4/21/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Another very good bottle of this. Old-schoolish Napa with good freshness.

4/21/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Quick decant. Very aromatic and complex, with notes of ripe pear, apple, also some citrus, red berries too, chalky mineral notes, also some quite pronounced autolytic notes, also some smoke. Pretty full-bodied, with pretty high acidity and medium mousse that is present but nicely integrated. Long finish with complexity that is building up. I would maybe keep this for another 2-3 years, but pretty irresistible already now. (95+)

4/20/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Another excellent bottle of this, so ripe, aromatic,charming and pretty, but also with excellent freshness, which was not easy to achieve in this vintage. I am really digging Savigny-lès-Beaune in warmer vintages, it brings an extra level of fruit and sweetness to the wines without them loosing their tension. Superb QPR (91+)

4/14/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Another absolutely great bottle of this. Super expressive, complex, layered and deep, but with excellent freshness too. Notes of dark plum, menthol, spices, tar, graphite, cedar wood, as well as some tobacco.... It‘s full-bodied and powerful, with pretty high acidity and medium tannin that has melted aways a little more since my last bottle and that is excellent quality. Long finish with so much class and complexity. Superb bottle.

4/14/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Another excellent bottle of this. Beautifully layered, deep and complex, with nice freshness and overall balance. I love it.

4/14/2024 - NostraBacchus wrote:

This was a bottle that seemed oxidized first, but „recovered“ a little with more air, even if this doesn‘t make much sense. Mature notes of old-school Barolo, similar to some of my last bottles, it‘s not my best but also not my worst bottle of this, showing the silky texture and finesse Cappellano can show when it‘s on, but also a little too much oxidation for my personal taste. Still enjoyable to drink a glass or two, clearly inferior to Elio Grasso Barolo Gavarini Chiniera 2004 and Brovia Barolo Ca‘Mia 2004 on this day though.

4/14/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Wow, this was an absolutely spectacular bottle. Tasted next to the 2016 Michel Bouzereau Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières 2016 (a wine and producer I adore), this totally stole the show.
Deep golden color, explosive notes of apricot, ripe yellow fruit, some flowery notes of camomile, also pepper, candied red beets, alkaline, honey, some marine seaweedy kind of thing, tons of minerality. Overall, there is umami and richness, also a certain muskiness and it’s almost oily in texture. It‘s medium-full bodied, oily and rich, but with also a nice medium acidity that is providing a counterpoint to the richer mouthfeel. There is so much mid-palate persistence here, but without any heaviness. Long complex finish with layer over layer of flavor and complexity. This might be one of the very best and most exciting GrüVes I have ever had. Stunning wine and shockingly good at this stage. This was somewhere around 30 - 35 bucks when I bought it, it might be one of the very best QPRs in ageworthy white wines I have had.

4/14/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

This is in the zone right now. Notes of candied ginger, lemon oil, some chalky minerality, also some notes of white flowers, mint. Pretty deep, especially in the context of the difficult vintage (for white Burgundy from my perspecive). It‘s medium-full bodied, with medium-high acidity and pretty good length. Nice finish with a touch of phenolic bitterness. Lovely Meursault from this great producer.

4/13/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Halleluja. After a bunch of flawed bottles, I finally got a good one again, this time from Magnum. Notes of red and darker berries, some meat, roasted bone marrow, also some pepper and spices, and garrigue. It‘s pretty full-bodied, with good persistence, has medium acidity and some lower-medium tannin. There might be a touch of volatile acidity, but it‘s in check and not as dominant as in some of the last bottles. Good lenght. Very good CdP.

4/5/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Nice deeper yellow color. Notes of ripe orchard, also some flowery notes, there is plenty of minerality here with notes of wet stone and some chalky notes too. A touch of sweet spices, but the oak seems nicely integrated already. Medium+ bodied, with good persistence, this is showing medium+ acidity adding nice freshness. Good length. A really nice white Pernand-Vergelesses that is showing the more vibrant side of white Burgundy (and the vintage). Really nice and excellent QPR.

4/1/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

This is already much more mature than my last bottles a few years ago. Almost golden color, notes of buttery oak, citrus, some ripe pear, some honey, also some smoke. It‘s medium-full bodied, with medium-high acidity and good length. This already seems a little advanced and ready to go. I wouldn‘t push my luck on aging here.

3/29/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Deep purple color. Still very young but super complex notes of barnyard, horsesaddle, cassis, some dark flowers, smoke, beef blood, graphite, crushed rock, tobacco, leather, just overall super layered and complex. Full bodied and powerful, but with excellent finesse at the same time, there is medium-high tannin that is super silky. Long finish with great complexity.

