Freddy R. Troya

9.1

Ruta 49 – Albariño – 2024
Rías Baixas DO – Galicia – Spain 🇪🇸

Overview
A vibrant and easygoing Albariño from Rías Baixas that overdelivers on freshness and approachability. Crafted in a style that leans into pure drinkability, yet still captures the Atlantic character of the region.

Aromas & Flavors
Bright citrus, green apple, and pear lead the profile, with subtle hints of white peach and a light saline touch. Clean, expressive, and immediately inviting.

Mouthfeel
Light- to medium-bodied with crisp, refreshing acidity. Clean and zippy, with a smooth, easy flow that makes each sip feel effortless and dangerously repeatable.

Food Pairings
Shellfish, ceviche, grilled fish, light tapas, salads, or simply on its own. A perfect warm-weather and patio wine.

Verdict
A fun, casual Albariño that punches above its weight. Not overly complex, but extremely well-executed—refreshing, reliable, and hard to put down.

🍷 Did You Know?
“Ruta 49” refers to the historic coastal route in Galicia, a nod to the Atlantic influence that defines Albariño. The vintage Volkswagen Beetles on the label evoke a nostalgic road-trip vibe, simple pleasures, seaside drives, and easy drinking moments.

Personal Pick
A dangerously good everyday white, approachable, refreshing, and consistently overdelivering for the price. — 3 months ago

JKT

9.1

Again marveling at this unusual creature of dark purple juice with dark floral yet fresh notes with a light but grippy palate that has grapey hints and a long intriguing finish. Great with Vietnamese and 9.98% ABV 49 cases made! — 8 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.6

Vintage 1976 | Kinheimer Rosenberg Beerenauslese | the summum Riesling can grow to. Apricot smell, nectar taste with awesome balance. No sign whatever of fatigue, at 49 years 🥰 . Certainly one of the great wines of the world. Paired with foie gras. — a year ago

with Eric

M F

9.0

2021 Salmon Run Chardonnay-Riesling
51% Chardonnay 49% Riesling
Very nice. Birthday gift from P. To E. — 2 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 4% Shiraz, deep Ruby with aromas of dark fruits and cigar box spice. On the palate flavors of blackberry and plum with notes of cacao and tobacco. Lively acidity, fine tannins, long finish ending with fruit, spice and mineral tones. Very nice, will continue to age. — 4 years ago

Dennis Hogenkamp

9.4

14.3% ABV Bordeaux blend: 49% Merlot, 26% Cab,
20% Cab Franc, 8% P Verdot, 7% Malbec

Beautiful blend! — 5 years ago

Lloyd Everard

9.0

Had this New Years Day 2021
We had the 2015 vintage and it is delightful — 5 years ago

"Odedi"

9.0

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

Dark purple in color with a reddish rim.

Fruity nose of blueberries, plums, cherries, light oak and chocolate notes.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry and fruit forward on the palate with black currants, black plums, light oak, cherries, spices, dark chocolates, tobacco leaf, herbs and peppercorn.

Medium finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a tasty Merlot based Bordeaux blend from Pauillac. Easy drinking and nicely balanced. Spicy and entertaining.

Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel. Soft and elegant.

Good right out of the bottle and better with airtime.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 7 years.

A good food wine.

A blend of 49% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. Aged in used French oak barrels for 12 months.

14% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$32. — 5 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.4

Blend of 49% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, deep Ruby red color with aromas of dark fruits, graphite and earthy herbs. On the palate flavors of blackberry, currants, black cherry, tobacco and leafy herbs. Fine polished tannins, long finish ending with fruit, tobacco, spice and earthy mineral notes. Just starting to drink now! — 7 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

I donated my 3 bottles to a Rare and Collectible Shiraz Dinner at the Downs Club to go with a 2018 Wendouree Shiraz, 2022 Standish Lamella, 2020 Rockford Basket Press and a 2021 Langmeil Freedom. The Sami Odi Little Wine finished middle of the field in this stellar lineup. It was an unvintaged assemblage of 8 different vintages starting with 2022 (49%) through to 2015 (2%). Lush and medium bodied with fluid tannins and great length. Brambley. Fraser likes to drink Little Wine when young and fresh like this is now. Purchased 2 years ago in mid 2023. The consensus winner of the 5 wines was probably the Rockford or the Standish Lamella. Erin Larkin gave the latter 100 points. All 5 Shiraz were outstanding. — a year ago

"Odedi"

9.3

Dark ruby in color with reddish rim.

