4/19/2024 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

A touch reductive and needed some air to open up but absolutely delightful and will still improve for several more years.

2/29/2024 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

WOW! Lemon, yellow apple, green apple, tart red berries, mineralogy, and some lees. A lot happening here and not really a time or place for critical direction of the wine, but easily the best balanced and most nuanced with concentration, depth, and intensity.

Mystery blend of grapes, vintages, vineyards with more complexity and balance than anything else from Bouchard this evening, and showing brilliantly. A first tasting note of “WOW” and though it might be sacrilege with this producer, tempting to call this a Tête de Cuvée and argue for some blending.

2/29/2024 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

50+ year old vines with minerality but ripe yellow apple and pear bordering on melon flavors with ample floral notes. Special and unique with a singularity that makes it very difficult to assess in a drive by tasting of this sort.

2/29/2024 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Lemon and green apple preserves on a croissant with waves of sea breeze in the air. Intensity and electricity here. The lees contact is extremely present but still shows balance and while very tight now this could easily be a 96 in ten years or so and my favorite of the line up.

2/29/2024 - WhiskySomm wrote:

Grafted onto old root stock and the limestone presence returns strongly here. Red berries pop with a bit of lemon, brioche, and chalky minerality. Tart orchard fruit and white berries with a savory and herbal spice. The lees presence is quite strong overall with very high, linear acidity and considerable upside for this wine in 5 to 7 years.

2/29/2024 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

The most balanced and ready for early drinking on this occasion. Walking the line between red berries and white orchard fruit, like tart red apple, white strawberries, and blush pink cherries with minerality, toast points, blood orange, and sweet white flowers.

2/29/2024 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

40-year-old vines, which is relevant here because the first mind bending aromas here are seaside minerality of oyster shell, crispy fried shrimp shells, and sea salted peanut husks with citrus acid and green apple (malic acid) notes that might have you thinking there is Chardonnay here. The weight and red berries on the palate obviously speak to Pinot Noir and are highlighted with a light herbaceous quality like strawberry tops.

4/24/2023 - WhiskySomm wrote:

Corked

11/21/2022 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Red and black fruit, fine grain tannic structure was bordering on New World fruit.

10/16/2022 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Vibrant, fruit forward, and espressing both tart and ripe eed berries. Overall just youthful and should improve with age. Beautiful wine but there are so many other amazing Pinot producers from around the world.

7/24/2022 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Took an hour or so of decanting to properly start to open up but very expressive florals notes lead by fresh rose petal and lavender followed by ripe and tart red berries. Especially delicious when paired with this braised boar.

4/2/2022 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Decanted for 2 hours, paired with dinner at Osteria Langhe with several other wines and friends that are not focused wine drinkers, so attention was not totally locked in. Highly aromatic, rose pedals, ripe and tart red cherries, wet soil, fennel, fresh garden herbs, touch or oaky baking spice. Absolutely delightful.

1/19/2022 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Red floral tones with raspberry and pomegranate from the time the cork was popped. Continued to open up and improve with touchs or savory herb, mushroom, and forest floor over the next two hours and then began to shut down for a bit. Off the menu a bit pricey for a current vintage pop and pour, but would like to have a few in my cellar to check out in another 5,10, and 15 years.

10/25/2020 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Rich and opulent style of Sauvignon Blanc; white and yellow florals, citrus, white fruit, and berries. Golden color and some sediment, showing its age, but the nutty mildly oxidized notes balanced well with the fruit and floral characteristics with plenty of zip and acidity remaining.

1/25/2020 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Rich Pinot Noir on the nose and palate, much fuller bodied than I would have anticipated for 3.5 g/L dosage. Strawberry and raspberry with green and red apple, meyer lemon, berry preserves on a buttered croissant. Plenty of acidity and overall delicious if perhaps a bit clipped on the finish.

