Jay Kline

9.4

Presented double-blind. The wine pours a light straw color with medium viscosity and no signs of particles or gas. On the nose, the wine is developing with tart and ripe notes of apple, pear, underripe pineapple, lemon curd, nuts and minerals. I felt like there was some deft use of oak. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+, bordering on high acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and chocked full of minerals. My immediate impression was Bourgogne Blanc and I was having a hard time getting away from it. So I called Chardonnay, from France, Burgundy, Chassagne-Montrachet with 3-5 years of age. Gosh dammit! Margaret River strikes again!!! Blind, I always seem to call these Chablis or some other high quality white Burg. And I adore the Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnays. They always impress me. Drink now through 2036. — 3 months ago

Jeremiah Diaz

8.9

Pale ruby in color; Cherries and strawberries on the nose; high minus acidity; smooth medium tannins; tastes like cherries and cranberries with a long finish. — 2 years ago

with Nellie

Trevor Brown

9.4

A great, strong bourbon. A bit of fruit on the finish, with a well balanced honey and oak flavor. — 4 years ago

Kuba Klucznik

9.2

Sparkling bright acidity, med sweetness, low-med alcohol, crisp green apples, high minerality — 4 years ago

Raun Kupiec

9.0

Has a high fruit forward nose, apples, pears, kiwi. Faint, faint, vanilla and oak but still really fruit forward. — 4 months ago

Galen Hasler

9.1

Bright light red color and high toned fruit balanced by firm savory notes. — a year ago

Vanessa

9.1

Cheers to old-vine Chenin Blanc from South Africa! 🇿🇦 In South Africa, Chenin Blanc also goes by the name “Steen.”

It’s such a versatile grape and wine, capable of producing beautiful sweet, dry, still, and sparkling wines.

This wine is still and dry. We’ve paired it with sushi and it’s a delightful duet.

The grapes for this wine were grown organically in the Citrusdal Mountain district, north of Cape Town, west of the Olifants River, on the Western Cape. The bush vines were originally planted in 1957 (old!!), contributing to an intensity and a concentration of primary aromas and flavors in the grapes.

Indeed, the nose and palate offer medium(+) aromas and flavors of ripe pear, yellow apple, white peach, vegetal, boxwood, white blossom, crushed stone, and aged cheese rind notes. Lively acidity gives it lift and balances the high alcohol and intensity of fruit.

This wine was produced by Ginny Povall, American-born proprietor and self-taught winemaker of Botanica Wines. I love the botanical images on her labels, each an homage to the flower farm on which she began her wine production journey in South Africa.   

Botanica Wines, Chenin Blanc (Mary Delany Collection), 2019, ABV 14%. — 3 years ago

with Deked1

Andrew Cullimore

8.9

Pale straw . Lemon and lime with some petrol hints ,green herbs , white flower notes as well . Light bodied with high acidity , green apple , lime and grapefruit . Very fresh , high acidity , leaves the palate very fresh , lively . Touch of fresh green herbs on the ok length finish . Would prefer to leave this 2 or 3 years , just to fill out a little more in the bottle and will last well a further 10 or so . — 10 months ago

Vanessa

9.2

Happy Labor Day holiday weekend in the USA!

We’re enjoying a night off from studying while sipping a lovely Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste 2011 paired with a grilled steak, baked potato, green beans, and mushroom / zucchini kabobs. Soon (and sadly) we’ll have to say “au revoir” to summer.

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste is situated on the left bank of Bordeaux, i.e., west of the Gironde Estuary, in the commune of Pauillac. Soils here are gravel-based, and free-draining, ideal for ripening the late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon grape, which dominates in this Bordeaux blend.

Pauillac is known for producing age-worthy, structured Cabernet Sauvignon wines due in part to the growing environment. No wonder it’s home to 3 out of 5 first growth wines in the 1855 classification, including, Château Latour, Château Lafite Rothschild, and Château Mouton Rothschild. This particular wine ranks highly, as well, as a fifth growth and understandably so.

Based on our research the 2011 vintage in Bordeaux seemed to fast-forward many typical growing processes and timelines; grapes were budding and ripening ahead of schedule with warmer temperatures early in the season followed by notably cooler temperatures in August, ahead of harvest.

It’s remarkable how variable seasonal conditions can affect a wine’s profile, especially in less consistent climates like Bordeaux where vintage variation is a serious thing… still, this wine is lovely.

It is deep ruby with a medium (+) intensity of developing aromas offering notes of ripe blackberry, cassis, black cherry, plum, black licorice, anise, violet, tobacco, leather, clove, nutmeg, cedar, pencil shavings.

On the palate, this wine is dry with medium (+) acidity, high tannins that are ripe and smooth, a medium (+) body, medium (+) intensity of flavors consistent with the notes. The finish is medium(+).

This is an excellent wine that is drinking well now and could age further.

Cheers to the beauty born in 2011 in Pauillac AOC with this Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste! — 2 years ago

with Deked1

Fredrik Finn

9.3

Located in Sierra de Gredos, west of Madrid, Bernabeleva is a driving force of the ”new” Spanish wine movement that is getting well-earned attention from the wine world. The Garnachas of Gredos pose with a unique expression, marked with plenty of freshness and ”minerality” due to the high altitude and the granite soils.
The Vina Bonita, Bernabelevas top wine, comes from 2.8 ha single vineyard with 80 year old vines. Fermented in Wood with long maceration, matured on French barriques for ”as long as necessary”. Only 900 bottled produced of the 2016 vintage.

The wine is an act of elegance, a true showstopper concentrated red berry fruit with red florals and a balsamic-herby almost orange like lift, followed by a pronounced earthy and stony minerality.
A fresh acidity and slight lip gripping tannins with a very fine, almost powdery texture, a tactile sensation and strong fatigues drives the mineral, red fruited palate which breach across the palate in a long and expansive finish.
— 4 years ago