Well, this is one of the more interesting white wines I've had. Definitely not for everyone, and similar notes to last time, but not so overt oak treatment this time and oxidative for sure. This is like a wine for double IPA drinkers. Rich, deep golden color like a Sauternes. Aromas of pineapple, honeydew, honey, fresh herbs, cedar, sourdough, lavender, and potpourri. What a nose. Medium to medium (+) body, medium acid and finish, and flavors of pineapple, guava, passion fruit, lime, agave (barrel aged tequila if I'm being honest). I don't know if this is a mood, situation, or bottle thing, or just a matter of more time, but I'm really digging this tonight, and will likely search out more recent vintages. Yum. Would be 95 point territory with better acidity, but I'm still happy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From 75cl, decent cork. Dark yellow, like a young Sauternes. Fatter and less angular than the 2012, lacking the drop-down-dead gorgeousness of the 2010. Another fine bottle as previously noted, best 2 hours after opening. 90P
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
väldigt udda vin men udda på ett sätt jag verkligen gillar. kan liksom inte beskriva vinet riktigt, som en riktigt härlig fet Mersault med en härlig ton av bivax & hö. Vinet kanske inte håller hela vägen, man tröttnar efter ett tag då det finns en del sötma i det som får vinet att påminna om kalaspuffar när det blir varmt men håller man det kallt får det 92 pinnar och börjar man analysera för mycket tror jag det landar ner på 89 men jag går på mitt första intryck här för det är kul att testa nya saker! Tack Burgundy!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured, notes are from about an hour after opening. Nice nose of lemon peel, beeswax, citrus flowers, and almond. On the palate, citrus, lemon oil, hints of nuttiness from oxidation. Nice long finish. Really interesting, will likely improve a little from here. Drink with a little air or hold.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From 75cl perfect cork. I agree with many of the other TNs here, except the acid seems pretty strong to me. Having written perhaps a dozen detailed TNs for the 2010 MdC blanc I'm obviously a fan of Cal Pla; on this showing, however, I think the 2011 is nice enough, but lacking purity of fruit and not remotely in the same class as the previous vintage. 88P(?) Update on day 2: Better balanced and less acid-disjointed than yesterday. On this showing, I'd recommend decanting - or just a year or two in the cellar. 89(-90?)P
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Yellow color with a bouquet and flavor of dry pears. Since I last tasted it, the wine has become monotone and has lost its intrigue. Best to drink it up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep orange-y gold. Intense flavors of Meyer lemon curd and butterscotch. A dry wine but with dessert wine weight. Interesting as a cocktail but would be hard to match with food other than cheese.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Too much oak. Tastes a little bit oxidized. I think it's really the over-the-top oak that messes this wine up, though. The first bottle was the same. Unfortunately, I still have a bottle left. Not bad enough to dump down the drain, but not good either.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
StudleyTrey nailed the description. Not a lot of acid and more than a little oak. Full disclosure, I like a big Rombauer like Chard on occasion and this is big. Also, give it props for being a bit different as the varietal mix will attest.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Apparently this is a blend of grenache blanc, xarel lo, picpoul, and macabeo. Very dark golden color--looks like apple juice or urine when you're dehydrated. Clearly an oaked wine from the first whiff, with aromas of vanilla, pineapple, sourdough bread, green apple, pear, herbs, and nut oil. Full bodied, buttery and viscous in the mouth, with medium- acid and finish, and flavors similar to the nose. Interesting wine for sure, and certainly with some complexity, but not for everyone. The oak treatment is not shy, though it's not off-putting for me. I would, however, appreciate some more acid backbone, as this borders on flabby. I'm not sure about this one's longevity--it's the type of wine that I think likes some age and can play well with oxidative notes, similar to a viura, but I fear it doesn't have the acid to hold for more than a year or two longer. :/
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
For the discounted price at WL, this is a big deal. Superb richness with very round texture coats the palate. Honey, white flowers, fresh herbs, and chalk flavors come through in this low acidity balanced white.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
What a fascinating wine! Dark golden color and leggy. Nose of fruits, nuts and a touch of wood. Tastes of wood, brioche, apple, pear, pineapple, almond and soy. Best pairing was with duck pate with foie gras: also went somewhat with chicken pate with fruit (pineapple) and pistachios. Would be good with veal or perhaps roast chicken as well. An eclectic wine. Very good QPR at the $11-$17 clearance sale prices seen: probably worth more. With Pamela Z, Yolanda F, Jen and me in Princeton, NJ. I ordered 9 more from Wine Library that night, but none were delivered :( (None charged, either). Very sad.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Grilled pineapple and EtOH aromas, with a dense but long, driving finish that carries the pineapple notes and a hint of banana. Not very enjoyable as it warms up, but paired remarkably well with deviled eggs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep golden color. Potent oaky nose with citrus and something savory that I can't identify. Overwhelming oak on the palate. Oily texture. Finish is long and a little bitter. I'll be interested to see if the second half of the bottle is better tomorrow. I'm thinking that this wine would be better if decanted.
