5/13/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Vanilla, apricot nose. Medium body, good balance and tart finish. Better than unassuming, enjoyable but not especially distinctive. By the glass at Copra. Zibbibo.

5/10/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Back up 2006. Roses, dark red fruit, some stinky earth at first that mostly blew off. After a few hours very pretty. Palate dark fruited, still fairly tannic, though a little drying. Good dark long finish, not the best showing but after 2 hours a ton of depth and intensity.

5/10/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Sadly, an off bottle. Bitten by the 2006 Cappellano bug! Corked, kind of dead and shot.

5/9/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Pear, and what is that - plum? on the nose. A little lemon and honey as well. Arresting. Medium weight, bright pear peach fruit on the palate. Starts with some sweet pear but that quickly slips to tart lemon. Long finish. Better balance and more acid that I was expecting for a '22 but this is Falkenstein after all. Wow, this is delicious. A big step up from the Schaefer and Ludes.

5/9/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Light nose, just a little peachy pear. Good weight and body, a little more density and intensity on the finish. Tasty, but not especially engaging. Another very nice Kabinett. On the second glass I'm noticing the body and depth, the palate opening up a bit and more resonant.

5/9/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Bright apple, pear, a little honey. Vanilla? Mid-weight and slightly sweet as I expect for a Kabinett. Certainly a lot less acid than many '21s I've been drinking but, not fat. Moderate tart acidic finish. Med length. This is a pretty good Kabinett, but at first blush only that. Enjoyable.

5/6/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Really pretty wine. Nose overloaded with fresh peach, grapefruit honey and pear. Kabinett+ sweetness but wonderful Spätlese richness, delicate well balanced honeyed pear. Tart fizzy finish, good acid that makes the whole package incredibly refreshing. Grünhaüser makes such a compelling auction wine. Vibrant and deep.

5/6/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

PnP (certainly a decant would have been good, couldn’t tonight). Bright red fruit, green pepper, a little leather on the nose. More of the same on the palate, smoky, beautifully balanced. Long+. Served with classic meaty Italian style ragu and pasta. Just a wonderful bottle, an exemplar of this great wine.

5/2/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Split, PnP. Really delivers. Delicious sweet dessert wine, with loads of pear, peach, mango and honey on the nose and palate. Rich deep and tasty, creamy almost-syrup. Not heavy though, good but not great balance, med acid. Only a little of the tart spicy botrytis, though more appearing in tmhe second glass. Definitely a conservative rating, likely to get better as it develops. Very good. My first Loersch, looking forward to my next.

5/2/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Needed an hour or so to open up. Charming dark smoky 2001, lots of cherry and leather on the nose and palate. Tasty and well balanced but not especially complex or long. A nice wine good to drink now, not sure more age will improve it.

4/26/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Holding strong, a little more development but even creamier. Very good.

4/25/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Very pretty, charming red and blue fruited, great depth and balance. With pizza, but shined. lots of sediment, stand up and decant next bottle.

4/22/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Leather cherries and roses on the nose, a bit leathery in the palate. Still some red fruit as well but this is developed a little more than I expected. Still a tasty mature Barolo that I’m not sure is destined for future greatness. Vintage weakness or bottle variation?

4/18/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Rating wines is all about expectations. What do I expect - or want - from a 22 year old village Burg? Truth and beauty, or at least a little of these things. And tonight that’s what I got. An honest Burg, true to form. Really a very pretty nose - strawberries, cherries, some earthy violets. The palate was nicely red fruited, softened beautifully with age. Not silky, but gentle. Plenty of depth, but not powerful. Some nice secondary development in the earthy, mineral vein with everything nicely in place. Good balance, medium body and length. Nothing too much - not overly complex, but not wimpy. It’s satisfying when a village NSG punches above its weight, but there’s a real pleasure in a nicely aged wine showing its virtues but not excessively. Bravo. Compared to the 2010 this is a bit less hedonistic, but with the summer shine of the vintage it still has plenty of life left.

4/16/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Fascinating and fun to drink. Nose of burnt orange, honey, caramel. Very dark color but palate has med+ weight, burnt honey, anise, robust nicely balanced finish. 96 but still a real wine that has so much pleasure to give still. Far less sweet and syrupy than its 1986 sibling at the table.

4/16/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

I really like the balance of richness, acid, lemony notes mixed with savory notes. A really nice wine.

4/12/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Wow this is pretty. A bursting bowl of strawberries, cherries, violets, over the forest floor. Med- weight but deep and resonant, crammed with more fruit, starting to develop and wide open. Very good balance, and yes, showing the high acid of the vintage in long tart finish. I love this style, Fourrier finds his way in a wide variety of vintages. Still a lovely Gevrey. Outstanding.

