4/17/2023 - jonathanknowles Likes this wine:

Südsteiermark Mini Tasting; 4/15/2023-4/18/2023 (Südsteiermark): *** For some unfathomable reason starting from 2020 this wine now has the word "Riff" appended to it. It's the same good old Grassnitzberg as before though. Something about appellation rules ***

Salty, cool smell, medium bodied, acacia, floral. Very young still.

8/28/2022 - jonathanknowles Likes this wine:

Bright red fruit, cranberry, leather, cedar. Juicy fruit acid in the mouth. Vanilla oak. Cool and fresh. Really delicious wine.

7/23/2022 - winebargainchaser Does not like this wine:

Having tasted now the third bottle of this, I must say that this wine is barely drinkable !
I have good cellar conditions. I bought them about 3 years ago. Perhaps something went wrong on the way from producer to seller ?
The point is that the fruit seems to be gone, leaving a structure of tannin and acidity only. This will only get worse yet …

5/29/2022 - chablis28 wrote:

This walks up to the edge of tart & bracing but still enough fruit to keep it not only refreshing, but enjoyable unless you're seeking a fruit bomb. Plenty of depth & intrigue for the $15 I paid for it locally. Comes with the much appreciated screw cap. From 50yr old vines. Whole cluster tank fermentation. Sees a small dose of wood but mostly feels and taste very pure and vineyard fresh. 12% alc 90+

2/12/2022 - jonathanknowles Likes this wine:

Black cherry, liquorice, leather. Very concentrated fruit smell which changed after a few hours open to spicy smells. Unmistakably Sangiovese, no obvious oak. Full bodied, high acid and powerful tannins, slightly too young in fact. Still lovely. Dusty drying tannin, very refreshing and slightly herbal finish. Quite special for its understatement.

5/5/2021 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:

A calm and pure nose of cherries and plant matter. It is savoury in the mouth, with fresh fruit flavours and nice detail. It is underpinned by good structure and the whole package is delicious now and should age well.

2/24/2021 - alax_rang wrote:

Another corked Baudana. I've had more flawed bottles than sound bottles from this producer.

1/16/2021 - pavel_p Likes this wine:

Second bottle from case, and 4 months since my last bottle. Slow ox'ed for 1.5h as this does not need a decant. An absolutely stellar showing today, in a great spot now and among the very best Brunellos I have ever had. Despite the usual 14.5% alcohol this is both light footed and very aromatic. Balsamic and herbal notes have found a perfect balance with the sweet dry fruit. Excellent delineation. Tannins are currently perfectly integrated and provide structure without being drying. Medium finish, perhaps the only aspect where this could be even better.
Superb Brunello from the best vintage I know for Montalcino, and great QPR if you can still find this wine.

1/7/2021 - q21 wrote:

Second (and last) bottle of this. Hard to rate it. Probably a very nice underlying wine but (both bottles) have been very fizzy and that really gets in the way of enjoying whatever else is there. Faulty or intended to be like this? No idea. Not for me.

12/23/2020 - David_K wrote:

Awfully hard to find a fault with this wine. Gentle and red-fruited, but also quite chalky and mineral. Tightened up quite a bit on the second night, as young Nebbiolo often does (do not decant young Nebbiolo!). Doubt this will ever shut down. Who needs the more heralded vintages when they make wines like this?

12/20/2020 - jakob.krummenacher@gmail.com wrote:

Not worth buying. Plenty of better wines at this price point...

12/3/2020 - theusualsuspect wrote:

I underestimated this wine initially (actually not the first time I have done that with a wine, and yes, I do realize I am alone in this). More structure than I originally thought carrying plenty of honest fruit. But that said, there is heat in here. A wine in, as many wines are, in a perplexing mid life.

10/18/2020 - brooklynguy Likes this wine:

Enjoyable wine, particularly the very lovely nose, which shows a diverse array of dark and bright red fruit, mineral tones, and a complex savory sense that comes in and out. The palate however is not as strong, never as complex, and in fact feels a bit dilute across the mid palate, where there often feels to be nothing other than a lead/mineral taste. I enjoyed this bottle and I make these comments only because after the gorgeous nose, the palate comes off as wanting. And because if this were a $15 bottle I’d be thrilled. But it’s twice that.

