11/25/2010 - foodie wrote:

Great little Chinon. Mineral, black soil, anise, cocoa, coffee, hints of leather. Still quite reserved and edgy, but drinking well with some air. Great Thanksgiving Day pick.

11/25/2010 - foodie wrote:

Super-fresh and concentrated. Beautiful, petrol and cheese rind, green apple and quince, lemon oil, straw. Silk texture. This will easily hold for another decade-plus.

7/26/2010 - foodie wrote:

Inky purple. Super concentrated and very young. Deep purple/black fruits, smoke, graphite. Exclamatory nose and finish. Definite hold. (92-95)

7/26/2010 - foodie wrote:

Ink. Blackberry jelly, blueberry pie. Dark caramel, espresso, coffee, a roasted vegetal quality two steps ahead of toasted wood, graphite... delicious. Very tannic and restrained upon opening; two days later an overflowing cornucopia of expression. I really love this wine and it's clearly aging nicely. Just a beautiful example of the capacity of Cabernet Franc from the Loire.

7/24/2010 - foodie wrote:

Still a little muscled and edgy, great nose, heavy saline/sea breeze on the palate. Drinking fine now, but better next summer imho.

6/20/2010 - foodie wrote:

Big wine. Deep, nearly opaque robe. Black fruits, cola, elements of spice. This wine was more enjoyable chilled than at room temperature. Had a GSM sensibility to it, but I attribute this to ripe, fresh fruit on the palate and the ample finish. Very giving bouquet. Phenol-y, but all mixed up, lacking clear integration. Hold til...? (90-92)

6/20/2010 - foodie wrote:

Regretfully this bottle was opened and found to be going into a pretty dumb stage. The acidity was overpowering, it was certainly crisp with lemon peel and freesia, but the finish punctuated and overall rather quick-linear and banal. One week later, if you can believe it, a rather different character on stage. Without any preservation method you now see a floral (lavender,) petrol/wax, tangerine oil winner that is quite refreshing and seductive. I love Spätlese trockens, and this is a great one in my opinion, especially for the price. But, hold off until 2012 before you decide to dive in.

5/28/2010 - foodie wrote:

Beautiful salmon-orange color. Fantastic, ample nose. Caramel, floral, black olive, herbs, strawberry/blackberry, vinyl, smoke/incense, baked goods... layered and dense: ample. Great nose. This rosé tastes as fresh as a current vintage, but this bottle can easily go for another two years, though I think it's exhibiting its prime today. Good acidity and a lingering finish. A real winner.

5/22/2010 - foodie wrote:

Vivid and acidic to start, this wine currently benefits from 45 mins in the glass, wherein it becomes a completely different beast. Apple, saline, chalk/talc, soap, floral notes...beginning to shut down a bit but similar, and as enjoyable, as listed in previous tasting notes.

5/17/2010 - foodie wrote:

Pale-yellow. Vinyl, petrol, French toast, maple, applesaft. Not an incredible amount of weight, but you really think you're drinking a Kabinett here; this doesn't feel QbA at all. Impressive effort. Good finish, ample bouquet, nice acidity. I would drink these up as the existing freshness is the wine's best asset.

5/15/2010 - foodie wrote:

Golden-hued yellow. Chalk, brioche crust, atelier cologne, cotton, vinyl, yellow/white flowers. Heavily concentrated on the palate, but the acidity is a little too dry here... I would appreciate this more if it were without the trocken designation perhaps... but I'm sure that acid is going to protect this gem for a bit of time.

5/15/2010 - foodie wrote:

Oo, deliciously pure nose. Chalk, saline, incense, white blossoms, lime oil, almost a sense of botrytis, honey. Extremely concentrated on the palate, rich and plush, but showing backwards and shut-down. The acid is the high-note right now, and this is certainly a Spatlese with trocken character, but not as dry as the norm. The sweeter fruit is there, but protected by all that fresh zest. I think this has at least five years before it's ready. Short - intense, but confident and lingering finish. (92-94)

5/11/2010 - foodie wrote:

Initially, this wine purports itself more like a white Rhone blend than a Riesling, almost Viognier or Gros Manseng. The perception of it's truth is there, just muted. Anyhow, there is a round nose of white flowers and grass (again, a hint of Sauvignon Blanc) with some saline characteristics. This is a big acid-bomb on the mouth, but the Spatlese trocken build adds some residual sweetness akin to a Kabinett on the back and sides. Fruity, tasty, a good food pairing, but this wine does not excite me. Compared to other 08's I have had, and the task of making a Spat-trock, this is in der mitte.

