Ron R

9.7

Such a nice touch from Jason Moore (winemaker). Stunning without being OTT. Focused and pure blueberry jam with notes of dark roasted coffee. Pristine tannins keep this upright. Best product I’ve tasted from this producer.
My boys were impressed. — 2 months ago

with Andrew and Rick

Rob N

9.7

Exceptionally well-done. This actually has some notes of the Kobayashi I drank recently, although this had more alcohol. The wine had some smooth, grippy tannins (more than I recall from last time) — maybe I didn’t stand the bottle upright early enough (the winemaker calls for one week). I didn’t observe that. This wine gets better with air, winemaker calls for three hours. Best drunk cool. This is 63% petite syrah, 22.1% mourvèdre, 11.5% graciano and 3.4% viognier. 16.0% ABV, 98 points Robert Parker. $250. — 3 years ago

Matt

9.4

The last 3 or 4 btls of VT Have been very disappointing. This ‘05 has restored my faith. In general, I can find the winemaking to lack some soul, and I do believe bottle variation is an issue, but when VT hits it totally hits. This is firing on all cylinders, I would argue about to approach or at peak. Balanced, complex, depth and elegance, soulful! Crazy how persistent tannins have been in 2005 CNDPs, so ripe yet incredibly upright, granular, and muscular. May have to start opening more of them. Strawberry confit, roast plum, fig and prune, herbs, mint, cinnamon, saddle leather, stones. — 4 years ago

Wulf Losee

9.1

Pretty frigging good for a wine that was stored upright for at least 10 years (by mistake)! The cork was falling apart, and air must’ve been oxidizing the wine, but through it all, it shines! And maybe it was improved by the less than optimal storage. I’ve always found that the Cabs and Pinots from the Santa Cruz Mountains are tight-fisted tannic balls. Perhaps it takes some suboptimal storage to make these vintages blossom.

Anyway, sage and old leather on the nose. Slughtly unripe red fruit on the front. But a medium- to-heavy tannic structure kicks in on the middle palate, which makes this wine delicious! Not a very long finish, but the notes of sage kick in at the end. Very nice!

I wish I had more of this vintage in my collection, but I may have used them for an adjuvant for pasta sauce too early in their development. Maybe I needed to treat them badly to make them shine? — 2 months ago

Ron R

9.6

This has certainly evolved to a better place since our last tasting. The exotic fruit profile is amplified on the nose and mid palate. Roasted pineapple, nectarines and lychee present superbly. The weight on the mid palate is what commands your attention. Deftly balanced with enough weight to make you sit upright. Impressive for the duckets. — 2 years ago

with Anne-marie

Blake Walker

9.1

Cherry, menthol aromas. Medium bodied with medium acidity, more cherry fruit with earthy herbal flavors on the palate. Silky, smooth finish, hint of blackberry. Prior bottles of this vintage seemed to leaner/ greener, but not this one. Upright 5 days, decanted off sediment. — 4 years ago

Ron R

9.6

I showed this wine some respect today. First I carefully decanted it, as I rarely do. The nose displayed spice box with cardamon, cloves and a hint of cedar. The palate was powerful and dense. Loads of mature blueberries and black fruits. Tannins are bolt upright. Acidity is perfectly poised. Finishes sweet and with texture. For a second wine, it’s a crime. Has another 5-10 years of runway ahead of it. This is a serious wine. — a year ago

with Anne-marie

Mark Rosse

9.0

Stood upright for a week so the particles would settle in the bottom. I decanted so I could get a clear glass and could see the puff of sulfur and all the bubbles or effervescence in the decanter. Very yeasty for the first 30 minutes and took longer than that for it to lose the effervescence. Not sure if any of this helped or hindered the results 🫠 — 2 years ago

Aaron Rankin

9.0

24 hours upright and a double decant to remove the sediment, which was relatively modest. Dark, opaque purple red in color. Nose is a fragrant floral potpourri of pencil shavings, iron, and herbs. Palette shows tangy, tart blue and black fruits. Faded very fast. Drink quickly! — 4 years ago

Russ W

9.0

Here’s a wine experience that I’m excited to share. This 2000 vintage of ruffino riserva ducale gold sangiovese was a gift to my parents (who don’t drink) 15 years ago. It has since sat upright in my mother’s pantry. Lo and behold it found a new home and I am drinking a pleasantly matured wine. There’s tertiary leafy dessicated woodsy spice for days and still some acid to kick. Pretty cool experience for me. — 5 years ago

with Krystal