5/10/2020 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Pale salmon pink. Med aromatic, aromas of yeast, rosehip, red cherries, citrus, smoked herbs and iron. Dry, high but balanced acidity with a med body. Med+ alc with med+ flav int. Flavours of blood orange, red stone fruit, herbs and iron. No real oak noticeable. Long, minerally and smoked finish. A more restrained version of Valentini's Cerasuolo, less intense than other vintages. Top.

EDIT. After two days, both the nose and flavours open up more, and the wine becomes a whole lot more complex with some funky, earth and yeasty with more citrus aroma’s, not unlike a Pupillin Ploussard.

5/10/2020 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Deep crimson. Med aromatic. Dark plum, earth, chocolate, oak, smoked meat and menthol. Dry, fresh and bright acidity. Medium bodied, med alc. Flavours of licorice, earth, leather and pencil. Tan which are ripe and sweet. Med+ length. V good, in a beautiful place right now.

5/6/2020 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Blend of Nebbiolo, Dolcetto & Barbera from Barbaresco. Ruby. Med aromatic. Earthy & smoky nose with some violet, underbrush, red & sour cherry and minerals. Dry, high and energetic acidity, med bodied, med alc and ripe, mellow tannins. Juicy on the palate with lots of red stone fruits. Med+ length. On the earthy and natural side for a Langhe Rosso, even if it wasn’t bottled like that. Well made. A nice surprise, hard to find these style of wines in Barolo or Barbaresco.

5/6/2020 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Deep ruby. Entry-level Nero d’Avola of Gulfi, which sees no oak and partly carbonic maceration. Med+ aromatic with violet, black cherry, black pepper and citrus. Dry, with a med+ acidity. Med+ bodied with flavours of dark cherry, ripe plum and sweet spices. Silky and creamy texture but with plenty of freshness, very lively. Tan which are super ripe and juicy with enough grip but not drying. A fun, complex-less Nero d’Avola, which after a day actually shows better (like with most Gulfi Nero d'Avolas, by the way). Super-food friendly. Recommended.

5/6/2020 - breadandwine wrote:

Golden-amber colour. Unfiltered. Funky, med aromatic nose with oxidative hints. Macerated, at least for a few days? Notes of yeast, orange peel, honey, oriental spices and some volatile acidity. Dry, but with a touch of residual sugar. Med+ acidity, with ripe yellow apple, honey, flor and almond flavours. A nutty-Amontillado like finish. Med+ length. Good, and even though this will not be for everyone, it’s not faulty.. But funky, yes, for sure.

5/6/2020 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Bright yellow colour. Ripe and aromatic nose with honey, yellow peach, ripe citrus, lees and smoky minerality. Complex, and very Burgundian! Dry, with a high but very balanced acidity. Very soft and smooth CO2. Med bodied, silky and suave texture with a med alcohol. Complex, ripe and nutty flavours. Long and chalky finish. Has all the class of, say, a 1er Cru Puligny. An extremely classy BdB champagne and totally justifies its steep price. Highly recommended.

5/4/2020 - breadandwine wrote:

Purple-red colour. Med+ aromatic nose. Lots of violet, purple fruits, prunes, pepper and earth. High acid, med body, med alc and high flavour int. Lots of flavours of dark berries, earth, smoke and black pepper. Med complex. Tan are med+, rustic and a bit drying. For me not disturbing but I can imagine not everyone would like this. Med+ length, with a herbal and juicy finish. Funky and out-of-the-box, really interesting!

5/3/2020 - breadandwine wrote:

Pale green-yellow colour. Aromatic leafy herbal nose with grass, gooseberry, quinine, green apple, guava, citrus and a touch of elderflower. Not too vegetal, in any case. (Bone) dry, med+ acid with a med+ body and med alc. Med flavour intensity with again the citrus, green stone fruits and smoky cut grass notes even though the flavours are more restrained on the palate than on the nose. A touch of oak, but well-balanced and not overpowering. My only point of criticism would be the finish: delicate and medium, at most. Clearly a cool vintage and surely a way more successful white than most Italian whites in ’14.

