3/11/2024 - Andrew S-L Likes this wine:

This was a strange one. I would agree with the most recent comment before mine that it lacked some depth, if not showing quite an underwhelming finish. With that said, I liked the first part of the experience a lot; the nose was immediately aromatic and the wine very light on its feet, elegant & silky, in no way giving the impression of its 15%. I just had a single glass day 1 then re-corked. Day two we ended up going out so I put in fridge. Day 3 i didn’t really fancy drinking but had a thimble full from fridge just to make sure it wasn’t going to pot, and all was well. Day 4 today and I just shared what remained with a friend, of course having brought back to room temperature before. It has lengthened and filled out a bit and retained all the good parts also. I am giving it 92 but i will wait on my remaining bottles for a couple of years at least. I think this has the potential to become something special.

3/8/2024 - Andrew S-L Likes this wine:

A good balance of acidity and some elements of sweetness; sour cherry and, to me at least, a very pleasant touch of strawberry. It isn’t super complex but I’m not complaining - it’s a very satisfying barbaresco. On day one I was convinced it would be better the following day but actually I don’t think it was, as it seemed to lose a bit of its energy. It’s been out of bond for a year and it’s in its window, although if well stored I don’t think you need to rush.

2/21/2024 - Andrew S-L wrote:

Had at Trattoria La Sostanza in Florence. This was closer in quality to a Brunello than I was expecting and backs up all the positive press about this producer. Dark ruby, transparent, silky and with genuine depth. Not tannic. In terms of my ‘score’, really what do points on Cellartracker mean considering we all have our own likes and dislikes…but this was so much more than I was expecting, the winemaking obviously top notch and, well, I enjoyed it a hell of a lot, hence 92.

2/18/2024 - Andrew S-L wrote:

Entirely underwhelming. No nose, no body, weak but drying finish…overall quite anaemic, almost watery, a little astringent. I don’t believe that after 10 years this should be in a shut down phase but there was just nothing there. Then the pappardelle al cinghiale arrived and it seemed to tuck in beneath (very much beneath) those flavours relatively well. IF you are going to get a bottle - I wouldn’t - it probably has to be deployed as a sort of bag carrier to a hearty pasta and sugo. At €25 from Signorvino in Florence (on offer) I’d say sort of ok value but I expect countless other wines should be chosen before this.

2/4/2024 - Andrew S-L Likes this wine:

Didn’t really get on with this wine 18 months ago but this was noticeably better. Gave it a long decant. A more gentle wine than 18 months ago, perhaps slimmer than it was which I think suits it. Nebbiolo is my favourite grape and although this syrah is inevitably more savoury the Kershaw is not dissimilar to a darker barbaresco in terms of weight (I included photo of bottle, decanter & glass on wicker tray so you can get a sense of the colour). I don’t find all of the individual flavours noted in the KARL.1480 review, which I thought pretty accurate about the medium body & smooth tannins, but I did get purple fruits and small amount of pepper. Maybe the slight fading of specific flavours has allowed the wine to improve in other ways. I didn’t sense oak at first but seemed a little present (I think…?) after a couple of glasses. All in all quite successful and enjoyable.

2/2/2024 - Andrew S-L Likes this wine:

It’s a lovely wine, with a beautiful, immediate nose that gave the impression that the wine is more mature than it is. Inky and dark in decanter, with slight signs of copper once in the glass a little later. PAPIES review is right about cherries, which dominate. There is - relatively speaking - a slight sweetness on entry before a drying finish where the tannins make their presence felt. Cherries aside it almost reminded me of a plush Bordeaux in terms of its evolution, probably due to the slightly drying finish that suggests there is more to come with time. Having said that, I suspect the darkness and heft, which places it at the opposite end of the bookshelf to a lifted, ethereal Barolo, means it will never be ultra complex but it’s very good regardless. (Note that, as it says on the label, this is unfiltered, so there is considerable sediment and what look like remnants of grape skin in the bottle. Accordingly this is best decanted through muslin).

12/3/2023 - Andrew S-L Likes this wine:

Wine in a fabulous place. Took no specific notes but this was very classic, deep red and purple. Doesn’t really come across in any way as being from such a hot vintage. I rated it, in terms of enjoyment on the day, the same as the 2008 Lafite Rothschild drunk alongside it. This was in no way overly mature so there’s no rush but it was impressive after a 2 hour decant. It didn’t tire before the end of a long lunch so it’s in what I suspect is a wide window, so up to how you like to drink your Bordeaux!!

