4/12/2024 - SAND Likes this wine:

NOSE: Intense summer honey and flower honey notes, with lots of sweet pollen. (86p)
TASTE: The arrival is just lightly honied and quite fresh. On the mid palate more honey taste and a medium high level of refreshing acidity. The latter makes the tasting experience almost completely dry, not unlike the way a hich acdity "halbtrocken" German Riesling can feel almost dry despite quite å bit of resdiual sugar. The body is medium light with a slight weakness in the middle of the taste curve. The whole drinking experience is refreshing. (85p)
EXIT: In the aftertaste there is almost a pure honey taste but the lingering acidity makes this too an off-dry experience rather than a sweeter one. Eventually the acidity lingers the longer, cleaning up everything else. (83p)
OVERALL: Not bad for a 4.5 year old lighter style mead. Should go very well with light food. TOTAL SCORE 85 points.

3/31/2024 - SAND wrote:

(Non vintage, 187ml bottle. 13.5% ABV. Purchased March 2024, so presumably 2023 vintage)
NOSE: Cranberry jam and malt extract (!).
TASTE: Cheap cranberry lemonade and a light tannic bite. Light bodied. Vinous aftertaste (in a good sense).
OVERALL: A lesson in the finickiness of the Maratheftiko grape? Drink well chilled. TOTAL SCORE 80 points.

3/31/2024 - SAND Likes this wine:

(Non vintage, 187ml bottle. 12.5% ABV. Purchased March 2024, so presumably 2023 vintage)
NOSE: Honey, lemon, peach.
TASTE: Ripe pear, white peach, white melon and some lemon. Light bodied but with a light waxy touch. A slight bitterness in the exit.
OVERALL: Not the most concentrated or refined xynisteri but fruity and fairly clean. Pleasant drinking. TOTAL SCORE 83 points.

3/28/2024 - SAND Likes this wine:

NOSE: Golden sultanas, orange oil, candied orange peel, honey, mangoes, dried papaya, a hint of jasmine. Then old, freshly polished mahogany furniture. (93p)
TASTE: The arrival is fruity-herbal with some dried orange herbal infusion / tisane. On the mid palate a lot of minty-herbal notes, mixed with more dried and candied orange peel and pure orange oil as well as some wood oils and wood extracts. But the woody elements never dominate the fruity ones, which remain fully in control of the show. Concentrated. Completely dry. Some oiliness to the mouthfeel. (91-92p)
FINISH: Menthol, wood oils, some luxurious freshly cracked black pepper over dried mango. Long aftertaste. (91p)
OVERALL: Really concentrated for keeping only 40.6% (presumably purely natural dilution only through evaporation over time in a humid cellar). Demanding and rewarding.
TOTAL SCORE 92 points.

3/27/2024 - SAND Likes this wine:

100% Xynisteri from 30 year old vines in their organically certified Mandria vineyard, located at 900 meters elevation on the south slopes of the Troodos mountain range.
Spontaneous fermentation with naturally occuring yeast. Maturated on the lees in barrel for 8 months.
NOSE: Creamier on the nose than their generic Xynisteri, less immediate but with a deeper or richer fruitiness (white fruits).
TASTE: More cooncentrated, drier, more complex fruitiness, underlying minerality. Medium bodied but I suspect it has more to unpack and yield with more time in the bottle.
OVERALL: High quality. Promising.
TOTAL SCORE 88 points.

3/27/2024 - SAND Likes this wine:

NOSE: Fresh sea water, white fruits, underripe pear, a hint of jasmin.
TASTE: Light bodied, quite mineral, crisp, white stone fruits. Pleasant but fairly short aftertaste.
OVERALL: Pleasant, clean, refersehing.
TOTAL SCORE 86 points.

3/28/2024 - SAND Likes this wine:

Tsiakkis Xynisteri, No vintage printed but bottled spring 2023, so presumably 2022 vintage. 13.0%
NOSE: White pear, lime, white peach.
TASTE: White stone fruit, lime and lemon. Then cantaloupe. Crisp, cool-fruity and clean with a slight waxy mouthfeel.
OVERALL: Dangerously drinkable. Well made and a great buy!
TOTAL SCORE 86 points.

