South River Vineyard
Kosta Browne
One Sixteen Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2022
Outstanding! Love this wine. Not too oaky. Not too buttery. Just the right balance. — 12 days ago
Leeuwin Estate
Art Series Margaret River Chardonnay 2015
Quite a light to mid lemon in colour for its 11 years of age. Nutty (almond and cashew) aromas. Oak has integrated. The palate shows those same nutty notes together with that trademark pear character with white nectarine. Overall still youthful. My remaining 3 bottles will easily see out this decade. — a month ago
Kosta Browne
Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2012
Cocoa, blackberry, smoke, and oak. Rich and pepper y. — a day ago
Penfolds
Grange South Australia Shiraz 1995
Gotham dinner party
Was a bit subdued but showed really nice complexity and fruit. — 4 days ago
Cloudy Bay
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024
This New Zealand Sauvignon blanc offers a bright nose with notes of lime, grapefruit, tropical fruit and sea salt at the end. It is a dry, acidic, medium bodied wine. Flavours of grapefruit and mango are present on the palette. It has a long finish beginning with tropical fruits and ending with sea salt. This wine paired well with sushi. — 7 days ago
Williams Selyem
Westside Road Neighbors Pinot Noir 2023
2023 vintage - it opened brighter than expected with bold ripe flavors and more fruit forward than expected. It was a nice surprise. After 30 minutes the flavors balanced a bit and tasted less bright and fruity and more balanced. The wife and I enjoyed the bottle. — 10 days ago
Williams Selyem
Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2023
What not to like about a W&S Pinot? Paired well with fresh Dungeness crab cakes and a salad. — 13 days ago
Freddy R. Troya
Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2023
South Australia 🇦🇺
Overview A more tightly wound and concentrated expression of Bin 389, showcasing the same Cabernet-Shiraz framework (Cabernet for backbone, Shiraz for richness) but delivered with greater tension, density, and youthful drive. This vintage leans more serious and structured than 2022, highlighting the fascinating impact vintage conditions have on balance, ripeness, and extraction in agricultural wines.
Aromas & Flavors Intense blackcurrant, crushed blackberry, dark cherry, and graphite dominate the aromatics, layered with fresh cedar, cocoa nib, and subtle minty spice. The palate is compact and powerful, showing darker fruit concentration, savory spice, and tightly coiled oak structure that promises excellent evolution with time.
Mouthfeel Full-bodied and more compact than the 2022. Tannins are firmer and more youthful, giving a punchier, more linear profile. The wine feels energetic and focused, with impressive density and length, clearly built for further integration.
Food Pairings Char-grilled steak or venison. Slow-braised beef cheeks. Pepper-crusted lamb. Smoked meats and firm aged cheeses.
Verdict A bolder, more muscular Bin 389 that trades immediate plushness for intensity and aging potential. A striking reminder of how vintage variation shapes personality, same blueprint, very different expression.
Did You Know? Penfolds sources fruit for Bin 389 from multiple South Australian regions, blending different terroirs and climates to build complexity, consistency, and layered structure across vintages.
🍷 Personal Pick If you enjoy tracking wine evolution, this is a fantastic candidate for short-to-mid-term cellaring, revisit in a few years to watch the structure melt into harmony. Also check my previous 2022 review!
— 8 days ago