5/4/2024 - Ricroo wrote:

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5/5/2024 - Wilpine wrote:

Added in error

5/4/2024 - AlphaMikeFoxtrot Likes this wine:

50% Chardonnay, 40% PM, 10% PM. Same cuvee as the regular solessence; but longer time on the lees.

Ripe yellow peach, ripe apricot, ripe melon, almond paste and key lime pie on the high. Lovely high intensity of aromas. The palate is a bit different, showing lemon peel, sour plums, sesame seeds, fresh almonds (way more subtly than the "almond paste" from the nose) and tart apples and pears. Finishes with riper free fruit; though the palate overall fresher and more subtle than the nose. Medium + intensity of flavors.

Medium + body with medium acid and a medium mousse. Lovely.

5/3/2024 - IrisTable wrote:

Golden color. Not the most demonstrative nose, though there is something lightly vegetal. In terms of flavor, sounds odd, but it made me think of the improbable combination of tangerine crème brûlée. A bit of browned butter and nutmeg. It really made me think of Marguet, in that the oak treatment here creates a similar overall impression. If you like Marguet, you will likely enjoy this. I thought this was unique and tasty, though the Griesel BdB is more versatile.

5/5/2024 - Cailles wrote:

This bottle is the finest 83 Yquem I've tasted so far and ranks among the best Sauternes I've experienced. This particular bottle showed more development than typical for its vintage, offering a preview of what this vintage may provide in future decades. Very close to perfection.

TN: Dark golden color. This wine is open and expressive from the go, improving with an hour in the decanter. It features a complex, layered array of dense, sweet fruits like orange, apricot, and quince, enriched with brioche, spices, saffron, toffee, and tea. The complexity is off the charts. Each aroma is distinctly delineated, supported by a spine of acidity that perfectly balances the sweetness, ensuring the wine feels neither heavy nor cloying. The overall balance is perfect.

Decanting: 1-2 hours in the decanter should be sufficient.

5/4/2024 - mpsocal wrote:

The cork was in bad shape and wine smelled and tasted like mushrooms. After a day that blew off and it has some nice fruit with a bunch of acidity, very unique.

5/5/2024 - garlicgrapes wrote:

Wonderful and really moreish. Lots of lemon. A hint of funk upon opening that blew off after a few hours. Some petrol on the nose. A tinge green. This is a great wine and will improve with time in the cellar but is definitely approachable now.

5/5/2024 - byzero Likes this wine:

Served with the Vinloq System & followed for 11 days

DAY 1
👃Cherry, cedar, tobacco & florals
👅Soft texture/bright acid. Red berries & plums, leather & tobacco. Long finish

Remaining wine was "Slow Decanted" in my fridge

DAY 11
👃Glorious fruit, cedar, & tobacco.
Same as day 1
👅Silky, plush mouthfeel of the sweet fruit is really easy to drink. The fresh meshes beautifully with the oak notes & structure

In a solid spot but will continue to improve as the tannins resolve

Follow Vinloq.notes on Instagram

5/5/2024 - Cailles wrote:

9x Heitz Martha‘s Vineyard (60s/70s/80s): Tasting these wines from three decades underscores the vineyard's ability to produce long-lived, high-quality wines with remarkable consistency, perhaps unmatched in Napa Valley during those years. While there is a clear line through the decades the tasting showcased the many faces these wines have, as some were still vibrant and young while others were on an absolut peak. The 1978 vintage was the winner, earning a perfect 100pts for its mature complexity, including malt and coffee nuances, a lively fruit core, and formidable structure. The 1969 and 1975 vintages were not far behind (both at 97pts).

TN: Initially, this wine presents a "cellar stink" on the nose, a common trait in many 80s Martha's, which gradually diminishes with time in the decanter. On the palate, it starts off much better, showcasing a fresh core of dark and blue fruits, complemented by mint, herbs, and minerality. Although it lacks the density and poise of the finest bottles, it gains weight and fills out with more air, drinking beautifully at a 93/94pt level today, with potential for improvement as it matures and adds more layers.

