5/5/2024 - Eric wrote:

Mini-ESTG Chicken Dinner (Seattle, WA, USA): Mmmm, there is a lot here, fruit leaning to more full and dark, very mouthfilling, dusty, sneaky yet fine tannins. A nice herbal backdrop, actually a lot of structure on this, really rather masculine, but I guess it is Volnay after all.

5/5/2024 - ledocq Likes this wine:

Excellent analyses of the flavor profile in both notes below. For myself, I wish I hadn't leaned into the "it's accessible!" thing - I mean, sure, you can drink it. But even after a 3-4 hour decant, it doesn't yet show why we are so insane about these wines. The aroma and taste improved with every moment after 4 hours, so maybe a 6-8 hour decant makes more sense if you're going to pop one. I enjoyed and regretted every sip.

1/2/2022 - fred o. Likes this wine:

Opened 5 days prior, in small bottle in fridge since then.
Transparent cranberry red color.
Nose roses and cherries.
Palate red fruited and earthy, still a bit shy but deep, hinting at potential. A chewy cherry depth. Would next open after a few years at least. 93 pts+

4/29/2024 - Musigny151 wrote:

Opened Saturday to check progress.

Bloody hell, laddie, this one is tight. A black hole of a wine; nothing escapes. One hour in a decanter and a couple of wisps of something aromaish deigns to make an appearance. Too faint to be recognizable. Another hour, those wisps have coalesced enough to show some fruit and a little spice. This is not fun.

Another hour, and dinner has been on the table for half of it. We have poured the wine into glasses, it is still bad tempered and showing little.

Another hour and the wine has decided not to fight quite as hard. It is still massive, the tannins are hard but not spiky, and now the wine is showing plenty of fruit, spice and licorice. Still I feel there is a lot hidden.

This was all about potential and had little to do with pleasure. I did have a final glass 6 hours in, and it was still not fully open, but far and away the best tasted. I have five bottles left, and it needs ten years plus, probably more.

4/30/2024 - Jason Wu Likes this wine:

Exotic tropical fruit/subtle Jack fruit, fresh apricot, white lily, savoury and flinty, some residue sugar with fizziness, fresh acidity with intense ripe fruit to balance it. Well made Nahe with typical ripe fruit characters.

5/1/2024 - KPB Likes this wine:

Really needs a few hours to open up! But ready to drink if you decant two or three hours before serving.

Dark red, with an exuberant nose centered on blackberry and cherry, plum torte, exotic spices, a hint of musk. Flavorful without seeming heavy, limpid, tart, palate-staining, long finish. Rather soft and silky.

Reminds me of the 1986 Pichan Comtesse de Lalande (which was a very good vintage that I owned and cellared).

5/1/2024 - SARED wrote:

94-95

Too distracted for a real note. Slow O from AM. Complex Cappellano,more 2009 with many layers of warm year vintage, some cinnamon, a lot of 2001 tar. Has that rustic complexity, deep cherry and tar. Really liked the purity, complexity and gritty profile. Not for everyone, but makes me happy.

4/28/2024 - Cow Town Likes this wine:

Drank alongside several other top 2019s (Greer, Vineyardist, Pym Rae, and Perchance GIII). All great wines, and this more than held it's own. Darker fruit profile on the nose, with a depth of flavor that the others didn't have. Probably the one wine that could have used more time (decanted for only a couple hours), but maybe the most interesting at this point.

2/27/2024 - chatters wrote:

Chateau Montrose Tasting (Bentley Bar & Restaurant, Sydney): Polished, rich and generous nose shows good quality oak, sweet spice, bacon fat, blackcurrant, plums a little violet, smells younger than the 2011, touch of clay. Juicy and generous here on the palate as well, a little savoury, almost salted liquorice notes joins the black hued fruits, tannins are woody, talc textured and super persistent, a little sous bois joins on the finish with the liquorice slightly more pronounced. Pretty clever

11/28/2023 - SARED wrote:

Lovely rich flavor profile. Wish it were slightly more chiseled though.

