5/1/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

This was incredible, and reminded me of why I love Napa so much. What's more, although it isn't cheap, I think it represents great QPR and could easily improve with a cellar nap (although it doesn't need it; already very delicious.)

A real feat of balance between a rich, dark, concentrated style and surprisingly precise, chiseled structure. It doesn't have the kind of effortless perfume that comes with bottle age, but you could still smell it from feet away. Black, black fruit- blackberry compote, black cherry cola, vivid mocha (one of my fave notes in good Napa), browned butter, allspice, violet floral tones. Surprisingly racy and electric for the style, too- very polished and ultramodern. Not made in the classical earthy green style, but not even close to the early-2000s jammy style either. Just glorious. Easy 96+ with a little time...

5/1/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

This is the closest thing I have to a "house wine", one I buy at least fairly consistently through the years when looking for a reliable party favorite, very inexpensive gift, or simply something for my MIL to enjoy whenever she feels like it. This is my first time with this vintage.

I keep expecting to suddenly and inexplicably be disappointed with this wine, but this was another strong showing- I shouldn't have ever doubted the incredible QPR here. I think it could use a year to come out of its shell, after which it could be a 94 for the price point, but it doesn't need it. This is the real deal. A gentle but really lovely nose of black cherries and black plums, with touches of earthy coffee and dark chocolate (not overly green at all, which I am super sensitive to). Same on the palate, with some good depth, acidity, and structure. The only drawback here is the tannin density, a bit coarse and tough at this stage. That's easily solved with a good fatty burger, or a year or two of napping in the cellar.

5/1/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Not so bad for the low price, but there are still plenty of better buys at wine shops...or grocers with better wine programs (seriously...TJ's has really lost like 80% of its wine game over the last several years. Notably lower quality in their private labels with only a couple of exceptions, and far fewer options when it comes to well-priced "good stuff".)

This was acceptable, one of the slightly decent ones at the price point. Vague plummy fruit on the slightly shy nose- it feels real, not super confected, which I apprecaite. A touch of alcohol heat, but not overblown. Little touches of oaky baking spice, but too vague to really notice most of the time. Some decent structure and acidity, but it's not a memorable overall experience. I wouldn't turn down a glass at a party.

5/1/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

This is more or less my first wine from the Santa Lucia Highlands, not counting at least one that was well past its prime. Kind of surprising that it's taken me so long to try one, as a tremendous devotee of Pinot from all over CA (Sonoma, Central Coast, etc.)

I really enjoyed it- it seemed to be pretty unapologetically made in that oaky, super-ripe cherry cola Pinot style that was more common in the mid-2000s, but I don't mind that kind of thing at all, as long as it's deliberate and not overpriced. This was perfectly acceptable on both accounts. A huge blast of baked cherry pie, root beer, graham crackers, etc on the pretty effusive nose. It's dark and concentrated, but not cloying or boozy. Just very round, lacking some nuance. The palate was exactly the same; the alcohol and ripeness are mostly kept in check, and the very present oak spices still leave good room from the dark plummy/cherry fruit. Good acidity to keep it real, and very silky, soft tannins, although there's a touch of warm alcohol heat on the very finish. I don't know if I'd recommend this to someone trying to get into Pinot Noir (it feels like an afterimage from a different, surprisingly distant time), but in general it was really nice.

5/1/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Unfortunately I mostly agree with the note on this from Vinous, which says this vintage might come as a shock to people used to the cuvee, implying it's a far cry from the opulent, richer style of previous years. I've only tried one other (2019), but where that was one of my favorite Dolcettos ever (I rated it 94), this is one of my least favorite; it feels so thin, wispy, unsubstantial in comparison that I thought I might have had an off bottle, briefly.

All that sounds very negative, but I should clarify this is still a tasty wine in the abstract. Nice fresh red fruits, some wild raspberry, a little sour and simplistic, but still present, fresh, and lingering along with pretty notes of wild herbs and some very, very faint peppery spice. It's just so much less engaging with the rich and balanced 2019, and without any heightened sense of "elegance" to make up for it. If it was a super tough vintage, that's one thing- if this was a decision to tone down the intensity of the wine to attempt a new style, that's kind of a bummer.

5/1/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

I was a little blindsided by this; it definitely had more residual sugar than I was expecting. Still a very good wine, and I know Chenin makes wonderful sweet wines, but without much info on the label (unless I missed something) I was expecting more of a very dry, floral style rather than something off-dry, which leaned pretty heavily into that "honeyed" Chenin thing. Yes, it was tasty. Plenty of honeyed lemon bar character, some vanilla, sweet floral tones, decent acidity to hold it together, but not quite enough to make me crave more and more. It became a little too sweet for me about halfway through the second glass. Thinking about similar things, I feel like I prefer the average Kabinett riesling, but obviously that's a broad statement.

