4/26/2024 - FiggySmalls wrote:

Really really delicious. Wish I had cases more. It's a joy to drink alone. Sharp and clean but not abrasive. Rich and golden but not sweet or fruit-laden. Wonderfully balanced

3/6/2024 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

Needs a ton of air or better...more time. On day 2, it reveals an amazing amount of rich fruit underneath the austere exterior. Tons of energy and youth in this and shows no sign of advancing

2/25/2024 - FiggySmalls wrote:

Great acid. Great typicity. Unusually but deliciously high acid makes an otherwise "ripe, dark fruit cali syrah" fruit very fun (not quite interesting tbh) to drink without seeming heavy.

Very food friendly/ Great by the glass option at Barbareno restaurant in santa barbara...

2/20/2024 - FiggySmalls wrote:

don't understand the inflated price, but it's a perfectly fine little fruit bomb. lower alcohol and more serious mouthfeel given lack of grenache, but more or less drinks like a sterotypical candy-fruited gsm.

2/10/2024 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

An absolute joy. Lowish alcohol, lovely acid and texture, phenomenal concentration of fruit.

1/30/2024 - FiggySmalls wrote:

for fans of the style. I find the juxtaposition of meaty syrah funk with a saccharine high alcohol palate untasty, but there's nothing "wrong" with the wine. not sure I'd say there's much acidity to speak of

1/13/2024 - FiggySmalls wrote:

lots of earth and pyrazine atop slightly glycerined dark fruit. benefits from food as it's quite rough in the mouth

medium fruit high earth medium acid low+tannin

11/28/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote:

tasty but flawed bottle.

very oxidized. dark (hazelnut brown) and oily textured. but (most impressively and most interestingly) STILL delicious

this was bought on release and stored temp control. this was my last bottle so it's possible this was off from the go. almost sherried with tons of roasted buts alongside the normal oxidized/dessert white wine flavors. a very interesting study if you ignore the flawed aspect because there's so much there but prematurely and by accident.

in general, this just validates my softening on cellaring (sweet) wines that are balanced and delicious on release: balance is a dangerous thing to tamper with. time... even more so. development is dicey. bird in hand!!!

on the other hand, I can't say this isn't a delicious flawed wine. if I didn't know the wine, I'd almost be impressed

11/24/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote:

well made if a tad polished. high acid and tannic structure but the alcohol amps everything to MAX and ultimately distorts what would otherwise be a very enjoyable glass. give it a splash of water without feeling the least bit bad.

11/15/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote:

3 years later, there's some pie on my face and I need to bump this from "do not like" into neutral.

Indeed the painful oak tannin and unintegrated vanillin have subsided. And if you can ignore the high ABV, underneath all that there's a nice dusty juiciness.

I am still not sure this repaid cellaring

11/13/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote:

not oxidized like the previous bottle. same storage conditions=some bottle variation. quite lithe given the vintage and low acid... still rich.

11/7/2023 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

such "smoothness" given the acid. this is obviously not the most high-acid vintage/Schaefer/riesling, but it's still up there. it's riesling and it's Shaefer=you can count on there being acid.

very rarely am I "surprised" by anything in wine anymore, but I've only ever experienced riesling acid on the "screech!!!!" scale... and this is different. it penetrates and makes the rich fruit sing but without that addictive sizzle that makes riesling so damned good.

I might call it integrated, but the wine is too young for that. I might blame the juxtaposition with the richness, but this is totally different.

perhaps I need to just drink more from Graccher Domprost??? Regardless, this is such a delightful glass.

11/6/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote:

Resting firmly on the laurels of the high-end Churchill bottlings, this isn't worth the price.

There are so many great/intriguing champagnes and non-champagnes today, that I struggle to justify the existence of these pricey but entirely unimpressive House offerings.

The wine is correct but it under-delivers in spades... hand after hand, glass after....<<<don't worry, you'll be bored after the first glass.

If Bud-Light had an AOC? That's where these sit.

The only salvation is correctness... there is balance (present acid and bits of toast) but I've never had an UNBALANCED House Champagne, just bland ones like this.

Why?

11/5/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote:

pretty decent acid given the backdrop of power, oak, and super ripe fruit. no nuance can be discerned amidst the coarse tannin, high alcohol, and "classy" oak treatment.

it's a shame because there's a lot here to enjoy...

it's clearly discernable as old world (funky, tobacco, earth galore) and given the acid i struggle to speak ill of it given the super ripe vintage and that it's a SUPER Tuscan..

drinking window wise, this could benefit from the tannin chilling out, but I wouldn't want to try this with fruit this rich/clunky raisined and oxidized. the tannin may decrease but idk... i wouldn't gamble and would consume within the next 5 years

10/10/2023 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

Last bottle. See previous notes but still beautiful, with a nice streak of acidity. I no longer believe this will benefit from additional cellaring... this is just a beautiful glass of rich fruit.

