4/23/2024 - Papies wrote:

Bright fresh and very modern, rich , deep , dense in colour and flavour. Very solid and albeit rich it is also utterly refreshing

4/22/2024 - Papies wrote:

Pure agave harvested in 2023 at the San Jeronimo estate in Jalisco. No coloring, no additives whatsoever, as pure and clean as it gets. No barrel and or smoky edge and this is a pure tot he agave as it gets. Solid.

4/21/2024 - Papies wrote:

The wine has infinite capacity to benefit for decanting. In our case the bottle was opened and decanted then put back in bottle with a splash of argon and kept for another day in the fridge. Redecanted the day after et voila. The wine was as bright and fresh as the day before! The rest was sing all the way and back to its normal service. The third time we try it in the last 8 years and remains consistent albeit a lot more secondary now but with every little bit of the punchy rich style it is made in. 91 again and this has easily another decade at peak.

4/20/2024 - Papies wrote:

A wine and a super cuvée we always argue is better younger than older and this 2015 felt about right on the money. Always a bit special, rich and very giving a very much in the “English Typer of Taste” as the French would say which is richer and with decent use of oak in its elevate. Pretty 93 from us

4/19/2024 - Papies wrote:

London Chapter Dinner of the Cavalieri del Tartufo & dei Vini d’Alba (The Oxford & Cambridge Club, London): This followed in the wake of its pretty sibling the 2010 ( Papies 94) and thus vs that it clearly showed the 2013 vintage did not delivered the promised land wine it set up to be. That been said this as expected and coupled with a bit of the light modernity of the style of Grasso delivers even at this young age. Polished and elegant , open and expressive on the nose .Ripe cherry feel, light floral at times, also a touch of a sharp edge on the palate. Well round other than that and impressively polished wine. 92 for now from us.

4/19/2024 - Papies wrote:

London Chapter Dinner of the Cavalieri del Tartufo & dei Vini d’Alba (The Oxford & Cambridge Club, London): A few years since we had this ( Papies 91 in 2019) and continues to be that more modern expression of the single vineyards. 2013 the vintage of promise but of no delivery ( for us) so the modernity in control of the style of Grasso here helps polish the wine and give it an approachable in its youth feel. We would suggest one decants this even risking the anathema of of the Piemontesi as this needs at this stage a bit of help to get going. 91-92

4/19/2024 - Papies wrote:

London Chapter Dinner of the Cavalieri del Tartufo & dei Vini d’Alba (The Oxford & Cambridge Club, London): Corked.. shame

4/19/2024 - Papies wrote:

London Chapter Dinner of the Cavalieri del Tartufo & dei Vini d’Alba (The Oxford & Cambridge Club, London): Easily the wine of the night and stood out in both complexity but also elegance among its other siblings. Granted we had ( total 6 bottles opened ) one that underperformed and one that was corked but still the 4 healthy bottles shown through.
Classic dark cherry, tar feel, soft earthy side coming thought and this is now in its full stride. This is a super result, expressive , perfumed and full of charm. Medium to full bodied , proper complexity on the palate and just a great Barolo through and through. 94 and with a good 10 more years of proper life here.

4/19/2024 - Papies wrote:

London Chapter Dinner of the Cavalieri del Tartufo & dei Vini d’Alba (The Oxford & Cambridge Club, London): More modern in a way than its sibling the Garavani Chiniera ( Papies 93) that we had it side by side, rounder and lot more approachable. Still young in a way but still not a bad time to start having this.
Dark fruits, touch floral too, maybe some rose edge and had the beginnings of a secondary side well printed . Dark cherries and kiss of a balsamic side, very classic in a way for a semi modernist style. Solid 92 and with a lot of life ahead so long the fruit does not dry out. No sign of this as of yet though.

4/19/2024 - Papies wrote:

Unfortunately this had a funky taste and smell across, not that we could argue to send it back but also hopefully this is not characteristic of the wine. We put it under expensive unfortunate results and choose not to rate.

