5/1/2024 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

I had just a pour of this tonight and was impressed at the weighty elegance and feather like feel of this. A panoply of aroma, fruits dark and red, flowers lacey and beautiful. This is a substantial wine of unending flavors every sip unraveling another palatable experience. So layered and complex. It ended too soon.

4/27/2024 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Paired tonite w/ a rigatoni bolognese and it slightly bested a 96 Vietti Brunate which presented younger and almost not ready. The Roagna was red fruited silky and ready to drink as well as a really nice match for the pasta. The class here was undeniable and this bottle was pretty much on fire. A very autumnal wine with fall leaves and an earthy presence. It struck a balance that rose above expectations and I think this bottle was at peak performance.

4/4/2024 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

A very nice bottle all told. Decanted 4 hours. Beautiful light ruby color belies the adequate concentration. Really nice texture vs acidity vs substance. This was delicious with only a mild obtrusiveness of oak. An early drinker, I will polish these off over the next 5-6 yrs.

3/21/2024 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

This wine exceeded all expectations tonite at Birchrunville Store Cafe with a veal loin in mushrooms cream sauce that was recommended by Clement at Bouchard. What a pairing. The wine was substantial, ready to drink, wonderful, and complete. Thanks for this opportunity brother.

3/21/2024 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

This was firing on all 12 cylinders tonight. Opened in the AM, decanted at dinner time. Darker than one would expect from a 78 yo wine. Aromatically stunted initially, but abruptly expanded into a panoply of deep aroma from flowers to fresh berries. Undoubtedly Latour, but more ripe and ethereal than any other vintages I've had. It just progressed with a change in complexity every time I took a dip into the glass. A wonderful experience and glad to have had this with my friends that gathered.

3/14/2024 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

First time with this vintage. In comparison the 2017 tasted last month wore it's age well. This bottle appeared less evolved, less balanced, less savory acidity. It didn't pair well with the tasty salmon course, but neither did the 2 90s Meursault Les Charmes. I would venture to say that this could use some time in the cellar. I think it has the ingredients to improve. Maturationally speaking of course. :))

3/9/2024 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Wow. This is certainly firing on all 12 cylinders. The light ruby color belies the substance in the glass. Leather cherry autumn leaves fresh tilled soil. I would venture to say this is at peak because it’s so very balanced that I can’t see it getting any better. The wonderful acidity carries the black cherry core for a lengthy finish.
This is a top tier Barolo for my tastes.

1/18/2024 - Dave Mosko wrote:

This was nice at Birchrunville tonight. I had this almost a year ago on March 11. That was a PnP. It never really opened up. This time it was a 1 hour decant. It still needed a half hour in the glass for the funk to blow off, and the wine to come around. When it did there was interesting farmyard smells, but better than your average brett but very Lafite. I was sniffing this all night. Not a big wine but an absolute joy to experience. All the necessary elements were there but all lighter in nature. This is the second 61 First Growth for me in 2 weeks and I must say they are drinking light but they are holding up. The other bottle was an Haut Brion.

1/18/2024 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

This wine tasted nice tonight at Birchrunville Store Cafe. Interesting profile. Bottle sweetness. Got better as the night wore on. Very resolved. Wouldn’t kick it outta bed for eating crackers. Funny, all 3 notes are from within a circle of friends. What or who is the common denominator here?
Eric? 🤔

1/13/2024 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Had this side by side with a 2019 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Clos Saint Philibert Blanc. I like the richness of the 2020 Chablis and this fit the bill. I think the 2020 character added another dimension to an already complex wine. Having this with Himachi crudo it was the better wine with the dish. Rich, big, for a chablis, great balance, long finish. Every sip made me want to go back for more.

1/13/2024 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Had a glass of this with himachi crudo dish last night. This is a wine that showed up to play and gave what it had in spades. Very well made chard, has all the character I need for dinner. Rich yellow straw, substantial nose and viscous palate with acid to balance. Nice long finish, kept my interest while sipping between courses.

