Sagee Aran

9.5

Dark, brilliant in colour. Notes of tabac, wood, and dried plums. Elegant and balanced. Palate is extremely rich, and after 2 hours of decanting, the tanins are smooth. A different level of Syrah, full body .
The wine is from 4 steep sloped parcels in Hermitage : Bessards 30% ,Greffieux 30% , Murands 20%, Hermite 20%. From vines of 40 to 90 years old.
The wine matured 42 months in new oak. — 9 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

The first of 4 from the 2018 vintage. One of the best new World Pinot Gris, if not the best. Over the last few days on the weekend I had a bad chest cold and lost much of my sense of taste but I could taste the palate intensity in this wine - brilliant concentration. Low acid. Pear, apricot and spice but mainly pear. Difficult to see this improving from the stellar level it is at now. I’ll probably drink the remaining 3 bottles in the next year or so. Had a 2nd bottle on 25th October 2024 with similar notes - becoming even more unctuous with notes of guava evident. Low acid. A lovely experience. Next in a year or less.? Had the last bottle on 8th March 2026 with consistent notes. Probably my favourite new World Pinot Gris. Luscious and unctuous and finishing dry. Should get more. — 2 years ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.2

Need some time to open up, to show the brilliant spicy / raspberry compote - with a pinch of nutmeg, cedar wood, just a hint of cinnamon and black pepper. So enticing, so juicy & fresh and yet, elegant.
Young & joyful on the palate, with nicely polished grippy tannins, juicy cherry acidity and an overall very elegant, velvety mouthfeel. Shows a bit of nice structure for a Pinot. While drinking beautifully right now,, I’d love to see this in 4-5 years.
A truly lovely wine. — 3 years ago

Richard Portes

9.3

17.5 Brilliant! 2006 full of fruit, long. Will last for 3-4 years. Delicious. — 4 years ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.1

#4 of Jura Savoie evening
Lovely aromatics, very Pinot style with red berry fruit and nice undergrowth. A good mineral whiff, too.
On the palate this is feather light but with loads of character. Nice precision with a light yet persistent tannic frame, juicy acidity and light red berry fruit.
Brilliant drinkability though, I admit, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
Love it! — 4 years ago

Sagee Aran

8.9

Carmel Winery, 4 Vats. A pleasent blend with Marselan, Carignan and Caladoc. Brilliant red color, very balanced and smooth on the palete. Great as a weekday wine. — 5 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.1

This estate is owned by Pierre Lurton (who is also in charge of lesser-known estates Cheval Blanc and Yquem). 2018 was the first vintage where the 4 white grape varieties were picked and vinified separately in order to finetune the blend which has led in this vintage to 44% Sauvignon blanc, 32% Sémillon, 20% Sauvignon gris and 4% Muscadelle. No wood. Brilliant light yellow. Attractive nose with pineapple, white peach, grapefruit and a hint of fresh mint. The same fruits show up in the mouthfilling ripe taste, balanced by crisp acidity and a fresh minty long aftertaste. This is absolutely delicious and great value at less than 15 euros. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Tried having this yesterday but, couldn’t bring it in to Nepenthe per usual due to their heavy Covid-19 business loses. Totally understandable. But, as Phil Collins sang, “Tonight’s The Night!”

The nose reveals dark, ruby, ripe & just a touch candied fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, spiced plum, blue fruits, poached strawberries, cherries with raspberries hovering the edges of the glass. Dark spice, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, mixed dark(er) berry cola, limestone/sandstone, touch of savory meats, light tobacco notes, soft woodiness, shades of licorice, light, fresh Provenance herbs, sage, whiffs of black pepper, tree bark w/ some sap, touch of damp, dark earth, top soil with brilliant fresh, candied; dark, red, blue florals framed in soft violets in a field of lavender.

