8/7/2022 - Timbalimba wrote:

Not much sign of ageing, I bought this ex cellar on release from domain and it has aged impeccably. Greengage and yellow stone fruits on the nose, butter and some toasted oak but completely integrated. Beautiful palate, bursts of citrus acidity combine with apple, red and green, and melon fruit. Great poise. Excellent finish, long, fresh, yet haunting. Kind of reminds of Dom Perignon in the great vintages with that ridiculously attractive fruit against a more serious backdrop of wet stones and searing acidity. More or less sums up why Chardonnay is so great. I paid 85 euros then and it looks like a steal in today's market. 96+, no hurry.

7/29/2022 - Timbalimba wrote:

Natural cork makes me think this Aussie is nervous and eager to please, almost all of the premiums use screwcap nowadays and rightly so. Never mind. Light cherry brick colour, very classic nose, restrained toasted forest fruits, wet undergrowth, benchmark Cote de Nuits. Light yet serious on the palate, caressingly smooth, plenty of fruits and savoury notes combined, finishing like a perfect boeuf bourguignon with sweet carrots and dark roasted beef. Yes. Not a single note is out of tune. Great value for each and every expensive buck. Wonderful.

11/3/2021 - Timbalimba wrote:

At first I thought bottle stink but no, this is corked. Thankfully (?) I did not pay the current going rate but did purchase this on release but who cares, it represents dollar bills in the incinerator. Awful. The cork looks pristine with 5 mm of purple which reinforces the notion that this was flawed from the outset. What a disgrace. Plenty of aromatics hinting at the original quality of the fruit. No thanks Guigal, you owe me. Big time.

9/5/2021 - Timbalimba wrote:

Took its time to open up (slightly). Very young, monolithic, densely packed savoury dark fruit, completely integrated oak. Excellent acidity. Plenty of nuance in the shadows but far too early to make a judgement. Deceptively easy to drink, as all great wines.

8/28/2021 - Timbalimba wrote:

I can't remember when I last tasted this. A pleasant reencounter. Suprisingly rich gold colour is confirmed by a ripe, fruity nose, some brioche, freshly squeezed orange juice that I always associate with Pinot Noir in quality sparklers. Very clean palate, beautifully delineated fruit, sherbet-like. OK, it's full-bodied in terms of sparkling wine, quite rich, but expertly crafted. I would say that the medium rather than long finish reveals its origins but at this price who cares.

5/1/2021 - Timbalimba wrote:

Hydrocarbons and honey on the nose, generous, complex spices in many shapes and forms, tangerines. Citrus fruits on the palate, bone dry, balanced, very long finish that comes back in waves, crushed rocks and all the colours of citrus rolling over the back of the palate. Great. Drinks perfectly now but no hurry. Beautiful, really beautiful.

4/16/2021 - Timbalimba wrote:

Heady, multi-layered nose with ripe dark fruits mixed with herbal green notes and brighter red fruit. The palate is complex too, with a streak of acidity, tannin, and some beautiful fresh Syrah raspberry fruit, hints of pepper, smoked meats. This is very good. Somehow manages to combine northern Rhone purity with a herbal perfume that I very much associate with Oz and completely adore. Wonderful winemaking skills on display, such fresh and clean fruit yet complex and serious at the same time. Will probably improve a notch but drinks just beautifully straight off the bat.

12/15/2020 - Timbalimba wrote:

I would have to agree with @JHUSEBY here. At first, I was not very impressed, with plenty of Port-like cooked fruits and roasted spice on display but to be fair never overtly hot. Then, maybe one hour later, I started noticing fresher strawberry fruits, white pepper, juicy and crispy red fruits and goodbye to the cooked marmalade. This is very good in fact, getting better by the sip. Crisper than other Zins, after about an hour, and less heavy. Attractive.

12/4/2020 - Timbalimba wrote:

Very forward and generous at this early stage, with textbook fried bacon, raspberry jam, and deep violet fragrances. The palate is broad, even buttery, with ripe hot climate Syrah flavours of inky black and blue fruits, sweaty saddle, and salty toasty peanutbuttery flavours. Very attractive, made in a flirty but not silly style, drinks very well right now but will surely age gracefully. Tasted alongside Tardieu-Laurent V.V., Ogier le passage, and Ferraton SJ lieu-dit, all from the same vintage.