Decanting: 3-4 hours in the decanter are advised.

5/5/2024 - Cailles wrote:

9x Heitz Martha‘s Vineyard (60s/70s/80s): Tasting these wines from three decades underscores the vineyard's ability to produce long-lived, high-quality wines with remarkable consistency, perhaps unmatched in Napa Valley during those years. While there is a clear line through the decades the tasting showcased the many faces these wines have, as some were still vibrant and young while others were on an absolut peak. The 1978 vintage was the winner, earning a perfect 100pts for its mature complexity, including malt and coffee nuances, a lively fruit core, and formidable structure. The 1969 and 1975 vintages were not far behind (both at 97pts).

TN: Initially, the wine's first impression is marred by a touch of volatile acidity, but this issue resolves over time, leaving a nose that remains somewhat nondescript. On the palate, however, the wine excels with fine malty and toffee notes, enriched by dark fruit, beautiful sweetness, herbal touches, and crushed rocks. It presents as wonderfully round and harmonious, with elegantly melted tannins. While it lacks the ultimate complexity of the standout wines in the lineup and despite the missing bouquet, it‘s easily worth 95pts, with the palate alone meriting a 97+pts score.

Decanting: This bottle would have needed 2+ hours.

5/5/2024 - Cailles wrote:

9x Heitz Martha‘s Vineyard (60s/70s/80s): Tasting these wines from three decades underscores the vineyard's ability to produce long-lived, high-quality wines with remarkable consistency, perhaps unmatched in Napa Valley during those years. While there is a clear line through the decades the tasting showcased the many faces these wines have, as some were still vibrant and young while others were on an absolut peak. The 1978 vintage was the winner, earning a perfect 100pts for its mature complexity, including malt and coffee nuances, a lively fruit core, and formidable structure. The 1969 and 1975 vintages were not far behind (both at 97pts).

TN: Initially, this wine presents a somewhat muted nose that lacks clear definition. On the palate, it's notably fresher and younger, bursting with vibrant dark and dark red berries, complemented by crushed rocks, tobacco, and fresh herbal notes with a hint of mint. It's straightforward and inviting, though lacking the complexity of other wines in the lineup. After two hours, it shows increased freshness and zest on the palate, with added notes of mint and coffee. It's very enjoyable to drink now but promises more depth and complexity with a few more years of cellaring.

Decanting: This bottle would have needed a long decant (3-4 hours).

5/5/2024 - Harrie Likes this wine:

Surprised by the freshness and vibrancy of this wine.
Long struggled with its harshness, today‘s bottle - second last - finally awards patience. And how.
Acidity is still there, yet gradually softening to support freshness. And freshness supports the fruit, which comes out clean and in abundance. Crisp red cherries, still a bit juvenile, yet settled enough to be really enjoyed. Clear, pure, alcohol hardly present.
A clear case of ‚the more I drink, the less I know‘. Meaning: the boundaries of the wine universe expand more rapidly than my ability to understand.

5/5/2024 - Dr-B wrote:

(Drank May 2024)

~1 hour decant

*Drank side by side against 2019 Purlieu To Kalon*

Aromas of black fruit. Primarily tart mulberries on the palate with fairly grippy tannins. A slight hint of herbs and light leather.

Probably 4-5 points below the Purlieu, even being a 2018. A quality wine for sure, but certainly outshined.

5/5/2024 - Cailles wrote:

9x Heitz Martha‘s Vineyard (60s/70s/80s): Tasting these wines from three decades underscores the vineyard's ability to produce long-lived, high-quality wines with remarkable consistency, perhaps unmatched in Napa Valley during those years. While there is a clear line through the decades the tasting showcased the many faces these wines have, as some were still vibrant and young while others were on an absolut peak. The 1978 vintage was the winner, earning a perfect 100pts for its mature complexity, including malt and coffee nuances, a lively fruit core, and formidable structure. The 1969 and 1975 vintages were not far behind (both at 97pts).

