11/27/2023 - mattym19 Likes this wine:

By the glass at Ezov in Austin, TX. Nose is explosive with tomato leaf, violets, roses, cherries, a little less earth than I would expect for piedmont Nebbiolo but otherwise pretty close. Very precise and compelling. Palate is almost exactly the same; cherries, clay, something slightly leafy, hint of tomato paste umami, big hole in the middle of the palate but lots of red berry acidity and tannins on the finish make it pleasant not weird. This is totally awesome BTG right now.

10/5/2023 - mattym19 Likes this wine:

Killer juice. In such a spot right now. Even non-wine drinkers loved it. Awesome acidity, so balanced. Palate is savory, olivey, beef broth but with a fresh crunchy berry finish. Great QPR.

9/29/2023 - mattym19 Likes this wine:

By the bottle at Myriel in Minneapolis. Nose is quite subtle, almost not even there. It might be the restaurant which is extremely tight and full of strong burning smells but I really don’t think there is much there right now. Palate is bursting with red berries, lifted, violet notes, this is not what I expected for a Rioja but I love it. So much acidity and freshness. Vaguest hint of something green and savory on the finish. Strong but subtle tannins balance the copious acidity. I can only assume this is just entering its window but it’s so good now I wouldn’t be able to hold it.

11/24/2022 - OneForTheStairs Likes this wine:

So good. I didn't make notes, but even the fact that I opened on a jiggly train, broke and then destroyed the cork, and drank it out of paper cups with my mother-in-law could not spoil the enjoyment. Deep leathery goodness! A warm cedary hug! Delicious.

6/16/2022 - talbot61 Likes this wine:

At Noreetuh, New York City: Persistent mousse, like the crema on an expresso. Medium body. High acidity, crisp, incisive, citric, with a foreground flavor of grapefruit and an intriguing background flavor of peppermint. Does it make sense to say that it tastes like champagne, but not like other champagnes?

1/8/2022 - Paul852 Likes this wine:

Drank two bottles with lunch today (restaurants are closed here from 6pm, because obviously having dinner at lunchtime keeps us safe from Covid).

So, as an experiment, one bottle was double decanted last night about 14 hours before drinking, and the other at 8am, so about 5 hours before. Both had quite high acidity initially as I tasted the dregs from the decants.

They were both excellent bottles, but the one with 5 hours open retained much more acetone on the nose and a sweeter slightly richer feel overall; the 13 hour decant was more refined, a little more acidic bite. Frankly the difference between them could have been bottle variation and the table were split 50/50 on which they preferred.

So, all in all, these are still very much in their drinking window.

6/10/2021 - Matteo1 wrote:

Dense and dark color. Violet and lingering scents of fermentation on the shy nose. I like the acidity on the palate and low alcohol of the wine. Doesn't have the nuance and clarity of a wine with a long elevage.

9/7/2019 - penguinoid Likes this wine:

Colour: inky sepia
Nose: dried muscatel grapes, brown sugar, molasses. Cloves? Sweet spice, old oak. Heat from alcohol.
Palate : dried muscatel, brown sugar, molasses. Unctuous, thick, treacly. smooth rich mouthfeel. Very rich and sweet. Medicinal, cough syrup. Liquorice? Hasn’t really changed much since my last notes in 2017. Some fresh citrusy acidity, enough ro just balance the unctuous sweetness. Touch of drying phenolics Some heat from alcohol. Just perfect. 17% alcohol. Seal: cork.
Notes from half bottle.

3/26/2021 - AndrewSGHall wrote:

Orchid house nose - hot moist soil and exotic floral. Slight saline and sherry notes upfront - sick shit, tbh. Nice body, zippy acids in good harmony. A little slick oily. A bit of marzipan. Citrus and Granny Smith. Drops off on the finish to a flat affect.