The palate is; ripe, ruby, round and lush. The mouthfeel is gorgeous & sexy. Still showing some tarry, teethed tannins. The length, structure, balance & length have just arrived with another 8-10 years of good life ahead. Dark, ruby, ripe & just a touch candied fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, spiced plum, incredible blue fruits, poached strawberries, cherries with classically perfect Williams Selyem raspberries . Dark spice, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, mixed dark berry cola, steeped fruit tea, used coffee grounds, some dark chocolate, limestone/sandstone, touch of savory meats, light tobacco notes, wood shaving dust, shades of licorice, light, fresh Provenance herbs, sage, mint, whiffs of black pepper, tree bark w/ some sap, touch of damp, dark earth, top soil with brilliant fresh, candied; dark, red, blue florals framed in soft violets in a field of lavender. The acidity is round, voluptuous and perfect. The ripe, ruby, lush, well, knitted, balanced fruit & earth and polished long finish is glorious and persists endlessly into soft, dark spice with just the right amount of gentle heat.

Williams Selyem Pinots really start to be special at the 10 years plus.

This will continue to improve over the next 3-4 years and start a slow decline.

Also, appreciate they kept the ABV under 14%.

Photos of, Williams Selyem Winery & Tasting Room, designer barrel rack, tasting area where we tasted and one of their rolling hillside vineyards. — 6 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

This 100% Chardonnay wine combines the best of the AOC Beaujolais Villages, it is sourced from a combination of vineyards by a well-exposed plateau at the entrance to the village of Fleurie. Since the appellation’s soil is mainly clay-silty, it gives Chardonnay a nice amplitude of expression.
This vintage shows a brilliant pale color, aromas are quite noticeable on baked Barlett pear and quince. The aging process on fine lees for 4 months provides a more intense and complex mouthfeel, less acidic but still balanced with some peachy nuances on the mid-range of the palate as well.
It pairs fantastic with cooked pressed pasta, white meat, seafood and even fruit dessert pies. However; it can be a great standalone wine as well. Cheers! — a year ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.1

Cloudy, flowery, funky.
A blend of Scheurebe and 3 Muscat varieties, 4 months skin contact, fermented on the lees.
Exotic nose with lychee, flowers in bloom, a bit of mango & guava, with some nice funk and brilliant freshness.
Great energy on the palate, bone dry and with nice, chalky minerality under the juicy acidity, a touch of tannins, great purity & flow.
This is delicious stuff! A perfect orange wine for beginners. — 3 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

Mid yellow in colour. Yellow flowers on the nose along with melon and mandarin peel. Toasty notes. Amazingly fresh for its age. No sign of kerosene or petrol. Those same mandarin notes extend through to the palate with ripe grapefruit and Medium minus acid. The Show record of this wine is unsurprisingly 7 Gold Medals and 4 Trophies. My last bottle. Peter Lehmann had released 95 dozen 6 years ago after it had spent 15 years in Peter Lehmanns cellars. A brilliant aged Riesling. — 3 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.4

The four single vineyards are my favorite Beaujolais done in the classic style. If doesn’t get better than these 4. Clos Bertrand is perhaps the most accessible and is such a joy. Stunning nose of spicecake, granite, red and black berry fruit, earth and flowers. So pure and vivid. These wines are so clean. Palate is ripe and tangy with excellent precision and detail. Lean-ish with lovely sweet fruit and purity. Linear. So juicy with such fine grained tannins and such impressive length. This oozes class. Amazing fruit saturation on the finish. So long. Brilliant. — 4 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.5

2014 vintage. As Sauternes suffers from a lethal combination of high production costs and low demand, it is about time we all start drinking more of it. The 2014 vintage combines a lot of botrytis with high acidity resulting in beautifully balanced wines that are very attractive young but should age beautifully for decades. Rabaud Promis has a long history (a lot of it in common with Sigalas Rabaud), but has been in the hands of the Dejean family for the last 4 generations. In early 2020 Jean Merlaut (Bordeaux négociant and owner of Gruaud Larose) took a majority share in Rabaud Promis, but Thomas Dejean remains the winemaker. And to judge from this terrific effort there is indeed no reason to change the winemaker. 80% Sémillon, 16% Sauvignon blanc and 4% Muscadelle. Brilliant golden yellow. Intoxicating complex perfume of fresh and dried fruits, flowers and subtle roasted flavours combined with an amazing lemony freshness. The mouth confirms this complexity with layers of concentrated fruit, balanced by crispy acidity and a knock-out brown sugar, lemon confit and noble rot "rôti" finish. It has amazing intensity while remaining light on its feet. Fabulous value at 28 euros! Abv. 12,6%. Note: these wines are much more versatile at the table than you think. While foie gras and blue cheese are classic combinations, I tried it today with veal, sautéed carrots and mushrooms and baked potatoes. Works really well. I invite you all to experiment with the culinary possibilities of these wines. — 6 years ago