4/15/2024 - Xavier Auerbach wrote:

Duroché Masterclass and Lunch (Restaurant Rijsel, Amsterdam, NL): Feels very closed, the aromatic expression is very limited, there are no roses. Does not do it for me. At a closed stage or an off bottle? Not rated.

4/13/2024 - prism wrote:

Oh, I am sorry that this is the last of a case, but every bottle has been stellar. No rating, as per Cappellano's wishes (read the back label; what a statement!) but this is easily the best Barolo I've ever experienced. The tannins have melted, and the wine itself is melt-in-your-mouth scrumptious. So, so good. Could go for a couple more years, maybe many more, but I chose not to wait, and I am 100% happy with that decision!

4/13/2024 - A Renaissance Vintner Likes this wine:

Very concentrated cassis, blueberry and pencil lead on the nose, with just a touch of (attractive) wood char. There is something about the blueberry aspect that tells you its fairly alcoholic IMO. Opened this over two nights alongside Lagrange (the St Julien version) and Cantenac Brown (Margaux) - and preferred both of the other wines because I find the alcohol on the GPL a bit intrusive. On the other hand it was clearly the most concentrated of the three. I think that in ten years this maybe splitting hairs: it's an excellent wine I'll be happy to drink, but I'd much rather have a classic wine from a ripe year than I would have a wine that is primarily ripe but only just lets you know it comes from a classic region - and I think this sits right on the fence. 14.5% alcohol is just a fraction too much for Cabernet, IMO. I think Merlot (and Pinot) can 'wear' 14.5% a little better than Cab.

12/26/2023 - Papies wrote:

This is really winning us over and albeit last time we rated it as much maybe then it was a bit romantic of a vote to todays actual full on test. And the wine passed well enough to the point we are sure we will add a few more and looking forward to the 1999 being release later in 2024.
Well matured , evolved and earthy soft with a light Pinot style colour . Very pretty wine and albeit the prices are starting to be over hyped in Greece well priced bottles are worth it. 93-94

3/22/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Vosne Millésime - Noblesse des Clos Vougeot - Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne (Château du Clos de Vougeot): Walkaround tasting with producers. Plenty of red fruits here too, this is bigger and richer than Clos Vougeot with the same brightness. Seemed slightly more complete today vs a few days, even with the identical profile.

2/15/2020 - B Paul wrote:

Decanted and then followed over the course of the evening. A big wine with lots of everything but all in balance. Really concentrated fruit but still very lively. Pure. Best after several hours in the decanter. I won’t plan to open another for some time.

3/10/2024 - Purple Tooth wrote:

I hate to be a jerk. But..I qualify. I have 3 cases of this in 3 formats. The first time I tried this I said, I dot get it. Its been a long night and I will reserve judgment. This time I popped a 1/2 to check in. Interesting? Yes, If you like reading between lines. Otherwise, a head scratcher. This tells me that I either dont know much about wine, or I am shamelessly calling out my own mistakes. Ok ok....Now you need to know about the wine, instead of reading my whine...

In a grapy stage, this is the hopeful voice and the positive part of this encounter. I hope that what I taste as oak creme, alcohol, and underdeveloped fruit turns into something sensational in 7+ years. Meanwhile, cellar carry for me, and an advenure for you. Please write back....HOLD___

3/8/2024 - Harfouch Does not like this wine:

Deserves a low rating. High tannins. With an off-putting bitter finish.

3/1/2024 - drwine2001 wrote:

Wines Tasted at the La Paulée Verticals Session (The Maybourne, Beverly Hills): Light ruby. Spicy, high toned fragrance. Elegant medium weight. Earthy, tangy black and blue fruit with a gentle texture but perfect background acidity and tannin to provide shape. A drier finish indicates that it is not yet totally mature, but it's not that far away from its peak. Delicious, that's all. The best of the 3 vintages poured, and for me, a prototypical, mind's eye Vosne Premier Cru which I would drink every day if I could.