12/3/2023 - Andrew S-L Likes this wine:

An elegant, dark, paradoxically approachable yet slightly diffident wine, drunk at a 5-person lunch from magnum (alongside a 2003 Leoville Barton). It’s not like I drink first growth Bordeaux regularly so I didn’t have much of a reference point but despite its obvious class and balance the Lafite didn’t strike me as a truly profound, pinnacle wine, at least not yet. I was surprised by 1) how fine the tannins were at this stage and 2) its fullness of body considering the modest abv. Selfishly I am pleased that the person who hosted the lunch brought it along but, relative approachability aside, I think this wine deserves to be left to develop. My 94 points reflects my enjoyment on the day rather than any true skill in assessing how a high-end Bordeaux may develop over the next decade (skills I won’t pretend to have!). However, I like to think this wine is only just beginning a journey that will result in it delivering something more memorable in the future. (Incidentally the table thought that in no way was the ‘03 Leoville Barton overshadowed by this, its more illustrious cousin. The LB may be less beguiling and less sophisticated than the Lafite but it made up for it by being in a truly great spot in terms of its evolution and, therefore, being no less enjoyable. On the day I’d say the wines were on a par in terms of enjoyment).

12/22/2023 - Andrew S-L wrote:

Was excited for my first experience from such an esteemed producer and was in the mood for smooth qualities offered by Pomerol. Unfortunately I found this rather angular, dominated by a pencil shaving character and a little herbal. Perhaps a longer decant? Maybe a few more years will allow for better integration of the elements and, or, for me to become a better taster…because yet again I seem to be drinking a different wine to the reviewers.

1/28/2024 - Andrew S-L Likes this wine:

Deep, dark, extremely smooth. Drank after a Barbaresco that - annoyingly - I opened too young. Whether the comparison with that wine kind of skewed my judgement I don’t know but I didn’t sense much tannin remaining with the Guado, if it was ever a prominent feature. Lovely nose, long finish. Not as opulent or extracted as an Ornellaia can be and while Ornellaia is probably considered a superior wine (?) I think I prefer the greater subtlety on offer here. It was decanted 2 hours before and continued to evolve really nicely during drinking. One of the 4 of us said it felt very much like a warm vintage claret while another disagreed; despite the obvious similarities in terms of grapes they felt the Guado had a distinct personality. Everyone agreed that, regardless, it was a great bottle. Reminded me how generous a good Bolgheri can be and also, whether you are drinking an amazing or a modest wine, that for me a wine being in its drinking window is becoming increasingly important in terms of enjoyment. I have no idea how much it will continue to improve with more time but feels completely resolved to me. Equally doesn’t show prominent signs of ageing (as you’ll see from photo (bottle next to glass on white table cloth with forks in shot…). I think it’s down to personal preference at this point but IMO there is no need to wait.

1/27/2024 - Andrew S-L wrote:

I would not drink this now. This is my second bottle and second disappointment. I cannot reconcile this with the 97 point review from KO for Wine Enthusiast. Wine in bond until last year, stored well since and no defects, just seems thin & one dimensional. The silky Nebbiolo mouthfeel is the only major positive today. A little floral quality emerged (decanted 3 hours b4 lunch) as we got to end of bottle, shared by 4 of us over lunch. I note a Vinous review from 2020 that said the wine was starting to shut down. I would have thought the wine would be through that phase by now but doesn’t feel like it (and this was entirely consistent with first bottle). Tannins present although not overwhelming, but I suspect this has a powerful underlying structure. Therefore I hope the wine will evolve considerably over time and grow into its very positive reviews. I’ll wait at least a few more years, if not more, before seeing if that might be the case.

11/21/2021 - Andrew S-L Likes this wine:

Great to find an aged village wine in such good condition. The nose and entry seems very good (wine in great shape, perfectly fresh). However, not much body and fades quickly on palate. A number of other wines I would choose over this but, at same time, pleased I tried it and no complaints.

