The nose is classic and forward with biscuits, pears, white fruits, apples, flowers, almonds, pastry notes, and baking spices. The Medium bodied feel is balanced with crisp, high acidity. This is a good NV champagne that shows off good balance across the nose and palate. It lacks some depth in the same places and is easy to drink.
The nose is fresh and fragrant with peaches, white fruits, pears, apples, biscuits, baking spices, and some toasty notes. This has good balance but it lacks some depth and definition. The Medium bodied feel is balanced and rounded with tart, high acidity. This is a solid and balanced Champagne that doesn't excite but doesn't disappoint.
The nose is fresh and lifted with tones of pears, saline, apples, white fruits, almonds, biscuits, toasty notes, minerals, and some herbal tones. This has decent depth and a pristine style with a fresh Medium bodied feel and crisp, high acidity. This is pretty successful given the vintage, though there is still the herbal streak that I've come across on the vintage. This is perfect for drinking now and it's hard to see much benefit from aging.
The nose is balanced and fresh with green apples, peaches, pears, and nectarines. There isn't much complexity to the nose, but it is straightforward. The Light bodied feel is fresh and balanced with crisp, medium+ acidity. This is a nice and affordable Riesling that does the job it's asked to do.
The nose is balanced and upfront with lemon peels, limes, green apples, peaches, white fruits, white flowers, and mineral notes. The Light bodied feel is balanced and fresh with crisp, high acidity. The acidity has a nice, mouthwatering take while the feel lacks depth. This works really well for its price and quality, but it doesn't give up much past a base level.
The nose is lifted and fresh with tones of white peaches, pears, green apples, white fruits, white flowers, saline, minerals, and some lemon zest notes. The Medium bodied feel is deft and balanced with tart, high acidity. This is a lovely and vibrant Riesling that shows good depth across the nose and palate. This does feel like there is room for it to grow with a few extra years of aging as there is a shyness at the moment.
There is a lovely and understated nature to the nose with green apples, limes, crushed rocks, pears, peaches, nectarines, acacia flowers, and white fruits. There is good depth and balance with a spring-like nature to the nose. The Light bodied feel is deft and fresh with tart, high acidity. This is a fun and balanced Kabinett. It's a clear step up from the entry-level wines that is open and drinking quite well already.
The nose is fresh and perfumed with tones of peaches, green apples, white flowers, saline, sweet citrus notes, limes, lemon peels, and crushed rocks. This shows off excellent depth with the nose being just a bit reticent. The light bodied feel has a bit of density and heft that is balanced with tart, high acidity. This could likely use a few more years to fully come together. There is a lot to like, but it's not all in harmony just yet.
This is on a clear and higher level from the previous wines as it shows off excellent depth and a succulent nature with apricots, peaches, nectarines, honey, melons, pears, apples, and yellow flowers. The Medium bodied feel is deep, layered, and textured with tart, high acidity that cuts through all of the sugar. This is drinking beautifully already at this young age. I'm sure it can age for a long while, but its just flat out delicious right now.
The nose is balanced and autolytic-driven with a good dose of toast, warm dough, biscuits, almond paste, red apples, pears, crushed rocks, baking spices, and yellow flowers. There is good depth here, but the citrus notes lack definition. The Medium bodied feel is balanced, but with a bit of doughy density along with racy, high acidity. The acidity has a real mouthwatering quality that brings in a good spine.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
The nose is aromatic, but lacks depth with tones of peaches, strawberries, citrus notes, yellow flowers, and some pears. The lighter bodied feel is playful and fresh with racy, high acidity. The acidity isn't all that integrated and this is more of a summer sipper than it is something greater.
The nose is savory and balanced with black olives, black cherries, violets, raspberries, herbs, and leather notes. There is good depth with an open-knit style already. The Medium bodied feel is on the lighter side with crisp, medium+ acidity and silky, medium+ tannins. The tannins are a little coarse while the feel is balanced and with good depth. This is a great intro syrah for the Pax style and it works beautifully.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
The nose is open and savory with balanced tones of black cherries, raspberries, licorice, fresh herbs, spice notes, black olives, violets, and some earth notes. There is very good depth with this doing an excellent job of having a foot in both the new and old world. The Medium/full bodied feel shows off the balance of the nose and carries through the savory qualities of the nose along with crisp, medium+ acidity and silky, medium+ tannins. This could likely use a few years to really come together, but its a real winner in the Pax 3.0 era.
