5/7/2024 - no leashes wrote:

Drinking beautifully, with grilled ribeye steak. In its peak drinking window but not going anywhere anytime soon.

5/7/2024 - no leashes wrote:

In peak drinking window, delicious with grilled ribeye.

5/8/2024 - no leashes wrote:

drinking beautifully with a quick decant, but with plenty of time to go. Tannins still firm, but fruit is elegant. Mineral, cassis and dark fruit flavors.

5/10/2024 - decaturwinedude wrote:

First time on an unknown producer to me. This was quite nice. Almost colorless in the glass-lightest of yellow/cream color. Certainly some bright fruit, but backed with a real mineral/acid spine. Lively and brisk. Clean and crisp. Nice.

5/10/2024 - LeandroGross wrote:

Su fineza y elegancia tanto en aromas como en boca sin dudas es por el gran trabajo enologico en la combinación de lo especiado y la fruta roja, marcado peso en boca y buen balance.
Gran tipicidad y taninos firmes a pesar de los 5 años en botella, se mantiene actual y moderno.

5/10/2024 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine:

Chardonnay from Umbria, another interesting project from Antinori. These folks don't seem to do anything wrong. Opened in its infancy, I suspect it will continue to improve with age.

5/10/2024 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine:

A GSMC(Counoise)T(Tannat). For some time these bottles were in an awkward area of my cellar, and thus benefit from a bit of extra aging.
I thought this would be a secondary bottling... but it is radiant... so well balanced and yet still youthful in the glass. likely still very nicely set to drink well for over another 5+ years... still i love where it is right now.

5/10/2024 - Bob Clayton wrote:

The Bric del Fiasc 2013 is great, even if it is still too young to drink. I tasted the bottle over 14(!) days, it was open for 2 weeks in the cellar at 18° C and still fresh, it has incredible potential. On the first day, the wine was still quite closed with aromas such as herbs, nuts, some plums and present tannins. Over the next 7 days, it steadily gained in richness, depth and complexity, the color changing from light to dark red. It now showed additional beautiful fruity and floral aromas, also chocolate, after a week it was at its peak and preserved this for another week.
I put the other bottles aside for 5 years, it will then keep at top level for 10 to 15 years, points 95+

5/10/2024 - pclin wrote:

PnP. ABV 13.5%. Clean nose but one could smell high acidity (is that even possible or just a mental trick?) and dark soils. On the first sip, acidity wasn’t as high as fear, pretty much in-check. Dark soils were more prominent than floral notes or spices. Tannins mostly resolved but still retained good structure. Honestly more like a refined NSG than a VR. Should cruise at this level for many more years with its vibrant acidity and good balance.

5/10/2024 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine:

I've become so wrapped up with their single vineyard wines i forget sometimes just how lovely this basic bottle really is!

5/7/2024 - MDRChang wrote:

Offered to friends for a birthday party. Slightly sour, good bubbles, nothing particularly special to my recollection (though I’m writing this three days later).

5/10/2024 - palfr2 wrote:

TBC - Richness on the nose. Very hard to pick as a Chenin..great viscosity.

5/10/2024 - red_man wrote:

still very youthful purple colour, rich blackberry and cassis fruit nose, has some finesse already but just too young to have developed any tertiary nuances or complexity, palate has good balance and depth, smooth tannins, well made and has character, could be excellent in 10-20 years, easy enough to drink now but there is potential for much more

5/9/2024 - Alaskawino wrote:

Past time with hints of dried fruit. Acid and tannins are balanced.

5/10/2024 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine:

simply lovely! Charbono is a varietal that stands up to aging. It tastes more like a Grenache in character: the tannins smooth out, the fruit is ever present, with hints of truffle and mushroom, a bit of earthiness, yet still well rounded and generous on the palate.

5/10/2024 - depechemoroder Likes this wine:

Far too young, but you see the potential. Dense, intense, and pure - almost impenetrable at the moment, but it seems these may have more savoury undertones rather than being fruit led.