4/11/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Leather, mint, cherry, rose, , earthy undertones on the nose. Earthy tart cherry palate, med+ finish. Excellent balance. Not the greatest Giacosa but a perfectly satisfying one. In a good place now. After a couple of hours more roses, more fruit, also more tannins and sheer energy in this wine. Showing increased depth, a lot out of a lesser vintage wine.

4/9/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Showing more depth, longer finish, perking up and very tasty.

4/7/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Similar to the ‘05 Champans, full of youthful fruit but also showing beginning of secondary flavors with baking spices. More cranberry than cherry on the palate. Long and crunchy with very good balance. Voillot really did well in 2005.

4/6/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Really delicious low dosage grower style champagne. For a BdB, it was very vinous and minerally. Just a little brioche on an otherwise steely citrusy nose. Tart citrus - lemon and lime - mid palate, with really good balance and very long. Great with a diverse meal. A little edgy for champagne traditionalists but still was enjoyed by all. 1 gram dosage. 100% Chardonnay. I’m

4/4/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Light nose of lemon, apple/pear, a little honey. Mid weight with tons of the same fruit and nice long finish. ‘21 acid for sure and plenty but not overdone to my taste. Just a great finish and a huge strength of this wine. Barely off dry, I had to check did I grab a Kab or trocken?

4/2/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Super youthful and full of energy. A little tight at first but 30-45 minutes of breathing really opened it up. Cherry, strawberry, baking spices nose. Sweet fruit. Maybe a hint of mint. Palate classy, mid weight, red fruited. Tannins yes, but crunchy and soft. Med+ or more acid for long well balanced finish. Just added a point to the score. This is really good now and has plenty of positive development ahead. Vollot’s normal austerity balanced by the great fruit and depth of 2005. Best Voillot I’ve had, but the 1999 Champans was close. I guess Voillot excels in this kind of vintage.

3/31/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Very pretty, delicate nose, more about white flowers, citrus, just a hint of honey. Palate had med+ density, really attentive Spätlese-type texture. All about balance - lots of flavors, not calling undue attention to themself. Peach, pear, a little exotic papaya?, honey, lime. Long tart finish with very good acid, but again not too much. Very 2021. Not as sweet as some Spätleses, sweetness is also well balanced. Delicious.

3/30/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Showing very nicely, good but not epic. Still, what a classic Chambolle should be. Loved the strawberry & raspberry nose.

3/29/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

A lovely Barolo, leaning into the dark fruit on the nose and palate. Good balance and very good with food but not really showing the extra gear in nose or palate that I look for in the better Barolos. Plenty open though, worth trying now if you have them.

3/27/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

At HoPR. Beautiful refined nose of cherr and cassis, palate deep and rich with absolutely zero heaviness. An excellent wine of pleasure with silky tannins that melted in the company of prime rib. A very fine Napa showing.

3/23/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Rich classy and showing some nice development. A pleasure and joy. No detailed notes bit great to see a classic blended profile like this from a small producer.

3/22/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

PnP. Coming along so beautifully, starting to develop some nice secondary notes, adding complexity in the nose and palate. Incredible poise and balance, ethereal while maintaining depth and vigor. Still some tannins, so possibly some positive development still to come, but excellent now. Maybe Fourrier is helped a bit by the vintage - 2005 adding depth and weight but not hiding the hand of the producer.

3/21/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Well, wow. Opened to a smoky, cherry, olive tapenade filled nose that kept evolving and transforming over the evening. After a couple of hours it was a field of violets, then more cherry. The palate was big, rich and had great intensity, but was also delicate and refined. So classic Allemand. Solid adult here, past the first fully fruited flush of youth but only beginning its journey to tertiary flavors. Long refreshing finish. Stepped up and was even better as food came out, notably charred edge-med rare steaks and pork leg with fig sauce. The sweetness and char of the meat danced with the complementary flavors of the Chaillots. Wonderful Syrah. I have to find some Reynard from this vintage.

3/21/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Really pretty nose of apple, honeyed pear, some flowers. Palate medium+ body, more of the same fruit, good richness, but solid long tart finish that ends in a little saline, acid splash. Love the balance, developing nicely, wide open, very enjoyable. Not premoxed. This wine did well in ‘13, with the richness of the vineyard and producer but given complexity by the cool summer.

3/16/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Really good wine tonight but it took an hour+ to blossom. On the drier end of what I expect from feinherbs, almost trocken. Nose on the lighter side, palate with good density, tons of lemon, grapefruit, and a slight herbal note giving complexity. Great balance and long acidic finish. Great with food now, and will get better over time.

3/16/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Never had the pleasure of meeting Willi, but have had many of his wines. Opened this one tonight in honor of Willi’s passing, and it showed beautifully. Classic nose of light honeyed lemon, palate with med+ richness and superb balance. Delicious and gluggable but also an arrow into the mind. Very good.