12/21/2023 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Bize is known for consistent production of wines that perform above their geo-hierarchy. This bottle was a nice experience of an adolescent white Burg's entry point into the drinking window. A light golden straw color, notable reduction which I adore, appetizing scents of citrus, oak is a bit protuberant for me, but I can see this better integrating with some cellar time. The body is so in balance with the acidity and the extract that it's hard not to like this. Played nicely with appetizers of veal sweetbreads, chanterelles, liver terrine and especially the triple creme. Can I get another pour?

12/21/2023 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

My first exposure to a serious Italian PB. I was surprised how complete this was, all the structure of a world class white wine. A light golden color and a driblet of reduction in the nose that was flattering. The texture was reminiscent of a white Burg, all silky and shit. Lemon curd, persimmons, straw, waxiness, and a really nice backbone of acidity to support it all. Long finish to keep you contemplating the next sip. Had this paired with a crispelle of iberico pork, and a sweetbreads and chanterelle dish. Nailed both of them. I need to put some of this in my cellar. Thanks Bob.

12/6/2023 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Loved it. One of the best Krug NV in my experience. Opened nicely as it warmed in the glass. Could smell this all day long. It was best at the 4 hour mark. After that, empty glass. [sniffles]

12/6/2023 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Out of magnum this is my wine of the night with a White Alba Truffle dinner tonight as it sings a song of completion and resolve over any other bottle on the table which included iconic wine from piedmont

12/6/2023 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

All I can say is WOW. This is the start of a beautiful life going forward and I’m privileged to have this with duck breast and White Alba Truffles tonight because nothing matches better

11/26/2023 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

This was quite nice. Needed a half hour+ in the glass to open up, but it expanded nicely and filled out on the palate . I would drink these up though, not much stuffing. Tannin resolved, no structure to support further aging IMO.

11/26/2023 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

This is in a good spot right now, very resolved and slightly past peak, yet needed an hour in the decanter to open up. Will hold for a bit longer I suspect. Bright cherry, strawberry, cranberry, and oak somewhat noticeable but quite resolved as well.

11/3/2023 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Oh Shit this is really good, and transcends the last bottle 5 yrs ago. Deep ruby for a B. Very light bricking at the rim. Ooo the sous bois and a little animale comme some of the best makers in B show. This is deep in flavor. Pomegranate, strawberry, red and black cherry with just a hint of chocolate. This expands and broadens as it airs. Long finish that took me to a higher pedigree than the label suggests. Had with a variety of cheeses, some from Burgundy. All seemed to mesh well. Half of the bottle for tomorrow, I'll bet I am even more pleased.

8/11/2023 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Opened the night prior and decanted 3 hrs before service. Very nice N Rhone scents although I wouldn't necessarily pinpoint Cornas. Lacks the animale of there. Had scents of crunchy red berries black olives fall leaves raw meat. Tastes comparable to the scents with some oak notes and dark berries. Good texture depth and acidity to balance. Tannins are in check and nothing here is obtrusive. Finish is long and satisfying Like to have this again in 5 and 10 yrs to see the evolution that tonight's experience promises.

7/6/2023 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

In Beaune at restaurant Le Conty. Paired with sweetbreads and morels and worked well. This is an elegant 2012 that plays the vintage well and has just enough juice left to make the grade. It got better over a 2 hour span and I’m glad for the opportunity to have this wine that hasn’t moved more than 20 kilometers from the place of production.

6/10/2023 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

This was all brunello silk tonight with all the structure of 2006. The pairing of Parmesan on fresh noodles and quail bone reduction was to die for. I need to explore this produttore more closely.

2/24/2023 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

This was a beautiful bottle of red B. First off I popped the cork the day before and left it out. Secondly I decanted the morning of, and re-bottled prior to dinner. Started out red ruby, delicate, shy but revealing strawberry, late autumn leaves, sweetened up after 30 min. Tasting stingy initially, after an hour in glass it opened up nicely with fresh cherry, delicate strawberry and focused balanced acidity. Very good presentation, little to no discernible oak, long finish and an overall wonderful experience for the group and me. The monopole effect was evident in the quality. I say this will hold for 2 decades, if drinking in short term, decant. The first bottle I had a couple years ago was PnP. It never opened up.

