1/5/2023 - Capitán Sulfito Likes this wine:

Very pale colour - rather a dark rosé. A lovely flowery bouquet of wild garriguette strawberry, grapefruit peel, rose, geranium, santal, some spice. Smells like a high-end niche female perfume. Thou shall not take the name of Chambolle in vain (Exodus 20:7) but this screams Chambolle all over the place. Great acidity: tart cherry, pomelo, some very faint spice and burnt caramel in the end. Strangely, it also reminds me of caiño, a much maligned grape from Northern Spain which I love. Tannins nowhere to be seen other than some slight green bitterness.

If it had slightly higher concentration and a bit of tannin this would attain true greatness, but I am taking it as it is. This reminds me of the fascinating book "Very Important People: Status and Beauty in the Global Party Circuit" by Ashley Mears, where the difference between "models" and "hot civilians" is explained by club promoters. When recruiting girls for luxurious night clubs in NY, Ibiza, St Tropez etc., club promoters do not look for regular "hot women" which appeal to the instincts of heterosexual males, but for "sticks with tits". This is "stick with tits" territory, but I am loving it.

A stunning wine dispelling preconceptions about Californian reds. Please buy.

1/7/2022 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

Bury this in a hole in your garden, go on with your life, open a bottle of Schäfer-Fröhlich's magnificent 2018 Felseneck Kabinett, cheat on your wife, divorce her, re-marry a 22 year old intern and finally, in 10-12 years or so, un-dig the bottle to see how this is going. But don't be the idiot who opens this for Christmas dinner like yours truly, because this is nothing but (expensive) battery acid.

1/7/2022 - Capitán Sulfito Likes this wine:

I adhere to the universal acclaim in the notes below. Quite simply the best Kabinett-style wine I've drunk in a long time. Mind-boggling price-quality relationship. Great now but will age gracefully.

11/28/2021 - Capitán Sulfito Likes this wine:

There is too much going on at the moment: extreme concentration, with a sort of bitter dry extract that you can almost chew on; ditto for minerality (it is indeed true to its name); its acidity will dissolve your tooth enamel like a piece of steak in a glass of coke. Throw in an aromatic and opulent nose with plenty of ripe yellow fruit, all kinds of citrus, bitter herbs and cool, wet stone. Yes, it is unbalanced and extreme, but so are many of Germany's great whites when too young. Do yourselves a favour and stash this away. It is impressive now and in 5 years this can grow to a world class wine.

11/4/2021 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

Austere but likable - the Angela Merkel of Tuscany.

10/29/2021 - Capitán Sulfito Likes this wine:

Absolutely top notch wine from Ribeiro. A mix of caiño longo and zamarrica (a caiño-related grape), this combines unusual concentration with the mouth puckering tartness and rustic nature of caiño. Not cheap, virtually impossible to find outside of Spain at only 400 bottles. Probably the Galician red wine of the year for me, and I've drunk quite a few bottles of the stuff over the last months. If you see it, don't hesitate.

10/18/2021 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

Muthenthaler's top offering from the extreme Viesslinger Stern vineyard, some of Wachau's coolest terroir. An extreme, polarizing wine, like this guy's wines are. Weird stuff: the dark colour betrays at first sight a massive concentration, with an almost chewy texture and phenolic bitterness (almost like a skin contact wine) and intense spicy flavours. However, unlike some of Muthenthaler's other wines, this has not as much in way of acidity. Alcohol is perfectly balanced -with none of the heat often afflicting Austrian wines- but the wine lacks the raciness and verticality of the cheaper bottlings, or the elegance of Ried Schön. Love it or hate it but this won't leave anybody indifferent.

10/10/2021 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

This is a lot of riesling for very little money. Great stuff.

10/10/2021 - Capitán Sulfito Likes this wine:

I was initially wary of opening this: the "simple" 2019 Leirana was a sharp razor without much going on. But I finally decided to give it a go. This is an impressive outing from one of Spain's most talented winemakers, working on some of the country's oldest vines at the Genoveva vineyard. Yes, it will be much greater 5 years from now...but what a wine. Great concentration, beautiful nose full of highly defined fresh yellow fruit and citrus, herbal (but not grassy aromas) and, above all, an underlying high voltage current the likes of which you usually only see in some of the great German rieslings. This is a fantastic wine retailing at maybe half the price of its French and German peers. I'll drink this ahead of wines like Breuer's Nonnenberg any time. I'll do myself a favour and get more bottles.