TN: This wine opens with an intense, luxurious aroma of ripe dark berries, herbs, menthol, and molten rocks, setting a fine and harmonious tone. The palate unfolds superbly with malty notes, dark red berries, ripe dark fruits, and layers of mint and coffee, all underpinned by crushed rocks. The evolving coffee and malty nuances add a seductive touch, enhancing the wine’s intriguing sweetness. Every flavor is precisely delineated, creating a perfect structure of roundness, integrated tannins, and an airy texture. Goosebumps with each sip. 99/100pts. Extraordinary! A bottle a year ago showed equally great (rated 99pts) but completely different, much younger, all about the ethereal red fruit and airiness.

Decanting: The young bottle last year needed two+ hours in the decanter to shine, this was good from the go.

5/5/2024 - Cailles wrote:

9x Heitz Martha‘s Vineyard (60s/70s/80s): Tasting these wines from three decades underscores the vineyard's ability to produce long-lived, high-quality wines with remarkable consistency, perhaps unmatched in Napa Valley during those years. While there is a clear line through the decades the tasting showcased the many faces these wines have, as some were still vibrant and young while others were on an absolut peak. The 1978 vintage was the winner, earning a perfect 100pts for its mature complexity, including malt and coffee nuances, a lively fruit core, and formidable structure. The 1969 and 1975 vintages were not far behind (both at 97pts).

TN: This wine captivates with a nose full of honey and fruit sweetness, enhanced by malty notes—delicate yet intense. On the palate, it offers fine dark fruit and honey, mingled with mineral and subtle citrus notes, though it shows a slight mid-palate hole. It's not as complex but remains beautifully drinkable and vibrant, featuring molten tannins. In the lineup, it was the most mature beside the 1967 vintage, lacking some depth but it is still spectacular. 94/95pts.

Decanting: No extensive decanting needed.

5/5/2024 - Cailles wrote:

9x Heitz Martha‘s Vineyard (60s/70s/80s): Tasting these wines from three decades underscores the vineyard's ability to produce long-lived, high-quality wines with remarkable consistency, perhaps unmatched in Napa Valley during those years. While there is a clear line through the decades the tasting showcased the many faces these wines have, as some were still vibrant and young while others were on an absolut peak. The 1978 vintage was the winner, earning a perfect 100pts for its mature complexity, including malt and coffee nuances, a lively fruit core, and formidable structure. The 1969 and 1975 vintages were not far behind (both at 97pts).

TN: This wine begins with a burst of intense dark berries and eucalyptus on the nose, underscored by a stony minerality that suggests its youth. The palate follows suit with dense dark fruit, toasty and leathery notes, eucalyptus, crushed rocks, and tobacco, making it complex and vibrant. Initially marked by its structure but with a good balance, it is decidedly young and benefits significantly from aeration. After over two hours in a decanter, it matures into an even more layered experience with mint, malt, and coffee notes enhancing its elegant, seductive profile. Initially rated at 95pts, it improves to 97+pts with time.

Decanting: This bottle needed two+ hour in the decanter.

5/5/2024 - Cailles wrote:

9x Heitz Martha‘s Vineyard (60s/70s/80s): Tasting these wines from three decades underscores the vineyard's ability to produce long-lived, high-quality wines with remarkable consistency, perhaps unmatched in Napa Valley during those years. While there is a clear line through the decades the tasting showcased the many faces these wines have, as some were still vibrant and young while others were on an absolut peak. The 1978 vintage was the winner, earning a perfect 100pts for its mature complexity, including malt and coffee nuances, a lively fruit core, and formidable structure. The 1969 and 1975 vintages were not far behind (both at 97pts).

TN: This wine opens with a powerful, expressive nose featuring sweet dark fruits, eucalyptus, smoke, and earthy minerality—truly superb. On the palate, it displays extreme power with a strong core of ripe dark berries, cassis, and subtle red fruits, complemented by eucalyptus and earthy nuances. The structure is pronounced with high freshness and a fine texture. After an hour, it evolves, revealing additional layers of smoke, dark berries, and some honey, becoming softer, rounder, and more elegant with more air. The complexity and evolving nature make it a standout wine.

