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Tasting Notes for Vintomas

(2,177 notes on 1,937 wines)

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White - Off-dry
12/27/2023 - Vintomas wrote:
92 points
Golden colour. An elegant nose of stone fruit, citrus, fried apple, petroleum and other developed notes (but not really any obvious botrytis that I can detect). Semi-sweet palate with very good acidity, again peach and other stone fruit, citrus and apples, good concentration of flavour, and a very fresh finish. Has the 2010-style freshness, clearly developed, but will keep for a long time, 92 pts.
(From a half bottle)
Red
12/4/2023 - Vintomas wrote:
88 points
Medium red colour, nose with ripe strawberries, hints of cherries and undergrowth, and minerality. Medium bodied, again strawberries and some cherries, very fine acidity, noticeable chalky(?) minerality, some tannins, and a rather firm finish. Drinks well now, could cellar for a long time, 88 pts.

This producer usually makes good wines, but I'd say that this 2015 is more impressive and less green than their "regular" Irancy usually is, so rather much like a good village-level wine from Côte d'Or (or at least Côte de Beaune).
White
11/1/2023 - Vintomas wrote:
91 points
A very fine nose with obvious but well handled oak including some smoke and hints of vanilla, ripe pear, citrus and mineral. Medium(+) bodied with apple, pear, citrus, fine acidity, mineral and a rather long aftertaste. Young but reasonably approachable, 91+ pts.

It is a well built and pure wine but a bit on the lean side for a grand cru, but that's probably to be expected in the 2021 vintage, although the acidity is not overly prominent. I expect this to improve with time as lead but well made Corton-Charlies typically do, but I have no experience from this specific producer.
Red
2020 Uvas Felices El Hombre Bala Vinos de Madrid Garnacha, Grenache (view label images)
10/7/2023 - Vintomas wrote:
90 points
Light red, clear colour. Elegant and "bright" berry-dominated nose with ripe strawberries, cranberries, some perfumed notes, some animal notes and herbs plus hints of undergrowth. Medium body, the same red berries as in the nose with good intensity of aromas, good acidity that provides freshness, fine minerality, some tannins and hints of bitterness, and a fresh aftertaste with some bite to it.
This wine drinks well now, comes across as surprisingly light and easy for its 14.5%, and is probably built to last. Just the style I expect from a new-style Vinos de Madrid! 90 pts.
Red
3/19/2023 - Vintomas wrote:
92 points
Elegant and discrete nose with mixed dark berries (dark plums, blackcurrants and dark cherries), some flowers and perfume, chalky and gravelly mineral notes and just a hint of leather and animal notes. The nose definitely developed (slowly) with air, initially it was quite closed and I only detected berries and some minerality. Medium bodied on the palate, very pure and elegant with berries, minerality, fresh acidity, somewhat prominent tannins and a long and fresh aftertaste. Very refined and elegant, sort of Burgundian and I guess true to the vintage character. Not much "funky" traditional Rioja character in evidence. This is going to need time to develop fully, and I want to revisit it, but in due course I think this will be a true beauty. 92+ pts.

Tasted from a half bottle, which shouldn't make too much difference at this stage of its life.
6 people found this helpful Comment
White - Sparkling
4/24/2022 - Vintomas wrote:
95 points
A typical powerful Bollinger-style nose with red and apples, apple compote/cooked apple notes, some peach, some spice notes including pepper, a herbal hint, hints of truffle some nuts and other developed notes. Already in the nose it comes across as a somewhat mature (and really good) Bollinger rather than a young one. On the palate there's a lot of concentration, the same fruit components, good acidity and a bit of spice. Ready to drink now, but built to last, 95 pts.

This champagne was much more approachable than I had expected, and slightly better. For those who enjoy Pinot Noir-style champagnes with some weight this one is pure joy and more user friendly in its youth than 2008 was! The bottle was disgorged in March 2020.
8 people found this helpful Comment
White - Sparkling
4/23/2022 - Vintomas wrote:
92 points
Nose with ripe green apples, mineral, toasted notes that shows some of the oak, as well as just a hint of green notes. Fine concentration on the palate, high acidity, again green apples and mineral, long and fresh aftertaste. Young now, could possibly improve with aging, 92(+) pts.

