7/15/2022 - aero wrote:

(375ml) Absolutely needs 3+ hours of air to gain weight. Pretty anemic on opening but impressive bulking with aeration. My previous note from April 2021 still rings true (91pt).

4/13/2022 - Watchster Likes this wine:

All I can say is wow! This is by far, for my palate, the best white burg deal on the planet. Nose of honeysuckle. Medium body. Taste of pear and milder acidity than most other white burgs. There is a vanilla creaminess that reminds me of a Meursault. Not the most complex finish, but it is intriguing. This wine punches way above its class. Just ordered 6 more bottles.

9/1/2021 - @yourfavoritewino Likes this wine:

Light and tasty

4/2/2022 - Vintuition Does not like this wine:

Soyons non seulement honnêtes.
Ne soyons pas influencés par des notes superflues
Vin horrible. Je l’ai acheté à cause du trend.
C’est ma deuxième mauvaise bouteille. Demain je la retourne au 3/4 plein avec la 3ème.


Content de compter sur la connaissances et mes goûts et non des inventions malintentionnées.

* les bouteilles n’ont ps été endommagée dans le transport ou autre. Seulement un mauvais vin. Arrêtez de trouver des excuses.

2/26/2022 - atllam Likes this wine:

Purchased off the list at Saison. No decant and didn't need it. Still in a very enjoyable drinking window with some evolution over the hour+ it was consumed. Nothing really dominates; just well-balanced and elegant right now, though I suspect you wouldn't want to hang on to this much longer.

2/4/2022 - Laz4wine Likes this wine:

Pro reviews all on point, with WS92 notes most like my own...fairly chewy dusty tannins still, smoky toasty oak is a bit more overt than necessary but core of dark fruits and generous herbs and spices still shines through. Nice length and cherry-berry tartness on the gravelly finish, this proves to be a great buy in nearly every vintage. Hold 2 - 3 yrs before last one, CT's 2065 seems ridiculous, where in the world did that window come from???

9/23/2021 - Twopawsup Likes this wine:

Pale lemon color with slow legs. Banana, oak and butterscotch on the nose. White pepper on the tip of the tongue followed by a mixture of tropical fruit. Long creamy finish.

2/8/2022 - Laz4wine wrote:

Well WTF so disappointing, similar to DJC...was this a Top 100 or some stupid rating to make me bet on buying 3 bottles? Decanted for nearly 2 hrs then served with chx parm w/pasta and it's pretty much a mess of a wine. The funky smells did blow off slowly, then wall of bitter dark choc, dry sour cherries and balsamic dominate the palate. Fruit is so dark/plummy and bitter it was tough to enjoy modestly w/o food on every sip. Acidic and chewy, this either is variation or outright poor quality as I don't expect 5 or 10 years is going to correct the situation here. NR as perhaps it got cooked, but I tend to doubt it from experience...unless it died in shipment. FFFF

5/28/2019 - Bud Kreuzer Likes this wine:

Love this wine. Wine Spectator number 57 on the top 100 wines of 2016 with a rating of 91 points. Incredible value at $13 a bottle at Costco we bought 3 cases and use as house wine. 50 percent Syrah, 30 percent Grenache, 20 percent Mourvèdre. Nose immerced in garrigue; the Languedoc ground cover over the limestone soil made up of lavender, thyme, rosemary, juniper. Plum and black cherries with scents of blueberries and licorice. Palette showed huge fruit and the 14 percent alcohol when real young, this has matured into a sound and integrated foundation that is smooth and balanced. The finish is clean with a bit of spice. Perhaps it will be offputting at first for some but for me I see the clear blue skies and feel the warm sun of the Langeudoc in ever sip. Drink now at it's peak, it's not going to get any better with additional age.

