Jay Kline

9.5

First things first, the wines of Bel Air Marquis d’Aligre or “BAMA”, as they are affectionately known, are not for everyone. They are essentially relics of a bygone era, made by a man who has largely resisted change over the last 74 years. Yes, that’s right, Jean-Pierre has been making the wine at BAMA since 1950. While nearly everyone around him has adopted whatever technology or technique that is trending, Jean-Pierre has held fast to his tradition. Before I get into the tasting notes, it’s worth sharing that opening a bottle of BAMA is a wild trip. A spirit walk of sorts. There are periods when you think the wine is fading and then minutes later, it’s a whirling dervish. It transformed every 20 minutes so be ready for the ride of your life.

Popped and poured; consumed over two days. Remarkable throughout. In the glass, the wine is a deep garnet color moving towards a rust color rim; slightly hazy with a near opaque, translucent core. Medium viscosity with light staining of the tears and some signs of fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous showing notes of desiccated cherries, currants, rhubarb, prunes, pomegranate, tobacco, cedar box, a well-conditioned horse saddle, an old library, espresso, roasted Brussels sprouts and damp earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium(+?) tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is seriously 5 minutes long; it’s got the elegance of Margaux with an unctuous texture. Truly remarkable. A veritable abyss of complexity. Drink now with patience but honestly, I’m not even sure a wine like this ever dies so I wouldn’t be concerned about holding these for another couple decades. Special thanks to @Lyle Fass for the assist. — 5 months ago

Paul T HB

9.7

Tequila barrel edition,
13.9 abv @David T — 5 years ago

Jake Hajer

9.3

‘15 in ‘23. Can age another five! Toffee, maple, bitter, bourbon, dark chocolate, figs, prunes, plums. Great beer! — 9 months ago

William Paley

9.3

dis 1 war var::::gud::::
sativa luv. 🕸 . cran-abyss, dust, flutter, bite. — 3 years ago

with Jess

Michael Seely

8.9

Famous guy he is, a good tasting brings you to the edge-of the Abyss with good intention and suddenly there you are, Malbec in hand, and Brazilians exuberantly dancing about carving a beast of prey. Good fit by Jove! — 5 years ago

with Jeff and Joe

James Webb

9.5

A fitting 600th wine for me on Delectable. Such a youthful, wonderful being. Lemon and lemon zest. Melon and slate. Softness beyond its years. Finish was a floral and citrus explosion that goes on into a velvet abyss. — 6 years ago

LM Segal

9.2

A bit of a gimmick concept, matured in the ocean for ~6 months. Nutty and yeast-laden but not bad once at temp. — 2 years ago

Dorothy Ball

9.0

Put it in the fridge, had it with sushi, watching the abyss — 2 years ago

Rhonely Boy

9.2

Needs two hour decant, fruit is great, terrior make me yearn for a trip to Los Olivos. Barrel influence still a bit strong (menthol notes from char) but works out nicely. Fruit is in the blueberry and plum spectrum. Some sediment is noticeable on bottle and on palette (nice texture), color and body has thinned a bit, In its peak, and guess a 3 year window before fruit begins its decent into the abyss (que: Slayer 🤘 haha). — 4 years ago

Kristin the Wine Girl

9.0

Inky abyss in the glass. Can I just drown in this glass? The clovey figgy berry peppery aroma is enough to die for. This would make an incredible mulled wine in the late winter. Clove and cranberry goodness up front on the palate with orange and pepper on the long pleasurable finish. Glad I invested in the 2016 vintage as well, looking forward to the comparison. — 6 years ago