Lauren Golanty

9.0

Delicious red blend from 4kilos. Mid weight, brilliant with food, hefty without being overwhelming — 6 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2013 vintage. Decanted and tasted at various temps from roughly 37 degrees to 70 degrees. The brilliant yellow Chartreuse color in the decanter was more breathtaking than the glorious sunset visible from the table. Had the same vintage/same producer two weeks before but it was from the Morgeot plot (9.4). That one had slightly less acidity and 'minerality' but more thrust and body along with another 4-5 years of excellent drinking. This one goes a little farther and suspect it spans 7-8 years of not so hard time. Always been a big fan of Cailleret juice. Wowzers. 03.19.25. — a year ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Very dark Ruby - almost black - opaque at 19 years. Herbal and minty with cassis and tobacco leaf. On the palate still tasting young. An exceptional vintage for Moss Wood. I bought a dozen on release and have 5 left which I will drink over the next 10+ years. A brilliant cross between the black fruits of SA Cabernet and the Herbaceousness of Margaret River Cabernet. In the end the latter wins out in this exceptional Cabernet. See previous 4 Delectable notes on this vintage. — 2 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.4

Haven’t had in 3-4 years .Nose is mineral and citrus. Floral but not elite floral as this is an entry level bottling. They have 2-4. It’s still Laible and has that insane palate cling, a terrific core of salty, mineral fruit and florals. And chewy minerals and terrific length. This just stains your palate and has high acid limeade thing that just lasts and lasts. Brilliant stuff. While I only sell the GG’s/Achat and Klingelberger now I still love these little wines at Laible. After a few hours the fruit is terrific on the palate. — 3 years ago

John Tan

9.0

Ovenbird w M and Ritchie. Mineral. Textured. Fresh. Paired well w ankimo.

The 2012 Condrieu Coteaux du Chery, which comes from one of the most heralded sites in the appellation, is also brilliant (as is his 2011!). The most rich and textured of the lineup, it offers thrilling notes of white peach, crushed rock, buttered grapefruit, flowers and tangerine to go with a medium to full-bodied, layered, yet brilliantly fresh and detailed texture that keeps you coming back to the glass. It too will drink nicely for 4-5 years. I had a fabulous visit with proprietor Andre Perret at his cellar located just north of Chavanay. Soft spoken, charming and generous, he runs an immaculate cellar and releases up to three Condrieus in a vintage. In addition to his whites, he fashions elegant, almost Burgundian-styled reds from Saint Joseph that warrant more attention. RP95 — 4 years ago

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9.6

The 2019 Mev. Kirsten, which is pure Stellenbosch Chenin, is taut and precise on the nose, displaying a similar marine influence as the Kokerboom, plus touches of fern and lanolin. The saline, slightly nutty palate is supremely well balanced with a killer line of acidity and touches of sour lemon on the aftertaste. This deserves 4–5 years in bottle, as it has huge potential. A quite brilliant wine from guru Sadie. (Neal Martin, Vinous, April 2021)
— 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

I like how under appreciated WS is in the market by consumers & by critics when they score them young. That means that I can pick these up on the secondary market for just either side of $50 pre-aged.

This 12 shows the beauty of the vintage. Glorious mouthfeel. It glides on the palate as juicy, round, ripe & ruby. The fruits are outstanding up & down their line up with 6 years plus of bottle age. Love the dark cherries, cherries, black raspberries, strawberries with highlights of blue & purple fruits. It’s their raspberries & blue fruits I really enjoy from them. Before it unfurls in the decanter, it shows quite a bit of dark spice/clove but mellows by the second glass. Cola, soft & subtle baking spices; cinnamon, vanilla and hints of nutmeg. Rich, dark soil, dry crushed rocks, limestone minerals, some herbaceousness with brilliant; dark, red, purple & blue florals. Acidity is especially good. The finish is beauty, elegance & balanced defined persisting for minutes.

Photos of; Williams Selyem Winery and our visit to their October pick up party 4 or 5 years ago. — 6 years ago