3/25/2024 - SAND wrote:

NOSE: Lychee, firm pear, unripe cantaloupe, general white fruits and white flowers. Very pleasant.
TASTE: Many of the same impressions as on the nose; fresh, just ripe white fruits with a little light citrus. A slight waxiness and medium body / mouthfeel.
OVERALL: Well made, fresh and mouth wateringly appetising, with a cool fruit feel to it. TOTAL SCORE 85 points.

3/15/2024 - SAND Likes this wine:

Very dark brown, almost black.
On the nose raisins, currants, dried dates.
On the palate more of the same, in essence liquid raisins. A little citrus zest as well. Very viscous and mouth coating. Less cloying than some PXes. Although it appears well made it suffers from sweet PX’s general challenge; being a rather straight forward super sweet wine, not having/showing much complexity. Long aftertaste. A dessert in itself.
Total score 87 points.

Zesty

3/9/2024 - SAND wrote:

Absolutely quite mature and past its peak but still drinks nicely.

3/8/2024 - SAND Likes this wine:

Lovely nose with tar, dark cherries, ripe raspberries, violets, liquorice, earthy dust and a slight hint of meaty broth (91p).
Medium bodied in the mouth. Nice freshness/acidity and some tannins. Fairly sweet mature fruit notes, but perhaps less fruit than astringency. Long, slightly drying aftertaste. (89p)
Food wine. Appears mature and at its peak, drink within next 0-3 years. Total score 90 points.

3/3/2024 - SAND wrote:

Jamaica Vatted Single Rum. 100% Pot Still Tropical Aging.
A blend of 10 casks of EMB 2006, 2 casks of EMB 2004 and 4 casks of EMB 2002, fully aged in Jamaica.
A joint bottling between E&A Scheer, Amsterdam and Velier, Genoa.

3/3/2024 - SAND Likes this wine:

NOSE: Under-ripe peach and white pear with a touch of waxiness or butter and a hint of smoke. Pleasant, fruity, clean. (86p)
TASTE: The arrrival is fresh and juicy, with plenty of ripe fruit acidity. This carries onto the mid palate, all the way into the exit, coating the mouth with more of the same accompanied by a light fruit stone bitterness. Medium light body. (87p)
OVERALL: Young, fresh, clean, well made and really mouthwatering. Should work perfectly as an appetizer as well as with lighter chicken or seafood dishes. I think this will develop positively over the next 2-4 years (drink 2024-2028). Great QPR.
TOTAL SCORE 86 (87) points.

3/3/2024 - SAND wrote:

My experience concurs with and I fully agree with most of what Forceberry wrote about this wine (on 27.03.2023).
(At Restaurant Lamar, Copenhagen)

3/3/2024 - SAND Likes this wine:

Great structure and quality, still young, fruity and vibrant.
(At Restaurant Lamar, Copenhagen)

3/1/2024 - SAND Likes this wine:

Grapefruit/lemon/clementine oil, cured ham, hints of smoke. In the mouth more citrus plus mango stone, medium rich body.

3/1/2024 - SAND Likes this wine:

Noses and tastes like an expensive Burgundy white, direction Meursault.

3/1/2024 - SAND wrote:

Lovely and juicy red berry fruit. Great freshness and acidity.

3/1/2024 - SAND wrote:

Ok, but too oaky overall (oak blanket)

2/19/2024 - SAND Likes this wine:

NOSE: Initially grey pear and unripe apricot. Then waxy notes, butter, a slight hint of smoke. More time reveals more waxiness and richer (but still mild) smoke notes (90p)
TASTE: The arrival is fresh, fairly fruity and a little waxy. On the mid palate somewhat less fruity, more mineral, then buttery. (89p)
OVERALL: Would probably have been even better with 2-3 grams less residual sugar.
TOTAL SCORE 89 points.

