Joel Lara

8.9

Good weeknight wine. Red fruit and spice with underlying earthiness. Has nice richness on the palate, although not very complex. Medium+ acidity, medium- bodied, and smooth tannins. — 3 days ago

Joel Lara

9.6

This wine was muted initially, but after about an hour in the decanter it started to show beautifully. A sublime black cherry accompanied by bay leaf, anise, orange peel, and hints of bitter chocolate show on the nose. The flavors on the palate mirror the nose, with additional notes of figs, prunes, earthy mushrooms, and cured meat. Tannins provide a smooth mouthfeel, and finish is persistent with the dried fruits and savory elements lingering on the palate. Paired wonderfully with ribeye with hot Roquefort butter and a side of truffle polenta. At the two hour mark the tannins started to become grippy on the palate, but they were still manageable. Put remainder in bottle, and by day 2 the tannins had softened again. The flavors were still humming along. — 11 days ago

Joel Lara

9.1

Smooth tannins, medium acidity, medium+ bodied. Blackberry, cassis, and violet on the palate, with underlying layer of earthy cloves and anise. Maybe some slight hints of bay leaf and sage as well. Very tasty, although a little lacking in complexity on the palate. Day 2 update: the sage and bay leaf are coming through much more on the palate. It’s a lovely combination with the fruit. — 24 days ago

Joel Lara

9.0

Such a tasty Saint-Emilion second wine. PnP. Well-integrated tannins provide a smooth mouthfeel with just a slight astringency, and medium+ acidity brings nice freshness. Primarily cassis, dark cherry, woody herbs, anise, and iron mineral flavors come through with hints of earthy chocolate. Super tasty, and such a good value at only $24. — a month ago

Joel Lara

9.2

This is Fratelli Alessandria’s Comune di Verduno, and vintage is 2021. This is an elegant Barolo showing beautifully after some time in the glass. Cherry and strawberry preserves wrapped in anise, tar, and cloves. Tannins still have a very slight grippiness towards the finish, but more than manageable. Paired perfectly with ribeye, but was even good on day 2 with scrambled eggs finished with truffle butter and parmesan with a side of asparagus. — 5 days ago

Joel Lara

8.8

Medium bodied and medium+ acidity. Tasty lemon and lime with floral notes and hints of nutmeg. Also nice underlying saline minerality that provides a good contrast to the other flavors. Finish is medium in length with a sea breeze/briny aftertaste. Overall, not enough complexity on its own to keep it interesting over multiple glasses. This would be a nice appertif though, and I can imagine some of the flavors popping when paired with seafood. — 13 days ago

Joel Lara

9.1

A bit shy on the nose, with pomegranate, cherry, and hints of sweet spice. On the palate, bright acidity really amplifies the fruit, with an underlying layer of spice, orange zest, and sandalwood providing a nice contrast. Medium bodied, with medium tannins that provide a supple mouthfeel and slight bitterness on finish. Noticing some tea notes as well on the finish. Paired well with herb-roasted chicken along with roasted potatoes with feta and dill. — 22 days ago

Joel Lara

9.2

This is a full bodied wine providing intense, concentrated flavors of blueberries, raspberries, violets, and cassis, with an underlying layer of dried herbs. It has quite high tannins that provide a chalky mouthfeel, but it’s balanced nicely by med/high acidity. On the finish, notes of earthy bitter chocolate accompany the fruit and violets, and the tannins provide just a slightly drying mouthfeel. I think this wine would go well with something robust like ribeye, lamb, or smoked ribs/brisket. I had it with sausage and mushroom pizza, and after the first glass it became a bit too much. — 7 days ago

Joel Lara

8.9

The Poussebot is a dry pet nat sparkler made from 66% chardonnay and 33% musqué chardonnay, made by Les Ouches winery on Ile d’orleans island in Quebec. A dangerous sparkler that’s hard to put down. Exuberant citrus, pear, and ginger flavors, with underlying brioche and almond. Also had an interesting briny element that became less noticeable over time, while the brioche and almond became more pronounced. Medium+ bodied with crisp acidity. Went well with scallop appetizer and lobster and black cod entrees. Photo is of back label. — 21 days ago

Joel Lara

9.0

Medium-bodied with notes of dark cherry, plum, sage, and cloves on the nose. The palate has some dried fruit, cocoa, and anise as well. Unfortunately the finish is a little out of balance, with mineral notes, bitterness, and slight alcohol flavor overshadowing the fruit and spice. Still tasty overall though. — a month ago