1/29/2024 - lightning wrote:

Complex nose of butterscotch, dried coconut, nuts and dried fruits. Elegant palate, light to medium bodied with a slight viscousness, a fine-boned but firm acid spine throughout, with flavours similar to the nose. Length and draw. Refreshing. Probably best to drink up, while the midpalate flavours remain in sufficient intensity to balance the acid spine. Can't get enough of these wonderful whites from LdH.

1/21/2024 - lightning wrote:

This one took 3+ hours in the decanter to harmonise. In the first hour, the heavy toast oak characters overwhelmed everything. Now, aromas of sous bois, heavy toast oak, but on the palate the dark fruit characters have now emerged and melded with the oak treatment. Still fairly sturdy structurewise, with some grippy tannins remaining, moderate acidity. Unsure which direction this will go. For a vineyard that is adjacent to the great Musigny, this wine did not reflect the characteristics of its exalted neighbour.

11/27/2023 - drjb wrote:

At our annual Wine Group End of Year Lunch. This wine was horribly flawed by irresolvable sulfur levels and underlying reduction reminiscent of some years of Leflaive. There is some intense well structured fruit beneath this volcano but it takes some digging and time under Stelvin is unlikely to resolve the problem. Is this some groovy marketing trick (" all that burnt match character just like Leflaive and Coche ! "), careless winemaking or just a bad bottle ? Anyway the Meursault that followed was pristine !

10/14/2023 - aagrawal wrote:

Dinner with Tim and Elliott (Millbrae, CA): Decanted off 2oz fine sediment. Light ruby, lighter than the 2011 Rinaldi, bricking as expected for young Nebbiolo; aromatic, strawberry, tar, not quite tamari but headed there with more time, less floral but some underlying rose petal; palate is light bodied, well integrated medium-plus tannin, high acidity, fresh and red fruited, lovely depth and flavor with a bit of tamari here; finish is medium-plus length. Really lovely, arguably more ready to drink now than the Rinaldi 2011 Tre Tine, fabulous aromatics and I love the lightness and elegance for a warmer year. One of the best Cappellano for drinking now, and no warmth/heat at all with this bottle. Drink now and over the next 5-10 years.

9/2/2023 - tim.o.joyce@gmail.com Does not like this wine:

I have tried to be patient with this wine after acquiring a case several years ago, knowing that Barolo can take many years of aging to show its best. However, although there is good underlying structure of wine including some pleasant fruit, I cannot quite get past the unpleasant dominance of tart tannins that became very unpleasant by the time I had finished the fully decanted bottle at the end of the evening. This has always been something I have struggled with in this wine and I had hoped that after 13 years we might finally get to enjoy something more rounded. Maybe another 10-15 years might do the trick, however I am not so sure given the current rate of improvement, and my lack of experience in holding wines for so long. Personally I don't mind holding wines for 10-15 years to enjoy at their peak - however significantly longer and I start to question the value proposition.

8/3/2023 - Rote Kappelle Likes this wine:

This is like holding the bewitching (but, today, doubtless somewhat smelly) Vivien Leigh in one's arms and thinking 'Rhett, old cheese, how can you do anything but ravish this creature?' Part of you knows that another line, apparently delivered to Frank (O'Hara), "My dear I don't give a yam" would be what you should say, but hell, we live but once and pleasure must be taken wherever it is to be found, as often as possible and especially when the object is so gorgeous, whenever it can be found.

On the set of my sprawling film about the nobility of the slave economy 'Strong, like my wind' this wine was being consumed in huge quantities. The only thing that is thirstier work than making propaganda is helping slaves understand how good slavery really is for them. They can be a bit ungrateful.

This wine not only asks to be ravished and enslaved, it demands it. The acid that marks the 2021 Rieslings from the land of Arminius of the Cherusci creates something truly magnificent here. I loved the Spätlese from Prum, but this is a step above. Pineapple, mango, lemon blossom, acid cut that defies all but the moronic to call it sweet, length of finish and intensity all put this in the 'Outstanding' category.