5/10/2010 - foodie wrote:

A pleasureful drink from a professed anti-Pinot Noir person. Spatburgunder has really seemed to please me, and this QbA is no different. Herbaceous, rustic, a baked-cherry quality to the fruit, good weight but nothing overwhelming or outright complex. Very enjoyable and a welcomed change to the usual red wine candidates. Drink now.

5/10/2010 - foodie wrote:

A brilliant bottle of wine. A youngster, this bottle was still effervescent, giving, overflowing at times, absolutely fresh and delicious. Petrol galore, white truffle, lemon oil, creme/butterscotch, green apple. Deluxe and delightful, this wine just continued to change and please. Most giving at room temperature, loaded bouquet, and a palate-staining quality to the phenols. Muscled finish. Easily good for ten more years, the acid is uber-precise and this tastes more just-picked than last year's crop. (94-96)

4/25/2010 - foodie wrote:

Good, but I think it's a little early to pop this one. Beautiful, thick burgundy-red color (ergo, without the translucency of Burgundy) delicate legs, a little stern on the nose and palate. It has muscle, but it soon hides and dissipates from the back of the palate. Faint minerality at this point, deep black and red fruit (tasty, though, what is there) and only brief perceptions of floral, spice/herb characteristics. See you in 2013 at the earliest. (89-91)

4/25/2010 - foodie wrote:

Very enjoyable, drinking beautifully now with enough composition to dependably last for at least another four years. Black and red fruits, ample nose, supple tannins, admittedly it was even excellent in a plastic cup! (Oh how I hate to admit that.)

4/1/2010 - foodie wrote:

A great wine. Effervescent, vivid, lively... this is one of those tricky bottles... drink young or hold. Either way I believe this is a win. Really just an incredibly fresh, vibrant wine. One of the best of 2008 I've tasted.

3/25/2010 - foodie wrote:

Dense. Showing like a young Spätlese now. Hazelnut, key lime, creme, petrol, chamomile, exotic floral notes. Full of youth, a perfect acidity, great integration, but still displaying backwards. I would say this has at least five to ten years till maturity, and a great amount of time thereafter before the downslope. Beautiful and bright. (92-95)

Note: Six days later without preservation and the wine is still a charm. Vivid, strong, reconfirming.

3/8/2010 - foodie wrote:

Initial impressions of this wine are of oak, canned fruit salad, pineapple, cotton candy and petrol on the nose, but in fairness this is at a stage when the wine is too cold having just left the refrigerator.

Coming to room temperature, the nose remains mainly the same, but with some floral, catty (Viognier-like) qualities rising. The wine is dry, drier than a typical German Kabinett, and pleasureful but nothing yet fantastic or super-exciting on the palate. An easy drinker, the finish is fairly good, but the whole composition seems a little disjointed and thin. The nose, as it sits in the glass, opens up its floral qualities more; the cotton candy becomes a more purple/pink flower aroma, less candied... perhaps candied Petunia petals. It continues into a perfumed quality that is very appealing.

An interesting effort for East Coast domestic Riesling, I'd be happy to support this production in hopes of long-term improvement. (90-91)

3/1/2010 - foodie wrote:

Elegant. A maturing Gewurtztraminer, ample nose, petrol and laser-like acidity in the mouth, healthy finish, and some vigor to see it through for a couple more years. The fruit and floral elements come forward with muscle about an hour after pouring. Silky and sexy. (92-93)

3/1/2010 - foodie wrote:

Just a fantastic nose on this wine. Petrol, purple flowers, gooseberry, white peach. Has a sandalwood definition to it. Very satisfying, crisp, slate/saline palate. Less complex as last note but more defined and integrated. Beautifully dry.

