| Winery | Special Designation | Vintage | Varietal | Rating | DateTasted | Notes | Buy Again? |
| Alto Moncayo | Spain | 2015 | Grenache | 93 | 1/31/2025 | Great, dark, rich wine with wonderful aged notes. 16% alcohol. | y |
| Trader Joes | Reserve Arroyo Seco, Monterey County Lot #262 | 2023 | Chardonnay | 91 | 1/31/2025 | This wine starts out with a bang of Meyer lemon and grapefruit on the nose. There is very little evidence of malolactic conversion or oak on the nose. This feels like a steel cask fermentation with only a touch of oak and ML. Good intensity of fruit on the nose. A bit of pear, baked apple and melon as well. All of this is well balanced.
But it is the palate where this wine shine. Take a taste and you get full body (lovely thick texture), medium long finish, great acidity -- and all with amazing concentration of balanced flavors. One flavor we got on the palate that is not visible on the nose is a hint of burnt sugar that goes well with the fruitiness. This is a really nice Chardonnay for food or just sipping.
TJs . . . nailed it. | y |
| Trader Joes | Reserve Vinsobres Lot #263, Cru des Cotes du Rhone | 2023 | Rhone Blend | 92 | 1/31/2025 | This is 52% Grenache and 48% Syrah. The blend is spicy on the nose with dill, cinnamon and clove. Blackberry, garrigue, dried herbs and flowers, cassis, black pepper and a touch of licorice. The nose is med+ on concentration.
But that palate is really nice. Long finish, med+ body, high flavor concentration, high acid and med+ tannins.
The berry and spice flavors are intense and concentrated. But for me (at least) the wine paints a sweet stripe down the center of my tongue that is delightful. Its not a sweet wine. This is a trick played by the fruit. Very concentrated, very pretty, very balanced. Keep wines like these coming, TJs. | y |
| Brovelli-Bettini | Napa Valley | 2013 | Cabernet Sauvignon | 94 | 1/30/2025 | The best cab of the bunch. | y |
| Domaine Phillipe Livera | Gevry-Chambertin Les Evocelles, Grand Vin de Bourgogne | 2021 | Pinot Noir | 88 | 1/30/2025 | Plenty of dry flowers and herbs on the nose and palate.? Imagine, dry cherry, red currant, medicinal qualities and red plum.
The palate has a medium body, medium finish, high acidity, medium tannins and med+ concentration. | n |
| Domaine Phillipe Livera | Gevry-Chambertin Cote DOr | 2021 | Pinot Noir | 92 | 1/30/2025 | There is raspberry, red currant, red cherry, jam and fresh cremini mushroom.
The palate shows high acid, med+ tannins, full body, good concentration of fruit and a long finish.
Between the two Gevry-Chambertin here and just below, this one takes the cake. It is a really nice wine with good intensity of fruit on nose and palate. | n |
| Encanto | Usibelli Ranch, Rutherford | 2014 | Cabernet Sauvignon | 93 | 1/30/2025 | | y |
| Gustavo Wines | Oak Knoll District Napa Valley | 2019 | Chardonnay | 91 | 1/30/2025 | | y |
| Gustavo Wines | Sierra Foothills | 2021 | Barbera | 89 | 1/30/2025 | | n |
| Gustavo Wines | Petaluma Gap | 2018 | Pinot Noir | 90 | 1/30/2025 | | n |
| Gustavo Wines | Coombsville, Napa Valley | 2016 | Merlot | 93 | 1/30/2025 | This is a remarkably Right Bank Merlot | y |
| Gustavo Wines | Coombsville, Napa Valley | 2018 | Cabernet Sauvignon | 92 | 1/30/2025 | | n |
| Gustavo Wines | Sonoma Mountain | 2016 | Cabernet Sauvignon | 90 | 1/30/2025 | | n |
| Walt Wines | Rosellas Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands | 2023 | Pinot Noir | 97 | 1/29/2025 | On the nose, concentrated sweet jam, raspberry, strawberry and red cherry. The intensity on the nose is amazing. There is a lovely brioche note in there as well.
The whole palate is intense. Concentrated flavors, high acid, full body, long finish, high alcohol, soft tannins and an incredible thickness. Something this delicious isnt legal! :)
We though the Sierra Mar was amazing. This one beats it. | y |
| Beaulieu Vineyard | Clone 4, Rutherford, Napa Valley | 2018 | Cabernet Sauvignon | 96 | 1/28/2025 | | y |
| Beaulieu Vineyard | Clone 4, Rutherford, Napa Valley | 2008 | Cabernet Sauvignon | 97 | 1/28/2025 | | y |
| Beaulieu Vineyard | Clone 4, Rutherford, Napa Valley | 2021 | Cabernet Sauvignon | 94 | 1/28/2025 | | y |
| Beaulieu Vineyard | Clone 169, Rutherford, Napa Valley | 2018 | Cabernet Sauvignon | 96 | 1/28/2025 | | y |
| Beaulieu Vineyard | Madame de la Tour | 2021 | Blend (Red Table Wine) | 96 | 1/28/2025 | 70% Cab, 30% malbec | y |
| Domaine Follin-Arbelet | Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Les Vercots | 2020 | Pinot Noir | 93 | 1/28/2025 | | y |
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