3/29/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

This is jumping right out of the glass, with notes of super pure red fruit, strawberries, minerality, violets, also a touch of smoke, christmas spices. It's medium bodied, with some lower-medium tannin and pretty high acidity. Pretty long finish. A very pretty Volnay that is more about finesse and elegance than power. Really nice.

3/29/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Rich, explosive and structured, with notes of butter, popcorn, citrus, marine minerals but almost covered by that almost Bâtard kind of richness, sweet spices and a touch of flint, too. It's full bodied, with excellent persistence, has pretty high acidity that is nicely buffered by the wealth of fruit. Long finish with a touch of phenolic bitterness adding complexity. Love it. A great, pretty much Grand Cru 1er Cru....

3/29/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Explosive notes of citrus, brownish apples, salty minerality, a touch of apices and flowery notes too. Medium+ bodied, with very good persistence, high acidity and superb length. And then there is this salty minerality again. Love the finesse here, not in your face, more subtle but complex and pretty.

3/29/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Super fresh, aromatic and full of tension, this is showing notes of citrus, some nashi pear, also some minerality, white flowers, honeysuckle, lindenblossom, candied ginger, some marine minerality. It's medium-full bodied, with medium-high acidity. Super long finish. A superb Puligny that is in a beautiful place already. Wow.

3/29/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Needs a few moments to open up in the glass. Then explosive with notes of white flowers, ripe pear, some citrus, sweet spices, oystershell minerality, also some hazelnut. Pretty full-bodied, with medium+ acidity that is sneaking up on you.. Very long finish. A very pretty Chablis from this great producer. (93+)

3/28/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Deep ruby color. Pretty.explosive, open and radiant, with notes of sweet cherries, some dark chocolate, sweet spices, dark flowers. It's medium-full bodied, with some medium+ acidity and medium- tannin adding grip. Good medium-long finish. Not the last word about complexity a super delicious, fleshy Mercurey from this fantastic producer. Good QPR.

3/23/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

OMG this was so good. Super layered and complex, showing notes of cassis, dark fruit, menthol, some black truffle, forest floor, leather, tobacco and also a touch of pyrazine (reminding me of Cab Franc). It‘s medium-full bodied, ripe but classic at the same time, with some medium super silky tannin, medium+ acidity adding freshness and just a mouthfeel of creaminess and richness without weight. Super long finish. An epic bottle and a testament to the greatness of Napa. Too bad most wines are much more extracted now and much riper…

3/23/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Very expressive, especially for 2010 Champange, with notes of citrus, white flowers, some chalky minerality, sweet spices too. Medium-full bodied, with medium+ acidity and some creaminess. Very good finish. A very nice DP. (94+)

3/23/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Wow, an absolutely stunning bottle of this. Open, radiant and full-throttle, this is a great bottle of 2009. Notes of citrus, red berries, deep minerality, sweet spices, a touch of oxidation as it is in the house style, layered and complex. It‘s full bodied, powerful and dense, with excellent freshness of high acidity and creamy bubbles, more on the vinous side as always here. Long finish with great complexity. A stunning Champange of the highest level.

3/23/2024 - NostraBacchus wrote:

2012 base vintage, disgorged 2016. I was really looking forward to this, unfortunately a little corked. The TCA was more apparent in the nose, but then on the palate, the wine was still largely intact and would hint at its greatness. Just for the record, the bottle was almost empty at the end of the evening (and we had plenty of alternatives). So flawed, but not totally undrinkable, even for someone who is sensitive to TCA like I am.

3/23/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

From magnum bottle. Riserva Rüncot is in the Gavarini sub-parcel of Ginestra in Monforte and the wine made in the most „modern“ way at Elio Grasso (I hate the descriptor modern). Long maceration, but also new Barrique is the treatment, while for the Casa Mate and Gavarini Chiniera they only use 25hl botti. Wow, this was really singing. Deep, powerful and stuructured, this is showing the deeper side of Ginestra and it‘s so different from the „regular“ Gavarini Chiniera. Notes of red and darker red fruit, menthol, mint, some pine, also plenty of rose petals and violets, still some vanilla and sweet spices, overall very complex and layered. It‘s pretty full-bodied, has medium-high acidity and medium+ tannin that is still there, but is also nicely buffered by the wealth of fruit. Super long finish. An epic Rüncot that is in a great place, but will have many years ahead.