2/28/2010 - foodie wrote:

Hyper-fresh. This wine currently tastes like it was macerated yesterday. An almost unbelievable quantity of fresh fruit, acidity, backed with floral and minute saline qualities. This needs an ample amount of incubation, I think in terms of maturing, I would wait at least five years before re-approaching this bottling. However, extremely enjoyable now, particularly its vivacious petillant quality. (91-93)

2/22/2010 - foodie wrote:

Rather delicious, much more satisfying than the Köfererhof Kerner, super fresh and an ample bouquet. (91-92)

2/17/2010 - foodie wrote:

Gorgeous, deep golden yellow. Delightful nose of yellow flowers, candied fruits, sandalwood/ylang ylang, essential oils. Bright acidity, orange flower, melon, tight palate. Sitting a little dumb right, the vigor is shaky and the finish pronounced. Vivid, refreshing. (91-93)

2/5/2010 - foodie wrote:

Lacks some of the excitement I expect of Kerner on the nose, but good acidity, fruit, petrol... still delicious. Youngish? May show a little better in a year or so. (90-91)

1/21/2010 - foodie wrote:

Faint canary-yellow. A delightful nose of flaky pastry, caramel, yellow fruits, summer flowers. Punchy acidity, there is heavy grip here, but with a suggestive undercurrent of honeyed fruits, candied lemon peel, melon. Perhaps some short-term aging to soften the acids, highlight the other elements and unify them. (90-92)

12/31/2009 - foodie wrote:

Ruby hued. Great red fruits, copious dark minerality, mushrooms, garrigue, minimal spice. Very enjoyable. Great fruit and minerality on the palate. Medium finish, slightly tart/tannic beyond my personal likes, but for a non-Pinot fan I do regret that this is my last bottle. Classic and old world.

12/20/2009 - foodie wrote:

Very feminine nose, floral, cotton, Red Delicious apple, but nothing more dynamic than a muted minterality. The acidity is prominent, fruity and fresh and something you'd drink at a summer picnic. Simple everyday white wine, with some character on the palate (grapefruit rind, tart watermelon, Meyer lemon;) and a change from everything else. Very dry.

12/19/2009 - foodie wrote:

Effervescent and sparkly on open, a nice surprise. Extremely refreshing and pleasing nose of clay, nutmeg, light honey, and orange blossom with floral wisps. Again, refreshing acidity on the palate with dried orange rind, spice, zippy oil, eucalyptus finish. Great wine now, and I think this will be a completely, but impressively different wine two years on. 92-93

Second day, mild vacuum stopper: Pear and persimmon, nutmeg persists, more floral. The fruit has come down on the palate, the acidity is vivid, and the finish tight. 91-93

12/18/2009 - foodie wrote:

A very interesting bottle. A capsule that spun, but under the foil lie specks of mold on a moist, sticky cork. What a disappointing moment, but being slightly masochistic (if it was bad it was getting returned anyhow, opening was logical) I chilled it for a bit and popped the cork. The inside half of the cork was in perfect condition, and the first sixth of the outside half was grungy. So, this tasting note is written with some reservation...

Jewel-like yellow color, really limpid and brilliant. The inner cork had no fouled aroma, and the blow-off was neutral. Of all the primary aromatics, nothing was foul or even faintly like a corked bottled. No oxidization.

Tight and a little sweet on the nose initially. Fifteen minutes passed, a vinyl/petrol head came too, chalk, cinnamoned apples... further on musk/cologne, slate/cedar. The faintest perception of fat/lardo.

This glycerin stronghold is absolute silk in the mouth. Mercury-like in that it just rolls around effortlessly across your tongue. Palate coating and very reserved. I decided to let it sit longer... a myrrh, almost cucumber? nose to it... overall, this wine feels very tight, offering ephemeral hints of what lies below. Even with the cork predicament I plan on trying and collecting a few more of these, particularly since Muller once considered 1999 to be one of his finer vintages. The incredible texture of this wine, and precisely balanced acid and alcohol, really define what structure is at its best, for me. I would rate this somewhere between 93-96.