12/19/2019 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

On first opening the bottle intense aromatics of sour cherry, red fruits, savory herbs and a dusty mineral tone. Two hours of decanting and consumed slowly over another three hours. Already in an excellent place this wine was still very primary and fruit forward with a touch of secondary characteristics, and the structure to potentially improve a point or two with additional cellar time. Floral, fruit, savory herbs, leather, stony minerality, complex and hitting on every level. Ripe red cherry, candied cherry almost like cherry Starburst on the nose, black cherry, sour cherry, strawberry, raspberry, ripe tomato, basil, leather, tobacco, baking spice. High acid and highly tannic, but exceptionally well integrated and silky. Continues to be one of the finest examples of Sangiovese.

10/10/2019 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Extremely young, tight, and in need of multiple hours of decanting to blow off most (not all) of the reduction. More swirling and aeration in the glass is needed, but after that... wow!! An absolutely gorgeous wine. Crisp white orchard fruits, layers of apple and pear, creme brulee, minerality, herbs and baking spice, and layers of white florals. High acidity, rich body, long finish, and true depth and complexity on palate. Should get even better with another 5 to 10 years of age.

9/26/2019 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Needed a lot of air to open up, it was acutually better the next day.

9/11/2019 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Bottle funk for days and a lot of oxidative, tertiary notes; petrol, orange marmalade, marzipan, bruised red apple, forest floor. With air it becomes more honeyed, and a little tropical, particularly cantaloupe, but a touch of honeydew with white and yellow florals expressing themselves. Acidity is still ripping and the RS helps to add body. Likely on the wrong side of the bell curve, but still hanging on, and hell you only live once, and it was well worth a try.

9/6/2019 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Pleasant tropical fruit, good acid level, and residual sugar is not too pronounced. Good, inexpensive bottle to pair with some stir fry and sushi at home.

4/13/2019 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Beautiful example of Pinot Noir. Delicate, unobtrusive wine making that let's the varietal and terroir shine. And I am personally enamored with the use of local Oregon oak. Shows well while young, but needs air. Very excited to try this with age.

6/14/2019 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

A very un California style PN while sipping in Napa.

3/20/2019 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Drank blind and would surely score a bit higher if given a decant. Better integration and balance of oak than I had expected; gamey, leather, peppered beef, herbs, waves of dark red and black fruit. Medium plus body, med+ smooth tannins, and great acidity. Wine of the night and tip of the cap (rib cap) to Jordan. This is what I love about Cote Rotie and I might prefer Guigal in these more restrained vintages.

10/17/2018 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Clear, bright, pale amber
Clean, full developed, medium plus aromatic intensity. Sweet caramelized sugars and roasted nuts on the nose; maple syrup, manuka honey, roasted chestnuts. I would not have called the 10 year Sercial “green” but when placed next to the Verdelho the Sercial is lighter and brighter with some lemongrass citrus pop. There is citrus on the nose and palate here too but richer and more in line with candied orange peel. Full bodied, medium dry, medium plus alcohol that is balanced, concentration of flavors with a long nutty, caramel finish.

10/17/2018 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Clear, bright, pale amber

Clean, full developed, medium plus aromatic intensity. Toasted almond, roasted hazelnut, strong scents of ocean spray and salinity, vanilla custard, butterscotch, dried pit fruit and dried florals.

Off-dry, medium plus alcohol, high acidity, medium plus body, medium minus tannin. Pronounced nuttiness and salinity, palate mimics the nose with the addition of candied citrus and more pronounced pit fruits than on the nose. Medium plus finish. This is a very good Sercial Madeira with concentration and balance of flavors, complexity, and length of finish. A pleasing mild bitterness and acidity on the finish to balance the slight sweetness.

9/10/2018 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Pleasant enough, great acidity to balance out the sugar. First thought was it reminded me of drinking Lemonheads. With air and warmth some additional citiric complexity arose but nothing profound. Pleasant enough sipper to pair with some extra spicy Thai food.