Decanter: A short decant should do the job.

5/5/2024 - Cailles wrote:

9x Heitz Martha‘s Vineyard (60s/70s/80s): Tasting these wines from three decades underscores the vineyard's ability to produce long-lived, high-quality wines with remarkable consistency, perhaps unmatched in Napa Valley during those years. While there is a clear line through the decades the tasting showcased the many faces these wines have, as some were still vibrant and young while others were on an absolut peak. The 1978 vintage was the winner, earning a perfect 100pts for its mature complexity, including malt and coffee nuances, a lively fruit core, and formidable structure. The 1969 and 1975 vintages were not far behind (both at 97pts).

TN: Unfortunately, this was badly corked. The substance underneath was mighty impressive.

5/5/2024 - Michael Mackenzie Likes this wine:

Up against the Stevens Block. This is heavier, kire oaked, kire Burgundian in a New World way than the Chablis of the S B.
Same colour but lighter nose.
On the palate this is more of a food wine.

5/5/2024 - Cailles wrote:

9x Heitz Martha‘s Vineyard (60s/70s/80s): Tasting these wines from three decades underscores the vineyard's ability to produce long-lived, high-quality wines with remarkable consistency, perhaps unmatched in Napa Valley during those years. While there is a clear line through the decades the tasting showcased the many faces these wines have, as some were still vibrant and young while others were on an absolut peak. The 1978 vintage was the winner, earning a perfect 100pts for its mature complexity, including malt and coffee nuances, a lively fruit core, and formidable structure. The 1969 and 1975 vintages were not far behind (both at 97pts).

TN: This wine starts with a vibrant nose of dark berries, smoke, tobacco, and truffle, offering a hint of intriguing sweetness. Initially, the palate seems underwhelming, lacking the robust structure expected, with faint notes of fruit, smoke, and ash. Initially rated lower, it developed more body and nuance after an hour, revealing fine red berries with a Pinot-esque delicacy. Despite this improvement, it remained the least impressive in the lineup, lacking the characteristic fruit core, minty freshness, and structured depth typical of a great Martha's.

Decanter: A short decant should do the job.

5/5/2024 - Isobel goudi Likes this wine:

Fein. Würzig balanciert. Mittlerer Abgang

5/3/2024 - IrisTable wrote:

Fermented in oak. 60%PN-40%Chard. I think this is 3g/L dosage. Slight hint of something akin to beer. Ripe apple and nutty finish, but with a nice acidity throughout.

5/5/2024 - lozatron Likes this wine:

Good Lordy, as we cross the millennium we enter into an even grander territory. Some discussion as to whether this was as ready to drink as the 01s - my perspective (a minority I think) was that there was more bite here, more structure, but my gosh this is singing now. Just breathe it in - magnificent stuff.

5/5/2024 - lifeattable Likes this wine:

2nd vintage of this and it remains a great buy at $18. Great typicity, fruity and fresh with black pepper / tea notes for complexity. Versatile with lots of foods. 13%.

5/4/2024 - biggkahuna wrote:

A striking aroma of banana creme pie accompanies a seamless, textbook brunello. Glimpses of strawberries, cranberries, and dried cherries with some vanilla and hints of balsamic vinaigrette and tomato stem frame the palate. Tannins were chalky and also worked into the structure of the wine nicely. Crisp and crunchy with a linear finish.

92 pts for me. Drinkable right now.

5/5/2024 - ShadowIII Likes this wine:

Surprisingly elegant for such a hot vintage, lovely dark fruit, currants, blackberry, hints of tobacco and leather, integrated tannins, long finish

5/5/2024 - xyc wrote:

Mature color. Nose of aging Bordeaux with stable notes. Taste is off. Given purchase at same time from same source as my 93 point Pichon 2021 review and cellar temp, I am perplexed.

5/5/2024 - Michael Mackenzie Likes this wine:

Up against their Old Main Road vineyard 2021.
This is lighter, more elegant in a Chablis way.
The O M R is more oaked, and weightier, more New World.

