88 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 10 Dec 2008
Maroon core with a thin pink rim. A bit austere on the nose with oak and slate dominating the fruit - a touch of cherry and some orange zest. Fruity on the front palate (mostly red cherries) followed by a hint of smoke and game with slatey minerality and a touch of oak on the finish.
Tags: 2006, barbara, california, Central, cherry, Coast, core, cuyama, game, maroon, moreved, mr, oak, orange, pink, red, red wine, santa, slate, smoke, valley, wine
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91 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 10 Dec 2008
Dark garnet core with a thin rim. Blueberry and wild raspberry aromas are surrounded by charcoal and dust with light floral notes and a hint of green pepper. Smooth entry in the mouth with tons of minerals and nice acid. Big chewy tannins on the back, yet very balanced and refined. Tons of spicy cinnamon on the finish. Mostly Mourvedre with a splash of Grenache.
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Tags: 2005, barbara, blueberry, california, Central, charcoal, cinnamon, Coast, core, cuyama, dust, floral, garnet, green, grenache, mineral, moreved, mourvedre, mr, pepper, raspberry, red, red wine, santa, valley, wild, wine
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89 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 22 Jan 2008
Dark purple core with a vibrant pink rim. White and black truffles support the nice wet earth edge to this leather, black cherry and blackberry beast. Sweeter fruit on the front palate is met by nice minerality in the middle. Long finish of dark cherries and toffee.
Another good example of an Italian wine made in California. These guys know what they are doing. Good quality for the price, and it also has a good hefty bottle that will impress people before you even pour the wine. Sealed with wax, which I find annoying for opening, but looks nice.
Tags: 2002, Ambullneo, barbara, barbera, Bien, black, blackberry, california, cherry, earth, leather, Maria, mineral, Nacido, Nonno, pink, purple, red wine, santa, sweet, toffee, truffle, valley, Vineyard, white, Zito
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90 / B-
Tasted by Mike Supple 22 Jan 2008
Dark ruby core with a garnet edge. Sweet raw honeycomb aromas are backed by black cherry and white truffle. Bold acidity once would expect from a nebbiolo on the front of the palate, just screaming for some food. Leather and earth notes surround black and red cherries from the front palate through the finish.
This is a very strong example of this grape. It can be incredibly tricky to grow and make, and many of the ones coming from Italy are bad and overpriced. The best examples are truly stunning, but so is the price tag. That being said, this one is a little bit pricey for what it is, but well worth it if you can find it on sale. This is one of those wines that pairs well with a lot of foods, particularly those with a lot of acid (think tomatoes) or cream and butter. It also has a good hefty bottle that will impress people before you even pour the wine. Sealed with wax, which I find annoying for opening, but looks nice.
Tags: 2001, Ambullneo, barbara, Bien, black, california, cherry, earth, garnet, honey, honeycomb, leather, Maria, Nacido, nebbiolo, Nonno, raw, red, red wine, ruby, santa, sweet, truffle, valley, white, wine, Zito
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87 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 04 Feb 2008
Bright yellow core with a golden tint, thinning around the rim. Big candied lemon aromas are accented by cantaloupe, light toasted walnut and a hint of oak. Round and full in the mouth with a nice medium-bodied weight. A good amount of acid keeps it bright. Creamy lemons are surrounded by cantaloupe and yellow pear, leading to a nice cream and butter finish.
This is a good, but not great wine. Fun if you are looking for something you don’t see very often. NOT to be confused with the famous dessert Tokaji Hungary (which is generally made from a grape called Furmint). This wine is at its peak. Drink before 2009.
Tags: 2003, acid, Ambullneo, barbara, Bien, bright, butter, california, candy, cantaloupe, core, cream, dry, full, gold, lemon, Maria, Nacido, Nonno, oak, pear, round, santa, table, tint, toast, Tocai, USA, valley, Vineyard, walnut, white, White wine, wine, yellow, Zito
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92 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 03 Oct 2008
Intense inky purple core with just a glimmer of a fuchsia rim. Massive aromas of bacon, roast coffee, toffee, blackberry, white licorice, violets and a hint of truffle. Soft and full on the front palate. Sweet dark fruits: raspberry, blackberry, cassis. Round and full on the mid-palate without getting weighty. Good fresh anise flavors spice up the finish with roasted earth and dark chocolate notes.
This is a big, young wine, so I had it sit around open for about 12 hours before tasting it, giving it time to breathe. While it weighed in at 14.25% alcohol (according to the label - and given the legal margin of error here putting .25% is ridiculous) it managed to stay very impressively balanced. This is a great example of what Syrah can be when not made in a heavy, jammy, Australian manner.
Tags: 2005, Alesia, anise, bacon, barbara, blackberry, california, cassis, chocolate, coffee, County, dark, earth, Fairview, fruit, fuchsia, Highlands, licorice, Lucia, purple, Ranch, raspberry, red wine, roast, santa, sweet, Syrah, toffee, truffle, USA, violet
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86 / B-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 18 Mar 2008
Bright purple core with a ruby rim. Light plum and dark cherry aromas. Chewy tannins on the mid palate leading to a black cherry finish.
Tags: 2000, barbara, black, bright, Calfornia, Central, cherry, chewy, Coast, dark, light, Longoria, plum, purple, red wine, ruby, santa, Syrah, tannins, USA
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87 / B-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 09 Jul 2008
Medium purple and ruby in the core with a purple rim. Sweet candied blackberry aromas backed by black cherry, plum, spicy cedar, tar and a hint of mint. Enters the palate with a nice round, elegant feel. Good blackberry and plum fruit with a touch of earth. The back end gets a bit harsh with a fair amount of heat showing through.
Tags: 2005, barbara, blackberry, california, candy, cedar, Central, cherry, Coast, earth, estate, hills, melville, mint, plum, red wine, rita, santa, spicy, Syrah, tar, USA, Verna's
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93 / A+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 09 Jul 2008
Medium yellow gold core with a lighter rim. Very fruity with floral aromas. Honeydew, mango and dried white peach are accented by raw honeycomb and wet stones. The wine is very round and full bodied on the palate, but has nice acidity keeping it vibrant. There is a lot of great minerality under rich mandarin and mango flavors, and a long lingering finish.
Viognier (pronounced VEE-own-YAY) is the perfect white for somebody who is sick of Chardonnay. Viognier has the same body and weight of a Chard, but completely different aromas and flavors. This is a very impressive California Viognier, as many other efforts are often over ripe and alcoholic. The Melville is full, ripe and rich, and it covers the alcohol very well. Finding a Viognier outside of France with this much minerality is a rare treat, and at this price, I simply think you cannot beat the 2007 Melville.
Tags: 2007, barbara, california, Central, Coast, estate, floral, fruity, hills, honeycomb, honeydew, manadrin, mango, melville, mineral, peach, rita, santa, stone, verna, viogner, viognier, white, White wine
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