2/29/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Super radiant, perfumed, complex and ethereal, this is something I wanna bathe in. Explosive, ripe but still also nicely structured and fresh, with notes of dark plum, some dark red berries, menthol, mint, tar, tea, also some leathery notes, balsamic, some pine tree. It‘s ripe and explosive, but so Montestefano at the same time. Medium-full bodied, with medium-high acidity and medium-high superbly soft tannin. Long finish. A super complex, complete Barbaresco of the very highest level. (97+)

2/27/2024 - gilrbo Likes this wine:

From magnum. Opened in the morning for a family party in the evening. No TN, from memory. This showed a certain richness, revealing a warm vintage, but in a very nice balance as usual at this address. Stunning complexity, both on the nose as well as on the palate. Tannins are there and firm, but quite fine-grained.
Wonderful.

2/24/2024 - D!n@sh wrote:

Beautiful nose. Rose petals and red fruit.

However the wine was reticent and tight, even after 3 hours of decant. Spicy, red fruit, peppery. Maybe a small amount of heat in the finish.

93 today. Hard to say how it would evolve.

2/12/2024 - watcheslover Likes this wine:

For your information, here is Jacques Perrin's comment in his Vinifera review. Personally, I think he is the best taster in the world, especially for Bordeaux. For those who don't know him, he is one of the founding members of the European Grand Jury with Mauss, Bettane and Desseauve...And they imposed blind tastings while the "Parker" fashion of the time wanted us to taste by looking at the label.
Les Carmes Haut-Brion 98-100 Atramentary color, black with purple reflections. Sensational fruit on the nose, black berries, floral, the wine springs from the glass. It then opens with incense, black pepper, we think of the greatest French wines made from Pinot or Syrah, whole harvest required. The attack is fresh, almost discreet, then the wine takes on an ascending character, with great bitterness, a very ripe and very noble vegetal, which leads and lengthens the mouth for long seconds. The afterglow is strong and sovereign, the wine returns in layers, at length, like an echo. It is a very great wine, which exists in itself.

6/8/2020 - SARED wrote:

93-94. I really, really wish I had saved this bottle for a blind. This bottle tastes like a burgundian barolo. The nose will give it away as a Burgundy with a bit of earth, followed by dark cherry notes. But the palate has this dark savory cherry and integrated savory rosewood, coupled with Rugiens power, that I think would have many calling for an aged, medium+ bodied, supple, dark Barolo. But the wine is too soft and elegant for this. Hence, a true Burgundian Barolo... I think the wine is in the zone, and will hold for another 5+ years easily...

5/23/2023 - Iskama Likes this wine:

Sixth bottle in the past year. What I might appreciate most about this wine is that each showing has been perfectly consistent. Feels too rare in the world of artisan wine, in my experience at least. Here I know exactly what I’m getting every time I pull a cork.

The aromas are perhaps not as explosive as a few months ago, which leads me to think this wine will shut down. More tannic than I recall from previous showings which were pure silk. Too bad as I’m not sure I’m ever going to like it more than I did on release, and accordingly I’ve been going through my bottles with reckless abandon. I wouldn’t intentionally age this wine , but will probably end up with a few left over and it’ll be interesting to see where they go.

4/15/2023 - cct wrote:

With Isi

This has not been released yet, and I am not sure when it will be.

Balsam and licorice, cool nebbiolo fruit, with a complex herbal background that is mesmerizing. Deep and structured yet conveying the power without weight. Depth with clarity and almost mineral intensity and focus. Like a distillation of BdV. Youthfully fresh, powerful yet impeccably balanced. Effortlessly fantastic. 97+

1/20/2024 - DevenStephens Likes this wine:

I want to start this by saying that I feel like the nose and palate should get different scores. So I will try to separate both in this tasting note. First off the color is light red with orange in the rim.

