Daniel Bloom

9.2

From the insane clearance sales of the @plcb, comes this wine for $25. Often you have to tell them what they have in stock, or say…” could you please check in the back?”. Then out comes a sealed wooden, 6 btl case. ( in one instance.). If you’re lucky to hear of the clearance sales, and there’s some things you care for near you it can be great. One just 🤞then prays that the provenance was good.
The 2020 vintage in Priorat was a challenge from what I understand. Wet, with fungus and rot, etc.
The ordinarily Garnacha heavy blend was swapped for 55% Syrah, 34% Garnacha, some Cab. and others. A quite unusual winemaking regiment ensues with large tronchons, cement, and glass demijohns included.
So…this upside down year produced a very lithe, liquorice and mineral wine. Dusky dark fruit on the nose more reminiscent of St. Emillion. Grippy tannins but in harmony. Easy going for Priorat. If you’re lucky to have them, drink or hold ‘em. I feel lucky to have played my part and relieved the @plcb of their burden.
With Randy — 20 days ago

Roger Ray

8.9

"Vineyards nurtured with care and sure premium fruit for this regionally expressive shiraz. It has a deep vibrant color and offers distinctive varietal characters of lifted white pepper aroma, dark berry fruits, plum and spice, supported by a layered, well balanced palate and persistent finish." — 3 years ago

Erik Longabardi

9.3

Magnums show you care. Perfect with friends after bottling — 3 years ago

Seiji Takeuchi

8.9

I normally don't buy Bordeau wines, but for a change. Deep dark wine red. Oaky with tannin, and dark fruit note. Decanting should make it better (I just don't care much...). Cericiers means cherry trees, according to google. Should have noticed the cherry. — 4 years ago

Austin Hohnke

9.2

Simply a fantastic wine. Savory and delicate but not without weight. The age is showing gorgeously and the balance is remarkable. Maybe a little oaky for my taste but with how seamlessly integrated it is I don’t even care. Will be looking for this on retail shelves. Had at Convivium Osteria in Park Slope. — 5 years ago

Helen Te

9.5

Wow. I’m more of a red drinker and rarely care for whites, but was craving risotto so needed a decent one. This was a very pleasant surprise. A punch in the nose of honey and sweet lemons, and soon following with apples... even a bit of fresh sea breeze. I thought it was going to be sweet because of the nose, but it’s still a nice dry, round white; barely tart ending. It is exactly what I was looking for to make my meal and I probably can finish the rest of the bottle myself. It pairs really well with my lemon asparagus and chives risotto. The price is fantastic as well. Definitely a keeper and will stock up for future weeknight drinks. — 6 years ago

Darren Guillaume

9.0

Fantastic oxidation, a great example of how great producers can grow in a poor wine region, care for how the grapes and wine is produced, and make a fantastic wine. Imagine and aged Taurasi with a hint of heather and spice. — 7 years ago

Jeremiah Diaz

9.1

Clear, medium ruby in color; on the nose, it's clean with medium intensity primary and secondary aromas of hibiscus, black cherries, and cedar; on the palate, it's dry with high acidity, medium tannins, full body, high alcohol, and medium intensity primary and secondary flavors of strawberry jam, asphalt, and plum with a long finish. This wine is complex and intense but a little too high in alcohol for the intensity of flavors. Overall, I rate this wine as very good. Nellie likes it, too! — 9 months ago

with Nellie

Andrew Haines

9.0

Very small winery, with old vines and care taken by the vintner. Easy drinking notes of cherry and thyme — a year ago

Jody Wycech

9.0

Really complex white! Very herbal nose, orange blossom, rosemary, cedar. Drinks with a bitter note that I don’t care for but very dry and, medium bodied with pear skins and lemon. Had with Greek sausage baby broccoli pasta & it went really well with the food. Would love to have again and try with other fuds. — 3 years ago

with Ethan, Peter and 1 other

Lee Pitofsky

9.5

The great Bernard Boison Vadot bottlings in particular, which now all have some age, remind me of a hypothetical combination between Coche and Raveneau. Obviously in the best way. Coche flinty reduction with the waxy yellow fruit of Raveneau along with the textural magnificence, density and depth of both Domaines. 2016 is particularly impressive in that it’s a vintage I don’t care for in whites, but some of the most talented vignerons are having their wines integrate extremely well at this point in time, far less awkward and disjointed as many on release. 2016 BV Chevalières is rich, toasty and intensely flavored with extremely impressive depth, texture and simply just electric energy. Excellent. — 4 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.9

