ESF

9.2

whoa - this was a hedonistic wine, inky w/pungent aromas of blackberry, black cherry, plums, licorice, cassis, vanilla, cocoa and minerality running through it all - liquified compote like fruit - on the palate you get some phenolic heat but just gobs of velvety black fruit, spice and minerals, big plush, integrated tannins and just enough acidity to keep everything moving to a long lingering caressing finish. known this producer for a long time, a Priorato stalwart - their entry level wine, doesn't have the typical terroir of the region but still impressive — 8 hours ago

ESF

9.1

solid white here: traveled thru Slovenia years ago and liked almost all the indigenous wines we had, this showed a sparkly straw color w/greenish hues, delicate florals & subtle white fruit on the nose, something really sweet & earth driven & minerals. on the palate it is silky smooth just a tiny bit oily sporting that low key white fruit but now w/some citrus. well balanced, plenty of integrated acidity, med (-) bodied and lingering finish. go find some - great QPR — 6 days ago

ESF

8.9

don't recall this being particularly interesting - well made, dark fruit dominant nose, straight forward, med + bodied, not overly grippy tannins. smooth on palate, silky w/decent finish. point chasing, approachable price point — 9 days ago

ESF

9.2

@S.S. Mandani really nailed this note: didn't hesitate grabbing an obscure southern French varietal from Redwood country in northern CA. there was a distinct genuineness to this wine, a juicy savory engaging mouthfeel, very cerebral & well made (11%!) - you can tell they just got out of the way and let the grapes shine... — 2 days ago

ESF

8.9

glimmering greenish/straw, all green on the nose: guava, lime, kiwi, grassy, herbaceous along w/gooseberries & tart citrus. racy acidity - even with some age, this was sharp, angular and all business. more green flavors leading to zesty finish. real livewire! — 3 days ago

ESF

8.8

Old World grape & style, bit rustic but quaffable enough. had some personality & terroir driven notes & flavors. Med weight, lively acidity, balanced on palate. nothing to complain about but wouldn't seek it out again. like to see Georgian wine in the marketplace — 9 days ago

ESF

8.9

see previous note from Dec 2023: still showing beautifully - did not have as much prominent petrol on the nose, but the orchard fruit was more "honeyed" - still dry w/abrupt finish — 11 days ago

ESF

8.2

took a chance and wished i'd passed: ruby, see through, tart cranberry & strawberry, bit of spice, lightweight on palate, unbalanced acidity, all tart thin red fruit flavors... maybe i got an off bottle? — 3 days ago

ESF

8.9

really enjoy Petite Sirah but it's hard to find - this is a PS dominated blend: initially passed on this due to gimmicky label but wine guy raved about it, so here we are: decent presentation of the varietal: gobs of black fruit - blackberry, plums even prunes, boysenberry, cassis, spice cake and lots of other goodies. plush & suave on mid-palate, plenty of fruit but not one dimensional (which is why I love PS). well made and decent QPR — 7 days ago

ESF

9.2

another recent South African wine that i really enjoyed: blend of CF, CS & Pinotage: had serious funk for first few hours, some blew off but it remained quite earthy, herbaceous, but lurking beneath was beautiful red & black fruit, cassis, iron & graphite, minerality, cocoa & vanillin notes - really sexy stuff. med + bodied, w/finely grained tannins and finesse. some pedigree here and really in the pocket. not afraid to express its personality & terroir — 10 days ago