10/9/2023 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

Geeks rightfully shrug at second wines, but this is good in its own right as a wine and QPR.

10/3/2023 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

incredibly fragrant upon pulling the cork

lighter bodied+higher acid elegant style. light on the savory (particularly for St. Estephe and Montrose), but the fruit (while rich) is textured and vibrant.

no hint of "dessert" new oak=up my alley and unsure why some notes describe this as "modern." perhaps it's a bit juicy and lacking overt rusticity.

drinking well and really delicious on pnp for a young one.

10/1/2023 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

Slightly "ouch" young tannin and primary as expected, but it's not NOT drinking well at the moment.

This is really equal parts intense pencil lead and intense currant jam... dense, plush, and rich. Full-bodied with medium minus acid.

A bit too much new oak right now for my liking, but it's not over the top. Consistent QPR

9/28/2023 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

If I imagine I'm drinking an "old school" merlot from Napa, I'm very happy with this. Can't say I'm loving it if I was looking for a glass of St Julien... but I've only had classified growths and that's not a fair comparison for $18 young bdx from Costco.

It's really nice for the price and pedigree. It's fairly correct but the new oak throws off lots of chocolate and dessert vibes. It's not over-oaked per se or even unintegrated, it's just that there's enough medicinal pyrazine and otherwise lowkey merlot that it's just kinda weird.

Gussied up rustic vibes from this one.

9/26/2023 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

drinking well on pnp.

crisp, a bit juicy, very correct with unmistakable St. Estephe rock quarry at the center... but perhaps a bit too soft and sauve in style given the 70% merlot. new oak is present (70% aged in barrels 1 year old or younger) but it is well-integrated and not a milkshake wine.

9/25/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote:

smoky peat and concentrated fruit. nice acid. balanced but quite bombastic for 13.5% alcohol.

a bit sauve from the 10% new oak, but predominantly pure funky syrah goodness.

9/13/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote:

(my second bottle in a row with tons of reductive poopy egg smells that need a LONG time to blow off)

9/9/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote:

ripe candied fruit with nice acid. essentially concentrated fruit punch+ granite and clay=nice!

I was a bit concerned by the 14% abv (especially for Fleurie) but the wine is balanced, tasty, and exciting. for $35 locally, it's not a great QPR

9/8/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote:

Possible slightly off bottle: big fan of this wine and love the balance in 2021 versus 2020.

BUT this was the first bottle I've ever had that's exuding off (chicken coop reduction) aromas. Very aromatic though... tons of nice stuff alongside the "wtf?"

Leaving the bottle until tomorrow or the day after. We'll see if it blows off. It SHOULD as it doesn't seem to carry into the palate

****took multiple days with cork partially out for reduction to blow off. wine underneath had lost some life but was tasty.

9/6/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote:

(see note by Viniferatu on the 2021's. seems very much in line with that to me) a bit pricey for a petnat and even pricier for vinho verde, BUT it really delivers joy and precision in the mouth. nose is lacking

9/4/2023 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

Really tasty: precise but full of richness. honestly drinks above the 8g dosage if you're sensitive to dosage, but I just see that adding to its versatility on the table. Never exhausting from either richness (or acid) and finishes with chalk vs rs.

soft cork but no apparent oxidation or flaws.

rebuy (something for everyone and every food kinda wine)

9/12/2022 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

2017 disgorgement from a 375ml bottle

prematurely advanced. rather oxidized, golden and mousse is rather soft. I actually like that... mild yeast, baked apple, lemon, and nuttiness from the oxidation. balanced but not aggressive. very tasty

8/12/2023 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

quite nice. good bouquet and very expressive in the mouth. alcohol is in check. has decent acid. it's a fruity rose, but fully dry.

the fruit is quite mildly stated and balanced. enjoyable through the glass

8/12/2023 - FiggySmalls Does not like this wine:

Was more impressive as a mere taste. Cool story, clearly well made and well attended, has intrigue, BUT...

-too much acid, tbh... it just obliterates anything else.
-there's simply too much available wine being made in this crunchy/natty/juicy/hazy style for this to be even a decent QPR. I taste the style here, and it's a phenomenal representation of it... but not much else.

There are futzzed with wines that end up tasting generic due to how the wine is raised... and there are UNfuttzed with wines that end up tasting generic because of how the wine was raised. This is the latter.

