Stephen Giroux

this is the 2016 WHITE not the RED.
100% SB
Smells a bit like opening a pack of sultana raisins, specifically, a little waxed paper box of them in your school lunch. Something like cedar or a little, varnished wood toy, definitely dried fruit, bruised or dried Jonagold apple. The fruit on the front of the palate is almost totally gone, but you are reminded of fruit when you exhale. It’s a kind of strange wine, and seems perhaps past its peak, but it didn’t cost too much and I have definitely not drunk a whole lot of Bdx Blanc lately. I would not expect my life to be changed by drinking this in any context, but I do not expect that of very much. It really tasted good with the black bass sushi bowl I improvised tonight, I think owing to its lower alcohol, soft texture and quiet elegance. — 2 months ago

Stephen Giroux

Saint Joseph Blanc, not viognier/condrieu.
Nose is peach frozen yoghurt, nice shampoo, brand new bag of beautiful, golden tobacco, sunmaid raisins when you like raisins. Taste is creamy, sunny, long and mineral. Acid takes over for a split second and dries out like a fino sherry. Btl was a low-fill and cork was moldy and it still rocked hard. — 2 years ago

Stephen Giroux

Struck match is so present. Old-school Burg or Jura even, stunningly so. Grapefruit without much of its pith is probably the dominant fruit flavor; there is a bitterness but it’s not overpowering, very well incorporated into the whole. It’s an extremely nice wine. Extremely nice. All the flinty matchstick scent makes it strangely compelling. It’s kind of something to behold. Each time I’ve tasted it I’ve been more in awe. It’s a yes from me, dog. — 3 years ago

Stephen Giroux

Changes over a period of a couple hours are exciting and intriguing. There’re stones, little zesty flowers, something like clotted cream, slices of cucumber and hunks of cantaloupe. There is a rosey quality and a green, stemmy whiff that might be that cucumber but I think must be cut flowers. This vtg is really nice, with mouthwatering acidity, crunchy gravel road sound, picnic happy, girlfriend pretty, gin with a twist, cool weather white, deserving of its appeal. — a year ago

Stephen Giroux

Surreal wine. Wine as surreal painting. Smells a little bit like everything. Flowers, brats with good mustard, little sweet oranges, burnt sugar, jasmine green tea, girlfriend’s hair two days after shampoo, peeking into windows at 11:16 when mom’s asleep and dad’s watching the night news with the lights out and a box of All Sorts, listening to a portable radio with scratchy pots, eating crackers and cheap cheese in the middle of the night under the oven light, miner’s locker room, human hands. I don’t know where to begin with Ostertag, but every time I taste his wines I am thrown into the void that looks back. That’s how much I like it. — 2 years ago

Stephen Giroux

Mildly vegetal on first opening, gets to a really nice (mild) honeysuckle/jasmine scent after some time open, even hours. Summer deciduous leaves rubbed between yr palms nose; starfruit, white peach mouth; black pepper and mineral water finish. Cuts thru. — 2 years ago

Stephen Giroux

Decadent and lush. Yellow apples and really ripe pears, honey, earl grey, marmalade-bittersweet. So delicious you should have to let your lover take the last sip. — 3 years ago

Stephen Giroux

Smells like a dozen roses and lemon zest and honeysuckle and slices of really super crisp pink lady apple. Stunning palate, biting the freshest, juiciest apple you’ve ever tasted, even with the snap of the skin and the crunch of the pulp and the tannin-like acidic structure. Life-affirming, death-defying. More things on earth should taste like this. For those of us who find something in a wine that is beautiful and worth seeking out. I like getting to find reasons to live in a stupid glass of stupid wine. This is a moment like that. It’s worth it. — 2 years ago

Stephen Giroux

Going to parrot the quinine comment, nice little tonic water nose. Pineapple but as if it were a pineapple curd and not just a fresh piece of fruit. Pineapple pie? No biscuit tho. Tropical fruit nose, great acidity, I really think this would be a different dimension with 10 years in the bottle, but as it is it’s a very tasty, unique wine. Maybe most comparable to something like Priorat blanc or some Portuguese white wines I’ve tasted, plenty of mystique, bright tropical fruit, grippy acidity and a mineral quality that verges on tannic. Cool, would love to have more. — 2 years ago

Stephen Giroux

Was handed this after it had been out for a day, still had some things to say for itself. Compared to Pearl Morissette’s riesling, although this is a more airy nose. Causes a ruckus on the palate, is both delicious and disturbing. Upsets the notion of what riesling oughta be “like” which is exciting. Acidity and alcohol are off the range, subdued aromatics. Feels cold even if it’s warm. It’s pretty fuckin spectacular and flavors don’t begin to tell the story so I won’t bother. It’s electrifying, and I really want to try it freshly opened. I’m in a bind, you see. — 2 years ago