3/17/2021 - Maestro wrote:

Decent quaffer with some blueberries and violets on the nose and a fresh and smooth palate. Short finish.

3/17/2021 - Maestro wrote:

This wine is decently made but nothing special. Very grapy and primal, with a boring nose and a short finish. Decent for quaffing.

3/14/2021 - Maestro wrote:

A little restrained on the nose, with notes of lemon and white flowers. On the palate it feels well made but less generous than one would have hoped for.

3/8/2021 - Maestro wrote:

Excellent QPR. Generous nose with violets, licorice and some nice funk. Smooth palate and long finish.

2/19/2021 - Maestro wrote:

A weak version of this entry-level white wine from Jadot. Extremely oaked -- in a blind tasting I would guess it is a cheap wine from California or Chile. It's a pity that it is so over-oaked, as the juice underneath seems to be nice. A much better choice is to buy the entry-level Chablis from Jadot in 2019.

2/14/2021 - Maestro wrote:

Showing very nicely. The nose displays cedar, pepper and blackcurrant; the palate is smooth and well-integrated. Very generous and open. Excellent at this time.

2/8/2021 - Maestro wrote:

While I tend to like aged Riesling very much and this producer and particular wine should be great after 10 years in bottle, this wine is not showing all that well in my opinion. There is plenty to be happy about with petrol and flowery notes and a rich palate, but there his also a certain bitterness and signs of oxidation that make it less than stellar. Nice, but not great.

2/7/2021 - Maestro wrote:

This is a very solid effort for the price. On the nose it displays roses, tar and a lovely scent of licorice. The palate is smooth with quite resolved tannins for a young Barolo, making it very accessible. As it is to be expected at this age, it improves considerably after a few hours of aeration.

1/31/2021 - Maestro wrote:

Drinks nicely showing strong notes of tobacco and plums. Strong fruit and very smooth. Not utterly complex but pleasant.

1/29/2021 - Maestro wrote:

Very good intensity, showing dark berries, spices and cedar. Nicely developed, with good depth, ripe tannins, and high concentration. Very long finish.

1/29/2021 - Maestro wrote:

Always a bit suspicious of biodynamic wines, and with Beaujolais Nouveau even more so. This was fruity, with a slightly austere character, quite dry and rustic. Fairly weak compared to other Beaujolais Nouveau wines in 2020.

1/26/2021 - Maestro wrote:

Well made wine from a great vintage and at a very good QPR. Citrus, minerality, a good body on the mid palate and very versatile with food. A hint of white pepper on the finish.

1/25/2021 - Maestro wrote:

Extremely generous with lots of fruit and an expansive nose. So obviously a big wine and very open for drinking. Having said that, if you are interested in secondary aromas and a developed Margaux character, it will take another 10 years in the cellar. At the moment the fruit is forward, the oak is prominent and the aromas are heavy on berries and oak. I will put my other bottles down and start revisiting in 5 years to see if more of secondary charms develop.

1/24/2021 - Maestro Likes this wine:

Showing nicely from a half-bottle. The nose is quite generous for a young Barolo with typical roses and tar aromas. The palate is balanced and firm, with tannins still quite gripping but not harsh. This will develop nicely. It will be better in a few years. Could reach a 90-91 point level in a few years.

1/24/2021 - Maestro wrote:

The fruit is nice but the wine has too much oak and it overwhelms everything, with a nose marred by popcorn and butter and a plate leaning towards a certain woody bitterness. Enjoyable with food but not a great wine.

1/18/2015 - Maestro Likes this wine:

Tobacco and floral notes dominate the nose. The palate is very solid, but the tannins at this stage remain quite prevalent and dry (albeit perfectly ripen, so no sign of greeness here). The finish is somewhat short but spicy and enticing enough. All in all a very solid wine for its price point. Drink from 2015 and through 2022.

4/18/2014 - Maestro wrote:

Dark berries and wood notes on the nose, with additional hints of spices and a bit of cassis. The palate initially is a bit overwhelming with alcohol, but it becomes a lot smoother after 4 hours of aeration. Long finish with wood and earth aromas. Needs food. A bit like a port wine made as a dry red (which is what it is, really). Nice, but very heavy and in need of food that stands up to it.

4/17/2014 - Maestro wrote:

Nice floral tones mixed with white fruit and hints of spices. Very pleasant on the palate, with low alcohol and just the right acidity. Nice finish, with notes of tarragon and honeysuckle. Fantastic QPR. Drink now or hold.

4/16/2014 - Maestro wrote:

Drinking very nicely now, with aromas of white fruit, butterscotch, and floral tones and a very balanced palate. The finish is long, with notes of spices and a hint of vanilla. Excellent with food.