2/8/2023 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Really enjoyed this. Agree with the others this is drinking rather young, but the sheer structure of the wine is carrying a potent body of balanced fruit/acid/glycerine that's borderline unctuousness. My last bottle. I would like to have tasted this again in 5-10 yrs. In essence, this is a village wine from 2005 that's drinking at a high level.

1/31/2023 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Had this at an omekase in Phila.
Sakana, where this bottle showed fairly well albeit a bit too warm at room temp. Light golden in the glass, with an intense flowery olfactory treat. Bone dry with a Riesling mouth perfume. I love that you get all the glory of a late harvest wine in a dry format from GGs. Could have been greater with a bit more acidity showing up to play with the other components.

11/22/2022 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Perfect time to drink this. Need no more aging. Accompanying a creative scallop crudo dish it totally complemented the honeynut squash dressing.

11/22/2022 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Very nice opener for dinner. Substantial brioche lemon curd and apple skin aroma and flavorful palate. At Roxanne BYOB.
Thanks sis!

5/27/2022 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

This is fuckin awesome. Balanced, substantial, sweet tannins and juicy morello cherry, dried pit fruit with weight and structure, chalk, intensity, and requisite mouth watering acidity.

7/9/2022 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

This had been drunk in reference to my son's birth year. Cork came out unceremoniously several hours prior to consumption. Very little aroma from the bottle so I double decanted into a wide mouth glass pitcher for an hour. In hindsight I should have let it sit for 3-4 hrs. At restaurant it was tight on initial pour. Showed light maroon with orange meniscus, light floral aromas detected, first sip not very revealing. No assistance from swirling. I set this up with a well executed seared duck breast served an hour after pouring. Having sat in the glass it woke up enough to assess and appreciate. Starting to have sous bois, straw, fall scents, soil, aged cherry fruit, pomegranate, strawberry, and dark berries. This had bottle sweetness, aged cherry fruit, and a nice beam of acidity down the middle. The intensity was admirable and approached the presence and length of grand cru, even regal, but never completely opened up in the hour and a half of tasting it. Wish we'd have spent more time. Too many other wines in waiting. Bottom line this is a long term ager and I could see it being solid still in ten years.

7/9/2022 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Joyfully consumed at PP, a local S. NJ gem BYO with my 2 sons for their birthdays, and 2 friends. This benefited from a 6 hour decant in a wide mouth glass pitcher then back into the bottle. Much more open than previous bottles and showing masculine middle aged nebbiolo attributes. Red to orange, autumn colors w/ aged cherry, not quite ripe dark berry, mushroomy, fall leaves, faint flowery roses, and a little bit of fresh asphalt. This time in I found some welcoming bottle sweetness, mouth watering acidity carrying the base of cherry fruit along with old wood barrel flavors for a lengthy time until dissipating. This is a very young wine and I believe only a glimpse of what power it's holding back because it got better in the glass to the last sip. Paired well w/ dry aged filet and savory crispy milkweed buds. This Brunate was slightly more substantial than the 99 Clos de Vougeot Bertrand Ambroise that it followed. Both were performers tonight.

