4/17/2024 - affordableCollector wrote:

single fine bead. white gold, light yellow, in color. initial aromas of lime and spice. opening to plum, pear, orange, green apple, brioche, lemon pith, citrus peel, mineral. tangy lemon, toast, on the finish.

consume: now -2028

4/17/2024 - Putnam Weekley Likes this wine:

8.5% abv. AP 18.
Hyper-transparent geological flavor. Wasabi, orange sherbet. Glossy pet fur textured. Lime/watermelon lantern. Scaley with brittle stone.

4/17/2024 - gfwetzel Likes this wine:

At a restaurant, from a half bottle. Essentially PnP, although it developed reasonably over 30-60 minutes. These notes were taken at the end of that period. The wine's color is a medium+ garnet. The nose has red fruit (cherries+), a bit of tar, a bit of leather, a bit of earth. The palate has cherries, some forest floor, not a lot of complexity. The body of the wine is a solid medium with balanced acids and tannins. The tannins are mostly integrated by now and support the wine but are not intrusive. This is a nice wine, but not a great one (especially for the price at a restaurant). ABV 14.5%

4/17/2024 - Jamesjpw wrote:

Guess I’m not a burgundy fan…

4/17/2024 - Zoso Likes this wine:

Beautiful wine and I don't think I am moved to say that about Syrah very often. Very meaty nose with plenty of herb nuance. Dark and boisterous it explodes with goodness. Balance is impeccable and will be a worthy addition to any cellar. I have very little syrah in my cellar but this will be in it! Might be able to have this for lunch, not with lunch, for lunch! Prediction is 99 but only cuz I haven't tried a 100 pt. syrah from WA ST. so not sure where the bar is.

4/17/2024 - rrscellar Likes this wine:

Excellent! Great fruit still, long finish. Upon opening was getting more blue fruit but strangely more red fruit after 60 min open. No sign of fading would say easily another 3-5 years.

1/14/2024 - atbarbar Likes this wine:

Very flamboyant fruit, cassis, some sticky sugar and plenty of acidity in support. Very nice and very drinkable. The wood is already very well integrated. I would not hold for more than 10 years.

4/17/2024 - geoffreychambertin wrote:

Not a bad Riesling by any means, but feels incomplete and a bit boring. If I were blinded I would probably call a better producer from the Finger Lakes instead of something from Germany.

4/17/2024 - PKvector Does not like this wine:

J&P3/5

4/17/2024 - atbarbar Likes this wine:

Most of the wines from this domaine are very fine and were bought at bargain prices. Tropical notes, strawberries, nice acidity, nice minerality. Not too complex but very pleasant.

4/17/2024 - rnjbond wrote:

Notes of dark cherry, plum, olive, and blueberry.

Needed time to open up, still lots of tannins, but mellowed out over time.

Long finish, beautiful nose.

93 points.

4/17/2024 - atbarbar wrote:

The bottle is over the hill but in a very special manner. The wine has lost most of its color, it is a pale brownish. That said, it is salty, and it still maintains that spicy, aromatic peppery character of Grignolino. Underneath, some gentle manure and some less pleasant basement. Therefore, over the hill, difficult to drink but look, very interesting. Moreover, probably stored in terrible conditions by the owner. Nice experience.

4/17/2024 - pgm wrote:

Visible signs of maturity, with a coppery edge on the ruby purple color. Good complex aromas and flavors of dried flowers, leather, and plum. Tannic through the finish. Probably at peak.

4/17/2024 - NewFrenchClaret wrote:

Not sure about this. Partly the color is alarming- not like a white wine, but clear as water. Would probably be better with a hint of skin contact, for psychological reasons if nothing else.

There is some flavor here, but as another reviewer noted it is more reminiscent of sake. There's a purity and a delicacy to it though which I quite like. Lychee and raspberry mostly.

The one thing which is surprising is you absolutely need to drink this at room temperature. When chilled even slightly it has little flavor and the alcohol (a mere 11%) and acid are all you taste. But at room temperature some of the aromas start to unfold and the flavor has more depth. Even cellar temperature (not that you'd cellar it) is too cold.

After I found this out, it was much more drinkable, and offered some uncomplicated drinking pleasure. But it's hard to score it highly because it has such a narrow operating window.

4/17/2024 - Putnam Weekley Likes this wine:

iodine, sweet snail shells, fluxom black tea pulp, fallen stone fruit, minced stone—wowee

4/17/2024 - Donjcorleone Likes this wine:

Double decanted for an hour which gave way to dark, brooding aromas that were slightly pruny along with mentholated, leathery, tobacco tones leading to a rich, tart, dark plum flavored palate with a lingering black olive saltiness.

4/17/2024 - der Schmecker Likes this wine:

Damn good wine.
There are lots of other reviews, all of them valid.
If you didn't buy upon release, too late.
For you, considering a future vintage, this is relevant, the past is indicative, and this is a very solid wine.

