Matthew Cohen

9.4

Sorta closed.

Nose is really gorgeous but muted. Really elegant cherry flowers. But they are like hidden behind a veil.

Palate is cherry fruit. Some licorice. Maybe a kiss of cocoa? Great silky texture.

Gorgeous material here. Needs a long decant or a few years at this point. But a great wine.

Day 2 still perfect balance. Nose is intense potpourri. Really deep and beautiful. Palate is still so juicy. Dense. Delicious.

Bought from fass selections — 8 days ago

Matthew Cohen

9.6

Oh my god. This is singing.

Nose has a bit of age. Mineral. Tropical flowers.

As it opens fucking insane. Indescribably amazing. Perfection. Just hits that edge of elegance.

Palate is crunchy delicious minerals. A kiss of minerals made from Honey. so precise and fresh. Delicious. So balanced.

People who hate on Riesling should be forced to drink this. Like Chablis’ brother from another mother.

Bought from fass selections — a month ago

Shay A

9.5

This was a real treat to enjoy courtesy of @Bryan Kesting being in town, and since we both share an affinity for Antica Terra wines, he was kind enough to bring a 2012 Antikythera.

In the past month, I’ve had the 2012, 2015 and 2017, and this 2012 shows just how incredible these wines can age. I would say this is probably the most impressive OR Pinot I’ve had to date. So much balance here. On the nose, it is quite expressive with potpourri/red and purple floral notes and herb crusted black cherries. The palate is supremely balanced between the herbal/earth/clay like notes encapsulated by underripe red and black fruits and a kiss of sweetness...kirsch like? The core here nods to burgundy with structure. While I don’t think this gets any better, I do think it will cruise for years and evolve in to a somewhat different wine. Thanks again @Bryan Kesting for opening this! — a month ago

with Bryan

Matthew Cohen

9.4

Wow. This is almost somewhere between a cote dor and a cote chalonnaise.

Nose is gorgeous.

It has terrific density and delicious fruit. Some elegant peaches. Nicely mineral and a hint of salt. Perfect acidity.

Still a kiss of unintegtarted oak. Better in 12 months.

Bought from fass selections. — 17 days ago

Chris Grimm

9.2

The flavor profile is kind of like Cab Franc, with notes of dehydrated strawberry (like Special K red berries), mushroom, and a kiss of oak. Medium bodied. Wonderful acid, and still had some tannins. — 21 days ago

Shay A

9.2

WNH 2009/2010 Bordeaux tasting.

I was able to find a couple of these 2-3yrs ago locally at a great price, so I’ve opened one a year since then, and this was my last bottle.

My familiarity with this producer isn’t extensive, but this 2009 shows so much character from that warm, powerful vintage while also providing a bridge to those who enjoy new world Bordeaux blends. 60/40 cab/merlot. I followed this over two days. I decanted almost two hours the first day and had half a bottle, then vacuumed and had the second half the next day. Funny enough, this wine was more tannic the second day! The aromatics here sport a more modern, ripe profile of toasty oak and roasted fruits (blue and black fruits, plum, fig). Even the palate mirrors much of that with added bitter dark chocolate and only a kiss of herbal flair. Zero brett. A mix of mocha/espresso on the finish with structure that really flexed muscles on day two. My initial reaction was enjoy over the next five years, but this has ten in it easily.

As an aside, I tried this out of my new Grassl 1855 glass and loved it, even more so than Zalto’s Bordeaux glass. Weight and balance are impeccable. — a month ago

Carter Pelham

9.4

*chef's kiss*

For me just shy of an immaculate wine.
Immediately upon opening got a super prominent whiff of stewed vegetal / green peppers aroma. Blew off a bit over time. Flinty and graphite mineral and relatively muted fruit aromas.

Beautiful cherry/cassis/blackberry fruit. Medium body. Relaxed tannins. Lower acidity than I expected. But the finish. Elevated and never ending. One of those wines you never feel compelled to take the next sip, in a good way...you never lose the taste of your last drink.

Second almaviva we've had. Loved them both, very different from the '98. — 17 days ago

with Linh and Larry

Ron from VA

8.9

This is a quality wine…deserving a 90pt evaluation, however…Al K. had to slip about 10-20% cf & Merlot in the blend and thus remove the 100% Cab bonus. Nevertheless, this was a charming wine with a delightful sweet kiss on the finish. Just a happy wine from a cooler, acid preserving vintage. Well done, Al :) — 24 days ago

John Hagood

9.1

From Cork 2019 on 5/10/2021. Stronger than past vintages. First taste like a kiss. Strawberries and raspberry. — a month ago

Shay A

9.5

Curiousity finally got the best of me. A measley 25 cases of this inaugural wine was made. The blend is 73% roussanne and 27% Viognier. Opened alongside a 2014 SQN Lightmotif. Now known as Fingers Crossed, this is a must for those who enjoy the SQN style.

The fact that this is over a quarter Viognier is shocking. Seems like hardly any! This wine is amazingly bright and fresh while sporting plenty of richness and depth. The SQN Lightmotif had so much savory character to it like salted popcorn kernel, so the differences were very fun to diagnose (yet the style between the two has many similarities). Oily and honeyed mango, dragonfruit, and some caramel-lemon cream. There is a kiss of sweetness in the mid palate which is really unique. I’m hard pressed to see this being a wine that gets better...likely just somewhat different. Great first vintage! — a month ago