4/18/2024 - WineNerd76 Likes this wine:

Deep ruby in color; cassis, black cherries, and graphite on the nose; medium acidity; high tannins; tastes like black plums, blackberries, wet slate, and a little eucalyptus with a long finish. I think it's good. Tastes old world to me. Nellie liked it after it decanted for an hour and I agree it was better.

3/6/2024 - ylkim30 Likes this wine:

A silken, magic carpet ride enveloped in smoky minerality. Delicious.

4/18/2024 - Laguna Red Likes this wine:

These old pinots have really held up well. They are certainly softer and the fruit is not as crisp but boy I'm so surprised at how lovely they are.

4/18/2024 - Metalhorns wrote:

Just a bit less smoke and wood than their Canadian whiskey barrel CS, but very similar. Full-bodied and rich throughout, the bourbon barrel definitely gets some time in the spotlight here. Alongside the toasted timber tones we have a dark fruit and nutty vibe up front with a raspberry jab mid-sip. A mocha hint on the lingering and viscous finish carries blackberry and some lasting warmth down the hatch. An easy choice for family BBQs and cookouts that's sure to be a crowd pleaser.

4/18/2024 - acyso wrote:

French bottle, but capsule top. One of the best showings of this that I've had. Clean, bright, full, with plenty of Chablis salinity. Savoury with just the right squeeze of citrus here. Electric and exciting to drink. It's really hard for me to grok Dauvissat because some bottles can be so good, but some bottles can be so mediocre.

4/18/2024 - jellison17 Likes this wine:

Funky, sour, barny. Unlike anything else out there.

4/18/2024 - Aussiechic wrote:

It was off

4/18/2024 - RichardsEric1 Likes this wine:

A WTSO special. Yummy!

Color. Pale yellow, with a touch of green

Nose. Lots going here. Green apple, sugar cookie, Meyer lemon, biscuits.

Palate. Subtle oak, lemon, apples.

4/18/2024 - Kosher.wine.tastings wrote:

There are over 10,000 varieties of grapes in the world. Famed wine writer Jancis Robinson published the book, "Wine Grapes: A Complete Guide to 1,368 Vine Varieties, Including Their Origins and Flavours." The difference? Many of these are not grapes able to be cultivated for wine, AKA "Vitis vinifera." Wine grapes have thicker skin and larger seeds, for one, which allows for tannin and color, as well as flavor. The grapes are smaller than table grapes and produce a smaller yield, which plays a part in concentrated sugar, allowing for higher brix in wine grapes.

Of the 1,368 varieties identified by Robinson, her assistant, Julia Harding, MW, and geneticist José Villamouz, just *thirteen* account for *one third* of all vineyards on Earth. Another 20 comprise the next 17% and thus half the vineyards in the world are planted with just 33 varieties of grapes. Globalization is both the hero and villain in this story, as grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon (2nd most planted variety in the world after Kyoho, a table wine grape in China) have rapidly canvassed the vineyards of the world which once may have produced wines from indigenous grapes.

In any case, I got to thinking about the grapes with which we are unfamiliar after tasting the Four Gates, Négrette, 2018 recently. Only a couple thousand hectares are planted around the globe so this is not likely a wine many have seen or tasted. Négrette's origin is, as you can imagine, in France, being most popular in Fronton in SW France. Legend has it the Knights of St. John brought the Mavro grape to the area as part of their culture of helping religious pilgrims. Some think Négrette is a relative of this Mavro, Greek for black, but recent studies point to Négrette's connection to Tannat and Malbec. Another legend has it that Négrette was banished from Gaillac to Fronton due to its inferiority, a tale similar to the fate of Gamay in Burgundy.

Négrette thrives in hot and dry climates such as Fronton's. Négrette can also be found in California, and the Four Gates Négrette is from San Benito AVA, in the Central Coast. The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and maritime winds. So this rare bird, AKA Pinot St. George in California, performs well here.

