2/8/2016 - drbarta wrote:

Quality oak with vanilla, smokiness, but the fruits are quite restrained. Medium body, quite neutral and closed now. Has the promise of further development, has structure, density, although I expected something more deep and serious regarding the fact that it contains the material of the Vieilles Fontaines as well.

1/26/2016 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Perfectly ripe but not jammy blue fruits, obvious amount of quality oak with fine vanilla and irish cream. Drinks well and certainly a nice, polished wine, but much less material in terms of intensity, density, length than the previous vintages, especially the 2010.

1/10/2016 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Ripe pinot fruits, black spices like pepper, cumin, anise, some oriental colours, well added oak. Medium-plus body well filled with its fruity-spicy savors. Pretty good density, but acidity could be more lively. More complex aromas than the Servoisine, but doesn't show its wonderful energy, vitality.

1/17/2016 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Fresh, juicy red fruits, appealing spiciness. Medium body, very-well drinking, toothsome. Not much tannin, but the lively acidity gives the necessary grip. Less density, length than the 1er crus, but its absolutely ready to consume

1/17/2016 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Dried exotic fruits, mainly mango, honey, creaminess, flowers, some pungent note reminding me to the mix of cognac and herbal liqueur, well added oak. Full bodied with really intense flavors, considerable sweetness with oily texture. Dense, compact mid-palate structure, cutting-like acidity makes the finish long and focussed. Feels young, needs some time for all the components to come completely together, but really impressive material with undeniable character.91-93

12/27/2015 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Full with fresh, red pinot fruits, oak is very discreet. Medium body, beautifully intense, "bite-able" flavors accompanied by vibrating acidity. Good mid-palate density, tight, solid structure, highly overperforms its price tag. Have to buy more...

1/2/2016 - drbarta wrote:

Has some nice blackberry-plum like fruitness, lots of tannin, considerable density and alcohol, but overall doesn't show any particular, much more restrained than expected.

1/6/2016 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Lime, white peach, green apple, honey, stones. Ripe, juicy, but absolutely cool and fresh. Considerable sweetness, more body than ususal mosel-rieslings. Very savoury palate, high, crispy acidity. Not a huge wine, but really lovely and toothsome. 89-90

2/21/2015 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Rieslings from 2013 - tasted blind: Ripe, juicy fruits with some exotic hints. Pure, flavorful, balanced, but slightly less material than the previous ones.

2/21/2015 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Rieslings from 2013 - tasted blind: Elegant nose with citrus, yellow fruits, summer apple. Medium body, fullish savors with good structure, tightness. Long and balanced, but doesn't offer as much concntration and focus as the best wines in this row and for sure as the previous vintages. Still a very good one, but expected more.

2/21/2015 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Rieslings from 2013 - tasted blind: Beautiful nose with loads of ripe, juicy exotic fruits. Full bodied. Fantastic depth of flavors, dense midpalate, very good acidity and length. Rich, appealing, full of power.

2/21/2015 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Rieslings from 2013 - tasted blind: Citrus, white peach, fragrant grape aroma, hard stone minerality, some mugginess leaving with short airation. Slightly medium body, intense flavors. Not hyper concentrated but has good midpalate with very-very crisp, refreshing acidity. Its fragrancy with its ethereal, electric character made me think it would be a mosel.

2/21/2015 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Rieslings from 2013 - tasted blind: Ripe citrus, stoniness, not so complex or colorful, but offers very good definiton, depth. Medium body, clean, concentrated savors. Densely structured with tight, vibrant but fully integrated acidity giving it development, focus. Balanced, polished, elegant.

2/21/2015 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Rieslings from 2013 - tasted blind: Clean and intense nose of citrus, peach, mango, deep minerality. Medium body, feels almost light but has very intense flavors. Strucuturally dense, focussed with fine, vibrant acidity making it to soar. Long and expanding, beatiful.

2/21/2015 - drbarta wrote:

Rieslings from 2013 - tasted blind: Sweet yellow fruits, some tropical hints like pine-apple. Medium body, pretty good flavors, but expected more concentration, structure. High acidity, a little bit too much for this wine.

1/23/2015 - drbarta Does not like this wine:

Black fruits, animal notes with fur and leather, tobacco, lots of wood. Would guessed a mid-class spanish wine if tasted blind. Full-body, alcoholic, but not so intense flavors. Lots of tannin but structurally doesn't have the density, the length is also medium. It's a wine that shows the wannabe big-feeling, but it just doesn't have anything significant.

11/9/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Pretty charming nose with red berryfruits, some oriental spiciness, fragrant floral notes, discreet quality wood spiciness. The more time we spend on discovering it, the more complex we found it. Medium body. Good, but not outstanding intensity. Not much tannin, fine acidity, silkiness. Medium-plus length. Not with concentration, but with charm and refinement it reaches this point. Classic volnay.