I'm not very impressed by 2011s in general, but this is a good effort for the vintage (which seems to be better for blanc de blancs). While it goes have weight and shows its oak influence, it isn't quite a stereotypical CdC: it's not quite as concentrated or vinous as they usually are, and the nose currently goes more in the direction of toasted notes (think Dom P) rather than smoky notes. Perhaps a bit more of a typical BdB than a CdC.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White
3/18/2022 - Vintomas wrote:
88 points
Golden colour. Fine and developed nose with ripe stone fruit, dried fruit and some honey, some spice, mineral note and a hint of petrol. Slightly off-dry (as indicated on the scale on the back label, my guess would be something like 10-15 g/l), stone fruit, apples and pears, hints of dried fruit, some spice, good acidity and fruity aftertaste. Well balanced, still drinks well, 88 pts.

This is a wine that has most of its "stuff" in the right place, but what holds me back from scoring this wine higher is that it is lacking that little "extra" on the palate. A similar wine from a top producer would show more concentration on the palate, and possibly even a little better acidity to balance the off-dry tendency (which I don't mind as such - it can be a very good thing when you want to pair the wine with food). At the time of purchase (2011) the Cave Hunawihr enjoyed a very good reputation and may have been the best cooperative in Alsace. However, I would say that they produced consistently good rather than excellent wines that were excellent value. And of course, this is a lieu-dit ("premier cru" if that had existed in Alsace) rather than a grand cru. But possibly I'm being too harsh.
Red
2/2/2022 - Vintomas wrote:
91 points
Nose with cherries with some blackcurrants and red berries, mineral (gravel), some leather and hints of garrigue, oak vanilla and flowery notes. Medium bodied with aromas of cherries, red berries and blackcurrants, good acidity, minerality of the gravelly kind and some tannic bite. A fresh aftertaste. Rather firm at this stage, developed in the glass, could benefit from time in the cellar, 91(+) pts.

The 2008 is definitely lighter in style than my recollection of 2006 and 2007 but has a fine balance.
4 people found this helpful Comment
White - Fortified
1/26/2022 - Vintomas wrote:
91 points
A very fine Palo Cortado with a nose of dried fruit, toasted hazelnuts, some almonds, chalky mineral and some floral notes. The palate shows the same notes, depth of flavour and high acidity. 91 pts.
Red - Fortified
1/24/2022 - Vintomas wrote:
89 points
A typical port nose with blackberries, prunes, some liquorice, violets and crushed stones, and not too much developed notes. Medium or medium plus sweetness, OK body, pure palate with blackberries, prunes and raisins, rather mild tannins, and a berry-dominated aftertaste. Drinks well now, will last but not really in much need of further cellaring, 89 pts.

On my palate, this port reminds me more of a well-made LBV from a good year than a typical vintage port, also when I factor in that a 2012 typically would be a "Quinta port". Most Quinta ports from the best houses would be a bit more concentrated, tannic and spicy than this wine. (It's also slightly cheaper than the most well known quintas, and priced not too much above LBVs from well known houses.) So stylistically it's more on the sweet than the tannic side.

This is a recurring Symington bottling for UK supermarket chain Sainsbury's. In the past it has been released both in widely declared port vintages and in other years.
Red
2010 Château Chasse-Spleen Moulis en Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
1/24/2022 - Vintomas wrote:
89 points
Classical nose of a Bordeaux that is starting to mature, but is not quite there yet, with blackcurrant, some tar, hints of dried herbs, smoke, barnyard aromas and leather.
Medium bodied with blackcurrants, gravelly mineral, rather high acidity, some tannins (not too much, but probably made more prominent by the acidity), fine balance and a fresh aftertaste with some tannic bite.
Stylistically it reflects what I expect from Moulis - more elegant than heavyweight - and 2010 - purity, high acidity, and made to last.
It's somewhat approachable now but ideally I'd give this at least another couple of years to show more developed notes. 89+ pts.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
11/4/2021 - Vintomas wrote:
87 points
Light red colour. Nose with cranberries, some candied berries, menthol, a bit of perfume, some chalky mineral notes and possibly just a tiny whiff of volatile acidity? Medium (-) body, red berries, good acidity, mineral, and some tannic bite. This is a rather lightweight and accessible Barolo but it has fine balance and you could cellar it if you want to. 87 pts.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
11/4/2021 - Vintomas wrote:
88 points
Light red colour. Subdued nose with cherries, some spice notes that give me an impression of some oak, hints of orange zest and some perfume. Medium body, red berries and cherries, good acidity, gravelly mineral, and medium tannins. Rather dark fruit notes for an "entry-level" Barolo and while not too complicated, on my palate this wine could benefit from some more time in the cellar. I guess it's the vintage speaking. 88(+) pts.
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Red
2009 Château Haut-Chaigneau Lalande de Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
8/16/2021 - Vintomas wrote:
89 points
Deep colour. Nose with dark plums, fruitcake, blackberries, liquorice, and mild spices, just a hint of herbs, and some flowery notes (lavender?). Palate with medium+ body and ripe darkish berries, good concentration of generous fruit, noticeable tannins that dries out a bit towards the end. The aftertaste is long with ripe berries and some tannins. Drinks well now but no hurry to finish, 89 pts.

