| Wine Type | Vintage Name Variety Locale | Date Posted Score Helpful Comments More... |
|---|---|---|
| Red |
2013 Vesevo Taurasi EnsisTaurasi DOCG Aglianico more |
5/6/2024 - CC_H Likes this wine: 90 pointsThis needs 4+ hours in the decanter to come together; dark plum, rose, cherry, smokey earth and dried herbs waft up on the slightly reticent nose. A tightly woven, brooding Aglianico that combines ample body and rich texture with bright acid and grippy tannins through the medium length finish. After 4 years in oak its influence is keenly felt as you might expect with lots of warm, toasty spice. Unfortunately the raw materials here aren't quite enough to pull it through and it comes across as a little over extracted. Drink now and over the next 5 years. |
| White |
2020 Domaine Lafage Cuvée CentenaireCôtes du Roussillon Grenache Blend, Grenache more |
4/28/2024 - CC_H Likes this wine: 90 pointsOne of the great value wines of southern France (sub £15 UK) that seems to deliver in every vintage. Pear, melon, mint, salty citrus, delicate flowers and minerally crushed stone notes dominate with ample texture and grip across the mid-palate. It finishes crisp and fresh with beautiful balance. In its prime but will cruise along nicely for a couple of years. Tasted on multiple occasions. |
| Red |
2016 Montirius Côtes du Rhône Jardin SecretRed Rhone Blend more |
4/19/2024 - CC_H Likes this wine: 90 pointsStill holding up nicely and a testament to the quality of this vintage. Deep ruby in the glass. Spiced plum, dark cherry, earth and smokey roasted meat notes waft up on the nose. The palate has surprising depth, structure and concentration with lots of ripe dark fruits, prune, tapenade and roasted herb flair coming through. The tannins are still a touch rustic through the simplistic finish but this is a fine CDR that will cruise along for another 3-4 years. |
| White |
2022 Hugel Gentil "Hugel"Alsace White Blend more |
3/28/2024 - CC_H Likes this wine: 90 pointsAlways consistent and an excellent introduction into the wines of Alsace. A blend of the noble varieties along with Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner, it sports an attractive and ripe nose of yellow peach, pear, green apple, fresh flowers, tropical fruits and spice. The palate has a richness and texture that belies its humble position in the range and a lovely poise and crispness through the virtually dry finish that is the very definition of mouthwatering. Drink now and over the next 2-3 years. |
| White |
2020 Bodega Catena Zapata Chardonnay Catena Alta Historic RowsMendoza more |
3/24/2024 - CC_H Likes this wine: 91 pointsLike the straight Catena Chardonnay this is an outrageously good value bottling vintage after vintage. From a warmer year the nose is quite expressive with apricot, toast, Sorrento lemon, jasmine and creme brûlée. As usual the palate displays remarkable poise and balance with good fruit definition, complexity and a touch of minerality. The finish falls away a little too early for me but this is a great Chardonnay and would be taken far more seriously if it wasn't from Argentina. Drinking beautifully now but will cruise for a number of years. |
| Red |
2018 Château de Nalys Châteauneuf-du-Pape Saintes Pierres de NalysRed Rhone Blend more |
3/18/2024 - CC_H Likes this wine: 92 pointsThis feels like the vintage that the Guigals finally arrived at this storied terroir. It sports a serious and seductive nose of dark cherry, plum, garrigue, yellow peach, kirsch and spice. The palate is deep and rich with plenty of earthy savoury notes and liquorice alongside significant fruit concentration, body and structure. The tannins are still gently grippy but balanced through the significant finish. Already open and full of pleasure, it's still a couple of years from its best. Drink now to 2035. |
| Red |
2016 Domaine Gassier Costières-de-Nîmes Lou CoucardieMourvèdre Blend, Mourvèdre more |
3/3/2024 - CC_H Likes this wine: 90 pointsTasted on 2 occasions. Gassier has been producing excellent wines in this part of the world for some time now but misses the mark a little with this in 2016. A deep, dark shade of ruby in the glass. The heady nose is dominated by dark cherry, vanilla pod, blueberry, pastry, spice, raspberry liqueur and a touch of liquorice. The palate is equally bold and ripe but structurally falls away in the mid palate and lacks balance and complexity. There is still a gentle grip from the tannins through the finish and this certainly needs food to show its best. Score is objective but personally just a bit too extracted for my taste and the 15% ABV makes itself too obvious. Drink now and over the next couple of years. |
| Red |
2019 La Crema Pinot Noir Willamette Valleymore |
2/26/2024 - CC_H Likes this wine: 90 pointsA wine that flies a little under the radar in the La Crema range. Medium ruby in the glass, the nose unfurls nicely with rose, dark plum, cherry, black olive, mulberry and a touch of oak spice. Medium bodied, there's decent structure through the mid-palate with ripe red and black fruits, dried earth, black tea and blood like notes. It finishes nicely poised with lightly grainy tannins. Drinking beautifully at present it'll cruise for another 4-5 years I'm sure. |
| White |