10/16/2020 - jonathanknowles Likes this wine:

Creamy vanilla, red berries, very fine smell, nose filling and bright. Cedar and tobacco. Medium bodied and jewel like cranberries and redcurrant in the mouth, really expands to fill the mouth. Concentrated sappy fruit. Really lots of oak but that's the style. Tight tannins. Long elegant finish. Rather richer and fleshier than most Rioja. I personally prefer the standard Ardanza.

8/21/2020 - jordanj wrote:

Oh my bleh. This wine is good but no where near great. I bought half a case based on the reviews. Hopefully 5 years in the cellar will help but put me in the camp that does not think this is drinking above its price point by any means.
Nose is strong, slightly on on the sweet side. Red fruits galore. Palate is lean, tart and just plan a boring. I would serve this for dinner for non-wine geeks.

7/29/2020 - brooklynguy Likes this wine:

Decanted for an hour and drank over the next hour plus. Lovely black cherries on the nose, some rosemary type herbal notes too. Smooth and silky tannins, easy drinking and delicious and perfect balance at 12.5% alcohol.

7/30/2020 - Château de Farmer Likes this wine:

Needed a couple minutes to open and warm. Classic warmer weather Riesling profile; tropical fruits of pineapple, mango and citrus. No green fruit. Acidity was high on this--was some added during winemaking? Otherwise, nice job. Off dry but just barely. Overall, feels like a well-made but not super interesting New World Riesling, even if it is indeed Old World.

7/21/2020 - barrkel Likes this wine:

From a half bottle. This is interesting. There's a substantial depth of flavour, though it has a lot of acidity. In some ways it's suggestive of a madeira or port, but without the sweetness or fortification. A lot of oak, some oxidised notes, along with strawberry and vanilla. There also seems to be a hint of TCA in the bottle, detectable as a kind of damp musty cellar note, which becomes more insistent after a couple of hours, but it doesn't ruin the experience.

7/17/2020 - jonathanknowles Likes this wine:

Splendid smell of red fruit, tobacco leaf, orange peel and a bit of wood. Sweet cherry. Medium to full bodied, tart fruit acid followed by dusty but substantial tannins. A fair alcoholic whack. Lovely tangy long finish. Excellent wine. Still very young.

5/27/2020 - uncorked.fr Likes this wine:

My significant other, who generally cringes when I propose opening a bottle of riesling, really enjoyed this one. I would have preferred that he hadn't so I could have kept it all to myself. ;)

APPEARANCE:
Color & intensity: medium lemon

NOSE:
Intensity: pronounced
Aromas: Meyer lemon, vanilla, yogurt, green apple, resin, lemon zest, wet slate, bread dough, sweet spices
Development: developing

PALATE:
Sweetness: dry
Acidity: medium (+)
Alcohol: medium
Body: medium (+)
Intensity: pronounced
Flavors: Meyer lemon, lemon zest, sweet spices, quince, yogurt, bread dough, crushed stone
Finish: long

CONCLUSIONS:
Quality level: outstanding
Potential for ageing: can drink now but has excellent potential for further ageing

5/17/2020 - Kirk Grant wrote:

My wife wanted a little something special tonight...and this really fit the bill. I've heard others compare this to Dagueneau, and to be honest...I am almost there. There is a note on the nose that recalls past bottles of Pur Sang I swooned over. There is a lovely floral & citrus melange on the nose that is haunting. Just a lovely bottle of wine...

5/17/2020 - jgreco Likes this wine:

I lost my tasting notes, but the 2016 Domain Courbis Cornas Les Eygats was remarkable and a total steal for $50. I particularly loved the purity of the black and blue fruit. It is still a beast though and needed a 4+ hour decant.

4/24/2020 - DerSchonWieder Likes this wine:

Wow. Black and red fruits, salty licorice, asian Spices, Black tea, charcoal smoke. Excellent. Cheers!

4/24/2020 - PMJak11 Does not like this wine:

My first and probably last Lebanese wine :). PnP’d, but probably needs a decant of some sort. Dark purple color. Alcohol, blackberries, mint, and candied apples on the nose. Deep, concentrated wine that is hot and very tannic. Plums and dark fruit on the palate. Cross between Italy and Spain. Short finish. This wine needs to settle down big time! Maybe age will help?

