4/17/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

High acidity, lots of cherry fruit, bit of milk chocolate, silky taninns, juicy style, lovely now. Good value. DIAM5 - 88 points

4/12/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Very dark, intense fruit, rich and dense and dominated by the Merlot, more Saint-Emilion than classy Margaux, very silky tannins, but stull lots of unappealing (at least for my palate) toasty oak adding notes of charcoal and bitterness. Not a wine of great elegance, but it tastes impressively young for an almost 14 year old wine. A few more years of bottle age might do the magic here and hopefully integrate the oak. Ok now, but I would hold another 3 years. - 89+ points

4/14/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Powerful GV, rich apple fruit, tropical fruits, good weight, good acidity, clearly improving with bottle age. Lovely now, but will hold 5 years. - 90 points

4/13/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Good easy-drinking Riesling, stone fruits and floral notes, a hint of sweetness, would have liked a bit more acidity. Drink now. - 89 points

4/9/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Lovely Muskateller and absolutely classy. Bright acidity, bursting with sweet floral notes, citrus, some nutmeg, great summer aperitif. Ready for drinking. - 90 points

4/9/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Spoiled: oxidized and musty flavors. Cork issue?

4/7/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Dark blackberry fruit, soft tannins, a rustic and very toasty oak flavor - a bit overdone for my palate, coconut, dark chocolate, Bounty; good wine - but this was more complex and better balanced in past vintages. - 89 points

4/7/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Juicy style, fine balsamic cherry fruit, hint of oxidation with this bottle, red meat and iron notes, silky tannins. Ready for drinking. - 90 points

4/5/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Classy Riesling flavors, stone fruits, mineral, floral, lacking a bit of acidity and tastes a bit flat and simple and without much tension or complexity. Might show better with a few additional years of bottle age. - 89 points

4/3/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

From 0.375ml bottle; DIAM5 cork. Cherry fruit, sweaty socks, a green vegetal note, iron notes, a bit dusty and dull, high acidity, juicy style, average length and drying finish. Not an exciting wine. - 85 points

4/3/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Lovely Riesling Federspiel. Crisp, floral, citrus notes, a hint of sweetness to balance the acidity, easy-drinking. Good now, will hold several years. - 88 points

3/17/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Red fruits, lovely acidity and minerality. Good wine. - 90 points

3/17/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Very primary, hint of reduction, crisp red fruits, cherries and strawberries, juicy, very high acidity, mineral and tart, very good length. No secondary or tertiary flavors yet. Needs time! - 93 points

3/17/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Somewhat closed, crisp red fruits, a bit vegetal and stemmy, good length, not the purity of fruit one hopes for in a DRC though. Did not quite live up to the high expectations, but certainly an excellent wine with significant potential to improve with some age. - 93+ points

3/17/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Very light and crisp, only a little red cherry and raspberry and strawberry fruit left, the high acidity is the main feature now. Considering its age, this is still a lovely and very drinkable DRC. But it is not a vintage of great complexity. - (93 points)

3/17/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Not the most complex wine, but nice fruit. - 91 points

3/17/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Lovely red Burgundy. Still young and primary. Dark fruit, slightly tannic, good acidity. Can age. - 93 points

3/17/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Compared to all the other excellent white Burgundies we had tonight this bottle was clearly on a different quality level. Still a baby of course but this already shows amazing balance, elegance and complexities. 2020 is clearly a great vintage for white Burgundy. This will develop into a great wine for sure - 97 points

3/17/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Rich and complex, great classy apple fruit and hints of brioche, very mineral, still young. - 94 points

3/17/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Yellow apples, melon, hint of age, fine acidity, lovely, but not very compkex or long. Good now. - 91 points

3/17/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

This was quite a surprise tonight. Could easily compete with the Premier and Grand crus in our blind tasting. Quite rich and perfectly balanced with excellent fruit and acidity. We we all surprised when the bottle was revealed. Great qpr. - 93 points

