2/14/2022 - bopal Likes this wine:

Light/medium straw with greenish tinge. Very aromatic, with floral and tropical fruit notes (melon, passion fruit). Opulent and honeyed texture, with an almost tropical muskiness suggesting sweetness to come – but instead, a bitter/savoury pink grapefruit note emerges mid-palate growing stonier and more saline at the finish. Texture and marked contrast between nose and palate remind me of Gewurztraminer, but with higher acidity. Quite a mouthful, interesting and complex. Will age second bottle a few years. Diam 5 closure.

9/19/2021 - bopal Likes this wine:

Fruit-shy and aromatically reserved at first, savoury/peppery/earthy character reminds me more of Syrah. Really blooms with air, taking on leafy/floral notes with red berry fruit – the richness and sweetness of the fruit hinting at the solar vintage. Not lacking in acidity though. Even better on day two with lovely floral/berry patch/turned-over soil aromatics wafting everywhere. A superb effort.

9/15/2021 - bopal Likes this wine:

Not an overly big wine, but intensely savoury with smoky bacon and briny black olive notes weaving in and out of the dark currant/berry/floral palate. Seems at once ripe, tart, and saline, depending on the mouthful. A wine of complexity and character, surely one of the finest Syrahs made in Canada. Co-fermented with 3% Viognier. Diam closure.

4/28/2021 - bopal Likes this wine:

Light-bodied, with very good aromatics and flavour intensity – all raspberry bush and strawberry leaf, with floral notes adding complexity. Juicy, bright, very food friendly (great match with roast pork, potatoes and red cabbage salad). A lovely style of Pinot, very true to its County origins.

1/12/2021 - bopal Likes this wine:

Youthful, dark red appearance. Has some green/leafy character, and tart/lean red fruit. Tannins still quite prominent. Fills out, becomes rounder, denser, more balanced on day two. Excellent, but perhaps needs more time.

1/18/2021 - bopal Likes this wine:

Soil driven savoury wine, with lovely finesse and silky texture. Has a deep mineral core, with a touch of brine, maybe even soy sauce. Hints of dark cherry and cherry skin emerge with air to add depth and complexity. Incredibly drinkable and food friendly, with hidden depths to spark one’s imagination. Tannins are pure silk. 90-year-old vines from two plots (Le Créot and Pince-vin, a total of 1 hectare).

1/20/2021 - bopal Likes this wine:

Earthy but lithe, with briny acidity. More roundness and dark fruit expression on day two, with prominent floral (red and dark flowers) notes emerging as well. Savoury and elegant.

2/2/2021 - bopal Likes this wine:

Horribly stiff dry cork, one of the worst I’ve ever seen, had a devil of a time trying to extract it, finally got the ah-so around it. Maybe it was done intentionally to prevent oxygen egress, since the wine looks like it was purchased yesterday – inky purple-red with some pink highlights. Palate is classic Sangiovese dusty cherry yet there is a roundness and breadth to the fruit, along with modern and very stylish oak treatment and velvety tannins. Alternates between savoury and fruit forward. Lots of pleasure to be had here, for some time to come.

2/16/2021 - bopal Likes this wine:

Spicy cedar, soil, and sous bois elements, tannins are still relatively firm but well-integrated. A dark, structured expression of Volnay. Very good.

12/12/2020 - bopal Likes this wine:

Creamy and gently sweet with a touch of smoke, and little of the toasty sharpness of many champagnes. Back label says taste is reminiscent of chestnuts and banana, and damned if that isn’t all I taste after reading that – more on the savoury unripe side of banana. Maybe a touch of preserved lemon or grilled pineapple as well? Multilayered, really holds one’s interest. Graceful and unique.

12/10/2020 - bopal Likes this wine:

Dense and honeyed texture, but palate expression is very dry (Indice 2) with great cut. Slate, citrus and peach, zest and pit, with saline tones emerging on day two. Prototypical, classic, pure. Great wine. Z-H isn’t always consistent, but the highs are very high indeed.

12/3/2020 - bopal Likes this wine:

Dark gold/bronze colour. Medium-bodied, muted at first with some buttery notes, but develops a densely mineral/stone mid palate, resonating and rippling out as it warms. Fantastic structure, with great breadth and depth. Day two shows more prominent acidity, with stone fruit notes. Splendid, especially for a village wine.