10/30/2021 - Andrew S-L Likes this wine:

Magnum Opened 4pm and decanted for 30 mins then back in bottle before taking to friends for dinner (pork belly, oven roasted potatoes…) It was good on opening. Indeed not much movement by time we sat down to eat at 8pm. In the decanter it was dark with no discernible bricking, although such could be seen a little at the end of each glass. I had read that it was an average year but this was very drinkable; no rough edges, no tannins remaining, a very smooth mouthfeel. Fully mature in my opinion, unlikely to improve. Fabulous nose that - if there is a weak spot here - is not fully backed up at the finish. If there was a bit more length and fullness throughout this would score highly. Regardless of ‘score’ it was great to chance on a wine that I suspect is drinking at its best. Went down v well with the others.

10/24/2021 - Andrew S-L wrote:

In a good place. Quite a large wine, almost shows a touch of warmth and plum quality, but with an hour in decanter seems to settle down. Bottle had quite a lot of gloopy sediment so pour through muslin. Typical Sangiovese berry flavours. Sweetness on front end but balanced by pleasant tartness coming through on finish. Some tannin present but in no way over bearing. Very drinkable. I’d say drink now.

3/13/2021 - Andrew S-L wrote:

Slightly bricked in taster glass but dark in the decanter. Was a little mean on the palate at first, no rounded mouthfeel. A little acidic, definitely slightly unwilling... However, improved after 5 hours and performed best with food (rib eye), where it softened a little bit still direct. It’s fairly tight still so if you have some I think better to wait a couple more years. Not a wine to drink solo, have it with food. However, I’m not sure it will ever dramatically improve. Have some left so will try will try again tonight.

12/15/2020 - Andrew S-L wrote:

In London at Pied a Terre. Bottle certainly well kept by restaurant, although with a caveat below. However, it was ordered mid way through the evening at Christmas dinner (by the company owner browbeaten by the team for a reward after a challenging previous 6 months!) Wine was quite cold on arrival, was decanted and we waited 30-45 minutes. With hindsight it was probably too late in the evening to allow it the sufficient time for development. Nose was deep and promised much but wine was very tight & quite thin. I suspect part of the issue was a lack of time, poor planning on our part. However, I note that others on CT have noted similarly underwhelming traits. Unfortunately I probably won’t get a chance to try again any time soon... (The caveat: while I can understand a restaurant wanting to keep the very valuable bottles cool, surely storing wines chilled almost guarantees diners won’t get to experience them at their best. Is this typical? What am I missing??)

11/29/2020 - Andrew S-L Likes this wine:

Very good. I think this will benefit from being approached again in 4 - 5 years time. It has all the ingredients to become a really impressive wine. Having said that, waiting will be hard as it is already tempting and has real presence today. I opened and decanted at 9am, for dinner. When first approached around 5pm it had a pronounced vanilla note, quite a lot of depth of fruit...was very good with roast chicken. Higher notes were evolving by the end of dinner. To give a sense of how much I was enjoying it I declined dessert to continue with the next glass. I saved half the bottle till day 2 and could really see a difference, less vanilla and more savoury chocolate and deeper fruit. I really think this will be very, very good given time in bottle.

6/14/2020 - Andrew S-L Likes this wine:

Very nice. Good fruit at front end. Bone dry. Changed a little over a couple of hours but pretty constant really. Not particularly complex but a nice Barbera.

5/25/2020 - Andrew S-L Likes this wine:

Has feel of a warm vintage. Deep colour, pencil shavings with oak on the finish. Quite powerful, with lingering white pepper. I liked it but it was not particularly subtle in first few hours; felt like it was a wine of competing parts. Took the leftover 2/3 of a bottle to a (socially distanced!) BBQ next day & it was definitely more cohesive. Paired very well with butterfly leg of lamb and various greens. Isn’t going to last forever but I will leave remaining bottles for another 12 months. Keen to try a less warm vintage.

5/25/2020 - Andrew S-L Likes this wine:

Michael & Elizabeth’s review describes this very well: their comment ‘papaya’ was spot on. I would add that I got a slight, and welcome, nose of pear drops. All in all a good balance between the ease of an ever so slight honeyed lift on entry (...within the context of this as a dry white of course) and some acidity to pull you through. This was £9.49 at Waitrose and felt meaningfully more complex than that price would suggest. A very happy surprise. I’ll be going back to clear the shelves: incredibly good value summer drinking.