8/2/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote:

shy nose. much more expressive in the mouth with an impressive amount of richness and fruit. it's full and interesting but lacking acid and intrigue

7/31/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote:

by the glass at Gravitas DC. bottle had been open. drank rather rounded and the nose wasn't popping. very tasty but a disappointing showing.

paired well with their Vietnamese fried fish

7/26/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote:

producer's notes, and those below are accurate IMO.

my first experience with a bical/arinto blend. the wine has all the components (fruit, baseline saltiness, acid, low alcohol) for a wine I'd LOVE, but there's nothing exciting or even fun to grasp here. I'm not disappointed given it's tasty enough in the glass for the price but ...maybe I'm just not in the zone for this wine tonight.

7/22/2023 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

a delicious steal. only sound bottle so far and but tasting notes below accurately mirror my perception.

nice wild fruit character, lithe, nice nose, very much like frappato.

again, simply a steal while the good minimal intervention bojo and frappati increase in price.

7/21/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote:

juicy. medium bodied with low+ acid. not interesting but straightforward and tasty.

7/21/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote:

playful and tasty side of Baga, it's almost like a lightweight, prickly grenache with a bit of country funk

this lacks the mineral and herb of the DNMC (and the oaking/complexity of the Territorio Vivo) but delivers fully in the vin de soif category. mouthfeel is really nice next to very pure cherry candy. very nice with a slight chill

only lacking a great nose

7/19/2023 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

stunning 10/10 nose. palate is pure and ripe expression of (scratchy, seedy, but concentrated) wild blue and black berries. nice garrigue character and perhaps a bit of spice.

7/18/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote:

not getting the laser acidity mentioned below, but that'd be nice. possibly bottle variation but the bottle is otherwise sound. very nice light mouthfeel with ripe apricot and white cherry poking out. questionable qpr

7/18/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote:

nice color and nice take on the grape. a bit thick on the palate with shy, but interesting, nose. low acid. the tannin from skin contact is nice but I expected that alongside the high acid and mild spritz of txokoli.

ultimately tastes like a quality, but fairly generic, ripe/plush orange wine

7/17/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote:

has a pretty cherry-punch thing happening. quaffable. medium everything else. tasty but ultimately too one-note and non-descript. poor qpr for what it delivers

7/13/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote:

temp control stored bottle already showing significant oxidation. 1 of 3 and oxidation seems to work well in this wine

7/11/2023 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

Much like the phenomenal 2019 but with grippy tannins and some grouchy tannin. Very "cool" in its embrace of traditional

7/10/2023 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

pleasant contrast to the 2019 Dufort Vivens

7/10/2023 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

shy nose. nice and vibrant. penetrating ripe red fruit and anise. persistent minerality more than tannin. light on the oaking=to my liking. highigh acid. very easy to drink and enjoy right now essentially on pnp

7/9/2023 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

matured but vivacious. high acid makes this almost off dry when combined with the nuttiness from the age.

it's interesting but hard to call this exciting or even that tasty.

maybe as a young wine this might have outshined the alternatives across the Garonne

7/9/2023 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

drinking very well on pnp. resolved and youthful but not "developed."

this has enough bones to repay another 9-10 years but mine won't make it that far.

soft tannin (with pleasant raspy greenness on the back end) and medium-minus acid.

nice ripe blackberry, toasty oak, sexy, but correct and not lipsticked up

7/5/2023 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

delicious.

this has fleshed out well since its release in fall of 2020 without losing much of the crazy energy.

beautiful nose as the 5% viognier has integrated leaving a pleasant candied/

more vibrant and red fruited and less rich/brooding syrah character than the lagniappe. acid is high and feels more attuned to the fruit expression

delicious. this reminds me of the very minerally, savory, ripe vintage Beaujolais from great producers.

7/4/2023 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

presents a soft/declining base of oxidized merlot with a bit of acid and lots of character. lean and light-bodied by today's standards

this is a bottle that imo impresses on its ability to age and present typicity at the $30 price point. understated and not a main even wine, but delicious.

7/2/2023 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

penultimate bottle from a couple of cases of older 375 ml bottles. hauntingly delicious: baked apple, a bit of sherry nuttiness from the age, medium acid, and a plush texture.

6/27/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote:

alcohol apparent all around. almost more in liqueur territory than wine, this is enjoyably expressive on the nose though, and drinks a bit below the abv in the mouth due to the velvety texture

delicious, powerful, rich, ripe, and velvety, but ultimately exhausting if you're trying to finish a glass.

6/12/2023 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

very accessible and tasty atm even on pnp with a vigorous decant. medium acid, low+ unobtrusive plum skin tannin, and medium body/texture that fleshes out with air

fragrant and quite vibrant with charred plum, some pretty oak gloss, tobacco and so much olive/tar it leans rhone on the nose.

packed with concentrated flavors that lean of savory.

not at all regretting opening this early