This wine has come around fine since my last note five years ago. It still comes across as ripe in a "warm climate style", but the oak has integrated rather well. While it doesn't scream "classic Bordeaux" it's well within the range of contemporary right bank styles, and definitely did its job with fine piece of beef. It probably was in a "dumb phase" when I tried it last time.
Red - Fortified
8/14/2021 - Vintomas wrote:
89 points
Deep red colour (but no longer purplish or compact). Nose with red berries, dried red berries and prunes, some spice and perfume, hints of developed notes. Medium body and concentration, red berries and prunes, quite good acidity, comes across as slightly less sweet than many vintage ports. The aftertaste is quite long,

A decent and balanced vintage port that has more or less come into its maturity. Not quite as concentrated or backward as many other 2000s. 89 pts.
White
8/13/2021 - Vintomas wrote:
86 points
Medium yellow colour. Discretely fruity nose with peach, some mineral, and hints of straw and wool. Medium(-) bodied on the palate with citrus, peach, good acidity, and green apple finish. Fresh and balanced, although perhaps not too complex, drinks well but not tired at all, 86 pts.

This Sauvignon wine (from your ungrafted vines planted in 2000) was probably not intended to be cellared for this long. It is one of those "odd bottles" in my cellar that I thought I'd use in a tasting, but then never gotten around to open until now. It doesn't really show much of the typical (young) Sauvignon Blanc aromas. I never tasted it young, so I can't tell if it is because of its age or because it showed more ripe fruit aromas from the start.

And a disclaimer: I'm probably even a bit more frugal than usual with my scores for most Sauvignon Blanc wines. (In Loire, I tend to like Chenin Blanc better.)
White
5/17/2021 - Vintomas wrote:
89 points
Typical good young Silvaner nose with apple, other fruit, mineral and green/vegetal notes. Medium(+) body, fully dry, with apple, other fruit, some vegetal and green notes, hints of spices, medium+ acidity, fine mineral notes, and a rather long aftertaste. Young and with a food-friendly profile (probably from the rather long maceration), could benefit from some additional aging, 88(+)/89 pts.

I'd describe this as produced in a style somewhere between the light and fresh Silvaners (typically Kabinett trocken) I enjoy with white asparagus and the more heavyweight Silvaner GGs that (especially after a few years in the cellar) pair well with cold cuts, but perhaps closer to the GGs.
White
5/14/2021 - Vintomas wrote:
87 points
Bright yellow colour. Nose with ripe yellow fruit, tropical fruit, some honey and roses, and a hint of ground pepper and other spices. Slightly off-dry on the palate, again ripe yellow fruit, some citrus, quite decent concentration of fruit, medium acidity, hints of spice.

Not the most oily of Gewurztraminers (and it is an entry level of wine) but a fine balance on the palate. Drinks well, not very developed for its age (screw cork). 87 pts.
White
3/30/2021 - Vintomas wrote:
93 points
From a half bottle. Bright yellow. Powerful nose with ripe citrus, some stone fruit, mineral, some petroleum notes and a bit of perfume. The palate shows good concentration of ripe citrus, good (but not really high) acidity, mineral, slight bitterness and hints of spice, combined with a long fruity aftertaste. Drinks well now, will keep, 93 pts.

