romo

9.4

Fantastic funnel finish. A clear transparency shines with a naked truth. Wow. — 8 months ago

Ericsson

9.1

Good wine but straight to the truth: herby finish on this merlot, gets better with time, but doesn’t quite turn. — 3 years ago

Lars Miller

8.9

Compost on the nose, although we just opened this 6 year old bottle. So, ok. Truth time. We've had carmenere wines before and thought they were oddly flavored, off balanced, and overall not so great. Whew! Got that off my chest. This wine shows some real promise. Fully flavored with lovely red fruits, smooth tannins and silky finish. We enjoyed this and am sure it will open up. — 4 years ago

Chris Books

9.0

Not too sweet, light and crisp — 5 years ago

Ian Hamel

9.3

202 spring / summer. I wonder if my ratings are suffering from inflation, but the truth is often I would be happy doing all of my drinking from de Villaine’s range. This particular Fortune was notably more developed than the 2017 or 18, in a good way - lots of woodsy complexity over the brighter berry fruit. — 6 years ago

Romain Fitoussi

9.0

wine to decant two-three hours to fully enjoy its aromas. Strong notes of caramel, chocolate or tobacco. the tannins although present remain flexible. it is an organic wine from the south west of France that tells the truth. no oak barrels or other artifices, the fruit and the earth speak and give us to taste a robust wine without exaggeration that will be associated with a southern meal. Very good value for money. — 7 years ago

Dean Bernal Sr.

9.5

2014 Voir Dire. n. an oath taken by jurors to tell the truth. Crisp & clean. Hints of light tobacco and soft corinthian leather with a light fruit finish. Smooth and silky. Great with a hearty meal of slow cooked pot roast and earthy mushroom rice. 👍🏼 — 7 years ago

with Jeff, April and 2 others

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Truth & Valor – Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
Paso Robles – California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
Paso Robles’ warm climate and calcareous soils make it a hotspot for bold, plush Cabernets. Truth reflects the authenticity of the vineyard, while Valor honors the winemaker’s courage to let terroir shine with minimal intervention.

Aromas & Flavors
Ripe blackcurrant, blackberry jam, and plum dominate, accented by mocha, vanilla, and baking spice from oak. Subtle notes of dried sage and graphite bring a savory undertone beneath the fruit.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied and plush, with generous tannins wrapped in a velvety texture. Balanced by moderate acidity, the finish is long, ripe, and polished.

Food Pairings
Best with grilled ribeye, smoky BBQ brisket, or lamb chops. Also pairs beautifully with hearty pasta dishes or a wedge of aged Gouda.

Verdict
A bold yet polished Paso Robles Cabernet. Fruit-forward, structured, and satisfying — a wine that wears its California sunshine with pride. 🍷cheers! — 9 months ago

Adriana Fabbro

8.9

Very drinkable Cali sauv blanc that grows on you with time in the glass. Had at virtual tasting with Bodkin’s Chris Christensen and he told the story of how the fruit that went into this wine wasn’t from his main vineyard in Lake County (too much smoke damage in 20) but a blend of fruit contributed by good friends of his at 3 Sonoma wineries that had better luck that year —talk about a wine being the story of a vintage! A softer, rounder Sauv B that’s light on the grassy/grapefruit/quince notes, with more lemon, stone and tropical fruit. Great story teller and great winemaker! — 4 years ago

Jemma Walton

9.6

Lovely. Fresh and not too sharp. Andy liked it as well. — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Main course is a Beef Tenderloin Roast with Rosemary, Crispy Duck Fat Potatoes, Sautéed Greens. The beef is among the most tender (cut it with a fork) & flavorful we’ve had.

From magnum. The nose shows; dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, plum, anise, dry soils, dry crushed rocks, some graphite, cigar, dark, rich earth, blue/purple fruit cola, very soft dark spice with blue and purple florals set in lavender.

