4/4/2024 - ylkim30 Likes this wine:

Dark, red brambly fruit with mineral and savory notes. Crisp and drinkable. Solid wine, though out-classed by the whites and rosato today.

4/17/2024 - Eric wrote:

Mmm, fresh raspberry, peppery, moves to black fruit, good maturity, Suffered hail but seemed to do well despite. Good structure, very fine and well controlled tannins.

4/4/2024 - ylkim30 Likes this wine:

Easy-going and gluggable rose. Hints of watermelon and strawberries on the nose, with juicy, bright red fruit on the palate. Fun, easy-going and gluggable rose.

4/4/2024 - ylkim30 wrote:

Quite a bit of reduction on the nose, with not a lot of fruit notes. Medium body and round on the palate, it has good acidity and a nice mineral spine, but you can definitely taste a noticeable hint of wood on the finish. Apparently aged in used oak tonneaux (with no new oak), this is not over-oaked and I can see it integrating with time, but I’m a little quercus-phobic with white wines, so the hint of oak was a little off-putting for me.

4/4/2024 - ylkim30 Likes this wine:

Slightly reductive on the nose, coming across as a touch of caramel-coated funk coating hints of subtle fruit notes of apple and pear. On the palate, loads of electrified minerals and mouth-watering acidity enveloping hints of white fruit and herbs, with a touch of grippiness on the finish. Beautifully vibrant stuff. A living wine.

4/4/2024 - ylkim30 Likes this wine:

Generous white fruit on the nose: I get melon, apples, and pears. Feels relatively full-bodied on the palate with a velvety texture, rich white fruit and good, if not quite racy, acidity. Enjoyable, if a little straightforward. Primarily young-vine Pecorino with some Chardonnay and a little Trebbiano.

4/14/2024 - Thinkper Likes this wine:

Som vanligt otroligt gott. Bra fönster tycker jag, kanske en aning stängt. Saknade en aning syra, men ändå fantastiskt. Drack till en risotto med sparris.

4/17/2024 - Neddy9 Likes this wine:

This red is now in a great place and while it has the potential for further development and fining down, it's drinking extremely well right now.
The bouquet is complex, with notes of blackberry, cedar and spice - not overtly peppery. The palate is medium to full bodied and has a wonderful mouthfeel - rich, plummy and complete and then the finish is long flavoured, with great balance between gentle acidity and soft, long tannin.
In all, a most satisfying, high quality red, that with the pedigree of Great Western, will live on easily for another decade for the patient of hand.

4/17/2024 - noni15 Likes this wine:

This wine is holding its weight gracefully, I tried this wine a few years ago and its evolution is amaizing. Love it full of ripen straberries among with hints of mint and velvety tannins.

94-95 pts.

4/17/2024 - Patriot68 wrote:

Floral duft med hint av fioler og modne røde bær. Saftig og delikat moden frukt med ferske lett tørre tanniner. Nydelig balanse. MB
Svin, and og kalv.

4/17/2024 - Neddy9 Likes this wine:

Well, I obviously didn't (couldn't) wait another 5 years, as per my 2022 note, but with friends over from WA, I was keen to see if and by how much this wine had changed . . and the answer is not by much. Still very dense colour right to the rim; it's a definite black/red, much the same as previous bottle. I decanted it and there was a small amount of sediment, easily removed. What impressed me this time was the lovely aroma of Cabernet 'blackcurrant' that wafted up, more like what I'd expect from Coonawarra. Some nice French oak cedar character, light touch of chocolate, but really fine boned and velvety mid palate before firm but fine grained tannins still kick in. Oodles of rich fruit left and lovely balancing acidity for a 14.5% A/V wine, so the remaining bottles are definitely staying put now.