5/1/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

As with my last time trying this cuvee, this was already extremely pretty and effortlessly delicious in its very early stages, and yet it's obvious that a few more years will be beneficial, especially structurally. It's not hyper-expressive, but there's a beautiful, persistent presence on the nose already (no decant) with fresh sliced strawberries, deeper bing cherries, vague flowery perfume, nuances of thyme or wild mint, and touches of new leather, or maybe something like salty charcuterie (VERY subtle, nearly entirely about the cool, fresh red fruit.) Notably more earthy on the palate, with more of that leather tone coming out, dry earth and herbs, etc with more of the bright, slightly sour cherry thing (just a little more subdued than on the nose.) Tannins are obviously pretty noticeable, but I wouldn't call it coarse or gritty, just a little dusty at this stage. Very elegant and super-typical; ordered it off the list at Spinasse, a great Piedmontese restaurant in Seattle, for a few folks who were both decently-versed in Nebbiolo and others who had never tried one- both groups loved it.

5/1/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

I was extremely happy and impressed with this, even though I'm still struggling to really understand this tier of Champagne, as they all seem to blend together intensely for me with a specific note of slightly oxidative apple orchard (which seems to totally overwhelm my palate.) This was no exception, and I don't mean to imply it wasn't delicious; a faceful of pure cloudy apple cider, and fresh crunchy apples themselves, with a gorgeous deep golden color, maybe with touches of cheese danish and white floral tones. That apple orchard thing was 95% of the profile- I really liked that it wasn't *insanely* oxidative, but it still showed plenty of that character. Deeper and more attention-grabbing than most Champagne I've tried with the one exception of a 2014 Jose Michel Special Club, which was also mostly apple-orchard style, although with a more interesting orange/floral tone to go along with it. Maybe I'm underrating it a touch...I'm just not completely enamored with the profile of good champagne yet, at least not enough to be constantly exploring it. I haven't tried any over the $100 mark, either.

5/1/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Barely took any note here, but this was really excellent and great value for $20- I could be underrating it, or at least it could easily age for a little while and continue to expand. Beautiful rich lemon and nectarine, a touch of rubber, dry and crisp without being sharp or puckery. I've had others with more depth and/or more vibrancy, but this is a really true example of Alsatian Riesling for very little $.

5/1/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Zin isn't my favorite grape ("jammy" wines are rarely what I look for), but this was very solid. Reminded me a bit of my favorite inexpensive Zins, Ridge Three Valleys and Bedrock Old Vine.

This really keeps the jammy quality in check, to the extent that my first blind guess was a $30-ish Cab Sauv from Washington (!)- really pretty dark blueberry, maybe often closer to blackcurrant, with a gentle dose of baking spice oak and little floral shades. Not ultra-expressive, but very pretty. Same on the palate, with really nice balance, not too hot or jammy at all. Pretty straightforward, but this is added to my list of better-quality Zin.

5/1/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

I had a really hard time trying to guess this blind- on reveal, this made sense, as I certainly don't have real experience with un-oaked Rioja (a region so heavily associated with oak programs, also!) I thiiiiink this is the second un-oaked Tempranillo, from anywhere, that I've ever tried. It was pretty, if very simple and a little goofy. Gentle raspberry jam on the nose, really notably jammy to the point that my first guess was a Zinfandel. Not hot or imbalanced, just jammy. That's pretty much it; maybe a little vague herbal tang on the finish with some pepper, but it's mainly just a bunch of tasty, faintly-expressive ripe red fruit. Maybe I'm overrating it, but it's very inexpensive and does feel very much like "real" wine, just a playful one.

5/1/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Very tasty as usual with pretty red and black cherries, a bit of vanilla and red licorice- this vintage felt a bit thin compared to previous ones, a little less substantial. It had a nice elegant feel with good fruit, but if something is a little smaller-scaled, sometimes I expect a little more aromatic presence OR possible nuanced complexity; this didn't really show that, instead just showing like a smaller version of their usual wine. Very nice, just has to deal with strong competition from other vintages.

5/1/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

This seems to be slightly divisive, given the tasting notes here. For me, it was incredible and gets an extra point (or two) for fantastic QPR. I felt it was pretty fully made in a rich, somewhat buttery (gasp!) style, and made extremely well, with an excellent balance between power and energy. Some gentle golden buttery toast on the nose with cozy baking spices, coming just barely over the top of the fruit but not entirely, still leaving room for delicious lemon curd and faint hints of pineapple cake. Some sneaky minerality on the palate also, slightly powdery and with a very welcome accent of integrated acidity (really giving the perfect level of "lift" to the deeper, buttered profile.) Feels like late-90's luxury, marked down dramatically. I love that this was allowed to just be an unapologetically rich chard at a fantastic price, and I liked it a lot more than my experience with a green/austere Domaine Eden Cab Sauv. As for their flagship label, I've only tasted the Mount Eden Pinot (which was beautiful, and surprisingly earthy, with lots of dark pine and mushroom.) All three of these wines seemed to encompass very different styles and intentions.

