1/16/2024 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

Very good with truffle mushroom ravioli. Glorious nose of floral candied orange peel. Serious length and depth. Don’t let this get too warm; the ABV ans natural bitter edge can be a killer.

10/27/2023 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

The only thing I'd heard about this grape was that it's highly aromatic, which was certainly true of this bottle. I was less sure if that meant floral and light and elegant like a Ruché, which somehow doesn't seem right for a wine called Lacrima. I needn't have worried: this is dark, inky, brooding, and unique.

10/22/2023 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

As I found for the 2010 vintage, the Sabarotte is once again my favorite of the 3 Courbis Cornas lieux-dits. It's a harmonious Cornas, with clear "treble" (aromatics, acidity, minerality) and "bass" (weight, mouthfeel, tannins) in equal balance, especially after a few hours in the decanter. The complexity and intrigue is all there, on the nose and on the palate: a beguiling mixture of dark berries, herbs, and leather. There is a sense of power and aliveness to this wine that is a welcome, fortifying boost to the constitution in challenging times. I would not recommend pairing it with apricot danish, hazelnut milk chocolate, mini stroopwafels, Breton cookies, or the forgotten chocolate chip muffin I found, though.

7/25/2023 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

I know it’s borderline heretical to grow Chardonnay in Piedmont, and I do love the local Arneis, Erbaluce, and Timorasso —but this wine is a triumph. It’s aromatic and expressive on the nose, surprisingly so for a young Chard: there is green apple, lemon, and some floral notes. On the palate, it’s bright and zippy, alive; those same flavors feature alongside a hint of almond. It’s beautifully balanced, coats the mouth with perfect weight and length. I have enjoyed several previous vintages of this wine and once again think it’s very well deserving of a 92 or higher. If you enjoy cool climate Chardonnay you will love this.

Food pairing: tuna noodle with fried capers and roasted pine nuts. Perfection.

4/12/2022 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

One of the best QPRs in white burgundy, year after year.

4/9/2022 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

This is my "house Grüner", just a lovely well balanced example. Has a bit more weight and depth than cheaper, leaner Grüners, without the expense of a Smaragd.

4/9/2022 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

This was great! Has real depth and finesse. As others have noted, the nose has an alluring aroma of tropical fruit. I don't drink much Pinot Gris/Grigio, so won't comment on if this is typical or not, but it was a nice surprise and much more interesting than I was expecting. On the palate, there is a nice round mouthfeel, maybe very slight residual sugar balanced with acidity, long finish with a pleasant bitter note. Great food wine, but also enjoyable by itself. This is changing my mind about what Pinot Grigio can be.

1/2/2022 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

My first Grignolino, really enjoyed this. It’s a light, understated wine that doesn’t shout at you out of the glass. Great with charcuterie and light cheeses. It’s refreshing but with enough interest that I wanted to sip it by itself, too. Dark fruit up front, with a long finish that’s slightly bitter, in a good way. Will be buying more!

I didn’t get any of the VA mentioned in the previous note- maybe a bad bottle, or I may have left it in the glass a bit longer.

9/23/2020 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

I didn’t “get” this style of featherweight Pinot at first. But then I had this with a wood fired leek, fontina, and mushroom pizza and everything was in its place. Very satisfying.

9/11/2020 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

A soulful St. Joseph, heavier and fuller-bodied than what I’d consider typical as others have noted, but plenty of character.

9/11/2020 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

Cornas has become somewhat of an obsession for me over the past year, so after enjoying various offerings from Balthazar, Courbis, Farge, Lionnet, Paris (his Reynard bottling is exceptional, I thought), Tunnel, and others I couldn’t wait any longer to try my first bottle from the legend himself.

Invited some friends and started with a flight of St. Joseph (Darnaud), McLaren Vale Shiraz (Coriole) and Russian River Syrah (Carlisle) for context. A viognier for variety, and then this Clape was paired with a ‘15 Sangre de Jonata. Decanted 3 hours.