4/5/2024 - atbarbar Likes this wine:

Actually, a very well made wine. Lots of fruit, some barrel but very well integrated. Acidity that supports the whole package. Very pleasant. Altitude at 835m worked out fine to maintain freshness. Amazing value.

4/6/2024 - TannicBeast Likes this wine:

Not your typical NZ Sauvignon Blanc. Unfined/unfiltered, w/ 14 days skin contact. Aged for 11 months in oak barrels. Deep yellow w/ a gold hue. Med+ to pronounced aromas of grapefruit, apricot, pineapple and brioche. Dry, but w/ nice fruit, med+ acidity and alcohol (13.5) and an interestingly chewy, tactile finish. Medium bodied, with med+ intensity & length, w/ a spicy tropical fruit and citrus finish. It is drinking well by itself, but is particularly good w/ savory or spicy dishes that would clash with a red but demand a little more than a light white. Drink near term, not intended for aging.

4/13/2024 - AGELVIS Likes this wine:

Thirty minutes in the glass before drinking. Very deep dark intense purplish magenta color. Boysenberry, plum, slate, black cherry and floral graham cracker. Dry, plush palate, with chalky acidity. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish.

My score is just a placeholder, but the raw materials suggest this will be at least this good. Part of a great tasting at Arkenstone.

4/17/2024 - Carteret Likes this wine:

I'm not so experienced with Super Tuscans but this one has led me to want to investigate. While the age is minimal, I found it to be very approachable with just enough backbone to support the main dish, grilled lamb chops with a hint of garlic. For a $50 bottle, I found it to be worthwhile.

4/17/2024 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:

From a magnum donated from the Yquem cellars. Complex aromatics of ripe peach, apricot, grilled mango and vanilla. So luscious and layered, with incredible fruit sweetness. Fabulous intensity and engages with every sip. For all its sweetness it finishes so clean and bright and has such great presence.

4/17/2024 - gharter Likes this wine:

PnP, no decant needed. Opens with red and black fruit, cassis, cedar, spice, anise, plum on the nose. Lots of flavor with red and black fruit, cassis, anise, spice, slight herbal, and cedar. Medium body. Smooth tannins in a long finish.

4/17/2024 - M.J.G. wrote:

Stewed dark fruit in this very pretty, not overripe, Napa merlot. Sideways screwed this grape so unfairly. Almost like a nice, mature right bank Bordeaux. QPR is fantastic.

4/16/2024 - pgm wrote:

Bright and lovely zin accented with orange peel and floral notes

3/23/2024 - atbarbar Does not like this wine:

Over the hill, also not clear how the bottle had been stored. Very dark gold color, super oxydized if not maderized nose. Lacks freshness on the palate. Soso vintagemost likely contributes. A pity.

4/17/2024 - nicolaasj23 wrote:

Not good with oily fish

4/17/2024 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:

Both bottles were marked by too much brett. Fruit flavours were sweet and slightly roasty. It had some boot polish volatility and gravelly tannins.

4/17/2024 - Blue Jay Likes this wine:

Flavors of cherry, strawberry, leather with some tannins up front which mellowed after one hour of breathing after being uncorked. Impressive flavors for a Sangiovese.

4/17/2024 - M.J.G. wrote:

Tart, bright lemons and limes in the Napa SNB. Zippy and delicious

4/17/2024 - Shoegirl0310 wrote:

Love

4/17/2024 - Metalhorns wrote:

A hokey, artificially dusted and wonky bottle of supermarket CdP. Feels blasphemous and probably is, but despite the heinous level of novelty marketing wrapping the juice, the contents are actually decent if you ignore the fact it's being sold as a Châteauneuf-du-Pape. A somewhat homogeneous and predictable blend of stewed plum, pepper, chocolate, cranberry and cherry permeate the palate, with notes of forest floor, lavender, mushroom, leather and strawberry offering a subtle but fairly substantial nose. Things are pretty soft and easy-rolling here, with a gentle yet lingering finish trailing behind the smooth, medium body. Considering the price of admission is easily accessible with this one, you could do worse as you start exploring the region's style, but don't mistake it as an artisan expression of the Rhône's true potential.

4/17/2024 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:

Bottles donated from the Lafite Rothschild cellar. Seriously good! The nose draws you in with such pure cassis fruit, violet florals and lead pencil. Luscious fruits surround the high tensile, graphite spine. It is rich and voluminous yet so focused and detailed. It is fresh, youthful and has terrific length.

4/17/2024 - AaronMaxwell Likes this wine:

So sweet! Came in next to last in a blind tasting of 2019 Napa cabs.

4/17/2024 - JohnMcIlwain Likes this wine:

I’d call this off-dry/Feinherb at 11.5% on the label. White flowers, just ripe stone fruit, hints of honeysuckle, and sorrel on the nose. The palate shows some ripeness, even richness on the attack—isn’t this the classic cold climate underripe vintage the we all clamor for? Is this Hengst or Brand? But surely enough a thread of salty bitterness and stony core emerges from within. A pithy, flinty definition begins to reveal its agenda and there’s fruit here, but it’s peeking from behind mother’s apron. Pretty shut down at the moment and a bit of a decant slams the gates. Hold for a couple years. There’s a shocking amount of material here that just needs to organize itself.