2/23/2024 - SAND Likes this wine:

NOSE: Opens with autumn forest floor and Marmite or Bovril bouillon. Then violets, dates, raisins, cherry liqueur, even some blackcurrant. With more time more of those autumnal, mushroomy and sweet earthy notes. While first and foremost remaining a mature Piedmontese Nebbiolo it also has several similarities with mature red Burgundies. (89-90p)
TASTE: The arrival is fresh, acidic and fruity. This carries on to the mid palate which is surprisingly lively, fruity and fresh/acidic after 18 years. But in the mouth it also becomes noticeable that this is not a Barolo or Barbaresco. It’s fruitier, more acidic, more mineral and noticeably less tannic than its close neighbours. Medium bodied. (87p)
FINISH: Fruity, sweet and sour with a mild astringent bite. (86p)
OVERALL: Appears very well made. A very interesting mature “Nebbiolo d’Asti”
TOTAL SCORE 87 points.

2/8/2024 - SAND Likes this wine:

(13.5% alcohol, 5,2 g/l acidity, <3 g/l sugar)
NOSE: Sweet, warm, ripe raspberry and boysenberry, pommegranate juice, freshly crushed black pepper. Pleasant nose, if rather dark for a pinot noir (86p)
TASTE: Again sweet, warm juice of raspberry, boysenberry and pomegranate. Quite fruity and juicy. Mild tannins. Pleasant. Fruity and slightly bitter aftertaste. (85p)
TOTAL SCORE 85 (86) points.

2/3/2024 - SAND Likes this wine:

NOSE: Black currants, grilled sweet red bell peppers, red morello cherries, hints of dark chocolate or cocoa. A slight earthy note (in an appealing way) as well as cedar wood. Initially a bit dusty but this blew off almost completely. (89p)
TASTE: Sweet, mature but lively fruit. Very vibrant and almost “fresh” or refreshing. Morello cherries and dark red berries, expensive cocoa powder. Silky tannins. Medium long and pleasant aftertaste. (89-90p)
OVERALL:Almost 20 years old and in a good place now. Less rustic than some of its standard cuvée siblings. Will most likely keep for several more years at this level (drink until 2027)
TOTAL SCORE: 89 points.

1/27/2024 - SAND Likes this wine:

NOSE: Sweet and sour red berry fruitiness elegantly combined with mediterrenean herbs and a little garigue. (88-89p)
TASTE: Juicy, lots of sweet red berries with a slight bitter touch and a wealth of mild mediterrenean herbs. Displays a unique mix of substance and lightness. I guess elegance and balance might be relevant descriptors. Juicy and berried aftertaste with a light saline touch. Quite unique. (89p)
OVERALL: Superbly drinkable. Went equally well with food as on its own. Developed enormously over the 3 hours we drank it, going from around 86 to 89-90 points in my book. In other words; let it breath. TOTAL SCORE 89 points.
7 days fermentation with four daily remontages, followed by racking. Then aged 6 months in concrete.
13.5% alcohol, 0 grams residual sugar, total acidity 4.7 grams/litre. 30,000 bottles produced annually.

1/27/2024 - SAND Likes this wine:

NOSE: Earthy notes of autumn forest floor and mushrooms, as well as elegant sweet red fruits. Perfumed, elegant and so fine it's almost ethereal. (93p)
TASTE: Quite juicy with fine balancing tannins, sweet and sour, really elegant. Linear and long. (92p)
OVERALL: Perfectly mature now. Will probably keep and possible develop further but drinks very nicely now. TOTAL SCORE 92 points.

1/20/2024 - SAND Likes this wine:

NOSE: Modest nose with peach stone and white flowers (elderflower).
TASTE: Quite waxy/oily mouthfeel. Appears well structured with ample fruit, medium body and decent acidity levels. “Linear” and very clean.
OVERALL: Not very aromatic at this stage of its development. Benefited greatly from several hours of (cold) airing. There is a core here which only partially opens up. Given its structure and how clean and linear it appears, I think it has potential for not only aging but further improving. TOTAL SCORE 87 (88) points.

1/23/2017 - SAND Likes this wine:

Olof's farewell dinner (Restaurant Senses, Warszaw): Nice balance between wood and sweet & sour mature frutiness.
Long spicy aftertaste.
89 points.