4/17/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Giving this the same rating as the last time I tried it, a 2017. This 2019 was from half bottle. It was a little different that I remember, most notably more earthy/green, with a bitter coffee/slightly dank herbal twinge accompanying very very ripe, very black fruit that veers toward "jammy" but stops just short of goofiness. Some acidity, not too flabby, not a lot of energy either; tannins are present without being in the way. It's a pretty fun and expressive profile; not very harmonious, but enjoyable and not egregiously overdone. I think there are many better US Cab Sauvs around $30-$35, but also many, many worse ones.

4/17/2024 - Janda_42 Likes this wine:

Eye: Pale salmon. Delicate mouse. The bubbles are slow moving and absolutely minuscule.

Nose: Strawberry jam. Cherry juice. Brioche. Lightly autolytic.

Palate: Beautiful crisp acidity. Richly layered red fruits. Little hint of crème de cassis. Watermelon candy. Touch of brioche. Green apple, pomegranate.

Finish: Lingering cherry tartness. More strawberry jam. Toast.

Overall: Some superb rose sparkling. The bubbles are the finest I’ve seen in any American sparkler. I’m glad I got a few bottles; I’m looking forward to revisiting this bottle with some more time.

4/16/2024 - Eric wrote:

So young, but this is everything you want from Rayas, just such a unique expression of Grenache on sandy soils. Sweet and savory, seemingly pale and light but with deceptive power and persistence. Haunting wine. This will improve for two decades.

4/16/2024 - Papies wrote:

What a pretty surprise here and having tried this blind sort of confused us for what it was. Dry mineral , light smoky , definitely not fatty or oaky at this stage and the fruit is clear, stone fruits and a very Chablis in style. We wondered if this was a 4-5 year old Chablis Premier Criu or even ( we were I. Greece after all) an assyrtiko with its smoky and very mineral edge. Alas no! Very very good! 92

4/16/2024 - Eric wrote:

100% Clairette. Oh my, honeysuckle, floral and energetic with impressive structure for a white. Maybe a hint of a cider character, fairly flinty and smoky, so fresh, yet surprisingly tropical. A wine of paradox. 100% concrete egg.

4/16/2024 - Eric wrote:

One sniff and I can't help but smile, wow, just wow. The textbook element of licorice, oh my, silky, great length, really balanced, long, just gorgeous, an exceptional wine. So fresh, really exploding with energy and vibrancy, 14.5%

4/17/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Good stuff, my first from the producer. A little less powerful and outright delicious than I expected for some reason, but still plenty powerful and delicious. It's really striking how much the small percentage of Petite Sirah seems to show; there's a distinctly jammy, super black fruit note that permeates through the whole wine, sort of like warm blackberry compote, very tasty, but leaving very little room for anything else. There is definitely balance here, it's not overly hot and there's some faint trace of savory/peppery tones to lend a little nuance. It's just mostly a gentle, "cool" version of a big dark jammy fruit bomb. Thinking about similarly-priced wines from the region, I had a better experience with a Stolpman Hilltops Syrah- still, this was really tasty and fun. Worth the price, just not a QPR monster.

4/16/2024 - Eric wrote:

Holy wow, what a gorgeous Grenache. Peppery, firm, long and spicy. 15%. Delicious!

4/16/2024 - Eric wrote:

60% Mourvedre on clay and 40% Grenache. This is a kick in the teeth, savory, leaner than expected, structured, really cool aromatics, lots of structure.

4/16/2024 - Eric wrote:

Mmm, licorice, pepper, spice, really proper, serious, chewy, lots of structure but with good freshness as well.

4/16/2024 - Eric wrote:

A 2015/16 blend? Very fresh and peppery, very reminiscent of a Cotes-du-Rhone, but Julien bottles as Vin de Table rather than Cotes-du-Rhone Villages so as to not need 15% Syrah. A nice choice, this is fresh and deliciously peppery.

