Still very much ticking, but much of the youthful exuberance has worn off. Now it’s a lovely soft thing, still bright and light on the palate, but the red fruit is more muted, especially on day 1. By day 3 the fruit is more expressive, but still not what it was in the first couple of years past release. Could be bottle variation at work, but this one is also noticeably softer and more delicate than my note on another bottle tasted around 6 months ago. This was more along the lines of a Baden Spatburgunder or Jura Trousseau than the juicy Beaujolais character of the wine’s youth. It’s still a lovely tipple, but Hardy recommends drinking these in the first year or two after release and I think that’s probably the right approach.
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Damn, I just love how Mourvèdre takes to the carbonic treatment. It’s got just enough of a rustic edge to keep the wine from veering into strawberry jolly rancher territory...I dig the balance and tension here so much.
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This is all fresh and crunchy red raspberry deliciousness on the nose, and it's light as a feather on the palate. This still has some spritz to it, so give this a vigorous shake or the 2-decanter swish back and forth 10-20x treatment if that sort of thing bothers you. I *think* there might still be a reason to buy and drink other, fancier, wines, but I'm really not sure since something this joyful and delicious is also available. Points simply can not capture how much this wine is in my wheelhouse.
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Started opaque but got a little murky as it sat open. Initially fresh strawberry and hibiscus/rose. After time the sweetness sweats off the strawberry and a little moderate berry flavor creeps in. Easy to gulp (agree with everyone else) but slow sipping is rewarded with an interesting ride.
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Juicy, spicy, fun - what else would you expect from D&R? Winemaker Hardy Wallace was kind enough to send this our way with the latest shipment, and I couldn’t be more grateful! Bright and tart upon opening, the wine opened up through the evening to a brilliant balance of fresh fruit and savouriness that was impossible to stop sipping. Pomegranate, ripe strawberry, sour cherry, and an overall floral note set the tone, with black pepper and cedar kicking in as well. Red jolly rancher, cherry cola, hot tamales candy - take your pick! Delicious and oh-so crushable.
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Drank over 3 days. Lots of fizz initially. Initially reticent, but opened up to a typically super-mineral Especial bottling. I really enjoy the Especial wines. Totally different from the rest of the D&R line, and from just about any other wine I can think of...
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Consistent with prior notes. This time though it was fun to watch the wine evolve, first in its few hours open and then over the next couple of days. The wine went through a number of phases, first showing some spritz (which mostly blew off with a vigorous shake of the bottle), then a bit of mourvedre funk, then all bright sweet red stawberry fruits, and then finally the gorgeous laciness and florals. The wine was maybe at its best after 48 hours open.
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When I need a light, refreshing red, this is it. Lighter than most Beaujolais, but similar in taste, albeit this is Mourvèdre and has a different crunch. When served to serious wine drinkers without explanation they seem perplexed and unimpressed. I am impressed that someone is even trying to make a wine like this.
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Color is almost neon-bright cranberry. Lively, juicy bowl of red fruits with accents of earth and herbs. Light, bright mouthfeel with really nice acids and some tannins. A joyful drink - quaffable and yet with substance. Almost as if mouvedre had been made in Touraine.
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Light red- almost Taval rose like in color. Light bodied with a hint of effervescence. Tea and strawberry notes. Well made, but not a wine that is in my wheelhouse- I'll stick to their terrific whites...
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2nd time having this. Consumed over 2 of 3 nights. On first night this showed similarly to the first bottle I had...grapey, young and primary with verve and zest. Showed even better on 3rd night with some savory notes intermingled with red berries, spice, and mineral. Still quite early in its evolution, even though it's tasty.
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PnP. From memory. This is the glou glou mouvedre if ever there was one. Tart red fruits and some spice, with a bit of earth. Not the most complex but its acids and lift just make this a happy wine. No thinking needed.
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Unlike anything I've drank before. Watermelon, raspberry and tea- all balanced in a mouvedre base. Wonderful unique fruit flavors and not a sledge hammer. Impressed for my second wine from his producer.
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Nothing like any other Mourvèdre I've ever had! Beautiful translucent ruby red color. Notes of raspberries predominate, but the palate is much more complicated than that. Nice fresh acidity, drinks very well, very good length. Overall I don't like the palate as much as the other D&R Mourveds I've had (about four different ones)--this doesn't have quite the backbone of the others, at this point perhaps it's a bit overly delicate. My guess is that this could change with a few years in the cellar, however.
