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
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From 375ml. Prior bottle was a year ago and while it showed well, it was a small step down from prior bottle (most likely either too cold or negative bottle variation). Orange notes as well as a burnt brown sugar quality on the nose. Slightly above medium bodied with a good mix of apricot, orange and then distinctly tropical notes upfront and through the middle. Felt like there was a bit more mid-body richness here than in my prior bottles. The tart notes and acidity on the backside didn't have quite the strength that they showed previously and without that added contrast, the mid-body didn't have the quality of lightness and nuance it previously showed. The overall presentation was similar, but just lacking slightly in some of subtle details of my earlier bottles which made them a touch more impressive. Most likely, I served this a bit too cold which simply didn't allow it to fully express itself.
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👀: Helder, intens, geel bruin tot amberkleurig, hoge viscositeit en veel tranen. 👃: Zuiver en diep met secundaire aroma's van rozijnen, gestoofde appel, walnoot en karamel. Ook iets van abrikoos. Verder vanille, honing, boenwas en wat cognac en Sherry. Complex en atypisch. 👅: Molligheid beslist hoog (+2) maar toch ook nog zachte zuren die de dessertwijn wat aangenamer maken (+0,5) Een lange afdronk van 5-6 sec. Beslist te drinken bij dessert met fruit, foie gras, blauwe schimmelkaas.
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From 375ml. From bottle was 14 months ago and my notes were consistent. Lots of orange notes plus apricot qualities on the nose. Between medium and full bodied with apricot, orange and mixed tropical notes again the predominant fruit notes. But there's a lot more to this wine as the mid-body has outstanding density, but because of the tart notes and acidity on the backside, it's able to pull off this wonderful concentration with a lightness that allows the wine to sail. The combination of tart qualities and acidity with this density of fruit is what makes this wine so well balanced and special. This has many years in front of it and I'll plan to open my next bottle in July 2022 and look for more bottles from this and other vintages of this underappreciated gem.
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Medium brown with a slight copper hue. Intense on the nose and palate, dessert sweet, syrupy, yet with some lift from the mouthwatering acids, and aromas and flavours of orange blossom, rose, dried apricots, and nut cream. Fair length, but a rather straightforward orangey backpalate
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Bronze-orange in color. Dried apricot, orange peel, rosewater on the perfumey nose. Delicious and rich mouth with tangerine, more apricot both fresh and preserves, equally bright and sweet. Really wonderful, distinctive.
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From 375ml. Massive orange notes on the nose, along with apricot and passion fruit. Between medium and full bodied (14.5% ABV) and the flavors throughout are a mix of apricot and orange, but it's much more complex than that might sound. It's tart orange and rich orange along with dense, rich apricot and lighter and brighter apricot. The wine has lots of intensity to it at this stage along with plenty of richness. Feels like there's a lot more to be revealed in coming years as the mid-body continues to open up. Drinking well now, but worth holding as it will improve. Next bottle for me in June or July 2021.
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What an eye opener! Rich, viscous but not cloying. Liquid apricot with a little ash just to round out. Great alternative to Port or Sauterne as a dessert wine. Matched nicely with a chocolate molten cake znd raspberry.
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Thanksgiving: Allowed to slow-ox for 15 minutes and get everyone's attention. The base here is everything (aroma and taste) apricot. The wine is heavy in the mouth with citrus helping to balance the apricot. Notes of orange marmalade and peach flow in and out. Only the slightest bitterness on the finish. Acidity keeps it fresh and avoids being cloying. Will probably hold for many years.
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Bias. In just about every arena that requires judgment, there is bias. And I have a ton of it here. Donnafugata has been very kind to me and my blog, and I even had the chance to visit there last year. Part of the visit included a trip to the island of Pantelleria, where Donnafugata grows the Zibbibo (what a fun word to say) for this wine. The island? Holy cow. Wow. Bucket list. The island is astounding. But get this: the wine might be better (OK, not really, but I needed a segue). Incredible apricot dominates the nose to the point that one might think this is actually an apricot wine. The palate? Whoa. Certainly sweet, but oh my goodness: rich, tart, unctuous, this might verge on life-changing. thedrunkencyclist.com
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A whirlwind of aroma. Floral, citrus, candy, apticots, butterscotch, and more. Thick, viscous mouth feel. Great complexity on tongue with apricot and candied citrus lead an elegant parade of flavors.