color 4/5 nose 6/10 taste 14/20 (2 extra points for the interesting factor) balance 5/10 finish 4/5
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark in appearance. Complex nose of citrus, minerals, some barnyard. For me, this was a dead ringer for Northern Rhone. The palate was thick, acidic, with pineapple and caramel and a touch of spice.
Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brulee nose, intense, super ripe pear fruit with candied grapefruit, pancakes, and coffee ice cream. Oxidative notes threaten. But where flashy and in your face the first hour, it dialed way back and became almost demure by comparison in the second. Aromas and flavors do not remind me the same wine last August, but the dramatic reversal from the first hour to the secong is identical. What an odd wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
4th Saturday Group brown bagger (M/M thelostverse): Opens with a smoky quality that reminds me of a Kalin Semillon. Also notes of apple, honeyed pears and smoked almonds. Flavors of white peach, baked pears and nuts. Has a waxy, lanolin-like quality too. Finishes very well. Guessed Rhone blend.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
4th Saturday Group blind whites. Opened as hosts. This was my favorite white of the evening. Honey and citrus with a deft touch of oak. Very balanced and drinking well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Toasty oak dominates the entry initially, but over several hours that was replaced with a parade of changes that included honey, lemon oil, and a curiously intriguing aroma of roasting green coffee beans--really, I couldn't make that up. A real joy ride; will buy more to cellar. I want to go again! (grenache blanc, picpoul and xarel-lo)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened at Adelle's with CWM and Steve8. Initial nose of oak and honey with some citrus. Oak also on the palate, with some lemon oil and an unctuous character. Very nice.
Blend includes Xarel·lo, Picapoll blanc, Macabeu and Garnatxa blanca per producer's website.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Yellow color with a very toasty bouquet and flavor, ending with a bit of soy. Good balance with considerable nuance and depth, and with a nice finish. Very intriguing wine. Gets us away from another Chardonnay.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow, what an interesting wine. Flavors and notes here remind me of a mix between a good aged white Rioja and a (more dominantly) good Chateauneuf blanc with some age on it - judicious oak, lemon zest, and toast with honey, almost a beeswax character. Fascinating. I wonder where this would go if I had some to age!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1/22/2022 - SWOlsen wrote:
Color almost orange. Very mature. Smooth. Complex fruits.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/2/2018 - studleytrey Likes this wine: 92 Points
Well, this is one of the more interesting white wines I've had. Definitely not for everyone, and similar notes to last time, but not so overt oak treatment this time and oxidative for sure. This is like a wine for double IPA drinkers. Rich, deep golden color like a Sauternes. Aromas of pineapple, honeydew, honey, fresh herbs, cedar, sourdough, lavender, and potpourri. What a nose. Medium to medium (+) body, medium acid and finish, and flavors of pineapple, guava, passion fruit, lime, agave (barrel aged tequila if I'm being honest). I don't know if this is a mood, situation, or bottle thing, or just a matter of more time, but I'm really digging this tonight, and will likely search out more recent vintages. Yum. Would be 95 point territory with better acidity, but I'm still happy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/22/2018 - honest bob wrote: 90 Points
From 75cl, decent cork. Dark yellow, like a young Sauternes. Fatter and less angular than the 2012, lacking the drop-down-dead gorgeousness of the 2010. Another fine bottle as previously noted, best 2 hours after opening. 90P
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2017 - honest bob wrote: 90 Points
From 75cl, perfect cork. Another excellent bottle as previously noted. 89-90P
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2017 - honest bob wrote: 90 Points
From 75cl, good cork. Best at about 12C, fat, aromatic and satisfying as previously noted. 89-90P
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/7/2017 - honest bob wrote: 91 Points
From 75, excellent cork. Absurdly complex, fat and satisfying. Fully mature, but no hurry. An extraordinary bargain, once again. 91(-92+)P
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2017 - MWiking wrote: 92 Points
väldigt udda vin men udda på ett sätt jag verkligen gillar.