4/19/2024 - Papies wrote:

London Chapter Dinner of the Cavalieri del Tartufo & dei Vini d’Alba (The Oxford & Cambridge Club, London): Dressed in the colours (AKA bottled with a special label) of the Cavalieri del Tartufo & dei Vini d’Alba.
Good light sweet and aromatic dessert wine but unfortunately arrived at the end of a long line up of wines and fell on our tired palate. Not heavy or dense and pretty easy going and full of charm and albeit lacks depth of flavour on the mid palate still did its work well. 89

4/19/2024 - Papies wrote:

London Chapter Dinner of the Cavalieri del Tartufo & dei Vini d’Alba (The Oxford & Cambridge Club, London): Dressed in the colours (AKA bottled with a special label) of the Cavalieri del Tartufo & dei Vini d’Alba.
Surprised by how polished it was at this young Ted it is very young and at this stage one but see a small glimpse of what the wine can deliver but still. Pretty fruit, well elegantly kept in balance, bright wine but in no way sharp, light savoury feel . A solid 90 for now but with a lot of future here and should be at peak in a bout 3-5 years.

4/19/2024 - Papies wrote:

London Chapter Dinner of the Cavalieri del Tartufo & dei Vini d’Alba (The Oxford & Cambridge Club, London): Dressed in the colours (AKA bottled with a special label) of the Cavalieri del Tartufo & dei Vini d’Alba.
A beautiful wine even at this ever youthful stage. Still the quality and result runs through this elegant wine with a supple feel, nice balance of fruit, dark fruits of course here but round across and very pretty even at this young age. We do look forward to trying it with a bit more age one day but magnificent today. 91

4/19/2024 - Papies wrote:

London Chapter Dinner of the Cavalieri del Tartufo & dei Vini d’Alba (The Oxford & Cambridge Club, London): Dressed in the colours (AKA bottled with a special label) of the Cavalieri del Tartufo & dei Vini d’Alba.
Young of course, far too early to show but a primary fruit side, lightest kiss of tar. Proper fruit, well round wine and even at this young age has no angular or sharp tannin. Surprisingly welcoming and this achieved without the crazy use of oak. Nice purity and a wine to age for sure. Very pretty though even now. 90

4/19/2024 - Papies wrote:

London Chapter Dinner of the Cavalieri del Tartufo & dei Vini d’Alba (The Oxford & Cambridge Club, London): Dressed in the colours (AKA bottled with a special label) of the Cavalieri del Tartufo & dei Vini d’Alba.
Soft, light feel to it. Good wine but also a bit thin on the mid palate and with a touch of a soft sweet , confectionery feel. 87-88 in our mind.

4/19/2024 - Papies wrote:

London Chapter Dinner of the Cavalieri del Tartufo & dei Vini d’Alba (The Oxford & Cambridge Club, London): Dressed in the colours (AKA bottled with a special label) of the Cavalieri del Tartufo & dei Vini d’Alba.
Frankly a pretty surprise granted lacks the focus and intensity of its French cousins but it’s every bit welcoming, polished and devout of any confectionery side . A very solid 89 and would give many Franciacortas a run for their money.

4/17/2024 - Papies wrote:

We feel we underrated this a few month ago at a 92 and definitely a bit finer and more elegant than we remember it from then. Or it could well e our mood and feel. But definitely of that giving, round and rich feel across. Proper wine. 93

4/17/2024 - Papies wrote:

Very much the classic Cali chardonnay but also in a good way and actually works well across and does not feel manufactured or wrong. Solid 92

4/17/2024 - Papies wrote:

Very pretty, bright, soft waxy texture, well managed and value adding oak at this stage, well aged and impressively alive. Touch saline at times too , stone fruits but also residuals of an oaky past that create a very pretty complexity on the nose. An impressive wine and pointless to rumble on. Great time as well at age almost 10 that shows the quality behind this. 93 easy

4/16/2024 - Papies wrote:

What a pretty surprise here and having tried this blind sort of confused us for what it was. Dry mineral , light smoky , definitely not fatty or oaky at this stage and the fruit is clear, stone fruits and a very Chablis in style. We wondered if this was a 4-5 year old Chablis Premier Criu or even ( we were I. Greece after all) an assyrtiko with its smoky and very mineral edge. Alas no! Very very good! 92

4/16/2024 - Papies wrote:

Young and very much on the fruit, very much a cool climate feel, well managed fruit, good use of oak. Very much the dark fruited wine it’s always is at this young age and date we say one dimensional ow as the young fruit dominates . This needs another 5 years to show everything it can do for the patient enough. This will be rewarded though. 89-90 for now

4/16/2024 - Papies wrote:

Very young and albeit not austere or angular still just rolls on with a bright , soft rich crunchy fruit, very your red fruits across that make the wine a bit one dimensional at this stage . It’s almost pointless to rate barring that the quality of the winemaking shines even at this young age and this will age another 20years easily and really will only be at peak in 10y. A good 89-90 for now but really far too early.

4/17/2024 - Papies wrote:

We are not sure why last time we only rated this 89 as the wine today shown through and through . Bright , full of energy and charm, mineral and with a flinty edge akin to a premier Chablis. Granted lacks the depth of flavour in the palate ( especially vs the impressive beauty the Vassaltis Gramina 2022 , Papies 93, that followed after) but still is a proper little number and a beautiful wine . 91 easy

4/17/2024 - Papies wrote:

Our original love affair when it comes to Assyrtiko of Santorini super cuvées. And so pretty to cross paths with it , vintage after vintage and to be reminded of its beauty. This great 2022 at its start of its drinking window yet shines in elegance and quality. Dense , soft oily at times , proper old vine feel, soft smoky and flinty as a Santorini Assyrtiko should be . Maybe the best we have tried in its youth and albeit a 93 for now in our mind with age this would warrant more. “Buy now while is possible and do so vintage in vintage out “ this is the gospel according to Papies.

4/15/2024 - Papies wrote:

By the glass at the Extime Lounge , CDG .
Slight pint tint on the colour, well round , welcoming and albeit on the good but generic NV side of things is not bad in any way and drinks pretty well. Good for a lounge champagne for sure, especially in France. 88-89

4/14/2024 - Papies wrote:

Consistent with 9 month ago this pretty Blanc de Noirs , enjoyable, welcoming and with a character. Soft tint on the color just to raise a suspicion as to what it is but aside from that just home sailing beautiful wine. Very well made too and is a bit of a guilty pleasure at our end. 90

4/14/2024 - Papies wrote:

Yet again good for cooking

4/14/2024 - Papies wrote:

Once again picked this off the list at Willi’s Wine Bar, Paris.
Definitely a worm to decant and a good hour will do nothing but wonders . That been said the wine is open and ready for business from the word go. Very classic , but animal or hedonistic as we sometimes hear .. soft smoky light earthy and very well polished wine. Lots of life ahead here but very pretty now too. 93 for now

4/13/2024 - Papies wrote:

By the glass from a freshly opened bottle at Willi’s Wine Bar , Paris .
Round, rich, exotic touches ripe mango and melon , less focused and more a rich round much of a fruity edge .
Good 89

4/13/2024 - Papies wrote:

This is definitely one of the “forward” releases of the GC and is absolutely spot on now. Frankly it has very little to fear from the vintage ones and this am impressively elegant and beautiful wine. Soft rich and toasty, polished and just such an elegance and harmony across. Impressive . 94-95

4/9/2024 - Papies wrote:

Surprisingly good . We are biased for sure but still a 3yr old Syrah from Cyprus starts off the wrong foot for us. Good in its modernity, the oak polishes and rounds the wine and granted is that modern non descriptive style but still was a decent crowd pleaser: 88-89 and drink while fresh.

