Alexander Bastian Nielsen

9.9

Such elegance and poise. Like a strong and muscular ballet dancer - it has the power to punch through but holds it back with such finesse. Dancing on the palate.
7 years of age - could easily do with 10 more, but already now it can do this. Highly complex and so so so refined. — 2 years ago

Josh Morgenthau

9.5

Lovely lithe expression of syrah with viognier adding voluptuous notes. Floral Cote Rotie-esque perfumes with a delicate pepperiness. So transparent and elegant. By night two this is showing purple and pink flowers, candied violets, iron, fresh black raspberry, brambly notes, a touch of tropical fruit. Definite structure, but it’s all grace and poise, like the muscle of a ballet dancer. Perfectly judged hint of sweetness on the finish. — 5 years ago

Lucy Osgood

9.2

Perfect before the ballet! — 7 years ago

Jeremiah Allen

9.0

Wearing that strong delicacy. But more of a dude that dances ballet. Color was amazing. Really vivid and reflective, it was fully translucent and ruby nearing the edge — 7 years ago

Norma Normington

9.4

Nose ... honeysuckle. Like a ballet dancer on my tongue; do very light but tasteful with hints — I get — of strawberries and rhubarb. Delicious and could pair with anything. — 8 years ago

Ellen Clifford

9.0

Oh hey. This Comptes talks. It says “I am here” the way landing a proper tours jete feels good I probably messed that ballet spelling. But this wine was lovely and lively and precise. — 8 years ago

Casey Hatfield-Chiotti

9.1

The color of ballet slippers with strawberries on the nose. The taste is a tiny bit fruity; (I get berries like strawberry and raspberry) but it ends with crispness and minerality. — 8 years ago

with Justin

Tony D

9.1

Barolo 2019. Great. Very dry. Not super complex. Great after a soccer game and ballet recital with the parents and in-laws. Dry with a good taste profile. Opened and let sit for 2 hours. Gone shortly after. — 2 years ago

Anthony De Blasi

9.4

Nerello Mascalese, light in colour, very elegant. In a very good spot right now. Liked it a lot, especially compared to previous bottles. Where the Monte Serra is like hip hop dancing, this Rovittello is more like classical ballet 😁 — 4 years ago

Sarah

9.2

The size of a tight end with the balance of a ballet dancer. In other words, the Zion Williamson of wine. ¡Viva España! 🇪🇸 — 7 years ago

Evan Griffith

9.2

Ethereal. Strawberry fairies performing a ballet on floating rose petals and raspberry dreams. — 7 years ago

Roman Sukley

10

2005 Sine Qua Non "The 17th Nail in My Cranium" Sta. Rita Hills Syrah
Buckle your chinstraps folks because tonight we’re headed to the wine world equivalent of the summit of Mt. Everest. The absolute pinnacle in the Universe of wine for yours truly. The “it just don’t get any better than this” moment as far as grapes are concerned. Let me begin first with the name of this magic elixir. If memory serves, it was derived from a combination of the fact that this was the 17th Syrah produced in the Garage d’Or otherwise known as Sine Qua Non, and, in that same year, Manfred was felled by a rogue barrel requiring several staples to close the gash to his cranium, hence... "The 17th Nail in My Cranium"
The wine is a blend of 96.5% Syrah and 3.5% Viognier which was aged 38+ months prior to bottling. % alcohol. 4 hour decant at cellar temperature. Achromatic Raven black motor oil in my Zalto. Undoubtedly, the wines I find most compelling are of the “swirl, sniff and contemplate” variety, and this one might just set the benchmark. Explosive aromatic potpourri of blackberry jam, roasted coffee, fresh ground black pepper, graphite and spice with a faint floral arrangement lurking somewhere in the background. On the palate, sweet cherry compote and black currant with undertones of roasted game and black olives. A big, full bodied wine that’s light on its feet. A tightrope walker. A powerhouse with impeccable manners. Elegant and lithesome. A ballet dancer. Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov in his prime. Complex, with layers of flavors in beautiful, perfect harmony. Crosby, Stills & Nash singing “Suite Judy Blue Eyes.” The Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations.” Perfect balance. Pure, silky mouth feel. Immeasurable finish. And I mean that literally, as in it just continues on and on. Just utter perfection. A wine that is in fact so entirely perfect as to eliminate the need for a search for an alternative. The last word. To paraphrase The Bard, this wine “might (just) be the be-all and the end-all.”

— 8 years ago

Andrew Kern

9.1

Apple pie, raisins, sweet. Great dessert wine with tart desserts — 9 years ago

Trevor Scott

9.1

This tiny little dancer will woo your tastebuds with it’s beautifully blended cab sauv, merlot, cab franc, malbec, and petit verdot grapes. Move over Russian Ballet. — 4 years ago

with Geri

Hiroshi Tominaga

9.0

Nice, black cherry with a tini of sweetness. Bought from Hiramatsu for about ¥2,500. — 6 years ago

Eric Urbani

9.0

Crushed by the ballerinas of the San Francisco Ballet, apparently — 7 years ago

Paul H

9.1

This opened up with ripe blackberries and licorice on the nose. This is a dark rich treat. In the palate rich dark red fruit, touch of rock, earth and dusty soil. Think of this wine as a rugby player that can dance at the royal ballet. Big yet graceful, with soft touches that linger nicely. I though it to be rather balanced and delicious. — 7 years ago

Hetty Forsyth

9.2

“That is where everything begins, where everything is settled and their ideal is as simple as ABC: "a wine to drink over and over again", a subtle wine, with fruit hints, harmonious and vigorous at the same time and which would ideally gather rugby men and ballet dancers, sweet dreamers and loudmouths, curious amateurs and picky aficionados.”
Jacques Maigne, « In Vino » N°6 — 8 years ago

with Nick

Joe Lucca

9.2

Californio dreamin’. The elegance of the Hyde vineyard shows through here. A bull wearing ballet flats. Beef jerky, roasted meat juices, raspberry, vanilla, and charcoal. Really lovely. — 8 years ago

with Diana

Jennifer Craig-Ford

9.6

My favorite style rosé. Not sweet. Not too tart. And I love the almost ballet slipper pink color instead of bubblegum pink. Staple in my home. — 9 years ago