4/6/2024 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Not very interesting or complex versus the cru wines, I’d think I’d rather spend my money there and skip this one. A rare (relative) disappointment from one of my favorite producers.

3/21/2024 - BillBell73 wrote:

This has really improved with age and is unbelievably graceful and light despite carrying a good bit of sweetness.

3/14/2024 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Perfectly fine and a serviceable champagne but nothing very exciting here. I’ve not had a Rodez that really wowed me and I’m hoping for that to change.

3/11/2024 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Excellent, mature and earthy but still retaining freshness and a lively character. Best an hour after opening and recorking.

3/10/2024 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

This has really come into form in the last few years but I think it still has room to blossom. The nose is astounding, palate still developing with strong tannins and acidity. Breathtaking wine.

3/8/2024 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Very light in color despite its age. Beautiful nose. This has definitely integrated and become more drinkable over time although the alcohol is noticeable and a bit out of balance.

3/3/2024 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

I didn’t really enjoy this wine in its youth but with age everything seems to knit together. Dark amber in color but not terribly oxidative. Roasted peaches with the sugar removed, almonds, medium tannins, fantastic acidity, raisin-y aroma but none of the cooked flavors- this is a great wine.

2/26/2024 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Excellent, energetic, gaining complexity, but showing few signs of age. This seems like it will last forever - I wish I had waited another 5 years before opening as this is nowhere near maturity.

2/13/2024 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Fantastic and drinks like a GG. Very complex nose with lychee, tonic, and a musky but pleasant undertone. Zingy and saline on the palate. There’s a bit of a flat spot on the mid-palate which is my only quibble but the finish is energetic and electric. I love Immich-Batterieberg at this age!

1/30/2024 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Good acid/sugar balance with slightly funky tropical fruit and a big blast of TDN on the nose. Impossible to resist and disappeared quickly.

1/24/2024 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Incredibly complex and unbelievably youthful- these older gran reservas can be variable but this is exactly where it should be. This had a tiny bit of mustiness (which I often find in LdH) that faded after a couple hours of air. A short decant is recommended if you encounter that and the wine will benefit, regardless.

1/22/2024 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

This is more like it- beautiful fruit, good structural tension, slightly gamy nose. Much better than my other bottle and would show well against much more expensive burgundies.

1/21/2024 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Seems to be a modernist/traditionalist hybrid Rioja. The oak has integrated and is a fantastic counterpoint to the funkiness that has crept in with time. This is the product of masterful winemaking and one of the best Spanish reds I’ve tasted in a while.

1/19/2024 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Salty and structured with a hint of pineapple, pear, and oak. An incredible wine at this age and seems very young still with very little in the way of oxidation. Actually seems younger and less oxidized than recent vintages- I wonder if the winemaking has shifted towards even more of a natural approach?

1/16/2024 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Finally, a good bottle after several that were lacking. Herbal and complex nose and ample fruit on the palate where previous bottles were thin and lacking. Perhaps I opened this in a dumb phase before, although I have generally found the rosso to be approachable throughout its life.

1/16/2024 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Aromatically complex and intense. On the palate it is a bit steely and coiled up. Serious structure with tannins and acidity very prominent- I’d say to wait a few years before opening again as this has tremendous promise.

1/15/2024 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Beautiful minty nose, slightly prickly on the palate, aging at a glacial pace as expected and still mostly primary. Could use a bit more acidity but otherwise delicious. Why do I open these so early?

1/11/2024 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

My experience with G. Mascarello has been frustrating at times - so many bottles have been dead or dying far before they should be- but this bottle was brilliant. Still retains a sense of freshness and vibrancy but the color shows the age of the wine. Subtle, graceful, and complex with a perfect mix of primary fruit and aged character. Very close to a perfect wine.

1/8/2024 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

An absolutely stunning wine - the nose is especially haunting and refined. Very little fruit, smoky, feral, notes of olive and herbs. Reminds me of Levet.