4/30/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Didn't get detailed notes on this (shared very quickly with a large group) but I easily remember it as super delicious. The baby fat fruit was notably concentrated and darker-pitched, lots of blue and black berry character alongside a more "typical" black cherry tone. All very fresh fruit, just dark and ripe. I don't think the fruit left a LOT of room for earthy/savory character, but it was there, somewhere in the far background. Plenty of balanced acidity and silky, sappy tannins. Not very complex at this stage but very expressive and delicious. Savigny wines have always had pretty strong QPR, especially with the premier crus- this was another example of that.

4/30/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Maybe a little dull/straightforward for the price, but certainly very enjoyable with ripe raspberry liqueur at the fore, alongside little accents of that herbal garrigue in the very far background. Decent acidity holding it together, nice silky tannin. As with a lot of Southern Rhone wines in this price range, it didn't necessarily "grab me"- everything is fairly medium and 90% about soft, ripe fruit. It's rare that I'd choose this over a similarly-priced Northern Rhone, even if it was really tasty.

4/30/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Leaving just one note for two bottles of this we enjoyed over the span of a couple months (they felt about the same to me.) This was delicious- kind of a very basic Champagne, but with the caveat that it's sometimes available for VERY good prices (we literally got this for less than $35), which makes it an easy recommendation. It may be straightforward, yet it feels like "real deal" champagne with a bunch of creamy fuji apple, rich lemon curd, and intense energy. Maybe there's a touch of vanilla deep down- it's not especially "toasty", but thankfully it's not overly oxidative either, which I'm sensitive too and don't enjoy as much. I think for the sub-$50 Champagne category I very slightly preferred my experience with Moutard Brut Grande Cuvee, but this was very close behind.

4/29/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Tasty for sure, although weaker than many of the Blaufrankisch examples I've had and a couple steps down from the last vintage of this I tried (2018); some really pretty multicolored berry fruits are here, kind of vague but ranging from bright raspberry to darker blackberry. Fresh and vibrant, yet occasionally buried by a slightly dank herbal tone, just a little too present, and the whole package is more thin and astringent than juicy and balanced. It suffers just a bit when compared to a lot of other Blaufrankisch out there, many around the same price.

4/29/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

I could be slightly underrating this- it was definitely one of the top few Barberas I've enjoyed. I was a little worried it would be hot/jammy at 15% ABV, but it wasn't at all. Just thick and voluptuous with surprisingly fresh, pure fruit. Deep, dark raspberry liqueur, black plums, violet floral shades almost like a Dolcetto (but less "grapey"), touches of slightly brighter blackberry with a bolt of crunchy acidity. You could tell it had some oak aging in a way, with a sort of gentle spice to it, but it was 95% about the fruit. Tannins are there, but very fine and powdery, never coarse. Still feels like a "classic" Italian wine with high acid and such, but not at all the austere style that requires a food pairing to be delicious. Again, I'm being conservative with my rating here, especially as it'll continue to expand and evolve really nicely in the short term. It's usually around $30, but I found it for $25. Sub-$30 is a steal.

4/29/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Really nice, as with a ton of their wines, mostly shows a very soft, round, delicious tone of dark cherry cordial, with pretty melted tannins and gentle acidity (not super vibrant, but still pretty fresh, certainly not flabby or overripe.) This has a bit of blackberry pie or something else a bit darker to it than some of the others; I guess the Malbec/Syrah combo talking, but it's still mostly chocolate covered cherry framed in baking spices. Straightforward yet very enjoyable and certainly well-balanced.

4/29/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Like the last vintage I tried (2019) this is still fantastic value; maybe slightly less interesting for the listed wine-searcher price ($40) but it's pretty widely available for $30, sometimes less, and for that price it stands out quite a bit, gaining an easy extra point for the QPR.

Really nice combination of robust, somewhat concentrated Pinot fruit with convincing earthy/savory tones in just the right proportions. Slightly brighter red fruit than the '19, or at least less black-fruited. This is super textbook Oregon; a blast of juicy bing cherry, a hint of resinous pine sap, super silky tannins, and bright, lingering acidity that isn't aggressive or sharp. The ripe cherries carry beautiful weight on the palate, very fresh, but not wispy or thin. The fruit darkened a bit on day 2, really pretty black cherry and a cool violet floral tone coming out. Nice.

