4/23/2019 - bza Likes this wine:

I’ve been lucky enough to have had this fantastic wine several times before. But this time it was truly spectaular. It’s full, rich and creamy. Yet so precise and pure in every detail, with layer upon layer of complex flavours. Creme de cassis, blackberries, pencil chavings and cigar box. Super long and multidimensional. Still, It has a long life ahead of it.

2/15/2019 - bza Likes this wine:

Wow! What a fabulous Pauillac from SA. Needed a lot of air to really open up and shake off that burnt rubber notes. Full, ripe, dry and creamy dark fruit with great focus and poise. Cassis, dark plums, spices and tobacco notes in a long savoury finish. Best BX-blend I have had from South Africa.

10/4/2014 - bza wrote:

Drinking great right now. Rich and smooth with mouth watering acid and complex aromas of flowers, raspberries, soy, leather and iron. Had it with porcini and pork fettuccine with parmigiano and thyme, a perfect combination.

7/15/2014 - bza Likes this wine:

Still young. Needs a lot of air to open up. Very elegant, creamy and smooth on the palate. Velvety texture, layer upon layer of sweet black fruits, minerals and licorice. Nicely integrated oak and very long finish. Fantastic!

7/5/2014 - bza wrote:

Tight, very dry and restrained. It leaves a cool impression but right now the oak is overpowering the fruit. Dark berries, tobacco, lead pencil and cedar on the palate but this clearly needs time in bottle to fill in and balance the oak. I won't touch another bottle for years.

7/4/2014 - bza Likes this wine:

Incredibly complex and rich. Everything in this wine is so precise. Layer upon layer of smoky and dusty mineral, butter and lemon. The oak is just perfectly integrated and adds a perfect roundness to the palate. I just love this wine!

6/15/2014 - bza wrote:

Ripe and full bodied and fleshy. The nose bursts out of the glass with roasted hazel nuts and ripe lemon. This is very rich and fat and has a great amount of fresh acidity, but it doesn't show the minerality and sappy edge that one might expect. Not sure about this as it is much more evolved than I expected. Need to try another one soon.

5/18/2014 - bza wrote:

This is a big, bold and tannic wine. A bit rugged and not the most elegant Sperss I've had. It seems that the oak is not fully integrated in this wine yet. On the other hand this wine was given several hours of air, and kept improving all night, with the best glass beeing the last with licorice, tar, cherries and flowers bursting out of it. It will probably need a few more years to integrate the oak.

5/18/2014 - bza Likes this wine:

Huge nose packed with flowers, red berries, tar and spices. The fruit is so intense and pure and concentrated as well as extremely well balanced, elegant and very long. I thought this would be in a difficult stage right now, but it showed out to be drinking very well. Great wine!

4/27/2014 - bza Likes this wine:

Very dark and meaty Beaujolais with big fruit and a velvety structure. Great balance and ripe flavours on the palate with dark berries, nuts, raw meat, mint and a root cellar note that reminds me of Domaine de la Butte´s Bourgueil Mi-pente in a nice way. This is not as floral or aromatic complex as the Chapelle des Bois, but it´s still great!

4/21/2014 - bza wrote:

Dried out and too much oak. Lacking balance. This bottle has seen better days..

3/30/2014 - bza Likes this wine:

Double decanted. As always this is a real treat. In a tasting with both of Bruno Gisacosas Riservas from 2001, this was not too far behind in quality. Seductive on the nose with red berries and sawdust. Very traditional and dry on the palate with grippy tannins and great acidity. Lots of red berries, licorice, flowers and tobacco. Long and tasty. Great!

3/30/2014 - bza Likes this wine:

Double decanted. Great wine. Pure and focused. One of the best bouquets I have ever experienced in a wine. Kaleidoscopic nose with all kinds of flowers, dark berries and spices, incredibly complex. On the palate this is just perfect. Very creamy and complex fruit, layer upon layer. Perfectly balanced and pure. One of the best wines I have ever had. Tasted alongside the Rabaja Ris 2001, this was the clear winner.