12/4/2020 - Timbalimba wrote:

Much more backward than the rest of the line-up, with quite a serious nose of salty tones of dried herbs, toasted oak, and medicinal aromas. The palate is backward too, displaying a spritzy mouthful with some trapped co2, slowly opening up to reveal inky Syrah aromatics of deadly serious dark fruits, dried herbs, offal. Getting better by the glass and this is really, really good, managing to combine the savage with the sublime. Will keep.
Tasted alongside Tardieu-Laurent V.V., Guigal SJ lieu-dit, and Ogier le passage, all from the same vintage.

12/4/2020 - Timbalimba wrote:

The prettiest of the lot with gorgeous violet perfume, freshly cut green herbs, wild raspberries, and sweet rubber (rather than burnt rubber) and licquorice notes. I would love to set it against some premium Oz specimens like St Henri or Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier. In fact it reminds me very much of the latter.
Tasted alongside Ogier le passage, Guigal SJ lieu-dit, and Ferraton SJ lieu-dit, all from the same vintage.

12/4/2020 - Timbalimba wrote:

Very attractive Syrah notes with good balance, clean black fruits, garrigues, freshness and poise. Tasted alongside Tardieu-Laurent V.V., Guigal SJ lieu-dit, and Ferraton SJ lieu-dit, all from the same vintage.

11/30/2020 - Timbalimba wrote:

Reticent nose at first, but the palate doesn't hold back with plenty of immediate firepower on display in a dense, monolithic chunk of a wine. Suckling called it chalky and for once I agree with him. With oxidation some very attractive Riesling fruit aromas start to develop which deflect some of the brute force but this bottle is a showcase for expensive acidity and minerals. And they come in spades, both in terms of a core of liquified rock but also tannin and grape skin acidity. Nice to try young but I would hold on to these for 10+ years. Impressive. Very good value.

11/7/2020 - Timbalimba wrote:

Fragrant nose, deep Cab aromas of cedar, violet, black and blue fruits, a touch of minty herbs. Sleek on the palate, very polished, more red fruits than on the nose, integrated silky tannins, good acidity that keeps it in shape. There's definitely a tone of the dark green fresh herbs that shine in Catena's greatest Malbecs--- cilantro, mint, holy basil, freshly cut. Pauillac meets Mendoza. I love it. Very easy to drink right now and surely rewarding cellaring, although I am not sure what it will look like. The previous style of Nicolás turned barnyardy and rancio with age but I haven't a clue as to the future of this very refreshing new style. Exciting. They are clearly on a roll right now and I would venture the opinion that this is a bargain at 75 USD or thereabouts.

10/17/2020 - Timbalimba wrote:

Catena are finding their path here and this is just great, from the outset, perfect white soft cork and marvellous perfume released, pitch black in the glass but not opaque, hinting at careful winemaking. Pure, prancing, great breed, well delineated, superbly defined, with wild raspberry and plenty of red fruits, violet aromatics, no dirt, expensive tannins. Fresh and crisp on the palate despite its weight. Long, harmonious, playful finish. Not sure about long term prospects but this is the summit of Argentinian CF along with Piantao et al. Quite similar although distinct to the great single vineyard Malbecs from Catena. Multidimensional, perfumed, balanced.

9/7/2020 - Timbalimba wrote:

This producer is new to me, and I don't always agree with Halliday, but in my opinion this wine is seriously underrated, or maybe it's just a great vintage. As with the best of the Chards from Oz, there is a fine balance struck between Puligny and Meursault with very clean Chardonnay headlines of peach and melon, restrained oak, great greengage aromatics, and a spotless, racy delivery. OK, no acidic fireworks like the best from Burgundy, but this is about a fifth of the price so no complaints. Excellent, doesn't tire my buds, I could drink gallons of this.

9/7/2020 - Timbalimba wrote:

Profound nose of dark fruits, tar, charred oak, Brighton Rock, ripe black cherry. Generous palate, ripe fruit, smooth tannins, very ripe dark fruits but not overripe. I've tried the village wine, the VV village wine, two 1:er Crus, and the other Grand Cru (Mazy) from this vintage and I have to say this is the most accomplished of the lot. You can discuss value for money and the merits of the '18 vintage (very volatile) but this is the best I've tried from F Esmonin in this difficult year. I would say this is a match to a good 1:er Cru from a good producer in a decent year. And I usually rate F Esmonin very highly when it comes to value for money, but obviously this was a challenging vintage.