9/20/2021 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

Very good. Full bodied, textured, slightly viscous, with a grippy volatile/acetic element that is not everybody's taste (but I like it). Not a streamlined chardonnay. Plenty of personality. Will buy again.

7/27/2021 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

Quite reductive, lots of smokiness. Once you get past that, this is an impressive wine at this price point. Astonishing concentration and grippy texture; great aromatics; oak is just right.

Pouilly-Fuissé = the Meursalt of the working class.

7/12/2021 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

I wasn't expecting next to nothing from a skin contact Alsatian riesling but I agree with the other notes. Opulent yet not excessive, food friendly, great fruitiness paired with good acidity and, that very slight tanginess/bitterness from the skin contact. Great value. Will get more.

7/12/2021 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

I was astonished by a previous bottle of Desjourneys Pouilly-Fuissé so I ordered it at a restaurant - the lovely ALKIMIA in Barcelona, which employs one of Spain's most unique sommeliers. For whatever reason he decided too bring out the Pouilly-Vinzennes instead (who am I to argue?).

This was disappointing at first, lost in a Zalto Burgundy goblet the size of an Olympic pool. Not much going on.

After massive amounts of oxygen and heavy decanting this was singing like a Wagnerian soprano with breasts the size of cantaloupe melons. Massive concentration, great bitter orange, citrus peel, fresh and candied ginger, acid in all the right places. Absolutely stunning. The Desjourneys I remembered.

Make sure you caraffe the hell out of this thing.

5/24/2021 - Capitán Sulfito Likes this wine:

I'm not a fan of Jumilla - often loud, overripe "international" wines that a retarded brother in law would serve to you if you married into the wrong family or your sister is dumb - but this is very well made. Drunk blind - and indeed mistaken for a Tuscan Sangiovese.

Earthy, Mediterranean style, fruit-driven but not jammy, with a slightly herbal, bitter quality to it. I've drunk riper Beaujolais than this, to be honest. Alcohol is in check, and there is some good quality oak providing the odd whiff of elegant creaminess. 2019 is drinking fine already. Good stuff to go along hearty pasta dishes, lamb stew and so on.

5/21/2021 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

This bottle was not as good as the previous one. Strong matchstick whiff.

5/14/2021 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

The oak is disturbing me but there is no denying that this is out there with the best Catalan whites like Can Rafol dels Caus' La Calma or El Rocallís. Very different from many other trendy xarellos and indeed different from Enric Soler's entry level xarello, too. This is more in the Burgundian style, but that slightly rugged, grippy, earthy, terracotta texture betrays the Mediterranean origin. I won't label this is as a sensational wine, and 50 euro is not insignificant, but I'll be coming back.

5/8/2021 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

I was so smitten by Muthenthaler's basic Grüner Veltliner that I got myself one bottle of each of his wines. Mühldorfer is the basic riesling. Great acidity, not much in terms of fruit - the GV is more fruit driven and even had a small whiff of residual sugar -; this is quite a restrained wine on the nose. What stands out however is a remarkable mineral core and a very intense aftertaste of grippy, textured, puckering bitterness that makes it immensely food friendly. Not an easy wine, and certainly not a crowd pleaser, but one that I personally - the great admirer of German riesling - will keep coming to for more when it's time for that crispy pork schnitzel. A bit like a booty call with a younger woman with an obvious aesthetic flaw - let's say a weird crooked tooth - and challenging personality, but who you keep calling when your wife is out of town.

5/1/2021 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

Drinking beautifully and punching above its weight. Luscious, rich - but not cloying or vulgar - pinot that reminds me of modern, but nor excessive, German Spätburgunder. Great value.

3/18/2021 - Capitán Sulfito Likes this wine:

Great value and, unlike many other veltliners, ready to be drunk now. Enormous minerality, smoky flintstone, wet stone, a bit of hay and white peppery aromas but at 12%, without none of the heat that often affects Austrian whites. Also in the back some crowdpleasing fruitiness and lemon meringue tart flavours that remind me of riesling. I am not a huge fan of veltliner but I found this fantastic, particularly at this price point. Will get more bottles soon. Lovely!

1/28/2021 - Capitán Sulfito Likes this wine:

I don't know if anyone will ever read this note on such a niche wine.

I am a sucker for caiño, a maligned local grape from the Galicia region of Spain. For acid and salinity freaks only! Lovely. Should be very hard to find outside Spain but if you do and if (and only if) you are into tartness, give this a try. This one is a good specimen!