1/7/2024 - BillBell73 wrote:

Probably would never have guessed this as Chardonnay blind - it seems a bit sweet and oxidized with a lot of bruised apple and almond. Reminds me of chenin in a way. I’m hoping this was not a representative bottle.

12/28/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Nice, if a bit underwhelming relative to my expectations. The nose is nice with a hint of orange creamsicle, chamomile, and mint. On the palate there’s a lack of electricity - the wine is more sweet and more mature than it should be at the this age, with bruised apple dominating. Hopefully just an advanced bottle, if not this should be consumed soon.

12/27/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Very nice and restrained with a bit of a feral undertone on the nose. This reminds me, oddly, of cab franc - it has a bit of stemmy green-ness that reminds me of young Olga Raffault - but most of the notes here are more typical of Syrah. Let’s see how it ages.

12/26/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Very good, but seems a bit coiled-up, intense and lacking the exuberance this wine can have. Herbal, spicy, and structurally solid. Just a hint of age starting to creep in on the margins, otherwise this seems much younger than expected and should drink well for years.

12/19/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

It has been fun to watch this wine change with age. The oak is starting to integrate and fade a bit but is still a vital component that balances and complements the oxidative and savory base flavors of the wine. The only other wine I am aware of that is similar to this is Lopez de Heredia- both their blanco and rosado have the same formula of oak and oxidation even if it presents a bit differently. I was in the Cibonne cellars last year and saw the foudre they bought to raise this wine in- new oak and in stark contrast to the ancient vessels where most of their wines are aged. With time, each vintage of the Marius will have less and less of the oak influence and it should be interesting to see how the character of the wine changes as that happens. I’m guessing it will come closer to their original lineup of roses, which are excellent, but I have to say that I really love how the new oak works with their rustic style- and I’m not typically a fan of overtly oaky flavors in wine.

12/11/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

A beautiful, haunting, graceful wine that gets better every time I open it. Quite complex with very little fruit- this is more about savory, herbal, and woody tones and manages the trick of being both feral and light on its feet.

12/10/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

As noted by ACYSO below, this starts out a bit muddled and unrefined at cellar temp but actually seems to gain structure after a decant at cooler temperatures. Sweet, hedonistically tropical in the manner of Donnhoff, and a good match with Szechuan food tonight.

11/30/2023 - BillBell73 wrote:

Spicy, floral nose with a little funky bottom note…absolutely stunning. The palate is a bit less developed at this stage but there’s pomegranate, cranberry, and a lot of stem influence. One of the more interesting American pinots that I’ve tried and I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops.

11/29/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

A fantastic dolcetto that’s really aged nicely. Still fairly tannic but there’s ample plummy fruit and some savory undertones that elevate the wine. Having had a lot of dolcetto from great producers like G Rinaldi, Brovia, etc- this is a standout and an excellent rendition of the grape.

11/26/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Complex and slightly funky nose. Spice notes, fresh apple, ginger, and mushroom - a fantastic Maillons in its prime. The bubbles are fading a bit here so could be time to drink up if this bottle is representative.

11/20/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Raspberry liqueur, licorice, dust and raw venison on the nose. Fairly powerful, rustic and ripe but not out of bounds with plenty of tannin and acid to balance out the fruit. It’s a big wine, and not a style that I’m accustomed to drinking, but I like the tension between the ripeness and the feral elements at play here and it works well with the right food pairing.

11/19/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Fantastic- and while showing some age with notes of tea and a tiny bit of oxidation, this is still very lively and youthful. Plenty of acidity here and much of the sweetness seems to have resolved- this should age forever.

11/16/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Very nice and just beginning to show some complexity. Apple fruit, a smoky note, ginger, a bit of nuttiness creeping in. Still seems on the young side and should be interesting to follow over the next five years.

11/8/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Decaturwinedude’s note captured this pretty well- not the usual prum electricity, a bit viscous and in need of more acidity, but still a good bottle of wine.

11/6/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

A touch of reduction but much better than some recently opened bottles of Metras…here’s it’s pleasantly in the background. Light, tangy, and beautiful but the finish is just a bit lacking. Still, a very nice and interesting bottle, and the nose is breathtaking.