2nd bottle 10/12/18: This one was a bit cloudy (unfiltered) but, I believe, more mature. Went down very nicely--sorry I neglected to write this for too long and the details have faded from memory, but it was quite enjoyable, smooth and well-balanced. Didn't seem particularly delicate, rather more on the robust side. At any rate, I'm upping the rating some.
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Ok, maybe underrated last bottle because it was different, or should I say 'unique'. Bottle #2 has dark rose color, spritz like mouthfeel, however nose is more prevalent, and palate acid and tannins seem more in balance. Love the red pepper jelly, sour cherry and rhubarb pie (crust included!) flavors this time. Nicely done.
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Wonderful, fresh and amazingly different than any other wine I have had and unlike any other Mourvèdre. A pleasure to drink. We paired it on a hot summer day with a frittata. The pleasure and delineation this wine provides is unreal. Very light colored that belies its poise.
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Fantastic. Loved the last two vintages of the Especial and I think this might be the best of the lot. Very light in the glass, but maybe not quite as light as I remember the '14 was. Sweet cherry and raspberry aromas with spices waft from the glass --- aromatically it's like a cross between outstanding examples of a Jura Trousseau and a Cru Beaujolais made in the semi-carbonic style ---you get the sheer exuberance and joy of the latter along with the exoticism of the former. On the palate it's ethereal and lacy. It's bright and high toned enough to drink on a muggy 90 degree day but it's so much more elegant than a quaffer. Hardy says this is intended for early drinking (say over the next couple of years), and far be it from me to question that (not to mention it's so darned delicious I will have a hard time keeping my hands off the rest of my bottles), but I think there is an intriguing savory element here that may come through with more prominence after some time in the cellar.
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Cloudy dark rose color. Pretty nose of raspberries, watermelon, rose petals. Med weight in mouth belies the 12.7% abv. Legs in the glass. Smooth tannins up front, nice acid streak that lasts 20 sec or more. Sour cherry, strawberry, pomegranate, spicy notes. Easy drinking, a wine to discuss while sipping.
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PnP and drank over 3+ hours. Spritzy and fizzy at first, settled down after awhile. Notes of tart crunchy red berries, jolly rancher, mineral. Light-mid bodied, soft approach, abundant acidity, medium finish.
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Damn good drinkin' here. The red wine I want when the temperature goes up; red fruit, dark flowers, wet rocks, smells like summer. Drinks like it too, light and lively, refreshing and full of possibility. Who needs Trousseau when you've got...Mourvedre?
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Light, fruity, interesting. Strawberries and lemons mashed up on a gravel bed. Upside down and inside out. Kinda reminds me of a Dutraive Fleurie Gamay.
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Am I really the first one to put a note of this here? Anyways, this is a fairly good bottle made in that lighter style. I had remembered these coming off a little carbonicky, but in hindsight I think I may have been wrong about that. The nose on this shows some tart red fruit and some pleasant florals. The palate is light, but the fruit is a bit sweeter than the nose would indicate. A touch of tannin gives this a little more heft than its cheery sweet disposition would belie.
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3/31/2022 - Wine Falcon wrote: flawed
Two bottles too old.
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5/2/2020 - MikeATL wrote:
Still an example of gluggable spicy tangy goodness.
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1/28/2020 - MartyL wrote: 91 Points
Still very much ticking, but much of the youthful exuberance has worn off. Now it’s a lovely soft thing, still bright and light on the palate, but the red fruit is more muted, especially on day 1. By day 3 the fruit is more expressive, but still not what it was in the first couple of years past release. Could be bottle variation at work, but this one is also noticeably softer and more delicate than my note on another bottle tasted around 6 months ago. This was more along the lines of a Baden Spatburgunder or Jura Trousseau than the juicy Beaujolais character of the wine’s youth. It’s still a lovely tipple, but Hardy recommends drinking these in the first year or two after release and I think that’s probably the right approach.
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8/14/2019 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:
Damn, I just love how Mourvèdre takes to the carbonic treatment. It’s got just enough of a rustic edge to keep the wine from veering into strawberry jolly rancher territory...I dig the balance and tension here so much.