9/9/2020 - bopal Likes this wine:

Nose of honey, lemon zest and crushed rock. Texture is so honeyed, with delicately sweet pear-like fruit nicely cut by savoury/zesty/rocky mineral notes. Really fantastic, complex, balanced; so many elements, but great harmony makes it incredibly drinkable.

10/12/2020 - bopal Likes this wine:

Bacon/smoked meat nose. Pretty deft touch for a solar vintage, with a lovely Burgundian peacock-tail lift on the mid palate. Dark just-ripe-enough fruit blends with smoky spicy tobacco notes on the finish - this still has some tannic bite. Superb match with Thanksgiving dinner: roasted goose legs with potato, acorn squash, Brussels sprout tips/leaves, and homemade elderberry preserves.

9/23/2020 - bopal Likes this wine:

Rich bronze/caramel colour. Full texture, but very dry with incredibly racy acidity. Amazing almost painful intensity, reminds me a bit of a young Verdelho Madeira. Savoury notes of orange zest, brine, almonds, nut skin tannins. Best drunk without food.

10/9/2020 - bopal Likes this wine:

Greenish gold. Stelvin closure, fairly youthful appearance but some signs of aging as well. Prominent petrol on the nose, joined by lemon, zest, and slate on the palate. Vibrant, indeed quite tart, but with enough richness and ripeness to provide balance. Excellent with Vietnamese squash and shrimp soup, spicy basa fillets, and rice.

10/2/2020 - bopal Likes this wine:

Gushing with dark juicy blackberry fruit and earth, with a touch of spicy pepper. No meaty leathery secondary flavours. Still young and tannic, but you barely notice with everything else going on. Drinks like a dream with lamb burger.

11/19/2020 - bopal Likes this wine:

Very dark colour, almost rose with hints of caramel. Ample but bright, with caramel sweetness offset by round orange-flesh acidity and a pleasingly bitter almond skin finish. Still has a lot going on, despite the obvious signs of age.

11/17/2020 - bopal Likes this wine:

This is terrifically dark and brooding, all smoky/spicey earth tones combining in different ways with virtually every sip. Not a hint of sweetness or astringency, just pure silky grandeur. Aristocratic.

10/28/2019 - bopal Likes this wine:

Still a fairly dark hue of purple/red. Classic nose of dark fruits & cedar/pencil shavings. Blackberry, blueberry, and plum skin on the palate, with a hint of higher-toned Tuscan acidity that fades soon. Has an elegant stately oak presence that blends seamlessly into the fruit, not a hair out of place. Velvet tannins. Silky smooth, effortlessly balanced, this oozes class. Fades somewhat on day two, probably best to drink soonish.

10/28/2019 - bopal Likes this wine:

Aromatic with lots of bright crunchy dark and red fruit and savoury floral tones; concentrated and expansive with a hint of sweet oak spice in a supporting role; there are probably tannins hiding under all that fruit; delightful.

11/23/2018 - bopal Likes this wine:

Fragrant floral nose (violets); crunchy blackberry fruit on the palate with a cured meat quality and purple flowers coming back at the finish, along with a touch of black pepper. Lively acidity with a slightly saline quality, and light tannins. Lip-smackingly delicious in an early drinking style.

8/1/2017 - bopal wrote:

Nicely floral, medium-rich, has a savoury/dry musky note at the finish (from the Pinot Gris?). Very quaffable, but more complex than a simple vin de soif. Lovely for what it is, and thoroughly enjoyed by all. Pinot Blanc, Riesling, and Pinot Gris.

8/2/2017 - bopal wrote:

Advanced deep gold colour. Nose and palate are fresh though, with vibrant lemon acidity and a complex pith/saline pebble minerality coursing through the midpalate, all enveloped in a lovely creamy texture that staves off any impressions of leanness or austerity. At 12 years old, pretty amazing. And it cost all of $19.

8/3/2017 - bopal wrote:

Lovely limpid dark ruby colour, with an utterly beguiling fragrance of red flowers (roses, or peonies). Deep rich cherry fruit envelopes the palate, with an underlying red plum-like tartness and earthy/herbal cherry pit, baking spice, and sage bass notes. Full tannins blend seamlessly into the silky texture. New World expression of a cool vintage. Becomes just a little more astringent the next day, so maybe best to drink while still on the fruit. Young (2006-07) vines. Fermented and aged in concrete eggs, no oak. Quite lovely.