11/1/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Fantastic rendition of freisa - herbal, feral, complex and enjoyable now but should age well. This makes an excellent case for freisa as a serious wine, not that I needed to be convinced.

11/1/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Absolutely fantastic and seems surprisingly young. There’s a wisp of oak that balances the minerality - a graceful and weightless wine. I really love these with age and wish they were easier to find.

10/28/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

After the bad experience with my last bottle I decided to open another just to check in, and thankfully this one was much more representative. Great acidic tension, subdued pear fruit, and a tiny bit of oak. Probably needs a few years of age to gain complexity. It’s readily apparent that the last bottle was prematurely oxidized.

10/28/2023 - BillBell73 wrote:

After drinking a few bottles of this with high hopes have to say this champagne doesn’t really move me. This was positioned as in the vein of Selosse/Collin and while it is well made and quite drinkable, it has none of the charm and extra gear that the great growers have. I thought perhaps that a bit of extra age would provide more complexity but that has not been the case.

10/27/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

The sugar/acid ratio seems more balanced than the last bottle I opened. Lychee, coconut cream, and pineapple with some nutty oxidative flavors adding to the complexity…this has aged nicely and is delicious at this stage.

10/26/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Excellent wine with a very relaxed and easy structure that allows for early drinking. Not as aromatically expressive as a Barolo- lacking some of the spice and herbal notes - but there is a savory undertone to the pure fruit and lots of complexity for its level. A great example of the house style and one to enjoy while the Baroli age.

10/25/2023 - BillBell73 Does not like this wine:

Not quite as finely cut as previous vintages and has a sort of honeyed, ripe character with apple and pear fruit. Reminds me of a chenin whereas usually the touchpoint is burgundy. Slightly underwhelming based on what the wine can be but not bad.

Edit…on day two the oxidized apple fruit has really come to the fore and the wine isn’t drinkable. Generally this wine can handle a day of air.

10/21/2023 - BillBell73 wrote:

Vagrantone’s note below was spot-on, unfortunately, and I probably enjoyed it less than he did. A bit flabby and veering towards bruised apple - I’d guess this was chenin blind and have a hard time finding any typicity here.

10/19/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Really starting to come into its own- I love this wine around this age. Nicely structured and highly aromatic- should continue to improve and benefits from a good decant.

10/16/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

This obviously has seen some age before release. Beautiful nose with toasty, nutty, leesy notes. The palate is a little underwhelming, unfortunately…could use more structure and acidity and the dosage overwhelms the wine and dominates the finish. Not bad for $30, though.

10/6/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Still very primary with slightly smoky cherry fruit. I find these wines to be very well made and polished but they always seem to lack complexity and spark- with that said, I’ve never tried one with substantial age and I’m holding out hope that there is some magical transformation ahead.

10/5/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Absolutely fantastic, starting to show some age-appropriate oxidation and lactic richness, magnificent acidic structure and subtle tropical fruit…a very balanced and harmonious wine in a great place with upside.

10/2/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Starting to open up a bit and really blooms an hour or two after opening. This wine is a shapeshifter and should be enjoyed by a small number of tasters over the course of a quiet evening to catch all the nuances. This has the brassy orange color of Maillons and the ginger and clove notes that are typical of this wine with age. Impossibly complex nose. As usual, the last sip is the best, so try to give it ample time after opening.

9/20/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Nose of fruit cocktail, lime and mint. Viscous, sweet, and leaning more towards an auslese in ripeness, but absolutely delicious and alluring.

9/7/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

Great nose of honeysuckle, chamomile, and fresh cut apple. Reminds me of a quality aged muscadet with just a bit more weight and interest. This is starting to show some signs of age (slight oxidation on the palate) but I think this should continue to drink well for some time.

8/21/2023 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:

From a 375, this is drinking well and showing no signs of the premature oxidation others have noted here. Haven’t had one of these this young in quite some time…this is truly excellent with more complexity to come with age.