Fruity nose with red and black fruits, cedar, light vanilla, licorice, chocolates, herbs, light earth and black pepper.

Full bodied, elegant and smooth, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, spices, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco, peppercorn, espresso, chocolates, earth, light vegetables, herbs and black tea.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This Merlot blend is at its peak now, and needs a couple of hours to open up. Will continue to drink nicely in the next few years.

A great Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley. Elegant and tangy.

A good sipping wine that will pair nicely with BBQ Meats.

A blend of 49% Merlot, 18% Syrah, 15% Petit Verdot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

15% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$70. — 3 years ago

Daniel P. Drake

9.3

The wine served tonight is the 2016 Meerlust Rubicon Cabernet Sauvignon Blend. This is from the Meerlust Estate Stellenbosch, South Africa. The blend is 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.

On the nose there is cherry, strawberry, plum, green bell pepper, herbal notes, vanilla, licorice, minerals and dark rich soil.

On the palate I am getting black cherry, blackberry, strawberry, black currant, licorice, green bell pepper, vanilla, some oak, minerality and soil.

The wine is full bodied with a smooth mouthfeel medium + acidity and medium + grippy mouthcoating tannins that leaves you with a ling black fruit mineral finish. Eventhough we are still in the in the midst of fall, there is a feel of winter crisp and clean on ones face. This weekend please stay safe and healthy and let us enjoy family and friends for they are what keep us strong. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.4

Big change from ’15 vintage; ’16 a blend of 95% Cab Sauv, 4% Merlot & 1% Carmenere, whereas ’15 was almost 50% Carmenere. Now wine certified organic & biodynamic, aged for 7 months in new French oak, then transferred 23% in new French oak, 49% 2-year old oak, remainder in oak vats, total of 23 months of aging. Aromas of nice dark berry fruit aromas, some nutty & peppery spice. Palate has array of berry flavors, licorice, cedar & herb pepper. Tannins starting to soften long finish ending with fruit & spice. — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.4

Referred to as the “Baby Grange,” blend of 51/49 Cab Sauv & Shiraz, aged for 12 months in 36% new American oak, partly in previous-vintage Grange casks. Dark Ruby with aromas of fresh black fruits, complex with sweet spice. On the palate flavors of black cherry and blackberry flavors with notes of cacao, oak and toasty spices. Well balanced with acidity, full firm tannins, long ending with smoky spice, fruit well integrated with oak, drink over next 10 years+, will only get better. Nice! — 6 months ago

Jamie Lauder

9.4

2013 vintage.
Grown on terraced mountain slopes between 350 and 500 meters.
The soil is Llicorella. Reddish black slate with mica quartz.
49 % Garnacha, 25 % Carinena, 16 % Syrah and 10 % Cabernet Sauvignon.
Dark cherries, blackberries, beautiful black violets, graphite earthiness, black olives and fennel.
Nicely rounded tannins with a layered and long finish.
Mi Corazon — 7 months ago

Jeffrey Woo

9.3

Dark ruby hue. Aromas of blackberry, cassis, earthy, leather, pepper, plum. Plus body, plus tannins, plus acidity. Balanced with a long finish. Bold and smooth. Eminently drinkable now, but well worth cellaring. 49% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Franc, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon. — 2 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Owner Doug Margerum and winemaker Doug "Scotty" Scott, craft world-class wine working with the top vineyards in Santa Barbara County. Blend of 49% Grenache, 31% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, 5% Counoise, 5% Cinsault. Deep Ruby with dark fruit and floral aromas with complex spice. On the palate flavors of plum, cherry and raspberry with lively acidity. The finish brings notes of cacao, licorice, espresso and earthy minerality on a long ending. Nice value. — 2 years ago

Joseph Barsky

9.4

2017 Vintage. 100% Syrah Clone 470 from two vineyards 51% Laetitia and 49% Bien Nacido. Very smooth. — 3 years ago

David Walser

9.4

51% CF, 49%ME. Enjoyed the wine & blend. For me, these wines are a bit rough when young but smooth out nicely with age. — 4 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.0

The 2017 Estate Red is an unusual blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Malbec and 11% Petit Verdot. Racy and opulent to the core, the 2017 packs a serious punch. Jammy red fruit, chocolate, iron, smoke, tobacco and incense add layers of savory, earthy complexity. The 2017 is maybe just a bit rustic, but it has plenty of depth, too. Give it an hour or two in the decanter. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, July 2021)
— 5 years ago