A superb effort. Balance, elegance, power… Floral notes jump from the glass. Blackberry, violets and hints of tobacco leaf follow. Great weight and texture. Tannins are well integrated here and one finds added complexity with currents and minerality present through a long and graceful finish. The wine was aged 22 months in small French oak cask, bottled unfiltered, unfined. The wine will cellar beautifully. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Decant recommended.

price: $75.00
drink: 2010 to 2022 

Off the Vine was at the international Hospice de Rhone in Paso Robles to help celebrate everything Rhone. Seminars Saturday and Sunday included the great Syrah wines from South Africa. The wines of Washington state, presented by Charles Smith of K Vintners up in Washington. We tasted some outstanding wines from Stephane Ogier and the Cote Rotie along with superb food from the Girl and the Fig (Sonoma, Ca). Look for our full event wrap-up report with many new wine reviews Wednesday and more in the June issue of our print edition.

 Famous, or infamous depending on your perspective the Burger bar serves what may be the most expensive hamburger on the planet. Celebrity chef Keller has cornered the luxury burger market with his ‘Rossini Burger’ priced at $60. This heart stopping indulgence is named for the classic French sauce made with foie gras, shaved black truffles and madera sauce. At the Burger bar it’s served over a grilled Kobe beef patty inside an onion bun. read more >

Another standout single vineyard Chardonnay from Tantara. Here we explore a wine made in tiny amounts (just 147 cases) from a vineyard best known for it’s Pinot Noir. This is of course a cool climate AVA for the most part and with several clones planted in shallow sandy loam underlain with sandstone. Richness of fruit, bright acidity and a very nice texture meld to bring great enjoyment. Balanced and complex through the mid palate; this is a wine with depth and should improve with a bit of cellar.

price: $38.00
drink: 2010 - 2012

 We have been visiting Duke’s Greenlake location in Seattle for many years. Great vibe… Wild Salmon from Alaska and 100% natural chowder. With the motto of it’s founder “the best of everything suits me just fine” you cannot go wrong here. The Chowder was was inspired by Duke’s grandfather, John Fitzgerald Cox who claimed to make the best clam chowder in New England. They made their first cauldron over 31 years ago. read more >

 The Eighth Annual Wine Aficionado Dinner benefiting the Bogart Pediatric Cancer Research Program took place on Thursday, May 13th at the spectacular new W Hotel, located near the world famous intersection of Hollywood and Vine. Titled “Hollywood and Wine: The Biggest Stars in Wine Today”, the dinner showcased some of the world’s finest wines paired with a four-course dinner. Wine service was overseen by several top LA sommeliers. The evening concluded with an exciting live auction featuring one-of-a-kind lots.

The ‘Cailloux’ (pronounced ‘ki-yoo’, plural for ‘stone’ in French) is a complex and wonderfully plush bend of dark fruits, minerality and spice. Hints of olives, white pepper, orange peal and earth. Cherry and blackberry along with a rather exotic tropical notes. The finish is 45 seconds plus. This wine has everything going for it with purity, rarity, winemaker Christophe Baron truly understands this varietal. A waiting list of thousands make any Cayuse nearly impossible to obtain even in tough economic times. Perhaps the the finest wine made in the state of Washington. Collectable

price: $79.99
drink 2011 to 2020