5/10/2024 - plongeur Likes this wine:

a bit late but it was good

4/23/2024 - forceberry wrote:

100% Encruzado from a 45-yo vineyard planted at the altitude of 550 m asl. The fruit is destemmed, crushed and left to macerate with the skins for a little while for additional aromatic complexity. Fermented spontaneously and aged for 18 months in 5 years old French oak demi-muids ranging from 500 to 600 liters in size. 13% alcohol.

Youthful pale green color. The nose feels youthful with aromas of sweet Golden Delicious apple, some cantaloupe, light primary notes of ripe pear and pear drops, a little bit of creamy oak and a hint of greengage. The wine feels ripe, firm and slightly viscous on the palate with a medium body and flavors of ripe greengage and pear, some stony mineral tones, a little bit of leesy richness, light creamy oak tones, a hint of crunchy red apple and a primary touch of pear drops. The high acidity lends good sense of balance and structure to the wine. The finish is ripe, fresh and youthful with a moderately long aftertaste of juicy pear, some cantaloupe, light leesy notes, a little bit of spicy red apple, a hint of creamy oak and a touch of stony minerality.

A nice, fresh and balanced Encruzado that is still super youthful and rather primary in nature. The overall harmony is pretty much on point and the high acidity lends good sense of structure to the wine, but I'm not really a big fan of those estery fermentation aromas and flavors that lend an anonymous, somewhat candied feel to the wine with the notes of pear drops. However, I'm sure those qualities will disappear with further aging - after all, this is a freshly bottled vintage, so it's no surprise the wine is still super youthful and primary. I'd let this wine age for at least a few years more, just to let the wine to develop some additional complexity and get rid of those primary fruit flavors. Priced according to its quality at 22€.

5/10/2024 - JaniceLynn Likes this wine:

Crisp, apple, citrus

5/10/2024 - N.Bonaparte wrote:

1.5 years since last bottle. Another stellar bottle with just enough fruit throughout. This still benefits and needs over an hour in the decanter to wake up. Overall very well balanced with just enough pencil shavings and spice to keep this interesting. Certainly in its prime with many years left of quality drinking. Revisit 2026

5/3/2024 - pomelo Likes this wine:

Jaune doré brillant
Nez parfumé. Abricots, miel, fleurs blanches
Bouche ample et explosive sur les abricots, la cire et le miel.
Acidité moyenne +
Légère amertume agréable en fin de bouche.
Candidat pour la garde 4 à 6 ans.

5/4/2024 - pomelo Likes this wine:

Robe jaune très pâle, reflet verdâtre. Limpide et éclatant.
Nez de citron confit et de poire, silex.
Bouche sur le coquillage (côté salin) et le citron. Acidité moyenne +.
Assez long
Un GC Blanchots avec beaucoup d'élégance.

5/9/2024 - Pitkin_CT Likes this wine:

What an amazing wine! Still going strong after 46 years. Most impressive was the full bodied, silky smooth, mouth feel. Soft tannins and great nose. Wish I had more!

5/7/2024 - jsjones Likes this wine:

It’s past its prime and that’s my fault. Some decent earthy flavors but almost lost the essence of Gamay. No fruit. If you still have it, drink it now. It’s fine but won’t get any better.

5/10/2024 - fmginc Likes this wine:

good crisp notes

5/9/2024 - Papies wrote:

Milan Wine Event 3 - A 2014 vintage check up (Altrimenti, Milano): From Magnum as it should be.
It’s unfortunate for this wine as it came last after the beautiful and with unfair advantage in this challenging vintage ( to say the least) 2014 Monte Bello and Eglise-Clinet. This is still very young and even more so from magnum and felt a bit dry and shy . They pauillac austerity is not really helping at this juncture of its life and we would suggest one forgets this beautiful wine for another 5 preferably 10 years. Unfortunately we feel most will be compelled to drink this sooner on account do the vintage reports but really this needs more chance to develop. 91 for now.

5/10/2024 - Eudemis Likes this wine:

13% alcohol. Diam10 closure, an impressive affair. Pale gold luminous colour.
The nose is fresh and flowery with some lanolin added; very pure and clean, with no evidence of oak. Similar in the mouth with a taut feel and fresh apple. Good grip and excellent acidity. This is a lean wine with not an ounce of fat but no austerity either. Looks like it should age well and might develop a degree of opulence over time. Pretty elegant in its current state.
My first encounter with this producer, and a success.