1/28/2021 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

Not a Priorat blend - the note below is mistaken. This is 100% cariñena/carignan. Not my cup of tea but I must concede that this is well made, although too simple for the relatively ambitious price point (scratching at the EUR 50 threshold in Spain). Fruit is top-notch, alcohol is woven in, tannins are already quite smooth and it doesn't feel feel hot, chewy or mulled as many other Priorats do.

I would advise to cook up something hearty and drink now. It's in a sweet spot and I don't see this getting better with age.

1/28/2021 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

Don't open this yet. It took an 8 hour decant just for it to open up a bit and show some burnt caramel beyond a closed kumquat/fresh orange peel/citrus core. It will be a great wine in 4 to 5 years. Right now this is infanticide.

1/16/2021 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

Palomino macerated with Pedro Ximénez skins. In theory, I am sympathetic of the idea and like this kind of experiments but it didn't work here. Too confusing, too many things pulling in many directions.

1/13/2021 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

I had many doubts but couldn't resist drinking now. This will certainly improve with age but drinking now is by no means an infanticide. Massive acidity, concentration, "grip", focus and power. Outstanding.

12/8/2020 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

Still drinking well. Savoury, Perrins-sauce style depth in a light body. Quite oaked; some of that clichéd German pinot cappuccino shit going on. Not a great wine but nice to have. Better than most Burgundy at this price point.

12/8/2020 - Capitán Sulfito Likes this wine:

Arguably the greatest value for money in Goyo's lineup. Certainly dispelling preconceptions about Ribera del Duero, a region which I deem overrated. Clean, fresh, pure Tempranillo, no oak club hitting you in the face...a concentrated, relatively tannic wine but everything is where it ought to be. Even the beautiful label speaks volumes in this region. This is where Ribera should be heading.

11/24/2020 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

Great bang for your buck. Tasted blind. A great Barolo if you are into the lighter style: feather-bodied, massive sour cherry tartness, great floral aromatics. Very drinkable now. For me, acidity and freshness are cornerstones to a great wine so this is right down my alley. A delicate ballerina but still packing a stiff tannin, a bit like a moderately hung transgender lady if you allow the metaphor. Lovely!

11/24/2020 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

I'm sitting on further four bottles of this and I don't know what to think. Great nose with overwhelming, jammy, concentrated black fruit, olive, garrigue, a whiff of iron/rusty nail but the palate does not cut it for me. Too jammy, too ripe, too full-bodied. Maybe time will fix it?

11/22/2020 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

Do not open. I thought this was ready to drink after five years and a warm vintage but, oh shit, the TR-808 be bangin' like this was 1992 if you know what I mean. Aaaaacid, massive acid, massive minerality and massive length. A monstrous wine of astonishing focus and purity. Let's see how this fares in 2025 because right now this is still borderline undrinkable even after one hour decant time.

11/2/2020 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

Anyone who is not a perfect idiot should be essentially HOARDING as much as he/she can get of this bargain priced jewel. I can't get enough Gravonia, and can't think enough of those days when this was EUR 13 in Spain.

11/2/2020 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

This is still very, very raw but already showing what this producer is about. Absolutely linear, massive acidity and laser-chiseled precision, yet full of brooding power and puckering bitterness. Does not sound good? Give it 5 or 10 years.

4/28/2020 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

It's been a while since I last drank a pinot from Alsace. Tasted blind - I only knew the price point, which is fairly ambitious. I was a bit underwhelmed. Syrah-style raw fat, quite a lot of oak and a warmer style that somewhat reminds of New World pinot or at least of German pinot trying to look like New World stuff. A bit cloying, and you just don't want to keep drinking. Not a bad wine, but not my cup of tea.

4/23/2020 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

I am a fan of the Bret Bros. / Domaine de la Soudrandière. They make a very quaffable, adictive gamay (Men in Bret) and I've also recently drunk a stunning Saint Véran which in my view was on par with some of the Maçonnais greatest like Dom. Barraud.

However, this was not great. Thin, citrusy and without much going for it. Let it rest for a few years and then re-check.

4/11/2020 - Capitán Sulfito Likes this wine:

I really liked this shit from a lesser-known winery in Basque Rioja. Much better than many other modern white Riojas around. No oak but very full bodied, great concentration, full-on yellow fruit, ripe plums firing from all cannons, and yet with very good acidity. A steal at less than EUR 15 in Spain.