This is great now and it will, like all the true beauties, only get better with age. This wine is gorgeous. If the choice was Vivien or this, then it would be this and consolation with Mrs Palmer and her 5 daughters for me. 'Frankly, my dear, I don't give a slam'.

7/13/2023 - lightning wrote:

Seductive nose of dark cherries and plums, flowers, baking spices, and a hint of dried coconut. A touch above medium-bodied, an orb of earth and dark cherry on the midpalate, midbodied refined tannins, length for days, finishes with a dried herb and dark chocolate note. Very polished wine.

7/11/2023 - lightning wrote:

Attractive classic left bank Bordeaux nose of cassis and graphite. Supple, medium bodied with cassis, graphite and tar, fine to medium-bodied tannins, fine acidity woven in, decent length. Drinking well at the moment, went wonderfully with a fish stew and rice. 13% ABV.

6/12/2023 - Boudica wrote:

Ruby red to garnet, transparent, clear. Not overly pronounced nose of cranberry, charcuterie, earth. Tart acid, spiky tannins, disjointed. The nose is better than the palate. Moderate intensity of amorphous red fruits, earthiness and savoury notes. There is no joy in this wine - it has no soul.

6/5/2023 - Snowey Likes this wine:

Nose was open for business showing lovely Burgundian scent. Flavor was a bit heavy while oak was more integrated than last bottle. Is over extracted the right term here? Body was full and it went well with a steak but didn’t have the lightness you expect in a lovely burgundy.

1/28/2023 - Romain_Stamm Likes this wine:

Lemon robe, delicate petillance. On the nose, Notes of wax, cured lemon and bready aromas - complex palate with notes of mushroom and brioche and cured lemon with striking acidity and round body. Medium+ length . Very developed already and ready now but can age.

1/23/2023 - Oliverl1 wrote:

Tried from the bottle, then decanted 2 hours, 4 hours and 6 hours and hardly noticed any improvement. This is another complete disappointment from this producer!

Over the past couple of years, I have had the ‘04, ‘05, ‘06, ‘08 and ‘09 and EVERY bottle has been a disappointment for the money! Oh and I am not the PnP type of person. I am always happy to give wines some air for a few hours to 24 hours. I have been drinking Rioja (of which some has been very good and expensive Rioja) for almost 20 years and I just do not get this producer. I understand these wines are meant for aging, but, come on, this wine is 17 years and had 6 hours of air! Comparing it to Bordeaux, there are many, many wines from Bordeaux that can be had while they are still young and primary and they are actually enjoyable and worth the money. Just read my tasting notes. Lopez Heredia, I just don’t get you! You have wasted my money yet again!

For the price ($75) I can buy some thing like “El Puntido Gran Reserva 2007” or “Chateau Desmirail 2009” and they are not at their peak but knock the socks of Tondonia!

12/7/2022 - Rote Kappelle Likes this wine:

Lightning has absolutely summed this wine up (curse him!) so all I can usefully add is that this wine often doesn't show that well early - commonly it is mute and a bit surly, like Bob Dylan as Alias in Sam Peckinpah's 'Pat Garret and Billy the Kid'. Now that movie is really all about red wine as a rule, for me, but this wine has the structure and grunt to go head to head with Kris Kristoferson as the Kid, but it has the gravitas of James Cockburn as Pat Garret.

You need to have this wine, just like you need to see this movie. And you need enough so that, like the movie, you can sample it again and again.

This wine will develop wonderfully - they all do. Don't overdo the White Burgundy comparisons because it ain't, but in its own right, it doesn't need to be - same league, different player, half the cost. Now I am seeing Rita Coolidge (as Maria) in my glass... Always a good sign.

11/5/2022 - LambarOdelmeyer Likes this wine:

Intense golden colour. Minerals, yellow peach, lemon peel on the nose and palate. A hint of grip in the mouth, intense lingering finish. A very focussed wine that shows elegance and restraint. Very nice, but poor value.