5/3/2020 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Ruby-red. Smoky, herbal, red stone fruits (rather than dark fruits!) and violet. No oak. High and balanced acidity, med body, med alc, soft and juicy tan (not drying). Med+ flavour intensity with lots of ripe cherries, pepper, earth, herbs and savoury accents. Was there a use of a percentage of whole-bunch ferment? Med+ length, with a juicy and savoury finish. An overachiever for its price. A rather delicate medium-bodied style of Montepulciano coming from the cooler sottozona Popoli but nonetheless highly recommended.

5/3/2020 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Deep straw-yellow. Med+ aromatic nose. Blue fruits, earth, honey, toast, baking spices and a touch of almond. Dry, med+ acid and med+ body with a gentle mouthfeel and the whole well-balanced. Med alcohol and just a gentle CO2 on the palate. Sweet orchard fruit, honey and lees on the palate. Med+ length. Good. Interesting (female) young producer and absolutely worth following up the next vintage, but I personally prefer more her BdB or Rosato (which are less expensive as well).

4/14/2020 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Dark strawberry, prunes, dark cherries, white pepper, some clove. No oak on the nose. Very juicy and silky on the palate with a med+ acid. Tannins are ripe, slightly drying and quite sweet. Alcohol is high and while is it noticeable, I wouldn't say it's disturbing, at all. Delicate spritz on the palate. Med+ length with a stony finish and blueberry flavours.

A natural style of Grenache without any faults. A producer worth to follow up. Apparently also planning to produce next to this wine, which is their only wine, a rosé in the near future.

4/8/2020 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Good. Not especially intense nor complex on the nose (white flowers, lemon candy, white peach, citrus) and on the palate fresh, vibrant and linear. Opens up a tiny bit and gains some complexity after an hour. Med length. 10%abv. Unfiltered. Good in its genre and nonetheless recommended, esp. on the terrace or with some simple, light food.

3/17/2016 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Very good, especially for its price. Decant it though. Rather closed when opening but opens up beautifully with layers of red fruit, earth, flowers, leather and minerals. Tannins med+ but ripe and not drying at all.

2/1/2016 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Recommended. One of the better MT's I've tasted yet. Very balanced and silky with a surprisingly long finish. Ripe stonefruit, hints of melon and spices and a tiny hint of kerosine. Still in it's developing fase and still has some years ahead of itself.

12/24/2015 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Very good but perhaps lacked an extra layer of complexity to distinguish it as a great wine. Nonetheless reminded me of Gangloffs "La Barbarine": dark fruit, smoke, graphite and flowers. Very dense and silky on the palate with ripe but soft tannins. Finish is med+. At its peak right now, will retain this level for some years to come but I don't expect this to improve dramatically. If you'd find this on a wine list in a restaurant for a fair price, do not hesitate: you'll be in for a pleasant surprise. (That said: if you were to find Planeta's Syrah 08, go for that one. Right now, it has got the extra gear available at this moment!)

12/24/2015 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Christmas eve. Had one bottle of Borgo del Tiglio's Ronco della Chiesa. Never tried it before but had high expectations. Nose is certainly not too complex (neverever choose Friulano for its exuberant aroma) Quite some primary notes of stone fruit (pear, apple) and flowers (white flowers) but also some hints of evolution (oak, very subtle smoky) The palate reveals way more than the nose. Dry, med+ acid, full bodied, high alc, med+ flav int. Flavours of ripe pear, smoke, minerals, Jonagold and white peach. Long finish. In terms of quality this is extremely good. In terms of price/quality range I'd like to taste another vintage (2010, 2012?) to compare. The 2011 is probably destined for early drinking (it will hit it peak fairly early, 2020?) but I can easily understand why this wine, in a top vintage, is considered one of the great Italian whites. If you find this wine, the 2011 that is, on a wine list in a restaurant then do not hesitate: it is fully approachable as we speak, right now.