4/12/2024 - Papies wrote:

It’s a Frenchie thing (Frenchie Bar à Vins & Frenchie , Paris): It’s been 4 years since we had this ( Papies 92) and definitely this has blossomed into something special and is far from its peak. Ironically we always find the reds of this estate to underperform vs the white and their price but boy have we been proven wrong here.
Just the nose on this beauty is mesmerising and definitely the high point of the wine. Nicol who tried this blind had no issued spotting the region/type but actually pushed in the end to Cote Rôtie. Impressive nose, expressive even with no decanting, soft rich fruit, lightest kiss of smoke, floral and just sings. The palate follows but not to the level and needs a few more years to develop and even show a secondary feel. An impressive wine easy 94 now and watch it grow.

4/12/2024 - Papies wrote:

It’s a Frenchie thing (Frenchie Bar à Vins & Frenchie , Paris): 1/3 each of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and bottled with zero dosage.
Good to see this with some age, nice rich , soft kiss of a toasty feel, bright and energetic, light apple feel. Very pretty find. 90

4/12/2024 - Papies wrote:

It’s a Frenchie thing (Frenchie Bar à Vins & Frenchie , Paris): Pretty wine, soft on the aromatics and frankly for a Riesling could have used a bit more acidity . This is dry but borrows a lot from off dry wines, lightest note of petrolly edge. Good but not great and better sooner than later we felt. 90

4/12/2024 - Papies wrote:

It’s a Frenchie thing (Frenchie Bar à Vins & Frenchie , Paris): By the glass to finish our dinner at Frenchie , Paris.
Yuzu blended with Junmai sake ( Rice Variety Gohyakumangoku ) at 8% alc and a bright feel cross, very much the Yuzu drink it sets out to be and ever so delicious . Very pretty way to finish a meal and works well with rich desserts.

4/11/2024 - Papies wrote:

Among their best if not their best in terms of balance of depth of flavor, complexity and refreshing side. impressive really on the result.

4/10/2024 - Papies wrote:

Albeit we don’t always agree with the result and certainly they don’t always age well we love these micro vinifications from these guys and we make a point to try as many of them possible. This Rose expression from the local Mavro grape ( cold soaking, spontaneous fermentation, ageing in 300l old French Barel) is soft, light , playful and actually works well for a rose. Soft rich fruit, just a touch to set it apart from a lean south of France rose. More more of a very soft read , a very light well made Beaujolais if nothing else. Definitely a rose wine we would exclude from our quartet of musts for rose enjoyment (must be from a Large bottle , by the beach , one must overpay to enjoy and the bonus of the server wearing white) and more of a discussion wine. Very happy to see this experimentation taking place in the old country . 89-90 .

4/10/2024 - Papies wrote:

A year since we had this ( Papies 92) and indeed that sort of range of wine again. Bright , old vines of course, mineral and with a saline edge. Very pretty and a true assyrtiko . Not the best expression of assyrtiko from this great producer but a super solid wine nonetheless. Very pretty 91-92

4/10/2024 - Papies wrote:

Soft weisse, bright and more refreshing in a way in style than the richer & creamier feel we expected . Good beer but not special.

4/10/2024 - Papies wrote:

As the name suggests a quite smoky and savory expression of a rich lager. Good level of smokiness here and just enough to creat a different edge. Soft malty texture too.

4/11/2024 - Papies wrote:

Very anisid in nose to tail. Very much a classic and the name means made in big copper cauldrons. That’s all folks

4/8/2024 - Papies wrote:

Kendrick’s Wine Club (67 Pall Mall, London): Our first time trying this vintage and not the most typical of VdC as the wine lacked that intense mandarin marmalade we usually associate with it . Still impressive and beautiful, rich but effortlessly balance and definitely punches way higher ( as always ) than its price tag. Probably the best complement we can give it is that it arrived at the end of a long wine flight and probably fell on tired palates , yet it shown through. 92+

4/8/2024 - Papies wrote:

Kendrick’s Wine Club (67 Pall Mall, London): Double decanted for a good hour and a half. Definitely needed albeit what this wine needs is 10 years of more cellaring. Not that it is austere or defficult or closed down it’s just that , barring the beautiful nose, one but sees a small glimpse of what this wine can achieve once it hits its full stride . Now is it a beautiful and elegant wine ? For sure ! But is one drinking it at its peak? No way! 92-93 for now and a wine with another 20years of life ahead.