8/9/2017 - bopal wrote:

Nose of sweet macerated cherries. Palate is quite acidic though, with fruit tending towards the cranberry end of the spectrum. Some volatility, but in the desirable range for me. A bit lean and green on the finish, with a herbaceous minty quality. Tooth staining tannins. Interesting, and not without appeal, especially with food. 100% Sumoll from Catalunya (Penedes).

7/23/2016 - bopal wrote:

Lovely raspberry patch of a nose. Fresh red berries and currants on the palate as well, with some green leafy notes. Not super-concentrated, but very flavourful with crunchy intensity. Nicely done and excellent QPR.

9/9/2016 - bopal wrote:

Off the grid, organic mom-and-pop operation - solar and geothermal powered. Natural yeasts only. Fruit is 90% destalked. This was a bit volatile when tasted at the winery, but no such worries with this bottle. A lighter-bodied style (only 11% ABV), with great aromatic presence and lovely sweet/tart cherry fruit on the palate. Just a hint of old wood and the barest hint of tannin. Quite persistent for all its lightness, and an excellent match with food. A discovery.

9/14/2016 - bopal wrote:

A bit of a shape-shifter. Seems earthy, spicy, and oak-inflected at first, but then takes on a rounder dark and red berry fruit character. Resolves into a kind of savoury/meaty minerality, with quite a silky mouthfeel. Holds one’s interest, but never really melds into something special.

12/7/2016 - bopal wrote:

Amazingly pale greenish yellow. Vibrant palate, with intense lemon, lemon curd, and honey notes rippling through the long mouth-watering finish. Grassy/mineral notes emerge with air, along with a bit of toast. Feels like it can go a lot longer. This is a corker.

12/13/2016 - bopal wrote:

A dramatic amber/orange colour. Rich honeyed nose. Full on the palate as well, with lovely, slightly cooked peach and apricot notes. Sweet but with a fresh acidity and spicy minerality that linger, and a wonderfully smoky honey character that really fans out on the long finish. Gorgeous wine. A top example of the style.

12/18/2016 - bopal wrote:

Lots of lemon and grapefruit up front. Finishes strong and dry on a smoky mineral/stone note, with a seam of citrus acidity. Not a cuddly wine, but very good precision and concentration. Probably could have lasted a few more years.

12/15/2016 - bopal wrote:

Sunny floral tropical fruit nose. Palate is slender and linear, offering up notes of fresh grapefruit and white flowers. Dry and delicate, with none of the off-dry richness one sees so often in Alsace. Quite lovely in its own way.

2/27/2016 - bopal Likes this wine:

Spicy old cigar box and sandalwood on the nose, some dark fruit as well. Soil tones and spice (anise, licorice) on the palate, but plenty of fruit as well. An especially lovely lifted dark fruit note (black cherry? blackberry?) emerges and teases the senses at mid-palate. Dusty tannins add a bit of grit, but this is a sensual and captivating wine.

2/27/2016 - bopal Likes this wine:

Still quite a light straw. Lovely creamy texture, with delicately sweet peach notes and good acidity. Marked by a bracing slate mineral character, especially on the finish. Has held together very well, quite a lovely showing tonight.

2/13/2016 - bopal Likes this wine:

Deep burnished orange colour, like fire in a glass. “Like eating a cookie in a flower garden”, says E. Floral tropical fruit nose. Huge rich dense wine. Complex interplay of sweet, floral/perfume and savoury/bitter notes on the palate. White flowers and vanilla wafer on the entry and mid-palate, with orange marmalade coming in on the finish. Some tannic bite as well, like it had some skin contact. Quite an experience to drink this.

2/13/2016 - bopal Likes this wine:

Delicately tart red cherry and cassis fruit weaves its way through a medley of herbs and spices (rosemary/thyme, anise, cloves, and a touch of pepper) and earthy minerality. A really nice balance of earth and fruit, fully mature and mellow with tannins fully resolved, but built on a distinctly savoury/spicy/mineral structure. Finesse and character shine through. Mainly Syrah, with some Mourvèdre and Grenache.

2/5/2016 - bopal wrote:

Sweet ripe black cherry fruit. Some darker earth-inflected licorice and tobacco notes as well. Tannins clamp down hard on the finish. Decent enough, but a bit on the ripe/jammy side for me.