4/29/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Unbelievably chuggable and delicious. Like a lot of Rosé, it doesn't have a lot of actual staying power for my palate, but it's true that this has more depth and breadth than most I've tried. The price reflects that of course, but I think it's really solid value overall, even with it being a good deal more pricey than the average provencal rose, etc. I like it better than the Tavel stuff I've tried so far, too- this has similar depth, but more energy. A ton of fresh, slightly candied strawberry and raspberry, some wild herbs, peony, and gentle saline tones. Acidity is very elegant, bristling with energy, never tart or puckery. I tasted two bottles over a few months and they were the same, so I'm just leaving this one note.

4/29/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Nice stuff, very simple but tasty with gentle lemon zest, a bit of salty and sometimes chalky minerality, and somewhat tart acidity. Sort of tastes like a mini version of good Chablis, which is exactly what it is. Good price. I think there's better/more interesting white wine around $15, but this is still good.

4/29/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Very delicious and fresh; yet I'm rating it a point lower than the last vintage I tasted (2018) as this was a bit more natty/funky, vibrant but less focused, compared to the super fresh and precise (but also clean and dialed-in) 2018. This 2020 showed lots of slightly funky strawberry, raspberry etc with a bit of salty umami and beautiful, gentle tannins. I like that the high acid is pretty well-integrated, not too puckery, but the fermentation is a little wild, giving it a faint kombucha character. My first instinct when blind tasting was some very natty Pinot Noir, and I couldn't figure out the region whatsoever.

4/29/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

This definitely grew on me over time, but never fully clicked with me. I understand that it's from a "cooler climate" area for CA Cab, but it ended up showing as an only-sometimes enjoyable mix of very green, slightly bitter bell pepper/coffee grounds (excessive pyrazine for my palate) alongside a pretty hefty, heavy weight, with warm plums and a bit of alcohol heat on the finish. Solid tannin structure and acidity though; gentle without being flabby. It certainly feels like "real" wine, serious stuff. It's just a little out-of-balance and a little tough to enjoy at this stage.

4/29/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

My first time with this grape. Pretty incredible value here; small-scaled, a cute wine without a ton of "depth", but so delicious and balanced with fresh red cherries and other assorted vibrant red fruits, a touch of gentle thyme or some other faint herbal tone, and really bright acidity that never felt tart or aggressive. There was a slight funk to it that lent fantastic complexity, a little umami, but not so heavy that it was barnyard-like. It was content to hang in the background. A beautiful, simple Italian food wine that was still totally delicious all by itself. Definitely gets an extra point for wonderful QPR; I love inexpensive Italian wines for pizza night and similar ventures, and in the category of sub-$20 rare grapes, this was one of the best I've tried.

4/29/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Okay, yes. I've tried Tondonia a few times now and although I've enjoyed it, I never fully got the hype. Based on my notes, a number of folks suggested I try Bosconia, and I can see why. This was definitely more appealing to me; it still shows really powerfully obvious old-school Rioja character, but with a much greater sense of balance, precision, and outright deliciousness for my palate than Tondonia (I know they fulfill different needs for wine lovers, and that's great.) This was very structured, slightly rustic and austere (by design), but not difficult to love at all.

Loads of blackened fruit, much clearer fruit than in Tondonia, with fig jam and plum paste on the nose, and a notably brighter sort of cherry liqueur or even blood orange on the palate. Best of all, it's not all "dried fruit" as with other classical Rioja; there's a definite sense of freshness to accompany the softer, semi-dried tones. Large doses of old leather and fresh cut cedar planks round it off. Maybe a *touch* of that American oak coconut vibe, but it's more earthy than that. The tannins are powerful, but creamy and becoming largely integrated. Not too chalky or dusty.

Obviously this could age quite a bit longer, but I'm inclined to suggest drinking it within the next few years. For me, the presence of actual, clear fruit in a classic Rioja was something to celebrate. I think I still slightly prefer Viña Ardanza for a similar price and style, but not enough to rate it higher. We enjoyed this while listening to old Paco de Lucía recordings for a beautiful, clichéd evening.

4/29/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

A very good Pinot no matter how you slice it, but for me this was *incredible* wine for the price, and gets and extra point or two easily for insane QPR. This is my first from the producer; it was right around $20, and drank more like a really good $35, maybe $40 Pinot.

It was expressive immediately on the pop and pour. Somewhat on the dark-fruited spectrum (and even color-wise) for a PN, but certainly not overripe or excessive either; very fresh. Lots of airy black cherry bounding from the glass, some wild blackberry, a bit of a faint peppery/woodsy flair (maybe VERY slight reduction, which I'm very sensitive to) and some damp stone minerality. Plenty of beautiful textural nuance on the palate, gently weighty and sappy with integrated acidity and lots of pure fruit (where so much $20 Pinot is thin and wispy, somewhat astringent, and fades very quickly, this has real presence.) Very new-world in style, yet made with a very careful hand.

The QPR is especially notable for the grape, which is famously difficult and expensive to produce. Definitely one of the very best PN's I've enjoyed for less than $30.