4/16/2024 - Papies wrote:

Young and very much on the fruit, very much a cool climate feel, well managed fruit, good use of oak. Very much the dark fruited wine it’s always is at this young age and date we say one dimensional ow as the young fruit dominates . This needs another 5 years to show everything it can do for the patient enough. This will be rewarded though. 89-90 for now

4/16/2024 - Eric wrote:

Moonshine! From an insanely impressive 3.0L bottle?!? Compares to a grappa but with a bit of a caramel note on the finish.

4/17/2024 - #Cellar mistress Likes this wine:

Pnp, cork good quality. Much the same as last time although the darker notes dominated now with black olives and licorice among the fruit and herbal notes. Very enjoyable.

4/16/2024 - Eric wrote:

A slightly caramel note on entry, more austere on the back of the palate. Maybe the balance is less generous than the 2022, but this is nice, spicy, pleasant, more dark, soy. Sort of a BASS profile as compared to TREBLE for 2022.

4/17/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Badass. I won't give this a number rating, as I don't generally drink a lot of quality vermouth, and don't review them on here. But as with all her wines, this is very nuanced, with a lot of beautiful complexity. It's certainly the best use of the infamous smoke-damaged 2020 Willamette Pinot I've seen. The way the dark raspberry/black cherry Pinot fruit blends with the wild herbs, spices, and leathery, slightly nutty accents is really awesome. It's intense on its own, but very drinkable and balanced, especially with the high ABV, and in a cocktail (manhattan with Bulleit 12 yr rye and angostura, made a couple at the end of the bottle) it shines even more, lending an austere leather armchair note with a cool, earthy bitterness rather than the "sweet" vermouth tone more typical for the drink.

4/17/2024 - Chuck Miller wrote:

A lean wine best served with food. Solid for a 15 year old village Burgundy, but not a great value in the current market.

8/25/2023 - ylkim30 Likes this wine:

Beautiful, archetypal nose of tar, roses, and cherry; On the palate, still plenty of dark, red fruit with streaks of mint and herbs, but its the delicacy on the palate and the silkiness of the finish that elevates this wine. Tannins are mostly resolved with just enough grip to keep the wine interesting. Downright Burgundian, this is absolutely delicious stuff.

4/16/2024 - Eric wrote:

100% Cinsault, totally different wine, jammy entry, intense, moves to a darker fruit profile, brooding, dusky, husky, bittersweet, cocoa. Wow such concentration, so silky, really polished. 15.5%

4/17/2024 - rnjbond wrote:

No detailed notes, lovely but definitely needs more time.

4/16/2024 - Eric wrote:

100% Grenache, all whole cluster, concrete egg aging. Very sweet core, very Grenache, strawberry and white pepper, very structured, firm and dry.

4/16/2024 - Eric wrote:

Big, explosive, raspberry, subtle licorice, the bright fruit screams in a fairly high-pitched way. Super spicy, cinnamon, punchy red fruit. Whole cluster Grenache and Cinsaut, destemmed Syrah and Mourvedre. Texture is somewhat dry and grainy.

4/17/2024 - DanielOsman Likes this wine:

Best PN I have drunk for sometime. Red berry fruit and a hint of oak on the nose at opening. Continuation of the fruit flavours on the palate. Solid acidity and refined tannins gave it a solid backbone but beautifully smooth and developing complexity on the finish. Lovely.

4/16/2024 - PSPatrick wrote:

At the Fairmont Hotel, Singapore. 500ml bottle. 13.5% ABV. Dark fruit, dark cherry, Jaffa orange/chocolate cake, cocoa, coconut, and spices, with medium-level acidity, ripe, well-integrated tannin, and good length. The medium-bodied wine was well-balanced, with average concentration, and drank well. Very good value.

4/16/2024 - Eric wrote:

Flinty, reductive, mmm, nice snap, really fresh, lots of drive and focus.

4/16/2024 - Eric wrote:

Dusky nose opens up to a much more rich and full palate. I rarely think about texture, but this is silky and enveloping. Really salty, yet fresh with tension, mouthwatering, wonderful acidity!

