Intrigue Wines
Real Vinicola
Vintage Port 1961
Simply one of the greatest wines I’ve ever tried to date, the 1961 Real Vinicola is my first venture into mature Port and a complete eye-opener to this style of wine.
A veritable miracle on opening, the wine has a clear brick-red colour and a hauntingly beautiful nose. There are exotic aromas of toasted nuts, dried cherry, fig, raisin, lavender and clove; it’s a wine you don’t need to taste for a long time, such is the intrigue up front. The palate, then, is explosive for a wine of this age, almost full bodied with great complexity and acidity that belies its six decades of life.
The finish is staggeringly long, with a lasting impression on the palate. A new and totally enthralling experience for me in the world of wine. — 4 years ago
Roar
Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 2022
Medium in body, fresh and driven, the 2022 Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands) is pretty forward in its red-fruited profile, but it also possesses a core of stern, rocky minerality. An enticing air of highlands herbs and sweet lavender adds further intrigue. Juicy, sweet raspberry, clove and a kick of toasty French oak sweetness make the 2022 an inviting choice for drinking over the next several years. (Billy Norris, Vinous, August 2024)
— a year ago
Jones von Drehle
Rock & Rail Yadkin Valley Red Blend
Surprisingly good AFTER a lot of aeration. After 30 months in barrel and years on my rack I thought this would be in a good drinkable place from the cork, which was not unpleasant by the way. The predominant notes of Merlot and PV shown through in all stages, but the big take away was the breath and complexity increased with a couple days of air. (Vac’d plug of course) juicy, harvest fresh berries combined with just enough structure and herbal intrigue to make this delightful with artisan sausage pizza and our house smoky bacon bean soup. I had a chance to get a second bottle but it will be fun for someone else to taste a touch of North Carolina’s better half.  — 4 years ago
Northwest Cellars
Intrigue Red Blend 2011
From Spokane trip for magoo reunion years ago. Visited this winery. Very drinkable and smooth! — 4 years ago
Black Sheep Finds
Hocus Pocus Syrah 2033
The second label to Amy Christine’s Holus Bolus, but still top-notch. From Santa Barbara! It gives ripe black fruit (cherries, plums, berries) for days with a touch of licorice and lilacs on the nose. The palate is spritely, with decent acid and sandy tannins adding grip to a surprisingly light-bodied blend. Easy-going but complex enough to add intrigue. — a year ago
Osawa Wines
Prestige Collection Pinot Noir 2017
Thought this blind was an aged red burg, so colour me surprised when it was revealed to be a young NZ pinot. Clearly a little more developed than it should be (colour and aromas), but credit where credit’s due, this was quite elegant. Even after the reveal I could not detect that marmalade finish I find so often in NZ pinot’s. This was all red cherries and ripe strawberries, with savoury spices and earthy notes. Perhaps the quality of the oak, which left much to be desired, and rich velvety texture were the only indications of it’s origin. Finished a touch short. There were wines with more intrigue on the table so I didn’t drink much of it, but it definitely wasn’t a bad drop. One to revisit. — 4 years ago
Contrade di Taurasi (Cantine Lonardo)
Irpinia Aglianico
A very solid yet obtuse version of Aglianico compared the 2014 I had recently. This was much more similar teroldigo than the Nebbiolo-styled offering I experienced. Downside: less nuanced, a bit dull, and lacking intrigue. Pro: sturdy and effective…good for big rich foods like meat lasagna or sausage & peppers. 18$ for Kim’s  — 4 years ago
Jay Kline
Perhaps not quite on the same level as “La Romanée” in terms of history, but certainly in terms of exclusivity and intrigue, “Lake” is another one of those vineyards you read about, you hear whispers about, but you rarely see and even more rarely, get to experience. In fact, “Lake” is even smaller than “La Romanée”, less than half its size. The unique characteristics of the site make full ripening a challenge; it’s the coolest site at Diamond Creek and partially shaded. In the last 50 years, “Lake” has been bottled on its own 23 times. When there isn’t sufficient harvest for its own bottling, it usually gets blended into “Gravelly Meadow”. This bottle was graciously and generously brought back from the estate.
Poured into a decanter an hour prior to service; enjoyed over the course of a couple hours. The 1996 “Lake” pours a deep garnet/purple with a translucent core; medium viscosity with significant staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing (still!) with beautiful notes of cassis, tobacco, Poblano pepper, horse blanket, gravelly earth and a balanced mix of cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long. What a special wine.
If you’ve followed my tasting notes over the years, you may have caught me using the word “soul” or “soulful” to describe certain wines. For me, this describes a wine that expresses its site with a high degree of transparency and fidelity. This does not describe technical genius. In fact, the wines can often have some foibles. However, coming from me, it is the ultimate term of endearment, for whatever that is worth. Anyway, this bottle of the 1996 “Lake” has it. Drink now with patience and through 2046. — 14 days ago