4/29/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

My first from this producer. Even though it's pretty shy right now in its very early stages, it juuust found its way into a 94 for me, something that really starts to stand out from the pack.

Subtle on the nose but not closed; primary, but not boring. There's a really, really intriguing depth and "sappiness" to this, a sense of real weight and substantial latent power that never feels excessive or off-putting. Quite dark and concentrated without losing any sense of freshness, with a deep well of dark black cherries, vivid fresh blueberries (plus a bit of thicker blueberry compote for good measure), and a cool, minerally, almost minty accent running through the whole thing; it was this refreshing "coolness" that brought it from a delicious burst of young Pinot fruit to something more refined and interesting, constantly begging for another sip even with plenty of richness.

I've had other OR pinot with even more of that evergreen/minty character, but in some of those examples, the fruit was as risk of being buried. Not at all the case here. It's still very Oregon; I'm not saying this is a huge cherry cola style of Pinot at all. Not much in the way of oak presence, either, FWIW, almost all about the pure fruit. Very good stuff. If I'm overrating it slightly right now, a couple of years will change that too.

4/29/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

My first time with this grape. Pretty rustic, but not in a bad way, necessarily; just NEEDS fatty foods to work, and help temper the shrill acidity and coarse, dense tannin structure. There's some soft fruit lurking there too, mostly on the nose, especially with several years on it; reminded me very much of decent Chianti, maybe close to Chianti Classico level of depth, with the slightly dried sour cherry, fresh red/black plums, and dark herbal inflections. There's ALMOST a little note of vanilla on the nose that I enjoyed, but it's certainly buried on the palate, with the very tart, puckery acids coming into play. I could be underrating this; it's like a 90 to drink on its own, and a 92-93 with pizza. I don't always love when wine essentially requires a meal to be enjoyable, but that's a lot of lovely Italian wine for you.

4/29/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

I agree that this is one of the *comparatively* weaker young vintages of this wine I've tasted, but definitely disagree with the comments describing it as green and unpalatable. It may not have the sheer depth and complexity of the '17 and '18, it's a bit thinner this year, but still shows a beautiful, pure perfume of bright raspberry, just-ripened cherries, and a little bit of an earthy kick with wild herbs, topsoil, vague floral tones, a little bit of savory pepper (not notably reductive, though. It's a little herbal, but I'm very sensitive to "green" tones in wine, and I wouldn't say I got that, here.) Exactly the same on the palate, balanced acidity, bright without being puckery, plenty of pretty red fruits, very pure, and that slight minerality/peppery lift on the finish. Slightly fatter black cherry emerged with time. Still totally delicious and solid QPR, even if it's simpler and smaller-scaled this vintage.

4/25/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

My third wine from this guy (after a Syrah and Pinot) and my third that was totally majestic and wonderful, at or on the cusp of perfection. As with the two reds, this showed an unreal and extremely rare combination of true exuberant power and truly intricate complexity. I think this was maybe the third best Chardonnay I've ever tasted when considering quality alone?- when QPR is taken into account, it's possibly at the top, or maybe silver medal.

This is what 95% of "buttery chard" wants to see when it looks in the mirror. Sure, it has a bit of the butter tone that seems forbidden to enjoy if you're a wannabe wine geek with toxic sommelier influences, but it's a part of a much larger picture. To sum it up, it has an effortless perfume and vibrant palate completely loaded with golden buttered toast, lemon zest, orange bitters, vanilla bean, almond pastry, peony, and some faint stony minerality...not a super flinty/minerally chard which I also love, but it's there...and although it's waxy and dense, it has more than enough fresh acidity to cut right through the creamy textures. It's "big" but not even close to overblown- just confident and expressive, and bullied a lot of really incredible (but also generally much younger) Chardonnays in the same price range for me.

Honestly, this feels like it could sleep even longer, and it continues to cement my belief that (quality) Chardonnay is the most important grape to age, even more than most quality reds.

4/25/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Certainly very tasty, although a bit overpriced- feels more like a solid $25 Bdx blend than something $35-$40. Kind of small-scaled and simple. Good balance of fruit and freshness. Faint and a little thin, but there's a suggestion of carefully ripened blackberry and some vague chocolatey baking spice, kind of "high and tight" with gentle tannins. I like that it feels fairly fresh and gentle without being "green" at all. If you find this for $25 (such as at Total Wine) its maybe a 93, but it's more often about $10 more than that. 2020 definitely isn't my favorite WA red vintage either, especially for Bdx varietals. Even if I haven't been "blown away" by any, I've had a generally positive experience with all the Mark Ryan I've tried so far.