5/5/2024 - lozatron Likes this wine:

Purple colour, youngest looking of the flight. Served quite cool, which I think made it a little more restrained to start. Some of the camp fire on this one too. Someone said "digestible" and yes - this is the faintest of praise with which to damn such a lovely wine, but it did have that character to it. But my gosh the hits keep coming - the wine gods can't be smiling that kindly upon us can they?

5/5/2024 - spectrumphoto Likes this wine:

I can never say enough about how gracefully this wine ages

5/5/2024 - SuperSomm Likes this wine:

Pale lemon colour. Medium and youthful nose with ripe green apples, ripe white peach, ripe lemon, peach, beeswax, honeysuckle and flint. Medium taste of ripe green apples, ripe white peach, ripe lemon, peach, beeswax, honeysuckle and flint. Long and dry finish. High acidity. Medium body. A very good Erste Lage Riesling with great complexity. Drink now or over the next couple of years. Goes well with fish, shellfish or sushi.

5/5/2024 - Kike Sola Likes this wine:

Grenacha of a single place, called Andrinoso, also known as Los Peros, located at 850 meters above sea level in the area of San Martín de Valdeiglesias (Madrid), with vineyards about 80 years old and granite soil with episienite outcrops (red granite). Ferment with whole clusters and 2 months of maceration in plastic tubs. 12-month aging in neutral French oak barrels of 500 L. 1300 bottles!!! It's still a marvel of Garnacha! It's cool!!

5/5/2024 - euroyup wrote:

Color: dark (ruby-)purple. Nose: rather fresh berry fruit, leather and a sage-like herbal note. Taste: blackberry and blueberry and the notes of the nose. The tannins seem not fully resolved yet. It took at least half an hour before this wine opened up in the glass. After a while the roundness of the merlot in the blend came to the front. Still I dare to state, that this wine shows the rather heavy tannic structure that seems more or less chracteristic for this chateau. I guess that's the reason why - to my experience - many vintages of this chateau are promising in their youth, but do not fulfill these in their grown up years. Still this bottle was a pleasant drink, with maybe some upward potential. I guess that this wine can best be drunk within two or three years. 88.

5/3/2024 - IrisTable wrote:

I arrived a little late, so don’t have a ton of notes on this. 100% Chard, aged in 50% SS, 50% Oak, apparently whole cluster pressing. 6-8 months on lies. Lightly toasted brioche on the nose. Delicious, fresh, and not as lean tasting as one would expect based on the 0 dosage. Possibly my favorite of the sparklings despite being BdB.

4/26/2024 - jtsejersen@gmail.com wrote:

Spectacular nose - fresh Granny Smith apples and unripe honey melon with a twist of fresh seawater and bitter grapefruit. But there’s a depth and mineral intensity to the nose that separates this wine from the “bulk straight forward fruity wines”. Maybe it’s terroir - maybe it’s “sur lie”? The taste is fresh, zingy and a little savory but everything just “sits right” - no alcohol spikes, tons of freshness, depth and complexity - all seamlessly balanced out with a lovely tart and bitter acidity on the finish.

5/5/2024 - dagij Likes this wine:

Still a clear ruby core, while the brown color accentuates towards the rim. Hard to see that this is 14 years old. The nose is textbook Brunello with sweet cherry, cherry stone licqueur, warm earth/bricks, some chocolate and tobacco. Underneath there is a very fresh tone, almost like raspberry or almost lemon (?). Medium to full bodied attack, smooth on the first part, the tannins have melted nicely. On the mid palate the acidity kicks in, explaining the almost citrusy tone that was detectable on the nose. It is somewhat unbalanced, even though the sweet cherry and tobacco tones struggle to keep up with the acidity. The aftertaste is a bit strange mix of sweet cherry, cherry licqueur, tobacco and - lemon! I may seem overtly negative here, but the very present acidity surprised me. This is, after all, a warm but balanced year, and it is a bit unexpected to get such a wine from this reliable producer of classic Brunello. A good wine, but not what I hoped for. An off bottle? I don´t believe so.