Merry Christmas everybody!

12/14/2015 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Sometimes in your life you encounter wines that you can't describe with words. You just need to taste for yourself to fully understand the experience. This is one of those. Buy.

12/8/2015 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Drink now. Fully developed and at the top of its game at this moment!

11/28/2015 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Very ripe and opulent. Had a slightly oxidative nose at first but opened up very well. Oak, butter, white flowers, apricots and spices. Acid med-. Full bodied. Drink now, at the top of its game. And please, do not match this with a delicate course!

9/17/2015 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

This is better than most Brunello's. Pinot Noir-like elegance, very soft and ripe tannins. Long finish. Awesome!

9/14/2015 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Yellow, med intense colour. Med aromatic nose, notes of white flowers, honey, oil and kumquat. A soft, smoky and chalky note as well. On the palate dry, high acidity, med bodied, balanced, med+ flav intensity with flavours of grapefruit, white peach, lime and Grany Smith. Wet stones and a lot of chalky tones return on the palate. This is minerality all the way. Almost as elegant like pure water. A firm and long finish with a soft agrum-like note in the end. This is a baby. The TDN-note (kerosine) some users mention is definitely not present here. Something oily, honey, smoky-like yes. This, at least for me, is one of the better Rieslings I've ever tasted. But, unfortunately, it has its price too.

9/7/2015 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Coming from the central part of Les Santenots, situated within Meursaults borders. Initially rather closed nose. Black fruit (blackberry and blackcurrants), forest floor and a soft floral note. Darker than your usual PN. Dry, med+ acidity, med body, med+ flav intensity and soft, ripe tannins. The black flavours certainly return in the mouth with some tobacco and plum. Very silky and soft on the palate but the acidity is on the higher side, even slightly sharp. Really long, smoky finish. After an hour or 2 the nose becomes more pronounced and sweeter, more ripe red fruit and more spiced (white pepper) and smoky. The wine becomes richer on the palate, with less pronounced acidity but more balance in the mouth. It has its price but this is an impressive showing, clearly Les Santenots du Milieu is one of the better PC's in Volnay. Can age for at least a decade more. Give it air when opening.

1/4/2015 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Tasted it yesterday. Despite it's age still in top form. High acidity but very well balanced. Long finish. Quite lush for a Chardonnay but nonetheless very recommendable. I like.

11/3/2014 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Intense ruby red colour. Sweet amarena cherries, sweet tobacco, plums, dark cacao and a touch of vanilla. High acidity, high alcohol, high, and drying, tannins, full bodied. Med+ flavour intensity. Flavours of black fruit, sweet cherries and dark chocolate. Med+ finish. A good wine but misses that little "extra" to make it a great wine. Perhaps still too young. Some extra cellaring might add extra complexity? And, on a side note, the tannins were not as massive as with other Sagrantinos. They're high but, at least for us, enjoyable.

5/29/2014 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Yellow golden colour. Fully developed intense nose with hints of butter, white pepper, spices and ripe yellow fruit. Ripe, velvety and balanced on the palate with flavours of ripe fruit and toast. Med acidity, med+ alcohol and med+ finish. Exactly what I was looking for tonight: a ripe, rather full bodied, Chardonnay. Ready to drink between now and 3yrs.

2/3/2014 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Clear, med int, garnet red colour. Clean nose, med+ int, developing nose. Aromas of ripe prums, blackcurrants, rose petals and earth. Dry, med+ acidity, high tannins, med+ alcohol, med+ body, med+ flavour int. Flavours of prums, tobacco, dark chocolate and black fruit. Very elegant and feminine on the palate. Med+ finish. An outstanding Margaux. You can drink it now but it has lots of potential for ageing left.

1/12/2014 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Clear, medium intense garnet red colour. Clean, med+ intense nose. Developing. Aromas of cherries, roses, tar, minerals, forest floor, wood and a touch of leather. Dry, high acidity, high tannins, high alcohol, med+ body. Med+ flavour intensity with flavours of dried red fruit, cherries, oak, cacao beans and flowers. Very elegant, delicate and feminine. Superbly balanced. Long finish. Outstanding.