4/25/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this in the end for sure, but it was a little difficult to figure out; a strange combo of uncontrolled wildness, rusticity, and hints of beauty that seemed to constantly compete for attention. The nose was so funky/barnyard on opening that I thought it could be flawed; I don't mind funky wine at all as long as it's a part of a larger experience. Thankfully, it slowly blew off (not entirely) to reveal some good fruit and spice; very leathery black plum, figs, that sort of thing, with the salty, funky accent remaining as a shrill topnote that never fully meshed with the deeper, lower fruit. The texture was really nice, some good weight without coarseness- but the acidity was also in a weird spot, almost artificially bright and fruity to the point that my wife dismissed it quickly as cough syrup (I liked it much more than her, but there's no denying the harshness in the finish.) I might have had an off bottle, but I don't think so? I may try another to be sure; or just jump to their flagship someday, since I've yet to try a "higher-end" Priorat and feel like I should.

4/25/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Really lovely, very ripe with rich dark fruit, but still very clearly classic Bdx with leather, tobacco, and a slightly dried, earthy character. Baked plums and dried cherries galore, great weight without feeling even remotely heavy or boozy. That slight "dried fruit" tone in Bdx isn't always my jam, but here it wasn't overly austere. Not a miraculous wine, just well-priced and delicious.

4/25/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

All of these notes are based on a glass and half, sipped very slowly and shared by a generous friend after about 18 hours open (and re-corked in fridge.) Don't pay much attention to my "score" here- as with my recent experience with Mugneret-Gibourg, this price point isn't something I engage with often in wine, and so I can't easily compare it to similarly-valued offerings (especially with the secondary market at play); what's more, even just considering the amazing quality of the wine alone, it DEFINITELY needs at least a few more years to blossom, in my opinion, to be worth the price of admission.

Long story short, though: wow! This is gorgeous and extremely nuanced, balancing latent power and intriguing complexity. The only real issue I had with the wine was that it was surprisingly shy on the nose, feeling very tightly-wound (even after nearly a full day open). I still got plenty of VIVID flinty minerality, really that super hardcore gunflint, buttressing a core of lemon zest, some almond, and white floral shades. I loved that it was powerful without resorting to that softer kind of "orchard fruit" I've experienced in some white Burgundies, that almost champagne-adjacent apple tone; this was all precise, flinty, uber-fresh and svelte. The palate definitely had more sense of "weight" and perhaps ripeness than the nose let on; a beautiful creamy texture with more lemon curd, some faint vanilla, and a long, extremely almond-rich finish that was my favorite part by far (I LOVE that almond tone in good chard, my favorite note I get sometimes.) It reminded me of young Kistler quite a bit, just a little less "powdery" and a little more "flinty" if that makes sense!

I want to rate this higher, for the quality. I've definitely had several bottles of Chard that felt VERY similar, at least 80% of the quality (sometimes even more) for about 1/4 the average price. That said, this will be monstrously good with another 5, even ten years on it, once it continues to unfurl its minerally armor. I'm extremely excited to potentially try more of their wines someday.

4/25/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Totally delightful; a clear step up from the sea of $15 NZ Sauv Blancs (for not much more $) many of which are great value too. This is definitely a bit less "tropical-fruited" than most and has a focus on super, super crisp tiny citrus and berry fruits; really vivid gooseberry especially, maybe a touch of guava, with plenty of river stone minerality and a big bolt of lingering acidity (that feels integrated, rather than tart and puckery.) It isn't a very "deep" or complex wine, just a really delicious one with incredible vibrancy.

4/17/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Giving this the same rating as the last time I tried it, a 2017. This 2019 was from half bottle. It was a little different that I remember, most notably more earthy/green, with a bitter coffee/slightly dank herbal twinge accompanying very very ripe, very black fruit that veers toward "jammy" but stops just short of goofiness. Some acidity, not too flabby, not a lot of energy either; tannins are present without being in the way. It's a pretty fun and expressive profile; not very harmonious, but enjoyable and not egregiously overdone. I think there are many better US Cab Sauvs around $30-$35, but also many, many worse ones.

4/17/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Good stuff, my first from the producer. A little less powerful and outright delicious than I expected for some reason, but still plenty powerful and delicious. It's really striking how much the small percentage of Petite Sirah seems to show; there's a distinctly jammy, super black fruit note that permeates through the whole wine, sort of like warm blackberry compote, very tasty, but leaving very little room for anything else. There is definitely balance here, it's not overly hot and there's some faint trace of savory/peppery tones to lend a little nuance. It's just mostly a gentle, "cool" version of a big dark jammy fruit bomb. Thinking about similarly-priced wines from the region, I had a better experience with a Stolpman Hilltops Syrah- still, this was really tasty and fun. Worth the price, just not a QPR monster.