4/8/2024 - Papies wrote:

Kendrick’s Wine Club (67 Pall Mall, London): Double decanted for a good hour and not a bad idea to do so.
The wine has a bit of a pomerol feel in its ripe and lush palate feel and of course with an extra level of ripeness that comes with the postcode. Definitely a bit of puppy fat to assimilate and also some soft mocha feel from the oak. Very well made and works for the style , and hopefully patience will be rewarded too when a more of a secondary feel arrives . We worried though if the wine now is as good as it gets and older would not mean better .Still at this age the wine is welcoming and in no way austere. 92-93 and wish one day we cross paths with it in the future.

4/8/2024 - Papies wrote:

Kendrick’s Wine Club (67 Pall Mall, London): Double decanted for a good hour and a half. Some decanting advisable at this age. Quite the restrained wine and at time had a dry feel but also quite aromatic and will very well assimilated oak. Felt like they did not get the ripeness right , touch under ripe especially for a Napa Cab , savory at times too. Nose is good with nice dark fruit notes but all and all ( we don’t thing is the age) the wine felt like it was missing something. 91-92

4/8/2024 - Papies wrote:

Kendrick’s Wine Club (67 Pall Mall, London): Served blind a was not an easy one to place. Definitely to us felt like a well ripened Syrah with its spicy feel across and an its tannic structure. Felt in a way like a soft SQN and we argued for it as it did have the feel of it or at least tried to become it albeit lacking the SQN muscle. Definitely a rich wine and definitely made in the California modern style . A pretty curiosity and a good 91

4/8/2024 - Papies wrote:

Kendrick’s Wine Club (67 Pall Mall, London): It has been close to a decade since we had this ( Papies 93 back 2016 ) and granted our palate and interest have changed a lot since then.
The wine had a touch of TCA , not always noticeable but every now and then it would pinch you just to piss one off that it’s there and make one wonder what is has been its effect. The issue we saw with the wine ( made in the glory days of Parkerisation) is that the wine felt a bit burnt and definitely now paying the prices for being pushed and the grapes left to over ripen. Has that “Portuguese “ burnt red wine feel that is just enough to spoil ( along with the the TCA for sure) what should have been a top end result. Maybe it’s the vintage maybe it’s a change in their methods but definitely a far cry from the old school beauties they used to produce in the 90s . We will not rate but did not feel bette than a 90-91

4/8/2024 - Papies wrote:

Kendrick’s Wine Club (67 Pall Mall, London): Our 9th encounter in a good decade with this beautiful wine ( Papies 95 ) and we can but just repeat the experience from a couple of years ago.
Just effortlessly elegant , soft wine in the grand context of things , earthy but with a beautiful fruit, well evolved but in now way old and for lovers of this old school purity of 90s Napa that evolved classic Bordeaux style but with the extra dolllop of ripeness that comes from this terroir this is but a majestic wine experience, 95-96 easy and with a few more years to go like another 10 easy.

4/8/2024 - Papies wrote:

Kendrick’s Wine Club (67 Pall Mall, London): The more we drink their wines ( especially the reds) the more we feel they have gone way off the mark in trying to make soft and as pure wines as possible outside of the typical products one encounters in California. But they have pushed this too far and eat once was beautiful now is light and fruit juicy and lacks presence and farmer say the wine is now something it should not be. Shame cause we used to love them. 89

4/8/2024 - Papies wrote:

Kendrick’s Wine Club (67 Pall Mall, London): A very pretty surprise and way off the overdone expressions of Napa Oaky Chardonnay, don’t get us wrong this is a Napa Wine for sure with the ripeness and the weight to go along but the wine is made with a light hand , the oak is there to complement and kudos to the winemaking at age 14 now drinks effortlessly beautiful and with an elegance. In a way a richer feel of a Chablis at times or maybe a bolder Meursault? Either way very good and worthy 93. The wine has easily another 10 years of life.