2019 Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay Camelot HighlandsSanta Maria Valley more |
2/23/2024 - CC_H Likes this wine: 92 pointsThis is a remarkably reliable bottling from Kendall Jackson. Pineapple, baked apple, spice and vanilla pod waft up on the nose. The palate is ripe and fleshy with lots of peach, orchard fruits, toasted cashew nut and toasty oak notes coming through. Nicely balanced with an attractive freshness and purity that flows nicely through the long finish. Drink now and over the next few years. |
| Rosé |
2022 Château La Négly Languedoc Rosé La NaticeRed Rhone Blend more |
2/17/2024 - CC_H Likes this wine: 90 pointsThis is a Languedoc rose that delivers in every vintage. A true shade of salmon in the glass. Sweet melon, cherry and raspberry notes waft up on the nose along with a touch of white pepper. Medium bodied with a gently grippy texture, it's leaning into more of a gastronomic style with some beautiful ripe red and stone fruits along with hints of herbs de Provence. It finishes crisp with decent acidity. Drinking wonderfully and still available in CO-OP UK. |
| Red |
2016 Xavier Vignon Côtes du Rhône Arcane VI Les AmoureuxGrenache Blend, Grenache more |
1/28/2024 - CC_H Likes this wine: 93 pointsMostly Grenache this is an unusual CDR but very serious in nature - medium, opaque ruby colour in the glass. Spiced plum, violet, blackcurrant, smoke, dark cherry and earthy notes all emerge on the very typical nose. There's a beautiful elegance and purity to the palate that's loaded with sweet fruits, garrigue, dark chocolate and a touch of liquorice through the long finish. Soundly built the tannins are mostly resolved with a gentle, lingering grip. Tasted blind I would have this nailed on as a Chateauneuf du Pape. Drinking now but will coast for another 7+ years. |
| White |
2019 Domaine des Anges Ventoux BlancWhite Rhone Blend more |
1/28/2024 - CC_H Likes this wine: 88 pointsA super value blend dominated by Grenache Blanc and Roussanne from this underrated Ventoux producer. Lot's of pink grapefruit, mandarin, apricot and assorted floral notes on the crisp nose followed by plenty salty citrus, minerality and stone fruit on the racy palate that shows decent texture and balance. It doesn't have the concentration or clarity of a more serious bottling from this part of the world but for £10 in the UK it's no brainer. Drink now but will cruise along nicely for a few years. |
| Red |
2019 Te Mata Estate Syrah BullnoseHawke's Bay more |
1/27/2024 - CC_H Likes this wine: 91 pointsCracked black pepper, dark plum, herbs and cherry along with some earthy notes all waft up on the nose. Medium-bodied with good concentration this feels like a serious, quite surly Syrah at this moment in time with a beautiful core of pure dark fruits, savoury notes and an elegant, poised finish. It is certainly on the fresher end of the spectrum, drinking nicely now but will develop and hold for a number of years. |
| White |
2019 Nautilus Estate ChardonnayMarlborough more |
1/25/2024 - CC_H Likes this wine: 91 pointsNot quite in the same league as the fabulous 2018 but this is another serious Marlborough Chardonnay. Expressive nose of stone fruit, creme patissiere, floral notes, roasted hazelnut, grapefruit and a touch of toasty oak. It's rich and generous on the palate with beautiful poise and complexity through the elegant and crisp finish. Drinking beautifully now but fully expect it to develop nicely over the coming 3-5 years. |
| White |
2021 Domaine des Anges Ventoux Blanc L'ArchangeRoussanne more |
1/21/2024 - CC_H Likes this wine: 87 pointsDomaine des Anges are one of the more under the radar producers in this part of the world but they deserve more recognition. 95% Roussanne and the rest Bourboulanc. A surprisingly deep shade of gold in the glass. The nose is quite heady with honeysuckle and other floral notes, ripe stone fruit, roast buttered citrus and plenty of vanilla spiced oak. The palate unfortunately falls a little short with slightly muddled fruits and a lack of poise and definition. It finishes with decent acidity but a touch clipped. The 2019 was superb but in the difficult 2021 vintage this can't quite get its act together. Drink now and over the next few years. |
| Red |
2016 E. Guigal Châteauneuf-du-PapeRed Rhone Blend more |
1/15/2024 - CC_H Likes this wine: 91 pointsTasted multiple times with consistent notes. Textbook nose of cherry, confit plum, fresh earth, blueberry, garrigue and spice. Richly textured and broadly structured it displays impressive dark fruit concentration on the palate along with notes of roasted meats, orange peel, fig, peach and herbs through the fresh, quite poised finish. Just entering its prime drinking window it'll offer plenty of pleasure over the coming 6-8 years. |
| Red - Fortified |
1994 Graham Colheita Single HarvestPorto Port Blend more |
12/30/2023 - CC_H Likes this wine: 94 pointsTasted multiple times with consistent notes. A relatively new release from the Graham's stable. Dark caramel, toasted walnut, brown sugar, citrus peel, subtle floral notes, crushed hazelnut, smoke and golden raisin all emerge on the rather well defined nose. This is a tawny of rare complexity and balance with an outrageously attractive and nuanced palate of (amongst others) dried fruit, medjool date, spiced caramel, roasted nuts and dark chocolate. It finishes long, balanced and beautifully elegant with a structure and lingering power that suggests a long future. A serious wine by any measure that's going to continue to develop for decades. |