11/1/2022 - joraesque wrote:

From a half bottle, and drinking great. Relatively lower acid; excellent pairing with 5-spice. 13.5% ABV.

10/30/2022 - Romain_Stamm Likes this wine:

Very textural wine. Peach, griotte cherry, almonds on the plate. Butter & croissant notes on the nose. Good acidity backbone. Love it

10/22/2022 - diggydan wrote:

Ignore my score - I don't care for Burlotto Monvigliero. The most fruit-deficient widely admired wine I've had. Smells great, though.

10/23/2022 - DoctorBartolo Likes this wine:

I always marvel at the stubbornly low scores awarded to Musar. Long may that continue so that this unloved oddity remains the best value wine in my cellar by a long margin. Where else can you buy 1998 aged wines of such quality direct from the Chateaux cellar for under 40 pounds a bottle including delivery? Because of its affordability a friend once described his Musar as “cellar defenders” to serve when guests were too far gone to notice or care what they were drinking. I told him off and was very pleased to be served Musar as the star of the dinner party by him on my next visit. Everyone agreed it was sublime. Musar is a great wine with multiple layers on the nose and on the palate. I take my hat off to the winemakers who face all kinds of adversity in Lebanon but continue to make this extraordinary wine. Try the 2014 too which is a superstar in the making and is drinking deliciously now but will transform into greatness in 10 to 15 years if you can wait that long. No, I’m not on commission. Bravo Musar!

10/11/2022 - Rote Kappelle Likes this wine:

What is this? An Oz red at 12.5% ABV. How can it be?

Being aged and withered, I recall a time when this was a pretty standard number for an Oz red and 13.5% was a sign of a very ripe wine indeed - that started to change around the late 1980's. If the grapes are ripe, I really like the lower alcohol wines - some things about the past are good.

The damned cork has been used here, a throwback that I don't like. It's a seal that is prone to infection with TCA (cork taint) - can impact up to 10% of all bottlings, it is prone to all kinds of failures under the usual vicissitudes of life and no two bottles will ever be the same after about a decade. Other than that, it is a great closure. Yes it can be addressed using all sorts of work ons but it is a bit like patching up the steam engine when the alternative is cheap, better and proven. We love the screw cap.

Colour is medium depth, garnet and starting to move towards brick. Still nice and clear.

Nose is leafy with redcurrants, a little blackcurrant, a character that reminds me of wet clay (others might speak of wet stone), a little cedar and earthiness/smoke/olive. It smells like classical Left Bank Bordeaux from before they went the Big Parker.

Palate is intense and long, tannins are very fine but supportive and beautifully handled. The flavours are as per the nose. I love it. There is a suggestion of sourness but no more. In a blind tasting a good palate (probably not mine) might start by thinking a very good Left Banker, maybe St Julien or Pauillac, but something about the structure would probably say not Bordeaux and the slightly more open weave suggests Australia, cooler climate. Tannins are not right for WA, it is a bit too subtle for Coonawarra and the wet stone/clay isn't an obvious signpost and so that really takes one to the Yarra Valley. So, make no mistake, it is Bordeaux like in the best ways, but it isn't Bordeaux.

I have to say that I love this wine - it takes me back to very good places. It is the second Wantirna I have tried (2019 was the other) and I have been extremely impressed by both. This is closer to Yeringberg and Mount Mary than to Yarra Yering or some others. If you live outside Oz with easy access to Bordeaux then this probably doesn't really add anything but if you are in Oz, especially, and want something other than the usual high octane blackcurrant jam with vanilla (and there are days when that jam works for me) this maker might just please you a lot.

I note the other reviews of this vintage are far less approving than mine. I had a quick look at the writers' reviews of other wines and these are people who know their stuff and are not addicted to big juice. What I didn't notice was a lot of Bordeaux in their notes (I might have missed this) and so it might be a style thing. The 2019 might be a safer starting point.