Négrette is not a grape I believe I've ever tasted, and the only other wine I can remember is the Hajdu Négrette '18, which I have to imagine was shared grapes from F.G.. but which I have not tasted. Doing some brief online research, I did find a French blend with a majority Négrette which is kosher. I've never heard of it.

Négrette makes an interesting wine, one to enjoy young (again, similar to Gamay). Benyo's Négrette was a very different offering from his traditional wines. Dark and impenetrable and heavily perfumed with a floral nose, dark plum, black cherry, very earthy. Expecting a heavier body, I was equally surprised by the lacking acid. On the palate, more floral notes and dark fruit with notable medicinal quality.

Drink now.

$40, 14.4%ABV, non-mevushal

4/18/2024 - Winesformybelly wrote:

It was beyond its years

3/20/2024 - oldwines Does not like this wine:

Tasted at the Barolo and Barbaresco World Opening, NYC. This relatively new producer (since 2008) makes a nice traditional Classico but he makes the single vineyard cru’s in a more modern style with distinct oak influence through the use of tonneau. This wine is distinctly vanilla and cherry oriented. It is a big somewhat harsh wine, I thought was much less appealing than the Classico.

4/18/2024 - pkouchu wrote:

For those still doubtful of smoke taint, wine advocate just published their review, they sent the wine to a lab and it came back 4x over the threshold. It’s smoke tainted to hell.

4/18/2024 - acyso wrote:

Really didn't like this at all. It felt very incomplete and disjointed -- high acid like a brut zero, but also with sweetness from dosage that felt wholly unintegrated with the other part of the wine. Kind of thin and acidic, and sugary sweet at different times, like drinking two wines at the same time. Head-scratcher.

4/18/2024 - Evermoore wrote:

Rich but with pleasing acidity. Well balanced, fruity yet bold. Excellent compliment to grilled lamb

4/18/2024 - glou.sf Likes this wine:

Quite interesting wine. Some floral notes, citrus, VA, and peach on the nose. Light effervescence with good acidity and some noticeable residual sugar on the palate, along with flavors of peach, lemon, and orange zest. Good finish. Very enjoyable but honestly the first Steen wine I tried that’s not overly volatile.

4/18/2024 - Doblk wrote:

Still quite dense. Interesting profile- I wouldn’t have picked out the Nebbiolo except maybe the nose. It makes a good package - still some good fruit and acidity, but well softened. Great with lamb and roasted vegetables. I enjoyed it.

4/16/2024 - cdebeau Likes this wine:

Light to medium body, fruit forward, raspberry, long smooth finish

4/14/2024 - JC597 wrote:

Drinking wonderfully. Opened at a Masters party and decanted for 30-45 mins. Tasted and it was already flourishing. Carafe didn’t last very long after that. Very Rutherford, with dusty tannins that have softened even more over time. Fruit is well-balanced with the mild acidity and the nose was delicious. I hope to find another bottle soon.

4/18/2024 - acyso wrote:

Base vintage 2013. Disgorged July 2021, 3 g/L dosage. Despite the relatively low dosage, this certainly has a palate presence that I really enjoy. Rounded and richer, but at the same time, bright laser-focussed white fruit here. Made in a bigger style the way Egly does, and very enjoyable for it.

3/20/2024 - oldwines Likes this wine:

Tasted at the Barolo and Barbaresco World Opening, NYC. The producer was a start-up in 2008, relatively new. The Classico is made in a very traditional style, aged all in larger botti. The wine is very clean and fresh with typical expressions of cherry and roses and a hint of blood orange. Very long finish. I liked this.

4/13/2024 - JC597 wrote:

I was not a fan of this particular bottle for the price. Expected much more based on other reviews. I’m afraid there was a storage issue along the way. This was received by a local bottle shop with a decent wine selection in 2023 for what I assume was a 20-year re-release through various distribution channels. It honestly had the taste and mouthfeel of a Pinot Noir, very acidic, which leads me to believe it may have been exposed to excessive temperatures in transit. It was also stored upright in the store’s temperature-controlled wine cellar, as I had eyed it over the past several months.