6/24/2022 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Glass pour. Cold, needed to warm and breathe. Very nice and shows potential. Shy scents of lemon and some petrol. Lemon curd, nice body, even a little chewy. I’d love to have this in 5-8 yrs I think this’ll be a relative early drinker

4/21/2022 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

This was a star among stars this night. I'm an amateur and have tasted maybe 20 different vintages, but HB is the FG that for me consistently shows well no matter what vintage, what venue, what time of year, what crowd. Dark ruby, belies it's 26+ yrs. The viscosity is noticeable and makes the glass a pretty color to look at after a swirl. This smells like we're in for a good time. The cigar box tobacco is mild but present, juicy plum skins and berry scents. I tasted this and immediately got the savory berries and skins of dark fruit. Deep texture and relevant acid to carry the weight to the finish. I can assert this is an obviously young appearing bottle although I've had 95 only once prior, at least 10 years ago. It doesn't seem to have budged much. After an hour and a half of air, and an accompanying dish of the best lamb ever, a perfect match tonight, I was in a happy place. It really expanded and coated the palate, stimulated sensors, and put a smile on my face. Even in the presence of a 1970 Latour from 1.5L which seemed impeccably stored and was FG royalty, this HB performed well. A very respectable bottle. Thank you Bob!

12/11/2021 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

First of 6. Opened day prior, not decanted, cork left off bottle. Decanted to carafe in restaurant 2 hrs prior to paired dish. At serving was tight. Opened slowly, not fully. Glimpses of tart cherry and darker fruit, adequate acidity, a bit of wood tannin, a bit rustic, Vietti in nature, smoothed out over 2 more hrs time. No flaws. Last glass was best but never peaked, decant next bottle the morning of.

9/18/2021 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

At Jules@Market. Very decent acidity w/ substantial froth. Good body, extract (for a cava) and put up a good fight with a grower Champagne served alongside. I think a few years in bottle helps to settle the overbearing acids in cava. Had a 2012 Pere Mata Cava l'Ensamblatge a month ago that was killer.

9/18/2021 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Bottle 16 of 18 purchased on release. Very decent acidity as expected, but time has balanced this out a bit. There is more creaminess and less edge. Phenomenal w/ oysters. Certainly better than a horribly corked bottle on 2/20/20.

8/13/2021 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Nice time to open, and the best bottle I've had of this since my first taste of the '99. I like 2004 in all things Italian wine. It seems like a forever vintage to me. This wine was dark red with very little bricking at the edge. The aroma was inviting with dark berries and cassis. Very well integrated with just a touch of wood noticeable. Taste was medium body, red berry and dark plum skin. The pedigree Italian acidity and the soft silky texture carried everything on it's back to fill out the middle palette. A relatively long finish of 25-30 seconds. Last bottle for me. If I had more I would hold one for 5 years and try again.

8/13/2021 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Awesome everyday sparkler and the best Cava by far I've ever had. In a class by itself. Creamy mouse, brioche, lemony, lean and suave. Substantial body, very good mouth coating texture, and a medium finish. The bubbles held up well. What more to ask for?

7/31/2021 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Purchased on release. I see others had cork issues. This bottle did not.
This wine was a successful effort, and presented quite young. More fresh than one would expect from a 16 yrs old village wine. A dark ruby red with very little lightening at the edge. Dom. Laurent's infamous barrel regime are whispers from the past, but I've never felt it was seriously overdone in wines I've tasted from the domaine . This bottle had noticeable oak w/ structured fruit and acidity balanced enough to welcome the treatment rather than accentuate it. Good density, lush texture, tart dark cherry, hints of dark chocolate, mouth watering acidity, and a medium finish. It was opened in the morning and left in the cellar without a cork. It improved in the glass over an hour and a half. Good to go now, and this appears to be the beginning of long pleasurable drinking window for well stored bottles.

4/17/2021 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Bottle 3 of 4. Absolutely love this bottling and easily their best pinot I've put to my lips. Difficult to believe this was created anywhere other than Côte de Nuits. Soliste does something with pinot noir no other CA winery does IMO. Gets it right. Lovely ruby color, smell of fresh cherry picked from a tree in the middle of a forest. Leaf litter, soil, and red berries. Dense and elegant, immediately spread over the palate and blossomed on the tongue. Acidity to carry the flavor to every available sensory nerve. Long finish persisted until I lost count. Balance is the theme here. Many years ahead for this bottling.