11/9/2014 - drbarta wrote:

Quite closed nose. Neutral citrus fruit, some mugginess (reduction?) saltiness, and some petrol. Feels a little more developped than its age would suggest. Medium-plus body. Pretty dense material, but feels a bit angular to be able to conqueer with structure. Flavors have intensity, but their character is quite strict, ungiving. Lots of acidity, quite long and austere finish. For sure a serious wine, but not a delicate one.

4/29/2014 - drbarta wrote:

Dark berry fruits, blue flowers. Full body. Good intensity of juicy flavours on the attack. Lots of tannin, has grip. Medium-weight structure on the midpalate, medium/medium-plus finish. Not bad, though I think many cotes du rhone may give this level of quality for half price.

4/28/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Just from the foot of Cornas, from very old vines (planted at the end of 19. century) . Juicy blackberry, plum, deep spiciness with nutmeg, clove, black pepper. Medium-plus body. Fullish attack with fruity savours. Medium density on midpalate, medium-plus finish. Youngish, grippy tannins, solid structure.

4/25/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Fresh lemonade-like fruitness, deep minerality. Probably the most structured kabinett I have ever had. It has all the depth and density that an anyway classy spatlese or even an auslese has without the need of their usual level of residulal sugar. Focussed with precise, steel-like acidity, long finish. Balance and power, impressive stuff.

4/23/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

90 year-old carignan, aged in vat. Black fruits, black currant peel, cocoa-powder, some inky-ironic notes, wild spiciness with some garrigue herbal elements. Full body. Good intensity of spicy, mineral and primary fruity savours. Not outstanding, but good density on midpalate, medium-plus finish. Solid tannins, good grip, quite masculine wine. Drinks well, I wouldn't guess the alcohol level for 15%. Good value for the price. 14 Euro.

4/21/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

At first quite restrained with neutral citrus, hint of petrol, hard-chalky minerality.Later it becomes much more complex. The fruit shows more colourful scents with slightly dried lemon-orange character, and also nice ginger-safron like spiciness joins. Medium body. Good intensity, good structural density. Dry mouthfeel, tight, steely acidity, pretty long finish. Nice, elegant riesling.

4/18/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Typical mosel profile with grapefruit, lime, green apple, slight honey and crushed stone like minerality. Cooler character for an auslese. Intense flavours, dense, structured midpalate, focussed, long finish. Very good balance even in its youth. Not so complex yet, but full with potential. 91-92

4/16/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

The most beatiful style of cotes du rhone. Pure, concentrated rasberry and "garrigue" aromas. Full body, woodless but still velvety texture. Intense falvours of extra ripe but lovely fresh and juicy fruits. Medium structural density,medium-plus finish, enough tannic and acidic backbone to balance the pretty high alcohol, overall rounded and very appealing. I liked it even more than my score would suggest.

4/10/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Fragrant nose with ripe tropical fruits, papaya, lychee, some rosy perfumeness, hint of chalkiness. Very tasty, savourful mouth, deep attack. Full with fruits, spices, thick mouthfeel with considerable residual sugar. Good amount of structure, okay acidity regarding the variety, good length. Hedonistic experience. 90-91

4/10/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

0.375 bottle. Quite restrained nose with cassis, blackberry, hint of blue flowers, some smokey, clove and pepper like spiciness, pretty obvious oak with punch and vanilla. Good intensity of flavours, well structured with good density, focussed midpalate, solid tannic and acidic grip. Pretty long finish. Balanced and elegant. Still young, I guess it will gain complexity by time and certainly a classy one at the moment as well but didn't really understand the many 95+/world-class hype around it.

4/6/2014 - drbarta wrote:

Expected more reading the previous reviews. Ripe blue-berry fruits, some wood, sweet spices. Pretty full bodied, yet not so intense flavours. The second half of the sip seems rather soft, lacks focus. Medium finish.

3/28/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Mineral-driven nose with some citrus, green apple fruits. Slightly medium body, clean, transparentm crystal clear. Good intensity, structurally dense, focussed midpalate, long, developping finish. Vibrant acidity, almost completely dry mouthfeel, very well balanced even in its youth. Good depth and real refinement here, could be more complex.

3/16/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Typical riesling profile with green apple, peach, lemon grass, citrus, white grape, crushed stone like minerality. Light, transparent, yet intense and just delicious. Fine structure with good midpalate contents, though expected a little more depth and length of a Hermannshohle. Vibrant acidity, very good balance with youngish tension, medium-plus finish.

3/8/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Slightly overripe but juicy black fruits,"garrigues" aromas, some chalkiness. Full bodied. Intense savours. Ripe, but a bir grainy tannins, also ripe acidity. Densely textured, good depth, length. A bit high alcohol.

3/1/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Green apple, grapefruit, lime, white grape, some crushed stone like minerality. Typical mosel, with lightness and crystal-clarity. Savourful, intense attack. Medium density on midpalate, super balance between sweetness and acidity. Medium-plus finish. With a slightly more depth and more intense finish would be absolutely classy. 89-90

3/1/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Lots of black fruits (black currant, blackberry) in a kind of rustic, slightly stale way, not a sterile, inox-styled pure and fresh version . Besides the fruits some wild meet, later blue flowers, some dried leaves and ink. Pretty complex, though not the easiest-going CdP. Full-bodied, but not overwhelmingly big. Intense, thick flavours, solid tannic and acidic grip. Well structured, good depth, density and length.