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Bien aimé, sans être trenscendant. Un peu de liqueur pêche avec une belle acidité. Long en bouche. Pas extrêmement complexe, je m’entendais à un vin plus méditatif.
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Tinned peaches and pears, lemon and raisins, butterscotch and caramel. Lots going on aromatically. In the mouth the lemon and citrus are more to the fore with that tinned peach note and some marmalade. Yum.
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Wow! The aromatics here are some of the most intoxicating I’ve come across. Ripe pineapple bathed in honey butter, apricot preserves, orange marmalade and honeycomb. Light on the palate with zippy acidity.
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More individual and unique than I remember the 2012 being, this offered crackling salinity with apricot and fried honey. Big with zero excess fat, boyish and practical, with a knack for showing off every accompanying bite.
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An excellent dessert wine and fairly consistent from year to year. This is my first time tasting it so soon after release, but it is already very impressive. Med+ gold in color. Clean, with pronounced aromas of apricots, pineapple, orange zest, ginger, caramel, honey and sweet spice such as clove and cinnamon. Youthful. Sweet (220g/L of RS!), but offset by med+ to pronounced, mouthwatering acidity. The alcohol is high at 14.5%; amazing considering the amount of residual sugar still present and the lack of fortification. On the palate, given the rich, extracted mouthfeel, the alcohol actually appears much lower. The palate is consistent with the nose and still very primary, with intense flavors and a long finish. It is drinking well now, but will age indefinitely, slowly increasing in complexity.
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Pnp. Bruised ripe nectarines, canned peaches, a touch tropical with some tart passionfruit curd, a touch of herbaceous fennel seed, and a very strong and distinct bergamot/earl grey tea note going on. Lively with racy acid and saline mineralité. Long, oily textured finish without being heavy at all. Really enjoyed this.
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Or orangé, très brillant. Au nez, oranges confites, pêches, un peu épicé, très beau nez. En bouche, acidité vive équilibre à merveille la sucrusité, longueur appréciable. Superbe.
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Gold, almost orange, color with a tremendous fruity nose. Lightly sweet with bright fruit flavors. Can taste fruit on the finish for almost nine seconds. A very nice wine.
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Deep golden color. Drank a small glass over 30 minutes. Sweet, lots of tropical fruits, apricot, lychee, pineapple, candied, a bit fatter than I would prefer, nice unctuous texture with good persistence. Needs more acidity to make it brighter overall, though the fruit is certainly very attractive here. 91+ to 92pts.
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12/2/2023 - Mr. Montrachet Likes this wine: 91 Points
Apricot. apricot! About 70% apricot and 30% orange Marmelade. Walnuts. Apricot. Orange. Solid.
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11/28/2023 - FiggySmalls wrote: flawed
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
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7/10/2022 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 92 Points
From 375ml. Prior bottle was a year ago and while it showed well, it was a small step down from prior bottle (most likely either too cold or negative bottle variation). Orange notes as well as a burnt brown sugar quality on the nose. Slightly above medium bodied with a good mix of apricot, orange and then distinctly tropical notes upfront and through the middle. Felt like there was a bit more mid-body richness here than in my prior bottles. The tart notes and acidity on the backside didn't have quite the strength that they showed previously and without that added contrast, the mid-body didn't have the quality of lightness and nuance it previously showed. The overall presentation was similar, but just lacking slightly in some of subtle details of my earlier bottles which made them a touch more impressive. Most likely, I served this a bit too cold which simply didn't allow it to fully express itself.
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12/6/2021 - Marc F Likes this wine: 92 Points
👀: Helder, intens, geel bruin tot amberkleurig, hoge viscositeit en veel tranen.
👃: Zuiver en diep met secundaire aroma's van rozijnen, gestoofde appel, walnoot en karamel. Ook iets van abrikoos. Verder vanille, honing, boenwas en wat cognac en Sherry. Complex en atypisch.
👅: Molligheid beslist hoog (+2) maar toch ook nog zachte zuren die de dessertwijn wat aangenamer maken (+0,5) Een lange afdronk van 5-6 sec. Beslist te drinken bij dessert met fruit, foie gras, blauwe schimmelkaas.