3/23/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

From magnum bottle.This is totally mature and ready to go. Open, radiant and giving, showing notes of red and darker fruit, some flowery notes, also some nice graphite minerality. It‘s medium bodied, with really nice balance of medium tannin and some medium-high acidity providing freshness. Not the most complex or deep wine in the context of Barbaresco/Barolo but it makes up for it with really nice elegance and balance. Lovely. Perfect drinkint window.

3/24/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Another beautiful bottle of this after the 2011 was flawed (again!). Pure, lifted, full of elegance, not much to add to my last tasting notes. This could use another 2-3 years to open up some more, but already amazing.

3/23/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Tasted next to the Les Maréchaudes, this is as always showing the slightly darker, more savory side of Corton. Still youthfully austere, but hinting at darker fruit, some earthy notes, sweet spices, leather, dark chocolate. It‘s medium-full bodied, but made with a lighter hand, has medium-high acidity and some medium+ tannin that is silky and beautiful. Pretty long finish. Another total winner that will be even better and more open in another 2-3 years.

3/23/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

I might have been a little stingy on my last rating of this wine. It was showing really beautifully. Open, radiant, perfumed and elegant, with notes of pure red berries, also some flowery notes of violets, etc. Then there is also a nice vein of minerality, as well as some sweet spices. Medium+ bodied, with medium-high acidity and some medium- tannin that is super silky. Pretty long finish. A beautiful, elegant Corton full of finesse.

3/23/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

A little rounder and more showing the very ripe vintage compared to my last bottle. Still a very nice Chablis, just not up there with the best vintages at this address.

3/23/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Another one of the „Mia“ special selection. Fantastic again, while a little more mature than my last bottle, not surprisingly. A super complex, geeky wine of the highest level. It showed a little less expressive than my last bottle, so it‘s probably time to drink up. Love this.

3/23/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Tasted blind, this was some geeky stuff. Notes of peach, florals (chamomile), but there is also a pungent smokey mineral note that is super fascinating. Medium-full bodied, with medium-high acidity adding nice freshness there is also an almost phenolic quality to the mouthfeel (maybe skin contact?). Long finish. A fascinating Chenin Blanc.

3/24/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Paler salmon color. This is really fresh and pretty. Notes of raspberries, some citrus, but also some white flowers and minerality. Medium-full bodied, with pretty high acidity and creamy bubbles. Long finish. An excellent, fresher style of rosé, really good.

3/24/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Another excellent showing of this beautiful wine. Slightly austere at this young stage, but superb potential. (94+)

3/24/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Showing more autolytic notes than the Reserves next to it, with 100% also a slighly different flavor profile of more citrus, quince, but also nice minerality again and some brioche. Almost salty in the aftertaste. Pretty full-bodied, with pretty high acidity and nice creamy mousse. Long finish. Excellent.

3/23/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Quite different from the Chardonnay Reserve 2014 next to it. This seems a little rounder, more approachable, but also a little less tense. Open and radiant, it is showing notes of ripe yellow fruit, but also some minerality that is more salty, but less pronounced than in the Chardonnay. Medium-full bodied, with medium-high acidity and some almost creamy mousse. Good length. Another very nice Sekt from Raumland.

3/23/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Another excellent bottle of this, very similar tasting note to my last one.

3/17/2024 - NostraBacchus wrote:

Another very nice bottle of this. Open, radiant and charming, but not with the depth of the best vintages. Still a pleasure to drink.

3/16/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

This is in a really great place at age 15 but will have many good years ahead.
Pretty notes of black currant/cassis, black cherries, graphite/lead pencil, flowers and some sweet spices. There are also some notes of tobacco leaf and earth. It's medium-bodied with medium tannin that has melted away quite substantially an is very silky and a medium+ acidity providing good freshness. Very long finish.
A very elegant classic left bank Bordeaux that is more elegant than some of the bigger wines of the vintage.

3/16/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Medium-deep citrus color. A touch of reduction that blew off quickly in the glass. Still young, but really nice, with notes of ripe pear, citrus, some chalky mineral notes, almonds, also some spices. It‘s medium-full bodied, with medium+ acidity that is well covered by the richness. Good length on the finish. A very pretty, more intellectual style of Chardonnay from Macon (like most of the Guillot-Broux wines). Excellent QPR.

3/15/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Another realy nice bottle of this. While many 2016 are still in hibernation, this is starting to show really well. Still youthful, with beautiful fruit and darker animalic notes, excellent tannin and just overall a lot of fun to drink. Lovely Village Gevrey-Chambertin.

3/10/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

From 0.375 bottle. Very similar to my last bottle but starting to open up a little bit with some more air. Nicely aromatic, complex, fresh and layered, this will have a long life ahead. Excellent Blaufränkisch from this great producer.