7/30/2022 - lightning wrote:

Slightly shy on the nose, aromas of pure rose, cinnamon and orange peel. Medium bodied, intense beautiful red fruit compote on the palate, firm Nebbiolo tannins on the midpalate. Will cellar beautifully. Noted however that some wine critics have identified some problems with this wine - a lactic finish. Unsure if there are problems with different batches? This gives me pause, although my bottle had no problems.

6/3/2022 - lightning wrote:

Ripe blackcurrant, violets and blue flowers on the nose. Full-bodied with slightly gritty texture, spirity and dominated by a persistent black olive and tar character on the palate. Bold, Nebbiolo-like tannins. Finishes angular on that tar note. It’s an unusual wine, likely not your normal Barossa Shiraz (although noting I’m not a regular Barossa drinker), and I have doubts about whether this evolves well. (**)

3/2/2022 - MrsBordeauxMrBurgundy Likes this wine:

Dark purple, full bodied, medium acidity

Aromas of blueberries, plum, loam, limestone, and tobacco.
Black cherry, plum, with hints tobacco and lingering minerality on the palate. Fine, velvety tannins, with a nice long finish

Decanted for 4 hours, paired with filet minon, sautéed balsamic poblanos, and bacon gold potatoes.

9/21/2021 - lightning wrote:

Similar to edeon..."I think/hope it was flawed. Seemed a bit oxidized, watery and sour. Poured most of it out."

5/21/2021 - Jemby Likes this wine:

A very pleasant, supremely refreshing wine of shy nose and rather austere character which might go reasonably well with oysters, crab, shrimp and (maybe) mild white cheese. But there is not the richness or body which would allow it to stand up to substantial dishes, and despite its having won 9 gold medals, the price seems unwarranted. Clean, balanced (only 10.5% alcohol), but nothing one should write home to mother about.

5/24/2021 - ubercuvee wrote:

In a great place now. Probably at peak (Cappellano's wines don't age particularly well IMO). But what a wine it is now: almost chinato-like in its sweetness of fruit, notes of bitter orange peel and cinnamon spice. All combined with the gloriously weightless Cappellano body.

2/26/2021 - VinCapitan wrote:

A sexy beast from famed Barolo producer Giuseppe Rinaldi. The 2017 Nebbiolo. Declassified grapes from the youngest vines on the plot. They will eventually go in to the Barolo when they grow up. Thank you to Marta and the team for allowing us to walk through the barrel room, show us the vineyards and your time. A special moment in my wine adventure.
1 year in Slovenian casks produces a wine of depth and structure allowing the fruit to sing. Strawberry and cherry spice over new leather and rose essence. There is a savoury element in there too of light tobacco, some aniseed and tar with a light grip of game meat. Some dark earth in there adding to the structure. The tannin that lies underneath plays second fiddle to the fruit up front. Length is plenty. Long strong balanced. A grand wine and no wonder Rinaldi has such a cult following globally with this as the entry.

10/6/2020 - lightning wrote:

Assertive blue fruits. Full bodied, viscous and energetic. Blue fruits, acid woven in, finest filigree tannins, great length and fruit presence. Ensure temperature is kept to 18-20 degrees, any higher and the wine and oak get a bit bloated and flabby.

8/7/2020 - lightning wrote:

Colour like a melted ruby. Pure raspberry and cherry, dried herbs, cinnamon, cloves and anise. Elegant silky entry, light to medium bodied, silky texture and then the firm yet filigree tannins emerge on the midpalate. An orb of tightly-wound minerals and red fruit, dried herbs on the finish, sustain. Top class. Would not pick this as a warm vintage.

This was opened out of curiosity, as there have been numerous reports of poor bottles. The cork is average in quality (certainly not befitting a wine of this stature), pock-marked and short. Suspect the winemaking is quite "natural" and with very low sulphur levels, and perhaps the various anecdotes I've heard are from bottles suffering from travel shock.

9/16/2019 - lightning wrote:

Some GC action. Intense opaque colour. Rich and luxurious blueberry and BlackBerry aromas; full-bodied, palate-saturating blueberry fruits, firm yet filigreed tannins pucker, subtle acid spine woven in, huge length. Great Barossa shiraz again by Standish; the Lamella probably a touch better than this for precision/focus.

