A taut, tense fight between the acids and sugars highlight this excellent dessert wine. A strong streak of spicy grain runs straight through the compact citrus and honey fruit flavors. The sweetness is neither cloying nor syrupy—rather, it neatly laces the wine together.
— P.G.
(3/1/2010)
Named for the Sentinel Gap, a nearby landmark, this is the top wine from Milbrandt. Supple and complex, it shows a sensuous mix of fruits, ranging from mixed berries into black cherries, plums and cassis. The barrel notes of coffee and toast are carefully worked, and the tannins polished and sleek. A wine that may be savored immediately, or cellared for up to 10 years.
— P.G.
(12/1/2010)
Many winemakers use Milbrandt fruit for their Syrahs, so it’s no surprise that the brothers’ own winery has a Syrah that stands at the top of the product line. There is precision and power here, with deep cherry and boysenberry fruit, tart acids that hint at lemon rind, a sharp peppery streak and a finish that somehow suggests chocolate and pineapple candy. Complex…
— P.G.
(12/31/2007)
This is really solidly made and appealing wine, which nicely combines lush, chocolaty barrel flavors with penetrating Cabernet fruit. Cassis, cherry and sweet plum create a substantial fruit center, and it’s swathed in a roasted coffee and mocha wrapping. Try it with a grilled steak, or better yet, a rich molé sauce.
— P.G.
(12/31/2007)
An off-dry, leesy, delicately floral Riesling, this elegantly captures the floral and mineral qualities that make the grape so exceptional. The wine doesn’t push too hard, but it persists, mixing white peach and papaya with citrus blossom, rosewater and body powder. Exotic and delightful.
— P.G.
(12/1/2007)
Syrah may well be the standout grape among all that the Milbrandt brothers do well in their 13 vineyards. Here it captures the grape’s authentic toasty, meaty, earthy character (well supported with oak) and wraps it around pure black cherry fruit. Supple and long-lasting.
— P.G.
(9/1/2010)
A surefire success in all the Milbrandt vineyard holdings, Syrah shows stuffing and spine here. It’s firm, herbal and earthy, with a lightly funky aspect. But the fruit is there in support—black cherries and blackberries—and the hint of toast and mocha in the finish provides exactly the right send-off into the next sip.
— P.G.
(12/1/2010)
Concentrated, beautifully defined flavors of pear, apple and ripe pineapple drive a stake through the heart of this wine, blazing a trail across the palate with tongue-thrashing acids and bracing minerality. As it slowly unwinds it reveals a finish of banana caramel tart, luscious and long.
— P.G.
(12/31/2007)