12/1/2018 - Pebben wrote:

From memory: “Modern” in style with notes of ripe yellow fruit, honey, seashore and oak. Concentrated and long, with beginning signs of age-induced complexity. A big and bold Chablis that in my view lands just on the right side of overdone. I find it delicious, but it's probably not a favourite with purists.

9/18/2016 - Pebben wrote:

Tasted immediately after opening. Medium purple core, pink rim. On the nose; wild strawberries, floral perfume, moist earth, Asian spices and salty caramel. On the palate; medium bodied, good depth and lovely balance. Certainly a top quality NZ Pinot that seems to improve every year, but given the latest price increase ($50 as opposed to $43 for the 2011 vintage here in Norway) the list of good alternatives has expanded quite a bit. Drink 2016-2021.

4/10/2016 - Pebben wrote:

Popped and poured. Opaque purple colour – more or less black. On the nose; mostly black fruit, liquorish and wood, but also some faint green notes in the form of pine needles and bell peppers. On the palate; sweet fruit and viscous texture – lacks a little depth on the mid-palate, but has enough structure to prevent it from feeling too jammy. Definitely a BIG wine that won’t appeal to everybody, but in my view a fine example of this style of winemaking. Great value too – you could probably pay twice as much for a muscle Ribera without getting anything materially superior. Drinking well even now, but should keep past 2020 – one for the upcoming barbecue season (and the next one...).

5/16/2016 - Pebben wrote:

From memory: Dark Pinot fruit, dry soil, spices, vanilla-toffee and a touch of stable on the nose and palate. Medium bodied, smooth and well balanced – very nice! At close to $80 a bottle (roughly $20 more than I paid for the 08 La Neblina back in 2012), the QPR is however no longer particularly impressive.

5/16/2015 - Pebben wrote:

Popped and poured. Pale straw colour. Peaches, tropical fruit, white flowers, sea spray, honey and caramel on the nose and palate. Rich, concentrated and slightly oily textured. Obvious qualities here, but in my view desperately lacking acidity – not a major problem on the attack or mid-palate, but the finish comes across as both cloying and short. Being out of step with the CT majority on my first (serious) Condrieu, obviously makes me cautious as far as scoring is concerned. Perhaps this bottle should have been popped two years ago, or perhaps this is just a varietal thing that requires experience to properly appreciate – hard for me to judge.

5/10/2015 - Pebben wrote:

See earlier notes.

3/7/2015 - Pebben wrote:

Decanted for just under an hour before tasting. Dark purple core, pink rim. Still young and a bit rough around the edges. Ripe black cherries, dry soil, spices and vanilla on the nose and palate. Doesn’t quite display the same depth and concentration as the Casina Francia, but shares the same need for further oak integration. Finishes off with powerful and slightly bitter tannins. Enjoyable today, but should improve during the next three to four years (90-92 points).

1/25/2015 - Pebben wrote:

Decanted for close to two hours before tasting. Opaque purple core, pink rim. Ripe black fruit, dried figs, Christmas spices, garrigue, leather and vanilla on the nose and palate. An absolutely massive CdP that in my view lacks the acidity to maintain balance – nice flavours, but comes across as very heavy and uninspiring after only a few sips. There’s also a fair bit of heat on the finish that adds to the general feeling of disappointment. Will no doubt divide opinions, though – if Amarone is your thing, you might have a very different take on this than me.

8/23/2014 - Pebben wrote:

Not nearly as good as my previous three bottles. Displays the same lovely bouquet, but comes across as fairly austere and one-dimensional on the palate. It’s been almost two years since I last had one of these, and though I currently believe this to be an isolated case, there’s always a chance that the wine is on its way down. I’ll open another bottle within the next couple of months before I cast my verdict.