| Wine Type | Vintage Name Variety Locale | Date Posted Score Helpful Comments More... |
|---|---|---|
| White |
2005 A.J. Adam Hofberg RieslingMosel Saar Ruwer more |
2/17/2013 - Billigan Likes this wine: 94 pointsWhoa Nellie, was this good stuff! From the dark golden hue, you might think someone slipped some old Chenin Blanc in the bottle, but one whiff, and you know you're in the Mosel. Awesome kaleidoscope on the nose, with a distinctive, powerful scent of anise that made me want to keep my nose buried in the glass. Unctuous, creamy texture on the palate with a crackling minerality on the backend. A standout Riesling that I sense will be a reference point wine for some time to come. |
| White |
2010 A.J. Adam Hofberg Riesling KabinettMosel Saar Ruwer more |
6/9/2013 - Billigan Likes this wine: NRI was still recovering from a recent cold, so I don't think I got the full experience here, but the scents of fresh peaches along with subtle floral tones were great. On the palate, both the acidity and sugar seemed to be up a notch from the 2009 rendition of this wine, but not at the expense of balance, food-friendliness, and deliciousness, all of which this wine has in spades. |
| White |
2012 A.J. Adam Hofberg Riesling KabinettMosel Saar Ruwer more |
4/14/2014 - Billigan Likes this wine: NRYoung but showing tremendous promise. Will need a few years to shed the primary fruitiness but is already showing ample slatey minerality and beautiful depth and poise. |
| White |
2012 A.J. Adam Hofberg Riesling KabinettMosel Saar Ruwer more |
10/28/2014 - Billigan Likes this wine: 92 pointsWow, this was lovely. Beautiful, cool melon, peach, and honeysuckle aromas and poised, balanced palate of sweet orchard fruit, stony minerals, and cleansing acids on the finish. The 2012 Mosel wines have just been uniformly excellent so far, and this wine was no exception. |
| White |
2009 A.J. Adam Hofberg Riesling KabinettMosel Saar Ruwer more |
6/2/2011 - Billigan wrote: 90 pointsBeautiful medley of peach, honey, and a little petrol and slate on the nose with a vibrant, sweet mouthfeel that's perhaps a little sweeter than a typical Kabinett but not off-putting by any means. Should be fun to open my second bottle in a few years to see how it will have evolved. |
| White - Off-dry |
2012 A.J. Adam Hofberg Riesling SpätleseMosel Saar Ruwer more |
11/1/2015 - Billigan wrote: 88 pointsPlush, soft, and sweet, with very little verve or tension. Easy-going, agreeable, but not a wine with sufficient structure or energy to make me a repeat buyer. A slight disappointment considering the producer and vintage. |
| White |
2009 Adelsheim Pinot Gris Willamette Valleymore |
4/3/2011 - Billigan wrote: 85 pointsMild floral/mineral combo on the nose with an unctuous texture, plenty of acidity, and lots of lime on the palate. I got a faint bit of nuttiness on the finish. I think this would have been better served at the table with dinner, but it was just fine as a cocktail beverage too. |
| Red |
2016 Alain Jaume Lirac Domaine du Clos de SixteRed Rhone Blend more |
4/27/2020 - Billigan wrote: 88 pointsNot going to win any awards for complexity, but this hits the mark for a polished, balanced, CdR experience that's easy on the pocketbook and that brings enough bold fruit, savory spice, and freshness to give it a sense of place. Solid QPR. 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2) |
| Red |
2012 Alban Vineyards Syrah Patrina Alban Estate VineyardEdna Valley more |
1/15/2016 - Billigan Likes this wine: 92 pointsBig, lush with cracked pepper, jammy fruit, and toasted oak, but everything in proportion, and with plenty of acidity to keep this fresh and compelling. I'm a Northen Rhone Syrah guy at heart, but this is a California rendition I can get behind! Excellent. |
| Red |
2008 Thierry Allemand Cornas ReynardSyrah more |
2/11/2017 - Billigan Likes this wine: 96 pointsAfter a two-hour decant, this was tremendously expressive, with deep aromas of smoke, coffee grounds, pungent BBQ spices, and fresh flowers. Same level of depth on the palate, with its rich, smoky, and incredibly pure fruit with a sweet and spicy tingle on the long finish. Just a masterclass in what great syrah is all about. 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1) |
| Red |
2015 Altesino Rosso di MontalcinoSangiovese more |
2/4/2019 - Billigan wrote: 89 pointsLovely nose with red cherry, smoke, chopped herbs, and a whiff of violets. Much more straightforward on the palate, with bold cherry fruit, tangy Sangio acid, and a good hit of oak spice. Perhaps a bit riper and more polished than I’d like from the grape, but nothing too blowsy or modern here. Just a very solid, big-boned Sangio that’s perfect on the weekday dinner table. |
| Rosé |
2012 Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina RubentisRosé Blend more |
5/5/2013 - Billigan Does not like this wine: 82 pointsI think Brix really nailed it with his note here in terms of the wine's characteristics with the exception being that I found this rather joyless. For me, rose is about refreshing, energetic, food-friendliness, and if it has some additional complexity (like in a Baudry rose or a Mordoree Tavel), then that's bonus. But this wine delivered none of those qualities. Sour, spritzy, and a bit of a slog to drink on what was a nice spring picnic with my family. 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (4) |
| Red |
1989 Château AngélusSt. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend more |
6/18/2017 - Billigan Likes this wine: 95 pointsAbsolute knockout nose of barnyard, sweet plums, leather, cinnamon, old library, and even a bit of mint. Kaleidoscopic and revealing something new with seemingly every swirl. The palate suffered in comparison with the nose, but it was still absolutely delicious, with ripe, sweet, and elegant fruit with a just a touch of bitterness (like from plum skins) on the finish as it's only demerit. Still has the structure to age, but it's in a great spot now. |