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11/22/2021 - wcliao Likes this wine:
taste at NK wine exhibition 2021
impressive dessert wine, air dried
rich and acid balance
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7/20/2021 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
From 375ml. From bottle was 14 months ago and my notes were consistent. Lots of orange notes plus apricot qualities on the nose. Between medium and full bodied with apricot, orange and mixed tropical notes again the predominant fruit notes. But there's a lot more to this wine as the mid-body has outstanding density, but because of the tart notes and acidity on the backside, it's able to pull off this wonderful concentration with a lightness that allows the wine to sail. The combination of tart qualities and acidity with this density of fruit is what makes this wine so well balanced and special. This has many years in front of it and I'll plan to open my next bottle in July 2022 and look for more bottles from this and other vintages of this underappreciated gem.
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6/13/2021 - vinhonotte Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium brown with a slight copper hue. Intense on the nose and palate, dessert sweet, syrupy, yet with some lift from the mouthwatering acids, and aromas and flavours of orange blossom, rose, dried apricots, and nut cream. Fair length, but a rather straightforward orangey backpalate
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1/31/2021 - pgm wrote: 94 Points
Bronze-orange in color. Dried apricot, orange peel, rosewater on the perfumey nose. Delicious and rich mouth with tangerine, more apricot both fresh and preserves, equally bright and sweet. Really wonderful, distinctive.
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9/23/2020 - BoulderWine Likes this wine: 93 Points
From a 750ml bottle. Burnt caramel, great balance, lengthy finish. Enjoyed after dinner over several evenings, which is the way to go with this wine.
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5/24/2020 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
From 375ml. Massive orange notes on the nose, along with apricot and passion fruit. Between medium and full bodied (14.5% ABV) and the flavors throughout are a mix of apricot and orange, but it's much more complex than that might sound. It's tart orange and rich orange along with dense, rich apricot and lighter and brighter apricot. The wine has lots of intensity to it at this stage along with plenty of richness. Feels like there's a lot more to be revealed in coming years as the mid-body continues to open up. Drinking well now, but worth holding as it will improve. Next bottle for me in June or July 2021.
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5/10/2020 - g-man wrote: 94 Points
What an eye opener! Rich, viscous but not cloying. Liquid apricot with a little ash just to round out. Great alternative to Port or Sauterne as a dessert wine. Matched nicely with a chocolate molten cake znd raspberry.
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11/28/2019 - VlgJeff wrote: 92 Points
Thanksgiving: Allowed to slow-ox for 15 minutes and get everyone's attention. The base here is everything (aroma and taste) apricot. The wine is heavy in the mouth with citrus helping to balance the apricot. Notes of orange marmalade and peach flow in and out. Only the slightest bitterness on the finish. Acidity keeps it fresh and avoids being cloying. Will probably hold for many years.
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7/21/2019 - The Drunken Cyclist wrote: 96 Points
Bias. In just about every arena that requires judgment, there is bias. And I have a ton of it here. Donnafugata has been very kind to me and my blog, and I even had the chance to visit there last year. Part of the visit included a trip to the island of Pantelleria, where Donnafugata grows the Zibbibo (what a fun word to say) for this wine. The island? Holy cow. Wow. Bucket list. The island is astounding. But get this: the wine might be better (OK, not really, but I needed a segue). Incredible apricot dominates the nose to the point that one might think this is actually an apricot wine. The palate? Whoa. Certainly sweet, but oh my goodness: rich, tart, unctuous, this might verge on life-changing. thedrunkencyclist.com
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7/10/2019 - Axone Likes this wine: 94 Points
Vin magnifique de fraîcheur.
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6/15/2019 - Sourdough Likes this wine: 93 Points
A whirlwind of aroma. Floral, citrus, candy, apticots, butterscotch, and more. Thick, viscous mouth feel. Great complexity on tongue with apricot and candied citrus lead an elegant parade of flavors.
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2/24/2019 - Vince_chip Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bien aimé, sans être trenscendant. Un peu de liqueur pêche avec une belle acidité. Long en bouche. Pas extrêmement complexe, je m’entendais à un vin plus méditatif.