7/3/2020 - lightning wrote:

Bottle code LK116, ie. built from the 2011 Barolo vintage.

Fascinating nose built around a strong quinine and wormwood spine, there are hints of clove, dark chocolate, cool mint, and ripe red fruits. Silky entry, slightly oily texture, medium plus bodied, quinine and sweet red fruits, sugar syrup, fine yet enduring tannins, and such persistence. Such a beautiful thing, especially on a cold winter night.

Wonder how/if it will develop with cellaring? Various industry sources say it cellars well. I think the sugar and alcohol (17.5%) will hold it in good stead, although I'm not sure if any evolution will be that pronounced given the dominance of the quinine note.

8/19/2018 - NineteenEightyTwo Likes this wine:

Medium orange-amber color. Intense nose, packed with toasty mocha and espresso aromas. There's also the rich fruitiness of dried apricot and lemon curd, as well as some perky green grass and floral perfume scents, and a sprig of mint. Some butterscotch, and a smoke-and-iodine aroma that indicates perhaps a bit of peated malt was included?

The palate is full of assertive wood, tasting altogether hotter than the advertised 46%. There is a high-pitched woodiness at midpalate, which drifts into some butterscotch and black cherry flavors around the sides of the tongue. There is a note of hot tea (into which a fresh lemon has been squeezed) marking the transition into the long finish, which persists with flavors of roasted coffee and cocoa. There's actually an echo of kiwi fruit and a somewhat exotic spiciness that hover around the very end of this one.

The Glenmorangie website unhelpfully indicates that this is "a fusion of unique and rare elements, and clouded in secrecy," which sets my BS-spider-senses tingling. There are some additional vagaries about "unique roasted 'chocolate' barley malt and the 'designer casks' made bespoke for Glenmorangie from American white oak." Both are evident, perhaps the former more than the latter, as the roasty character of this is a departure from the Glenmorangie house style.

This is interesting, though perhaps not so much as the superb Finealta private edition from a few years back. Still, the more time I spend with it, the more I like it. I don't really fancy this at the current $220 retail price, though the presentation is impressively elegant if you're buying this as a gift. I was able to pick up a bottle at $170, which makes this a special-occasion-type splurge. At that price, however, I think I'd rather have the inimitable Talisker 18.

8/13/2019 - lightning wrote:

No notes taken, however please make sure to give this one plenty of air before approaching. The nose is immediately inviting upon popping the cork, however the acidity was unbalanced at the start, and it wasn't until the last glass before the midpalate started filling out. The class of this wine was evident though.

10/28/2015 - lightning wrote:

To be updated

7/20/2018 - lightning wrote:

Popped open a bottle of this after a sadly corked bottle of Pie Franco of the same vintage.

A little tight automatically. With some swirling, a multifaceted nose of rose, asphalt, a touch of almond and violets; clean and elegant on entry, medium bodied, the midpalate is a rumbling core of dark and savoury graphite and minerals, some red fruits surfing on top. Complex and challenging. Power through the core without unnecessary weight. Obviously young and needing much time for the various parts to come together. Next bottle in 2028.

12/10/2017 - Delectable Blue wrote:

Added in error.

3/14/2018 - VinCapitan Likes this wine:

again black cherry and violets. Herbal flows on anise, some barnyard and gentle fruit flow. Impeccable tannin. Amazing balance. Lighter, more ethereal than the 1965. Different but both excellent

7/3/2014 - David Paris (dbp) wrote:

Five days in Barolo: A visit to Cappellano (Serralunga d'Alba): Barrel sample at the winery at just ~8 months of age. There's only one large (~45HL) barrel of the Franco, and it's resting in a Franz Stockinger barrel. This is much more showy than the Rupestris, offering the typical high tones of this wine. Quite floral and pretty, and already sexy aromatic texture and litheness. Similarly more expressive on the palate, which had a nice light texture, but far more depth of flavor before the incredible tannic clout took over. These tannins were however incredibly fine grained. I bet this is going to be wonderful.