5/16/2020 - Timbalimba wrote:

Closed, muted notes of nuts and hay. I have to say that this is very disappointing, a rather weak display of tired fruit and poor effort in the winemaking department. Usually, oxisidised wines compensate for lack of fruit and freshness by bringing extraordinary length or intensity but this is weak, lacklustre. Very poor value. At about a fourth of the money this would be acceptable but this is awful.

4/8/2020 - Timbalimba wrote:

Second bottle in the case, much better this time around, sweetly perfumed cool Cab aromatics of blue fruits, that delicious black cherry note I always find in Monte Bello, restrained oak, echoes of cold cuts of prime meat. Very well balanced, complex, only tantalisingly hinting at future glories. Will improve, no question, but already showing off.

4/8/2020 - Timbalimba wrote:

Tried on release, tried again after 5 months. Much better now, resolved, in harmony, although still young of course. Deep Cab cassis notes, some herbs, toasted oak, beautiful mint and eucalyptus overtones, some attractive volatile notes of the barnyard. Fleshy, ripe, yet cool. This is a very fine specimen, true to type, with perhaps more typical Oz flavours than I usually detect in WA wines, but it is straddling that line just perfectly. Wonderful.

12/3/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

Keeping in line with previous encounters, this is deceptively smooth, slowly revealing Asian spices and cool Shiraz fruit, displaying layer upon layer of restrained yet impressive aromatics. Judged on their own, Clonakilla wines can underwhelm, but next to others they tend to stand out, with impeccable balance and depth of flavours. This was no exception. Also, one of the few New World wines that work with classic haute cuisine.

11/1/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

These used to be heavier, more one-dimensional, more crude. Still forceful, I now see less of the heavy hands and more of Alejandro Vigil. Smoky, heady nose with toasted oak and pitch black fruits, licquorice, pencils and lead shavings. A very attractive palate at this young age, a full bag of fruits, forest berries, cream, tobacco. Complex and multi-dimensional. This is very good. And it retains its freshness (it didn't use to), with a wonderfully clean fruity finish. Long. The value was ok before but now it's approaching a bargain. Great stuff.

10/25/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

Tasted at the domain. Yes, it is more mature and more developed than the other specimens, but it still does not dominate the others. There is an abundance of toasted fruits and herbs on the grill, but it just doesn't possess the the power or purity of its peers. In the end, this is a great, individual, and different Rioja. But it suffered from the comparison to the other horses from the same stable. Great Rioja. Even greater peers.

10/25/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

Tasted at the domain. Still young, dense, closed, but there is an abundance of expensive fruits residing here, with blackberry, herbs, toasted oak. I'm probably a bit stingy with the scoring and I would love to see what happens in three to five years' time. 94-98

10/25/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

Tasted at the domain. It is impossible to resist the fresh wild raspberry aromas and flavours on display here, with the rest in a more or less perfect harmony. I just can't ignore the vibrant fruit it brings, and this specimen outperformed the GR and VdO on the day although it is supposedly inferior. Wonderful, fresh, alluring red raspberry.

10/25/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

Perhaps a bit more muted than in previous vintages, the Henri still brings all the raw fruit and freshly cut herbs that you could have wanted, with sloe and blue fruit aromatics, showcasing the virtual grassy knoll of everything herbal, mints and basil, toasted oak, fabulous viscosity. Fab intro to the greats of Penfolds although it's getting more expensive every year.

10/25/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

I had expected a dense black blockbuster reverse osmosis monolith, but it actually looks healthy and natural in the glass. The nose is a knockout, powerful heady notes of mint and rosemary, blue fruits, a backdrop of charcoal hot pebbles. The palate is settled, smooth, aromatic, with red fruits and hallmark McLaren Vale bacon and sweaty saddle, plenty of flavour but not overpowering, good acidity. Getting better by the glass. It's ready now but would probably benefit from a couple of years in the cellar, although I don't think it would improve with ten years' worth. It's new to me so I may be completely out of line. Anyway, this is very very pleasant and a fabulous new introduction. Dare I say good value? Not cheap, but certainly of premium quality.

7/27/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

The colour and the nose would suggest Syrah to me but the producer proclaims Grenache the lead character. Juicy, fresh berries and forest fruits against a backdrop of creamy oak. Still very primary at nine years of age which speaks for the quality of the fruit and the winemaking. Perhaps not the most complex of Cndp's but the purity of the fruit is very attractive and it carries its alcohol well. Very nice, in its category. Good value if you store it well.