| Red |
1990 Château AngélusSt. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend more |
2/23/2018 - Billigan Likes this wine: 98 pointsAbsolutely gorgeous showing and probably the best Right Bank wine I've ever had. Decanted about 30 minutes and that was plenty, as the nose was beautifully expressive, with ripe black plums, sweet black cherries, graphite, warm soil, and cedar. On the palate, this was just seamless, with a luxurious, satiny texture, tons of ripe fruit, and nice mineral twang on the long, sweet finish. A total stunner that's at peak but could go years longer. |
| Red |
2005 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er CruPinot Noir more |
12/26/2014 - Billigan Likes this wine: NRDecided that the straight 1er cru might be a good way to finally dip my toe in the pool for the 2005 vintage, but I was mistaken. The nose was reserved but showed lovely stony and sweet spice aromas, while the palate had plenty of fine tannins, ample dark cherry fruit, and that unmistakeable stony presence, but all felt wound way too tight. With D'Angerville, I should have known better than to open it so young, but this was good validation of both the quality of the vintage and the need to keep my hands off my 2005 Burgs for a hell of a long time. |
| Red |
2005 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er CruPinot Noir more |
2/8/2021 - Billigan Likes this wine: 92 pointsA marked contrast to my bottle of six years ago and a sign that the 2005s are at least becoming open enough to drink, if not yet mature. Shows all the richness and depth of the vintage on the nose, with loads of warm soil, blackberry jam, cinnamon, iron filings, and pine needle. Dense and rich berry fruit on the palate but with plenty of underlying acidity for freshness and suave tannins for structure. This will no doubt continue to improve, but it's no crime to take a peek now, as it's delicious and in fine form. |
| Red |
2005 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Les FremietsPinot Noir more |
6/4/2019 - Billigan wrote: 89 pointsEarthy, herbaceous, deeply funky and mushroomy, with borderline prune notes creeping in. Very ripe on the palate with soft tannins and a borderline sur maturite quality. The least austere D'Angerville I've had to date, but it's not to the wine's benefit. |
| Red |
2006 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Les FremietsPinot Noir more |
8/18/2013 - Billigan Likes this wine: 91 pointsNose was more expressive than I imagined, even with a short decant, with strong, pure cherry scents wafting from the glass and a deep earthy undertone. Shows its youth on the palate with plenty of fine-grained tannins keeping it tight, but it still displayed balance and a great sense of purity. This will never be a big hitter, but it has some additional charms in store for those with patience. |
| Red |
2007 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru TaillepiedsPinot Noir more |
12/17/2016 - Billigan Likes this wine: 93 pointsReally appealing and open Taillepieds. Lovely black cherry, coffee grounds, and a little floral action on the nose, with a fresh, stony palate presence and just the faintest bit of grip on the finish. Certainly has the bones for another decade+ of aging, but this is arguably one of the most approachable D'Angervilles I've had in a long while. In a great spot. |
| Red |
2013 Arnot-Roberts Syrah Que Syrah VineyardSonoma Coast more |
12/5/2017 - Billigan Likes this wine: 95 pointsAbsolutely brilliant stuff! Beautiful Rhône-like nose that’s full of sizzling bacon, black olive, and cracked pepper. Lovely, red-fruited richness in the palate but with ample minerality and savory spices and no discernible alcohol. A real stunner with impeccable balance. |
| White |
2009 Domaine des Aubuisières Vouvray Cuvée de SilexChenin Blanc more |
3/12/2011 - Billigan wrote: 89 pointsStrong nose of chalk and lemon. Great minerality in taste and texture but maybe missing a little bit of sweetness, which I think would have given this another dimension. As is, it's a good value and paired really well with roasted chicken. |
| Red |
2010 Domaine Léon Barral FaugèresCarignan Blend, Carignan more |
4/20/2016 - Billigan Likes this wine: 92 pointsReally singing now, with a gorgeous nose that's completely evocative of the Southern French countryside with herbs and wild flowers, cracked pepper, and a whiff of black olives. Nicely resolved and fresh on the palate, with sweet red fruits and a bit of savory spice. |
| Red |
2009 Domaine Léon Barral FaugèresCarignan Blend, Carignan more |
6/27/2014 - Billigan Likes this wine: 93 pointsWhat a difference a year makes. The grippy tannins from last summer's bottle have melted away, leaving a silky, sappy, and vibrant palate to accompany the sauvage-and-crushed berry nose. To say this was a crowd-pleaser is an understatement. Our dinner party housed this in about 15 minutes. Glorious QPR. |
| Red |
2010 Domaine Léon Barral FaugèresCarignan Blend, Carignan more |
12/28/2014 - Billigan wrote: NRStill a bit too tight, even after copious amounts of airtime. Not nearly as welcoming as the 2009 at this stage in its development but seemingly possessing more long-term potential. Hold for a couple years before trying one. |
| Red |
2009 Domaine Léon Barral FaugèresCarignan Blend, Carignan more |
7/4/2013 - Billigan Likes this wine: NRSimilar to my previous bottle, except much, much tighter in the mouth. All the wild aromatics were still present, but everything just clammed up on the palate, with surprisingly grippy tannin. I'll leave the next bottle alone for a good number of years. |
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- Tasting notes: 930 notes on 743 wines