This is just killer and aromatic even in this small pour situation. The nose is pungent and loaded with tones of black olives, white and black pepper, black cherries, raspberries, plums, violets, fresh herbs, and some crushed rocks. The Medium/full bodied feel is silky and deft with a real sense of class with mouthwatering, medium+ acidity and youthful, medium+ tannins. The feel and structure are youthful, but this is still very drinkable right now.
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
The nose is balanced and shows a savory side with black olives and pepper before leaning into lusher fruited tones of black cherries, raspberries, liqueur tones, licorice, and blackberries. The fruit is rich and plush while showing balance, but this lacks some depth. The Full bodied feel shows off the richness of the nose while possessing medium acidity and chewy, medium+ tannins. This is good, but it just lacks depth on the nose and palate. Maybe it can develop with age, though I don't think it will turn into a butterfly and become amazing down the line.
The nose is balanced and with some flesh to the tones of black cherries, raspberries, cranberries, violets, licorice, fresh herbs, and some spice notes. There is good depth with a seamless quality to the tones. The Full bodied feel shows off the balance of the nose with medium acidity and silky, medium+ tannins. This is a step up from the SBC and shows a cooler quality. This likely could use some age, but it is pretty easy drinking right now.
The nose is open and balanced with surface tones of smoke, black cherries, cranberries, tobacco, licorice, and some strawberries. The Medium bodied feel is balanced and also very surface like the nose with crisp, medium+ acidity and medium tannins. This is a solid, if unimpressive Crianza. It is fine and brings a very Rioja profile, but it is more in the inoffensive category than anything that makes me excited.
The nose is aromatic and balanced with classic tones of sour red cherries, cranberries, vanilla extract, dill, cigar tobacco, violets, and leather notes. This shows off decent depth and complexity, but it is slightly lacking for it being a Gran Reserva. The Medium bodied feel is balanced with crisp, medium+ acidity and slightly rough, medium+ tannins. This is a solid Rioja, but a bit lacking for a Gran Reserva. Granted, this isn't priced like a big boy GR either but there still is an expectation that this isn't necessarily delivering.
The nose is lifted and perfumed with tones of sour red cherries, strawberries, raspberries, dried herbs, dill, leather notes, sweet tobacco tones, and some roses. This is really lovely and complex as it shows off a very classic take. The Medium bodied feel is well balanced and refined with tart, medium+ acidity and fine-grained, medium+ tannins. This is a clear step up from the previous two wines. This is killer and a really good value for someone wanting classic Rioja.
The nose is wound a little tight with tones of red cherries, smoke, licorice, vanilla beans, raspberries, dill, fresh herbs, rose petals, and sweet tobacco notes. Though it is wound up a bit, it does show off excellent depth even at this young stage. The Full bodied feel is refined and balanced with tart, medium+ acidity and chewy, medium+ tannins. The structure is clearly youthful and dominates the palate right now. There is a ton of upside and I hope I come across it down the line when it can show more.
NV Deutz Champagne Brut Classic 88 Points
France, Champagne
The nose is classic and forward with biscuits, pears, white fruits, apples, flowers, almonds, pastry notes, and baking spices. The Medium bodied feel is balanced with crisp, high acidity. This is a good NV champagne that shows off good balance across the nose and palate. It lacks some depth in the same places and is easy to drink.
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2010 Deutz Champagne Brut Millésimé 89 Points
France, Champagne
The nose is fresh and fragrant with peaches, white fruits, pears, apples, biscuits, baking spices, and some toasty notes. This has good balance but it lacks some depth and definition. The Medium bodied feel is balanced and rounded with tart, high acidity. This is a solid and balanced Champagne that doesn't excite but doesn't disappoint.