4/9/2020 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine:

First bottle corked, second bottle lovely. Light CO2, enough it's better shaken off. A light strawberry hue almost transparent enough to read a book through but still quite luminous. Still very primary with the wonderful fruit freshness that characterizes the vintage but starting to turn the corner towards developing a sapid grip. All of that is in the context of something exhibiting the 0% body fat profile of a high altitude site, even in this ripe vintage, though it's still a bit too primary and fresh to exhibit much of the village's personality otherwise.

3/22/2020 - Zazzaman Likes this wine:

Deep colour, lovely damson and spice nose, quite rich on the palate but no jamminess, with vanilla, dark chocolate and clove. Tannins soft and finish quite long. Lovely and a bargain.

3/21/2020 - thesternowl Likes this wine:

An unusual Riesling from Piedmont which I believe Aldo planted in the mid-80's; a first in the region. Popped and poured. Golden colored in the glass. Petrol, melons, flowers and citrus. This sort of comes across as an off-dry example. Absolutely lovely and paired perfectly with our spicy Thai take out.

2/1/2020 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:

Good>Very good, now, but clearly in need of several years of rest; holding back. Darker brick red core, clear and bright. Medium-bodied, well-lifted, with moderate length, really fine tannins, and medium complexity just now; hold for 3-5 years for a more complete/fulfilling experience. An honest reflection of place, and vintage, as expected, this red- fruited, leathery, and dusty wine is too coiled, and reticent to make me want to revisit this anytime before 2024 at this point. Picked this up for Euro $30, and tempted to purchase a few more should I come across it again at that price. 97% Sangiovese, Canaiolo. HOLD; drink thru 2035. highly recommended

https://www.italianwine.blog

1/18/2020 - jonathanknowles wrote:

Rich black plum and blackberry smell. Hot and sweet in the mouth. Super ripe and full bodied. Sufficient acid. A bit of spice.

I find it hard to judge this wine because I don’t like it. It’s thick and sweet and hot and heavy.

1/10/2020 - 87tellub Likes this wine:

Medium glossy garnet. Pretty nose with dried roses and cured meat. Purple fruited. A whiff of a biscuit. Nice energy on the palate. Feels light to medium in body. Displays some juicy character. Tannin bites at the end - very young. Notes of red plum and firm red berry. Very nice.

Better on night 2 - just more balance all around. My two cents is this is quite enjoyable now with long decant; probably better in 3-5 years. 92 now and 1-3 points of upside depending upon where you catch it.

1/11/2020 - WineGold wrote:

Not much experience with Barbaresco. We are mostly new world wine drinkers -- cab, blends, pinots, zins, syrahs, etc. I find the Nebbiolo grape not to my tastes. We had this bottle open for two nights, and there wasn't much movement from day one to day two. Pours light to medium in the glass, with a nose of dusty red fruit, leather, and smoke.

On the palate, for me, it's acidity and tannin drowning out any fruit. It's chewy and makes my mouth pucker. It's obviously well made, but maybe it needs some years in the bottle? Or maybe it's just not my thing.

1/5/2020 - s******n Likes this wine:

Moderner Barbaresco aus der großen Eichenfass. Allerdings nicht übertrieben. Reife Früchte bis Kompott. Florale Noten. Schöne und gut integrierte Tannine. Schöner Wein!

1/5/2020 - Seminole05 Likes this wine:

Good but is it worth 29.99

11/27/2019 - theusualsuspect wrote:

Fine rich nebbiolo flavor, but it is a bit on the fat side, lacking just that bit of acid that brings out the best in nebbiolo. A good wine for sure but seems to me more reflective of an off vintage in Barolo than a 2013.
Four hours in, the acid appears, bugt the wine still remains on the "dull" side suggesting they didn't quite get it right in 2013.

10/3/2019 - Delli wrote:

The wine is clear with deep concentration. The color is purple with a red rim it’s a nice gran selezione but suspect there is a lot of Cabernet in the blend. The wine is medium straining with heavy tearing.

The nose is powerful and developing. The red and black fruit is lively dominated by crunchy red cherries, vanilla, cassis, blackberry and licorice. There might also be a hint of green bell pepper and dark earth.

The wine is dry and the fruit on the palate is consistent with the nose. Then fruit is ripe and pops. The medium plus tannins are nicely rounded and my favorite feature of this a-typical Chianti. Acid is high, alcohol is surprisingly high, the body is full, the texture is round and the finish is round and the wine is at least medium plus complexity.