3/30/2014 - bza Likes this wine:

Double decanted. Massive wine that changed dramatically back and forth during the evening. Obviously Still in a dumb phase. Dark fruit with notes of very ripe raspberries, cherries, tobacco, dark chocolate and dust. It went back and forth of being pure, focused and oaky, to dusty, earthy and too oaky. This is clearly a great wine with endless layers of complexity, but it really needs more time to integrate the oak. Tasted alongside Rocche di Falletto Ris 2001, which was the clear winner this evening.

3/7/2014 - bza wrote:

2 hours of air gave this superlative Fleurie a very rich and creamy texture. Perfect balance with sappy mouth watering acid and a very complex palate with notes of flowers, chocolate, radishes and mint. Very long and seductive. More like a Chambolle in style than Beaujolais, in fact i must say it is the best Beaujolais I've ever tasted.

3/3/2014 - bza Likes this wine:

I thought this would be in a difficult stage, and it started off as too sweet, awkward and oaky and really needed some time to air out the oak. After two hours it started to open up and a very complex bouquet of violets, spices, coffee, marzipan and clay emerged. Still on the youth side and no sign of secondary notes, but open and ready to drink with a 2-3 hour decant. The last glasses were truly great!

2/14/2014 - bza Likes this wine:

Tiny bubbles. Very well balanced with great acidity and creamy texture. Very harmonious. Freshly baked wheat buns, apple kernels, mineral and honey on the palate. Long creamy finish. Drinking really well now, but no hurry.

10/18/2013 - bza wrote:

Second bottle consumed with consistent notes. Medium body, nicely balanced and generous. Notes of toffee, dark berries and oak. It´s a solid, neat wine. But it just don´t do it for me. It lacks personality and to be honest, I find it quite boring..

8/27/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

Interesting to compare with the Riserva Rancia 06 which i had a couple of days ago. This is a more modern wine with more generosity of sweet ripe fruit and cleaner, less bretty feel. It´s a bit more linear and maybe lacks the personality of the Rancia, but it is a very complex, generous and lush wine with great depth. Very Tuscan with dark powerful fruit. Lots of sour cherry, dried herbs, black tea, tobacco and gravel dust. The oak is a bit prominent right now, but it will easily melt down in this wine within a couple of years.

8/18/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

Decanted for 3 hours. Surprisingly open for a 2010. Very intense both on the nose and on the palate. Very energetic, laser-like focus and very complex and broad on the palate with notes of grape fruit, flowers, honey, peaches and sea shells. Maybe a bit more linear than the 09 which i prefer, but still great!

8/15/2013 - bza wrote:

Pnp. A bit inside out and restrained the first 30 minutes or so, then the buttery and slightly peppery fruit emerged. Very primary and very pure fruit in the core. Prominent but not too heavy oak. Butter, nuts, vanilla, white pepper, pears, candied citrus and iron on the palate. It lacks a little concentration and is a bit too short in the finish to really impress at this stage.

7/15/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

This needs a lot of air if opened now. This bottle showed most complexity on the second day. Dry, very sophisticated, very pure and elegant. At first there were only the taste of pure mineral and liquid stone and i thought it was a bit lean. After a lot of air, notes of peach, apples and flowers emerges and it shows great intensity and expression in the finish. This is a truly ultra elegant expression of Riesling and it needs more time.

7/2/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

Balanced, smooth and with fine grained tannins. Sweet ripe and intense fruit with great focus. Dark cherries, dark chocolate and dusty gravel kind of mineral notes, sweet tobacco and black tea. Very well integrated oak. Very long. This has great harmony and is drinking really well now. Super!