1/9/2021 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

At dinner for my boy's 22nd Bday. Purchased on release, stored impeccably.
I love my 2 youngest boys birth years 99 and 96 and the perfect opportunities for check-ins on their bdays. As we seated for dinner the cork pulled out easily and was intact. Surprised it was only wet on the bottom and not soaked through. A good amount of sediment gathered, (bottle was stood up for a week) but decided not to decant. Deep ruby in the glass with very little lightening at meniscus. Not super voluminous in scent, but a nice waft of anise, cassis, and roses on swirling. Mild silky tannins, fair weight, medium flavor concentration and it seems this is in a decent spot right now. Not a large Insignia. Adequate acidity for the package, very balanced. Just a touch of integrated wood evident. Finish was shorter than I expected, even considering this is a (weaker) vintage at Phelp's. A joy and treat for his birthday. Wish I had more.
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It opened up after an hour + in the glass, took on some mid-palate weight and the finish lengthened a bit. Insignia's insignia notes of dark fruit, cherry tobacco, cassis, dark plum, black raspberry all lifted to a crescendo at about two hours into the bottle as we sipped and contemplated the past year and the year ahead. A very nice family dinner overall at a local gem in S NJ.

12/31/2020 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Yum right out of the gate. Dark ruby, saturated ruby bubbles, darkest Bertheau ever seen, aroma exudes young burg. initially tight, softens a bit after a half hour in the glass. Really nice palate presence, fruit in balance, dark cherry, milk chocolate, texture galore, persistent length, leaves a classy after taste with silky tannin. Could use a bit more acidic grip, but that's splitting hairs. A pleasure to drink. Very not sorry I popped this cork before it tightens up and goes to sleep for who knows how long. Open for biz now. Under purchased this if the rest of my bottles show this well.

12/12/2020 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Initially tight and ungiving as if I was anosmic. Ten minutes in the glass with lots of coaxing I got a little reassurance this was opening a bit. This was paired with a dry aged filet in a reduction of a barolo (Vietti) that I consider one of the best normales in my house. Good to live well once in a while.
The reputation of this wine was evident in it's class, body, texture and presence. "Awesome" escaped my lips. Among the accompaniment of really decent wines, everything else in the room paled, and bowed down to the wine in my glass. The mouthfeel was regal, with layers of silky classic fruit and mineral elements. The flavors hung forever, the duration was an amazing experience. Still a baby I would surmise as the wine stayed a bit tight throughout the 2 hours. By far the best wine I've had in 2020 and a nice way to celebrate the holiday season.
Got to love your friends and value the time spent with them.

11/21/2020 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Last of 3 bought on release from Kermit back when you HAD to buy 1 white for every red you purchased. This one was drinking quite young in respect to it's age. Honey and apricot, changed with time to straw and apple. Not a fan of white Rhones typically and this bottle did not sway my opinion. Went well with black truffle risotto at the Rhone wines dinner but would rather have had a nebbiolo.

11/21/2020 - Dave Mosko wrote:

Last of 6 bought on release. Not the best bottle. Reduction at first, seemed to blow off, VA appeared, but never showed well. All told, 3 of 6 were good.

9/9/2020 - Dave Mosko wrote:

Tasted at a friends home as a curio when I had to make a brief stopover. From a case of 6 red, 6 white, with 2 bottles of white that were damaged. One was empty, the other half full I was told. The bottle was uncorked 2 hrs before I arrived but not decanted. The pour was muddy brown and extremely cloudy. I guessed it was poorly handled before opening. I was correct. These are not wine savvy folks. Future bottles will be treated w/ kid gloves I was told, after we discussed a better option of uncorking ;-). A strong iron taste with a little old wine, but not good wine flavors. they were insistent on pouring it out. I insisted we let it sit for an hour to see what we may. The wine did get a little more palatable and I immediately thought if this was the last wine on earth, I'd drink it. Hoping the next 5 are better.