4/17/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Badass. I won't give this a number rating, as I don't generally drink a lot of quality vermouth, and don't review them on here. But as with all her wines, this is very nuanced, with a lot of beautiful complexity. It's certainly the best use of the infamous smoke-damaged 2020 Willamette Pinot I've seen. The way the dark raspberry/black cherry Pinot fruit blends with the wild herbs, spices, and leathery, slightly nutty accents is really awesome. It's intense on its own, but very drinkable and balanced, especially with the high ABV, and in a cocktail (manhattan with Bulleit 12 yr rye and angostura, made a couple at the end of the bottle) it shines even more, lending an austere leather armchair note with a cool, earthy bitterness rather than the "sweet" vermouth tone more typical for the drink.

4/16/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Don't pay much attention to my "score" here- it's hard for me to give a number rating to stuff like this because I score with QPR as one of the factors at play, and this is out of my price range- I think the most expensive wine I've ever enjoyed, considering the secondary market (and shared by a very generous friend.) Long story short, it WAS *very* incredible and detailed, with an extremely rare balance of complexity and depth, but I also know that if I had treated myself to this, I wouldn't be fully convinced of the price. I know it's not one of their "top" cuveés, too. Basically, in terms of quality I'm slightly underrating it, and in terms of QPR I'm slightly overrating it.

Based on the handful of wines I've tried from the village, I'd say it spoke clearly of Nuits-Saint-Georges; by this I just mean that it had a certain rusticity, with notable furry tannins, dark mushroomy earth, and in general, pretty densely-packed, darker plummy fruit- but I know these qualities are possible all over burgundy.

What a deep and layered nose, which started intensely earthy (hiding the fruit, a very faint funk that disappeared fast) but very quickly opened up in the bottle after 30 mins. It's not explosively perfumed, but persistent and expressive. It's not so uncommon to find high quality PN with that "forest floor" thing, which was very present and slightly dank- mushrooms, autumn leaves, mossy bark, some leathery tone- and it's not necessarily uncommon to find a PN that shows pretty dark, heady fruit, with lots of black plums and blueberry, some black cherry, starting to show its age slightly with a very faint dried-fruit character (thankfully this was very subtle)- but I feel it's very *uncommon* to find a PN that shows both of these characteristics, both extremely earthy/woodsy, and also showing plenty of expressive, ripe fruit. The raw woodsy character almost reminded me of great Nebbiolo sometimes, and there was some notable tannin- very textural, but still ultimately fine-grained, not coarse. It was probably pretty tough on release.

If I had to argue it was missing something, it was a certain...spark? That's not to say it wasn't incredibly engaging and delicious; it just felt like a very "serious" wine, dark and brooding, something an old vampire might drink in their gloomy castle. I love that kind of thing, but for something so pricey, I was also hoping for a little more lift, clarity, precision, etc. That said, there's no denying the broad array of flavors and gorgeous interplay between them.

A beautiful experience - I wouldn't have batted an eye to learn it was, say, $125, $150, maybe even $200. But it's around $500 on the secondary market. I'm hoping to try more of their wine someday for sure, but I'm not currently saving up for one. Most importantly, I will always love their label.

4/16/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Enjoyable for sure and improved as time went on, but it never quite found its footing all the way for me. Started off pretty closed and a little difficult to assess, with mostly smoke and pepper on the nose (not smoke damage, just charcoal tones.) That's typical for Washington syrah and I enjoy it, but it was burying the fruit a little bit. Thankfully it came out to play after a while, sort of an unusual mix of very ripe fruit that was clearly on the redder spectrum (sort of like raspberry liqueur, which was the fruit note I kept returning to.) That dark red fruit mixed nicely with the savory tones, sort of like pepper beef with raspberry reduction. It never really harmonized into something greater than the sum of its parts, and I wouldn't call it especially expressive or nuanced, but it was solid and very tasty with a simple steak (which helped to temper the otherwise pretty dusty, rustic tannin structure.) Maybe I'm underrating it a bit, It just didn't really grab me.

4/16/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

This was solid, and for me a clear step up from the last few "mainline" Bordeaux-varietal reds of theirs I've tried from recent vintages. Several of those have felt...a little dull for me, balanced, but neither exciting or memorable. This was really expressive and delicious though. Not super complex, just delicious and full while still feeling very nicely balanced. A huge burst of redcurrants, black plums, a bit of glazed meat, a touch of alcohol heat that showed more like new leather, and a beautiful texture with sticky velvet tannins. Acidity is really nicely present and well-integrated for a wine with such ripe, round fruit. I'm not a huuuuge devotee of Southern Rhone style blends, but this was done right and is decently priced for what it is.

4/16/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

My first Frappato. Totally delicious and fun- exactly like I expected, which was sort of like a cross between a good Beaujolais-Villages (NOT nouveau lol) and something slightly more acidic and herbal. Very fresh bing cherry, soft and bouncy on the nose, a little tangy but not overly sharp on the palate; little touches of something like thyme and pepper, but very gentle. Got it for $15 and really loved every sip, but I think closer to $20+ it starts to have serious competition in the inexpensive/light bodied red department. Maybe I'm overrating it a bit as I'd likely prefer the average Dolcetto around the same price, but I really liked the bright freshness on display here.