| White |
2019 M. Chapoutier Domaine de Bila-Haut Occultum Lapidem BlancCôtes du Roussillon White Rhone Blend more |
12/19/2023 - CC_H Likes this wine: 90 pointsAnother solid white from the Chapoutier stable in Cotes du Roussillon. Fresh and racy with plenty of salty citrus, pineapple and green apple notes along with baking spice and delicate floral notes. Medium bodied with decent texture and balance and a solid finish. Built for food it will prove versatile on the dinner table. ln its prime now but will hold for a couple of years. |
| Red |
2016 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Imperial ReservaTempranillo more |
12/11/2023 - CC_H Likes this wine: 92 pointsConsumed over 3 days I was struck at just how tight and primal this wine still is. A deep but not quite opaque shade of ruby / purple in the glass. Lots of toasty vanilla oak on the nose along with intense blackberry, dark cherry, cassis and just a hint of new leather. The palate is richly concentrated with ripe dark fruits, tobacco and spicy cured meat notes along with a surprising poise and beautiful freshness. The tannins are still very much present and lightly grainy through the long finish. A serious wine that still needs another 3-4 years in bottle. |
| White |
2020 Bodegas Cota 45 Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz Ube de Ubérrima PaganillaPalomino Fino more |
12/10/2023 - CC_H Likes this wine: 92 pointsLike the Miraflores bottling I had earlier in the year this is another stunning unfortified white from Bodegas Cota 45. 100% Palomino, whole bunch fermented with natural yeasts in old Solera butts for 8 months followed by a further 2 months with a flor cap. Pungent and pronounced nose of hay, crushed chalk, preserved lemon, beef stock, dried spice, green apple and oxidative notes. The palate is rich and medium bodied with plenty of fleshy fruit definition, complex savoury notes, crisp acidity and a long, snappy finish. In its prime but will hold for a couple of years. Spain once again proving why it is the place to head for new and exciting wines of excellent value. |
| White |
2019 E. Guigal Crozes-Hermitage BlancWhite Rhone Blend more |
12/2/2023 - CC_H Likes this wine: 89 pointsA wine that flies a little under the radar in the Guigal range, 95% Marsanne and the rest Roussanne, aged for 12 months partially in new oak. Upfront and expressive on the nose with plenty of pineapple, honeysuckle, apricot and red apple notes. The palate is richly textured, medium to full bodied with plenty of ripe stone fruits and salty citrus. It does come across a touch hot and lacking in a little definition overall but this is another satisfying white from Guigal. Drink now and over the next couple of years. |
| White |
2021 Jorge Navascues Macabeo Cariñena Cutio Vendimia Seleccionadamore |
11/8/2023 - CC_H Likes this wine: 90 pointsAnother interesting, old vine white from Jorge Navascues. The 2020 was excellent and this is just a whisker behind. Unexpectedly deep shade of gold in the glass. Bright, complex nose of lemon curd, dried spice, baked pear, chalk and bay leaf along with some floral notes. The palate is rich, complex and quite broad but beautifully fresh and poised with some racy acidity. The finish is a little short but this is a great success for the price. An interesting Spanish white from a maligned DO. |
| White |
2021 E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône BlancWhite Rhone Blend more |
10/17/2023 - CC_H Likes this wine: 90 pointsAnother great vintage for this Guigal bottling that is my de-facto house white. My notes on previous vintages go into more detail but it's another ripe, sumptuous but balanced wine that delivers serious pleasure for the money. Stylistically heady in a way that won't please everyone, it's remarkably consistent. Purchase by the case. Drinking beautifully now but will hold for another 1-2 years comfortably. |
| White |
2014 Meerea Park Sémillon TerracottaPokolbin more |
10/3/2023 - CC_H Likes this wine: 91 pointsNice to dip in to some Hunter Valley Semillon with a bit of bottle age from time to time. Pristine nose of lime oil, lemon curd, chalk, crushed spices and some tropical fruit notes. The palate is deceptively rich and powerful with plenty of fruit, beeswax notes and minerality. Crisp, structured and poised but still very youthful. Give it another 3-5 years to show its true form. |
| Red |
2017 E. Guigal Châteauneuf-du-PapeRed Rhone Blend more |
9/30/2023 - CC_H Likes this wine: 90 pointsMedium ruby in the glass. Lot's of dark plum, blackberry, kirsch and black pepper on the nose along with some spicy oak. Beautiful texture and richness on the palate with nicely defined dark fruits, spice and garrigue notes through the impressively structured finish. The 15% ABV and oak treatment does make itself a little too apparent overall but this is another decent Guigal bottling. Drink now to 2030. |
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- Tasting notes: 273 notes on 262 wines