6/20/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

Very dry, austere and a bit inside out at the moment, I thought this would still have some baby fat, but no. Red currant, sour cherries, raspberries, coffe beans toffee and some dusty chalky notes on the palate. Great structure with fine grained tannins and high acid. The oak is a bit prominent right now, but i´m sure this will turn out really nice as it clearly has a very complex core of fruit underneath.

6/19/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

Full bodied, fat and powerful. Oily texture, very concentrated and with really good acidity. This is quite complex with lemon oil, minerals, green and yellow apples, nuts and nicely integrated oak. Drinking great now, but no hurry.

6/19/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

Serious Barbaresco, cool and concentrated. Quite tough tannins but with massive dark fruit to hold it up. Licorice, flowers, dark plum and some riserva notes like balsamico and botti on the palate. One of the tougher Produttoris I´ve encountered. I like this a lot!

6/18/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

Very elegant, mature and smooth Champagne. Nicely toasted on the palate with notes of nuts, brioche and honey. Perfect balance, no hard edges. This is really drinking well right now.

6/13/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

Rich and floral red fruit with raspberries, cherries, fudge and dusty gravel notes. Full bodied with silky refined tannins, great acidity and very intense ripe and complex fruit on the palate and a nutty finish. This is very enjoyable now, but no hurry.

6/4/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

Surprisingly full bodied and fat. The fruit is ripe, deep and really intense and at the same time it shows terrific acidity and balance and gentle oak treatment. The palate is packed with mineral notes of flint smoke and crushed stone, ripe lemon and peaches. Great length and great qpr!

5/26/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

PnP. Started slowly and needed an hour of air to reveal itself. This is a perfect wine, powerful yet elegant, very concentrated, kaleidoscopic complexity, impeccably balanced and unbelievably long.

5/26/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

Meaty nose with blood, blueberries, pepper and licorice notes. This is a big powerful wine with loads of sweet ripe fruit and notes of crushed stone, dark berries and nicely integrated oak. It´s quite tannic and the maybe a little bit more robust than its sibling. Still open, but will probably shut down sooner or later.

5/4/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

It has the classic dark Cornas fruit with tulip, tapenade, mineral and flowers along with some black tea and marzipan notes. The fruit is very ripe but at the same time very fresh and pure and balanced. I really like the complexity and grip of the 2010, but it´s not a 100 point wine..

4/28/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

Very pure and focused. Chalky minerality, nice grip, fine grained tannins and very good balance. Dark cherries and flowers dominate the palate. This is a bit cooler than the 2007.

4/14/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

I totally misjudged this one. I thought this was too warm and alcoholic and pruney. But this last bottle i had really improved with a couple of hours of air and showed a lot more focus. Fresh figs, tobacco, leather and licorice on the palate. Firm tannins and great balance. Long finish.

4/14/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

Fresh ripe lemon and oyster shell, impeccable balance and a toasty finish. Nice, but not as great as the 2002.

4/7/2013 - bza wrote:

This bottle was brought by a friend and had been stored in room temperature since purchase, which probably made it a bit more developed. Balsamic notes, dark cherries and dust on the nose and palate. This tastes like a Brunello Riserva imo with its slightly oxidized and balsamic oak wrapping around the core of dark fruit, dark chocolate and black tea. A good showing, but would probably be a more focused wine if stored right.

4/7/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

This is such a beauty. Creamy and rich fruit with perfect balance. Dark fruits, root cellar notes and minerals. Very enjoyable.

4/7/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

Rather odd nose with iron, beef blood and blue berries, smells more like a CdP than a Nebbiolo. Medium bodied, cool, tight fruit with a really nice freshness to it. This is a serious Barbaresco with great depth and tannic structure. A bit restrained at the moment, but it is utterly balanced and packed with minerals and pure dark fruit.

4/1/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

Classic Northern Rhone nose of meat, iron and white pepper. This is a much more civilized wine compared to the 09 at the same age. Full bodied, cool, very complex and dry on the palate. Dark fruit, perfect balance and very enjoyable even at this stage. Beautiful!