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2011 Deutz Champagne Blanc de Blancs 90 Points
France, Champagne
The nose is fresh and lifted with tones of pears, saline, apples, white fruits, almonds, biscuits, toasty notes, minerals, and some herbal tones. This has decent depth and a pristine style with a fresh Medium bodied feel and crisp, high acidity. This is pretty successful given the vintage, though there is still the herbal streak that I've come across on the vintage. This is perfect for drinking now and it's hard to see much benefit from aging.
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2017 Weingut Max Ferd. Richter Mülheimer Sonnenlay Riesling Qualitätswein 'Zeppelin Label' 86 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
The nose is balanced and fresh with green apples, peaches, pears, and nectarines. There isn't much complexity to the nose, but it is straightforward. The Light bodied feel is fresh and balanced with crisp, medium+ acidity. This is a nice and affordable Riesling that does the job it's asked to do.
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2017 Weingut Max Ferd. Richter Riesling Estate 87 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
The nose is balanced and upfront with lemon peels, limes, green apples, peaches, white fruits, white flowers, and mineral notes. The Light bodied feel is balanced and fresh with crisp, high acidity. The acidity has a nice, mouthwatering take while the feel lacks depth. This works really well for its price and quality, but it doesn't give up much past a base level.
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2016 Weingut Max Ferd. Richter Graacher Dompropst Riesling Alte Reben 90 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
The nose is lifted and fresh with tones of white peaches, pears, green apples, white fruits, white flowers, saline, minerals, and some lemon zest notes. The Medium bodied feel is deft and balanced with tart, high acidity. This is a lovely and vibrant Riesling that shows good depth across the nose and palate. This does feel like there is room for it to grow with a few extra years of aging as there is a shyness at the moment.
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2017 Weingut Max Ferd. Richter Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett 90 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
There is a lovely and understated nature to the nose with green apples, limes, crushed rocks, pears, peaches, nectarines, acacia flowers, and white fruits. There is good depth and balance with a spring-like nature to the nose. The Light bodied feel is deft and fresh with tart, high acidity. This is a fun and balanced Kabinett. It's a clear step up from the entry-level wines that is open and drinking quite well already.
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2017 Weingut Max Ferd. Richter Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 91 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
The nose is fresh and perfumed with tones of peaches, green apples, white flowers, saline, sweet citrus notes, limes, lemon peels, and crushed rocks. This shows off excellent depth with the nose being just a bit reticent. The light bodied feel has a bit of density and heft that is balanced with tart, high acidity. This could likely use a few more years to fully come together. There is a lot to like, but it's not all in harmony just yet.
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2012 Weingut Max Ferd. Richter Mülheimer Helenenkloster Riesling Eiswein 93 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
This is on a clear and higher level from the previous wines as it shows off excellent depth and a succulent nature with apricots, peaches, nectarines, honey, melons, pears, apples, and yellow flowers. The Medium bodied feel is deep, layered, and textured with tart, high acidity that cuts through all of the sugar. This is drinking beautifully already at this young age. I'm sure it can age for a long while, but its just flat out delicious right now.
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NV Pascal Doquet Champagne Premier Cru Arpège Blanc de Blancs 90 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
The nose is balanced and autolytic-driven with a good dose of toast, warm dough, biscuits, almond paste, red apples, pears, crushed rocks, baking spices, and yellow flowers. There is good depth here, but the citrus notes lack definition. The Medium bodied feel is balanced, but with a bit of doughy density along with racy, high acidity. The acidity has a real mouthwatering quality that brings in a good spine.
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2017 Wind Gap Wines Trousseau Gris Fanucchi Wood Road Vineyard 87 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
The nose is aromatic, but lacks depth with tones of peaches, strawberries, citrus notes, yellow flowers, and some pears. The lighter bodied feel is playful and fresh with racy, high acidity. The acidity isn't all that integrated and this is more of a summer sipper than it is something greater.