The nose was bewitching. I swear I spent nearly 30 minutes just smelling the wine. It just has so much going on. Dried strawberries, blood oranges, grapefruit, passion fruit and candied sour cherries. I woke up a childhood memory and maybe some of you know what this is, but Strawberry Fruitopia. It's a sweet fruit drink popular around here and this has a smell that makes me think of that. Seriously though, you can smell this wine a fair distance from the glass, it comes to get you and lure you in. A smell that makes you curious about the taste but at the same time, how could it get any better? To me the smell was near perfect. I could give it 100 points, it's that special and unique. Could more aging actually make this better?

Now the palate. I have to agree with Rob, this is an electric wine with a lot of energy. Strawberries, raspberries, cranberries so on the sour red fruit side. Oranges, roses, incense and red sour cherries. Fine tannins and high acidity, it has a very long finish with some licorice hiding in there as well. It's very enjoyable to drink now but I feel like some time in the cellar would make this a stellar wine on the palate. To me where the palate is right now is worth 95 points but it can absolutely only go up from here.

Together the nose and palate make for a truly outstanding wine, an amazing experience to drink. The nose is near perfection and the palate is beautiful. Really curious on what 5-10-15+ years would do to this wine. For now, 97+ points makes sense to me. I think it could go higher with some time. I will be remembering that smell for a long time.

1/15/2024 - hprphf Likes this wine:

Drank over three days. Going through the 2019s, Kanzel comes across slightly more mineral and a whole lot more structured than other cuvées. So lifted, pure candied red fruit, cool blueberry, raspberry, cherry acidity, orange flowers, lightly smoky. Impressively clean and long, with sheer cool spice reminding you its terroir. 93-94

1/5/2024 - grafstrb wrote:

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over 15 min on Day 1; revisited on Days 2 and 3 --

NOSE: smells like a gueuze beer; light; red-fruited lambic. Same on Days 2 and 3.

BODY: looks like dirty cherry water -- so lightly colored it made me wonder if it was a light-struck bottle. Light bodied. Subsequent reading of others' notes on this wine have me believing this is just how this wine is supposed to look --- looks like a medium-dark rose.

TASTE: super light and watery; medium acid; no tannin; stopped Day 1 tasting here because neither me or Ashley was enjoying it, it was nowhere near the type of wine I intended to have with the night's meal, and I was hoping another day of air might help it. DAY 2: same as Day 1. DAY 3: still the same. While tasting, I was seriously wondering if this bottle was a representative bottle --- it was terribly disappointing at the $50 paid. 12% alc.. This wine REALLY NEEDS TO BE APPROACHED AS A ROSE --- if one does that, and doesn't mind some mild natty character (no mousiness), then one has put themselves in the best possible situation to enjoy this wine. I can imagine it would pairl nicely with a seared tuna salad, for example. All the foregoing having been said, I am gobsmacked at the asking price on this wine. Quite frankly, I can get similar pleasure from a fruited lambic at a fraction of the price. I can buy other producers' roses and get an equally good and often better wine and save a lot of money in the process. Not a rebuy for me, and not happy to have another bottle in the cellar.

9/28/2023 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine:

Trying to get a sense of 2020 Figeac from 375 without proper airtime seemed futile but nonetheless, this provided plenty of charm from PNP.

With that said, if I had to do it all over again from the same format I would decant. 2-3+ hrs at cellar temp and let it warm up in the glass.

At first I was getting some cranberry, cherry and mint. Silky tannins and a long finish. Just a lovely wine in it's infancy.

10/18/2023 - dnnk88 Likes this wine:

Cherry, raspberry, tobacco notes. Opened up nicely after around 1.5hrs. Silky tannins, soft and enticing finish. Enjoyed this thoroughly. My WOTN!

1/12/2022 - Nicephoras wrote:

Another great bottle of the 48 month Pierrieres and probably my favorite bottle on the table. This has a richness that the additional time on the lees gives it as well as a more powerful slightly almost brioche profile (though unlike someone suggested recently, it's nothing like Selosse, lol) and a long finish. Not quite as complex as the Roises/Enfers, but a brilliant wine.