3/17/2014 - Maestro wrote:

Decently made, with floral and pepper notes on the nose, and a pleasant balance of fruit and acidity on the mid-palate. But nowhere near the quality of the better vintages of this wine. Drink now.

3/17/2014 - Maestro wrote:

Faint floral notes on the nose, but quite subtle and without much of a bouquet to talk about. Better on the palate, with reasonably good fruit and acidity. Short finish. Huge disappointment given the positive reviews and the price point. It could be an off bottle, but I won't take my chances buying more.

7/7/2013 - Maestro wrote:

Textbook classic Burgundy, with berries, spices, complex tones of herbs and earth. Great mid-palate and long finish. Drink now and in the next 8 years.

5/1/2013 - Maestro wrote:

Very balanced, with citric notes, butterscotch, and a perfume of white flowers. The palate is robust and food-friendly and the wine finishes with notes of white fruit and spices. Very nice.

4/2/2013 - Maestro wrote:

The nose reveals floral notes, limes, and green apples.The palate has a great deal of fresh acidity and minerals, leading to a long finish with more citric notes and butterscotch. Beautiful with seafood. From now until 2018.

2/7/2013 - Maestro wrote:

Berries and discrete floral notes on the nose, and a smooth and fruit-rich palate with generous but pleasant acidity. Short on the finish and simpler than I would hope for. Drink now.

1/28/2013 - Maestro wrote:

Golden yellow wine with a nose with white fruit and a hint of butterscotch. Firm on the palate with good acidity and length. Morecitric on the finish than on the nose and palate. Very nice.

1/19/2013 - Maestro wrote:

Nice, distinctive, and very well-made, with citric notes, nectarines, and quince on the nose, and a balanced palate with hints of petrol and good acidity. Drink now.

1/19/2013 - Maestro wrote:

The nose is more restrained than expected, but nonetheless quite attractive, with rose petals, dark fruit, hints of licorice, and wet earth. The palate is very good, with layers upon layers of smooth, dense, and mouth-coating ripe fruit and firm tannins. Nice and long finish. Drinking well, but can still be cellared for another 5-7 years.

1/17/2013 - Maestro wrote:

This vintage is a caricature of the best vintages of this by now exceedingly famous wine. The typical notes of gooseberries, tarragon, and citric fruit are there, but in an exaggerated nose profile leading to a disappointingly simple and diluted mid-palate. I don't know what the issue is with Cloudy Bay, but it has been getting less and less exciting every year.

1/6/2013 - Maestro wrote:

Surprisingly approachable and open for business, albeit primal and with limited secondary aromatics. Very generous fruit and tame tannins, with aromas of pencil shavings, cassis, and leather, wrapped in a balanced mid-palate and with a long finish. Typical Margaux. Will reward cellaring, but may be consumed now after aeration.

1/6/2013 - Maestro wrote:

Mature, with great depth and enticing aromas of black fruit, spices, and licorice. Restrained, cool, and smooth on the palate. Good length on the finish, with floral notes and different spices. Excellent.

12/28/2012 - Maestro wrote:

Already approachable after 5 hours of aeration in bottle plus half-an-hour in the glass. Rich texture and an intoxicating nose with tar, a hint of menthol, and floral notes. The palate is dense but smooth and the alcohol is balanced and fairly hidden. The finish is long and displays notes of spices and wood, combined with the floral tones similar to the ones on the nose. Great wine that should be cellared for another 3 years and will then drink well for another 20 or so.

12/28/2012 - Maestro wrote:

Deep dark purple wine, with enticing aromas of blackberry, creme de cassis, pencil shavings and leather. The palate is smooth, mature, and firm, and the finish is long with overtones of spices and wet earth. Lovely. From Magnum.

11/30/2012 - Maestro wrote:

Very nice nose with black pepper, vegetables, and ripe red fruit. On the palate earthy tones and a generous fruity profile. Tannins are a bit harsh, but the wine is very nice for those who like a Cabernet Franc-driven blend (like I do) and excellent to pair with hearty dishes. The blend is 45% Cab. Franc, 29% Cab. Sauvignon, 24% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. It will actually appeal more for those who like Chinon than those who look for a Claret style.

11/4/2012 - Maestro wrote:

Very solid effort, with a beautiful dark color, an elegant nose of cassis, spices, and leather, and a very smooth and balanced palate. It lacks a bit of complexity that it might acquire with a few more years in the cellar, but it pleases the senses already now.