1/12/2014 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Clear, pale yellow colour. Clean, medium intense nose. Youthful. Aromas of peaches, white flowers, mint, crushed stones & minerals. Dry, med+ acidity, med alcohol, med body, med+ flavour intensity. Flavours of grapefruit, green apples, pear, mayflowers and a touch of cream. Incredibly balanced, Gaja-style. Long finish. Tiny bitter note on the finish (wood not integrated yet?) Outstanding. You can drink it now but it will improve so much for sure, especially on the intensity in the nose & the wood that will integrate on the finish.

1/12/2014 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Clear, medium intense yellow colour. Clean developing nose, medium intense. Peaches, white flowers, wild honey, smoke. Dry, high acidity, med+ alcohol, med+ body, med+ flavour intensity. Flavours of apricots, honey, minerals & smoke. A lot of weight on the palate. Very balanced. Med+ finish. Very good. Totally dry on the palate so don't worry folks :)

1/3/2014 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Clear, medium garnet colour. Clean, fully developed nose. Med intensity with aromas of dark red cherries, crushed flowers, wild herbs & oak. Minerals & smoke appear too after a while. Soft but elegant nose. Dry, med+ acidity, med+ tannins, med+ alcohol, med body. Med+ flavour intensity with flavours of cherries, roses, oak, leather & pepper. Some earthy notes too. Med finish. Very good. Fades away rather quickly though. Drink now, will not improve any more.

1/3/2014 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Clear, pale lemon colour. Clean, youthful nose. Medium intensity. Aromas of delicate white flowers, lime zest, yeast & minerals. Dry, high acidity, med- alcohol, light bodied, med- flavour intensity. Flavours of fresh lemons, green apples, minerals & yeast. Med finish. Good. Bone-dry. Very interesting, never heard of the grape (100% Koshu, an indigenous Japanese grape) before but oh so expensive. Luckily someone else brought it :) This is a food wine!

1/3/2014 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Hazy, medium amber colour. Clean, full developed nose. Med+ intensity. Aromas of orange zest, cider, black tea, black olives & hazelnuts. Dry, med+ acidity, med tannins, med alcohol, med body, med+ flavour intensity. Flavours of grapefruit, strong tea, hazelnuts, wild honey, minerals and spices on the finish. Long finish. Outstanding. Very peculiar but in an extremely good way. You can drink it now but the wine has clearly quite some potential for ageing left.

1/2/2014 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Clear, pale garnet colour. Clean, med+ intensity, fully developed nose. Aromas of leather, cedar, dried cherries & eastern spices. After a while the dominant leather integrates better and a bit of roasted coffee & chocolate appears. Dry, med acidity, med tannins, med alcohol, med body, med+ flavours. Flavours of dried fruit, prunes, liquorice, chocolate and eastern spices. Med+ finish. Very good. Despite its age still showing well. Spicy finish. Became a whole lot better after decanting and some time in the glass. Drink now, will not improve any more. But do decant a few hours in advance, the wine will be more balanced!

1/2/2014 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Clear, medium intense lemon colour. Clean, med+ intensity. Youthful nose. Aromas of grapefruit, lemon peel, white flowers, smoke & crushed stones. Dry, med+ acidity, med alcohol, med body, med+ flavour intensity. Flavours of ripe green fruit, lemons, wet grass & minerals. Med+ finish. Very good. Incredibly balanced and silky despite its age. I wonder how it's going to develop...

12/28/2013 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Clear, deep intense ruby red colour. Clean, medium+ intensity. Fully developed nose with hints of ripe plums, blueberries, black pepper, sweet spices & oak. Dry, med acidity, med+ tannins, high alcohol, full bodied, med+ flavour intensity. Flavours of cocoa beans, cedar, sweet spices, ripe raspberries, black fruit and cassis. Med+ finish. Very good, alcohol is high but carries well. This wine needs time in the decanter.

