Paco Suro

9.2

Really really fun. Skin contact. Clean. Lean mean fighting machine with some natural funk. — a month ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.0

Third release of this Dave Phinney Zin Blend comeback project. Zinfandel (53%), Syrah (23%), Petite Syrah (20%) and Grenache (4%). Sourced from different California regions. Deep purple color. Nose fills with black cherry, grilled herbs, and lavender. Intense cooked cherry, raspberry and blueberry fruit on the pallet with hints of tobacco, black licorice and nutmeg. Smokey finish. Ripe, lush and plump. Exactly what I expected. — 17 days ago

Aaron Tan

9.0

Finally tried Kuheiji’s Burgundy project (NB: their efforts in France yielded one of my most memorable sakés in 2019 - the Camargue; notes on Delectable). This was quite the changeling - started off reductive with a red-fruited palate, light airy touch, juicy acidity, and no noticeable oak. Combined with the hint of fruit sweetness in the back end, I just shot straight for Beaujolais in my blinded guess. Should have waited as my mistake became quite apparent over dinner. With air, the wine took on a darker/black fruit profile and showed obvious signs of oak treatment, though well-integrated. It was all blackcurrants, plums, raspberries, cinnamon, dark chocolate, cedar, and a hint of earthiness/minerality (appellation?). The palate remained airy and juicy, with that fruit sweetness in the finish perhaps indicative of the warm vintage. I enjoyed this as it had energy, though DC found the wine a little too oaky for his liking and KK noted some bottle variation with this being a weaker pull. — a month ago

Matthew Steilen

9.1

I swore to my host this was a Gamay or Pinot Noir. Turns out it was a Marquette. — 7 hours ago

Eric

9.8

Stole the show at last night’s Visit from the Valley event in Tampa. — a month ago

Steven Gullo

9.1

Dusty tannins. Complex aromas of roasted herbs and violets. — 2 months ago

John Tan

9.2

Sat afternoon at home. Aromatic, tropical fruit nose. Very fresh on the palate, with satisfying tartness that accentuates how fresh it is. Slight salinity that gives it additional complexity.

The CX of Partida Creus is a real bombshell of freshness, a nose that plays on notes of white fruits, citrus, and aromatic herbs. Tart and funky on the palate, with a long finish. A super rare and super good wine.

Partida Creus is the project of two Italians now in residence in the Tarragona region of Catalonia, just south of Barcelona. The idea of the project was to work with historical, often overlooked local varietals that in many cases were not recognised by the D.O. of the area: Penedès. Massimo and Antonella strategically went about buying up small plots of abandoned vineyards dotted around the area where mostly unknown varietals such as Garrut, Vinyater, Samsó and Queixal de Llop grew. They sought to revitalise the vines and work out the best expression for these old varetals, working without chemicals in the vineyard and without selected yeasts or any other additions in the cellar. They make an impressively dizzying number of different wines, all of which are unified by a very distinctive house style - raw, visceral and pungent reds, and salty, turbid, expressive whites. As a couple they have an insatiable energy that really comes through in the wine.

Origin: Bonastre, Tarragona, Spain
Vintage: 2020
Grape variety: Cartoixa Vermell (Red Xarel-lo)
Food pairing: Risotto with porcini mushrooms, sushi, tuna, paella — 2 months ago

Teresa S

9.2

Yeast and dried apricots. Fun!! — a month ago

Chloe Hart

9.5

Acidic and zingy — 21 days ago

Brent Young

9.4

Best with 13 days of Slow Decanting

Project created by Daniel Landi and Fernando Garcia in the Gredos Mountains. G for grenache. This wine is the product of biodynamic farming of 60 year old vines on granite slopes at 950 meters elevation. I loved this on release and now I want to check in on it’s progress

DAY1
Served with the Vinloq System
Great things on the nose but the palate was mostly closed up. Strawberries, tar, acid, tannins…

Let the remaining wine Slow Decant in my fridge

Day13
👃Red, lightly candied fruit with anise & mushroom broth. Violets and brambles. Lovely perfume. Gevrey-Chambertin?
👅Fruit, licorice tar, violets. Silky. Acid and tannins feel electric on my tongue. Earthy, savory, and persistent finish. Beautiful. Great nuance

Slow Decanting made a big difference. This just needs bottle age to further resolve the tannins and this will be stellar✨

A ridiculous value at purchase, word has quickly spread and now these are hard to find. But worth the effort 🍷

Full note on Instagram “Vinloq.notes” — a month ago