Immediately after opening, the Clape was closed on the nose and dominated by tannin on the palate. After decanting: much more open aromas of fragrant violets and rose, black plum, hint of green bell pepper (from stems?), black peppercorns, and some sage or rosemary. The palate is taut and structured, with mostly primary flavors: black cherry, plum, maybe some black olive and licorice. There is a refreshing streak of minerality. Body is lighter than I expected initially and on the mid-palate, before the tannins set in for a long finish.

When I first opened this I was worried it would be way too young, but after three hours of breathing it seems to have turned out well. Maybe it’s the comparison with the new world wines, but I was surprised by how elegant and balanced this felt. With a few more years the tannins should be more integrated, but I enjoy that bit of grip it has now. I found it really enjoyable and I’m motivated to seek out more bottles of this and other vintages. It is pricey though, compared to say, Courbis Sabarotte 2010 (similar complexity, slightly better balance for drinking now) or Farge Reynard 2017 (astounding in its purity and intensity).

5/4/2020 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

Expressive, clear and precise. Young but everything in balance. I loved this!

12/28/2019 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

Precise, resolved, balanced. Fresh and clean, really pretty Pinot.

12/28/2019 - mmoretal wrote:

An atypical but astonishingly good Chardonnay: aromatic on the nose, minerally, clean and precise on the palate. So good we went back to the store to get more.

12/7/2019 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

A lighter style Cahors that’s juicy, nervy and taut. Intense red fruit and earthy minerality. A really pure, bright young wine. A satisfying companion to charcuterie, chicken, and even the steak we had it with, but also plenty of interest by itself. Reminded me of some St Josephs; if you like cooler climate Syrahs you’ll probably enjoy this. Just lovely!

12/7/2019 - mmoretal Does not like this wine:

I don’t know what to make of this, a VDP Erste Lage sweet wine from a noted producer. On the nose I can’t get beyond a distinct cabbage aroma... interesting maybe, but not what I want in a dessert wine. On the palate I found the acidity and sweetness well balanced, and there are some pleasant stone fruit flavors along with a hint of honey. But that smell...

11/27/2019 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

2nd bottle of 2 bought at K&L auction. Both were outstanding, and I’d say substantially better than the current rating of 91 suggests. This has tremendous balance, refinement and length. It evolves beautifully over the course of an evening, gradually revealing its secrets in a way that feels like you are getting to know this wine as a complex living entity. It’s still lively enough to suggest plum and blackberry fruit, complemented with game, olives, and smoked wood from age. I have not yet had a more fascinating wine for less than I paid for this!

11/27/2019 - mmoretal wrote:

This is the entry-level Courbis Cornas from a lower-lying vineyard close to the village. Champelrose has more clay compared to the granite and schist up in the hills. As such, it fooled me into expecting a softer, more accessible style. I was wrong: this is a full-blooded, snarling beast of a Cornas, with tannins that benefit from decanting and food to match. The 2010 Eygats from the same producer had noticeably less tannin and more complexity. I will approach my other bottles with more caution in the future before providing more detailed notes.

11/11/2019 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

Had this at The Butcher Shop in Boston. It's been a while so I don't remember the details, but this one stuck with me -- my love for Northern Rhône wines means I'm usually left disappointed by California Syrah, but not this one. This is poised and sinewy, balancing a streak of mineral acidity with fruit and spice. At $25 directly from the winery, this is an absolute steal and compares favorably to the $50+ that has become the norm for Cornas.

11/5/2019 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

Intense smoky cherry nose, thyme/rosemary herbs, a bit of barnyard funk. Fresh cherry and a savory note on the palate. Medium plus acidity, well integrated tannins, good length and balance. Some oxidation apparent in brown-ish color and taste.

Great with mushroom quiche!

From the producer's website: Harvested by hand, destemmed, 50% whole berries, half with spontaneous fermentation. Pressed ten days after the start of fermentation. Élevage twelve months half-and-half stainless-steel tank and used wooden casks.