1/27/2022 - der Schmecker Likes this wine:

I've sampled Carol Shelton wines and Wild Thing Zinfandel in the past and enjoyed the experience, but never became a devotee, someone who made the effort to seek out her wine. Probably because I enjoy sampling a wide variety of wine from regions all over the world and because there are quite a few Zinfandel producers here in California. Now that I have sufficient experience with other vintners, I'm glad that the Wine Spectator's designation of this wine as #43 of Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2021 caught my attention and motivated me to buy this bottle. I sincerely endeavor to support independent wine makers because I respect their courage.
I've always liked Carol Shelton's Wild Thing Zinfandel. The key is that the fruit is from Mendocino, not the sun-baked, highly alcoholic regions of Lodi or Paso Robles. Mendocino Zinfandel's are mellow. And that's good, a genuine plus. If a Zinfandel can grow in Mendocino to ripeness, it will usually be worth drinking. Here is the proof.
Wild Thing 2018 has a muted nose, middle density, fruit forward in a bouquet flowery way, just a nice drinking wine that would complement dishes ranging from fish to poultry to pork to beef: basically any food. Mellow. Smooth. Not special. Not write your best buddy about, but a welcome glass, a glass to savor and think "life is good." Thank you.

1/21/2022 - Motz wrote:

Tasted over two days.

Pure Syrah! Pure Cornas! In that pleasantly lean, blue berry, root vegetable, lit cigar, sappy, peppercorn, smoky style. Riveting tension, precision, and lift. Seamless balance, notably perfect oak treatment and imperceptible alcohol, gripping, and oh...so...very...long. This over delivered in every way. I should have bought a lot more of it for about $30.

9/5/2021 - GrapeScott wrote:

2018 BDX Blind (Chapel Hill, NC): #2 of 15 wines in our '18 BDX tasting. 89% merlot and 11% cabernet franc; 14.5% ABV. Admittedly, I threw this in the mix because it had an 100 point rating from Jeb Dunnick, and several other big scores from Suckling, Galloni and Perotti-Brown. This led to high expectations, and thus, a high likelihood of disappointment, particularly in a blind tasting. I Coravin'ed a glass 3 days before the tasting where my notes read: "Inky color with a rich, robust nose of charcoal, minerals, black fruits, cigar box and herbs. This is quite big and chewy, with rather chewy tannins, and flavors of bitter chocolate, black plums and ripe cherries, but it seems a bit hollow in the middle and shows a bit of heat. Seems somewhat unbalanced, and while the nose is lovely, it underdelivers on the palate." From the tasting itself (after a 6h decant, non-blind to me), my notes read: "really exotic nose of asian spice, kirsch, violets; rich, full-bodied, smooth long, smokey finish." Very solid wine, but no one in our group raved about it, and when revealed that this was the 100 pt wine, there were many surprised looks.

2/26/2020 - Laz4wine Likes this wine:

No expert on this varietal, but ARPERRYMD review was similar to our experience. Nicely balanced sipper as an aperitif or with lighter fare - complimented chicken w/ mushroom and smoked salmon on different nights. Not terribly complex, but enough zingy acid to be food friendly plus enough citrus/tropical/melon fruits and minerality to provide interest. Kinda fun and good sub for typical pinot grigio etc. especially at this price.

12/3/2021 - Laz4wine Likes this wine:

See SF's TN...potential for improvement, we'll see.

12/3/2021 - sfwinelover1 wrote:

Just another evening of good wine and cheer (Chilly Noe Valley): Brought by Laz to our tasting with the remainder left with me. Fairly robust nose and palate with forest floor, Xmas spice, red and black raspberries, earthy minerality and a pleasing black pepper kick. Medium ruby, light+ bodied, light+ legs. Medium+ acidity, medium- tannins, no heat. Good complexity, persistence and intensity. I'd not heard of this winery, let alone bottling, before, but I do have a fondness for WA Rhone syrahs (although Mouvedres aren't typically favorites). I wasn't able to taste this at our tasting--there were too many other things of greater interest--but the plus of that is that I'm able to give it closer attention on the next day. This has a nice Rhone spicy-earthiness, and is elevated by good freshness and the peppery kick. It's completely pleasant and moderately interesting, but doesn't leave me craving more and makes me scratch my head about Jeb's 96. Enough freshness to likely be solid for 5+ years, although I'm not certain significant improvement is likely. 90+

11/21/2021 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Similar showing aromatic-wise to my last bottle, but this is starting to open up a little. It still needed a good 2 hours decant though. An excellent Sangiovese that combines freshness and tension with deep Sangiovese fruit and aromatics. This has still a good 10-15 years of development ahead. I will try to wait with my next bottle for another 2-3 years.