1/23/2017 - SAND Likes this wine:

Olof's farewell dinner (Restaurant Senses, Warszaw): Liquid raisins.

1/23/2017 - SAND Likes this wine:

Olof's farewell dinner (Restaurant Senses, Warszaw): Fantastic peach and plum fruit.
90 points.

1/23/2017 - SAND Likes this wine:

Olof's farewell dinner (Restaurant Senses, Warszaw): NOSE: Very perfumed. Fascinating mix of red vermouth and Syrah on the nose. Idiosyncratic and fascinating.
TASTE: Rosemary, Syrah, morello. Very interesting & food friendly wine.
OVERALL: 89 points.

1/23/2017 - SAND Likes this wine:

Olof's farewell dinner (Restaurant Senses, Warszaw): .

1/23/2017 - SAND Likes this wine:

Olof's farewell dinner (Restaurant Senses, Warszaw): NOSE: Lovely tropical & smoky aromas. Very fruity and aromatic for a P.G.
TASTE: Lovely sweet & sour balance. Long aftertaste.

12/27/2023 - SAND Likes this wine:

(Purchased in France in 1992)
NOSE: Ripe yellow pear, apricot, honey, sweet orange, fresh orange zest, candied orange zest, sweet almond. With time hints of petroleum, like a well aged Riesling. (89p)
TASTE: Medium sweet with nice acidity to balance. Orangey and citrusy base with tropical yellow fruits on top.
Medium bodied, slightly oily mouthfeel. Long citrusy aftertaste. (89-90p)
OVERALL: Very much alive and well after almost 44 years in bottle. Surprisingly orange-citrusy. Needs air and time to open up on the nose.
TOTAL SCORE: 89 + 1 for age and uniqueness = 90 points.

12/23/2023 - SAND Likes this wine:

NOSE: Orange, dried orange rind, peach, other yellow tropical fruits, sweet carrot, later sweet almonds and petroleum notes. (90-91p)
TASTE: Sweet green apple, sweet lemon and lime, green tea, kiwi, sweet green grapes. Ripe fruit, fresh and juicy acidity. Medium long aftertaste. Just lovely. (91p)
OVERALL: Mature but still lively and fresh, in quite a wonderful spot right now. NB: Give it enough air ( at least 30, preferably 90 minutes) TOTAL SCORE: 91 points.

12/23/2023 - SAND Likes this wine:

(Bottle matured 12 months post purchase)

NOSE: Chalk, citrus, green apple. Some yeast and dough. Hints of seawater and oyster.
TASTE: Starting to mature, green and yellow apples, slightly sweet fruit, rounded. Medium bodied.
OVERALL: Easy to enjoy. Good QPR.
SCORE: 86 points.

12/23/2023 - SAND Likes this wine:

From 56 year old vines planted in 1951.
NOSE: Wet wool (in the best sense), lanolin, seawater, shellfish, chalk, butter, some semolina.
TASTE: Medium bodied Chablis with notes of seawater, oysters and a little butter. More Semillon like with time.
OVERALL: Mature 1er Cru Chablis which improved significantly with 1+ hour of air. Appeared almost over the top straight after opening but pulled together and became significantly more focused and structured after some time exposed to air. In the end it took on almost mature Hunter Valley Semillon like notes.
SCORE: Went from 82-83 to 88 points with 1+ hour of air.

10/20/2023 - SAND Likes this wine:

NOSE: Red plums, autumn forest, cigar box, soaked raisins, Christmas pudding, browned butter, old library, old mahogany furniture, Christmas butterscotch, green grapes, orange peel, orange liqeur. (91-92p)
TASTE: Dark caramel, browned butter, sultanas, corinths, muscovado sugar, candied orange peel, tobacco. Long, slightly sweet and woody aftertaste with quite a bit of dried citrus and citrus oil. (89-90p)
TOTAL SCORE 90 points.

10/1/2023 - SAND wrote:

Fruity, dry and quite crisp. Medium to light bodied.