4/16/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Woah, talk about a rich, voluptuous pinot noir. Extremely dense and unapologetic, but thanks to the amazing winemaking, it (almost) never feels excessive, and wears the 14.5% ABV very well- and it still truly feels "Burgundian" with that inimitable savory complexity. Gobs of perfumed blackberries and blueberries, fresh but very fat and ripe, billowing into the nostrils alongside a subtle sense of saltiness- sort of like glazed meat, not "funky" but mixing sweet and savory in a delicious way. All of this translates to the palate as well, with a long finish, gentle sappy tannins, and beautifully balanced acidity. I've gotten that mix of darker pinot fruit and charcuterie tones in all her wines I've tried, but they get more and more saturated and dark as they increase in level. Highest I've tried is the Vosne village (my fave so far, too.)

I'm wondering if I may be slightly overrating it- the nose seemed to take a strange turn later in the night, with some notable alcohol heat suddenly poking out- but I think that was due to the other wines we drank alongside it. It's a really fantastic Burg for the price, and will age beautifully. I rated it the same as the 2018 Fixin Combe Roy, but I think I still slightly preferred that '18, which was only barely more expensive. We drank this alongside a seriously gorgeous and much more nuanced Burgundy, a 2014 Mugneret Gibourg NSG chaignots. This one held its own against it, but more so in terms of power, with crazily intense ripeness that sometimes felt almost like bullying. But, this wine is pretty reliably less than $70, and unfortunately the MG is closer to $500, so this won out in the QPR department pretty easily. At least at this stage of my life!

4/16/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Pretty lovely and somewhat unique for US Sauv Blanc, with a distinct vein of minerality and floral tones that stood out above the subtle, fresh lemon and other vague citrus fruits (less grapefruit than the average NZ Sauv Blanc, as a start.) I could be overrating it a bit, but I loved that cool climate character, the perfumed expressivity, and the solid price.

4/16/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Enjoyable, but pretty rustic and harsh- yes, I know this is supposed to have a lot of tannin, but it was just a LOT at this early stage. Very coarse and gritty. There was definitely some good fruit there too, dark and ripe without being overdone, kind of a gentle, easy blackberry tone- but it was overshadowed by the structure on the palate, and it's kind of a shy wine overall (in terms of flavor). I could see it being a fun, good-QPR dinner companion in 5 years, maybe longer? It's just a little angry right now.

4/16/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Unfortunately only got a glass and a half, didn't have time to really get to know the wine. But I got just enough to write a brief note. It's really gorgeous, even though it's largely closed down at this early stage. The nose is very faint, with slight chalky or flinty minerals, white flowers, some cream and lemon, but just a whisper- the palate a lot clearer, with a gorgeous lingering almond tone, vivid and complex. Lots of minerality on the finish too. Very far from a "big" or buttery style, but has really nice weight. Just give it at least another few years to become more expressive. I'm continuing to realize that good Chardonnay is one of the most important things to (lightly) age. Will be an easy 94, maybe 95 on my scale with time.

4/16/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Pretty tasty and fun, with a lot of rich black fruit and some baking spice. Plenty of structure without being coarse, but it's sometimes a little goofy, with slightly overripe fruit. I really liked the intensity and saturation (there were little spikes of alcohol heat, but could be worse.)

That said, there was one issue holding back from a higher score, which was something ALMOST resembling the beginning of oxidization- an ever-so-faint but present sort of apple tone that one might find in a much older wine. Confusing, and not very welcome. I'm not the first commenter to note this (although I liked it better than them, overall); I'd say drink this on the very early side, just to be safe? Thankfully it was mostly sound and delicious- might not age as intended.

4/5/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Certainly really good, gorgeous deep golden color with a ton of vivid orchard fruit; smelled incredibly like the "good" apple cider, the cloudy stuff, with a bit of fresh cream, salty minerality, and floral shades mixed in.

I'm still trying to get a bead on champagne. I haven't tried any over $100, but even the ones closer to that price have *all* had such a strong note of apple orchard (that aforementioned apple cider thing, ever so slightly oxidative) that I can't really pinpoint other notes clearly. So many commenters describe the bottles I've tried as "toasty, bready..." which I sometimes get in high quality still chardonnay, but with all the Champs I've tried, I smell and taste 95% just fresh apples. It's pleasant, but what am I missing here?

4/5/2024 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

Really delicious and fun for $20, and I liked it a bit better than the last vintage I tried (2019- similar, but more jammy, not my style.) This still had a ton of plump fruit, blue and purple with a touch of fresh herb character - but it was dialed-in, juicy and ripe without veering into jammy, overdone territory. Very nice acidic lift for a big, round wine. Not complex or super interesting, just really good.