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8/11/2019 - MartyL Likes this wine:
Bullseye.
This is all fresh and crunchy red raspberry deliciousness on the nose, and it's light as a feather on the palate. This still has some spritz to it, so give this a vigorous shake or the 2-decanter swish back and forth 10-20x treatment if that sort of thing bothers you. I *think* there might still be a reason to buy and drink other, fancier, wines, but I'm really not sure since something this joyful and delicious is also available. Points simply can not capture how much this wine is in my wheelhouse.
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2/27/2019 - yaCellar Likes this wine: 91 Points
Weekday drinker hall of fame contender. The anti-Mourvèdre Mourvèdre. Among the lightest, crispiest, juiciest that red wine can be.
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1/19/2019 - adnorthup Likes this wine: 93 Points
Started opaque but got a little murky as it sat open. Initially fresh strawberry and hibiscus/rose. After time the sweetness sweats off the strawberry and a little moderate berry flavor creeps in. Easy to gulp (agree with everyone else) but slow sipping is rewarded with an interesting ride.
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7/18/2018 - Wine Ratings Likes this wine:
Juicy, spicy, fun - what else would you expect from D&R? Winemaker Hardy Wallace was kind enough to send this our way with the latest shipment, and I couldn’t be more grateful! Bright and tart upon opening, the wine opened up through the evening to a brilliant balance of fresh fruit and savouriness that was impossible to stop sipping. Pomegranate, ripe strawberry, sour cherry, and an overall floral note set the tone, with black pepper and cedar kicking in as well. Red jolly rancher, cherry cola, hot tamales candy - take your pick! Delicious and oh-so crushable.
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4/12/2018 - Biskuit Likes this wine: 92 Points
Love. It. Crush. It.
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3/13/2018 - atl10trader Likes this wine:
Perfect landing out of familiar territory in left field. Cassis and blueberry notes with floral petals and a camp fire attitude.
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3/13/2018 - pryby Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank over 3 days. Lots of fizz initially. Initially reticent, but opened up to a typically super-mineral Especial bottling. I really enjoy the Especial wines. Totally different from the rest of the D&R line, and from just about any other wine I can think of...
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1/16/2018 - MartyL Likes this wine:
Consistent with prior notes. This time though it was fun to watch the wine evolve, first in its few hours open and then over the next couple of days. The wine went through a number of phases, first showing some spritz (which mostly blew off with a vigorous shake of the bottle), then a bit of mourvedre funk, then all bright sweet red stawberry fruits, and then finally the gorgeous laciness and florals. The wine was maybe at its best after 48 hours open.
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1/14/2018 - dlduchon Likes this wine:
When I need a light, refreshing red, this is it. Lighter than most Beaujolais, but similar in taste, albeit this is Mourvèdre and has a different crunch. When served to serious wine drinkers without explanation they seem perplexed and unimpressed. I am impressed that someone is even trying to make a wine like this.
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10/6/2017 - James Kim Likes this wine: 90 Points
Color is almost neon-bright cranberry. Lively, juicy bowl of red fruits with accents of earth and herbs. Light, bright mouthfeel with really nice acids and some tannins. A joyful drink - quaffable and yet with substance. Almost as if mouvedre had been made in Touraine.
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10/5/2017 - mjf@ulkner wrote:
Light red- almost Taval rose like in color. Light bodied with a hint of effervescence. Tea and strawberry notes. Well made, but not a wine that is in my wheelhouse- I'll stick to their terrific whites...
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7/28/2017 - DRS-Inc wrote:
2nd time having this. Consumed over 2 of 3 nights. On first night this showed similarly to the first bottle I had...grapey, young and primary with verve and zest. Showed even better on 3rd night with some savory notes intermingled with red berries, spice, and mineral. Still quite early in its evolution, even though it's tasty.
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7/10/2017 - James Kim wrote: 90 Points
PnP. From memory. This is the glou glou mouvedre if ever there was one. Tart red fruits and some spice, with a bit of earth. Not the most complex but its acids and lift just make this a happy wine. No thinking needed.