10/1/2023 - SAND Likes this wine:

COLOUR: Deep gold with an orange hue.
NOSE: Lots of intense orange notes; candied orange peel, orange marmalade, sweet fruity orange liqueur, cumquat, summer honey, orange water, roses. Hints of autumn forest floor. (91-92p)
TASTE: Sweet orange marmalade, orange liqueur, lime, lemon, cumquat, lemon curd. Medium sweetness. Overall very fruity and quite juicy, with some acidity and a certain mineral backbone. Long orange-citrusy semi sweet aftertaste. (89p)
OVERALL: Surprisingly fruity and alive still. Perfect for contemplation. Also went well with lemon meringue pie.
TOTAL SCORE: 90 points.

9/29/2023 - SAND wrote:

(MJMA) Lukt: smør, nektar, aprikos, søtlig lukt som bærer preg av honning.
Smak: modne frukter i samme gate som lukten (nektar, aprikos), deretter litt gule epler uten mye syrlighet

8/10/2023 - SAND Likes this wine:

APPEARANCE: Ruby colour with notes of brick red.
NOSE: Ripe raspberries, field strawberries, fresh sweet figs, dry forest floor, light dry earthiness, a touch of cedar wood. (90p)
TASTE: The arrival is both dry, sweet and fruity. On the mid palate fruity notes of raspberries and red cherries. Slightly drier finish. Medium long aftertaste.(88p)
OVERALL: It took several hours for the wine to fully open up, both aroma and taste wise.
TOTAL SCORE 89 points.

8/3/2023 - SAND wrote:

Aroma of bruised yellow apples, conserved lemons.
On the palate rather flat, some oxidation, sherry notes.
Quite over the top.

7/28/2023 - SAND Likes this wine:

100% Nebbiolo, biodynamically produced in San Marzano Oliveto (between Alba, Asti and Alessandria). 13.0% ABV. 600 bottles produced.
APPEARANCE: Medium garnet colour with nuances of brick red.
NOSE: Earthy, touches of wood (not new oak however), warm strawberries, morellos, artificial raspberry lemonade, some floral notes, including violets. After a few hours; dark plums, rose hip (88-89p)
TASTE: Initially both the wine is quite dry, both the arrival and on the mid palate. After a few hours of airing both appear distinctly sweeter.
Medium body. (88p)
FINISH: Rounded, ripe tannins round off the taste curve. Dark bitter sweet cherries and blueberries together with a slightly rustic tannic bite in the aftertaste. (88p)
OVERALL: Another reminder that Nebbiolo with some bottle age almost always benefits and softens with a few hours in a decanter. This wine started out fairly dry and a little astringent but ended up displaying much more classic mature Nebbiolo sweetness. The longer it stayed in the decanter the younger it appeared.
At its release in 2009 the producers advised on the back label that it was drinking well already but could be cellared for around five years, i.e. till around 2014. It’s now 2023 and I’m looking forward to opening my next bottle around 2026-2027.
For heavier, meaty dishes.
TOTAL SCORE 88 (89) points.

7/19/2023 - SAND Likes this wine:

APPEARANCE: Medium garnet colour with brick red elements. Quite fragile cork, broke off (or rather partly dissolved and crumbled). Some dried remains of previous seepage on top of the cork. 14.0% ABV.
NOSE: Wet wood, cherry pits, leather, autumn forest floor, well hung beef. Later sweet medicinal notes of gauze bandage, ointment and camphor. Dried figs. Rich and fragrant. Wonderfully aromatic. (92-93p)
TASTE: The arrival is sweet with ripe and matured fruit. On the mid palate leather, dark plum fruit (Anton Berg’s Plum in Madeira), cellared strawberry jam. Velvety and rich mouthfeel. (91p)
FINISH: Still sweet but now rounding off with some nicely drying but well integrated tannins. A touch of black pepper. Long aftertaste. (90p)
OVERALL: Very mature, sweet, hedonistic. Enjoyed over three hours and did only become better and better. A wonderful, if not great Ch. Musar.
TOTAL SCORE 91 points.