8/30/2020 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Had this at home with my son while enjpying the last ever takeout menu from Bibou, an iconic local restaurant who are changing their business model to French grocery store. Quenelles were awesome!I will surely miss these if they disappear with the restaurant. Wine was a decent rose as far as roses go. I'm learning I'm not a fan of rose on the whole. Keeping an open mind I continue to buy and try. I just can't wrap my head or palate around them. I sort of get the terroir and can tell a difference in the different AOCs, I just can't develop an inquisitiveness or other reason to bother. Otherwise a nice beam of acidity runs through this. The flavors develop with some air. I simply don't enjoy the developing flavors and feel I'm left somewhere in the middle of a decent white and a decent red. I've tasted roses of Provence, Burgundy, German, Italy, Spain, US and realize even with the best of them I like to have a half glass and move on. This was good with the quenelle BTW, the only issue was a lingering metallic taste.

8/9/2020 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Decent concentration of fruit and tannin w/ cherry and dark plum and a structured package that is built for a 20 year journey. Wasn't really speaking Tuscan tonight. Past vintages have shown well, but while his was a tasty offering, it wasn't representative of the label.
Very good wine, very good experience. Disappointing Paleo

7/4/2020 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

Sharing a birthday with USA, opened for my son's 24th today. While I can't comment on the full provenance of this bottle, I picked it off the shelf of a local shop in 2004. Quick chill in ice and water. The cork didn't hold up to a screwpull but did come out easily in one piece with an ah-so. The cork was untainted. I poured out 4 glasses from the 500ml. The wine was golden hue. Smell of sweet Chenin soared. Noticeably not a young wine, there were notes of aging and a slight earthiness to the honey. Apricot, pear, baked apple. Thick with adequate viscosity and legs like a Rockette. Sweet in the mouth, not quite oily but lithe and long. At first not giving much but as it warmed more fragrant honey and yellow fruit came to play. The acidity lacked a little but with time it seemed to gain on the palate and after 45 min. started to balance out. It deserved much more time in the glass. I felt it would have given an even better presentation had I held it in my glass longer but it didn't last an hour. Lip smackin' good I was a little sorry I poured the whole bottle on opening. All in all a great experience and addition to the celebration. Wish I had another bottle to open in 10 years. This wine would make a decent desert accompaniment but lacked the acidity to pair well well with foie in comparison to sauternes.

7/2/2020 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

The start of the 7/4 weekend. Very nice, I polished off half the bottle in 45 min. although it was drank starting at 9:30pm. I like the outdoorsiness of roses. I've had my best experience with these at picnics and BBQs. Very translucent med pink not unlike rose champ. A streak of acidic cherry splashed all over, reminds me of slightly unripe supermarket got cherries. Nice acidity in the package. Goes down too easy but I think 1 more year would let the acid demension integrate. Hopefully the fruitiness develops a tad more. Last bottle I had was a 2016 last summer. That one showed a bit better.

3/15/2020 - Dave Mosko Likes this wine:

I am rarely enamored by PN grown in CA. Occasionally I taste an outlier that peaks interest. Soliste has quite a few bottles that turn my head. (Thank you Dr. Rusty!) They produce a very restrained style of PN that reminds me what I love most about it when not overdone. The true weight of the grape shows well in their product without all the bells and whistles of extraction and barrel aging typical of the region in my experiences. This particular bottle was a gift from my son that he acquired when he was working at a local wine shop while in college a couple years ago. He noticed my interest in it while browsing one day and handed it to me on my birthday fine young man that he is!. When he took me to dinner for my birthday last night the wine was chosen.
This wine appeared to be light translucent ruby moving slightly towards orange near the rim. Tight aroma after opening and gave little more than a really decent texture for an hour and a half then the wine slowly awoke with fresh raspberry strawberry and cherry scents. Rainier cherry flavors, balanced acidity, no noticeable wood tannin and swooning lush texture with nothing out of sorts. Getting better throughout our dinner, certainly showing the potential to hang in for at least a few more years of cellar time. Given the wine making style, this bodes well for other bottles of Soliste I have stashed away for a Rainier day.