Peter Sultan

9.2

Cool varietal alert: 27% Lledoner Pelut/27% Grenache/23 Syrah/14 Carignan/7 Macabeu. Alpine Catalanes from granite soil so yeah, Beaujolais analogies inevitable but this pretty little wine has its own mojo going on. Barely ripe red cherry notes, & that amazing granite undertow. Drank as a pop n pour, chilled. 16$ & delicious. — 2 days ago

Peter Sultan

9.0

My experience w Becker Riesling is they demand patience, air, & time. As a ‘22 & the lower end of the price spectrum ( for Becker- abt 23$) , this bottling felt as closed as a clam but peeking through were dry notes of salt taffy, hearts of palm, white pith fruits, & a saline nature to the whole affair. Decant the hell out of it or revisit in 3-4 years. — 2 months ago

with Owen

Peter Sultan

9.0

I’ve seen this label so many times it was easy to dismiss. A big, dark, joyous bottle ( including the bottle itself, which is hefty). Syrah all the way. — 2 months ago

Peter Sultan

9.2

Drink now or now ish; baby Barolo as they say but the ferocity of tannin completely softened, so a gentle introduction to Nebbiolo, all round edges & smoked dark cherry notes. Lovely, just don’t expect the finish to last too long. Great old alpine nose too. — 9 days ago

Peter Sultan

9.2

Greek varietal had never tried. A medium bodied red adjacent to quality Nebbiolo or northern Rhone re: Syrah; tannins need robust decanting and/or age to be tamed but once settled, tastes soulful & feral. Add the sub 25/30$ price & it’s a serious Qpr- just not a pop & pour. Paired with roast Chicken thighs w leeks, lemon slices, paprika, turmeric & had plenty of pep to meet & enhance. — 2 months ago

Peter Sultan

9.0

My experience with Beajoulais Blanc has been unmemorable at best, until now. Very alive in the mouth, slight, pickled apple notes and tonic soda snap to the finish. Nice balance to acid that refreshes palate to return for more. Really nicely done, & a surprise. — 2 months ago

Peter Sultan

9.3

If one Portuguese varietal grabs me it’s Baga, & this bottling is one of the higher end bottlings I’ve tried. It’s early in its development so demands decanting and/or aging, but the stuffing is all there. Ripe red cherries, medium light body, some Burgundy adjacent analogies I’m sure. — 11 days ago

Peter Sultan

9.2

There’s a lot going on here: first off, an immediate juiciness, very joyous fruit but not out of balance; blue violet notes, stoniness, a cool tone, open knit & so accessible now but damn curious how this may come together & deepen w bottle age or more serious decanting. Downright & immediately enjoyable. — 20 days ago

Peter Sultan

9.1

Sure, it’s from Tuscany, but this is really an alpine wine, because it’s from the NW corner of Tuscany. Not often I taste a new varietal, but here it is from minuscule hectares. An hour or two decant + really lets it shine: small dark berries, currants, marble notes. 12.5% abv. My kind of wine. A 9.4 on the last glass with a moderately more voluptuous body & the small berry thing more of a thing. — 2 months ago

Peter Sultan

9.2

Standard Bearer of quality dry Lambrusco, which I return to periodically. . A reminder too to not be stingy with myself at under $15/14 a bottle. What’s beautiful here is the balance between a dark, brooding & frothy, joyful character. Pomegranate, black cherry, a touch of anise. A lot of quality stuffed into a outrageously well priced bottle. — 2 months ago