Will Stanley

9.0

First time in a while with the Muga Reserva, one of the region’s most ubiquitous wines – and often one of its great bargains, too. Of the various vintages that I’ve had, I can’t say I notice a consistent style, but the quality is there more often than not. The 2019 is a polished, suave affair but a little over-extracted for my taste. Though there is some savoury quality on the palate, I wouldn’t say the wine is very demonstrative of this region’s appeal. That said, it is very harmonious throughout, and the wines of Muga age well, so I look forward to seeing how this fares in another five years. — 2 years ago

Byron C Mayes

8.9

Bright, clear ruby. Shy (at first) nose of musty black cherry. Medium bodied palate of leathery cherry and birch. Not fruity by any stretch. Medium plus acidity and medium tannins make this a quintessential French food wine, a compliment to any place you’d normally take French Pinot Noir or Gamay. A perfect wine for rich fares of all cuisines. I’m upscaling my frozen pepperoni pizza. — 6 years ago

with Jay

Tiago Correia Machado

9.2

Though widely known in Portugal, I was still quite surprised to find it at a major supermarket in Brussels... for €5.50, which is pretty much the lowest threshold here.That said, this is a wine that has enough strength to withstand deep red meats (including heavier game), but also fares well with lighter cheeses. In a sense, it’s rather gourmand, too, so you’ll easily drink half a bottle on its own (and all by yourself) before you even realise it. At three years of age, it’s pretty much ready to drink out of the bottle (though some aeration won’t hurt, either), making it the ideal bring-along wine when going to a dinner party or hosting a larger group. A definite keeper! — 7 years ago

Erik Nordman

9.3

Some dynamite Sonoma Coast Syrah from Wind Gap. Like a slightly more plush Saint-Joseph, in the best way; still has all that bright, savory high-toned Syrah goodness in spades, it's just that the fruit is a little more forward and polished and it's slightly more lush on the palate than most Northern Rhône examples. Translucent with a medium/medium (+) intensity ruby hue fading to a darker hot pink rim. Medium (+) concentration of aromatics of perfectly ripe blackberry and blueberry fruit, drying thyme, kalamata olive, violets, an almost smoky crushed gravel soil character, and a slightly leathery character. On the palate, there's more pure, ripe blackberry and blueberry, fresh thyme, fresh violets, a granitic minerality, and some slight gamy savoriness. Medium/medium (+) acid, very fine medium (+) intensity tannin, medium bodied and texturally soft. Alcohol is moderate and not at all intrusive. Some really impressive stuff and I'd love to see how this fares with a bit more bottle age in the future.
— 9 years ago

with Cassie

Dr. Scott Vinculum

9.3

An excellent choice for all fares. Strong in flavor yet easy going with a cornucopia of fruit on the palate. I have a case of this in my cellar and pull it out for those special times. The corks seem to have weakened over the last few bottles and usually break on me, requiring filtering. Still it's one of my favs!
— 9 years ago

Michael Meyer

8.9

A kind vegetal/legume note that I wasn't expecting. We'll see how it fares with pappardelle and short rib. — 11 years ago

Peter Sultan

8.9

A mixed bag, possibly due to a semi poor ( crumbly) cork. Aged Nebbiolo can sometimes feel to me like Ms Haversham’s preserved room-fascinating how some of it’s spirit has been kept alive, but ultimately too musty to enjoy. Let’s see how next bottle fares. — 3 years ago

JKT

9.0

Good bright balanced Ripasso with enough acids and complexity wrapped with lively and stimulating texture perfect for pairing with variety of fares. AA7 value buy! — 6 years ago

Yen Boubel

9.3

This new vintage is actually from Sonoma County instead of Carneros. Really fresh and lean for Chardonnay. Ripe tropical fruits, Asian pear, white peach when I first smelled. Not too much malolactic going on so it’s very smooth and crisp on mid palate with a light touch of acidity afterwards. Seems like neutral or less new oak barrels were used as the vanilla and oaky flavors were subtle. This is perfect for summer fares or just paired well with Shrimps Scampi. — 7 years ago

Michael Meyer

9.1

I think their Cerequio fares better at this young age. Needs a lot of time but it will get there... — 8 years ago

Rich Bluth

9.0

Enjoyed this wine from a small 5 acre plot Ridge planted at Lytton Springs to see how this Italian Zin clone fares. Excellent! — 9 years ago

Jeremiah Bennett

9.3

Medium body, silky smooth tannin, well integrated acidity. Chocolate, dried black fruit, perfect food wine...Looking forward to how it fares with my duck aranciata — 9 years ago

Susan Visconti

9.7

Wow! King of Pinot Noir, maybe? I'd like to do a side by side with the Skywalker to see which fares better.
Soft, like a baby's blanket, balanced is an understatement. This is a well run symphony conducted by a master maestro! — 10 years ago

Sterling Miller

9.5

Honestly such a delicious and subtle red to pair with cheese or an evening with friends. Keep a few bottles of this one readily on hand, it fares well in so many spaces. — 6 years ago

Kenneth Doll

8.9

Not our favorite, perhaps spicier than expected. Then finished with a whimper; going to see how it fares on day 2.

Update: this needed to be free. Day two and three were much better. Smoothed it out and much more expressive. Definitely crept up on our list. — 6 years ago

with Tracy

Byron C Mayes

9.1

Deep ruby purple in the glass. Abundant nose of cassis, rhubarb, and light graphite. Fruit forward, full-bodied palate echoes the nose with medium acidity and medium plus, dusty tannins. Long, dark red finish wraps it all up. An excellent match for my cowboy rubbed porterhouse, and the perfect subject to test out my new Repour stoppers. ITD great now. I’ll be back over the course of the week to see how it fares. IF I don’t finish it all tonight! 😉 — 7 years ago

Seth Morgen Long

Broker • Arterberry Maresh / Winemaker • Morgen Long

9.1

Pleasurable, young and energetic. Would be interesting to see how it fares with bottle age. No malo. — 8 years ago

Rob Moose

9.3

The bottling that got me started on all this. Perhaps it's sentimentality, but i felt this had, still, an extra dimension. Broader, more on the palate, a stronger invitation to contemplate. Will see how the remainder of the bottle fares on day 2. Would definitely be a dealer's choice type of situation between this and Valmur. Slightly less power but more intrigue. Beguiling. — 9 years ago

Erik Nordman

9.3

Stupid good single-site Riesling from the Chehalem Mountains. Impeccable balance. Could totally see calling this as a high-quality Nahe kabinett if blinded on it but at the same time it still has a distinctly Oregonian aura about it. Nose of ripe nectarine, key lime, and honeydew, pure, slate-y wet stone minerality, cherry blossom, subtle cardamom and nutmeg spice, and just a touch of petrol starting to show. Palate echoes the nose, channeled through bracing high acid and an extra layer of flinty mineral focus. Moderate concentration, medium (-) body but with great texture from neutral oak fermentation and elevage and possibly some lees influence as well. As referenced above, sweetness is comparable to some of the less sweet German kabinett wines; delightfully off-dry. Deliciously quenching. Gonna hoard a couple bottles of this because I'd love to see how this fares with a bit more development in bottle. — 9 years ago

Brandon Granier

9.2

Sour ale with vibrant cherry fruit and some wood to add vanillin structure. More fresh than funky, and a lighter body fares well with salads and fatty pub dishes, excluding heftier meats. — 10 years ago