Second day, no preservation methods: Wine is still absolutely foul-free. The nose is a bit restrained, although the vinyl/petrol and fat/lardo aromas are still very forward. More perfumed, floral. Still gorgeous on the palate, just a wonderful texture to it. Fruit shows through much more today, bright white peach, key lime, Asian pear. Really delicious on all chords. I'm pretty confident that this is a true, defect-free wine and the cork flaw was merely cosmetics. This wine is a true winner. 94-97

12/18/2009 - foodie wrote:

Ultra-pale yellow. Seductive nose of desert minerality (red slate) and fresh white blossoms, a saponified quality even, very beautiful. A delicate and reserved palate of glycerin, plush and rich mouthfeel. This wine was effervescent on opening, but it blew off quite quickly. I think this is a great, clean, beautiful expression of Riesling. Very Chablisienne in a respect. 3-6 years out, but drinking respectfully now. The reserved concentration makes this an exciting wine to see aged. 91-93

12/14/2009 - foodie wrote:

Very pale yellow in color, but emotive like a mustard yellow in soul. Bold. Flinty, beach-like, resiny, slick. I think it's a pretty sexy wine, to use a description I rarely do. One strong feminine firecracker underneath a lot of acidity and mute radish-like white pepper on a pronounced finish. This is a thinking wine... it really challenges you to identify your experience. This is -young.- You can taste it's youth, very fresh. Three to five years from now is exactly when I'd love to try this again. 91-93

12/4/2009 - foodie wrote:

Deep, golden yellow. Great aromatics now, an almost botrytis quality to the nose. Orange blossom, clover honey, green apple, bread crust, smoky acidity. Grippy and heady, there is still a lot of heat on this one. Still very muscular, somewhat more approachable, Sustained finished. Definite cellar candidate to revisit two to five years from now. (90)

Two days later, refrigerated, no preservation methods used: Still with a vivid aromaticity, straw, musk, spice, Asian pear, Less tough on the palate, smooth acidity of fruit, creme, wood, spice and bread crust. (90)

Three days later, refrigerated, no preservation methods used: Beast is taming, the nose is just powerful. Almost a Frankincense, candle wax, vanilla element to it. With aeration Muenster rind, sweat socks comes out. Acidity is starting to mellow on the palate, but everything remains crisp and clean. 91

12/3/2009 - foodie wrote:

Faint yellow color. Bright, white floral aromas, citronella, candle wax, stone fruit. Lightweight but a nice balance of acidity and fruit. Plum, lemon zest, hints of tea. Fairly simplistic, abbreviated finish, noticeable alcohol. Pleasant. Drink now.

11/29/2009 - foodie wrote:

Very dry, crisp, laser-like salinity and minerality coupled with cool acidity. Excellent quaffer for the near-term, higher in alcohol (hence: trocken) but I think the freshness of this wine is its best asset, not one for anything beyond a year from now.

11/23/2009 - foodie wrote:

Currently too young...needs at least a year if not two.

11/10/2009 - foodie wrote:

Consistent with previous tasting notes. Still a ruffian upon opening, pairs well with food, and/or deserves a little aeration/decanting to smooth out some of the rougher corners. Much more pronounced spice flavor now: clove and nutmeg. Still, an enjoyable, muscular Gamay.

11/10/2009 - foodie wrote:

Garnet-red. A good presence of oak and terroir, big fruit lies right behind with notes of charcuterie, persimmon, and cassia. On the palate the high percentage of Carignan is perceptible and gorgeous. Clean fruit, aggressive acid and warm tannins, this child needs a year or two (or some aeration) in bottle before he becomes more playful. There is a nice play of eucalyptus and white pepper on the pronounced finish. Great value!

11/7/2009 - foodie wrote:

Pale-yellow. Grapefruit, lime oil, chalk, brown rice/oatmeal. Slatey, crisp white melon, tangerine-honeyed finish. Simple.