2/16/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Tastes like primary blue grape juice, but delivering outstanding concentration. Dense, oily texture, weighty acidity but still a slight sweetness dominant. Delicious.

2/15/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Rasberry, blackberry, mint, herbs, laurel, lavender, smokiness. Full-body, good intensity of juicy-herbal flavours. Medium-weight structure, refreshing, youngish tannins, good acidity, medium to medium plus finish. Clean and delicious stuff with all the character of the Southern Rhone.

2/15/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Clean and fragrant nose with citrus, white grapes, green apple, peach, fine slatey minerality. Light weight, transparent texture, but really intense flavours, feels like the fruits just blowing up. Vibrant, crispy, mouthwatering acids, enough structure to give density and length. Very good balance between acidity and sweetness althouh feels young, full with energy and electricity.

2/14/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Blackberry, blackcurrant peel, ink, earth,black spices, some ironic notes. Pretty complex, but the fruit has some not too fresh, kind of stale character. Good intensity of flavours, dense substance with sweet extract and lots of tannin. Good midpalate contents and finish. Not an easy wine, but certainly rich and ineresting.

2/14/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Seductive nose of juicy blackberry, black cherry, black olives, blue flowers, spices, nice wood. Full-bodied. Dense, velvety texture with lots of ripe, soft tannin, rounded acidity. Intense flavours, deep midpalate-contents, long finish. Great wine, great value.

2/5/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Very nice nose with lovely pinot-fruits, blue flowers, the most discrete oak, fine earthy, chalky notes. Medium body, okay intensity of flavors, medium weight on the midpalate, slighly longer finish than medium. Pure, refined and balanced with good grip. Still doesn't show the depth of the 09 and 10 vintages, but certainly more impressive this time than my previous bottle (or I just had a better day) .

2/4/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Grapefruit, lemon grass, green apple, crushed stone like minerality, some yeaty/sulfuric muggy cloud that young Prüm-wines often have. Light body, texturally transparent, crystal-clear. Savourful, crispy attack, structurally dense midpalate, precise, vibrant acidity, long finish. Perfect balance even in its youth.

2/4/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Dried apricots, figs, orange peel, slightly burnt sugar, herbal notes, honey. Medium-plus body. Good intensity of flavours, good amount of structure, smooth acidity, longly developing finish. Creamy and rounded, all components are settled and balanced. Feels much-much younger than its age, no tertier notes at all, I could have easily belived to be under 10 years if tasted blind.

1/28/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Grapefruit, herbal notes, salty-stony like minerality. Intense flavours, plenty of structure, steel-hard acidity makes the finish focussed, but also shows some edge. It has more substance than my score suggests so can still climb if all components come together.

1/19/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Citrus, peach, crushed stone-like minerality. Clean and transparent with good, but not outstanding flavour-intensity. Pretty well structured, high, vibrant acidity, medium-plus finish. Certainly a good one, but couldn't recognize the greatness that most previous reviews mentioned. (88)

Two days later it seems more convincing by giving more depth, intensity, or maybe I just have a better day :) (90)

1/17/2014 - drbarta wrote:

Pure, fruit-driven with citrus, peach, some honey. Medium plus body, delicious, but doesn't offer any particular depth. Medium finish.

1/17/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Ripe citrus, peach, tropical notes, fine minerality. Pure, deep and appealing. Concentrated flavours, dense, focussed midpalate, long finish.

1/15/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Ripe, slightly dried citrus, honey, some fine fudgy-smoky-mineral spiciness. Very good intensity of flavours, fine buttery creaminess in the texture, good density, length, balance. 90-91

1/15/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Citrus, salty-stoney-modelling clay like minerality. Medium body but still have very good depth. Dense mineral core on the midpalate, long, focussed finish with tight, steel-like acidity. Halfdry says the label, but sweetness is hardly detectable, it only gives some more mouthfeel to the anyway clean and lean wine. Classy. 90-91

1/15/2014 - drbarta wrote:

Citrus, smokiness, hint of petrol and minerality. Age-less. Good, but not outstanding intensity and density, medium-plus finish. Intact and balanced.

1/8/2014 - drbarta wrote:

Citrus, apple, some sauvignon-like grassy-green herbal hints, smokiness, nuts. Not very colourful but really intense flavours, very good depth and density on the midpalate as well, long finish. Good balance and acidity, but still feels quite heavy, can't consume too much of this. 89-91

1/5/2014 - drbarta Likes this wine:

Exotic fruits, sweet spices, earthy-mineral elements. Medium-plus body, densely textured. Intense flavours with sweet fruits, gruner spiciness. Probably some residual sugar also makes the mouthfeel thicker. Acidity is a bit soft, the richness of the wine could wear easily more of them, but this way it is really creamy and rounded.