4/17/2024 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:

From a magnum donated from the Latour cellars. This was really good, outperforming the vintage. Some lead pencil and cassis smells. It had meat and earth complexity. It was glossy in the mouth, with lovely balance and smooth tannins. It finished with bright acid tang and length to burn.

4/17/2024 - jfaulk Likes this wine:

Wonderful cab franc fruit with that stem and leaf like quality following. Well integrated tannins with medium acidity. Great QPR

4/17/2024 - jaydriggers wrote:

I don’t know…it was a bit too floral for me. Yellow, dry, fuller-bodied. Lots of honeysuckle and floral notes, maybe a little too syrupy for my preference. It felt like drinking perfume, if that makes sense (albeit a nice perfume). I drank this on its own - perhaps should have paired it with some food because I think it could have paired well with some cheese or savory foods. Just not my preferred type of white overall.

4/17/2024 - Discobiscuits42 wrote:

Fairly dark in color. Fairly subdued nose, orange, baking spice, raspberry, bell pepper. Fairly transparent wine in style. Unfortunately this transparency really rockets the brett to the forefront. Quite a light mouthfeel with well balanced acid. Pretty honest wine. Ultimately the prominence of brett really detracts. Stylistically not for me.

4/17/2024 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:

Cassis and tobacco with some sweet spice. Mid-weight and beautifully balanced. Fresh and minty closure.

4/17/2024 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:

A magnum from the Yalumba museum cellar. Quite leathery on the nose. Some plum and violets too. It is sweet, opulent and deep, and has something agricultural that just distracts a little.

4/17/2024 - louisl Likes this wine:

This is drinking great right now. Some nice deep berry note overlayed with some tertiary flavors. Tasting more mature than I would have expected, so I wouldn’t hold these too much longer.

4/17/2024 - dhwesley Likes this wine:

Wow - the nose hits you as soon as the cork is out of the bottle. Raspberry, leather, mushrooms, cocoa, and just the right amount of "garden shed". Pinch of sediment, deep red in color. Palate is plum, blueberry, chocolate and baking spice. This is firing on all cylinders and is barely out of the bottle! It only got better after a few hours of decanting. Quite enjoyable.

4/17/2024 - TGLeroy Likes this wine:

Needs an hour of air, then let’s it’s charms loose.
Drinking very well!

4/5/2024 - atbarbar Likes this wine:

Definitely tropical and some salt, but a lot of sweetness as well. Not the strongest offering from Droin. The vintage appears to be a bit soft as well.

4/17/2024 - Genghis88 Likes this wine:

@ the Cape Thompson Cabo

Wine is garnet in color, medium bodied.
Some red fruit off the nose and clay notes. Hints of leather and iodine
Very smooth. Approachable now. Very balanced. A well made wine. Dark berries on the palate. Longish finish. Expensive IMHO (-1 pt).

This has potential and may pick up a point in the coming years.

Amaze steak and prawn dinner at our unit. Cabo nights are awesome!!!!

4/17/2024 - viniferatu Likes this wine:

.... aromas of golden apple, citrus juices and pith, mainly orange, a little toasty almonds, a touch of honeysuckle.... nice silky texture, medium bodies, pithy and slight bitter, a little grippy. Numbing herbal tones linger with citrus on the finish. In a good spot for an 8 year old Cotes du Rhone Blanc, but perhaps it hasn't actually improved over time, as it was quite delicious 4 or 5 years ago... that being said, it probably still has a few years left of nice drinking. Needs food....

4/17/2024 - WineGuyX Likes this wine:

Rich and powerful, this has aromas of black cherry, u see rush and leather. Full-bodied, this is absolutely brimming with sweet black cherry liqueur, pomegranate juice, blood orange and rust. Still tannic, but if high quality. This is pretty fantastic right now. Drink now-2030+ 93

4/17/2024 - heyjon Likes this wine:

Displaying a rich, garnet hue, the wine presents a bouquet marked by dark fruits, including ripe black currants, alongside earthy notes of forest floor and mushrooms. Herbal hints of thyme, sage, and mint add complexity, with a subtle floral undertone, reminiscent of violet. The well-balanced palate reveals additional fruit notes of early picked blackberry cassis, and red plum. Bright acidity and soft tannins help create a pleasant mouthfeel. The finish is medium-long with a lingering tartness.

4/17/2024 - VAGenius Likes this wine:

Grapey nose with lavender and notes of bazooka gum. Palate starts juicy with black cherry and cola, the rolls up into wide tannins, acidity, black fruits, black olive brine with dried herbs and nice citrus energy dancing on the tongue through the finish. Nice now, give the tannins a year or two to unfold. 92+ points.