Joel Lara

9.1

This arneis opens up with some nice citrus and mineral scents on the nose. The flavors erupt on the palate with lemon, grapefruit, almond, and hints of orange rind coming through with a strong mineral backbone. The lively acidity combined with a med/full body produce a grippy, crunchy mouthfeel. The finish is long and has vivid notes of citrus and salty minerality along with slight floral hints that linger on the palate. So tasty, and really easy to finish the bottle on your own if you’re not watching out. Great summer wine. — a day ago

Joel Lara

9.2

This is a classic method rose Lambrusco aged 42 months on the lees. Vivid notes of raspberry, pomegranate, and grapefruit on the palate with hints of toasted almond. There seems to be a little bit of spice as well. The finish is nice with floral notes popping through. Vibrant acidity. Paired well with garlic and mint scallops with herb risotto. — 13 days ago

Joel Lara

9.4

Outstanding. Nectarine, apricot, candied orange peel, and wildflower honey saturate the palate. Not overly sweet at all, with acidity and sweetness in perfect balance. Finish is super long, with apricot honey notes lingering on the palate seemingly indefinitely. Great finish to meal, and paired perfectly with Madeira-caramelized fig tart with cardamom ice cream. — 21 days ago

Joel Lara

9.2

Made with 70% Xarel-lo and 30% Macabeo in the Penedes, this is beautifully expressive, with brioche, butterscotch, and roasted almonds on the nose. Hints of citrus and crushed flowers peek out with time. On the palate the flavors mirror the nose, and a vibrant acidity comes through as well. Mouthfeel is creamy, and finish is long, with brioche and mineral notes lingering on the palate. Aged 95 months on the lees. Paired well with swordfish braised with tomatoes and sweet yellow peppers. — a month ago

Joel Lara

9.4

Upon opening, this seemed a bit disjointed, with muted fruit flavors and strong herbal notes. Decanting didn’t seem to help much, but day 2 it finally opened up nicely, with nice complexity and intensity on the palate. Cherry, raspberry, cassis, bay leaf, dried Italian herbs, anise, cloves, vanilla, cedar, earth, and balsamic notes all come through. Really tasty, but maybe a bit too intense. I can see this improving with a few more years of aging so the flavors coalesce and soften a bit more. — 6 days ago

Joel Lara

8.9

This is a med+ bodied, pleasantly crisp and tangy chardonnay from Piemonte. Has lemon, green apple, mineral notes, and slight hints of hazelnut with a nice finish. Unfortunately, did not have the robustness to pair well with sockeye salmon, but still tasty on its own. — 20 days ago

Joel Lara

9.0

So good. Cherry, earth, and spice. Smooth on the palate. Paired well with ricotta cavatelli with sweet Italian sausage and broccoli rabe. I’d had the Vajra Rosso but not their Langhe Nebbiolo, so had to get the half bottle when I saw it on the menu, especially after @Tegan Marriott ‘s review a few days ago. — 21 days ago

Joel Lara

9.3

Joel had this 7 days ago

with Tegan

Joel Lara

9.7

Upon opening this was fairly reticent, with subdued flavors and a thinness on the palate. After a short 45 min-1 hour in the decanter it opened up nicely, with dark cherries, roasted red plums, earthy tar notes, aged balsamic, and menthol on the nose. The palate mirrors the nose, with additional layers of anise, cloves, orange rind, and hints of dried violets emerging over time. A silky smooth mouthfeel gives way to a slight dryness from the tannins. The finish is long, with a lovely mix of smoky meat, mushrooms, leather, and saline minerality lingering on the palate. Med/full bodied with med+ acidity. As expected, paired wonderfully with ribeye and roasted wild mushrooms. — 16 days ago

Joel Lara

9.2

PnP. Raspberry, cranberry, plums, and dried herbs on the nose. On the palate, the same flavors come through, and with time in the glass, florals and cardamom with underlying hints of cloves and allspice emerge. Nice finish, with the floral and cardamom flavors lingering. Overall really tasty, but required time in the glass to open up. Probably would benefit from a short decant. — 23 days ago