5/10/2024 - MC wrote:

PNP. Needed 30 minutes to fully open. I really enjoy this wine. It will never blow you away, but I really enjoy the dark fruit that is at this point in the background but the secondary elements of earth, minerals, charcoal are really interesting to me. I enjoy it with at without food. It is not going to get any better, but I do wish I had more for the price I paid back then...A-

5/9/2024 - Papies wrote:

Milan Wine Event 3 - A 2014 vintage check up (Altrimenti, Milano): From a beautiful magnum.
Maybe with the luxury of hindsight we should have devoted this. At age 10 this is just about at the start of its drinking window and the ripeness and fleshyness of Pomerol ( and well added oak) definitely helped with this difficult year. Elegant and round, nice dark fruited mix on the nose and palate , nice structure and acidity and the tannins are well round and almost soft. This is now drinking beautifully but one just gets but a small glimpse of why this can accomplish with a few more years in bottle, preferably another 5. Easy 93 for now but with more to give with time.

5/10/2024 - Pancreatitis wrote:

Generic natural wine with no expression of terroir, just tastes like any other Ganevat

5/9/2024 - drrobvino wrote:

Final of 4 bottles, had my last one ~4 yrs ago. Paired with grilled ribeye steak and roasted asparagus this evening.
100% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged 19 months in French oak casks.
This is one of my favorite Estates in Napa, and this Caravina just keeps on going.
Lovely, earthy notes of perfectly ripened plums, cassis, tobacco, sage, and a hint of mint.
Full bodied, coats the mouth with a wall of black-fruited flavor...some notes of fig and earthy red beets.
The acidity buttresses the big flavor profile, keeping the wine fresh and reeled-in in a decidedly old school Napa style for which this Estate is known.
Drink this wine within the next few years, it is at an apogee.

5/9/2024 - Papies wrote:

Milan Wine Event 3 - A 2014 vintage check up (Altrimenti, Milano): From a beautiful magnum.
Beautiful wine from start to finish and albeit at the start of its drinking cycle ( this is one that we could easily see us drinking in 20 years ) still is ever so beautiful. Still has some puppy fat to assimilate in the sense of the fruit and soft sweet oak but it is ever so elegant and delightful. Well angled richness , very much a classicist American as we call these type of wines and true to the style of beautiful Monte Bellos. We felt this was a 94 for now but easily this has a few more points to add to its score with a few more years in bottle .

5/10/2024 - KeithAkers wrote:

From the first pour, this isn’t just my jam, it’s my 10-lane highway. This is all that I want in Albariño as it is soulful and fresh with deep tones of chamomile, pears, lemon peels, saline, peaches, honeysuckle, salty notes, a touch of dough, apples, crushed rocks, brine, white fruits, and all sorts of white flowers. The Medium bodied feel is balanced and textured with tart, high acidity that really persists. This is what I love about Albariño. Yes, you can find easy drinking bottles for very affordable prices, but when you take that step up, it really shows how it can be one of the great grapes in the world.

5/10/2024 - HarrisonHool wrote:

Perfection

5/10/2024 - BrianinVan Likes this wine:

Picked up this bottle from a wine shop in a Greek town on a recommendation from the owner. I asked for a blend and he suggested this one - Syrah and a Greek varietal Agiorgitiko. The wine is fantastic! Chewy. Tons of flavour. Bold. Oak. Cigar. Plummy jam. Delicious!!

5/10/2024 - FrancoisD Likes this wine:

Beau barolo à point.
Cerises, basilic, café, chocolat.
Soyeux mais avec touche d'épices en finale.
Concentration des arômes le range dans les nouveaux barolo, mais le travail n'est pas exagéré pour autant.