4/16/2024 - Eric wrote:

60% Clairette / 40% Roussanne, 2 ears in old foudre. Just bottled in February. Marzipan, mineral, really fresh, almost minty.

4/16/2024 - Eric wrote:

Chewy, Grenache, earthy.

4/16/2024 - Eric wrote:

Wow what a nose! Sharp and floral, wonderful acid on the finish. This is unlike any CDP Blanc I have had before.

4/15/2024 - Eric wrote:

Classic, nice wine. Nothing sticks out here.

4/17/2024 - rosuoter Likes this wine:

PnP. Under an agglomerated cork. Clear pale yellow colour. Fresh and inviting nose of white flower, citrus, stone fruit with a nice mineral touch. Good depth of fruit on the palate, minerals again; well balanced and round with lively acidity. Refreshing medium long finish. Very delicious white from Etna. Love it.

4/17/2024 - bps2266 wrote:

drank over two days. clear and deeply gold. nose is rosy with ripe persimmon and a hint of licorice and alcohol. light bodied with medium acidity. well balanced with a smooth entry. more rose flavors with peaches and apricots on the palate. long, lightly heated finish with some clove or nutmeg. very dry but with sweet fruit flavors. i'd imagine this will age seamlessly and gain complexity. as always a real stunner from this producer and of excellent quality at the price.

4/17/2024 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine:

Retail $500(?). Heavy Bottle. 100% Pinot Noir. Well. And Whoa. This bottle comes from the cellar of a dear friend who passed away a couple of years ago. His widow urged me to take the wines that he "would want me to drink" and this certainly falls into that category. I popped it today with another dear friend and we both agreed that it was more than a bit passed. But. It is still a glorious Grand Cru. Earthy and rich on the nose but rather devoid of fruit, this is still a fantastic wine on the nose. The palate is even more bereft of fruit, if that is possible, but it is no less glorious. Sure, it comes off as a bit stewed and passed its prime, but the acidity is on point and renders the wine not only palatable but delightful. Nonetheless, this needed to be consumed several years ago. 93 Points.

www.thedrunkencyclist.com

4/6/2024 - ylkim30 Likes this wine:

This is a big boy. Aromatically complex, with red fruit and smoke on the palate, and subtle hints of stem, spice and herbs. Texturally, there are super silky tannins (bordering on velvety), caressing the mouth from start to finish. The one nit to pick here is that it could use more acidity, but it is still balanced and refreshing. But, good lord, is it ripe (though not in a flabby, gloopy way). Maybe not hedonistically ripe for civilians, but perhaps a touch too hedonistically ripe for the AFWE. Not damning with faint praise (I like this wine quite a bit), but just noting that you can tell this is from a solar vintage.

2/3/2024 - ylkim30 Likes this wine:

Pure silk on the palate. Hints of strawberries on the nose. Straddling dark and red fruit, with very understated notes of smoky reduction on the palate. Fresh, elegant, and intense with a seamless finish of salty iodine and game. The most precise of the red wines served; manages the ripeness of the vintage very well.

4/17/2024 - lesdeuxmagots Likes this wine:

4/17/2024 - JoeDwine wrote:

At John’s with Lamb chops

2/3/2024 - ylkim30 Likes this wine:

Another dark-fruited, dense, ripe wine that has enough acidity to keep it from becoming cloying. However, there is a lot of complexity here too: a hint of varietal smokiness, but also some peppery spiciness and streaks of salinity and minerality. The tannins are still fairly drying, but they feel fine-grained. I liked this, but you could tell this came from a solar vintage.

2/3/2024 - ylkim30 wrote:

This felt a little bit more like a standard Condrieu than the Clos de la Bonnette Légende Bonnetta. More floral on the nose, but, on the palate, a little flat with its low-ish acidity. A much oilier texture with ripe, yellow fruit. Good typicité, perhaps, but not the most exciting wine.