6/24/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

I try to follow these in every vintage, best as I can, and this is the seventh out of a total of ten. The 2019 version, to me, is distinctly oriented towards citrus fruit aromas and perhaps in particular bergamot, with that spicy savoury lemon note against a tobacco backdrop. There's quite a bit of Asian spices evident as well, and a strong core of gunpowdery minerals that keeps everything together. Great acidity, soaring, like biting into a green orange straight from the tree. Long, complex finish, bidding farewell with a full blast of glycerides. Remarkable value.

6/13/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

Shy on the nose, closed, but there's something brooding here, cinnamon, bitter almond, star anise, wet undergrowth. Smells expensive, smells of Right Bank quality. Great Merlot fruit on the palate, sweet Asian spice, plenty of fruit but it is subdued (as it should be) by a plentiful of that savoury alluring mystery. Chewy, fresh on the palate, giving hints of greatness to come. This is like the perfect date. Intoxicating first glimpses of wonderful things to come.

6/11/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

Deceptively smooth at this stage. Deep blue fruit, sweet wild berries, cream. Notes of undergrowth starting to emerge as it aerates. Yet, and I am aware this borders on blasphemy, it appears short on bite in general and acidity in particular. I will have to revisit my notes and may live to regret them, but at this stage it is too polished. I was looking for the usual DdC suave silk and I found it but where is the bite and depth of that great Pessac terroir? Or am I just overwhelmed by a ridiculously balanced supercharged champion? In that case, and I rest it, this wine deserves 100 points. If not, this comes up short of the amazing '10, the great '09, and the wonderful '11, '12, '14 and '15s. Not because it's poor in any way but because it lacks the necessary bite.

6/4/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

Golden colour, confirmed by honeyed aromas in the glass, deep mineral notes combined with greengage fruit and a hint of caramelised butter, popcorn. Full bodied, expansive, with deep flavours of aged Chardonnay, cabbage, overripe melon, honey, matchstick. It's very pretty but perhaps lacking a notch or two of complexity and glamour. It stood up well to unpasteurised Camembert (no mean feat) and perhaps hid some of its greatness behind what appeared to be plain clothes rather than glitzy wear.

6/4/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

As is often the case with Burgundy, your expectations counts for very little once you pull the cork. This was obviously well stored (in my cellar) and still very fresh, with some wonderful youthful ripe fruit dominating both the nose and the palate, and only hints of tertiary development. In fact even the colour would suggest that this is seven or eight rather than twenty years old. There are the red fruits flavours that you'd expect, but not much of the Vosne aromas I had hoped for. No Asian spice, no decaying meat, but on the other hand a full basket of red fruits and flowers. Drinks rather like a supercharged (and very expensive) Beaujolais. Will keep.

6/4/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

Tasted alongside the Pichon Baron '96, perhaps unfairly, this showed a much more macho side with very strong tobacco aromas, a full box of Havannas, and a dominant meaty, gamey, barnyard aspect that wasn't unattractive but maybe in need of further integration. The fruit is still foursquare, stocky, with cassis overtones, and the tannin still bites. Who knows if it will resolve itself, given the vintage, but I found this one in want of a bit more TLC in a dark cellar before showing its best.

6/4/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

Wonderful wine at a wonderful occasion. Uncorked 24 hours prior to serving, gently introduced to fresh air and room temperature after 20+ years in my cellar. Starts off very quietly, slowly building confidence, hitting its stride after about an hour and two glasses down. It's beautifully sensually packaged, with deep blackcurrant fruit, vibrant aromas of violets, roses, cool wet earth, and the right amount of of secondary and some tertiary aspects of cigar box and cedar. There's also a red fruit note that I noticed recently in the '11, like wild raspberry, that provides testimony both to the terroir of the estate and the ability of Pauillac to churn out Cabernet aromatics like no other place on earth that I know of. It's just a beautiful wine--- remarkably fruity at this age, yet restrained, yet quietly flamboyant, combining fresh aromas with just the right amount of maturing flavours. A real treat and a privilege. Will keep

5/30/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

I agree with the previous note from 2xA. Pineapple, cardamom, red apples, hallmark Cali flavours (to me), quality oak. I'd wanted an extra push of acidity but this is well made and true to type.

