Tom Casagrande

9.2

Pretty good for a ‘17, avoiding sharp tannins and astringency. Nose has a lot of forest floor notes, spice, plummy fruit, lots of dry stony gravel. In the mouth it’s soft on entry, and well-managed tannins assert themselves on the back half of the palate. Macerated ripe cherry fruit and crushed stone flavors, with old barrel/old library notes. Medium acids. This will soften further over the next few years but doesn’t strike me as a long ager. — a year ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.4

Last weekend I had the chance to open up the 2012 Col Solare Red Wine (WWB, 94) which is absolutely singing in its silky state now at the eight year mark. Following a two hour decant the wine showed marvelous graphite, and anise aromas, followed by tones of tar and milk chocolate that all melded brilliantly in the glass. The palate showed really good viscosity and depth with a pillowy texture. Brandy soaked cherries, pipe tobacco, blackberry compote and cocoa powder with sagebrush accents all collide on the palate. The long, dark fruit and mineral-driven finish completes this stunning wine. A long-ager, showing a good combination of weight and poise, this glorious Col Solare is truly hitting its stride and has another decade of life ahead of it. Drink 2020-2030- 94 — 4 years ago

Jason and Jennie

9.2

First vintage where i prefer myriad, quivet, and becklyn over the scarlett. Not big tannins so probably not an ager but it’s tight on opening that gives a sense of thinness. Double decanted it back in the bottle and it has more viscosity. Tastes pretty good now — 5 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2017 vintage. Plummy, summer oak woodlands/forest nose. Medium body. Slightly more fruit-driven than the excellent 2016 that was sleeker with a little more acidity and a long-ager. This effort is still really nice and another beautiful entry into the historical, Antinori wine library. 4.5.23. — a year ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

A great wine. Nose is god like mineral perfume. Crushed rocks. Lime zest. So mineral. Wafting. Confectionary lime rock candy. Layered. Palate is dense and chewy with terrific elegance and superb structure and concentration. Amazingly pure. Such balance. Incredible depth and a tight mineral core that will make this a great ager. Unreal explosiveness and complexity. So juicy and refined. Amazing length. Just a stunning wine. Superb mineral sweetness on the finish. This is elite as it gets in St. aubin. — 4 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Another new or rejiggered bottling by Schätzel. What a wine. Step up in refinement and subtlety over the Kabinett bottling. Bottle is a bit taller as well. Nice detail. Nose is unreal. There is a distinctive Nierstein vibe here which to me is the “Mosel of the Rheinhessen.” Lifting aromas of fresh herbs and limestone with huge deep and delicate citrus and apricot fruit with an exotic hint of papaya or persimmon. That hint turns it from very good to very great. Also a confectionary sugar aroma. Just “extra” as the kids like to say these days. Gahhhh. This is beautiful. Juicy and dripping with lime infused apricot and juicy citrus fruits with sweet green apple. Great energy and gorgeous purity here. Just a perfect Kabinett with great concentration and raw materials. This is an ager and just so epic. Will age 20 years. Exceptional . — 4 years ago

Daniel Bloom

9.2

PnP: Deep Blackness, mix of jammy fruit, olives, soil. Something vaguely red poking up on the nose. Lots of brambles and gravel. Great mouthfeel with slightly cheek gripping tannins. Would be a long ager, I’m sure.
Thanks @FirstBottleWines — a year ago

Ron Siegel

9.1

Not a long ager but always delicious — 3 years ago

Joseph Lewinski

8.9

Wonderful. Medium body. Cranberry — 4 years ago

with Ginny

Mark Flesher

9.2

This is Cabernet Franc in a Beaujolais style. Nose of this wine alone is worthy of 89. Bing cherry, brambleberry, oregano, white flowers, honeysuckle, full of cheer! Entry is medium bodied. Touches acidic for about 0.2 seconds and then goes to a brambly mineral dense red cherry fruit and wildflower. Gets quite a bit more brambly in the middle. Finishes with a candied cherry minerality almost like a dusty Luden's cough drop. Would have almost expected some bitter notes here but it never went that direction. Really quite a complex wine for the price paid. Although I don't really think this is a long term ager, it did require about 2 hours to fully express itself. Really neat wine. — 5 years ago