We are happy that Bernard, who has sampled so many wines, has shared his notes with us. We do have, or have had for sale a few of the wines Bernard writes about, and we include a link to our stock page whenever it is a producer we carry (but since the stock page is kept up-to-date and the wines are sold, don't expect any but the newest of wines to show up in our stock!). Mostly though, since we specialize in County of Santa Barbara Wine and Central Coast Wine, we don't carry a lot of the wines Bernard writes about. But we think it is important that you be able to have an idea what they're like in case you are planning to buy some somewhere, or have them in your own collection. Enjoy.

Here are Bernard's notes from January 11, 1998:

93 Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg Grand Cru Cuvee St. Catherine --Medium straw color. Slight botrytis. Nutty, spicy nose of mace, nutmeg, mandarin orange, ocean surf. Very elegant, complex flavors. Initially somewhat disjointed, but after 15 minutes really comes together. Layers of flavor despite its youth. Did I detect secondary oak flavors? High acidity. Tangerine, hazelnut. Long finish. Should improve over the next few years. 92

95 Condado de Haza (Alejandro Fernandez) Ribera del Duero --Deep red violet. Huge berry, horse sweat aromas leap from glass.  Intense concentration of berry, leather flavors. Still firm tannins that need 3-5 years to resolve, but fruit still dominates. Modest finish. 88

95 Longoria Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard --Medium ruby red. Outrageously huge, lovely nose dominated by Chambord- like aroma. Slightly sweet attack. Well-balanced, high extract. Firm tannic structure. Wonderful Bien Nacido fruit in a medium weight wine.  Hints of candy apple. Modest finish. Needs 2-3 years. 90

93 Chevillon Nuit-St.George Vaucrain --Dark red violet. Earthy, horse blanket nose. Initial attack is firm tannins, intense blackberry fruit, balanced, oaky, sweet black cherry and vanilla. Brooding, intense, very big finish. Superb. Layers of flavor.  Needs 5-6 years. Grand wine. 93+

94 Grgich Hills Violette Late Harvest (no varietal information) -- Orange-gold color. Slight botrytis, Sauternes nose. Light texture, modest concentration. Tastes like Sauternes varietals. Elegant, but lacking intensity and grip. Short finish. 86

95 Costa Diva Bodegas Gutierrez de la Vega (Muscat) --Light gold. Well-balanced. Sweet, slightly spicy. Apricot, honey, ginger, cloves. Better than the 94 vintage, but not as complex as the better wines from Beaumes de Venise which are comparable in weight and structure. 91

93 Royal Tokaji 5 Putanyos Red Label.  --Orange-gold. Spicy botrytis nose. Slight waxy, cinnamon aromas. Viscous, thick. Sweet, good balance. Fine bitter backbone, lingering finish. Could use a bit more acidity to sustain mid-palate, but luscious. 94