11/6/2009 - foodie wrote:

Goldenrod-straw, orange-tinged yellow. Deep and dark with fine, dispersed bubbles. Fino sherry, charcuterie, soy sauce, pu-erh tea, underbrush. Sweaty, white chalk and saline, dried stone fruit, chamomile, oak... thin on the end palate but a steamy finish of spiced, macerated fruits and jamon. Esoteric and uncommon, a departure from everything you would expect.

11/6/2009 - foodie wrote:

From 375mL. Crystalline yellow with fine but constricted bubbles. Pound cake, passion-fruit / guava, crisp apple, almond milk / marzipan. Velvety palate of incensed quince, Asian pear, rock salt, juniper, and a formidable, acid fueled finish. Enjoyable.

11/6/2009 - foodie wrote:

Limpid, straw-yellow. Sensual nose of musky stone fruit, white peach, Muenster rind, white flowers, hints of coconut meat and dried vanilla bean. Persistent and sly on the palate, notes of mild chevre, petrol & glycerin, quince paste, dark honey, creme. Delicious and still youthful.

11/5/2009 - foodie wrote:

Note: This is actually NOT classified Minervois, but Vin de Table. (However, it would be otherwise impossible to tell the difference after consumption.)

Beautiful ruby-amethyst. Captivating nose of ripe fruit and marjoram and summer savory. Candied violet petal and trace of slatey minerality. A real winner on the palate. There is a muted presence of wood, but primary flavors include stewed berries, eucalyptus, smooth tannins and nice acidity. I really think this will benefit from a year or two of aging. At this price this wine is absolutely an excellent value.

11/5/2009 - foodie wrote:

Garnet-red. Port-like nose, raspberry, wild herb, red flower petals. Zippy acidity and spicy tannins. A little pale on the mid-palate but a significantly long and peppered finish. Interesting and approachable but not significantly exciting. A couple more years on this, but drinking fine now.

11/3/2009 - foodie wrote:

375mL. Inky; reserved nose of cassis, dark earth, oak, cocoa powder. Mellow...seems a little dumb, flat in the center, but with potential. Refined acidity/tannin texture. 18 months to 2 years seems the time to revisit.

11/3/2009 - foodie wrote:

On the down-slope, drink now before what is there eviscerates. A year ago, this wine was exceptionally concentrated, minerally, and had nice, classic dark fruit with pleasing secondary points. Today, it drinks like a simple $20 Bordeaux AOC. It's a little banal, but not unpleasant, just underwhelming based on a previous reference point.

10/27/2009 - foodie wrote:

This is perhaps the most all-over-the-place Riesling I've had in sometime. The structure is wobbly, pound cake, guava, salinity, Asian pear, grass. The palate rolls (into the finish, too.) with blond caramel, floral acidity, perfumed Danish Kringle/almond cookie, end notes of Maple candy. Interesting. Perhaps a little wrought with sulfur for now. Marginal improvement/expansion with blow-off time. Candidate for short-term cellaring. (88-91)

Day two, vacuum stopper: soapy, petrol, grass. Nice acidity, floral, and fruit characteristics. More smooth and put-together. (89-91)

10/27/2009 - foodie wrote:

Cantaloupe, honeycomb, persimmon, wet straw, green apples, a smack of oak. Pleasant. Thin and hot on the palate, strong white tea, bitter orange, a persistent finish of dried apricot, white pepper, and spice. Near-term. (87)

Second day, vacuum stopper: The oak is all in the front. Still thin, still hot. Less fruit, still white tea and apple cider, ... no real improvement or decline.

10/24/2009 - foodie wrote:

Blackberry, caramel, creme, charred wood plank, classic and refined Chinon vegetal/minerality. This is gorgeous right now. Beautiful. Cabernet Franc at it's near-perfection. Spiced, dark fruit, roasted game, mellow vegetal Chinon notes that are not off-putting at all. Loire fans, this is for you. Chinon terroir fans, rejoice! Phenomonal now. Moving through the next 18 months? The acidity is still there.