3/15/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

So pretty, humming along nicely. At Penny Roma. Med nose of mint, tar, roses. Yes, classic. Cherry palate, good energy, clearly softening with age but still youthful and delicious. I’m not sure this will develop great secondary notes before fading. But now so enjoyable. By itself, before food appeared, it seemed a little acidic, a little crunchy still. Of course with rich Italian fair the wine unfolded, relaxed and was wonderful.

3/14/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

I think Ashish got it right. Started a little dull, needed to be chilled down a bit but start to open, mostly to honeyed mango and other tropical notes. The palate had lovely fullness and great balance. Maybe the balance and acidic finish were the best parts of this Eiswein. Overall very charming and fun to drink

3/14/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Started off with a brioche and and a hint of sweet coffee on the nose. Big rich palate, lots going on here with lemon, brioche, long tart finish. Very Krugsy, starting to show some nice development. Over the course of the evening this kept morphing, evolving, transforming. Holy Power Rangers Batman, this wine never stopped revealing more depths. Served with Sushi and other great Champagnes but the Krug never let up. A real treat.

3/9/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Very good. More later.

3/8/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Pretty tasty, $7 BTG at the excellent Radici in Ravenna. Fresh tarry roses fruit, crunchy palate, richness and weight from all that non-Nebb. Happy to see this BTG.

3/5/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

An ok expression of Nebbiolo, light on the nose, mid-weight, but well-balanced. Enjoyable choice BTG in Milan, but not showing anything especially notable. Second tier producer in a weaker vintage from a lesser vineyard and honestly I was pleased. But compared to the previous night's 2016 Pacenti Rosso this was a far weaker QPR.

3/5/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

In a restaurant in Milan. In a lovely place now, rich classic Sangiovese notes (earthy cherry is how I identify it) on the nose and palate, good richness and length. Well balanced and eminently food friendly. Very good for its level, indeed very enjoyable overall. Fine producer in a great vintage and even the entry level wines are worthy of attention.

2/29/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Beautiful nose of tar, roses, cherries, with a big dollop of earthy tar. Palate with good richness, cherries, some dark earth and very fine balance. Very good with dinner, no surprise. Not very complex but deep and delicious. Compared to an ‘04 earlier this week so much better, less heavy, more refined. A lovely wine.

2/28/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Extremely good showing, my first bottle of these 2004 Gajas. Still extremely youthful, but generous nose, resplendent with red fruit, roses, violets, intensified over the course of the evening. Palate still youthfully crunchy, mostly cherry but a long tart engaging finish. With dinner (truffle gnocchi, classic Italian ragu, and some well seasoned flank steak) the tannins calmed down a lot and the wine was almost silky. Very good now, likely better in the future.

2/27/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Charming with good fruit. Mid weight, not showy, tasty.

2/27/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Lemon, red apple, herbs, a little reduction on the nose. Deep penetrating palate, more apple, lemon, kind of saline on the long finish. Very foamy, longggg finish. Tingly. Very very good. Perhaps under-rated. Update: by the end of dinner this was even better. More vibrant, a little more complexity, with more balanced fruit/herbs/salinity. Upgrading to 94.

2/23/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Really interesting Riesling. Despite the 12g of RS, seemed dry to me. Bone dry? Dunno, maybe. Nose of honey, apple, smoky lemon, guava. Saline, herbal, tart lemon, palate, medium richness and density, maybe from the RS. Lovely herb cheese and crackers. Med+ finish, good balance.

2/21/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

PnP, brought to Rich Table (a real wow restaurant). The softer side of nicely aged Chave. Not epic but absolutely lovely and a graceful complementary dancing partner to every dish. Truffle pasta? Sure. Trout with chimichurri sauce? No prob. Crab Thai spice salad? Pirouettes. Ribeye - well, yes of course.

Fundamentally Chave. Delicate, rich, resonance. classic, well proportioned, well balanced. Gorgeous savory notes on the nose and palate but still plenty of red fruit fading in to a tart biting finish. In a very good place indeed.

2/11/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Fairly classy red/cherry nose with some olive-y notes and other savory elements. Palate mid- weight but interestingly with good depth. More cherry and baking spices. Ok balance and med finish. In other words a tasty little Syrah, but not earth shaking. I expected more given the vintage, but still enjoyed it.

2/8/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

A little stink at first that blew off quickly. Underneath a light nose of herbal lemon. Palate slightly sweet, charming and fun but a little simple. Ok finish with good balance. Pleasure but lacking in depth.

2/7/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

A little development since the last bottle. Strawberry, earthy cherry nose. This bottle has a bit more tannin and completeness. Very tart, good finish. Charm yes but also showing some seriousness.

2/5/2024 - Richard P Howden wrote:

Nose of lemon and apple, white fruit and lemon palate. Nice long tart finish with really good balance. The finish is the strength of this Kab. Tasty.