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6/22/2017 - dougie Likes this wine: 93 Points
Unlike anything I've drank before. Watermelon, raspberry and tea- all balanced in a mouvedre base. Wonderful unique fruit flavors and not a sledge hammer. Impressed for my second wine from his producer.
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6/18/2017 - Peter Kleban Likes this wine:
* (plus some)
Nothing like any other Mourvèdre I've ever had! Beautiful translucent ruby red color. Notes of raspberries predominate, but the palate is much more complicated than that. Nice fresh acidity, drinks very well, very good length. Overall I don't like the palate as much as the other D&R Mourveds I've had (about four different ones)--this doesn't have quite the backbone of the others, at this point perhaps it's a bit overly delicate. My guess is that this could change with a few years in the cellar, however.
2nd bottle 10/12/18:
This one was a bit cloudy (unfiltered) but, I believe, more mature. Went down very nicely--sorry I neglected to write this for too long and the details have faded from memory, but it was quite enjoyable, smooth and well-balanced. Didn't seem particularly delicate, rather more on the robust side. At any rate, I'm upping the rating some.
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6/14/2017 - dclaggett Likes this wine: 89 Points
Ok, maybe underrated last bottle because it was different, or should I say 'unique'. Bottle #2 has dark rose color, spritz like mouthfeel, however nose is more prevalent, and palate acid and tannins seem more in balance. Love the red pepper jelly, sour cherry and rhubarb pie (crust included!) flavors this time. Nicely done.
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6/12/2017 - dlduchon Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful, fresh and amazingly different than any other wine I have had and unlike any other Mourvèdre. A pleasure to drink. We paired it on a hot summer day with a frittata. The pleasure and delineation this wine provides is unreal. Very light colored that belies its poise.
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6/11/2017 - MartyL Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic. Loved the last two vintages of the Especial and I think this might be the best of the lot. Very light in the glass, but maybe not quite as light as I remember the '14 was. Sweet cherry and raspberry aromas with spices waft from the glass --- aromatically it's like a cross between outstanding examples of a Jura Trousseau and a Cru Beaujolais made in the semi-carbonic style ---you get the sheer exuberance and joy of the latter along with the exoticism of the former. On the palate it's ethereal and lacy. It's bright and high toned enough to drink on a muggy 90 degree day but it's so much more elegant than a quaffer. Hardy says this is intended for early drinking (say over the next couple of years), and far be it from me to question that (not to mention it's so darned delicious I will have a hard time keeping my hands off the rest of my bottles), but I think there is an intriguing savory element here that may come through with more prominence after some time in the cellar.
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5/24/2017 - dclaggett wrote: 87 Points
Cloudy dark rose color. Pretty nose of raspberries, watermelon, rose petals. Med weight in mouth belies the 12.7% abv. Legs in the glass. Smooth tannins up front, nice acid streak that lasts 20 sec or more. Sour cherry, strawberry, pomegranate, spicy notes. Easy drinking, a wine to discuss while sipping.
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5/21/2017 - DRS-Inc wrote: 91 Points
PnP and drank over 3+ hours. Spritzy and fizzy at first, settled down after awhile. Notes of tart crunchy red berries, jolly rancher, mineral. Light-mid bodied, soft approach, abundant acidity, medium finish.
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5/14/2017 - tcavallo wrote:
Damn good drinkin' here. The red wine I want when the temperature goes up; red fruit, dark flowers, wet rocks, smells like summer. Drinks like it too, light and lively, refreshing and full of possibility. Who needs Trousseau when you've got...Mourvedre?
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5/11/2017 - EstimatedEyes wrote: 89 Points
Light, fruity, interesting. Strawberries and lemons mashed up on a gravel bed. Upside down and inside out. Kinda reminds me of a Dutraive Fleurie Gamay.
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4/30/2017 - Sennma wrote:
Yum juice...in the glass looks like strawberry juice but a lovely wine for afternoon quaffing.
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4/29/2017 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Am I really the first one to put a note of this here? Anyways, this is a fairly good bottle made in that lighter style. I had remembered these coming off a little carbonicky, but in hindsight I think I may have been wrong about that. The nose on this shows some tart red fruit and some pleasant florals. The palate is light, but the fruit is a bit sweeter than the nose would indicate. A touch of tannin gives this a little more heft than its cheery sweet disposition would belie.
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