Excellent value and a pleasant surprise in spite expectations.

5+12+17+8=92

5/30/2019 - vinhonotte Likes this wine:

PS.Cafe - G.D. Vajra Wine Dinner (PS.Cafe @ Ann Siang Hill): Cool refreshing minty and melony nose, and a bit of almond varnish hint. Still retaining a good amount of acidity, and some residual sugar, lime citrus, zesty. The freshness pulled through to the finish. Quite remarkable for a Riesling that has already spent 3 years in the bottle. Perhaps it’s one of the rare ones that can age even further

4/26/2019 - jwsmith wrote:

Just so good this is a producer who flys under the radar amazing wine of the money

4/1/2019 - David Paris (dbp) wrote:

This is the finest vintage since 2007 or 2004 for this wine. This bottle was opened 3 hours ago. Aromas are very pretty and typical for the best vintages, showing graphite and tar, crushed dried raspberries, and beautiful gravel dust. Lovely aromas, but I didn't notice just how lovely until I sat down and paid absolute attention to write this. Very pretty but more subtle than usual. Palate body is actually a bit thinner than expected considering the higher than usual depth, but the flavors are all quite pretty, showing more earth tones, fresh raspberries, and some bright fresh herbs (basil). As its held in the mouth, the integrated tannins and soft acidity build, but it's never a problem. Finish does have a touch of alcohol, but it's mostly the pretty gravel and raspberry tones, bright acidity, and tannins lingering if you held it in the mouth for a while. A pretty wine... one that I think will age nearly as well as the 2004 has. I'll probably pick up a 6 pack for drinking over time.

3/11/2019 - Lanarivera Likes this wine:

Rich dark moody fruit with an earthy robe. Exotic spices reminiscent of mulled wine. Espresso like intensity

Black cherries
Crushed Blackberry
Black currant
Prunes
Dried orange peel

Sandlwood
Cardamom
Cinnamon
Whole cloves
Garrigue

Black tea
Fresh Thyme
Fresh Mint

Graphite
Smoke

12/25/2018 - honest bob wrote:

From 75cl, perfect cork. Opened but not decanted, consumed over 2 days. A teaspoon of gritty deposit left in the bottle. Dark red/purple, everything about this wine strikes me as still being stuck in puberty. Aromatically closed down tight. Big, even brawny entry; meaty/squeaky mid-palate lacking nuance or even a clear fruit character; some grippy tannins at the finish. All in all: The texture of a young St.-Joseph, but the taste more like a fine immature Grenache than anything resembling Pinot Noir. Or possibly even Grenache mixed with the "Ch. Latour" suggested by Keith Levenberg on 14.09.2010? I think a drinking window until 2040 is completely plausible, and this wine's best days may well lie a decade ahead. Drinking today 88P (potentially ++??)

8/13/2018 - Charlemagnefinewines Likes this wine:

I tasted two bottles over two days. It loves the air... It needs some air to come up and it took a while to really show. It is a very pretty wine, not for everyone. I had to actually replace these two bottles with more generic wines as I knew the client would not get the barnyard effect. V barnyardy at the beginning, red fruit and dark fruit underneath with underbush, but a nice structure in the mouth. This wine eeds good food, such a veal medallion, in a nice delicate sauce. Could even be more like 92 but it needs babying in the way you serve it.

8/4/2018 - elizabeth1655 Likes this wine:

This wine surprised me with its maturity. Depth of aromas that penetrate high into the memory. Savory flavor with backbone of dark fruit. Long lasting (I don't want it to end) finish. Unfortunately I have yet to find it in BC or California. So sad.

6/16/2018 - isaacjamesbaker wrote:

Wine on Wheels DC: Smells of tennis ball, peach nectar and magnolia flowers on the nose. Ripping minerals on the palate, bright acidity, dry but plump fruit. This was a hit.

3/8/2018 - jonathanknowles Likes this wine:

Very dark opaque purple colour. Pungent sweet black fruit smell, blackcurrant and black cherry. Pronounced cedary oak taste with a rich, powerful presence in the mouth. Extremely concentrated. Powerdery, dusty tannins and a long sweet finish. Very good but not distinctively rioja. I'll leave the others alone for 5 or 10 years.