The body full, lush & thick. The tannins, rounded, tarry and velvety chewy. The structure & tension have hit its stride but, a little leaner than I’m used to in a Phelps Cabernet. The length and balance are exactly what I expect from them. It’s elegant, ripe & juicy. Dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, plum, anise to black licorice, cinnamon, soft clove, vanilla, nutmeg, dry soils, dry crushed rocks, moist clay some graphite, cigar, leather, limestone, dry herbs, dark, rich earth, blue/purple fruit cola, very soft dark spice with blue and purple florals set in lavender. The acidity is a gentle rain shower. The long finish is delicious and persists into a dark spice.

Perfect with Hedy’s Boeuf.

Wine is peaking in Magnum with another 5-8 years ahead.

The “Truth” which, is the very bottom, concentrated part of the bottle is a 9.3.

Merry Christmas! 🎄🎅🤶🎁🦌❄️⛄️🍷 — 7 years ago

David Saenz

9.2

Delicious and tasty — 7 years ago

with Megan

Thomas Brenner

9.2

There are some places in the world where they view present day America as a place where we expect to be happy. Should we feel bad they live in places where you should just expect hardship? We live in a time and place where we can focus on building our inner selves and have a chance at....When we're not constantly putting out fires we can really focus on...should that be a source of shame. When the desperate struggle to find food and shelter is finally behind us, we can turn our attention to other sources of pain and truth.
This is the kinda wine you feel bad about being able to enjoy. I feel privileged. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

It’s a night of first year consecutive decades, 90 & 80. Enjoyed in reverse order

From the same technical team as Leoville Las Cases.

Another great Clyde Beffa direct purchase from the Chateau or Negociant.

Still ripe older Bordeaux fruits with smoothed out lead pencil. Blackberries, black raspberries that lean into pudding, black plum, darkest, cooked cherries, raspberries edges, baked rhubarb and hues of poached strawberries. There is nothing that bites back. Dark chocolate, smooth mocha, caramel, soften baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, old tobacco w/ ash, used leather, dry top soil, limestone powder, black licorice to anise, dry river stone, fresh & withering dark, red flowers, amazing, rainfall acidity and a well; balance, structured, knitted and smartly polished finish that lasts 90 seconds.

Steak slow cooked in the oven at graduating low heats and then seared at 1300 degrees, 30, 30, 30 & 30. .

“The Truth is Inside” is an expression about the very bottom of a bottle of wine. Tannin soaked & it never lies. Typically the best part of the bottle. 93 that lands 94 in truth. I always leave two-three inches of wine in bottle just because it is always slightly better than the rest of the bottle. It is more concentrated. — 2 years ago

Michelle M

9.1

Nice spiced berry nose of blackberry bramble, blueberry with notes of char, clove, and hints of brown sugar in the bouquet. Soft and smooth blackberry galette with weak black tea and a subtle spice on a medium long finish. Better on the second day, still holding up on the third. Great value, would buy again.
— 4 years ago

Matt

9.4

So happy to get this in the glass. Have not seen around CA, used to buy back home. Incredible terroir here, absolute truth in the glass. Steep, decomposed granite and old vine Syrah! Intensely deep black fruit, explosive florals, hot stones, iron, crushed apricot, resinous herb, cocoa powder. Loving the balance now, this will age beautifully. — 4 years ago

Julia Metro

9.2

Super juicy, mineral notes, great chilled. Party in your mouth, would drink all summer (and spring and fall and winter). — 6 years ago

Jake Hajer

9.2

10 in 19. Still wonderfully integrated. Restrained and elegant, was shocked that it was 14.9 abv. Tobacco. Red savory fruit. Medium-full. — 7 years ago

TheSkip

9.5

What a tremendous IPA. None of that annoying harsh bitterness but also not overly flowery. Delightful! — 7 years ago

Keith Herrick

9.5

😂😂😂 this was popped with no expectations, next to the sink so we could quickly pour it down the drain. the wine ended up being beautiful! The fruit is all secondary of course, bust still tons of dried tart cherry and forest floor. It is refreshing and zero signs of oxidation. Not sure if there is truth to this, but I was told that it had belonged to R Welland. — 8 years ago