oak overboard. — 4 years ago

Jim Anderson

9.4

Rochioli Cellar Master’s private label. Bright, yet deep. Classic RRV without going overboard. Cherry, raspberry, cranberry sauce, cola and tea notes. Textbook and tasty! — 4 years ago

Willie Carter

9.1

The palest of straw color with a seemingly infinite amount of tiny bubbles. There’s a touch of perfume on the nose upon opening but you quickly get the more customary champagne scents. Apricots, peaches, and honey with faded flowers and toast. 100% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, this is one of those champagnes mostly concerned with harmonious balance in the glass. Very crisp and cool, there’s nothing overwrought going on here, all the elements are working together. Delightfully creamy throughout with medium acidity and round all over. The palate follows the nose with just enough citrus fruit to please, without ever coming in danger of going overboard. The toasted brioche and lemon meringue compliment things nicely. This is one of the best values from Champagne that I’ve ever tasted, truly wonderful stuff. — 6 years ago

Randy Fuller

9.4

This deep, ruby red wine has enough black pepper on the nose to prompt a sneeze. There’s a ton of black fruit as well, along with licorice, tobacco and some rustic oak. The palate shows off it’s country side, too, with black and blue berries and an oak treatment that does not go overboard. Tannins are not extremely forceful, but there’s enough structure to make it worth your while to pair it with lean meat dishes or pasta.
— 7 years ago

Aaron Petersen

9.0

Sweeter but not overboard. Drinking with Jeremy — 8 years ago

JP Pierce

9.0

Acid to Sweetness mismatch. A bit overboard and a touch of Tang in the finish. Would love to see results in another vintage. — 8 years ago

with Heidi

Norman

9.4

Great aromatics enjoyed because I finally found a restaurant with nice glasses. Fun night with the wife and kids. Went overboard but everything was excellent. The wine took advantage of the setting and outperformed as well. Better to be lucky.... — 9 years ago

Willie Carter

9.2

California Syrah the way I like it. And I do definitely like it. A really pretty deep dark purple with a wide brim and little cherry red flecks. This nose is just plain silly good and exciting. Plums and raspberries abound here. Blackberries with a touch of fennel go a long way. The olive aromas are jumping out of the glass and my goodness it’s special. There’s a rich meaty, fatty aspect to the nose that just blows me away. Stupendous.

Every wine I have from Big Basin is just as good as the next one. All so good and so well crafted. Hailing from the Rattlesnake Rock vineyard in Santa Cruz and definitely fruit forward. At this age, it’s drinking with more refinement than you may expect. Classy and stylish but never forgets about the fun. A lesson in how to make a big and bold Syrah without even coming close to going overboard. Smoke and grilled meat in the mouth to go with the vibrant red and blue fruits. Black pepper and menthol. The finish is long and fulfilling. Don’t listen to me, seriously don’t. Just go taste it. — 4 years ago

Chris Zitzman

8.9

I may be biased going into this review because the Allegrini Valpolicella (‘17) just happened to be the perfect pick for the mood and tone of the night. So bear with me as I attempt to not go overboard.

Even on the first pour it’s lush and soft but lively, with notes of rhyme, a very pronounced lining of berries that frames the expectation. The pour on the palate, even the first glass on the table is a soft and yet juicy combination of those very berries framed by soft tannins.
...it’s just a joy. Upon decanting the Corvina that’s the main player not only softens and “smiles”- but opens upon the palate with deeper and richer notes. For such an affordable wine. This thing is joy in a glass.

The finish is what I think is the only MINOR gripe regarding the wine from this vintage. It’s good and chewy but a little abbreviated.

But it too grows with time to breathe.

Anyway: loved it. — 5 years ago

with Beth

Mark Flesher

9.4

Pours purple and inky. Lots of young sweet black fruit with a hint of blue. Getting a hint of sweet tobacco on the finish. Really obtuse in the middle but doesn't go overboard. Pulls back right when it needs to! The balance and structure of this wine is quite good. A really dense, inky monster now but I think is quite capable of 96 in a few years. — 7 years ago

with Dan, Weston and 1 other

Richard Carrasco

8.9

Fantastically crisp and refreshing. Acid without going overboard. Some Stone and stone fruits. — 8 years ago

Dave Hillsberg

8.9

Just the right touch of sweetness without going overboard — 8 years ago

with jon

David L

10

Go big or go home. @Martin G Rivard Thank you so much brother. You always go overboard!! I dig that about you.
You’re the man. @Shawn R What a night. -at NYC — 9 years ago