Jakub Kalinowski

9.4

2020 vintage, only 375 bottles (!)
Darker & more brooding & more closed than 2019, a bit more brambly.
Needs quite a bit to open up.
Very northern Syrah in style, St Joseph or Hermitage. The purity is still absolutely stunning - both on the nose & palate. Black fruit & black cherries with a mineral backbone underneath. Great depth and such character. Wow! This is absolutely brilliant!
My fav non-traditionalist Rioja. — 9 days ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.3

Aetheric and floral, the ultimate essence of light sour cherry.
This is so pure & drinkable that it (almost) robs itself of seriousness.
Light & pure, cherries & cherries again with floral notes and a spicy undertone.
Light yet present on the palate. Sappy, juicy, so highly drinkable.
This is delicious, Barolo meets Chambolle-Musigny. For a fraction of the price.
Brilliant stuff! — a month ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.2

Spicy, light, fresh yet with quite some character. Fresh red fruit (strawberries & cherries) with a spice undercore.
On the palate this is light yet with presence and a nice tannic frame. I wasn’t expecting this fragility, but it’s really nice. And despite the lightness this has presence and character.
A lovely wine! — 2 months ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.1

A beautiful example of the ‘humble’ Aligoté shining.
Juicy lemony acidity pared with brilliant minerality. This has tension, depth & character. And yet, at the same time, is so lovely, approachable and drinkable.
Puts a lot of Burgundy Chardonnays in the shade. — 10 days ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.2

Muted nose with dusty lemons, green hazelnut, a touch of underripe pineapple, and a fresh, uplifting minty note. Great purity & freshness here.
On the palate this shows great concentration- there’s depth & weight and yet this isn’t heavy, on the contrary - poised, elegant, superbly balanced.
Beautiful tension and purity.
Clearly not Burgundy, nor Germany and def not New World. Surprising acidity & freshness for Tuscany.
This really sings! — 18 days ago

Jakub Kalinowski

8.7

Waxy, herby aromatic, sappy.
Yellow (slightly bruised) apples on the nose with waxy & herby notes. A touch of peachy sweetness.
On the palate this is rounder, with juicy acidity. And yet, it’s a bit disjointed & missing flow. Maybe a bad bottle or a wrong phase. — a month ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.1

Pure cherry brilliance with a touch of spice.
Pure, light, juicy and yet with character.
Light on the palate and yet with so much character. Nice precision here, too.
Cherries, damson plums and a touch of spice, too.
A lovely wine! — 2 months ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.0

So fresh & clean, with white peach & ripe lemons and chalky minerality underneath. Shows a hint of roundness which works brilliantly well with the zippy acidity.
Super fresh on the palate, juicy, with nice electric tension - fresh lemons, a hint of herbiness, zingy acidity. Nice depth here and great flow. Delightful. — 12 days ago

Jakub Kalinowski

8.9

Upon opening I was totally skeptical & unconvinced. Blind I guessed Pinotage (for which I have a strong dislike).
Came across disjointed, with a rubbery whiff, a tad funky.
Fast forward24h, this is a completely different wine.
Lovely red fruit purity, with green bell pepper and some herby, peppery notes. Fresh, pure, juicy.
Mid weight on the palate with beautifully polished tannins and nice poise. This wine is subtle, resting in itself, with nice purity and good depth. The long finish is clean, fresh, and immediately invites for another sip.
A surprising & humbling bottle. — 25 days ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.3

Decanted for 7h.
Nice aromatics of spices & leather. As expected, fruitless. Brilliant purity here with freshness & precision
Pure, austere & linear on the palate. With a firm tannic frame and brilliant, juicy acidity. Love the precision and the (firm) frame.
The complete opposite of plum & plush Languedoc or Rhone, but so nice.
Not everyone’s cup of tea, but I love Bandol! — 2 months ago