3/17/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

A lovely Saint-Aubain with citrus, stone fruit and apple flavors. Lovely acidity, freshness and purity of flavors. Well-done for the appelation and good value. - 90 points

3/21/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Lovely white Burgundy, lemony and mineral with excellent acidity. Should develop nicely. - 92 points

3/17/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Still somewhat tight and a hint bitter. Not quite the complexity we expected (or hoped for) from a Chevalier-Montrachet. Still quite classy and may just need a bit of bottle age. - 91 points

3/17/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Lovely classy white Burgundy with fine green apple fruit, elegant hint of oak and a great mineral core. Already approachable. - 92 points

3/17/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Still tastes fresh and offers lots of tropical fruits and ripe yellow apple. Still strong oak flavors of vanilla. Served as a pirate in a white Burgundy tasting. This obviously had more power and oak influence. Excellent wine that will drink well another 5 years easily. - 92 points

3/28/2024 - isbjoern Likes this wine:

Lovely Gigondas! Full of ripe fruit, cherries and blackberries, spicy, meaty and herbal notes, silky tannins, good acidity that balances the high alcohol well. High propotion of Syrah (34%) adding black pepper and roasted cocoa nib flavors. This is a great example of Gigondas and overdelivers for its price. Drink now - 2030. - 91 points

3/24/2024 - isbjoern Likes this wine:

I don't recall ever having had a bad vintage of this wine. For my palate, this is always among the best Chardonnays of Austria. Made in a Burgundian style with fine acidity, minerality, an enchanting touch of vanilla (oak) and a clean citrus based fruit, this is very elegant and a versatile food wine. It might not have enormous length but the balance is impeccable. Ready for drinking, but ok to keep for another 5 years+. Excellent value at ~24 Euros. - 91 points

3/17/2024 - isbjoern Likes this wine:

Lovely Volnay 1er Cru (though I believe the climat "Santenots" is actually located in the North of Meursault) with a just a hint of barnyard, red and black fruit, silky tannins, a crisp, mouthwatering and very juicy style, elegant and classy. Lovely now, but will hold another 5-8 years easily. Excellent value for Burgundy at the 2012 purchase price. - 92 points

3/17/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

From Magnum. Quite sweet with obvious botrytis influence, rich and powerful - especially for Burgundy Chardonnay, high glycerin concentration, tropical fruits, beeswax, orange marmalade, good acidity, medium length. Impresses with richness rather than elegance. Not my favourite style of Chardonnay, but undeniably good quality and excellent value for white Burgundy. Drink or keep. - 91 points

3/15/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

This time, the bottle was obviously flawed - cork taint (TCA).

3/15/2024 - isbjoern Likes this wine:

From Magnum: Not the most complex Rioja, but very balanced and highly enjoyable. Red fruit profile, fresh and juicy, silky tannins, medium+ acidity, no obstrusive oak - just a hint of vanilla, well-integrated alcohol. Lovely fruit-forward Rioja. Ready for drinking, but no rush - drink by 2030. - 90 points

3/15/2024 - isbjoern Likes this wine:

Best white wine of the evening. Lovely mineral core and perfect acidity, rich and powerful yet mouthwatering and focused. Classy Riesling stone fruit flavors, some tropical fruits, lots of bitter citrus. Great length. An excellent Gaisberg vintage. Unfortunately, our last bottle. This will should well another 5-10 years if stored properly. - 92 points

3/15/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

An elegant Morgon with clean spicy red fruits and well-balanced acidity. Juicy style, easy-to-drink, with silky tannins and medium finish. Enjoyable now but will easily hold 5+ years. - 89 points

3/15/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

As mentioned by previous reviewer, this seems a bit closed currently and may need a bit of time in bottle. Strong barnyard notes, crisp acidity, nice cherry fruit, very elegant tannins and a very juicy style. Likely to show better with a bit of age. - 92+ points

3/15/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Quite rich and has good weight for the price level. Yellow apple fruit, hint of sweet tropical fruits, some bitterness, good length. - 89 points