2/4/2016 - bopal wrote:

Pale yellow. Yeasty, chalky nose. Fine rich texture with creamy mousse, sweet biscuity notes, low acidity. Chalky mineral mid-palate adds structure. A bit short on the finish. Pretty good. 50% Xarel-lo, 40% Macabeu, 10% Chardonnay.

3/6/2016 - bopal Likes this wine:

Tart green fruit on the nose, but with a tropical roundness to it as well (passion fruit). An herbal/grassy element too. Lovely round texture and concentration, with a tart juicy gooseberry/passion fruit character on the palate, along with fresh cut grass and a touch of anise/fennel adding herbal complexity. Effortless match with Chinese food (tofu and asparagus in black bean sauce, plus shrimp in a sweet/salty/sour sauce). Excellent.

2/2/2016 - bopal Likes this wine:

Very light yellow. No yeast, just refreshingly tart apple and peach flavours coursing through the fine mousse. Light and easy drinking, but not lacking in stony/peach pit mineral complexity. Fruit forward but dry, and very food friendly. Excellent for what it is. Vidal and Riesling, tank fermented (Charmat method).

1/28/2016 - bopal wrote:

Earth and dark fruit (blackberry) on the nose, with a high-toned soy note as well. Soil tones on the palate as well, supported by a hint of sweet/tart blue and black berries, and old wood. Powdery tannins add texture to an otherwise velvety soft wine. From the website: “long-ageing wines, which over time develop sweetness on the palate, giving a characteristic silky and velvety mouth-feel”. A pretty accurate description, as it turns out. Good solid stuff, if not terribly exciting.

1/20/2016 - bopal Likes this wine:

Medium straw/yellow. A very mineral expression of Riesling, from the petrol infused nose to the rocks and bitter/savoury grapefruit/pith character on the palate. Completely dry, but has some peachy density and roundness, with fine acidity coursing through on the long finish. Very nice indeed. From old vines in the Grand Crus Geisberg and Osterberg in Ribeauvillé.

1/15/2016 - bopal Likes this wine:

Deep burnished gold colour. Butter and smoke on the nose. There’s a lovely honeyed richness and softness to the palate, but tart/savoury lemon, lemon zest, and white flower notes provide lift and resonance. Well-integrated toasty oak on the long finish. Really very good, as it should be. Nearing the end of its life though, as oxidation had begun to set in on the second day.

1/12/2016 - bopal Likes this wine:

Very lively palate, with lemon and tart green apple giving way to chalky mineral and bitter orange zest. Vinified in oak barrels and it shows in the wonderfully creamy yet effervescent mid-palate, and in the bit of buttered toast on the long tingly finish. Lovely texture and balance. Top stuff. 50-50 Chardonnay/Pinot Noir from Lieu-dit Les Blanchiens (which has replaced Fleur de Mareuil as the current name of this bottling). No dosage, I believe.

1/9/2016 - bopal wrote:

A spicy anise note on the nose. Bright red cherry fruit on the palate, tart but also a bit candied, with some dark earthy/meaty notes as well. Soft tannins. Not very complex, but shows good intensity without much weight (12.5% ABV). Outdone at this price point by several Beaujolais, to be fair.

1/8/2016 - bopal Likes this wine:

Juicy/tart red fruit - cherries and red currant, with a touch of beet-like sweetness. Despite the lively acidity, offers quite a smooth ride finishing with a hint of old wood and a whisper of tannin. Not very complex, but quite a succulent Bourgogne. Punches above its weight class.

1/6/2016 - bopal Likes this wine:

Very nice texture, full but intense and focused. Lemon notes at first, framed by a honeyed roundness and a medium long stony/saline mineral finish. Very nice.

1/4/2016 - bopal Likes this wine:

Cherries and cherry hard candy, earth with some leafy character, and old wood spice. Long mouth watering finish. Silky tannins, with a bit of fuzz to them. Walks the line between lean and ripe. Lovely precision.

5/12/2015 - bopal wrote:

Amber/brown. Candle wax nose. Tastes largely dry at this stage of its development, with flavours of orange, zest, and baking spice. A bit creaky, shows good mid-palate intensity before struggling a bit to get through the finish without fading away.