12/2/2013 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Good. Light style of Côte Rôtie. Nice and elegant finish. Soft, well integrated tannins. Well balanced, flavours of plums, dark fruit, blueberries and dark chocolate.

11/25/2013 - breadandwine wrote:

Very easy going, reminds me more of a good PN from Burgundy. Elegant, fine, red fruit, earthy notes and very ripe tannins. Long finish.

10/12/2013 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Had the chance to taste this one last Thursday. Beautiful complex nose with hints of dark spices, sous-bois, leather, primes and minerals. Complex but balanced on the palate with tannines that (still!) aren't totally integrated. Huge.. But pricey :)

10/12/2013 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Really awesome and in perfect balance. Great great red wine. A whole lot better than a year ago. Back then it was good but the tannins were harsh but now they were perfectly integrated.

6/14/2013 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Superb bottle. Dark golden colour with some brown touches. Nose with ripe exotic fruit, raisins and some tertiary notes. Full & round in on the palate but supported with suprisingly lively acidity (mind you, 24yrs old!) Very long finish. A really superb bottle.

5/16/2013 - breadandwine wrote:

The best Moscato d'Asti I've tasted yet. Mineral, pure, clean, nice finish. Lovely

5/16/2013 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Very special. Almost not filtrated (but we did drink a 3l bottle) Dark chocolate, earthy and plum. Well balanced and a nice finish. I did expect a tiny bit more though.

5/16/2013 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Drank it recently. Showed almost no evolution in the colour. In the nose quite funky, leather, some earthy touches and black fruit. Incredibly silky in the mouth and a huge finish. Loved it. Much better than the 2003 which had some vegetal touches.

5/7/2013 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

My first still PN from Champagne. Had to open up, was pretty closed at the start. Red fruit, some smokey touches and a hit of terroir. Had some nice minerality. Perfectly balanced in the mouth, very long finish. Lovely.

4/29/2013 - breadandwine wrote:

Very dense and dark colour. Exotic spices and amarena in the nose. Full bodied and very round on the palate. The wine clearly missed some acidity. Round, spicy and persistent aftertaste though. Almost no tannins. Not my kind of wine and not what I would expect from Negroamaro. Clearly very, very concentrated. If I'd go for this style of wine then I'd prefer a well-made Amarone which has more acidity IMHO.

4/16/2013 - breadandwine wrote:

I was certainly expecting a momentum, a big bottle of a big wine of a big producer.. But I didn't expect to be blown away like this.

Huge, seductive and complex nose with a lot of herbal touches, minerals, chocolate, coffee and cherries. In the mouth full but balanced with a near-perfect acidity (something a lot of Valpolicella's and Amarone tend to miss) Unusually great and strong tannins. Superlong finish. The tannins were remarkable for a Valpolicella that is now 15yrs old but I simply loved them. Of course, not everyone loves powerful tannins so this could perhaps be a bit subjective but still. This was sex in a glass.

Perhaps a bold statement but this was perhaps the best bottle of red wine I've consumed yet.

4/16/2013 - breadandwine wrote:

And this is a non-vintage bottle? The entry-level Brut of Bollinger?! Huge. Simply great. Perhaps the best non-vintage I've tasted yet.

4/16/2013 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Drank it yesterday. Garnet colour (Get it?! Granato? Garnet?...) "Secretive" nose with hints of oak, dark fruit, mineral and some tarry-like touches. Well balanced in the mouth, nice acidity, powerful tannins and a long finish. Why the "lower" score then? Well, after a while the wine lost nearly all its aroma's and became unbalanced in the mouth with a pronounced acidity. Our last glasses were simply sour. Strange. Did anyone else experience the same?

4/16/2013 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Drank it yesterday. Straw yellow colour. Nose with hints of ripe apple and fruit with some mineral touches. Full and round but well balanced. Very spicy finish. Still showing very well despite its age.

4/12/2013 - breadandwine Likes this wine:

Awesome wine. The example of a "meditation wine".