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2/22/2019 - chatters wrote:
Tinned peaches and pears, lemon and raisins, butterscotch and caramel. Lots going on aromatically. In the mouth the lemon and citrus are more to the fore with that tinned peach note and some marmalade. Yum.
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2/1/2019 - BoulderWine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Always love the Ben Ryé!
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12/17/2018 - Shay.Aldriedge Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow! The aromatics here are some of the most intoxicating I’ve come across. Ripe pineapple bathed in honey butter, apricot preserves, orange marmalade and honeycomb. Light on the palate with zippy acidity.
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10/24/2018 - chbeaumont wrote: 92 Points
Pale amber; lacy delicacy, pinpoint nose, orange blossom & orange peel; sweet, finessed, pleasurable; finishes stylishly.
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9/15/2018 - Rollerball wrote: 96 Points
More individual and unique than I remember the 2012 being, this offered crackling salinity with apricot and fried honey. Big with zero excess fat, boyish and practical, with a knack for showing off every accompanying bite.
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9/11/2018 - Macki wrote:
Delightful; not cloyingly sweet. Herbal, apricots.
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7/10/2018 - TannicBeast Likes this wine: 94 Points
An excellent dessert wine and fairly consistent from year to year. This is my first time tasting it so soon after release, but it is already very impressive. Med+ gold in color. Clean, with pronounced aromas of apricots, pineapple, orange zest, ginger, caramel, honey and sweet spice such as clove and cinnamon. Youthful. Sweet (220g/L of RS!), but offset by med+ to pronounced, mouthwatering acidity. The alcohol is high at 14.5%; amazing considering the amount of residual sugar still present and the lack of fortification. On the palate, given the rich, extracted mouthfeel, the alcohol actually appears much lower. The palate is consistent with the nose and still very primary, with intense flavors and a long finish. It is drinking well now, but will age indefinitely, slowly increasing in complexity.
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7/6/2018 - ghost77 Likes this wine: 90 Points
couleur: orange coucher de soleil
Nez: abricots, pêches en bonbon
Le vin est sucré, tout en étant onctueux et agréable.
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6/9/2018 - ESTEELE90 Likes this wine:
Pnp. Bruised ripe nectarines, canned peaches, a touch tropical with some tart passionfruit curd, a touch of herbaceous fennel seed, and a very strong and distinct bergamot/earl grey tea note going on. Lively with racy acid and saline mineralité. Long, oily textured finish without being heavy at all. Really enjoyed this.
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6/9/2018 - fred o. Likes this wine:
bright apricots, sweet but in a balanced way. Ripe stone fruits, per J; bruised white peaches. juicy. great with tiramisu. 93 pts
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5/29/2018 - jorivesud Likes this wine: 93 Points
Or orangé, très brillant.
Au nez, oranges confites, pêches, un peu épicé, très beau nez.
En bouche, acidité vive équilibre à merveille la sucrusité, longueur appréciable. Superbe.
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3/16/2018 - Puteljen! Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderfull golden fruit paired with a fresh acidity. Best pantelleria I’ve had.
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3/8/2018 - aagrawal wrote: 90 Points
Tre Bicchieri Tasting (Fort Mason, San Francisco): Golden orange, aromatic citrus; very sweet, medium-plus acid; medium finish. Good. 90
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3/1/2018 - Brianvcash wrote: 94 Points
Gold, almost orange, color with a tremendous fruity nose. Lightly sweet with bright fruit flavors. Can taste fruit on the finish for almost nine seconds. A very nice wine.
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11/22/2017 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Medium orange color; aromatic, orange marmalade, dried orange, golden fig, dried golden raspberry, walnut, dried cranberry nose; orange marmalade, lemon marmalade, dried golden fig, walnut, dried golden raspberry palate with bright balancing acidity; long finish (14.5% alcohol; 375 ml; natural cork) 93+ points
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10/18/2017 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Deep golden color. Drank a small glass over 30 minutes. Sweet, lots of tropical fruits, apricot, lychee, pineapple, candied, a bit fatter than I would prefer, nice unctuous texture with good persistence. Needs more acidity to make it brighter overall, though the fruit is certainly very attractive here. 91+ to 92pts.
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