10/27/2021 - Laz4wine Likes this wine:

Delicious and perfect foil for gourmet neop pizzas, esp. the Ezzo pepperoni and Italian sausage. No formal TN as the decanter emptied quickly, but recall earthy, dusty, rustic mocha cherries and anise galore...aromas/flavors directionally on point with the triple 95 pt WS/JS/D reviews (yes, even JS calls it right now and then). Agree with others this easily has 5 - 10 years of life in it and will reward patience similar to the 20 yr old Felsina Berardenga CC experience, will try to hold last btl until 2028. 93-95+ potential.

11/8/2021 - tarheel17 wrote:

This was a lovely surprise . Chris told me he bought “mystery wine” from a wine text site for budget price ($16?) and to say I was skeptical would be an understatement. But when I tasted it I congratulated him on finding the absolute best $16 pinot in the world. Definitely California fruit, my notes are from day 3 since it held up well for 3 days (corked) on the sideboard. I agree with the $40+ price tag.
Nose: berry & spice
Palate: elegant yet hefty. Smooth, substantial tannin. A little darker and a little more burly than the average.

6/30/2020 - csimm1161 wrote:

Translucent red and black berry, dried cranberry, cedar, forest floor, mushroom, tobacco leaf, and slight citrus rind. Medium-bodied, decent complexity (eventually), with a light and racy delivery that stays primary at times but also manages to work a decent enough amount of flavor expansion out of its core after 3-4 hours of decanted air to provide certain enjoyment.

This could use another 4-5 years to fully flesh-out. It’ll never be a powerhouse of a wine, nor an incredibly deep specimen, but instead impresses for its finesse and food-friendly demeanor. My girl liked it more than me, citing a nice cut and more biting (but not astringent) grip on the very tail. Definitely better with food. 93+ points for me. Hold until 2025 and hope the fruit stays fresh and relevant enough in the face of the acid. An enjoyable drink once it had time to air-out, if not an especially memorable one for me personally.

10/16/2021 - Decanting Queen Likes this wine:

This continues to be my out of town in a hotel buy it and pop it from Trader Joe’s go to wine. Ready to drink and so good for what it is. Maybe I need to pick up more for home drinking?

10/15/2021 - Renevin Likes this wine:

Nez bien expressif. Fruit rouge, pomme verte, epinard, même pétrole. En bouche tout est bien équilibré, les tanins sont doux, chaleureux. Très bon.

9/29/2020 - Laz4wine Likes this wine:

Expected more richness and body, fruit was muted, a bit thin and one-dimensional, hard to find typical magical florals on nose too. Perhaps an off bottle or still not RTD, may just need to be patient?

10/12/2021 - cjsadler wrote:

Not great on first night, much better on day two. Will let my last bottle wait a few years. Have some of their 2013 Chalk Hill Cuvee and that seems to be similarly shut down.

10/12/2021 - tomlee wrote:

Purple in color. 14.8% ABV. Splendid nose of red fruits, anise, flowers and pepper. Medium to full bodied with mouth watering acidity. Bursting with bright, juicy fruits. Black cherry, raspberry compote, licorice and pepper on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. Super Zinfandel. As good as it gets from the Dry Creek Valley. This will age well. Best over the next 3-5 years.

4/21/2021 - Vinnut Likes this wine:

Medium reddish garnet in color. Full, forward & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of cherries, strawberries & mulberries with overtones of floral notes of roses & earthy/dusty notes, spices, herbs, minerals & a slight hint of cedar in the background. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of sour cherries, strawberries & pomegranate with herbs, spices & minerals. Lingering finish. Although it is presently accessible with decanting & extended airing, it will definitely benefit & develop further with additional aging & perhaps rate a higher score (91+) at that time. It is in the more "modern" style of Barolo with an emphasis on forward fruit. Very good QPR when found at discount.

9/28/2021 - george mullen Does not like this wine:

Garbage not worth 3 dollars.

9/3/2021 - SMHalps Likes this wine:

Opened for 30 minutes, but not decanted, at a NYC Steakhouse. We had this alongside a 2015 Realm Falstaff, a 2007 Paolo Conterno Ginestra Riserva Barolo and a 2000 Chateau Gruaud Larose. Something has to come in last and this was it. Compared to my previous bottles, I was expecting much more, so despite the rating, I was disappointed. It just didn't seem as well balanced as the other wines. Not a bad wine, just in comparison, just not as good, it was the last one we finished, as everyone preferred the other wines.