To me, this is a powerful food wine rather than a sipping wine. As dry wines go, the impression is off-dryish rather than bone dry, which I suppose is because of the ripe vintage and the concentration. While I never expect a Künstler Hölle GG to be shy, this is perhaps more in the style of the Hölle Goldkapsel trocken releases. (There wasn't one in 2015, as the grapes were used for an Auslese Goldkapsel instead.) 14% alcohol on the label of a GG always makes me worried, but to me, this wine stays just on the right side of the border. You can feel some of the alcoholic heat on the palate if you look, but it is balanced by the excellent concentration of the citrus fruit. I wanted to revisit this in half bottle format to see how it had developed, and I'm left with a positive impression of this wine's balance and potential for further cellaring.
White
3/30/2021 - Vintomas wrote:
91 points
Tasted from a half bottle. Medium yellow. A characteristic mature "big" Gewürz nose with ripe tropical fruits and ripe citrus, honey, some spices and aromatic oils, and a bit of perfume. (The nose could lead you to think that this was a VT or other sweet Gewürz.) The palate is concentrated and almost dry with somewhat oily character, peppery, with some mineral, and medium minus acidity. A fine, concentrated and dry-style Gewürztraminer which is mature, but much more youthful than I expected from a half bottle going on 16 years of age! 91 pts.
Red
2/13/2021 - Vintomas wrote:
91 points
Fully developed but not old, with aromas of red berries, including some lingonberries, animal notes, good fruit concentration on the palate and "filed down" tannins. Restrained alcohol feeling for being a Châteauneuf. Really fine, 91 pts.
Red
2014 PerSe Volare del Camino Gualtallary Malbec Blend, Malbec (view label images)
3/24/2021 - Vintomas wrote:
93 points
A cool style nose with dark fruit, chalk dust-style minerality, and some flowery notes. A palate with fine concentration and good balance showing blackberries with some dark plum, gravelly mineral notes, fine acidity, tannins that are mostly velvety but still with some bite and dryness to them, especially towards the end. A long and fresh aftertaste with some of those "dryish" tannins thrown in. Young, but reasonably approachable now, should improve with cellaring. 93+ pts.

I especially like how this wine combines ripe dark fruit with minerality, freshness and balance. My lack of experience with this producer and with this type of "restrained" Argentine Malbecs means that I find it difficult to guess what will happen to it in the cellar, and how quickly.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
2006 Château Coufran Haut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
11/20/2020 - Vintomas wrote:
86 points
Nose with "right bank-style fruitcake" notes, dark plums and dark cherries, some spice, some chocolate and developed notes. Medium bodied with sweetish dark and red berries, some tannins with perhaps a little dry edge to them, good acidity, perhaps a little short on the finish. Nice maturity, drinks well now, not at all old, 86 p.

Some other vintages of Coufran have perhaps been more impressive, either in terms of concentration or the amount of classical mature notes at a similar age, but on my palate there's nothing wrong with this bottle.
Red - Fortified
5/17/2020 - Vintomas wrote:
91 points
Still a compact dark red colour. Nose with blackberries, dark cherries, liquorice, some prunes, and hints of violets. Sweet on the palate with fine concentration of berries, the same berry notes as in the nose, smooth and well integrated tannins, well integrated alcohol, and a long and berry-dominated finish. Drinks reasonably well now, will mature further, 91 pts.

This port definitely exceeded my expectations based on previous notes from various sources. The excellent 2000 vintage is showing its strength also here, in a house perhaps more noted for its colheitas. I would say that this wine is now somewhere between young and mature. There aren't really any tannins left that need to be "filed down" for this port to be enjoyable, but it hasn't really acquired the character of a mature vintage port. Currently, I found it to go well with chocolate desserts (to me, a sign of youth) as well as cheeses.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
3/30/2020 - Vintomas wrote:
88 points
An almost bright red, clear colour. Nose with raspberries and cherries, undergrowth and some animal notes, hints of spice and oak. Medium bodied(-) with sour cherries and cranberries, high acidity, very fresh, just some tannins. Drinks well now, should keep, 88 pts.

I guess this wine reflects its origin by the undergrowth in the nose and its high acidity.
Red
3/17/2020 - Vintomas wrote:
89 points
A berry-dominated nose with cherries, some ripe strawberries, some undergrowth, and hints of oak barrel notes. Medium body with fine concentration of berries, again ripe strawberries and cherries, some tannins and just a hints of peppery notes, sufficient acidity to provide balance, and a fine berry-dominated aftertaste. Drinks well already but will keep, 89 pts.
Red
3/3/2020 - Vintomas wrote:
90 points
Nose with ripe red berries, some dried or candied berries, roses, a bit of chocolate, some warm earth and other hints of developed notes. Medium body, red berries with hints of dark berries, a bit of dried berries, some spices, a bit of alcoholic bite, fine mineral notes, still some tannins with some "dry edges" to them, aftertaste with berries and tannins. (Still) drinks well now, but unlikely to improve further and more likely to start declining. 90 pts.