4/18/2024 - acyso wrote:

Dirty and funky. Way too mushroomy too.

4/18/2024 - Radboy wrote:

This opens with a somewhat muted nose, but still a bit fragrant with prunes and raisins. Nice balance, dark berry fruit with cardamon and earth. Layers of concentrtion. A lovely drink. Seems ready to go.

4/18/2024 - Takao wrote:

Med ruby color. Medium plus aromas of sour plum, rose petal, sour cherry, cranberry, strawberry, a bit of VA. Med plus acid, med plus body, high alcohol, med well integrated tannins, med finish. Red fruited but ripe with some floral components. A lot of sour plum. Alcohol sticks out a bit. Might improve. 77+

4/18/2024 - Pontifax Likes this wine:

This just evolves and improves...
On nose and palate: hay, tarragon, meyer lemon, subtle white flowers, light but present vanilla/ oak, as well as a crisp finish of sea salt and fresh thyme.....all displayed on a superbly balanced medium body with woven acidity, as a foil for the fuller flavour profile, at 5 years of age, after a 1 hour decant.
Last bottle, unfortunately.....time to source some of the 2020 vintage....very good value at around $24.00 .

4/18/2024 - acyso wrote:

Good, but not quite at the level that the price of this commands. It's certainly very pinot dominant on the palate and nose -- quite rich with a pronounced mushroomy quality. Richer textured, but somehow the dosage feels a little less than necessary to really fill out the bones of this wine.

4/18/2024 - Jshummelt Likes this wine:

An enjoyable wine that is a really great every day value. Best to pair with food, but enjoyable on its own.

Has a moderate+ color intensity and color hue of ruby to purple with clear rim and moderate viscosity.

Moderate+ intensity nose with fresh red fruits (cherry, cranberry) and some plum along with tobacco.

Moderate+ body, with moderate+ acid. Moderate smooth tannins, and moderate alcohol that is in balance with the other elements. Red cherry and red plum with mafic rich rock.

4/12/2024 - JC597 wrote:

Not as good as the bottle a few weeks ago. A little bit of cork seepage present. It was not spoiled, but I’ve tried this from 3 other bottles with consistent notes at this point. Still very good, just not as good as the other tastings.

4/18/2024 - NY Wino Likes this wine:

Finally a 2007 CDP that lives up to the hype! Big gamey nose, lots fruit with lively acidity and a bit of heat. Tannins are still quite evident, so still some life in the wine. Finish is solid but not amazing. Still is one of the best 2007 I’ve had to date and I’ve had quite a few.

4/18/2024 - WyoWino Likes this wine:

What a wonderful wine. Still going strong since we last visited it in 2022. Dark berry notes dominate the nose to start. Hints of anise emerged on the back end.This wine still has a fruit forward start. It is a well balanced wine with a smooth, long, lingering finish. It finishes with a slight tannic bite. This wine still has many years ahead of it. I hope to catch this wine when the tannins come into perfect balance with the fruit.

4/18/2024 - NoahCap wrote:

This is a fun one- an everyday wine from a real top shelf producer. Vibrant young purple in the glass. Juicy red and black fruits, concentrated cherry juice, a bit of licorice, and dried violets on the nose. Light to medium in body, medium in acidity with a surprising amount of tannins that are fairly aggressive. The flavors are mostly juicy red fruits, for lack of a better word- this is just tasty. There are some flavors of licorice in the background, just like on the nose. Not particularly complex, but very pleasing, with a medium length finish. Not profound, but very nice, and I'd buy again.

4/18/2024 - jshufelt wrote:

Pop and pour. In the glass, medium-dark red. On the nose, bright fruit. On the palate, one-dimensional, with sweet fruit and not much else.

4/18/2024 - Doblk wrote:

I’ve liked this before but less so this time. Very astringent upon opening and seeming a bit too ripe. Better after a night on vacuvin, but it never came together for me.