5/29/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

I've tasted those over the past four or five vintages and I think this is probably the best of them at this early stage. Restrained toasted oak and no signs of overt malo, the fruit is pure and crisp, hallmark classy Chardonnay notes of various types of melon (honeydew, Galia, Cantaloupe, like a blitz of all of the green-yellow-blush types). Yes, it's Burgundian in style, very much so, but it doesn't carry the same kind of death-defying acidity and there are some distant hints of the Kiwi flavours of gooseberry and elderflower that you'd never find in the Cote d'Or. Doesn't matter--- great juice, very classically styled.

5/27/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

Shows plenty of sweet bramble fruit, expensive oak, and a very silky touch. But there's no depth to match all that fruit. I'd want some tannic bite, some savoury notes, and higher acidity to justify the price tag and give it a better sense of place. This drinks more like a streamlined Napa than a Left Bank Bdx.

5/24/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

I'm partial to the '01 vintage and this was another fine specimen of old skool Claret true to the cool and restrained type of wine that this year gave birth to in Bdx. Quite a bit of secondary and tertiary development on display, with barnyard, a full box of Havannas, and cured meats combining with some rather delicious cool blackcurrant and fresh sois-bois. Not flashy, not showy, just quietly determined.

5/5/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

I'm sorry but it is just flabby, dark concentrated fruit with no light and shade, with this overripe character that brings out the worst aspects of Malbec. These should be tight, cool, high acid, with floral fruit. Not this stew of blueberry and raspberry. High marks for quality fruit, poor marks for execution in the bodega.

5/5/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

What happened to Catena? Why did they stop the separate single parcel bottlings and replace them with these boring blends? Why release them so late? Did Alejandro Vigil take all the innovation with him to El Enemigo?

There's plenty of quality fruit in this one but it is overweight and flabby. I know how Catena's best Malbec tastes when it is fresh and unadultered. This is like meeting your teenage sweetheart after 25 years and she's gained 40 pounds.

5/5/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

Fresh and crisp, with some Semillon fat, clean and dry. It is, however, vastly overpriced. There's plenty of good value white Bdx if you choose carefully.

5/5/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

Not the easiest of vintages to showcase Pomerol but there's enough Asian spice here to settle any doubts as to the origins of this wine. Plummy, dark fruit, sweet tobacco notes, good acidic backbone. Good enough but not worth the asking price.

5/5/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

Very attractive nose, hallmark Claret, and great execution on the palate, smooth and balanced, almost creamy. The silkiness of this wine would suggest a completely different price. But here it is, weighing in at 10 euros (BRU duty free).

5/5/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

Good value everyday Claret, modestly dressed, nothing overdone. Classic interplay between earth, cassis fruit, and some toasty oak. My impression is that the Merlot did very well on the Left Bank in 2015, hence favouring estates with a larger proportion of it in the final blend.

5/5/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

This fellow suffered somewhat in the company of greater wines, but offers a very good representation of Chilean Cab aromatics, everything professionally executed. Perhaps lacking a bit of soul, something that turns your head, but very clean and polished.

5/5/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

Great juice. Very flattering whilst retaining a sense of order and structure. The Cab Franc here is expertly handled, no dirty undertones, with lush red fruits, creamy oak, and just a hint of cedar. Difficult to predict development (I am new to this wine) but currently it is drinking just beautifully. A pleasant surprise in many ways.

5/5/2019 - Timbalimba wrote:

Tightly knit at this stage, plenty of fruit, soaring acidity, integrated oak. Polished, hints of greater power under the bonnet, the acidity holds everything together. A very good introduction to the top tier of the Right Bank, at a decent price. Will improve, no doubt, and needs time to develop some of the finer points. 94-96?

9/5/2018 - Timbalimba wrote:

If you'd ever wondered about the term mineral (and I detest it and its apostles) this is the red wine to prove the point. Sure, plenty of plush fruit and exotic spice but the sheer force of the grainy, acidic purity saves the day. There's a spine and a core of uncompromising grit lifting the entire experience. The interplay between luscious fruit and fundamentalist purity is excilarating. Excellent.

5/24/2016 - Timbalimba wrote:

Good colour, vigorous. Tar, tobacco, sundried tomato, black cherry. Still fresh on the nose. Settled palate, juicy but restrained, good cherry and tomato fruit, layered. Long, settled, balanced, a nice surge of piercing acidity on the finish. Clean, yet tertiary, yet not lacking in power. Excellent stuff. Cracking value at 38 quid.