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Melanson Vineyard emerges mostly from upper blocks on this site, a striking hillside that faces Colgin, where the steep exposure can yield wines of tremendous pedigree. That is exactly what comes through here. Inky red/purplish fruit, spice, rose petal, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco meld together effortlessly, with silky tannins that wrap it all up. Bold and luscious, but with tremendous nuance, the Melanson Cabernet is a total stunner in 2018. As I have written in the past, farming here has improved tremendously in recent years. This is another superb example of the quality that this site is capable of. Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown gave the 2018 a relatively short 10 days on the skins. I imagine he thought the site would take care of the rest. It's hard to argue with that. The 2018 is off the charts great. Don't miss it. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2021)
— 6 years ago

Matt

9.2

Wow, lots of old-school feel here. Really great care with the use of whole cluster, it really adds the right dimension without detracting at all. Traditional, rustic, and completely wholesome. Fruit leather, crushed berries, roasted plum, roast meat, vast array of herbal and garrigue deliciousness, it’s quite stony from front to back. Quite happy with this one — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Winemaker/owner Jim Clendenen started a label to make small lots of artisan distinctive wines. Crafting wines with care and is concerned with producing a high quality product, despite how long production takes, some of these wines spend up to 5 years of barrel age. The Tocai Friulano, Italian white varietal, planted in 1994 on the Bien Nacido Vineyard. Aromas sweet stone fruits with floral notes, aged in 100% neutral oak. On the palate apple, zesty citrus & lemongrass, with vivid acidity. Savory mouthfeel, well balanced on medium finish, ending with a slight honey character. Very nice, good value! Tasting Sample! — 7 years ago

Jan de Weerd

9.1

Couldn’t quite feel the love with this wine. Came with quite a bit of fanfare and expectation but remained unbalanced with a sharp green note I don’t care for but my wife loves. All in the eye of the beholder I guess. Tasted young, fresh, minerally and spicy. Not like a GSM I would have expected from Southern Rhone. No earthy undernotes. But, hey, I might be all wrong about this because I have never been there. Maybe that is not a distinct character of the wines from there. — 9 months ago

with Tammy

Jan de Weerd

9.3

Enjoyed it immensely with our grilled ribeye steak! Perfect pairing. The steak elevates the wine significantly. Dark fruit with fully integrated smooth tannins in this 10 year old wine. It has this green pea, olive note to it that I presume comes from the Carmenere that I personally don’t care for too much. Very balanced, very present, smooth finish, decent complexity. — a year ago

with Tammy

Aaron Tan

9.0

After reading all the rave reviews on Bessin’s Valmur recently (baby Rav according to some netizens), I was really excited to try this bottle. Sadly, it fell below expectations which was likely no one’s fault other than your’s truly - a little less care during transport left the wine with a nagging honey note that I abhor in young Chards. A touch of premox I believe, which stands in contradiction with another element I found lacklustre - the bottle was so stubbornly primary. Ripe-fruited even, with face-smacking stone fruits that masked the more Chablis-esque characters I so love. This point I can forgive considering the wine’s youth. I just wished it was more mineral and taut. It’s not all grim though as this sample was certainly concentrated, with plush textures that filled every corner of the palate. Definitely a wine to revisit.

NB: I believe WK gave this his highest score for 20’ Chablis. Great value at sub AUD150 in most markets. — 3 years ago

ESF

9.2

Blend of Grenache Blanc & Chard which really works: straw colored w/hint of green sporting generous aromas of honeysuckle, jasmine - really floral along with cantaloupe & melon. Bit of musk & green citrus. On the palate it is big & silky, very suave with flavors of tangerine wrapped in white flowers. Great acidity vigor & balance here. At just over $10- QPR out the Wazoo! — 5 years ago

Ted

9.0

Like having a piece of chocolate. Nice and easy with the Commodores playing in the background. Uncomplicated but yummy. — 6 years ago

with Jeni

Brett Vanderbrook

9.5

Exactly what you expect from a quality producer in Piedmont. Heavily perfume on the nose. Sour cherry, leather, tobacco, vanilla, wood. The palate shows grippy tannins without being overly drying, so it’s perfect with a meal, but also fine by itself. This wine is in a very good place. Showing some age, but definitely has a long life ahead with proper care. Just...*chef’s kiss* — 6 years ago

with Raina