kan liksom inte beskriva vinet riktigt, som en riktigt härlig fet Mersault med en härlig ton av bivax & hö.
Vinet kanske inte håller hela vägen, man tröttnar efter ett tag då det finns en del sötma i det som får vinet att påminna om kalaspuffar när det blir varmt men håller man det kallt får det 92 pinnar och börjar man analysera för mycket tror jag det landar ner på 89 men jag går på mitt första intryck här för det är kul att testa nya saker! Tack Burgundy!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2017 - GalvezGuy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Popped and poured, notes are from about an hour after opening. Nice nose of lemon peel, beeswax, citrus flowers, and almond. On the palate, citrus, lemon oil, hints of nuttiness from oxidation. Nice long finish. Really interesting, will likely improve a little from here. Drink with a little air or hold.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2016 - honest bob wrote: 89 Points
From 75cl perfect cork. I agree with many of the other TNs here, except the acid seems pretty strong to me. Having written perhaps a dozen detailed TNs for the 2010 MdC blanc I'm obviously a fan of Cal Pla; on this showing, however, I think the 2011 is nice enough, but lacking purity of fruit and not remotely in the same class as the previous vintage. 88P(?)
Update on day 2: Better balanced and less acid-disjointed than yesterday. On this showing, I'd recommend decanting - or just a year or two in the cellar. 89(-90?)P
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/18/2016 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 86 Points
Yellow color with a bouquet and flavor of dry pears. Since I last tasted it, the wine has become monotone and has lost its intrigue. Best to drink it up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/3/2015 - HousePour wrote: flawed
oxidized. same as last one.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2015 - thelostverse wrote: 92 Points
Similar bottle as last one from April. This had lovely honey and citrus notes with a hint of oak/toast.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/10/2015 - vesuvius wrote: 88 Points
- Yellow gold color. It's somewhat balanced with a medium/full body. Satin-Like texture with a medium finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/23/2015 - Neecies Likes this wine: 86 Points
Deep orange-y gold. Intense flavors of Meyer lemon curd and butterscotch. A dry wine but with dessert wine weight. Interesting as a cocktail but would be hard to match with food other than cheese.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2015 - topher18 Does not like this wine:
Too much oak. Tastes a little bit oxidized. I think it's really the over-the-top oak that messes this wine up, though. The first bottle was the same. Unfortunately, I still have a bottle left. Not bad enough to dump down the drain, but not good either.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2015 - pgm wrote: flawed
Oxidized
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/28/2015 - John O' Likes this wine:
StudleyTrey nailed the description. Not a lot of acid and more than a little oak. Full disclosure, I like a big Rombauer like Chard on occasion and this is big. Also, give it props for being a bit different as the varietal mix will attest.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/22/2015 - studleytrey wrote: 89 Points
Apparently this is a blend of grenache blanc, xarel lo, picpoul, and macabeo. Very dark golden color--looks like apple juice or urine when you're dehydrated. Clearly an oaked wine from the first whiff, with aromas of vanilla, pineapple, sourdough bread, green apple, pear, herbs, and nut oil. Full bodied, buttery and viscous in the mouth, with medium- acid and finish, and flavors similar to the nose. Interesting wine for sure, and certainly with some complexity, but not for everyone. The oak treatment is not shy, though it's not off-putting for me. I would, however, appreciate some more acid backbone, as this borders on flabby. I'm not sure about this one's longevity--it's the type of wine that I think likes some age and can play well with oxidative notes, similar to a viura, but I fear it doesn't have the acid to hold for more than a year or two longer. :/
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/17/2015 - Quarked wrote:
Not my cup of tea. Oaky, buttered popcorn. Not what I (personally) like in a white, although it's probably what a lot of others do.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2015 - Number51 wrote: 92 Points
For the discounted price at WL, this is a big deal. Superb richness with very round texture coats the palate. Honey, white flowers, fresh herbs, and chalk flavors come through in this low acidity balanced white.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2015 - TashNYC wrote: 92 Points