6/5/2021 - Sundbyberg wrote:

My second Chapoutier Crozes Hermitage and this was quite different from the previous (just the Crozes Hermitage 2016), but just as good. Not the same depth as the Voge Cornas vielles vielles 2018 I opened yesterday, but the berries av loveley and the perfume is jus great.

Got fuller and gained depth after being opened for 4-5 days.

Had a Chapoutier Hermitage 2006 (l'Ermite) a couple of weeks ago, but that was just jam. This is much better. Highly recommeded and a steal at 20 usd.

8/15/2021 - Laz4wine Likes this wine:

I expect this will get much better in 2 - 4 years, nose reveals promise of cherry-oak staves, but palate just a bit too dusty, bitter, and tight/tannic covering up the red fruits and lurking vanilla-pepper spice. Decanted twice and drunk over 3 nights so suspect/hope it's simply hibernating and not ready for prime time given the bottle from ~3 years ago was delightful.

8/10/2021 - itsallaboutvinum Likes this wine:

👀 Deep Ruby
👃Aerate in glass for another half hour. This 2015 Denis Durantou wine opens up to black cherries and licorice. The attack are sour cherries. Swirling and introducing some air reveals more licorice and almonds at mid palate. Finishing with hints of vanilla.
👅 Full bodied, medium+ intensity, bright acidity. Velvety tannins. Well structured. Long finish. Rich, complex and elegant. Benefits with aging.
💭 The 2015 vintage is another amazing bottle from the vineyard of Denis Durantou . Full of potential. Can’t wait to open another in another 3-5 years.

11/6/2020 - Laz4wine Likes this wine:

Better than first bottle, opened up nicely with dark fruit and spice, touch of mocha, paired well w/sirloin and mushrooms. Smooth finsh, good value.

3/26/2020 - Laz4wine Likes this wine:

Studley notes pretty spot on - perhaps faded a bit but still lively and interesting as rose goes, total pain in the butt to store this sexy fat bottomed bottle, and not going to be any better than now - so drink up and make that rockin' world go 'round...

7/21/2021 - rcg62 wrote:

No rating (have a cold, my nose not up to it). Dark color. First taste out of bottle super tannic. Gave it a couple hour decant. Softened, but still a bit grippy. Definitely a “big” Bordeaux in style. But I don’t get the classic cab franc notes, which I suppose was disappointing as I bought it for that uniqueness (Italian CF). Suspect it needs 5 years. Think it’s nice one with time 90-94

7/18/2021 - markcic Likes this wine:

This wine is definitely improving. The bottle I had in May was better than I had last October and this bottle was the best of all. Unfortunately for me this is the last of the 8 bottles I bought way back when. The nose was floral with hints of lemon. The palate was some white flowers, lemon curd, peach and just a touch of vanilla. It was mildly oaked and finished beautifully. Served with Sunday sushi.

7/9/2021 - Laz4wine Likes this wine:

Critical reviews on point, very aromatic with red fruits, mushroomy earth and sweet floral-vanilla jumping out of glass. Loads of pure cherry-berry fruit on a broad frame with umami texture, silky tannins and nice length. Even made a non-PN drinker revisit it vs. his typical preference.

7/7/2021 - Laz4wine Likes this wine:

Tasty and similar to last TN, with touch of fennel and white peach, showed up in a mixed 6 and made a great book club summer sipper.

5/10/2021 - oakville72 Likes this wine:

A very tasty, indeed spicy Châteauneuf-du-Pape with a surprising amount of finesse and a long way to go. Bought it as part of a 4-bottle package from wtso.com — the other bottles being Cairanne, Gigondas and Crozes-Hermitage — for an astonishing $65 for the four. All in all, a super value, if you can find it.

6/12/2021 - chablis28 wrote:

More & more Italy is becoming "go to" for rose in my wheelhouse. This is my 2nd or third vintage & best yet. Loaded w/ strawberry & floral fragrances. Like everything Vajra makes, extraordinary balance & purity. Going back for more. Paid $16 locally. Easily drinks more like $25+. Comes w/ convenient picnic friendly screw cap. Said to be 85% Nebbiolo, 10% Barbera & 5% Dolcetto.