3/15/2020 - Capitán Sulfito Likes this wine:

My second bottle. Oakier and fuller bodied than I remembered. Feels a bit heavier in spite of the low alcohol. Good.

3/2/2020 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

I know this producer gets great scores, but this was "good not great" territory for me. Very pure, very clean, surprisingly concentrated, oak is just right (I was going to make an off-colour joke here but sadly Cellartracker has a zero tolerance policy with this stuff). An impeccably made wine certainly punching above its price...but...maybe it's the warmer 2015 vintage but, for my personal taste, this was lacking in acidity, tension and food-friendliness. One big glass with some fish is enough; I just don't feel like drinking a whole bottle which is a rare thing for me to say. A textbook Chassagne and if you're into this then absolutely go get yourself a bottle.

Drunk at the lovely Gresca restaurant in Barcelona, Spain.

2/11/2020 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

Way too young.

1/11/2020 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

A very good red Ribeiro which I truly recommend. Tasted blind. Typical Galician nose with whole bunch fermentation (green, vegetal notes, slightly rustic yet clean) but the mouth is lush, fairly concentrated and, while still light-footed, certainly more full-bodied than you would expect at just 12 ABV. Tasty, easy drinking...not a mass-market wine but a crowdpleaser somehow.

12/9/2019 - Capitán Sulfito Likes this wine:

This is lovely but I'd resist the urge to open further bottles. Very bold, gamey, leathery expression of classic Rioja. Plenty of concentration and crunchy tannins yet good acidity, alcohol and oak are there for sure but not overwhelming. It's drinking OK but should be much better in 3 to 5 years. If you were to drink it today, give it a good decant a few hours in advance.

11/29/2019 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

I've drunk a number of Stolzenbergs over the years (lastly a 2002 which I drank in the summer of 2019). This was not what I remembered. A very unique style of riesling - you could easily mistake this for a Wachau specimen. Very dry, very alcoholic (13.5 ABV), very slender, slightly muted aromatics with white pepper, hay and grassy aromas. Quite good but stay away if you want your usual easy drinking Mosel.

11/21/2019 - Capitán Sulfito Likes this wine:

Beautiful, just beautiful, particularly at this price point. Wonderful petrol nose, lots and lots of citrusy acidity, muted sweetness, great texture. Still going strong for a basic Kabinett wine. I can see myself drinking this in a couple of years. Got three bottles, gave one to a friend but I am going back for more.

10/27/2019 - Capitán Sulfito Likes this wine:

Tasted blind - I though this was a chardonnay from New Zealand or the cooler parts of the Western Cape in South Africa. Fairly restrained - ripe apple, a whiff of honey, bay leaf, fresh citrus, good acidity, very moderate oak; elegant and clean cut, although somewhat short on concentration. It certainly does not meet the usual cliché of Californian chardonnay. While there is nothing unique or earth shattering to it, we drank it within minutes which is always a good sign. A very good wine if you like the style and at EUR 35 in my country a decent alternative to Burgundy.

10/15/2019 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

My best bottle of Jadis so far. Slightly rustic yet fluid, full bodied with a very so slightly viscous mouthfeel to it, yet good acidity and a touch of savouriness. This is drinking lovely right now and is a bargain.

4/23/2019 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

I rarely do tasting notes but I feel I must do for this one, since it is a fairly expensive wine from a lesser known country. People may thus want to read an opinion before spending EUR 60+ on this.

I tasted this blind and I instinctively thought it was high-end white Burgundy. It reminded me of a Roulot Meursault I drank a while ago. Nose was initially muted, yet with an extremely pure, chalky, fruitless, Chablis-like mineral bouquet. Acidity is moderate, and there is a massive amount of barrique in here, but the oak is fine-grained, perfectly woven into the fabric of the wine. The texture is slender, energetic, muscular, fluid - yet not too thin - in spite of the restrained acidity and all the oak.

A remarkable wine, which gives white Burgundy a run for its money. I'm looking forward to serve this blind to friends since it is very, very hard to distinguish from good Burgundy.

10/28/2018 - Capitán Sulfito wrote:

Natural plonk. Stay away.

3/9/2018 - Capitán Sulfito Does not like this wine:

I never do tasting notes, but I feel I must do one here. Not good. Too high in alcohol (15%), little acidity, plenty of aromas of cooked, stewed fruit...it gets tiring and cloying pretty quickly.