This is a serious wine for a "plain" Barbaresco. I'd say that it shows some modern style, but not in an exaggerated way at this developed stage, and that the palate of this bottle showed more development (and "drying" character) than the nose. The mineral notes is one of its definite plusses.
Red
3/1/2020 - Vintomas wrote:
86 points
Nose with cherries, hints of mixed forest berries and undergrowth, some flowery notes. Medium minus body, cherries and some raspberries on the palate, good acidity that provides freshness, and barely noticeable tannins. Fine balance, good freshness, well polished, drinks well out of the gate but could of course be cellared for a while, 86 pts.

This is a quite decent négociant Bourgogne rouge, with darker fruit than sometimes seen, which I suppose could be both due to the ripe vintage and the old vines indicated on the label. This was my first encounter with an Agerter wine. I've often seen them in airport shops in the last couple of years, so I thought I should finally try a bottle now that the entry-level red was of a suitable vintage. This wine was somewhat better than I had expected.
Red
1996 Viader Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
2/22/2020 - Vintomas wrote:
90 points
A rather developed nose with ripe dark berries - blackcurrants and dark plums - some vanilla and moccha, hints of mint, some developed notes with barnyard aromas and leather. Medium+ body with sweetish dark berries, fine acidity, well integrated tannins, and a fresh aftertaste. Napa style but fine balanced. Fully developed but sticks together nicely, 90 pts.

This is frankly younger-styled than I had expected and if this bottle is representative, it should be able to keep for several more years.
Red
2/8/2020 - Vintomas wrote:
91 points
Deep red with a medium red edge. A fine nose with ripe dark berries, a bit of animal notes - blood and abattoir - some liquorice and tar, some oak with hints of spicy notes, and slight flowery notes. Medium+ body with ripe dark fruits, good acidity providing freshness, some tannic bite but they are rather smooth and mostly integrated, and a fine aftertaste with dark berries and some tannins. Drinks well now, nowhere near "tired", 91 pts.

I remember this as approachable at least 5 years ago, and then perhaps more ready than the Brune et Blonde 2005. It seems it has stayed mostly the same since then!
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Red
2/8/2020 - Vintomas wrote:
95 points
Compact purplish colour. A young, powerful and elegant nose with ripe dark fruit including blackberries, liquorice and some tar, some flowery notes. Full-bodied but fresh, with the same dark notes as in the nose although with more presence of tar notes, fine acidity, prominent but well embedded and rather silky tannins, some "gravelly" minerality and a long aftertaste with tannins. Young but reasonably approachable, will improve with further cellaring. 95(+) pts.
From a magnum.
Red
1/13/2020 - Vintomas wrote:
90 points
Rather deep colour. Nose with dark berries including blackcurrants, some violets, hints of iron/rust, barnyard notes, animal notes and vanilla. Medium+ body, palate with rather dark berries including dark cherries and blackberries, good acidity providing freshness, softened and well integrated tannins, long and fresh berry-dominated aftertaste. Drinks well now, not at all "tired", 90 pts.

This wine comes across as considerably younger in its aromas than I had expected.
Red - Fortified
1/1/2020 - Vintomas wrote:
93 points
Brown color - no reddish tint left - with a lighter edge, slightly hazy (which probably is an effect of time in bottle). Powerful nose with walnuts, caramel and burnt sugar, various dried fruits including some dried red berries, oiled mahogany wood, and a whiff of volatile acidity. Sweet with fine concentration and high acidity, caramel, dried fruit aromas including red berries (perhaps more on the palate than in the nose), some pepper and other spices, and a very long and pleasant aftertaste. 93 pts.

This was a 2010 bottling of the 1952.
White - Sparkling
12/26/2019 - Vintomas wrote:
92 points
Nose with ripe yellow fruit including yellow apple, some yellow plums and some citrus, quite a lot of toasted notes, some smoke even, some brioche, hints of pepper. Medium bodied on the palate with citrus, green and yellow apples, good acidity, fine mineral notes, and a long and fresh aftertaste. This batch drinks well now but might develop with further time in the cellar. 92 pts.

