12/19/2023 - talbot61 Likes this wine:

An unusual wine -- we couldn't decide if it was flawed or not. It is definitely tiptoeing along the edge of maderization, and my wife decided that it was not right and poured her glass out, while I ended up liking the wine, and decided that perhaps it was meant to be what it was. Which was, the color of a nut brown ale, with the striking aroma of darkly toasted almonds. The flavor, by contrast, was light and lively, with a healthy dose of lemony acidity. The combination of youthful flavor and elderly appearance was initially disconcerting and eventually intriguing. It made me want to keep tasting the wine.

9/28/2022 - CRUSHER Likes this wine:

strawberry, cranberry with good acid and balance. Suckling scored this 96 which I think is inflated

2/11/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Good Wine with an Exciting Super Bowl (The Krengels - Bannockburn IL): Magnum badly corked.

6/23/2019 - winot Likes this wine:

May have left this a year too long, seems to be slightly on the downslope, but absolutely wonderful, aged, nuanced wine - medium to medium deep mahogany colour is slightly alarming, but nose is beautiful, an aged gem, with just a hint of stewed or tired fruit at the end - dried fruit and spice, with tons of tertiaries like leather, plum skins, chamomile, a bit of rootsy-ness - palate is balanced, still has a gentle grip- nuanced. Delicious with our rack of lamb w pesto and prosciutto - Yum!

5/14/2023 - Marc wrote:

Post Barber Adagio festivities (Trelissick Crescent, Ngaio, Wellington, New Zealand): Just shy of medium- sweetness, this is a hedonistic example of Gewurtz, that offers up textbook lychee, rose, and bacon fat(!) aromas. The texture is opulent, but the acids structure of the palate keeps the wine in check, finishing with a very long and involving finish. Stunning match with a shallot tarte tatin .

6/4/2023 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine:

Back in 2011, a certain Robert Parker wrote this about Ferrière 2008:

“Hard, angular, masculine, lean and austere, this is a wine for masochists to consume over the next 6-10 years.”
That was it - quite a useful note - oh and he gave it 83 points.

Well, it gave me a good laugh as I sipped it last night, two years after the end of the “drinking window”. My youngest daughter just looked at me in astonishment and said - masculine? Yuk! Why did he use to be famous?

Anyway, to the wine:

The nose is beguilingly spectacular, a bouquet of red fruit aromas that fill the room - wild strawberries dominate, with red cherries, redcurrants, roses, ripe raspberries and a touch of vanilla. Just writing about it now makes my mouth water, it was that good. In the mouth, it’s very similar - crushed strawberries at first, then red cherries, with a blend midpalate of damson plums and rosehip syrup, moving to the finale where a little blackberry joins a wave of dusty raspberry.

The mouthfeel is soft and juicy, very moreish indeed, with just enough grip to ensure a good future, but as usual with Ferrière, the really dominant characteristic is the wine’s elegance and finesse. Classically made, with perfect balance and precision, nothing excessive nor vulgar. This is what I look for in a Margaux. They don’t taste exactly the same, but there is definitely a resemblance to Clos du Jaugueyron and Bel Air Marquis d’Aligre.

So has Ferrière suddenly “become good”?! Judging by how the recent vintages are greeted by the cognoscenti today, you would think so, but like so many other older vintages that were panned by critics, the 2008 is just an older, more mature version of the recent ones. I’ve tasted the 2016 and the 2019 - they’re both very good, but not significantly better than the 2008. It isn’t the wine that has changed, it’s just that the wheel has turned.

Back in 2011, RMP gave Lascombes 2008 a score of 93 points and recommended buying it by the case. Each to their own.

5/17/2023 - g-man wrote:

Flighted with the 2007 CUNA Gran Reserva. Compared to the CUNA, the Alta was muted and appeared stripped of its' personality. On the nose I initially suspected it may be corked but on the palate it was fine. If it wasn't my bottle I'd question storage but I've had this since release and kept at controled 57 deg temp.