12/24/2023 - ASMB Likes this wine:

Way too early. Mag was right. This will be incredible in time.

12/16/2023 - Twowinechicks Likes this wine:

Forest floor and dark berry nose, limpid red, medium bodied, PERFECTLY balanced, clear as a perfect pitch note. Everything one hopes for in a pinot noir with some bottle age, and a fabulous accompaniment to duck. I am delighted that we enjoyed it and incredibly sad it was a singleton!

11/27/2023 - philmtl Likes this wine:

This could put a lot of white Burgundy Chardonnay to shame. I only have one left and need to get more as I really want to see how this ages. Wonderful bottle.

12/15/2023 - wlsch Likes this wine:

PnP. Red fruit, cherries, some red raspberry and strawberry, spice, some loam underneath supporting the fruit, nice mineral notes. At five years old, this is just getting started. Medium body, medium acidity, well integrated tannins. There's a little bit of tannic hardness in the finish, but I think that will soften with age. This is realty beautiful and lacks the brawn I see in a lot of Oregon 2018 pinots. This is the first bottle of four that I've opened, and I'm glad I waited. If you have multiples, it's worth trying now, but my guess is that this won't really show all of itself until 2028 or later. Classic Dundee Hills. You can't ask for much more, but I can see this going up a point or two as it ages and develops. This will go at least 15 and maybe 20 years from the vintage.

12/26/2022 - Barolo Freak Does not like this wine:

This is my third bottle of Francesco Rinaldi Barolo, and so far no luck with their wines. I decanted my bottle five hours before dinner and I served it with Baked Clams, Mussels a la Marinara, and Vegetarian Lasagna. My first observation was the pale color. The nose was weak, and there was little fruit. I did not sense the wine evolving at all. I have two more bottles and I plan to drink them over the next two years.

12/10/2023 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:

Absolutely killer stuff. I love Cappellano wines; the nose is immediately explosive with what I consider the essence of nebbiolo; dark fruit, truffle, forest floor, tobacco, dried rose petal. So exquisite to smell. The palate is definitely still young, structured, and pretty big, but very drinkable with food. Loads of dark fruit alongside the spice and earth notes. Some people would maybe find it a bit rustic, but for me it is just soulful and full of personality. I loved it. These are absolutely my kind of Barolo.

5/18/2023 - forceberry wrote:

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (80%), Merlot (12%), Cabernet Franc (6%) and Petit Verdot (2%), harvested on the first two weeks of October. 60% of the production was used for this grand vin. Aged for 15 months in French oak barrels (65% new). 13% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Moderately evolved yet fully opaque dark maroon color. The nose feels quite powerful and somewhat evolved - yet less so than the appearance would suggest - with nuanced aromas of ripe blackcurrants and juicy dark fruits, some woody notes of pencil shavings, light leafy green nuances, a little bit of sweet black raspberry, a developed hint of meaty character and a touch of earth. The wine feels ripe, dense and quite chewy on the palate with a medium body and intense, dry flavors of juicy blackcurrants and bloody meat, some autumnal notes of damp leaves, a little bit of tobacco, light woody notes of pencil shavings along with sweeter nuances of toasty oak spice and cedar, a savory hint of meaty umami and a touch of wizened dark plums. The overall feel doesn't feel young, nor particularly aged, either. However, the overall feel is pretty firm and muscular, thanks to the high acidity and still rather grippy tannins. The finish is savory, somewhat evolved and quite grippy with a long, complex aftertaste of wizened blackcurrants and ripe dark fruits, some woody notes of pencil shavings, a little bit of old leather, light herbaceous leafy tones, autumnal hints of sous-bois and a touch of pipe tobacco.

An excellent, complex and still relatively youthful Bordeaux that shows great sense of fruit and intensity for a 2002. After the similarly firm and structured but taste-wise a bit hollow 2002 Palmer, this Lynch-Bages showed a bit more substance and mid-palate volume in comparison. Although the wine shows some sense of age and development, there is more than enough fruit and structure here to promise good cellaring potential for at least another decade, maybe even two. Plus the wine is going to keep for even longer. Smashing stuff, among the best 2002 left-bankers I've tasted. Highly recommended.