3/15/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Crisp apple fruit, some green vegetal notes, well-balanced, refreshing, low alcohol Grüner Veltliner. Lovely now. - 89 points

3/15/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Lovely crisp and floral Riesling. Probably even better as a summer wine. - 91 points

3/11/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Very dark. Big, ripe and heady. Lots of dark and somewhat bitter chocolate flavors, dark cherries and cherry liqueur, blackberries, graphite, slightly toasty barrel flavors, just a hint of green/herbal notes, and a bit of heat on the finish. Mostly silky tannins and a matching acidity. Not very complex, but a well-made hedonistic approach to Saint-Emilion. Good for drinking now but should hold another 5-10 years. - 90 points

3/8/2024 - isbjoern Likes this wine:

Lovely GV! Classy apple fruit, herbs, black pepper without any bitter notes. Matching acidity, great minerality and a fine touch of oak adding brioche and vanilla flavors. A GV made in a white Burgundy style. Drink or hold - 2030. - 92 points

3/6/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Again a bit of an orange wine character, but it worked well with food. Seems to gain a bit in complexity with bottle age. Not my favorite style of GV though. - 89 points

3/9/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Good cava and excellent value (6 Euros).

3/3/2024 - isbjoern Likes this wine:

At first this was a hint reductive with scents of unripe fruit. Then a strong floral scent of spring flowers and some citrus blossom kicks in, so intense that I was wondering if I was maybe drinking a Muskateller. This floral note also shows on the palate, where it is joined by classy and borderline ripe stone fruit flavors - think slightly green peach. A mouthwatering racy acidity is balanced by a hint of residual sugar. Crisp, mineral and floral finish. I have tasted a lot of Heiligenstein Rieslings, most have been fruitier and riper. This one is interestingly different and reminds me more of racy German Riesling. Very well composed in this tricky 2020 vintage. I ordered another 6 bottles - currently on sale for 12 Euros in Austria. Great value! Should be a perfect chilled Riesling for the summer months. I could also see this pair well with Asian cuisine or oven baked trout. Drink or hold. - 91 points

3/1/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Nose of elderberries, black currant, turpentine, bit of barnyard. Quite light on the palate, no tannins, juicy with crisp acidity and typical black currant flavors. Strong vanilla note! Almost no finish. A simple but faultless supermarket red wine. Drink now. - 84 points

2/29/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Herbal and vegetal, hay, also some banana, papaya and vanilla from the oak, good acidity, mineral, average length, a bit metallic and bitter on the finish. Still drinks fine. Interesting wine, but not my favorite style of Sauvignon blanc. Seems a bit overripe and oaky. - 90 points

2/24/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Excellent wine with great acidity and oxidized apple flavors. This bottle shows obvious signs of age both in color and taste and this wine seems to be picking up flavors of aged white Burgundy as it ages. Perfect time to drink. - 92 points

2/19/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Lovely fruit-forward wine with a mix of fresh red berries and blackberries, elegant tannins, juicy crisp acidity, just a hint of vanilla from the barrels, already approachable and no need to wait - though it should hold another 5 years easily. - 90 points

2/17/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Ripe apples, hints of melon and tropical fruits. Fine acidity, good length, no signs of age yet. Great value. - 89 points

2/17/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Consistently good. Typical Traisental GV. Fresh apple, pepper, herbs and a hint of residual sugar. Easy-drinking, good quality for an entry-level GV. - 89 points

2/13/2024 - isbjoern wrote:

Initially an unappealing nose of varnish and rum pot and coffee. Needs air. Better after being open for a few hours. This is still quite tannic and chewy on the palate, with high acidity, tobacco leaves, rose petals, and a sweet oxidized plum and cherry fruit. A strange mix of tannic, sweet, salty, bloody and hot/alcoholic elements - almost tastes like a hot vintage Barolo with some age. No elegance here, but it works fine with food. I guess my palate and the style of Chateau d'Aiguilhe just don't match in these vintages/years of overextraction and maximum ripeness. Did not fully enjoy the 2008 and 2009 either. Drink now. - 88 points