10/27/2012 - Maestro wrote:

Upon opening you get the typical fruit-forward Beuajolais-styled aromas on the nose, but already there the mid-palate comes across as deep and dense, with black pepper and spices on the finish. After extended aeration in the bottle and on the glass, the nose also turns deep and dark with black and white pepper, vegetables, and dark cherries. Floral tones permeate the finish and the palate is smooth and dry. Excellent food wine and a great crowd pleaser. This particular Loire producer really knows how to get the best out of Gamay. Drink now.

10/15/2012 - Maestro wrote:

Concentrated and perfumed, the 2005 is a deep wine with aromas of licorice, cherries, spices, and hints of chocolate and flowers. The palate is very dense and the wine needs a few more years to become better integrated. However, there is heat, with substantial alcohol on the nose, which I would have preferred if that component was a bit less prominent. Drink from now 2014 until 2022.

10/7/2012 - Maestro wrote:

Floral notes combined with red fruit in a medium bodied palate, full of fruit, refreshing acidity and a bit of heat. A crowd pleaser.

9/21/2012 - Maestro wrote:

Young but approachable, the wine has an intense bouquet displaying flowers, white fruit, citric notes, and butterscotch. The palate is muscular, and the dense flavors are balanced by fresh acidity to sustain a balanced mid-palate, albeit the wine remains not totally integrated and the wood still feels a bit on the heavy side. But it is very nice and it may become better integrated in 2-3 years.

9/21/2012 - Maestro wrote:

A way to describe this wine is to imagine a 50/50 blend of a bone-dry Chablis with a creamy California Chardonnay. The result is a wine that has strong citric notes and a core of minerality, wrapped by aromas of butterscotch and pop corn. It is actually nice to drink, but it comes across as a bit disjointed. It would have probably been better with less oak treatment.

9/21/2012 - Maestro wrote:

It needs aeration in bottle, before you get the best of it. Intoxicating nose with a deep core of cassis surrounded by complex aromas of olives, leather, pencil shavings, and mocha. The palate is smooth and balanced and the long finish reveals complex aromatic notes. A bit young, of course, but approachable. Drink from now and until 2020.

9/12/2012 - Maestro wrote:

One of my consistent house wines, the 2011 vintage is straw yellow, with a nose revealing spices, white fruit, and almonds. A bit creamy (but not from oak) and with fresh acidity and good minerality, it matches dishes with tomato sauce quite well. Some past vintages were more successful than this one, but is consistently good for its price point. Good value for money.

9/9/2012 - Maestro wrote:

Very attractive wine, with a nose displaying butterscotch, lime zest, almonds and spices. The palate has fresh acidity and intense flavor, and the finish is long and characterized by herbal and floral notes. Drink now and in the next 5 years.

8/28/2012 - Maestro wrote:

Good and solid but one-dimensional and relatively simple for its price and reputation. Pleasant nose and generous fruit, but lacks complexity. Drink now.

8/26/2012 - Maestro wrote:

A great way to drink a nice mature claret without spending much money. At €30, this is great value, as it displays good Bordeaux character with a nice nose of creme de cassis, leather, spices, and a hint of tobacco, and a smooth palate with no hard edges and a firm backbone. The fruit is generous and the finish is medium-long and satisfying. It is not very intense, nor is it particularly complex, but at this price point it is very good and it delivers the kind of elegance that you usually need to pay a lot more for. Drink now.

8/14/2012 - Maestro wrote:

Nice and mature on the nose, with red berries, graphite, and floral tones. The palate is also nice and solid, but with a few surprisingly hard edges on the mid-palate and a bit of heat. Medium finish with notes of tobacco and spices. Nice, but not worth the price.

8/2/2012 - Maestro wrote:

Golden green wine, with an elegant nose displaying green apples, notes of wood, and floral tones. The palate is precise, without hard edges, and with a good balance between acidity and residual sugar, leading to a mid-palate that feels refreshing as well as rich. A long finish with notes of white fruit and smoke. Drink from now until 2020.

7/27/2012 - Maestro wrote:

Nice combination of fruit and secondary aromatics, such as violets, meat, and spices. Balanced body, with nice acidity, soft tannins, and ripe fruit. Long finish with floral and spicy tones. Very nice. Drink now and in the next 7 years.

7/1/2012 - Maestro wrote:

Very developed for such a young wine, it displays dried figs, red cherries, chocolate and licorice. The palate is nice and succulent but it shows a bit of heat. The finish is medium, with sweet fruit and again a bit high on alcohol. All in all, very good.

6/19/2012 - Maestro wrote:

Better than the previous bottle, with much more generous fruit and more complexity on the nose.