2/9/2018 - lightning wrote:

Old stewed plums, coffee and cough syrup on the nose; medium bodied, bold yet elegant tannins however the stewed plum character predominates and is offputting. Nice enough acid. Good structure, but have to say that the flavour profile is overripe and disappointing. (86)

Opened the bottle 2 days after, and the stewed plums sat better within the overall structure. 88, and drinks comfortably now.

1/29/2018 - lightning wrote:

Popped and poured. Boysenberry and blueberries, dense core of fruit, mid bodied drying tannins, medium to full bodied, good length. Compared to last bottle in August, the wine has tightened up and put on weight, acidity is now more settled. A good prospect to cellar, especially for the price. While ok to drink now, the best years are ahead of it and I would leave for another 5-8 years before checking in again.

8/31/2017 - AJ72 wrote:

This is a polarising wine and I confess being a winemaker for my profession sees me marking this harshly. I really don't like brett but if you don't have a problem with it then this wine may still appeal to you. It's not completely stuffed and has a good deal of fruit underneath it but to me it's been affected too much. Having seen first hand the impact Brett has on wine it's hard to understand why many producers and consumers seem to be so oblivious to it? If you have the right equipment to deal with the issue in the winery you can reduce or avoid getting it altogether. I'm not advocating squeaky clean technically made wines either but Brett is NEVER doing anything good. I see many expensive wines on these pages with Brett issues getting praise heaped upon them (Thierry Allemand etc) and wonder how long it will take the general consumer to start to notice? I can understand as it's not something that easily recognised it's only through years of analysing wine that you begin to see it and then the damage that it does to your own wines. I was once dismissive about colleagues who were "Brettcentric" but there's no turning back after you've seen the light. Maybe ignorance is bliss.

Edit 11/13/2017: To back up my comments I will provide the laboratory analysis (costs around $80 per test) for 4EP:4EG levels present in this wine. These are the compounds which are responsible for the alteration of a wine's DNA when Brett affected. If the laboratory analysis indicates no presence of Brett I shall eat my words.

Edit 12/04/2017: Okay the results are in for this wine. The wine has been tested for presence of 4EP:4EG in the sample and tested by a NADA accredited laboratory which we use all the time to test our own wines. The sample was taken from a fresh bottle so bottle variation is not a factor in this.

4 Ethyl Phenol= 760ppm
4 Ethyl Guaiacol= 110ppm

This is a very high level given that threshold of detection is around 50ppm. The ratio between the two is about 7:1 (4EG:4EP). This is indisputably a bretty wine which backs up my original judgement and comments. To me the wine is impacted but if you like it then take these results with a grain of salt and keep enjoying wine irrespective of whether it's bretty or not. However you can't deny the presence of brett.

Cheers

Adam

8/27/2017 - fat.metheny Likes this wine:

Old own rooted vines of liatiko. Garnet towards brick colour. Complex aromas of dried herbs, dried rosepetals and sweet red fruit. A bit of dried figs and underbrush but not much. Nice mouthfeel that goes well with the nose. A bit medium low on acidity but that is totally reasonable since the wine is made in Crete. If only this wine had nebbiolo like acidity it would be world class. Still perfect. One of the best reds in Greece and probably the best producer in Crete. Ready right now but you can wait 3 years.

8/22/2017 - lightning wrote:

From a half bottle. 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo 10%. 13% ABV.

Garnet translucent core, a tinge of brick towards the rim. Seductive red berries, spice, a fine hint of vanilla that melds beautifully and does not protrude; medium bodied and elegant with a consistent raspberry acidity from the outset, a touch of grip on the midpalate.

After a couple of hours, some dark berries and smoke notes emerge on the nose, and the wine has a bit more presence in the mouth, some graphite, dried herbs and liqueur cherry in addition to sour cherry acidity, fine-boned lingering tannins. Recommended to open this a couple of hours ahead of time. Wonderful, multifaceted wine.