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2017 Pax Syrah North Coast 91 Points
USA, California, North Coast
The nose is savory and balanced with black olives, black cherries, violets, raspberries, herbs, and leather notes. There is good depth with an open-knit style already. The Medium bodied feel is on the lighter side with crisp, medium+ acidity and silky, medium+ tannins. The tannins are a little coarse while the feel is balanced and with good depth. This is a great intro syrah for the Pax style and it works beautifully.
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2015 Pax Syrah Castelli-Knight Ranch 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
The nose is open and savory with balanced tones of black cherries, raspberries, licorice, fresh herbs, spice notes, black olives, violets, and some earth notes. There is very good depth with this doing an excellent job of having a foot in both the new and old world. The Medium/full bodied feel shows off the balance of the nose and carries through the savory qualities of the nose along with crisp, medium+ acidity and silky, medium+ tannins. This could likely use a few years to really come together, but its a real winner in the Pax 3.0 era.
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2015 Pax Syrah Griffin's Lair 93 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
This is just killer and aromatic even in this small pour situation. The nose is pungent and loaded with tones of black olives, white and black pepper, black cherries, raspberries, plums, violets, fresh herbs, and some crushed rocks. The Medium/full bodied feel is silky and deft with a real sense of class with mouthwatering, medium+ acidity and youthful, medium+ tannins. The feel and structure are youthful, but this is still very drinkable right now.
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2017 Piedrasassi Syrah Santa Barbara County 89 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
The nose is balanced and shows a savory side with black olives and pepper before leaning into lusher fruited tones of black cherries, raspberries, liqueur tones, licorice, and blackberries. The fruit is rich and plush while showing balance, but this lacks some depth. The Full bodied feel shows off the richness of the nose while possessing medium acidity and chewy, medium+ tannins. This is good, but it just lacks depth on the nose and palate. Maybe it can develop with age, though I don't think it will turn into a butterfly and become amazing down the line.
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2017 Piedrasassi Syrah Sta. Rita Hills 90 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
The nose is balanced and with some flesh to the tones of black cherries, raspberries, cranberries, violets, licorice, fresh herbs, and some spice notes. There is good depth with a seamless quality to the tones. The Full bodied feel shows off the balance of the nose with medium acidity and silky, medium+ tannins. This is a step up from the SBC and shows a cooler quality. This likely could use some age, but it is pretty easy drinking right now.
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2015 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Cune Crianza 86 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
The nose is open and balanced with surface tones of smoke, black cherries, cranberries, tobacco, licorice, and some strawberries. The Medium bodied feel is balanced and also very surface like the nose with crisp, medium+ acidity and medium tannins. This is a solid, if unimpressive Crianza. It is fine and brings a very Rioja profile, but it is more in the inoffensive category than anything that makes me excited.
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2012 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Cune Gran Reserva 90 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
The nose is aromatic and balanced with classic tones of sour red cherries, cranberries, vanilla extract, dill, cigar tobacco, violets, and leather notes. This shows off decent depth and complexity, but it is slightly lacking for it being a Gran Reserva. The Medium bodied feel is balanced with crisp, medium+ acidity and slightly rough, medium+ tannins. This is a solid Rioja, but a bit lacking for a Gran Reserva. Granted, this isn't priced like a big boy GR either but there still is an expectation that this isn't necessarily delivering.
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2012 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Viña Real Gran Reserva 92 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
The nose is lifted and perfumed with tones of sour red cherries, strawberries, raspberries, dried herbs, dill, leather notes, sweet tobacco tones, and some roses. This is really lovely and complex as it shows off a very classic take. The Medium bodied feel is well balanced and refined with tart, medium+ acidity and fine-grained, medium+ tannins. This is a clear step up from the previous two wines. This is killer and a really good value for someone wanting classic Rioja.
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2012 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Imperial Gran Reserva 92 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
The nose is wound a little tight with tones of red cherries, smoke, licorice, vanilla beans, raspberries, dill, fresh herbs, rose petals, and sweet tobacco notes. Though it is wound up a bit, it does show off excellent depth even at this young stage. The Full bodied feel is refined and balanced with tart, medium+ acidity and chewy, medium+ tannins. The structure is clearly youthful and dominates the palate right now. There is a ton of upside and I hope I come across it down the line when it can show more.
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