3/10/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Dég. 6/2022. Pretty deep salmon/ruby rosé, on the darker side in the context of rosé saignée. Opens up beautifully in the large glass with some air. Pretty explosive notes of sweet red cherries, some elderberries, orange zest, some mint, also a touch of white pepper, there is also some chalky mineral notes. Pretty ful-bodied and rich, with medium mousse providing a almost vinous impression, there is some medium-high acidity that is sneaking up as it is slightly covered by the wealth of fruit. Overall very good balance of richness, RS and acidity. Long finfish. A very pretty and aromatic rosé de saignée. I really like this a lot. (93+)

3/3/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

This is the Teran Selezione bottling and my second bottle of 3. Pretty dark ruby purple color. Still cool and mineral-driven, there is tons of crushed stone minerality, sweet and sour black cherries, some plum, christmas spices, also some animalic/leather notes, tobacco leaf. Very complex. It‘s medium-full bodied, very fresh, has high acidity, and medium tannin that is super silky. Super long finish, and then there is this superb crushed rock minerality again. Great wine.

3/3/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

„Non-filtré“ is a very particular specialty from Neuchâtel. Super young and fresh unfiltered Chasselas to drink with its yeast sediment shaken up, that‘s why the label on the bottle is upside down. Always released on the 3rd Wednesday in January. Cloudy lighter yellow color. Subtle but pretty notes of citrus, also a touch of minerality, some lindenblossom. It‘s light as a feather, with a touch of acidity (which is not something you can take for granted with Chasselas) and just overall a lot of „fun factor“ and freshness, seems almost a little „natural wine“-ish.
I drank this completely untraditionally with a Berlin style Döber Kebab. Worked really nicely but the obvious choice would be as Apéritif or with the traditional Swiss cheese dishes like Fondue and Raclette.
I am usually really struggling with Chasselas (I love acidity) but this is really fun to drink.

3/2/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Medium- red ruby color, lightening up a little towards the rim. Slightly candied aromatics of candied red and darker berries, some smokey/baconey notes that are probably caused by oak, there are also notes of violets as well as some orange zest. It's medium-bodied, with medium acidity and some medium tannin that is a little grippy. Good length. A pretty, but not overly complex red Burgundy that is very good QPR.

2/29/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Feels still very young, primary, with balsamic notes in the forefront, but also some nice ripe fruit, with notes of red berries, some flowery notes, mint, also some minerality, there is also notes of pipe tobacco. Medium-full bodied, with medium+ acidity and medium-high tannin. Very good length. A really nice, but still very young wine. (93-94+)

2/29/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Super radiant, perfumed, complex and ethereal, this is something I wanna bathe in. Explosive, ripe but still also nicely structured and fresh, with notes of dark plum, some dark red berries, menthol, mint, tar, tea, also some leathery notes, balsamic, some pine tree. It‘s ripe and explosive, but so Montestefano at the same time. Medium-full bodied, with medium-high acidity and medium-high superbly soft tannin. Long finish. A super complex, complete Barbaresco of the very highest level. (97+)

2/29/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Open, radiant and a lot of fun to drink, with notes of deep dark red fruit, plums, some menthol, tobacco, pine, graphite, also some flowery notes. It‘s medium-full + bodied, with medium+ acidity and medium-high tannin that is almost covered by the fruit. Good length. A more crowd-pleasing wine that is great to drink already, but might not have the structure and ageability of the best wines.

2/29/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Deep and youthful color, very primary, but very classic too. Notes of deep dark berries, some red berries too, tar, graphite, some violets, there is also some deep mineral note and some leather. Medium-full bodied, with medium-high tannin that is excellent quality and high acidity. Very good length. This still feels pretty young, but super classic, with very good potential. Something for purists. (93+)

2/29/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

Deep color, not much aging. Still young but full of potential, it is showing balsamic notes, pine, some menthol, also some herbal notes, deep dark red berries, some dark plum too, cedar wood, graphite and tar, excellent depth of flavor and complexity. Superb balance of fruit and high tannin, high acidity and medium-full body, excellent length. A super Montestefano and while still younger, great potential here. This was one of my favorites of the vertical, excellent Montestefano. (95+)

2/29/2024 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine:

This was a „pirate“ in a Montestefano vertical. Open and radiant, slightly warmer and riper, with notes of deep dark red fruit, also some herbal notes, minerality, some spices too. It‘s medium-full bodied, with medium-high tannin and some medium+ acidity, as well as medium-full body. Good finish. A little less complex than the best wines, but open and ready to drink. I wouldn‘t push my luck on aging though. There was a touch of oxidation with some more time in the glass.