5/10/2024 - Cremuel Likes this wine:

Bright red/purple. Sweet damson and cassis nose, young fresh, hints of liquorice and dark fruit which emerges from the depths. Flavours are beautiful rich berries, black fruit, fine laced tannins, like a fine subtle young wine waiting for aging. Very good but way too young. As the bottle disappears it is apparent that while this is a very good 'baby' it needs a long time time growing up. Note to self - don't touch for another 5 years!

5/9/2024 - joesi16 wrote:

Still drinkable but its on the decline.

5/9/2024 - Papies wrote:

Milan Wine Event 3 - A 2014 vintage check up (Altrimenti, Milano): The SQN of Italian super Tuscans ( albeit using Merlot and not Syrah) but has that powerful intensity and richness that punches through. Distinct in style and does not hold back, very modern , well ripe and a touch manipulated with a lot of sweet oak use. The nose is properly pretty at least , sings or actually shouts ( not a positive for us) and just grabs you by the nostrils with rich dark fruits and spice. In the palate it is definitely punch and has a feeling of heat that translates well into the long finish. A wine that we could see exciting people but for us ( ok it’s better than their Syrah and definitely more elegant) a bit of an overdone wine. 92 bit really we are the wrong people for this wine.

5/10/2024 - Gdubya wrote:

Briefly Decantered, back in the bottle and drunk over a few hours. Young, has good stuffing and should turn out well. Well made CS, but no real sense of place (sadly). Good though, but probably best left alone for a few years. 93-95

5/10/2024 - Cremuel Likes this wine:

Pale gold, vigorous mousse. Nose of white stone fruit, faint biscuit, and vibrant acidity. Flavours are similar, with the white peach and stone fruits, big mousse. Hint of sweetness? Nice, and this batch feels very young.

5/9/2024 - BenBlu wrote:

Sadly an advanced bottle. Just about drinkable but not in the context of the lunch where all wines (aside of a corked Batard 05) showed very well. Shame.

5/9/2024 - Papies wrote:

Milan Wine Event 3 - A 2014 vintage check up (Altrimenti, Milano): A wine we were looking fwd to checking out on account we have never tried this and we own a few. Also we were hoping for another 2002 Sassicaia success from a poor vintage. Alas no.Unfortunately for now the wine is muted and closed . One but gets a small glimpse of what this could be , it’s hopeful, but really a shame to open now. Soft , round and polished and definitely speaks the language iof a polished and well made wine but at the same time lacks any sort of joy and excitement. Felt like a 90 and really we hope time will help here. We suggest one forgets this for another 5yrs minimum.

5/10/2024 - BenBlu wrote:

Sadly corked, two bottles of 05 Pucelles (original and late release) were wonderful though during this lunch.

5/9/2024 - Cremuel Likes this wine:

Dark garnet red. Sweet cherry, blackberry and menthol nose, jibe initially and later some spicy black fruit appear. Pnp. Tasting is sweet then some redcurrant acidity cuts through, it's warming, tight and fruity, background fine tannins. Very nice! Air brings deepening tannins, and balance remain fine
Day 2, has tightened up, drier and more structured, tannins more evident.

5/9/2024 - BenBlu Likes this wine:

Wonderful wonderful bottle - amazing energy and balance, incisive and fat yet weighless. WOTL for me (and most) besting BBM14, 10 and 11. A truly grand chardonnay.

5/10/2024 - BenBlu Likes this wine:

A touch fatter than the 2010 BBM side by side... and a touch less complete than the Batard 14 on the other side. Yet, still an immensely enjoyable chard that stand-alone would have been sensational.

5/10/2024 - hal.egg@gmail.com Likes this wine:

Dark ruby red, medium bodied, fruit forward, dark berries. Well balanced acidity. Juicy experience.

Not much on forest or other complexities that would make it more interesting.

5/10/2024 - BenBlu Likes this wine:

A real highlight, the 2010 BBM showed quite colourless and crystalline in glass, very clean, reductive, racy with acacia notes. Rolling high today and good bottles should hold but I would be inclined to pop these!

5/9/2024 - BenBlu Likes this wine:

Great bottle, so 360 degrees for me on pnp with still good energy, then a nice bit of fatness and sweetness (marzipan) and maturity (the right kind) coming through. Mature Chard in a good zone. I would drink these now.