12/1/2023 - Csow Likes this wine:

Drank at Restorante Antica Torre. Opening notes of tomato, basil- like minestrone, roses, cherry and Black Forest, liquorice. More fruit than earth to begin. Palate: clean, clear, mid body. tannins: on front gums and tongue, fine sandy, long grained, sweet and fruity in mid palate. Dry on back. Lingers for 2 mins. Sweet preserved fruit in back palate: slight oak on finish. Finish is clean, crisp. A well made, very manicured wine.

9/16/2023 - Eric Becker wrote:

Reading the other TNs on this wine is a bit perplexing. Maybe it has to do with the casual outdoor-setting and the late hour that I did not detect the nuances of the wine. What I got was lemony fruit, a sprinkle of salt and above all a punch of french oak. The mouthfeel was indeed convincing, powerful and rounded, but also lively and without unnecessary weigth. Based on this experience I won't go out for more bottles, however, I have one remaining and look forward to it with curiosity.

11/26/2023 - aagrawal wrote:

Pale youthful translucent ruby; high intensity aromatics, red fruited, strawberries, floral/roses, some candied cherry; palate is light bodied, high youthful tannin, candied strawberry, red fruited, medium-plus acidity, balanced alcohol; finish is medium length. Nicely balanced, surprisingly tannic for even early Burlotto classico, seems like this will evolve well in 5-10 years. The robust tannins suggest that opening this now may have been a mistake, but I think with food it will integrate nicely and show well. Next bottle in 5+ years. 91+
Over 2 hours and with dinner, the tannins were well balanced and the wine retained its red fruitedness and elegance. Lovely even now, but much more ahead. 92+

11/17/2023 - SARED wrote:

One of the better Napa I have had, but brutally young. Would like to see this in 10,15,20 years to better assess. Felt more balanced/fresh/poised than typical Napa juice, but I shall disagree with you all saying it's not a crime to open one now (it is!). Will definitely buy Roy's 2023s if offered, given the vintage rep for cooler temps and alcohols.

11/17/2023 - oxidatif wrote:

Val Vilaine Vertical; 11/17/2023-11/18/2023: Pear juice, so lacy. Super super pale compared to 20/21. Round and ripe but good acid and lovely mineral finish with some very light bitterness alongside the pear. Super clean and light. Probably time to start drinking these. And check in on the 18 too.

11/9/2023 - Satoshi Nakamoto Likes this wine:

Always a mouthwatering and reductive nose. Clean stone fruit, minerals, and flint on the palate. Had a surprising tartness on the finish, which I haven’t experienced before. Always a joy to drink X-Novo though!

11/9/2023 - blacktruffle Likes this wine:

The reductive nose has now turned into a very attractive tangerine peel spice. Dense mouthfeel. Citrus and citrus peel and minerals. Saline. This is very complex and should get to 95+. Glad I bought more.

11/8/2023 - SARED wrote:

Lots of spritz that needs to be shaken or decanted out.

11/6/2023 - SARED wrote:

PNP out of 375. Very tight. Tasted of wood and vanilla, with fruit hiding well beneath. Are 2019s shutting down? Or just bottle variation?

10/11/2023 - fcxj wrote:

Earthy, smoky aromatics. Bestial, wild quality. Blockbuster palate, sweetness and persistence. Superb mineral quality. (3622/10418)

10/31/2023 - Tonyboons33 Likes this wine:

Agree with previous tasting notes, this wine needs time! First sip about an hour after opening and wasn't very impressed. Drank one glass and plugged it for the next day. Didn't get to it the next day and ended up finishing day 3 and it was beautiful. Wish I remembered to taste on day 2. Give this one some time, but it's wonderful. Don't love the $95 price tag but it's a fine wine indeed.