4/18/2024 - as4beatles Likes this wine:

Deep color, great flavor. needed to open up upon first taste but then it did and it was fabulous.

4/18/2024 - Brian Glas Likes this wine:

Tangy savory red berry fruit. Some dust. Sweet cranberries are balanced by the firm acidity. Excellent.

4/18/2024 - weezie Likes this wine:

See prior note.

4/18/2024 - Janda_42 Likes this wine:

PNP

Eye: Dark purple center to dark ruby rim.

Nose: Cassis. Black and red berries. A little steminess; a little tobacco.

Palate: More berries. Violets, roses. Good acid, drying tannins. This wine is very young and fresh. Cacao powder.

Finish: Tart and dry. Faint whisp of grape stem bitterness and eucalyptus.

This is the first bottle out of my AR allocation. It’s safe to say I’m pretty excited about what’s coming up.

4/18/2024 - EvanRose Likes this wine:

A bit herbal with anise on the nose. Slow to open but very full bodied with a melange of red and black fruit. Plum, black cherry and some umami on the midpalate. Full bodied, round with a long Lucious finish

4/18/2024 - TomG619 Likes this wine:

The can sav adds great depth to the blend and makes it really good with food.

4/19/2024 - broadband013 wrote:

Très bien

4/18/2024 - ratboi Likes this wine:

Excellent balance. Goes well with a salad or middle eastern food. Flinty and on the dry side. Good drinking right now.

4/18/2024 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:

First bottle from Accomasso and it was really good. The nose was open almost from the start but continued to improve over 2+ hours; beautiful red fruit, floral, anise, mint, tar, a bit of tobacco; ripe and redolent and seductive. The palate was certainly large scaled, but in a beautifully balance way that was lovely. Definitely needs food now; the tannins are mostly cloaked by the concentration of the fruit, but they are there. Wish I had another bottle to try in 5-10.

4/18/2024 - llink wrote:

Decanted for 2 hours. Cellared since release, high fill the cork was only stained 1/4 inch. Ruby red. Lovely and very alive nose of blackberry, tar, tapenade, pepper and Provençal herbs. Lively palate, good acidity and fruit wrapped in a saline infused texture that is silky and leads to a medium length finish.

4/18/2024 - CWilliam wrote:

Light red color. On nose, strawberry, tart cherry, pine resin / forest floor and red currants. Medium body with fruit a little sweeter on palate than nose but tart cherry, cherry pit and strawberry. Medium body, low tannins, medium+ acidity and long finish. Got better with air and better on own than with food. 91+/- Not a re-buy for me but enjoyable. This has aged well.

4/18/2024 - Pvaddadi wrote:

A sophisticated red blend from California with a balanced acidity complementing its fruity notes. On the mid-palate, enjoy hints of berries and vanilla for a well-rounded flavor experience

4/18/2024 - LMArcher Likes this wine:

LGR, LB, A/T=
Pink peppercorn, red cuurant, blue fruit, savory, supple. Gorgeous.

4/18/2024 - casjf Likes this wine:

Blander than I thought it would be given the percentage of petite sirah.

4/18/2024 - Bob AR Likes this wine:

Good wine. Medium purple color. Dry. Medium acidity and tannins. Medium plus body. Scent and taste of plum.

4/18/2024 - kazarian Does not like this wine:

The wine looks crimson colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like brettanomyces. It tastes like brettanomyces. The body is light/medium. The wine finishes short. The wine has low acidity.

4/18/2024 - connorpksmith Likes this wine:

PnP for 3 hours. Didn't take many detailed notes. Took 30 minutes to open. There's a lot going on here. The aromatics and palate were a little darker with more violet and purple berry nuances than what I've experienced with the RF Cru in the past. However, consistent with previous vintages this has incredible depth with layers of saline, morning dewy fields, and wet tobacco leaves that always transports me to the picturesque rolling hills of Northern California and serene Bodega Bay. 94-95