5/22/2017 - tooch wrote:

Day 1 in Piedmont (Vietti, Prunotto, & Bartolo Mascarello) (Piedmont, Italy): In 2012, fruit was lost from the Rue vineyard - a primary source for their Barolo. This is significant because the Rue is has a heavy clay composition which, typically, yields fruit that provide weight & concentration to their Barolo. Given the loss of fruit, the 2012 barolo is a light vintage. Loved the aromatics - strawberries, roses, some tar, bits of mushroom, & some darker floral notes. Its palate was so silky and refined, and while it may not have the weight of many other baroli, its flavor is still concentrated. Very impressive wine.

7/7/2017 - lightning wrote:

A beauty. Liquorice, red fruits on the nose, cinnamon - swirl the glass, let your mind wander, and other subtle notes emerge. Entry of pure silk, medium bodied, fine-boned tannins which fan out on the end, lacy acidity, almond, hint of dry herb, red fruits. Elegant, beautiful yet with inner confidence.

7/1/2017 - michael_cooke Likes this wine:

Opened midday & slow-oxed all afternoon before decanting in the evening.
Clean, pure, balanced. Alpine fresh, menthol, just lovely.
Tannins were firm & persistent without being overbearing.
Probably should have left half to see how it showed on day two but I was not strong enough!!

6/12/2017 - mmjlondon Does not like this wine:

Crap, dont buy the 2009 Vintage

6/2/2017 - harrit3 Likes this wine:

Decanted for 30 mins. Fantastic nose of crushed blackberries, black currant, leather and earth. Soft tannins and supple mouthfeel with ripe fruit and precision. What a fabulous wine - lots of life left - just entering the drinking window now...

7/24/2016 - forceberry wrote:

Wine made from grapes sourced from both old, +60 yo vineyards and some new, approx. 10 yo vineyards. After a cold soak period in old 500 liter oak barrels, the wine is transferred to new French oak barriques for fermentation and aging for 18 months.

Quite dark and moderately opaque ruby color. Rich, aromatic and interesting nose with aromas of rose petals and rose hips, ripe cherry, roasted spices, sweet oak, some cloves, a little aromatic cedary wood and a hint of cocoa and milk chocolate. Ripe and full-bodied in the mouth with dark-toned flavors of sour cherry, sweet boysenberry, rose-dominant florals, some dark cherry, a little cocoa and a hint of tart lingonberry. The wine has quite impressive structure with its high acidity and rather prominent, grainy tannins; with the spicy notes and roasted wood flavors, the astringent tannins give a pronounced bitter streak to the palate. In the long aftertaste the bitterness comes even more pronounced, while flavors of lingonberry, rose hip, roasted spices, some aromatic cedar oak and a hint of vanilla linger in the mouth. The finish is quite tannic and grippy.

This one is surprisingly sophisticated effort despite being a wine aged for a year and a half in new oak barrels; the oak characteristics do not dominate the wine and fit in surprisingly well. Still, the wine feels really modern and polished, and even though the unique Mavrotragano characteristics manage to cut through rather easily and the wine still sports that intense structure typical of the variety, the wine feels a little out of place with its almost new world guise. This wine is good and interesting for sure, but I would prefer something with less oak and extraction; Santorini is not Napa Valley, so we don't need another Napa-style wine from this curious, indigenous grape variety. Seems a bit overpriced at the winery at 35,20€.

5/8/2017 - acyso wrote:

2012 Barolo peek (Chicago, IL): I don't know if this is imagined or not, but I always seem to pick up a little bit of funky earth on these wines. In any case, I did find some of it here too. But this was a wine firing on all cylinders tonight. This had a lovely red-fruited perfume (though missing those high-toned elements from the Burlotto) coupled with the earthy notes. The palate was broad and open, with lovely red fruit.

8/15/2016 - frontenac Likes this wine:

I don't know if this is "Denis" Bachelet, because the label doesn't say. This is an outstanding Bourgogne, tasting as good as any Bourgogne in recent memory. At it's peak?