5/2/2023 - jhngo Likes this wine:

didn't show well when drank along side the ambonnay!!!

12/31/2021 - Okanaganwine Does not like this wine:

Not as good as banrok station

12/25/2022 - NBouras915 wrote:

Bought at auction a year ago. Bottle looks pristine. Halfway to premox--lots of honey. I Have had similar bad luck with the 2005. I won't buy this wine going forward unless it is a new vintage

9/25/2021 - scorbett wrote:

Thought I would revisit after all the shine this wine and winery gets, despite being a skeptic.

"Inoffensive" is the best thing I can say about it. Save your money. Don't buy Canadian syrah.

5/6/2022 - brett228 Likes this wine:

Full bodied syrah. Black berries, black pepper, ricorice, and some herbs, in good balance. Although I’m not a syrah person, this was quite attractive for all perspective. Maybe this would be the optimal selection for the price range. Definitely buy this again.

5/4/2022 - swade wrote:

WOTV. Better than the very good Graham’s. No sign of age. Creamy entry. Fig paste, perfectly ripe blackberry and briar. Ballerina, pinpoint balance. No edges. No spirit. Long finish. This didn’t move over four days of nipping at it. A monument. 96

1/21/2022 - Cremuel Likes this wine:

It’s worth saying my tasting of this port was carried out in an old school and proper way - at the end of an evening of enjoyable wines and with the background of Miles Davis ‘Round About Midnight’ and a Partagas Club cigar. This may have influenced my review, but I don’t think so (it’s also written in real time). So,this is a very fine clear ruby red. Clear as a sparkling gem. The nose is pale fresh prunes soaked in sherry and Christmas spices, with a little raisin and liquorice, violets and dried plums. Tasting reveals a warm bath of raisins, golden currants, figs and fruitcake. However there is a firm ribbon of acidity lifting it all the way through that means its sweetness is never cloying, but always perfectly balanced and fine. Warmth and beauty- truly a marvel. Superlatives abound - perfectly balanced, sublime etc. I think this is a perfect port.

5/9/2020 - DickMull Likes this wine:

Had a very “purple” nose...almost intense floral/dark fruit dense aromas. The palate was surprising, being far more restrained than the nose. It had cassis, oak, and dried fruit flavors, and the grip on the finish indicated it has plenty of life left. Delicious!

11/13/2020 - winot Likes this wine:

Simply stunning. A very youthful medium yellow, nose is mineral/stone, with citrus pith back notes. Impeccably balanced, explodes across the palate with stony citrus and a mouth-watering acidity that really fires the salivary glands, leading to a long, chalk-dusty finish that lingers long. The palate also has some breadth and heft, with some leesy notes and a generous mid-palate fullness, while the overall impression is one of elegance and lightness. Really super wine. Based on this bottle, no rush at all.

10/6/2019 - westopherguy Likes this wine:

Have had this sitting around in the cellar for several years. Decided to open it on up. Pleasant but perhaps a bit nondescript on the nose. Palate is a tiny bit strong on barrel notes, and doesn't have tons of complexity, but it's enjoyable nevertheless. Perhaps I wouldn't go out of my way to have it again, but I would turn down a glass if offered!

12/1/2020 - winot Likes this wine:

Great balance, and very subtly powerful, this has a lot going on without being overtly showy. Very hard to believe it is a Cali Chard! Very youthful drinking, this probably had the stuffing to go another 4-8 years easily.

1/19/2012 - winot wrote:

Simply outstanding; balance in a glass. Medium pale yellow, intense nose of Granny Smiths, Kaffir limes, Meyer lemons, candied citrus slices, all overlaid with a faint accent of kerosene - lemon drop on the palate, the balance between the slight sweetness and the acidity is sublime - nice minerality, and finishes dry and long - hard to ask for more from a Kabinett, this is a real beauty, drinking perfectly but seemingly ageless.

