Pinotman /// Andreas

9.4

These used to be cheap - not any more 40$ for the new vintage this was 26$. Classic and super elegant. A ton of tannins left: 14%. Fermented dark olives. Dark cherries. Way better than the 2013 chianti reserva I popped for our italian dinner club. These are the wines kids should try - but hey our brillant marketing 🤡 priced them out of trying quality nebbiolo so they switch to cocktails and beer! Well done. Will go for 5-10 more years with ease. — 2 months ago

Tony Velone

9.3

Fresh strawberry, pepper and sour cherry and pencil shavings on the nose.
Tannins are smooth.
Amazing dry wine at a reasonable price. — 4 years ago

David Bourke

9.1

Stunner! Like a pineapple and orange tea. Spice, slightly sour. Really tip top drip drop — 6 years ago

David Kline

9.6

All the essentials. Hope these monks blessed the devil out of this! Gorgeous auburn brown that looks as rich as fresh tilled, valley loam. This head don’t quit! Cappuccino foam with variations. Sheeted micro-weave of bubbles in the lacing that part like thick lips, as if to say, ‘ahhh.’ A touch of baked marshmallow-on-yam. Coffee rye, barley grist, malt and grilled meat interplay, twice baked potatoes with bacon, sour cream and chives. Caramel drizzle. Dark honey glazed sourdough toast. Blood orange squeezed onto fondue, baked, mushroom stuffed persimmon. Heady, rustic, decadent nose invites us to a feast. Intense finesse! So multi-layered they had to fold it into the bottle! There is a cognac barrel aspect that has a cedar and oregano intertwined in an aged balsamic depth. Bark-y and chicory but also resembling petite verdot in its unctuous and integral core. Cherrywood and rich, dark maduro tobacco. The list could literally go on forever. The bread of Life. #trappiste #rochefort #trappistesrochefortten #trappistesrochefort10 #belgian #belgianale #belgianbeer #belgianbier #abbeyale #abbayeale #ale #beer #bier #biere #birra #cerveza #cerveja #abbayeaddesaintremy #rochefort #belgium — 6 years ago

with Courtney

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.2

Cleaning out my cellar for a move or at least reduce what i have. All 3 E&M‘s 14,15,16 Liaisons should be consumed within 30 minutes upon opening they are good to go drink up! Within 2 hours they loose appeal. I stand corrected - this one went through a down phase and then came back after 24 hours. The freshest and brightest of my recent trifecta of E&M and also the most pale. Still quite tannic. Touch peach? Sour raspberry, hint lime 🍋‍🟩. Crushed marble. Quite acidic. The 14 was the clear winner. In all cases the cork was quite soft and almost all the way moist to the top. — 9 months ago

Vin d’Ottawa

9.0

For a Rioja Reserva, this is light but certainly not delicate.

Fig, sour cherry, blackberry. It hits bigger toward its finish. — 4 years ago

with Gillian

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.5

The 2008 R. Lopez Heredia ‘Vina Tondonia Reserva’ Rioja is a marvelous effort from this challenging vintage in La Rioja. The wine is a complex blend of Tempranillo (75%), and Garnacho (15%), with Graciano and Mazuelo (5%) that was aged for six years before bottling. The wine is might be showing a bit more depth and concentration than the ’07 bottling while the ’07 is slightly more geared towards finesse. Deep white truffle and wild blackberry notes combine with shades of cinnamon, orange rind and sour kirsch on this gorgeous bouquet. The palate is wonderfully viscous and concentrated. Layers of sour red and ark fruits collide with minerals, smoky terroir and shades of blood orange zest and peat moss on this simply gorgeous palate. Rich and layered, yet having a sterling sense of tension, this magical new wine will cellar well for at least another fifteen years. Drink 2020-2038- 95 — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

90% Tempranillo; 10% Graciano. Red fruited perfume, earthy with medium plus intensity. Palate at 21 years is developed, balanced and soft with fully integrated tannins. Medium weight with declining strength to its inner core. Not near as good on the 2nd night. This aged overnight and finishes a little sour. I was going to give it 94 points but will now give 90 points. — a year ago

Peter Sultan

8.9

Probably one of the first Rioja reservas I tasted, some 30 yrs ago, so I’m rather sentimental about it- still very solid, & for about 16$ a deal. Black cherries, Dark cola & root beer notes. Medium bodied, mod acid. — 4 years ago

Victor Hsu

9.2

Wow. Fourteen year-old Chianti that retains the liveliness of youth. Tart plum and sour cherry fruit, but a more sophisticated nose of leather and earth, with subtle floral notes in the background. Sufficient acid and tannic backbone to be an excellent food wine but balanced and quite enjoyable on its own. Enjoyed the 2006 vintage with a heaping plate of freshly baked ciabatta, Taleggio, Gorgonzola, cherries and dates. I am so glad there is a second bottle of this in my wine fridge. — 6 years ago