4/1/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

First time i try this wine. It oozes out of the glass with red berries and freshly cut flowers. The viscosity and creaminess of the fruit combined with mouth soaring acid and stunningly rich fruit is just great! Very complex on the palate with layer upon layer of red berries, whipped cream, exotic fruits and perfectly integrated oak. This is easily one of the best Super Tuscans i have tasted, including everything that ends with "aia".

4/1/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

Very dark, opaque appearance. Beautiful nose with dark berries, radishes, different kinds of root crops, dusty root cellar and well integrated oak. This is really nice and pure and has great personality. Medium bodied, really good grip with great balance and a dry, complex palate. I really like this!

4/1/2013 - bza wrote:

Big wine. Full bodied, tannic and surprisingly high in acid which just seem to balance the warmth and massive fruit of this vintage. Very primary of course. Dry on the palate, dark fruits, lots of oak, animalic notes and mocha. A bit four square at the moment, but i think this will turn out great with age.

4/1/2013 - bza wrote:

Ripe lemon, apple kernel and loads of oyster shell minerality. Very pure, great balance. No hurry..

3/16/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

Bright ruby red. Not huge, but very complex and elegant nose of red berries like strawberry, red currant and raspberry. This wine of course needs a couple of hours of air to really shine at this point. But when it does, it´s a masterpiece. The fruit is round, delicate and incredibly elegant, with tons of bright red berries, unsmoked cigar, leather, menthol and dusty gravel kind of minerality. This is so focused and precise and balanced on the mid palate, yet tannic and cruel in the finish when it reveals it´s true heritage of Serralunga. It´s in need of just a couple of more years in the cellar to melt down some of the harshest tannins. This is world class and it makes me wonder how good the red label Riserva is going to be.

3/14/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

This Champagne had a somewhat reversed development during the evening. It started off with a huge bouquet of yellow apples, nougat, toasted nuts and a some slightly oxidised notes, which was very nice indeed. A couple of hours later it became a even more sophisticated wine, fresher with more mineral and fresh green apple notes and with even more depth and balance. I´m sure this will age with beauty for several more years.

3/14/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

Surprisingly opaque and dark appearance. Huge nose with profound depth and complexity. Concentrated and tannic, super complex and at the same time weightless and beautifully balanced and pure. If this would have been tasted blind, i would probably never even been close to Loire. This actually resembles a classic right bank Bordeaux like Cheval Blanc, it´s that good!

3/14/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

Pnp. Open and very complex on the nose, with new nuances every time you put the nose to the glass. Dark ripe fruit, licorice, leather, truffles and violets. Open and fleshy and very ripe dark fruit on the palate. This is much more forward than the 04 with its warm, ripe and slightly pruney fruit, and maybe lacks the freshness and focus of that wine. The bouquet is the truly great thing about this wine, it´s totaly mesmerising and developes to a real beauty with some air, which makes it hard to stop smelling it. Enjoyable now, but probably better within a couple of years.

3/9/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

This is in its sweet spot and drinking really well right now. meaty and dusty mineral notes on the nose. Medium body, smooth texture, fine grained tannins, wonderfully balanced and fresh acidity and with fully integrated oak. Lots of mineral on the palate, crushed stone, meat juice, dark cherries and white pepper.
Great qpr.

2/3/2013 - bza Likes this wine:

Not at all what i expected, i thought this would be a big, bold, fruit bomb with over extracted fruit and too much oak. But its not. This is a medium to full bodied, dry, and elegant wine with wonderful balance and expression. Notes of dark plum, clay, farmyard, provencal herbs, licorice and minerals. Sure, there is a little brett, but this is a cool and focused wine of great class.

12/29/2012 - bza wrote:

This is fully mature and clearly not one of the best vintages of this wine, but still alive and neat with food. Medium bodied, mouth watering acid and soft tannins, but maybe lacking some concentration. Iron, meat gravy and soy notes on the palate. Drink it soon.