11/25/2020 - winot Likes this wine:

Medium deep yellow/gold, nose is a luscious honeyed waft, with a touch of florality - sweet, somewhat viscous entry, but backed up with impressive acidity. Creamy citrus pastry flavours, long zingy citrus-infused finish. Loads of depth and breadth, a really lovely wine. I'm sure this will stay on plateau for years to come.

6/9/2018 - ESTEELE90 Likes this wine:

Double decanted. Pours an opaque ruby red in the glass. Nose and palate are well aligned showing deep and piercing sweet red fruits and rosy florals, tar/acetone, herbaceous dried underbrush, soft black truffles, and very fine clay mineralité. Midpalate is lush and rich yet lifted and light on its feet thanks to airy acidity and finely grained tannins that give an almost feminine structure to this otherwise large-scaled wine. A nice contrast to be sure. Finish is long and fruit driven with finely filigreed baking spice and florals jumping in and out. Gorgeous.

11/15/2017 - BenBlu Likes this wine:

Chateau Figeac Dinner with Frederic Faye (Farr Vintners London): This was probably the positive surprise of the night at this tasting dinner. It made the 2000 served alongside look really awfully pale which is partially the merit of this wine but also partially the fault of the latter which lacks quality. The 2004 is drinking beautifully today - it has a very inviting nose with notes of campfire and has great concentration on the palate with superb fruit given the vintage. In its early prime drinking window now from magnum where it should stay for 10 years. This is a wine to drink now with some nice red meat. Funnily I have not yet been disappointed with a 2004 Bordeaux ever, and all the things I have drunk (Poyferre, Cos, Saint Pierre, LMHB) were consistently low 90s scoring wines in my view that give honest pleasure - they are bit four-square but in a nice classic Bordeaux way.

12/28/2018 - THECORKDORK Likes this wine:

Honestly, you'd never guess this were New World. IT tastes more like GREAT Chablis. Mineral, savory, and even a little sour cream/lees aromas. Hints of the tropics underneath it all which does give a subtle nod to the new world. I'm impressed that Australia really can do THIS.

12/15/2018 - Matt Scott Likes this wine:

Loaded with a panoply of citrus, creme brûlée, mineral, marble and white flowers. Succulent, with a wide range of flavor, this is long, complex and layered. Transparent and seamless, this percolates and seduces. Very unique and classy, and yet forward at the same time. Drink now - 2027.

10/14/2018 - Vino Me wrote:

4th time I have had this wine. Opened at the Granor Farms dinner with Apple Fritters with ginger and bourbon custard. Great bottle and pairing. Thick and unctuous with solid acidity holding the sweetness in check. Notes of honeysuckle, apricot purée and oranges. 95 points.

10/6/2017 - greedy wrote:

Outstanding. Wasn't expecting much from shit Canadian Wine. But the long hot days and cool nights in this area of bc mimick the climate of Napa to some extent. Unlike most Niagara wines, this is very good.

Obvious good acidity. But riper fruit to balance it out.

Solid Wine. Would buy again.

3/27/2018 - billynorris wrote:

2nd try, 2nd crumbly cork, terribly oxidized, disgusting mess.

11/5/2017 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine:

Well made Pinot Noir, with medium intensity, medium complexity nose and palate. Not a wow, but something very good...just too expensive for what it is. Drink now or cellar for another 3-5 years.

12/20/2015 - zamsden wrote:

Not much in the way of fruit or anything really remarkable on the nose. Reasonably good body and mouthfeel. While certainly drinkable, I expected more out of this. Perhaps a bottle stored in better conditions instead of standing up in a wine store for months / years would have showed better.

12/6/2015 - rbfoote Likes this wine:

Deep red colour. Moderate body and very easy to drink. Flavours of chocolate and coffee show through. Surprisingly strong and robust despite coming from BC.