Well composed, elegant and easy to drink, rather than a concentrated Champagne. Stylistically it seems not very far from Dom Pérignon, especially with the toasty nose.

A bottle purchased in January 2019. No indication on the label as to which batch it is, but judging from published reviews it might be #23 based on 2006/2004/2002, which was the current release at least in late 2018 and early 2019. (From #24 the batch is supposed to be indicated on the label; #23 in magnum.)
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
12/21/2019 - Vintomas wrote:
91 points
Reminds me of the 2013 tasting note, but more developed and perhaps with a bit more sweet fruit. Fully developed, unlikely to improve, but not yet old, 91 pts.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Rosé
12/21/2019 - Vintomas wrote:
87 points
Salmon coloured, just slightly hazy. Very elegant nose with raspberries, orange peel, chalky mineral, and just a hint of "funk". Medium minus bodied with raspberries, some grapefruit and green apples, mineral, quite prominent acidity and a long fresh aftertaste. The palate has a bit of a "typical natural wine" stamp on it. It showed better and gave a more food-friendly impression when served not too cold. While it has many attractive notes, it's score is held down by the palate being a bit too acid-dominated and the fruit a bit on the lean side. 87 pts.

Those who are very much into "natural wines" may very well rate this higher than I did.
White
12/20/2019 - Vintomas wrote:
88 points
A fine and quite Meursault-like nose with yellow apples and yellow plums, some smoke and hints of nuts. Medium bodied with apple and yellow fruit, good acidity, fine mineral notes, and a fresh aftertaste. Perhaps a bit lighter on the palate than the nose would have you believe, but a fine and balanced wine at the village level. Drinks well now but might improve with cellaring, 88(+) pts.
Red
12/3/2019 - Vintomas wrote:
89 points
Nose with blackberries, some red berries (cherries and cranberries?), tar and liquorice, animal notes (a bit of meat, fur and abbatoir), some black pepper, and hints of mint. Medium boded with dark berries on the palate, prominent acidity, just a touch of bitterness, some tannins but not too prominent, and a balanced aftertaste. Drinks well now, 89 pts.

I find a tasting note from May 2010 which is surprisingly similar; the animal note was present already then. This makes me believe that this wine could be kept for several more years, but then, it is a 2005.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
12/2/2019 - Vintomas wrote:
90 points
Nose with cherries including hints of overripe fruit, some undergrowth and hints of green notes, mineral, and some pleasant animal notes. Medium bodied (or slightly less) with mineral and very fine acidity on the palate together with red berries and cherries (but the minerality dominates over the fruit), rather soft tannins, and a long, fresh and mineral-dominated aftertaste. This is a bit on the light side, and probably shows cold vintage character, but it is very finely balanced. 90 pts.

It shows well now, but I wouldn't mind cellaring this for several years longer.
Red
2004 Château Leydet-Valentin St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
12/1/2019 - Vintomas wrote:
85 points
Much seems similar to my 2012 note, but it seems less "warm" and a bit more classic in its notes. The slight bitterness makes me keep the score at 85, otherwise it would have merited a slightly higher one. It still has tannic bite left, so it can be cellared longer.
Red - Fortified
11/9/2019 - Vintomas wrote:
92 points
Still an opaque, purplish colour. Nose with dark berries including blackberries, chocolate, some sweet notes of dried and cooked berries, hints of tar and of volatile acidity. Semi-sweet on the palate, dark berries, good concentration of fruit, very fine acidity, some spices and tannins, and a long fresh aftertaste of slightly tart berries. Very finely balanced (the 16.8% alcohol is not much in evidence) rather than a blockbuster in terms of sweetness. Doesn't show much age. 92 pts.