8/10/2018 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Starting to show a bit of bricking towards the rim. Primary fruit and elegance though a bit too simple. Look forward to revisiting a bottle in a year or two.

8/10/2018 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Holding up still has primary fruit characteristics and structure but does not seem to have much aging potential.

8/10/2018 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Magnificent nose after decanting; depth, complexity, promises of all sorts of merlot heavy St. Emilion goodness. Currants, red cherry, blackberry, bramble fruits, leather, cedar. Floral, fruit, herbs, earth, so much on the nose and then the palate was just "good." Tannins were well integrated, acidity was spot on, and balanced with the fruit, but the promised complexity of the nose was missing. Will cellar well for another decade or two but I have to hope that the flavors fall in line with the nose.

9/2/2018 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Slightly pink color, good minerality, opens quickly with a little air or perhaps just warming a little. Red apple, ripe orchard fruit, raspberry, tart strawberry, nice refreshing acidity. Excellent picnic wine.

9/2/2018 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Beautiful amber color but seems a bit too oxidized, despite the age. Acidity was a bit more subtle than I would have liked but all of the dried, honeyed stone fruit, floral notes, and nuttiness that you would expect. Always a wonderful wine but does not quite hit the heights of a few other vintages.

6/6/2018 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Floral, ripe apple and pear, lemon tart, plush and rounded. Could use a bit more acidity but a very pleasant apertif.

5/28/2018 - WhiskySomm wrote:

Unexpectedly high spice levels, mild tannins, and oak extraction.

5/28/2017 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Earth, red cherry, cracked black peppper, great pop and pour.

5/13/2017 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Massive potential but far too young (stating the obvious), tannins, coffee grounds, and stems with balance out with with sanguine minerality and bold dark red and black fruits.

1/21/2017 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Young wine that needs a lot of air but drinking well enough now. Will improve and age gracefully. Exactly what I would except from a youthful Joguet.

1/21/2017 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Good young Saint Joseph, continued to improve with more air. Drinkable now but will continue to improve with age for years to come.

1/22/2017 - WhiskySomm Does not like this wine:

Red fruit and coconut oil. Turn it into sangria.

1/10/2017 - WhiskySomm wrote:

It is what it is supposed to be, but too ripe for what I like to consume.

12/30/2016 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Red and yellow apple hint of citrus, intense brioche and biscuit with strong minerality.

9/16/2016 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

I believe the 2014 was a blend of 40% Clairette , 40% Bourboulenc , 10% Grenache Blancand 10% Roussanne. Medium body with high acidity and big upper register aromatics. Paired well and stood up to the richness and complexity of the lobster, bone marrow, and roasted roma tomato dish with which it was paired.

6/27/2015 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Rich flaxen gold color, good aromatics, bright white fruits and a floral/ fruit blossom honey. Very silky medium body, showing brilliantly with age. We drinking white Rhones with the hope of finding examples that are this composed and delicious.

6/27/2015 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Yeast, earth, funk. Medium high acid, beautiful bubbles for those that enjoy a truly old world style.

6/23/2015 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Old gold straw color, very high acidity, tart key lime balancing the sugar and dried stone fruit flavors.

6/2/2015 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Ripe red berries and floral on the nose. Medium bodied, medium acid, with mild tannins. A pronounced fresh strawberry juice quality on the palate. A simple, go to, everyday drinking Rhone.

6/3/2015 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Italian Red, nothing special and already fading/ mildly oxidized.

6/9/2015 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Solid easy drinking wine for a warm summer evening by the grill.

6/1/2015 - WhiskySomm wrote:

Still very fruit forward.

6/1/2015 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Little bit of funk, acid and fruit in just about perfect balance. Excellent.

5/28/2015 - WhiskySomm Likes this wine:

Big ripe red fruits, hints of tobacco, herbs, and a touch of oak. Fruit should come into better balance over time. One of two 2010's tasted that evening, and both were showing very well. A great buy that you can hang onto for a while.