5/5/2024 - THECORKDORK wrote:

In magnum. Surprise of the night. Fully mature but still alive and vibrant. Dried cassis, leather, barnyard.

5/5/2024 - Benoit Hardy Likes this wine:

A decanting was necessary for the wine to express itself as best as possible.

Great aromatic intensity on the nose, crushed strawberry, orange peel and pepper.

Heady on the palate, the wine attacks strongly, but with lovely freshness. Peony aromas and a touch of balsamic that reminds me of a Barolo. It is a rich and warm wine, with good acidity allowing the wine to be constantly revived and thus avoiding a certain fatigue. Beautiful peppery finish which requires a few more years to fully loosen.

It's excellent.

5/5/2024 - foyfrcs Likes this wine:

This is still drinking really well.
Pure, crisp with citrus, sherbet, spice.
Looking at the development of this wine and the current freshness I think that this will be fine for another 5 years.

5/5/2024 - poppacork Likes this wine:

Bold, fresh, and succulent bing cherry on the highly purfumed nose and palate which adds cinnamon spice and fine yet firm tannins which linger with the ripe fruit through the finish.

5/5/2024 - Andrea.schiavuzzi@gmail.com wrote:

Wau! I tasted this bottle in the 2021 just after the release in the market. It was too young, too “vinoso”… now it is absolutely great. Soft, red fruit, long, a little of pepper. I really liked it.

5/5/2024 - Corbin Winery wrote:

Gave to Carla Tinsley Smith and her husband on May 6th, 2024

5/5/2024 - diggydan wrote:

Didn't seem too heavy on the skin contact. Drank very much like a white wine to me, though it was at a dinner where we were drinking and not paying close attention to the wine. $60-70 at Seki.

5/5/2024 - oropeza wrote:

Ripe / bruised peach up front, then surprisingly lean through the core with good minerality and then a medium-noted finish. Really interesting with that start that suggests flabbiness before the quick surprise mid-palate.

5/5/2024 - johan.sundberg63@gmail.com Likes this wine:

Improved significantly with aging(?) and significant air. 2h decanting.

5/5/2024 - NCWW Likes this wine:

Agree with previous reviewers. Very enjoyable and with great qualities.

5/5/2024 - Tiburon1 wrote:

A rather flat example of a usually delicious and bold wine. Probably flawed.

5/5/2024 - lozatron Likes this wine:

Some bricking - most advanced colour of the flight. A hint of campfire. This wine is more giving - I was educated (somewhat theatrically it must be said) on the more sensual qualities that the Méal vineyard imparts on this way, and I got it entirely. Did it end up seeming a little less refined, a little less precise than its flight mates? Perhaps, but this is an outstanding wine.

5/5/2024 - Eric Becker Likes this wine:

Lovely! Which was a bit of a surprise as a recent bottle was rather mediocre, not this one. Bottle-variation or simply more time post disgorgement? As both were consumed at restaurants I don't know. This here has a beautiful pale colour and tiniest bubbles. On the precise nose are sweet lemon confit, flowers and some sweet pastry. In the mouth the wine is beautifully balanced: Medium-bodied, but with a concentrated core of sweet fruit, lively and fresh, but also beautifully textured due to the very fine perlage. In comparison the mediocre bottle before showed both lighter flavours and a harsher mouthfeel. On the finish the sweetness is perfectly controlled by quite a lot of chalky freshness. All in all this Ruinart BdB reminds me a lot of a recent Perrier-Jouet BdB, however, everything dialed up a little bit without sacrifycing elegance and freshness. Wow!

4/26/2024 - RGCM Gananda wrote:

Peach, mixed white stone fruit and some apricot notes on the nose. Light bodied with a touch of crispness towards the back. Good mix of white orchard fruit notes through the middle with some floral overtones. Nothing complex, but very pleasant and easy to drink. (M’Arrecreo Pizzeria; Lisbon, Portugal)