7/18/2023 - SAND Likes this wine:

APPEARANCE: Deep rosé towards light red wine colour. Orange-pinkish.
NOSE: Morello, wild strawberries, red and yellow currants.
TASTE: Slightly sweet, fruity, morello, red and yellow currants, a slight hint of mango. Juicy. Nice acidic and mildly tannic backbone.
OVERALL: Still going strong after all these (6) years. Impressive!
TOTAL SCORE 88 points.

7/18/2023 - SAND Likes this wine:

APPEARANCE: Medium dark amber / bronze colour. Quite saturated cork, broke halfway up. Some seepage on the top of the cork.
NOSE: Shot caps gun smoke , apple juice, tinned clementine, almond, marzipan, paraffin, cloudberry. With time more and more orange and citrus notes (both fruit and marmalade) as well as lots of apricot. Also mineral, flinty notes. Keeps getting better and better. A wonderful nosing experience! (94p)
TASTE: On the arrival orange water and rose water, orange marmalade. On the mid palate orange water, fresh and dried apricot, tinned clementine, orange marmalade, cured lemon. Medium bodied. A bit lighter in the middle of the taste curve but not near being hollow. Overall the concentration is quite impressive. (91p)
FINISH: Bergamot flavoured tea, dried orange and lime peel. Medium long aftertaste. (89p)
OVERALL: Started out in the 88-89 area. After 1-2 hours in the glass however it has really firmed up and started to shine and is now up there, in 92-93 points territory.
TOTAL SCORE 92 points.

7/8/2023 - SAND Likes this wine:

APPEARANCE: Golden colour with a slight yellow-green tint. 11.5% ABV.
NOSE: Lovely mature Riesling nose with primarily ripe tropical fruits; apricot, peach, lime, lemon, even some mango. Also Gravenstein apple. Some wet slate minerality and a hint of flint smoke. (93p)
TASTE: Juicy, tropical, citrusy, viscous - almost buttery, ripe sweet lemons, apricot and mango. Gradually more and more stone minerality. Quite a bit of rounded, ripe citric acidity (originally 12.3 g/L) but it’s wrapped in enough ripe fruitiness that it just makes for a very juicy taste experience. A nice mild fruit stone bitterness towards the end of the taste curve. Lovely. (93p)
OVERALL: A great mature Riesling which drinks superbly now but should keep for several more years. TOTAL SCORE 93 points.

5/7/2023 - SAND Likes this wine:

NOSE: Initially very earthy, even a bit of damp earth floor cellar. To such a degreee that I initially thought the wine was affected by TCA (corked) Slowly, very gradually, sweet fruit notes start appearing as well; ripe raspberries, dark cherries.
TASTE: The inital impression is earthy on the palate too. Then mature fruitiness, some acdity, a little bit of tannins. With air (1 hour) the mature fruit starts to become sweeter.

5/6/2023 - SAND Likes this wine:

NOSE: Ripe raspberry, raspberry candy, wild cherry. Lovely berried, fruity nose with a bit of depth to it. (88p)
TASTE: The arrival is light with some freshness and quite fruity. On the mid palate it is fresh / refreshing with quite a bit of red berries fruitiness. Medium light body. Albeit more rounded and less searing than it will typically be in its first year, the acidity is still very much present and alive. And mainly that it is a good thing, also given that I perceive that it is the acidity which carries most of the fruitiness of this wine. (85p)
OVERALL: It was very interesting to taste this almost 5 year old specimen of this drink-as-young-as-possible fruity acidity-bomb which is Langmann's Schilcher. Once you adjust to the slightly different experience and give it a few hours of airing to stabilise and open up properly, it was quite a pleasant wine experience! Still very quaffable! Who would have thought that some four years ago...? TOTAL SCORE 86 points.

5/2/2023 - SAND Likes this wine:

NOSE: Rich herbal notes, red berries, dark plum.
TASTE: The arrival is quite fruity, soft, with a slight touch of sweetness. On the mid palate more fruitiness as well as nice acidity/freshness and a light tannic grip to add structure. Medium rich mouthfeel. Some spices.
FINISH: Medium long fruity aftertaste with balancing acidity and tannins.
OVERALL: Structured and quite juicy at the same time. Well made. Drinks dangerously well. TOTAL SCORE 88 (89) points.