9/29/2019 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

Having previously enjoyed this domaine’s base Cornas, I was looking forward to this Vin Noir, a rarer bottling made from a parcel of old vines.

Poured directly after popping the cork (at about 65F), the nose shows an intensely savory, meaty aroma along with black fruit — plum, black cherry perhaps — and hints of pepper, tobacco and star anise. Mouthfeel is distinctly full and weighty, and there is a powerful blast of tannin and acidity before settling down into flavors of concentrated black pepper, blueberry and plum, star anise and clove. Finish is long.

After a two hours in the decanter, the meaty aroma is even more prominent, fruits now appear riper, more stewed. There is smoke and tobacco too. On the palate, more integrated and harmonious now, still intense but the flavors of ripe black fruit, spices, and a hint of liquorice are now more accessible. The tannins and nervy acidity are still prominent, as I would want from a Cornas.

I enjoyed this wine a lot, and it seems to me an intense, accurate expression of pure Syrah-ness. I happen to love the combination of high tannin, acidity, and savory/spicy flavors which this delivers — on occasion this bottle sent a shiver down my spine! At the same time, I did find it perhaps a touch one-dimensional; in all that insensity and length, it seems there is room for some additional flavor complexity or dynamics. The 2011 Lionnet Cornas I drank recently wasn’t as intense but had more of that added interest, I’d say— both are wonderful and enjoyable now though!

4/29/2019 - mmoretal wrote:

Over-oxidized. sherry, vinegar.

4/27/2019 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

(April 2019) Enjoyed with a caramelized apple tarte tatin. The nose on this is simply divine! Candied lemon and orange peel, lychee and rose.

Palate: a suggestion of caramel/butterscotch along with candied citrus. Smooth and balanced, could perhaps use a touch more acidity.

(December 2019 edit) Well, this turned out to be my wine of the year, receiving the highest point score outright, as well as being terrific value for money. Wish I had bought more when it was still available.

4/27/2019 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

Nose: surprisingly honeyed, especially as it warmed up in the glass. Also lemon peel and lees. Hint of something tropical. I’m not sure I could have distinguished it from a Chenin Blanc.

Palate: medium body, high acidity. Citrus, minerals, with a real ‘zing’ but balanced with a solid backbone. Very enjoyable with creamy tuna pasta as recommended in “Wine Food” book.

2/25/2019 - mmoretal wrote:

I found this to be OK, but struggled to detect much distinctiveness or identity. Compared to my favorite Grüners in a similar price range (Rüttenstock, Steininger; both Austrian) this has more weight to it — reflecting the warmer site perhaps? — but it isn’t as crisp and resolved.

2/25/2019 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

Great pairing with Jamie Oliver’s smashed peas and mint pesto over sourdough bread and mozzarella. We tasted this as it chilled from room temperature — at first it was flat and closed, but then the typical Sauvignon Blanc aromas suddenly appeared and everything started to come together. Sweeter on the nose compared to typical New Zealand SBs (honeysuckle? hawthorn?), and a light touch of oak. Good body and finish, well balanced. A lovely food wine.

2/18/2019 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

Cherry and liquorice on the nose. Fresh red fruit on the palate, with bright acidity and tannic structure. Perfect foil for fatty dishes, like the mushroom ravioli with cream/beef/cheese sauce we paired it with. Longer finish than expected at this price point. Excellent value and a great food wine that’s also enjoyable on its own.

2/14/2019 - mmoretal Likes this wine:

(After 30 mins decanting) muted on the nose. On the palate: stewed red fruit, tobacco, earth. Medium body with bright acidity and grippy tannins.

(After 2 hours and closer to room temperature) distinctive spiced fruit cake aroma, opening up more.

2/12/2019 - mmoretal wrote:

75% Pinot Blanc, 25% Kerner

The aromatics from the Kerner are apparent on the nose. Floral notes, pepper, and exotic fruit. On the palate, the Pinot Blanc backbone supplies a nice weight. Wonderfully balanced wine, great on its own or with food. I’m serious about the 92 points, this is a hidden gem!