3/29/2021 - Vinnut Likes this wine:

Deep, dark reddish-purple in color, essentially opaque. Full, forward, & fragrant nose of intense, ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with overtones of briary & earthy/dusty notes, spice notes of cloves, pepper & anise, herbs, dark cocoa, minerals & a slight hint of cedar in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, plush, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with spices, herbs, minerals & dark cocoa. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & extended airing but has the fruit & firm structure to continue development with further aging at which time, I expect it to possibly score even higher (94+). However, it is wonderful in its youth.

5/9/2021 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine:

Retail $40(?). 59% Chardonnay, 41% Pinot Noir. I did not have high hopes for this champagne. It was not due to the fact that I had tried it before (I don’t believe I have), nor did I know anything about the producer or brand. The reasons for my skepticism? First, the name—it just seemed way too showy for me (Marquis de la Mystèriale? Seriously?). Second, I bought it from Wines Til Sold Out for twenty bucks. Now, I have bought a ton of wine from WTSO and I have been overwhelmingly happy with those purchases. But a Champers for $20? You usually get what you pay for. So why take a flyer on six bottles? Simple. To serve some “real” champagne when my in-laws come over for dinner. At $20 it was worth taking a shot at causing my father-in-law to think I am a much bigger shot than I actually am. A funny thing happened when I opened this first bottle, however. It’s actually a pretty good bottle of bubbles with an active sparkle, plenty of tree fruit (golden delicious and Granny Smith apple), a focused acidity, and a fairly lengthy finish. Sure, I would prefer a lower dosage (I am guessing it is around 10 grams/lier or higher), but here is to being pleasantly surprised!

http://www.thedrunkencyclist.com

12/27/2020 - bluepeter2020@outlook.com Likes this wine:

Still drinking nicely but at its prime now.

4/11/2021 - Laz4wine Likes this wine:

FBELL001 - what gives with a 71? Typo or flawed? If latter please do not rate and check the flawed box. If former then at least offer details as this is highly and widely well regarded by both CT and pro tasters.

4/19/2021 - TMOVino2 Likes this wine:

I’ve had nearly every vintage of this wine back to 2012. This is truly the best yet. Like many 2018’s it’s a deep ruby purple color. Aromas immediately pop of plums, dark fruits, cinnamon, vanilla, baking spices. Similar to other 2018’s I’ve had it starts feeling a bit thin but that changes after some air time. Full bodied, creamy, sweet fine tannins. Fantastic wine that is great now and should age well also.

4/17/2021 - JohnnyandtheNors wrote:

This wine is quite young and needs lots of time still. Tight, with some solid blackberry at the center, but hiding beneith a lattice of racing tannins. This may be promising in a few years...we'll report back then! Softer on day two, but even with ample air it never really came around.

4/17/2021 - andrewhitson wrote:

Nice nose and plenty of strong red fruit. Raspberry jam, strawberries and red currents. It had a slightly too syrupy taste and the sweetness was too overpowering for my liking.

3/2/2021 - tomoem Does not like this wine:

Wow .... just overly acidic and frankly undrinkable. There are black cherry flavors both in nose and in mouth but the wine is wildly unbalanced. No chance of any recovery by my reading of this. Avoid

3/19/2021 - gmbdds wrote:

Bright and zesty berry. Thick and bold, but still somewhat racy and fresh. More tasty than serious or elegant.

3/10/2021 - pakabear Likes this wine:

Dark red and black fruits, cassis, intense fruit on the attack all the way through. Mid palate on adds baking spices, dried earth, vanilla, cigar box and perfect balance.

3/6/2021 - Laz4wine Likes this wine:

Agree with S-F notes, solid bottle if a little different in style. Liked the overall profile with seafood dishes.

1/6/2021 - asajoseph Likes this wine:

Absolutely fell in love with this - intense, noticeably kiwi, mature Pinot. Deeper in colour than the young Aussie Pinot preceding it, this had a richer red fruit profile, almost verging into boysenberries at times. There is a noticeable cedar / tobacco note that marks this out as a more mature wine, but the balance between fruit & savoury is impeccable. Sensational.