Fun little tasting at I Nonni/Sunfish Cellars in Lilydale last Saturday for planning either the Walla Walla Trip or Willamette Valley trip. Flipping a coin at this point.
Cellar Tracker Link: CellarTracker! Walla Walla & Oregon Planning Event at Sunfish Cellars
- 2019 Château Meyney – France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (2/28/2025)
Day 1: Wonderful young. Roasted chestnuts, mild funk, minerals, leather, spice and red currants. Beautiful wine for the money. 93 points
Day 2: More rustic on day 2. Mild funk, spice, gravel, leather and minerals. Solid again.
Recommendation: Great value at $35 (93 pts.) - 2022 Petra Hebo Toscana IGT – Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (3/1/2025)
Rustic and love it. Funk, minerals, floral and earth. Medium finish. Nice value. (90 pts.) - 2021 Faustino Rioja Crianza – Spain, La Rioja, Rioja (3/1/2025)
Too much oak that is masking any fruit. Earth and spice. (80 pts.) - 2022 Bezel Cabernet Sauvignon from the Cakebread Family – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (3/1/2025)
Probably the best paso cab I have tasted. Nice fruit, floral, spice, minerals and earth. (90 pts.) - 2018 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Télégramme – France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (3/1/2025)
From a Magnum at Sunfish Cellars. Great price at $60. Really nice with pepper, spice, red currants, dried flowers, stone and minerals. Very nice and drink now or hold up to 5 years. (92 pts.) - 2017 Alexander Valley Vineyards Cyrus – USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley (3/1/2025)
This was a blind tasting vs. 2019 Meyney on whether or not you could tell if it was Bordeaux or not. So 2 out of 5 thought this was Bordeaux. Everyone liked this better than the 2019 Meyney which is a few more dollars than it. Blueberries, tobacco, earth, dust, cherry, stone and floral notes. A wonderful wine and my personal favorite wine from California. 93 points (93 pts.) - 2011 Clarendon Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Sandown – Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Clarendon (3/1/2025)
Day 1: The wine that 3 day sold out for WTSO and Lisa who worked at Parker dropped the ball as this is off the charts. Funk, blue currants, dust, dried flowers, pepper and iodine. 94 points
Day 2: Well, the last bottle. These are pop and pour at this point. Not nearly as good as day 1.
Recommendation: Drink now! (94 pts.)