This not refers to the 2007 Rivesaltes Grenat
Red
11/1/2019 - Vintomas wrote:
86 points
Mostly young nose with strawberries, cherries, some dried red berries, spice and oak, hints of flowery notes, and just a hint of undergrowth and developed notes. Medium bodied minus on the palate with strawberries and raspberries, prominent acidity, and some tannic bite. A fresh aftertaste, again with acidity and tannins mixed in. Drinks well now, could develop further, 86 pts.
A fresh and balanced wine "on the lighter side", which hasn't developed any tertiary notes yet, so I definitely see this sticking around for another half a dozen years, if not much more.
Red
10/8/2019 - Vintomas wrote:
89 points
Nose with ripe blackberries, dark plums, some iron/rust, and hints of liquorice and pepper. The palate shows good concentration of fruit, with the same fruit notes as found in the nose, fine acidity that provides freshness, some tannins, and a balanced aftertaste with berries, tannin and freshness. Drinks well now, will keep for many more years. 89 pts.

As usual for Guigal CdR, this is a bit like a softer, juicier interpretation of Crozes-Hermitage. They are often surprisingly long-lived, which is attested by the youngish style of this bottle. Of course, the 2010 vintage in both Rhône and France in general is made for the long haul, with good acidity. This special bottling for Danish wine merchant Philipson (and their 25th Anniversary in 2012) has a slightly higher proportion of Syrah (60%) than the regular bottling (49% in 2010) and is a very fine CdR.
White
10/2/2019 - Vintomas wrote:
88 points
Discrete nose with pear, citrus, some mineral and hints of flowery notes. "Fully" dry on the palate with apple, pear and citrus fruit, medium body, prominent acidity, some peppery notes, and a long fresh aftertaste. Young, fresh and balanced, 88 pts.

The acidity is high for a Pinot Gris, which is probably due to the vintage. The acidity and the dry profile makes it come across as quite Grüner Veltliner-like at this young stage!
Rosé
6/25/2019 - Vintomas wrote:
89 points
Medium pink colour. Nose with raspberries, red currants and some grapefruit including hints of grapefruit zest and hints of spice. Good concentration of fruit, red berries and some citrus fruit, good acidity, (chalky) minerality, some spice and noticeable tannins. Fruity aftertaste. Definitely a wine for food rather than a "sipping rosé", 88-89 pts.

In a style typical of Mordorée Tavels, where I often find noticeable tannins. It seems to show good weight in this vintage, which is probably to be expected from 2018s.
Red
5/25/2019 - Vintomas wrote:
89 points
Nose with cherry, ripe strawberry, some forest floor, some perfume and a bit of forest floor/undergrowth together with some dried fruit/liqueur and burnt notes. Medium(+) body, cherry and ripe strawberry, good concentration of fruit, mineral and some mid-palate viscosity, very smooth, and with just a bit of alcoholic bite which stays in the aftertaste. Drinks well now, may keep for a number of years but I don't really think it will improve, 89 pts.

Kistler Pinots are known for getting quite diverging reviews. To me, this 14.1% wine is an ambitious Pinot Noir (obviously based on very fine grapes) that is good, but unfortunately a bit overripe and a bit too alcoholic for its own good. I suppose I have given it a somewhat rare score, since reviewers often go higher or significantly lower than my 89.
Red
4/14/2019 - Vintomas wrote:
90 points
Nose with ripe strawberries, some cranberries, some dried red berries, hints of truffle, and some flowery notes. Medium bodied with strawberries and cranberries including hints of bitter notes, good acidity. fine and pure berry notes, rather well integrated tannins, and a berry-dominated aftertaste. Drinks well now, will keep, 90 pts.

As is usually the case for Valmaggiore, this wine presents a rather soft and accessible version of Nebbiolo. I suppose the ripe vintage has helped this style further.
White
2/26/2019 - Vintomas wrote:
86 points
Medium yellow. Nose with ripe citrus fruit, apples, stony minerality and petrol notes - a typical developed Riesling nose. Dry but not bone dry on the palate, medium bodied, citrus fruit, some green apples, pure fruit notes but not too concentrated, some minerality, fine acidity and a fresh aftertaste. Fully developed but still fresh, 86 pts.

Federspiel is perhaps not the typical wine to save this long (the more "well-stuffed" Smaragds are more for keeping), but it has kept quite well. I'd say it comes across as less than 11.5 years, but that's likely the effect of the screw cap.
Red
1/23/2019 - Vintomas wrote:
89 points
Nose with cherries, rather ripe strawberries, some undergrowth and spices. Definitely a Pinot nose. Medium bodied and juicy palate with strawberries, rather good acidity, slightly spicy and with some mineral, some tannins but not too prominent. Fresh aftertaste. Drinks well now, will keep, 89 pts.
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