What a fascinating wine! Dark golden color and leggy. Nose of fruits, nuts and a touch of wood. Tastes of wood, brioche, apple, pear, pineapple, almond and soy. Best pairing was with duck pate with foie gras: also went somewhat with chicken pate with fruit (pineapple) and pistachios. Would be good with veal or perhaps roast chicken as well. An eclectic wine. Very good QPR at the $11-$17 clearance sale prices seen: probably worth more. With Pamela Z, Yolanda F, Jen and me in Princeton, NJ. I ordered 9 more from Wine Library that night, but none were delivered :( (None charged, either). Very sad.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2014 - bcg14 wrote: 90 Points
Grilled pineapple and EtOH aromas, with a dense but long, driving finish that carries the pineapple notes and a hint of banana. Not very enjoyable as it warms up, but paired remarkably well with deviled eggs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2014 - topher18 Does not like this wine: 83 Points
Deep golden color. Potent oaky nose with citrus and something savory that I can't identify. Overwhelming oak on the palate. Oily texture. Finish is long and a little bitter. I'll be interested to see if the second half of the bottle is better tomorrow. I'm thinking that this wine would be better if decanted.
color 4/5
nose 6/10
taste 14/20 (2 extra points for the interesting factor)
balance 5/10
finish 4/5
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2014 - John O' Likes this wine: 92 Points
really well made juice. Chardonnay meets Northern Rhone.
Highly recommend
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/18/2014 - AWBryce Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark in appearance. Complex nose of citrus, minerals, some barnyard. For me, this was a dead ringer for Northern Rhone. The palate was thick, acidic, with pineapple and caramel and a touch of spice.
Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/9/2014 - Neecies wrote: 85 Points
Brulee nose, intense, super ripe pear fruit with candied grapefruit, pancakes, and coffee ice cream. Oxidative notes threaten. But where flashy and in your face the first hour, it dialed way back and became almost demure by comparison in the second. Aromas and flavors do not remind me the same wine last August, but the dramatic reversal from the first hour to the secong is identical. What an odd wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2013 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
4th Saturday Group brown bagger (M/M thelostverse): Opens with a smoky quality that reminds me of a Kalin Semillon. Also notes of apple, honeyed pears and smoked almonds. Flavors of white peach, baked pears and nuts. Has a waxy, lanolin-like quality too. Finishes very well. Guessed Rhone blend.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2013 - thelostverse wrote: 92 Points
4th Saturday Group blind whites. Opened as hosts. This was my favorite white of the evening. Honey and citrus with a deft touch of oak. Very balanced and drinking well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/9/2013 - Neecies Likes this wine: 91 Points
Toasty oak dominates the entry initially, but over several hours that was replaced with a parade of changes that included honey, lemon oil, and a curiously intriguing aroma of roasting green coffee beans--really, I couldn't make that up. A real joy ride; will buy more to cellar. I want to go again! (grenache blanc, picpoul and xarel-lo)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/30/2013 - thelostverse wrote: 90 Points
Opened at Adelle's with CWM and Steve8. Initial nose of oak and honey with some citrus. Oak also on the palate, with some lemon oil and an unctuous character. Very nice.
Blend includes Xarel·lo, Picapoll blanc, Macabeu and Garnatxa blanca per producer's website.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/10/2013 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 94 Points
Yellow color with a very toasty bouquet and flavor, ending with a bit of soy. Good balance with considerable nuance and depth, and with a nice finish. Very intriguing wine. Gets us away from another Chardonnay.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2013 - Rossodio Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wow, what an interesting wine. Flavors and notes here remind me of a mix between a good aged white Rioja and a (more dominantly) good Chateauneuf blanc with some age on it - judicious oak, lemon zest, and toast with honey, almost a beeswax character. Fascinating. I wonder where this would go if I had some to age!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment