3/26/2023 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Not super sophisticated for a Bordeaux, but dark fruits (plum, blackberry) with slate, savory vegetable flavors, earthy clay, and spicy jalapeno and minerals on the finish. This had plenty of life left and when you hit it just right, the tannins broke apart and danced around in your mouth in a delightful way (less air was better—just about 15-30 minutes). I love the acid and lower alcohol on this. (12.5%). Best in Zalto Bordeaux glass and Riedel Oregon Pinot glass. The smaller glasses were better for this.

Ok match with Beef stew, but this was a perfect match with Persian lamb rib chops cooked over an open flame. The smoky and exotic flavors of the Persian lamb chops were just the right thing with and the lithe and ethereal body of the wine helped elevate the fod (compared to heaviness of the Washington State Bordeaux from Delille that I had a few weeks ago).

I was in Charlottesville a few months ago to visit my parents and I tried a 2007 Barbroursville Octagon that I think could have stood up to this wine just fine in a side-by-side blind tasting (just an observation—I don’t know if I’m praising VA wine or dissing on Bordeaux). This was less sophisticated than I wanted it to be (which was a little disappointing), but it was still super enjoyhable and pretty fantastic, especially in terms of the food pairing.

3/18/2023 - jkscully Likes this wine:

This has all the nice characteristics of Viognier: ripe peach, apricot, honey, butterscotch, smokey minerals, with candied ginger, white pepper, and sweet flowers on the finish. Just a faint hint of popcorn/cereal on the finish too. Oily rich texture with lanolin notes. I can’t think of anything bad to say about it, but I also feel like it doesn’t pop the way a top Condrieu can and my food pairings didn’t work out as well as I was hoping (not necessarily the wine’s fault). Very good, but not in the same league as the Vernay Coteau de Vernon from a few months ago (to be fair, that wine was over twice the price as this one and it is considered the top Condreiu out there). Like the Vernay, I liked this better on it’s own, which is too bad, because I’ve had some great Viognier and food pairings.

3/18/2023 - jkscully Likes this wine:

The same flavors from three years ago are still there: green apple, butterscotch, sea air, and honey almond. It’s showing it’s age pretty well. Compared to last time, I maybe get more apple cider than green apple, less butterscotch, and burnt orange peel rather than fresh lemon peel, It was fine, but nothing special. The flavors seemed a little muted. Just an ok match with Sardine pasta for St. Joseph’s day. I’m going to save my last bottle for another 3-4 years. Better closer to room temperature. Best in Riedel Chablis, decent in Grassle, but not great in Zalto white wine glass.

3/5/2023 - jkscully Likes this wine:

At 15 years in, this still tasted young when I first opened it. Plenty of fruit left and the tannins are still a bit tight. It was fantastic, but I think it would have been even better in a few years from now. When I tasted this, I imagine overly ripe crushed raspberries, blueberries, blackberries with chocolate and espresso. There’s some ripe purple plum in there too. I can taste some violet, lavender, and some sage notes, maybe from the Cabernet Franc (though some peppery notes appeared on day 2). The finish is warming with notes of allspice and cracked white pepper. New world bourbon sweetness on the long finish.

As usual with Washington State, this is super polished, but I don’t have a ton to say about it. Solid match with Coffee marinated flank steak. A little softer on day 2, but without the same energy in the finish. This one needed plenty of air (best after several hours), though it drank well right from the start. Better in Zalto Bordeaux glass than Riedel Bordeaux glass.

Very good, but just short of amazing. I have better memories of the Col Solare. Still, I want to try some wine from Upchurch’s new winery

2/18/2023 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Not quite as much honey and almond flavors as the Godeval Revival with more bottle age. For this one, I get white peach, pineapple, apricot, and lots of flowers—really, very floral in a beautiful way. Just a touch of butter and the distinctive bitter almond on the finish, along with some salty minerality. This reminds me of a Viognier except for the bitter almond finish. After I first opened it, I thought that it tasted too young, but with some air, the flavors intensified. Still, at five years in, I think that this was a little on the young side of things and I’m beginning to think that Godello needs a good 6-10 years of bottle age to be at its best.

Much better in the Riedel Monatrachet glass compared to the Grassl and Zalto White wine glasses. Better a little colder and with a good dose of air time. This was good, but I feel like it wasn’t super great QPR.

2/18/2023 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Purple fruits, but not as much meaty and olivey flavors as I would normally expect from Carignan. Smokey fruit and acid dominate. Strong acid and thin texture make this wine good with food, but side by side with the Shelter Cab Sauv from Napa and the Isole and Olena Cab Sauv from Tuscany, this wasn’t the standout wine. Shines with spicy food though.

2/18/2023 - jkscully wrote:

Leather, tobacco, licorice, chocolate, funky mushroom, and earthy flavors. Thick texture and clearly not a fruit bomb. Some exotic curry sort of spice on the finish. Nicely resolved and seemed like a really good wine, probably a little better than my previous bottle 2 years ago. I’d still say worth the price, but not too much more.

2/18/2023 - jkscully Likes this wine:

I opened this with Emily and Assen. This was clearly the best wine of the night (tasted alongside Shelter Cab Sauv from Napa and Roc des Angles Carianan from France). Red fruits, but also very earthy and with typical Tuscan vegetal flavors (bell pepper), though in a good way. Not super sophisticated, but this was just so soft and pillowy and perfectly balanced. Not flamboyant and not super sophsiticated, but really well done and a perfect match with Turkish Coffee crusted steaks. In a good spot, but seemed to have plenty of life left (so keep my 2016 until 2030+). Well done!

1/22/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

his wine just seemed a bit thin and overly tart (i.e. cranberry pomegranate juice) to be considered really good. The problem wasn’t a lack of decanting because extended air didn’t really help (it was actually better with little to no air than it was with extended decanting). Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this wine with food (Goulash and Greek sausages). Compared to the new world Syrahs that I’ve opened recently, which were nice to sip but boring with food, this wine was a nice companion to food. It’s definitely in the old-world style and, again, after the new world Syrahs that I’ve opened recently, this was a welcome characteristic. In addition to the dark fruit flavors, dried fig, sweet bay leaf, licorice, and smoky notes, I found a beautiful violet flavor lurking underneath and appearing in full force on the finish. I find faint hints of olive on the backend too, but I need to be thinking about it to really notice this flavor There are faint hints of black pepper on the finish too, but all the flavors are in nice balance: the pepper and olive are there for varietal definition but aren’t overbearing as they sometimes are in Syrah. I like the drying sensation and leathery feel on the finish, which shows the tannins are still strong. This would have been better with additional bottle age (I wish I had glanced at the recent CT notes before I opened this). All in all, I wasn’t wowed, but I’m impressed and wish that I had more to lay down for some time in order to see where this goes with some additional bottle age. I think this wine is legit and that it could be really great in about 5 years from now.

Better out of Riedel Hermitage than Zalto Bordeaux and Grassl.

2/13/2023 - jkscully wrote:

This seemed like a natural wine that got out of control. The color was cranberry and slightly brown and it had a cloudy look to it. Very juicy and super tart, like orange juice. Reminds me of some sort of fruity sour beer. I’m not sure what they were going for here. If this wasn’t a bad bottle (which it might have been), I’ll use this opportunity to criticize natural wine: people say that natural wine shows of terroir, but at what expense? I bought this bottle because I wanted to try new world Carignan, but this bottle had no varietal characterisitcs whatsoever, except maybe a touch of spice on the finish. Whatever varietal flavors this wine might have had were covered up by the tart, yeasty, juicy flavors of the wine. I’m not sure that giving free reign to wild yeasts is always the best thing. Yes, I get the “terroir” of the wild yeast, but I don’t get the “terroir” that comes from the grape variety, land, etc. Admittedly, this was a pretty good match with my pomegranate/lime marinated chicken wings and olive and caper stuffed peppers (I do appreciate acid forward red wines with food) and it was more interesting than the pedestrian Beauojolais that I had alongside with it, but still, this wasn’t what I was hoping to find in this bottle.

2/13/2023 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Strawberry, raspberry, and plum fruits followed by wet stones and olives. Cayenne pepper on the finish. Classic, well-made Beauojolais, though I’ve had some other Bojos that I’ve liked better around this price point. It’s a little one dimensional.

1/22/2023 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Unlike some past Condrieu that I have had, this one needed a full hour or so of air to open up. Really nice once it did. Lots of honey and grilled, smoky peaches along with ripe mango and fresh apricots. This reminds me of a Gewürztraminer, but more elegant and more sophisticated. It was better on the warmer side of the spectrum, which really drew out the strong salty and mineral flavors. There’s a touch of floral scents in there too, just enough to remind you that this is Viognier. Lanolin, coconut oil, and freshly cut wood on the finish along with some cardamom and ginger, and a nice burst of meyer lemon. The taste stays with you after you finish drinking it.

Not as good on day 2, but still needed a lot of air. More calvados flavors.

25% new oak barrels, which seems like the right amount (I remember the Guigal Doriane feeling like there was too much oak). I felt like I hit it in a good spot—6 or 7 years in.

This is very good. I love it. If I’m being picky, this is about twice the price of many other wines from Condrieu, but is it that much better than, say, a top wine from Andre Perret? I’d love to do some side by side comparisons.

Solid match with Pork roast, turnips, and creamed spinach, but I liked it better on its own. Drank in Riedel Montrachet glass.

Early candidate for wine of the year.

1/29/2023 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Full body. This tastes like has oak-it’s very drying in the mouth. I couldn’t find notes to say one way or the other and I don’t know if Godello is often oaked or not. Anyway, I liked this wine for its intense honey, almond, floral, peach, apricot, quince (pithy and starchy), and lanolin flavors. Nice lime and grapefruit burst on the finish with hints of sea air, fennel seed, ginger, tarragon, and mint. It reminds me a little of Condrieu (which I tasted last week), though this isn’t as sophisticated.

Solid match with clam linguini, but a pretty good match with Smoked paprika chicken pasta (kinda like a Chicken Paprika kind of dish). Good after about 30-45 minutes of air and better closer to room temperature. The Riedel Montrachet glass seemed like the right glass, but I didn’t try other glasses. It was drinking fine now, at 9 years in, but I do wonder if I would have liked it younger. We’ll see, as I have a big line-up of Godello to try.

1/21/2023 - jkscully Likes this wine:

When first opened, nice bright red cherry flavors, but with some air, the fruit turned plumier and it picked up some typical Chianti spices, earthiness, and ratatouille flavors (in a good way). Nice drying tannins. This was delicious and a fantastic match with Pepe’s Veal topped with ham and cheese. Really great wine, except that it was one of those wines that was good in the first 2 hours, but not as good after that and not very good on day 2. I opened a few expensive New World Bordeaux blends last week and those wines were delicious through two days. If every vintage is like this one, this would be a good go-to Chianti Classico.

1/18/2023 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Honey, fresh figs, bosc pears, green apple, dried apricot, and lemon curd. Burnt orange peel and flint on the finish. So much honey—this is really nice. This wine delivers with the classic Sonoma Coast (i.e. Heintz and Hirsch vineyards) flavors and opulence, though I’d like just a little more mineral punch. I think it was in a good spot in its development. I’m worried that further ageing would lead to overly ripe fruit for my taste. I liked it best on Day 1 after about 30 minutes of air and closer to room temperature.

1/15/2023 - jkscully Likes this wine:

This needed time to open up, but it was delicious once it did. The flavor profile is dominated by smooth chocolate, but there’s some nice fruit underneath: dried cherries, blueberries, raspberries. There’s a slig ht savory/herbal taste in there as well: something like fresh pine needles covered in vanilla sugar. The finish is sweet and lingers for a good a mount of time—I get flavors licorice, warm baking spices, and a gentle touch of sweet vanilla. The texture is plush and the tannins big and chewy. It reminds me of Saint-Emilien—the ripe, raspberry, chocolate cream thing. Not super sophisticated, but very pleasant. Seemed like it was in a good spot. It’s a fantastic wine, no doubt, but for it’s price, I want it to be more memorable.

1/11/2023 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Dark color and aromas of grilled bread, cedar, and black currant. The tannins are soft and pillowy and the texture is thick. 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot, and 9% Cabernet Franc. I can taste the Petit Verdot in here, which is a nice touch. A little disjointed at first, but opened up nicely after about 45 minutes (though the drinking window was short as it started to diminish after about an hour and a half). Better on day 2.

Carob and espresso flavors mixed with dusty minerality (this reminds me of “Rutherford dust”) and intense blue fruits, like blueberry pie. There’s a lot of jalapeno pepper—which I often get in Wa State reds—in the midpalate and I’m not super pleased about that. Sweet licorice and vanilla on the finish. Also, 4.7 alcohol, which give it some brandy flavors. To me, the luxuriousness is in the texture and not so much the palate, which is not as interesting as I would like it to be for the price I paid. This was polished and nice, but it didn’t have that extra spark like the Col Solare did from last year. Good match with shug marinated lamb chops. Best in Riedel Bordeaux glass (also tried in Grassl Liberte and Zalto Bordeaux).

12/27/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

I get the white mushroom and very ripe apricot that I expect along with strong honey flavors, cashews, popcorn, smokey notes, and burnt orange peel. Hints of lime blossom on the finish and a nice floral burst. A little rotty at first, but opened up nicely after about an hour. No indication of location of grapes. 13% alcohol.

Great match, of course, with foie gras, but this was really special with the Beerawacke that I brought back from Strasbourg. Best on the first 2 days, but it lost something by day 3.

12/27/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Nice balance of soft butter and vanilla oak, typical Meursault notes of sea breeze, and bracing lemon acidity. None of these characteristics—oak, minerality, or acid—is overly dominant. Lots of fresh Spring flowers on the nose and on the palate. I also get some flinty flavors and faint hints of nuts. Wow, that salty finish goes on forever. That’s what I love about Meursault.

This is really good and very Meursault, but, for it’s price and it’s pedigree, I wasn’t blown away. Ok match with ham and potato gratin for Christmas Eve dinner, but really fantastic match with Chicken Cordon Bleu. Best with about 3 hours of air and closer to room temperature. I think this could have aged for longer. It still tasted very young and very fresh.

8/4/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Burnt coconut and faint hints of sunflower seed oil, vanilla, and butterscotch give this wine a nice perception of sweetness along with a full body. There’s lots of flowers, melons, pineapples, kiwis, kumquats, and lime-honey acidity. Callum says lemon candy. Some nutty macademia flavors on day 2. As for the minerality, this is more in the smokey/flinty category, but if you let it warm up enough, you start to get some nice saltiness too. This is delicious with now flaws, but, to me, not super distinctive. At 7 years in, it still feels very fresh. Good on day 1 and good on day 2, but it was a little fickle and needed some air and was much better on the warmer side.

Ok match with Quail but a suprsisingly good match with vegan macaroni and cheese.

12/12/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Rich texture that is reminiscent of coconut oil, lanolin, and olive oil, along with tropical fruit (pineapple and Meyer lemons), peaches, apples, and apricots. Lots of orange peel on the citrusy finish and some bergamot and quinine. You get a good sense of sea air and the salinity is even more pronounced on the second day (when I liked it better). You get a sense of the oak, but not as much as the Rollin Les Fretilles that I just opened. (that one had 30% new oak).

12/10/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

At it’s best, honey, white chocolate, baked apple, buttery poached pears, and salty peach. So smooth, but never overbearing in the caramel/oak/butter department. Not super sophisticated and fairly mellow, but an excellent match with Pistchio pesto pasta (the rich oily, nutty pesto went well with this). It’s a 2015, so a bit flabby and not as much cut as I expect it might have in other vintages. Also, this was best immediately after popping the cork and not as good with extended air time. Still, a fantastic wine for the price. These wines are so great with food. Best in Grassel all-purpose glass. I should buy more wines from Domaine Rollin. I’d be curious to try this next to a Corton Charlemagne.

12/3/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

I bought this to have with dinner at the Pluckemin Inn on Wine Night. The tannins were really drying and tight at first, but after about an hour in the decanter, this really opened up nicely and the tannins loosened up. I got chocolate covered cherries, vanilla bean, and spruce. Good match with the duck that I ordered. Super delightful, though not as nice on day 2. Plenty of time left.

11/26/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Good, but I wanted it to be better. Smoky plum fruit with spices and some flours. Smooth, but not as bright as the other wines I opened for Thanksgiving. Also, not noticeably better than some of the American versions from NY State that I’ve opened recently. Still, I think it’s a good bottle for the price I paid.

11/26/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

This was nice. Fruity with crunchy cherry, cranberry, and pomegranate fruit. There’s some dried fig/tar flavors in there too, which gives it richness, but I like the strong violet flavors the most. The floral flavors are really impressive. Ruby chocolate and orange acidity too. This is a happy wine and pretty good for the price, though my first time with the varietal and the region, so don’t know how to judge. Just an ok match with Thanksgiving food and appetizers.

11/26/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Really tannic at first, but nice cherry fruit with alpine evergreen trees and mountain air on a cold day. Darker flavors and earthy mushroom flavors emerged after time along with wet stones and a hint of cayenne and nutmeg. As it sat, the tannins calmed down a bit but were still strong. The tannins were finally fully integrated on day 2, when it showed its best and was perfectly polished. This should have aged more. This could have aged for another 10 years—for a $17 bottle, that’s pretty impressive. Great stuff for the price—I should buy a case. I love these Spannas, especially from Vallana!

11/26/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

green apple with faint hints of honey, banana, and straw, but then lots of citrusy pineapple on the chalky finish. Bracing acidity here. Better closer to room temperature. This is impressive for the price.

11/20/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Tastes like Montalcino. Dusty, chocolate covered cherries. Dark and brooding with vegetal/ratatouille flavors. Leather. Really great for the price. One step better than the Castagnoli Chianti from the same vintage and a good match with grilled chicken with a stewed tomato sauce and grilled squash. This is really enjoyable for the price.

8/3/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

I find what are, to me, many of the classic viura flavors: olive oil, sherry (this has added palomino sherry and then aged in sherry casks), vanilla, and nutts with strong yeasty and saline/iodine flavors and then honey on the finish. Just a touch of lemon on the finish too, but a little more would acidity might be nice. Actually, more than sherry, this tastes to me like Calvados (with its thick body and apple and poached pear fruitiness).

Ok match with fish served over pancetta flavored cabbage, but good match with the Catalan quail with a garlic/white wine sauce (the garlic was a nice match). I’d like something Spanish here (with olives and almonds). I tried this on the warmer side of the spectrum, but it was better cold. Side by side with a $50 Napa Chardonnay, this matched the Chard in oaky flavor and body, but didn’t have the extra pizaz that the more expensive wine had. I liked it better on day 1 out of the Zalto white wine glass than on day 2 out of the Grassl Liberte.

8/15/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

I had this with Dad and it was a great match with tenderloin kebobs in a pistachio tahini sauce. Typical Va Petite Verdot characteristics: chocolate covered cherries, violets, purple fruits, inky, and high acid. You can taste the Merlot in there, which was a nice blending partner. I enjoyed this quite a bit, though I probably should have aged it longer (I gave it around 2 hours of air).

8/15/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Lots of Provencal terroir with notes of fennel, pine, herbs and then a really nice honey perception of honey along with an oily texture. Orange rind on the finish along with lots of sea-air minerals. You see the limestone when you look for it. Great match with grilled Branzino.

8/1/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

This was really nice. Not super complex, but really nice yeasty strawberry flavors with an herbal finish. Great with food. Delightful, especially for the price.

8/1/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

This has the nice bright cherry flavor, plums, and black currant that I liked to see in Chianti. It’s not super complex, but it’s happy and delightful. I do get the mushrooms and vegetal flavors, though in a nice way, along with smoke good minerality, and what someone else on CT called “Tuscan dust.” This is very good for $24 and, compared to several of the other budget Chiantis that I’ve had recently, this one is better (it is a Riserva).

This drank well as soon as I popped the cork, but it also developed well over the course of the evening. It was even better the second day as developed thickness. This is one to get again and again if you are looking for affordable Chianti.

7/28/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

The color was a little brown and I suspect there was a hint of TCA in this wine—not enough to ruin it, but enough to dampen the brightness and structure of the wine. Nevertheless, I was impressed with the purity of cherry fruit and it didn’t have too much of the vegetal ratatouille flavors that I sometimes find in Chianti. Instead, I found nice hints of pencil lead, dried porcini mushrooms, and, as someone else on CT said, balsamico, which I had never really thought about in Sangiovese before, but I definitely see it (curry, sandalwood, chocolate, coffee, herbs). At this point in its development, the wine was soft and plump without much tannic structure left and not as much acidity as I want for Chianti. As a result, the finish is short. On the flip side, it didn’t need much air, which made it a good choice for BYOB at Jessicas, where it paired nicely with a rack of lamb. All in all, pretty good for $28, though I don’t think it aged super well.

7/28/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

100% Bical. I see the blood orange, pear, and oregano with oyster shell and seabreeze minerality that the merchant described for this wine. I also get hazelnuts, which I’ve tasted in Bical before. As it warms up, I get a really nice apple—almost earthy cider—sort of flavor. There’s lots of honey and floral notes too. It’s really nice.

I also get more of the caramel/honey oak flavors with the warmer temperature too (the bottle suggests serving “not too chilled”). Compared to the similarly-priced Javillier Bourgogne Blanc that I paired next to it, this seems to be the better wine. It has more acidic intensity and richer flavors.

My wife described the fruit as rotty and, while I don’t know that I would say it that way (she always says this), there is certainly a very ripe fruit taste here, which is not what I would expect from the same grape that makes dry Madeiras (though, admittedly, I have not tried a ton of Bical madeiras). This is aged in French barrels (20% new and the Parker reviewer noted that is “has the most oak treatment” than its siblings), so I imagine some of the richness is coming from the oak. When I’m looking for it, I do get some nice caramel on the finish, but the oak isn’t overbearing.

This comes from chalky soils and I can see the chalkiness here and thus the comparisons to Chablis.

The merchant says to think of it in the realm of Gruner Veltliner and I can see the slightly sweet brown lentil/cornflake sort of thing as well as as honey/lime cucumber/flower sort of thing, so I like the comparison.

This wine was better on day 2, when the honey sensations increased and it developed some geraniol—grapefruit and rose with some herbal pine/sage flavors—notes to it.

Good match with Azorean fish chowder (tomato based fish stew).

More nuances closer to room temperature (bottle suggests serving this “not too cold”).

This is really fantastic for the price. There’s so much going on. I want to buy more. This is a white to consider getting in every vintage.

7/20/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

All the pieces are there for Gruner Veltliner. I get nice green apple, peach, and pineapple flavors, but then these flavors are accentuated by lime cucumber and grapefruit acidity and sweet flavors, like lime blossom honey, walnuts, custard, and cereal sweetness (mochi, brown lentils, and cornflakes). Very nice with about an hour of air as the honey flavors really begin to dominate and some salty minerality emerges. This is fantastic for the price (I’d buy this over a $20 Austrian counterpart).

7/20/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Apricot, honeycrisp apple, orange and lime blossom with good acidity (especially on day 2. This may not have the mineral intensity and creaminess that the high-level Alsatian Rieslings have, but it did develop some walnut and creamy characteristics and some limestone minerality on day 2. It has .7% residual sugar, but this feel pretty dry. It’s not easy to stand out with Riesling because there are so many top-level versions to contend with—this version isn’t a sophisticated as those top-level Rieslings, but it is good for the price ($20).

7/20/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Honeydew melon, peach, and mango with grassy notes, but I am also happy to find some ginger, volcanic ash, and some minerals, which makes this pretty nice. Another CT reviewer talked about this wine having the Alsatian Pinot Gris “mustiness” (as opposed to Italian light and crisp Pinot Grigio) and, having just been to Alsace a week ago and tasted several Alsatian Pinot Gris there (and liking them very much), I have to agree. It has a proper thick, oily texture too. This can compete with similarly-priced version from Alsace. I’m impressed. Mostly dry, just .5% alcohol remaining.

6/28/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

This is earthy with some peppery spice on the finish. I also get candied cherry, chocolate covered cherry, violet pomegranates, cola, and orange flavored acidity. Needs a good 2 hours to open up, but this is young (would be better with age). To me, a little more like Oregon than Burgundy, but that’s not a bad thing. Legit ($37). Actually, wow! Didn't get to pair it with food.

6/28/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Almost Gewurstraminer like opulence and geraniol characteristics (very floral), except fresher (striking lemon acidity) and with more of that distinctive slate and ginger spice finish. On day 3 (missed day 2), I get more nutty creaminess and floral notes. Lots of minerality here, which is nice. The fruit is peach and kiwi, but this isn’t about the fruit. This is Sandstone and there is an attractive sandy taste to it. So good with sausages and local cheeses and fantastic for the price. Only regret is that my interest waned as I drank it, so I would say that this is not in that elite category. This was around $30.

6/28/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Marl/Limestone/sandstone. Very dry, almost bitter with a celery seed sort of bite to it. As it sits, even more lemon acidity and its a steely, bracing, bone dry acidity too. It reminds me of Santorini Assyrtiko. With time, a custard creaminess and peach, apple, and pear fruit flavors emerge, but the saline and petrol notes also grow stronger. I also detect some cucumber. Finally, there’s a very attractive breadiness to this one. Not the right thing with foie gras and match with veal head and sauces. Probably better with fish, as website suggests, and additional bottle age too. Worth the price, but this isn't wowing me. I will say, in it's favor, I noticed a lot of different nuances throughout the evening. It just never popped with the food I paired it with.

6/28/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Bought and consumed in Strasbourg. This is so creamy (i.e. custard, toasted coconut, almond milk) compared to other Alsatian Rieslings and I think that is a sign of higher quality. It’s so soft and warm (hints of cinnamon) rather than bitter and bracing. Lots of salty minerality—I want to guess Limestone (but after looking at the website, I see that it’s limestone, marl, and sandstone with mostly sandstone) and lemon acidity. Apple fruit rather than peach fruit, but there’s a hint of pineapple on the finish. Super attractive floral notes, like the local geraniums that I see everywhere, along with Roses. In fact, the sweet-like floral qualities, which get stronger as it warms up and gets more air, are the standout feature for this wine, along with the creaminess. Reminds me of Apple cider, as it has an earthy way about it. Or, think warm apple pie. Biodynamic. Great, match with pate and Alsatian cheeses. Creamy, salty, and floral—it’s hard to go wrong (I paid $70 and it was worth it). Good representation of the region.

5/21/2022 - jkscully wrote:

Strawberry, raspberry, apple, yeasty. Good, but less interesting as I progressed through the bottle.

5/3/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

The floral, honey flavor of Harslevelu is there along with flavors of apricot, lime, and cayenne pepper. Creamy ripe texture but very dry. Lots of minerals on the finish. This is amazing for $26 and 15 years of bottle age. My only complaint is that this didn’t hold up as well on day 2. I don’t blame it, but I wish I drank more of it on day 1. Good with food.

4/23/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Cherry and raspberry with a heavy dose of baking spices—cinnamon, clove, and allspice. A touch of vanilla and lots of acidic pop. It wasn’t easy to find the right amount of air time for this one, but it was delightful when I got it right. Fairly simple, but classic Burgundy. Very good, but a little pricey at $80.

Great match with pomegranate roasted lamb and good match with Syrian meatballs in cherry sauce.

4/15/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Really pretty stone fruit flavors, but I felt like I was missing some of the other layers of flavor that I often find in Rieslings (earthy, vegetal, mineral). Also, to me, just a hair too intense and thick for a Kabinett (but, admittedly, I haven't had very many Kabinett wines). Decent match with Mexican food, which is what I was going for.

4/15/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Very dry, but lots of strawberries. Seemed like a decent match with Mexican food, which was what I was trying for.

4/15/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Cassis and cherry, but not as fruity as I expected. Very smoky with some charred eggplant and pepper flavors. Nice and good match with Mexican (the smoky flavors matched the smoky meat).

3/28/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

Cranberry and dark plum fruit with violets and then a hints of licorice, lavender, incense, curry, and cayenne spice. Finishes with a distinctive blood orange acidity, but I find the finish a little lacking compared to the best Beaujolais wines. Tannins feel nicely integrated, but are still show some bitterness and it really benefited from a few hours of air, so I wonder if a few more years would have helped. Also, this gets thick and sappy with more air time, which I found a bit strange for a Beaujolais. Not super profound, but quite enjoyable as I typically expect from Beaujolais (though I also think I can do better for the same price).

3/19/2022 - jkscully Likes this wine:

All the flavors are there: honey, honeysuckle flowers, almonds, apple, peach, kiwi, and then lemon, grapefruit and smoky slate-like minerality on the finish. There’s also a drying quince-like sensation on the finish. Faint hints of herbs, like parsley. This one was better on the colder side of things. Best in Zalto White Wine glass.